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growthhyp · 2 days ago

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My grandpa left me this old necklace he's had in his family for years. It has "take what is rightfully yours" engraved in it. This big bodybuilder snatched it from me. What should I do?

It had been a dreary few weeks since Grandpa had passed away, leaving behind a void in my heart that seemed impossible to fill. The old man had always been a beacon of wisdom, his weathered eyes reflecting a life lived to the fullest. Among the many treasures he had bequeathed to me, the most peculiar was an antique necklace, its metal cool to the touch, with an inscription that read, "Take what is rightfully yours." The words were etched with a firm, decisive hand, as if they held the power to unlock some great destiny. I had worn it every day since, the comfort of his final gift a constant reminder of the legacy he had entrusted to me.

Grandpa had always been an enigma in the realm of physicality. Despite his age, his muscles remained as robust as ever, a testament to a life of discipline and strength. He regaled me with tales of his youth, a time when he was not just a man, but a colossus among mortals. His biceps, the size of watermelons, could crack walnuts with ease. His chest, a wall of granite, had taken blows that would fell lesser men. His legs, sturdy as oak trees, had carried him through battles untold. If it weren't for the cruel embrace of cancer, he would have surely lived to see his hundredth birthday, a centurion of vitality and might.

Yet, as I grew up under his shadow, my own body took a different path. I was slender, almost frail in comparison, and my interests lay not in the pursuit of physical perfection but in the tender embrace of my own kind. I was gay, and while Grandpa's tales of his romantic conquests were entertaining, they were as foreign to me as the lands he had never seen. Nevertheless, I loved him, and in his final moments, he had a strange request for his grandson—a plea for me to embrace health and vitality, to live life with the same zest he had. And so, with a heavy heart and a newfound resolve.

Donning the necklace, I embarked on a journey that would take me to the one place I never thought I would find myself—the local gym. The smell of sweat and metal filled my nostrils as I cautiously stepped into the realm of the bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. The clank of weights and the grunts of exertion echoed through the hallowed halls, a stark contrast to the quiet whispers of poetry that usually filled my days. But Grandpa's wish was clear, and I was determined to honor it.

As I completed the enrollment forms, I couldn't help but steal glances at the Herculean figure in the corner, his muscles flexing with the grace of a ballet dancer performing an intricate routine of squats. Each descent was met with a thunderous thud, reverberating through the floor, a declaration of his dominance in this sanctum of strength. My eyes lingered on his posterior, the muscles so defined they looked like they had been sculpted by a master artist. The sight of it made me bite my lip, a warmth spreading through my cheeks and down to my groin. My cock stirred in my gym shorts, betraying my attraction despite my fear.

My heart skipped a beat as I realized the behemoth's eyes were on me, his gaze as intense as the gleaming dumbbells he wielded. I felt exposed, like a gazelle caught in the crosshairs of a lion. In a panic, I tore my gaze from the mirror and bolted for the locker room, the thud of his weights following me like a taunting drumbeat. Once inside, the safety of the cold tiles and the metallic scent of lockers grounded me. I changed into my workout gear, the necklace nestled against my chest a silent companion in my trepidation.

Emerging from the locker room, I cautiously surveyed the scene. The gym was a battleground of iron and sweat, a place where titans forged their bodies into weapons of beauty and power. The muscular man was still there, his eyes piercing me like the needle on a barbell, boring into my soul. I took a deep breath and forced myself to move, setting up at a chest press machine as far from him as possible. My research had told me to start with the basics, to build a foundation before attempting the grandeur of his domain. I set the weight to a modest fifty pounds, my fingers trembling as I gripped the handles.

My form was abysmal, a dance of awkwardness and inexperience. The bar descended with a clank, my chest barely moving, and I pushed with all my might, only to lift it a few inches before letting it drop with a pathetic thud.

As I lay there, panting and sweating, the room grew eerily silent. I dared a glance around, and my heart plummeted—everyone else had left. The gym that had been a cacophony of grunts and clanking weights was now a desolate expanse of chrome and rubber. The towering bodybuilder still loomed, his eyes never leaving me, his massive frame seeming to have moved closer without a sound.

"You like what you see?" he sneered, his voice rumbling like distant thunder. "You little faggot."

I felt the color drain from my cheeks as the muscular giant approached, his hand outstretched. His grip was like steel, and before I could react, he had yanked the necklace from around my neck, the chain digging into my skin. The air grew thick with tension, my heart racing as I stared into the abyss of his furious gaze. I had always been shy, often a target for bullies in school, but something about the way he spoke to me, the way he grabbed my grandpa's necklace, ignited a fire within me. A fire that burned brighter than any fear I had ever felt.

"What the fuck is this?" he snarled, his breath hot against my face. I could smell the testosterone and aggression that rolled off him in waves, but I also noticed something else—fear. He was scared of what he didn't understand, of the power that lay dormant in the simple piece of jewelry.

"Give it back," I repeated, my voice stronger this time. I reached up and grabbed the necklace, the metal warm from his touch. Our fingers tangled, the necklace stretching taut between us. His grip was unyielding, but so was my resolve. I felt the whispers of my grandpa's spirit, urging me to stand my ground.

As our eyes locked, a sudden, brilliant light enveloped us, blinding in its intensity. I stumbled back, the necklace burning in my grip. The world around us faded, and all I could hear was the thunderous echo of my own heartbeat. The muscular man's expression morphed from anger to confusion, then to fear as his body began to tremble. The light grew brighter, and we both realized that something was happening—something beyond our control.

"What the fuck is going on?" he yelled, his voice cracking with terror.

I couldn't move, but the whisper grew louder, clearer, "Take what is rightfully yours." It was as if the necklace itself was speaking to me, guiding me, urging me.

My mind raced, connecting the dots that had been scattered before. Grandpa's unnatural vitality, his insistence on my wearing the necklace, and now this… It had to be magic. A power that had been passed down from generation to generation, waiting for someone worthy to wield it.

With a deep breath, I focused all my energy on the necklace. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, and the bodybuilder's grip on the necklace tightened. I pictured his bubble butt in my mind's eye, the roundness, the firmness, the way it jiggled with each step he took. The very essence of his muscularity started to pulse through the chain, and as the thought grew more vivid, so did the sensation. I could feel the flesh of my own backside swelling, the fabric of my shorts stretching taut as my glutes grew tauter, fuller.

The pleasure grew more intense, and with it, so did the anger in the bodybuilder's voice. "What the fuck did you do to me, you faggot?" he roared, his once mighty body now a shadow of its former self. His rage was palpable, but it only served to fuel my own burgeoning power. The necklace grew hot in our grasp, the metal glowing faintly with the energy that surged through us both.

With a smug smile, I met his gaze, reveling in the newfound confidence that seemed to radiate from the very pores of my new body. "It seems Grandpa's gift has given me a way to even the playing field," I said, my voice now a deep, rumbling bass that seemed to resonate within the very walls of the gym. The bodybuilder's eyes widened in horror as he realized the full extent of my control over his form.

I took a moment to savor the power that surged through me, the necklace pulsing like a second heartbeat at my throat. The whispers grew more insistent, feeding my imagination with images of the bodybuilder's former glory, the very essence of his masculinity. I focused on the bulge in his shorts, the symbol of his dominance in this realm of flesh and steel. As the thought grew more intense, I felt a strange, almost electrical sensation shooting through my own groin. His bulge grew smaller, his shorts now hanging loosely around his hips, exposing the sad truth of his current state.

The pleasure was indescribable, a symphony of sensations that seemed to resonate with every fiber of my being. Our moans grew louder, filling the deserted gym with the music of transformation. My own bulge grew more pronounced, pushing against the fabric of my shorts until it was as prominent as the one I had just stolen from him. I reveled in the feeling, my cock swelling with power, a silent declaration of victory in our silent, strange dance of theft and humiliation.

The bodybuilder's face was a mask of rage, his once proud gaze now a glare of pure hatred. "You'll pay for this," he spat, his voice now higher, reedier, a stark contrast to the bass rumble that now filled my own chest. "When I get out of this, you'll wish you had never laid eyes on me."

A wicked grin spread across my face as I thought of the ultimate retribution—to take not just his muscles, but his very essence. I closed my eyes and envisioned the process in my mind's eye, the necklace a conduit for the transfer of power. His body would shrink, his muscles dissolving like sugar in hot water, leaving behind the frail, skinny shell of the man he must have been before his transformation. Meanwhile, I would grow, my skin stretching tight over newfound bulk, filling out my once-slender frame with the might of a thousand lifts.

The whispers grew to a crescendo, and with it, the power surging through me. My chest expanded, the fabric of my shirt straining until it split down the middle, revealing the beginnings of a six-pack that looked as if it were chiseled from stone. Each abdominal muscle grew more pronounced, the crevice between them deepening like the grooves in the neck of a violin. The bodybuilder's eyes widened in horror as he watched my transformation unfold before him, his grip on the necklace weakening as his own body betrayed him.

My shoulders swelled like boulders rising from the earth, my biceps bulging with newfound might. The veins in my arms stood out like cords of steel, each flex revealing the horseshoe shape of my triceps, my forearms thickening with power. My back grew wider, the lats spreading like the wings of a bat, giving me a v-taper that would make any tailor weep with envy. My legs, once slender and unassuming, grew into mighty tree trunks, the muscles in my calves popping like over-inflated balloons, my feet bulging in their newfound girth.

The necklace grew hotter, the whispers more demanding. The bodybuilder's moans grew weaker, his once-proud physique shrinking before my eyes. His shorts fell to the floor, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs that clung to his shriveling frame. The rage in his eyes was replaced by a mix of pleasure and despair, a silent testament to the power of the magic that flowed between us. The fabric of my own clothes strained, threatening to tear as my body continued to grow, my new form pushing against the confines of the fabric.

With the necklace tight in our grasp, I focused on the one thing that had truly made the bodybuilder who he was—his unshakeable confidence and swagger. I pictured the way he had strutted through the gym, his chest puffed out like a peacock's tail, his hips rolling with the grace of a panther. The cockiness that had once irritated me now seemed like the very essence of power. I reached out with my mind, plucking at the threads of his ego, drawing them into myself like a spider spinning a web. His grip on the necklace loosened, his body trembling as the last vestiges of his dominance were ripped away.

As the transfer occurred, the air grew thick with the scent of sweat and desperation. His once-booming voice grew high and reedy, his swagger diminished to a feeble shuffle. The muscles that had defined his frame melted away, leaving him a mere shadow of his former self. His cock, once a proud declaration of his masculinity, grew limp and small within the confines of his briefs. Meanwhile, my own confidence surged, filling me with a newfound sense of purpose. The smirk that had once been foreign to my face grew more natural, a permanent fixture of my new identity.

I could feel the power of his dominance flowing into me, filling my veins with the same unshakeable confidence that had made him the gym's alpha. His anger and frustration only served to fuel my own transformation, the pleasure of the experience making me dizzy. We both moaned and grunted, our bodies responding to the shifting tides of power. My own cock grew harder than it had ever been, a testament to the raw masculine energy that now surged through me.

The bodybuilder's eyes grew wide as he watched his former strength and confidence being siphoned away. His once-booming voice grew softer, his posture slumping as the weight of his defeat settled upon his shoulders. He was no longer the towering giant that had struck fear into the hearts of all who looked upon him. In his place stood a man reduced to a mere echo of what he had been, his eyes pleading for mercy that I had no intention of granting.

The whispers grew softer, the magic waning as the last vestiges of his power were absorbed into my own being. My chest swelled with pride, my cock straining against the fabric of my briefs, demanding to be released. The bodybuilder's own cock, once a symbol of his dominance, had shrunken to a pitiful nub, the fabric of his boxer briefs tenting outward pathetically.

His voice cracked with defeat as he begged for mercy. "Please," he whimpered, his eyes brimming with tears. "Give me back my body, please."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his pleading. The irony of his situation was delicious, and I savored every moment of it. The power thrumming through me was like nothing I had ever felt before. I was the predator now, the one holding all the cards, and he was the prey, reduced to a trembling mess. But there was still one piece of the puzzle that had eluded me—his confidence and swagger. That was the essence of what made him a man to be feared and desired in this place. And if I wanted to truly be his equal, I needed it for myself.

"Your body, your confidence, your swagger… all of it is mine now," I said, my voice a deep, resonant bass that seemed to shake the very air. "And as for your pathetic little cock…" I couldn't help but chuckle. "It's the least of what you've lost."

The bodybuilder's eyes flickered with a spark of anger, but it was quickly extinguished by the reality of his situation. He knew he was at my mercy. With a casual flick of my wrist, I sent him stumbling backward, his legs no longer able to support the weight of his deflated muscles. He landed on the gym floor with a pitiful thud, his once-intimidating form now reduced to a trembling wreck.

I turned to the mirror, my gaze raking over my new, muscular body. The red briefs that had once clung to my skinny frame now struggled to contain the vast expanses of my newfound muscles. I flexed my arms, watching in amazement as the veins in my forearms bulged and danced. The reflection staring back at me was that of a god, a true embodiment of power and beauty. The whispers grew faint, but the warmth of the necklace against my skin reminded me of the promise it held.

"Thanks, Grandpa," I murmured, feeling a tear trickle down my cheek. The necklace grew cooler, the magic seeming to acknowledge my gratitude. I knew that with this power came a responsibility to carry on the legacy that had been passed down to me.

#muscle growth stories #jockification #personality change #jock tf #male transformation #ai generated #nerd to jock

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fatehbaz · 1 year ago

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what does your username mean?

Cat ghost.

As child. Would go to library, to look at books about creatures, with a pen and notepad. Or sit before a television watching "nature" documentary stuff, with a pen and notepad. Was fixated on habitats. The context. Did not like to isolate an individual creature from the wider ecological community. This led to interest in geography, distribution range maps. Was aware that, in popular perception, some creatures were strongly associated with a particular place. "Lion is an African animal. Tiger is an Asian animal." Allegedly. And other stereotypes (many of them, I would later come to learn, due to chauvinism, exoticism, Orientalism, colonialism, etc.). Came across a kind of large textbook on wild cats. Saw the historical distribution maps. Only a few centuries ago, tigers were in Anatolia, the Caucasus, near the shores of the Black Sea. Was intrigued. From the middle of the twentieth century onward, the lion and cheetah were so closely associated with Africa, where like over 99% of their range was located. And yet. There remains a small remnant population of nearly-extinct Asiatic lions far away within India''s borders. And there remains a small remnant population of nearly-extinct Asiatic cheetahs within Iran's borders. And all that space, in between, where both cats were now extinct. Only 100 years ago, tiger, lion, leopard, and cheetah all lived generally near each other, still, in eastern Anatolia, near Mesopotamia, etc. And now, only a few dozen wild native cheetah remain on the entire continent of Asia.

"Cheetah". The word for this cat is from South Asia. Through Hindi, from Sanskrit.

"What happened?" I read on. Cheetahs were present within the national borders of what is now India, along with tigers, lions, and leopards. By the 1500s, there was a tradition in South Asia, where some in the Mughal aristocracy enjoyed using cheetahs as companions in sport hunting. The cats would be captured in the wild, and then trained, and then brought along on royal hunts. The cat was the star athlete, goaded into chasing down prey, for the entertainment of the hunting party. There are elaborate paintings, commissioned by Mughal courts and some now displayed in collections of European museums, depicting trained cheetah hunts. It has since been popularly said that Akbar was particularly fond of cheetahs. (Akbar the Great was the "emperor" who is credited often for consolidating Mughal state power across India, solidifying regional power by building administrative systems/structures in India ["forging an empire out of fiefdoms"] that would later eventually be manipulated and overtaken by the British Empire. According to some tellings of the historical narrative.)

Accurate or not, it was said that at any one time, Akbar possessed one thousand cheetahs. A vast royal menagerie. The names of several of the most celebrated cheetahs are still known. In some stories, when he was still young, Akbar was presented with a gift. His very first cheetah: Fatehbaz.

This disturbed me. A child, reading this book, I was upset by the idea of such a vast menagerie of wild animals. Large wild animals, with great need for food, space, enrichment. I was upset by the exploitation of captive wild animals as displays of aristocratic wealth, not just in the Mughal state(s), but also those menageires and exhibitions elsewhere, both earlier and later in time: the royal hunts of Assyrian kings, the Roman arenas, Charlemagne's elephants, European circuses.

So, as a child, I imagined that Fatehbaz resisted the captivity. Like in a daydream, a fantasy. I imagined a royal menagerie breaking free from restraint. I imagined elephants and rhinos and tigers and lions and leopards and jackals and crocodiles. I imagined the beasts attacking an emperor's court. But there are now less than one hundred cheetahs which survive in the wild in Asia. And when Mughal statecraft gave way to European statecraft, when Britain moved into South Asia, the bounty hunting specifically targeted big cats. And, meanwhile, the cats were confronted indirectly with habitat destruction, commodity crop monocultures, industrial-scale resource extraction. So I came to imagine the ghosts of cats. The ghost of a cheetah like Fatehbaz on the Indus plain. The ghost of a jaguar in the Sonoran desert. The ghost of a lion on the Mediterranean coast. The ghost of a tiger on the Amu Darya shore beyond Bukhara, where even the Aral Sea itself has vanished.

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soulbeastdragon · 14 days ago

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All my Charr so far.

Tidbits on each below the cut!

Renfia Mufflepaw - agender | she/her My Muse's Charr-sona. No real story to this lass. At least, not yet. She could one day develop a backstory out of the blue.

Grody Garbagegut - agender | they/them Grody is in charge of the Garbage Trash Legion [TRSH]. They were made as a joke with friends and now we have a guild 😄. They might gain a backstory and character development one day, I'm very fond of them.

Hyva The Wayward - female | she/her Hyva's my newest Charr and she's Aella and Tharissin's mother. She was a Flame Legion slave, used for entertainment in pit fights and breeding. She had many other cubs that were all taken from her as soon as they were born. She managed to escape with Aella and later gave birth to Tharissin in Dewclaw Village. (I'm still working on her backstory since she's still so new)

Aella Mistfarer - female | she/her Aella is a sellsword and a bane to the Flame Legion. She escaped with her mother, but the Flame Legion would not relent on tracking them down. Aella was done running and turned her fangs on the Flame Legion. Since at a young age, she's been fighting back and turned from hunted to hunter. When Efram came into the picture and there was talk of a new Flame Legion, Aella would hear no part of it. All Flame Legion in her eyes needed to be extinguished. Eventually, she would go into the Mists with groups of adventurers. SHe'd still come back to Tyria from time to time to see how her brother's doing, but other than that she sticks to the Fractals.

Tharissin Forgelock - male | he/him Tharissin is a mute Iron Legion Forgemaster. He's very chill and loves nothing more than to relax under the shade of a tree and fish all day. He's helped the Pact with forging armor and weapons and was recruited during Icebrood to help fight against the Dominion. After Icebrood Saga, Tharissin "retired" and resides in Elona, enjoying the desert sun and fishing on the waters.

Chance the Skritt - female | she/her Chance is a Skritt with coloration inspired by the black-tan fancy mouse. She was found by an Asura named Aezzil while she was a little kit on the shores of Lion's Arch after the fall of the Breachmaker. Since Aezzil couldn't find her scratch and she was too young to remember where she came from, she stayed with Aezzil. She likes adventures, but she's not very brave and often hides in Aezzil's backpack. She borrows thing and forgets to return them and she enjoys collecting little trinkets.

Silana Felfire - female | she/her Silana is just An Ordinary House Cat.

Rex Ghidorah - agender | they/them My kaiju toon based on my favorite kaiju, King Ghidorah

Lykos Iredyne - male | he/him Lykos Iredyne is my spliced Sylvari created by Ardjin. Lykos Iredyne is the final form of Iredyne, who was spliced with his fern hound. His actual appearance is very off-model from his in-game appearance, looking more like a leafy werewolf than a Charr (altho I used the Charr body as a base) ->

Mender Lunaria - female | she/her Lunaria is another spliced experiment of Ardjin's. She was also a Sylvari. She was Solaria's Dearheart and she escaped to find her beloved. Unfortunately, she can't keep a foothold in Tyria as the experiment performed on her causes her to get pulled back into the Mists. In the end, Solaria decided to leave the Pale Reavers so she can join Lunaria in the Mists.

Fish Lich - agender | it\they\him It came from the depths of the Unending Ocean. Its a fish, and a lich. Stinky.

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #gw2 charr #Ro's content #reen's screenshots

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inusmasha · 1 year ago

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Mountain Miko on A03

Summary:

In a secluded mountain village run by a society of mysterious women, Kagome, a young initiate, embarks on a transformative journey under the mentorship of their highly esteemed miko, Kikyo

Prologue – A Dark Fairytale

In the beginning, within a realm where ancient magic held sway, there once lived a man renowned for his ability to weave spells that brought good fortune to those willing to pay. His performances were nothing short of captivating spectacles, drawing in many who gasped in the grandeur of his rituals. Over time, growing more and more powerful by the day, his glittering magical displays began to draw in the curiosity of wealthy patrons far and wide.

"How do you do it?"

"You need only to give voice to what you desire."

Over the years the man turned sorcerer grew proud and prouder still, having forgotten what humble beginnings he crawled out of. He wore his wealth on his body, he adorned his beard with sickly sweet smelling oils and lined his fingers with ostentatious rings. In the era of spell making, the Sorcerer had made this life by his own hand...a hand in possession of a certain Jewel. A small nothing looking bead that was easy to miss even though it hung in plain sight. It's presence barely felt, barely a whisper, only a quiet gnawing at the bottom of his being.

In the dark night, the heavy shadow of some blackguard, from some dying noble house, made its way to the Sorcerer with big news. A big problem that required a big idea. This truly fair and noble family was harboring a plot to unseat the current emperor and had come to him for help to remedy the issue.

"What you ask is treason."

"What I ask is to entertain possibilities."

Truth be told; if they had the coin then it did not matter what the request was. He would entertain their hypocrisies. They can keep their dull innocence, keep their hands clean, while he did the unseemly. Though it was dangerous to play with this sort of magic, it's practically what it was there for.

"What say you, Sorcerer?"

...it has to be you.. only you could do it.. wish maker ..wishmaker.. wish-

A sinister alliance was forged that night, and he sought to orchestrate their rise to power through sinister rites.

His displays of enchantment evolved into bloody ceremonies with costly offerings, ranging from the most humble of creatures to majestic beasts. First a sparrow, a snake, a cat, a wolf to lions, tigers, and- it wasn't enough! To ensure their success, the sorcerer needed more potent sources of power, and he turned to darker methods. He began raiding graveyards for human bones, believing that spirits of the deceased would grant him greater strength. However, he soon realized that live human sacrifices to the Jewel would yield even stronger results.

Of course!

Yes, there was a war.

There was an empty seat in an empty dank room.

Once the new emperor assumed that cold throne for his own, he called for the Sorcerer to come join him at his royal court and to squat on the lap of luxury. That's what those savage acts were for.. but that damn cursed gnawing hunger never left. It wasn't enough.

And then...Their paths crossed that fateful evening when he was summoned to perform before their Lord. This was it! Oh! His journey had led him to the fair maiden with black silk for hair. The Sorcerer's infatuation with the woman was relentless, an unquenchable burning within him. Her every word, her every glance, fueled this insatiable longing. He wanted her as his bride.

But alas she did not want him for her heart belonged to-

It did not matter. He would take her.

In his desperation to possess her he believed that the Jewel, his divine potent resource, could make her love him. The Jewel, fatter still, fed on his fixation. He hated her. He loved her. He hated her. He loved her. The Jewel had never tasted something so sickly sweet.

"You need only to give voice to what you desire."

He wished for the woman.

In a final, frenzied act, he sought to give the Jewel a tangible form, giving it arms and legs in which to carry out the deed. Not as some caricature but as something living, with blood and bones.

"..This flesh is your flesh, these hands your hands!"

At the altar, with great suffering, he relinquished what little was left of his human to the bloody pearl. This was the deep dark material in which miracles sprang forth. He would conjure heaven.. but in the morning there was nothing but the cold dank air, and ash. The fate of both he and the now missing maiden was shrouded in mystery. The ending to this story is always the same.

Now, the Jewel, revered and closely guarded, rests within the new emperor's grasp. It's true nature forgotten. Though the emperor may hold suspicions about the Sorcerer's demise, he chose to remain oblivious of the perils. The relic remained concealed, subject to constant study that often exacted a grim toll and a long list of names never to be spoken of. The Jewel passes from one ruler to the next, as an heirloom of both great power and who's hunger continues to shape the endless road of petty human conflict.

And we exist in its consequence.

Many generations pass and eventually the one named Midoriko is born.

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leojurand · 2 months ago

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so i finished my to lie with lions reread yesterday and i really don't know how to talk about it because i think it's a perfect book.

there's just nothing i don't like about it. i can't even nitpick. to me, it's +600 pages of as close to flawless as anything can be literature. it's crazy that someone can write a perfectly paced and executed long and dense 6th book in a series but dunnett did it.

and it couldn't have been easy because this is probably the most chaotic book when it comes to characterization, specifically that of nicholas and gelis. they're not simple characters at all. they have very complex and layered motivations and emotions, but especially on reread i feel like they were written masterfully.

nicholas de fleury is truly one of a kind. there's no protagonist like him in any genre. getting to a point where you understand him is not easy at all, maybe even close to impossible for the first half of the series (a feature, not a bug!), even though you follow his pov very often, unlike francis. but he still hides things from you, and from himself, and he surprises you all the time, and you have to judge for yourself and decide which actions or feelings are genuine, and what is a part of a scheme, maybe both things at the same time. and that to me is one of the best things about this series, because nicholas himself is a puzzle you have to try and solve, and it works because he's one of the most complex and interesting fictional characters of all time.

and if nicholas is complicated, gelis even more so. it's genuinely so hard to get her and the reasoning behind everything she does. in fact, i don't think you can really know 100% of the whys of gelis, just like with nicholas you have to pay attention and decide the truths and the lies. and she's so fucking good, man. i love that she's allowed to be so messy and flawed and entertaining. and still live, you know lol

the culmination of everything nicholas and gelis go through and do to each other is, again, masterful. an incredible pay-off that i don't think anyone else could have written better. the heightened emotions, the reveals, the insanity of it all... peak literature.

there's just too much i could praise this book for and i can't do it all in one post but of course i need to mention iceland.

part 3 of this book is almost like its own novella that can exist by itself, and i love that so much because in a way that's also how nicholas feels about it. this beautiful adventure away from the chaos of his life, untouchable, untainted, that he will never forget.

the beauty of the prose matches the beauty of the land. i adore the comparisons to nordic myths (the baldur light, and loki fire). i love that you can see how much iceland affects nicholas because he compares things that happen to the volcano hekla, or gelis's eyes to the icelandic glaciers. the language in this part of the book is gorgeous and intentional and it has weight, if that makes sense.

from the start, with the excitement of the trade scheme and the battles on ship, to the beautiful bond nicholas forges with kathi (and that is, honestly, the main event of the whole thing), everything about iceland is perfect. and i've used that word so much throughout this post that maybe it has lost its meaning, but really. if someone asked me to give an example of what dorothy dunnett is capable of doing as an author, i'd show them iceland without a doubt.

and that's it! maybe! next is caprice and rondo and i'll get to it whenever... but i'll keep talking about house of niccolò of course, that's my whole brand 🫡

#house of niccolo #hon rr #to lie with lions #i don't know what tf i'm saying... anyway #this is why i don't write reviews lol but in conclusion. to lie with lions my beloved

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mybeautifulchristianjourney · 3 months ago

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Be careful, Christian, and do not entertain the many idols that seek to creep into your life.

Whether it be politics, sports, fame, money, power, prestige, the desire to be liked, etc., they will all drag your heart from Christ and seek to destroy you as the lion devours his prey.

"The human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols." ‌John Calvin

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canary-prince · 26 days ago

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I feel like I could make a neat fic series out of the Usher kids' name meanings

Like a series of character studies through the lens of their names' etymologies.

FREDERICK: Peaceful ruler. Control freaks shouldn't be spineless, it's awfully frustrating for them. He wants to be in charge but is a conflict avoidant suck-up, insecure and petty. A peace-time king, no glory to his name, inheriting from a warrior and a sorceress who fought and bit and clawed. Under real challenge, he crumbles. A peace-time king becomes known from one of two things: that which they build and that which they heal. A peace-time king who is sung about? Bridge-builders, feeders of the poor; castle-builders, patrons of the arts; church-builders, tenders of the sick. But Frederick does not focus on the kingdom that has already been built, on the legacy to be preserved. Instead he longs for new lands to conquer, and new legacies to write. Outside his castle gates, the poor starve and the sick die and the artists are forced to take new jobs. I weep for bridges never built.

TAMERLANE: Iron. Cold and sharp and inflexible. A sword, a gun, a railroad track, an imposing bridge, an unassailable gate. She thinks she's invincible, but impurities and brittleness remain: she is not yet steel and ultimately never became steel. In the end, the fire does not cleanse or forge her: she simply melts away. We inherited iron from the dying stars of eons ago: it is in our blood, it gives us energy and strength and without we waste away to nothing. This is actually a boy's name, which is FASCINATING. How many women in history were buried beneath the legacies of their fathers and brothers and sons? So she hardened and sharpened and tried to prove herself.

VICTORINE: Victory. Locked in competition with her siblings, particularly Camille. She does whatever it takes to "win": arguments, pissing contests, "at life", against death. When Roderick reveals his CADASIL diagnosis, Victorine is the weapon he and Madeline attempt to wield against the disease, as if she can "beat" the deal they struck. She constantly tries to position herself as allied with Tammy and Frederick, on the "winning" team, on the side of the "legitimate" children. She lies, she cheats, and refuses to give her medals back when she's caught. Her nickname, 'Vic', is also cop show slang for 'victim'. She thinks these things happen TO her, not BECAUSE of her...but all of the kids are Roderick and Madeline's victims. He ruined her. Like he ruined all of them. Pyrrhic Victory indeed.

CAMILLE: This name can mean "perfect" or it can mean "acolyte", and either one can work, but I lean more towards the second meaning. A young initiate into a cult (here meaning the organized followers of a particular god, not the Lifton style destructive cult) there to spread the myth and carry on the traditions. She is the keeper of secrets and the teller of stories, isolated from the outside world, steeped in ritual for ritual's sake. Priests and priestesses may have employed psychedelic drugs and illusionist tricks to awe and entertain their followers or indue holy visions. Female cult initiates were often unmarried priestesses: either through widowhood or refusing to marry when young. Mystery cults were hidden or secret traditions, often focused on mystical re-interpretation of the mainstream tradition.

NAPOLEON: So the best translation for this name that we have is "Lion of Naples" or "Lion of the New City". Focusing on the "Lion" part, lions are social and lazy, most active at night. Males orbit the periphery while females form the heart of the unit. Male lions hunt alone, often as ambush predators, but general misconception is that they do not hunt at all, due to "failing" at it, compared to females. Furthermore, male lions will form "coalitions" with other males as opposed to priding up with females and cubs (Asiatic lions in particular are prone to this) and lions are one of the primary species in which we have observed bisexuality among males. Finally, lions make great dads and Leo is one of the only siblings who shows genuine grief over the family's losses.

PROSPERO: Prosperity or Fortunate. His name is symbolic of the changing tides of fortune, and is a reference to Fortunado itself. He was only 16 when he became a legitimized heir. That's a hard age to adjust to all that. He is gluttonous and lustful, soaking up every little bit of the privilege his family money gives him. What is the point of gull eggs, exactly? He is blessed with beauty: so much of it that even Verna comments on it. He assumes his blessings will never run out, and plays with fire by attempting to commit mass blackmail and ignoring all the red flags about the party venue, yet, at the same time? He thinks the world still owes him something more. Everything must be handed to him. It is his birth right, all of it. Earning it is for the unlucky: he is blessed.

#the fall of the house of usher #tfothou #tamerlane usher #frederick usher #prospero usher #napoleon usher #camille l'espanaye #victorine lafourcade

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discordiansamba · 1 year ago

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spitballing some more ideas for the oops! all Galra AU:

Lance still has a very large family. They're all connected to the Blade of Marmora, although only his older siblings are actually involved in undercover work. His parents are both non-combatants.

Veronica gets Krolia's canon undercover position under Warlord Ranveig.

Shiro has been on Earth for around five years in total before the failure of the Kerberos mission. Sam and Matt are still on the crew, but Adam is the pilot. If he were able, Shiro would tear the Galra Empire apart himself to look for Adam, but he is more or less stuck on Earth.

Hunk's gotten caught sneaking extra food to the Balmerans before and has gotten his meals revoked as punishment. Each time, Shay sneaks him some cave bug jerky even though he tells her she doesn't have to.

Visiting Olkarion has been Pidge's dream ever since she was little. She's thrilled when she finally gets the chance to go, and so angry that it's because it's been taken over by the Empire.

Galra Pidge has cat ears, but specifically ones that are bigger than her head. This is because the idea is endlessly entertaining to me.

Somehow being Galra just makes Hunk even more shaped like a friend. He's more like a big, fuzzy teddy bear than anything else.

Lance is definitely more of a lizard-type Galra.

Shiro is more of a purple humanoid, like Krolia than anything else. It does help concealing his true appearance with illusion tech a little easier than it would be otherwise.

Shiro also discovers that he has a passion for teaching. Who knew?

Krolia forged a pair of blades at the start of the war, one that she took with her and would eventually be passed down through the Blade leadership. The other she left with Keith.

Keith's father died in the war before the destruction of Altea.

Allura learned to fight alongside Keith. They're sparring buddies.

They all just sort of stumble upon the Blade of Marmora's main base after they get the blue lion, because Allura was following the thread of quintessence that linked it to its paladin. She doesn't expect to find an entire group of Galra rebels. Neither Pidge nor Shiro has ever heard of them.

Kolivan's definitely not prepared for the Castle of Lions to show up at their doorstep, but is goaded into tentatively negotiating with them by Ulaz, despite the presence of a former imperial officer onboard.

#oops! all galra au #yes I'm calling it that. no you can't stop me #it takes a little while for Shiro to fully gain everyone's trust but he can understand why they'd be wary of them #he's done a lot of awful things in his time. he's not making any excuses for it.#he just wants a chance to do better

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graphicpolicy · 3 months ago

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NYCC 2024: IYANU gets the spotlight with new trailer, clips and more!

NYCC 2024: IYANU gets the spotlight with new trailer, clips and more! #nycc #nycc2024 #nycc24 #animnation

At New York Comic Con, Cartoon Network, Max, and Lion Forge Entertainment released the first feature trailer for the highly-anticipated series Iyanu. In this trailer, viewers are treated to a breathtaking introduction to the series’ captivating story based on Nigerian culture and mythology. The scene opens in a lush, vibrant landscape, where the main characters, Iyanu and Biyi, find themselves in…

#animation #brandon easton #cartoon network #dark horse #Dark Horse Comics #darnell johnson #hbo max #iyanu #Karama Horne #lion forge entertainment #new york comic con #nycc #paula gammon wilson #roye okupe #video

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robodove · 2 years ago

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SHOW US THE PIRATE STUFF DO THE MERMAID STUFF ALKNASDAS

OKAY I FINALLY HAVE A LITTLE TIME ARRGAGRG I hope this aimless infodump is readable

so! Their designs and junk are a mess rn but I do have some stuff of them!!

Ignore the little dragon in the last I'm still working on Lloyd's whole... business. And! Don't mind the text in the pink one, I was just tryna think up silly nicknames!

Anyways! They aren't really... Traditional pirates? Y'know.. cause their crew size is like 5 + a child and ancient beast.

Under division is a small ramble

Cole's the "captain" and is a selkie (although I know they're usually seals I accidentally chose a sea lion)! He's the sea lion in the pictures and I'm desperately trying to work his skin into the design. I thought it'd be silly since he was raised in dance and entertainment.. and hey! Sea lions are known for that too!

(he wasn't meant to look so forsaken here, sorry Cole)

Jay is a mermaid (thing?) When in the water, he has the lower half reminiscent of an electric eel (I saw reminiscent as there are some major differences)! No one really has powers in this but he can still shock like that,, Ed and Edna are still human in this and I'm trying to remember if they still lived at a scrapyard or a shipyard.

Both Kai and Nya are only half mermaid! Nya ended up inheriting way more mermaid traits than her brother, who doesn't even have a tail in water, but still has a lot of human drawbacks. She can only breathe underwater for so long and ironically Kai can last down there longer. He just chooses not to since I thought it'd be funny to still let him be scared of water in this 😭 sorry Kai. He still has the recognizable sharper teeth and has bits and flashes of shimmery scales but is overall the most human of the bunch once you count out Cole's unskinned form.

I couldn't resist myself on Zane and ended up making him a siren. Mainly because.. bird! And also if he was going to be organic, I wanted to isolate him from the other sea related creatures. He has the wings and feathers of a gyrfalcon and can't swim as well in the ocean! He ends up bonding with Kai over this Kai originally hadn't liked him too much! Reasonably so since.. y'know.. sirens eat people. And mermaids in this.. although Zane eats human things as he was raised on it by a still very human Dr. Julien (who I guess is more of a bird-oriented wildlife scientist in this? ornithologist?). insert joke about him being a hand raised bird.

I don't have my sketchbook with me right now so I'm scrambling for pictures but ! Like all their designs, he's still a work in progress. Will most likely make his legs longer or something but this is just my ideas LOL

And anyways! Onto Lloyd! (And the others?)

I was struggling to decide what Lloyd should be,, like? A dragon could still very much work and his normal version is already so cool?? However, I ended up on leviathan.. a baby one. The serpentine aren't decided but Lloyd's still pretty much not taken seriously by the town. Still winds up being taken in by the "ninja!"

Garmadon is still locked up, although now at the bottom of the ocean! The Skulkin are drowned/dead pirates?

Wu is who I've been struggling to decide on as well! For whatever reason I've been contemplating making him like just some statue in the Destiny's Bounty that speaks to them.

There's plenty of other things going on,, Kai and Nya come to them on accident and Jay is over the moon to see other moons and wants to show them their "ways" despite having never even met others before. Cole is desperately trying to keep everyone in one place as they've accidentally made the perfect collection of the world's most valuable pelts.

Kai still raises Nya at the forge (which in this, is beachside), but years later there's a rise in pricing for the scales of mers and the boy decides that they need to leave in effort to protect her. Nya is devastated because this is their home! Where else would they even go?? They barely have any cash! Kai's decision is further inland AND with the money they get from selling the forge. Yadda, yadda, the buyer turns on them and they wind up in the ocean near their home! Kai's knocked cold, which is for the better as Nya swims them further and further into open ocean.

For the first time, Nya meets another mer as she tries to save her brother, and he helps them aboard a ship! The Destiny's Bounty! (Or perhaps a ship before it? It's all still up in air)

I'd expand more but I'm out of time </3 please give any suggestions if you'd like to! I'd always appreciate criticism

#ninjago #ninjago au #zane julien #cole brookstone #jay walker #kai smith #nya smith #lloyd garmadon #ninjago zane #ninjago cole #ninjago jay #ninjago nya #ninjago kai #ninjago lloyd #if you've seen my stuff before then you bet this includes glacier #low tides au

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