#loupe highland

[hxh-smashorpass]

HxH SoP #174

Age, gender, personality, canon actions, etc, are all factors that you can choose to consider or ignore when casting your vote. Please no discourse in the comments.

[aforcedelire]

Je pleure encore la beauté du monde, Charlotte McConaghy

Inti Flynn est biologiste, et elle et son équipe ont pour mission de réintroduire une vingtaine de loups dans les forêts des Highlands écossais, afin de permettre la renaturation du pays et une réduction du réchauffement climatique. Un plan infaillible, sauf qu’Inti doit faire face à une population inquiète pour leurs élevages. Tant bien que mal, elle essaye de défendre sa cause tout en composant avec les écossais. Sauf qu’elle finit par trouver un cadavre déchiqueté. Et commenelle est persuadée que les loups seront accusés, elle décide de cacher et d’enterrer le corps. Pas la meilleure idée du siècle, mais Inti est prête à tout pour protéger ceux qu’elle aime.

J’ai eu beaucoup de mal à rentrer dedans, mais une fois happée je l’ai dévoré, et je l’ai beaucoup aimé. Je comprends pourquoi toustes les libraires n’en font que des éloges ! C’est puissant. Et ça m’a rappelé Là où chantent les écrevisses.

Inti est une femme qui n’a pas froid aux yeux, elle est absolue et ne fait rien dans la demi-mesure. Pour sauver ses loups, pour sauver sa sœur, elle est prête à tout. Au début les différentes temporalités m’ont perturbée parce que j’avais l’impression qu’elles arrivaient un peu n’importe quand, mais au final j’ai beaucoup aimé découvrir peu à peu le passé d’Inti et d’Aggie, leur enfance, leurs parents, leur histoire affreuse avec l’ex d’Aggie. Et c’était bien fait, chaque chapitre nous permettant d’avoir un détail en plus, de plus en plus longtemps, jusqu’à voir la peinture complète.

La violence est centrale dans ce roman : la violence des loups, qui, tout attachants qu’ils peuvent être vus par les yeux d’Inti, n’en demeurent pas moins des prédateurs, mais également la violence des autres. Les hommes qui tirent à vue et qui décapitent un vieux loup pour l’exemple. Les hommes qui frappent leurs femmes. Les hommes qui veulent faire peur. Les gens qui tuent des gens. Les femmes qui cachent des cadavres. Les gens qui planquent leurs secrets. Et au final, les prédateurs ne sont pas ceux qu’on s’imagine. Et au-delà de ça, la nature est elle aussi omniprésente ; c’est cet aspect qui m’a rappelé le roman de Delia Owens.

03/04/2024 - 09/04/2024

[hirundasblog]

« Je pleure encore la beauté du monde » de Charlotte McConaghy

Un énorme coup de cœur pour ce magnifique roman que j’aurais voulu ne jamais lâcher ; la même sensation qu'à la lecture du très beau « Là où chantent les écrevisses » de Delia Owens.

Inti Flynn est une biologiste engagée, atteinte de synesthésie depuis son enfance. La synesthésie est un trouble neurologique, qui touche les sens de la perception, et qui occasionne une confusion ou une addition des sens. Par exemple, lorsqu’un « synesthète » entend un son, il peut voir en même temps une forme, une lettre ou une couleur.

Inti arrive en Ecosse pour diriger une équipe de scientifiques chargés de réintroduire le loup dans les Highlands, afin d'insuffler à ces terres un nouvel élan vital et régénérer la forêt sur ces collines désormais dénudées.

Ses efforts pour réensauvager la nature meurtrie se heurtent rapidement à l’hostilité des locaux, inquiets pour leur sécurité et celle de leur bétail.

Extraits :

« Mon père disait souvent que le monde avait déraillé quand nous avions commencé à nous détacher du sauvage, quand nous avions cessé de ne faire qu'un avec la nature, que nous nous étions installés à l'écart. Il disait que nous pourrions survivre à cette erreur si nous trouvions un moyen de nous réensauvager. Mais comment doit-on s'y prendre, sachant que notre existence terrorise les créatures avec lesquelles nous sommes censés nous reconnecter ? »

« Tandis que nous gravissions le flanc d'une colline, je retins mon souffle, anticipant déjà le spectacle qui nous attendait. Une palette de nuances automnales. Un festin. Un mamelon ondoyant tapissé d'arbres à feuilles caduques : mélèzes, trembles, peupliers, tous parés d'un jaune intense, aveuglant, parmi lesquels se glissaient quelques touches d'orange flamboyant. Il y avait aussi des bouleaux blancs à feuilles écarlates et, plantés çà et là, quelques épicéas revêtus de leur habit persistant. De l'autre côté du lac, le paysage ressemblait davantage à une toundra, enfilade de collines dépouillées d'arbres mais ourlées de buissons rouges et rose cerise dégringolant jusqu'aux rives du Wonder, irisé de reflets lilas sous les rayons mauves et dorés du soleil couchant. Surplombant le tableau, le mont Denali et son sommet enneigé, immaculé, élégant, vertigineux par sa taille. Je n'avais jamais vu d'endroit pareil, et n'en verrais plus jamais. »

[mmepastel]

Très chouette roman. Policier éco-féministe écrit par une jeune australienne.

Inty Flynn, l’héroïne, avec une équipe (biologistes, botaniste, véto…) veut réinstaller le loup dans les Highlanders écossais. Le projet se heurte évidemment aux réticences locales… d’autant que la plupart des habitants du coin sont des éleveurs de moutons…

Plusieurs éléments viennent de plus corser l’affaire : Inty est atteinte d’un trouble neurologique dont j’ai oublié le nom qui pourrait se résumer en quelque sorte en un genre d’empathie extra puissante, qui fait qu’elle ressent ce qu’elle voit, physiquement, dans sa chair. Exemple : son père coupe un lapin en deux, elle a l’impression physique que ça lui arrive et elle s’évanouit de douleur. C’est à la fois handicapant, et une aubaine dans son métier puisqu’elle arrive à mieux comprendre les animaux, leurs souffrances, leur douceur aussi.

Ajoutez à cela une sœur jumelle avec qui elle est fusionnelle et qui vient de subir des violences sexuelles et psychologiques…

Voilà un départ chargé. Oui, c’est un peu chargé, il faut bien l’avouer. Charlotte McConaghy a eu vraiment envie d’explorer sous toutes les coutures la question du rapport de force entre prédateur et proie, lesquelles ne cessent de changer de côté dans cette histoire bien troussée.

Un homme, soupçonné de violenter sa femme, est tué, et les loups vont vite devenir les suspects bien commodes… Inty veut à tout prix éviter de mettre en péril sa mission… et se place alors dans une position inextricable. Le commissaire du coin lui porte d’ailleurs une attention très particulière…

On apprend beaucoup de choses sur les loups et sur leur nécessité dans l’équilibre de la nature. Mais ce que j’ai principalement apprécié c’est le lien entre les deux sœurs, la construction de l’histoire, qui nous fait naviguer entre passé proche et plus lointain (leur enfance étonnante avec l’éducation de leur père, écologiste strict qui visait l’autosuffisance), le fait que tout se déploie comme un puzzle. L’autrice réussit à nous tenir en haleine pour savoir si les loups vont réussir à s’adapter à leur nouveau milieu, si les violences vont être expliquées, si la sœur d’Inty va sortir de sa léthargie dépressive, si Inty va à nouveau accepter de faire confiance à un homme…

C’est un livre réussi, et il apporte un vrai dépaysement, on se sent vraiment la truffe au vent, parmi les loups, entre danger et fascination.

[uvobreakmylegs]

Psychopomp’s Lament: Chapter 1

chapter 1 of a vampire!Pakunoda x reader series i’ve been planning out for a while now. i hope everyone who reads enjoys it :D

Next Chapter

Warnings: fem!reader, mentions of death and gore, mentions of disease

Word count: 4.4k

A loud knocking on the wooden door of the room you were staying in woke you from your rest, the noise jolting you out of sleep. You groaned a bit as you pushed yourself up from the bed; it hadn't felt like you'd gotten a lot of sleep, and you couldn't help the annoyance in your voice when you called out a sharp “yes?”

“So sorry to disturb you, miss.”

You recognized the voice. It was one of the bar maids who worked for the inn. The brunette who'd been eager to chat with you the previous night. You had noted to yourself that you found her to be nice, although at the moment you didn't feel quite as warmly towards her as you had earlier.

“It's fine,” you said, although you hadn't been able to completely get the irritation out of your tone, “what is it?”

“You have a visitor.”

“What's their name?”

“He called himself Loupe.”

Hearing that name was like getting a bucket of cold water thrown onto you, and suddenly you were awake, your mind clear and all traces of your previous tiredness gone completely.

“Ah, I see. Tell him I'll be there shortly.”

The woman gave an affirmation, and then you heard her footsteps growing fainter on the wooden floors as she headed back towards the tavern area, where Loupe was no doubt waiting for you.

The night before you had fallen to the bed while still in your clothes, and though part of you had felt like a slob for doing so, you had been so tired that you didn't have the energy to remove them. At least that meant that you wouldn't need to take up any time getting dressed. After splashing some water on your face to freshen up and making sure that your hair wasn't too much of a mess, you exited the room and made your way to the dining area.

Loupe didn't strike you as the type to be strict when it came to one's appearance, but it was better to try and appear as though you hadn't just gotten out of bed.

He was your boss, after all.

You found him sitting next to a far wall when you entered. As you had come to expect from him, he was focused on a document he had in hand, no doubt double-checking over every detail of your next assignment before he passed it over to you.

He noticed you when you came closer, and he got up to greet you as he invited you to sit with him.

“Did you have a good trip, sir?” you asked as you sat in the seat opposite him.

“Oh, it was fine,” he answered, “have you eaten?”

“Not yet, sir.”

“Then perhaps we can discuss this over breakfast.”

Loupe Highland wasn't necessarily one of the most social people of the association – in fact, most of the higher rank Hunters could best be described as being strange – but after how long you had worked under him, you could safely say that he liked you. At least he liked you enough to make sure you ate first when he could've easily gone straight into whatever assignment you had been tasked with. He even went as far as to make some form of small talk.

“Is there any need for further supplies for the relief effort?” he asked.

“I don't think so, sir,” you answered between bites, “the majority of the illness appears to have been wiped out. If there are still some who are infected with the disease, I think most local healers will be able to take care of it without it becoming too much of an issue.”

“Good, good,” he said, nodding.

An outbreak of the plague was what had initially brought you to this region. A disease that had caught people by surprise, one that blackened the flesh of those unfortunate to become infected and spread until functionality of the limbs were lost and those blackened parts of the body became stiff and rigid. A great number of people had required amputation of some sort as the disease had spread far too quickly for medicine to be of any help.

You had been among those that the Hunter association had sent out to help with aid to the region. Bringing medicines and fresh bandages and whatever else the towns you visited needed. It was over a year ago that you had arrived, when the plague was at its worst. And now most of it had subsided, and you suspected that you were the only one still on standby in that region, with everyone else having moved on to other areas with other assignments, other problems that needed to be taken care of.

“Have you been assigned to this region for something, sir?” you asked.

“Missing people, as usual,” Loupe answered, “disease like that scatters people about as they try to escape it or they run from their loved ones for fear of giving them the illness, only for them to die somewhere out in the wilderness. But now that things have settled, I've been sent in to locate them. So their loved ones can know what their fate ultimately was, at the very least.”

“With how many areas were affected, I can only imagine that list of missing people is a large one.”

“You're not wrong.”

Loupe reached over to the seat next to him where his bag sat, pulling it up by the flap at the top and revealing what was inside. A thick stack of paper, the pages no doubt filled with the names of those who had gone missing since the plague began. At seeing that, you found that you definitely didn't envy your bosses' main job of dealing with lost and missing people.

“Since you mentioned it, I suppose this is a good time to bring up why I've met with you here,” he said, setting his bag back down and pushing his mostly empty plate aside. You sat up straighter when he reached for the documents you'd seen him holding earlier, and you copied his motion of setting the plate to the side as he handed you the pages. As you scanned over the paper, Loupe spoke.

“There's a mining town called Peijin within the East Gorteau region, and for months now no one has been able to make contact with anyone who lives there. No one living within the town has come out, and any who go to Peijin never come back. Quite a few merchants and tradesmen who've been eager to start business up again have gone missing after they set out for that town.”

You nodded as you listened and read the information before you. A mining town nestled between two mountains, with only one way in or out. The main export seemed to be fine metals and stones used for jewelry that sold at a high price. No wonder the merchants wanted to get business running up there again. They likely anticipated that the town would be desperate for their flow of resources to start up again and would sell those materials for far lower prices to get what they needed.

“Are we not aware of the current state of Peijin? Has no one been able to get close?” you asked.

“Two scouts were sent out to investigate after a report was filed,” Loupe said, “they are also missing. A third was sent, but he was given orders to survey the general area and to keep from approaching the town itself. He went as far as the edge of the forest path that leads to Peijin, and the only thing he could discern was a particularly strong odor that came from what he assumed was the direction of the town.”

“So we really have no idea what's going on with it?”

“I'm afraid not,” he said, then added “there's also reports of strange things happening within the surrounding region. People who are sick or elderly seem to be living beyond their expectations.”

You furrowed your brows.

“People living longer is an issue?” you asked.

“It is when people are stuck and in pain on their would-be deathbed but can't pass on to the next world,” he said.

Ah. That was what he meant.

“Sorry for that, sir.”

“It's fine. I can understand that it may not sound like a problem at first.”

The other pages of the report just went over what he had told you, although on the very last page you found there to be a list of deities that were worshiped within that region. You didn't recognize the names, which must have meant that the religion they were apart of was one on the smaller side. Some form of Paganism, it seemed. Something in you told you that this was important, and you made a mental note to do further research if you got the chance.

“When do I need to leave?” you asked.

“Preferably as soon as possible,” Loupe answered, “by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. In the event that the people of the town are still alive, the association doesn't want them to be left there. And although we've barred anyone from traveling to the town, I'm sure you know how effective that usually is.”

“People are going anyway.”

“Yes,” he said, “worried people who are scared for their loved ones who went to the town or are still stuck inside it. And then they go off to investigate for themselves and only add to the list of missing people.”

You looked again at a map that was among the documents, the town of Peijin and your current location clearly marked. You estimated that it would be a three day journey to get there on foot.

The town you were in had an extensive library, you remembered. Maybe there was a chance they would have more information on that region. Or perhaps a bit more on their gods.

“I think I'll leave tomorrow morning,” you told him, “I'd like to do whatever research I can before I leave.”

“That's fine.”

Setting the papers down in front of you, you looked back over to him.

“What will the association's plan be if I don't come back?” you asked.

“Then we'll know that it's a problem that can't be solved by an average Hunter and we'll send in a call for a single star Hunter at the very least.”

….. Oh.

“So what you're saying is if I die too, it'll be enough excuse to get the association to send someone more capable.”

“You're plenty capable.”

“But yes,” he admitted, “although I would like that to not be the case. It's bad enough that we've likely lost the two scouts who went in. It would be another blow to us if we lose someone like you.”

“I doubt there are many in the association who would agree with you on that.”

There was no mistaking the bitterness in your voice, and he frowned again.

Stupid, you told yourself. He's trying to be nice and you need to go ruin it by saying that?

The smile you gave him was weak, but you did mean it when you said “but I do appreciate you saying so, sir.”

“Yes. Well,” he began, “at least it should be nice for you to finally leave this area. Do something more then hand out food and medicine.”

“Handing out food and medicine is fine,” you said, “besides, I got to leave a few days ago on my last assignment.”

Loupe frowned again, his eyebrows furrowing as he asked you “what? What last assignment?”

You blinked at him, confused.

“Down in the village of Doli. I was sent a message ordering me to take care of a monster in the river there.”

“They sent you there without informing me?” he asked.

“I... I suppose they did, sir. I'm sorry,” you said, “I assumed you were aware.”

“No, it's not your fault,” he said, sighing and adding “the way things are handled at the association are not always right. Still, I'm not sure why they would send you without notifying me.”

“I assumed they sent me because I was the one closest to the area,” you told him, “and since the problem was something within my expertise, I suppose that was also a factor in their decision.”

“Mm. A river monster, you said?”

“Specifically a kelpie.”

Loupe's brows furrowed again as he tried to recall which one that was.

“Kelpie.... That isn't the seal person, is it?”

“No. The kelpie is a river spirit. Usually takes the form of a horse and lures its victims into the river.”

“And you settled the matter?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Have you finished writing your report on the incident?”

“Yes, I have it in – ah! I actually have it on me, if you'd like to look it over,” you said, reaching for the folded paper in your pocket.

“Please.”

Setting the pages he had given to you down, you reached into your pocket and pulled out the report you had finished up only last night. Though sleeping with it still on your person hadn't done it any favors as it was hopelessly crinkled. You tried to smooth the paper out, but there was little else you could do to fix it before you handed it over to him.

Loupe skimmed over the page, another frown quickly forming on his face as he read the contents.

“Five children drowned and eaten,” he said, shaking his head as he continued “how unfortunate.”

“Children tend to be the main target of that sort of beast,” you commented, “it has an easier time tricking them into trusting it.”

“Those sort of monsters always go after the weakest ones, don't they?”

You nodded in agreement.

He read down further.

“You say the children were dead before you arrived,” he began, “what happened with this old man that died after that point?”

He looked up at you in question.

You suspected there would be questions about that part, and you weren't excited to explain why you had failed to save someone.

“When I was fighting the thing,” you explained, “there was a man with a boy near the river. The boy had a dog with him, and when the poor thing saw the beast, it spooked and ended up running into the river. The boy ran after the dog, and the man ran after the boy.”

“And the kelpie noticed this?”

You nodded.

“It was bleeding out and desperate,” you said, “I think seeing those two gave it a second wind that I wasn't expecting.”

“I was only able to save the boy,” you continued, “the man's arm became stuck to the beast, and he drowned when it submerged again.”

“I see.”

The mood had now turned significantly grim, and as he read the rest of your report, you saw him try to contain a small sigh.

“Well,” he said, “at least you killed the thing.”

You nodded.

“Hopefully that town can have some peace now.”

He noticed when you frowned at that.

“Something wrong?”

“I think the association might want to avoid sending any of our personnel into that town for a while,” you told him.

“For what reason?”

“The families that had lost their children had been under the impression that they were still alive, and they were.... Not satisfied when I told them that there was no lair that the kelpie was keeping them.”

“And you're certain that they're dead?”

“Sir, I found rotting human entrails littered across the riverbank,” you said, “those five are gone.”

You could still see the angry faces of those parents when you informed them of that. When you told them that their children were no longer of this world and all that remained were the chewed up bits of organs on the sand. Rage and despair and hatred directed at you, the Hunter who was meant to save their young ones but couldn't do even that.

Loupe must've had an idea of the thoughts that were plaguing your mind based on what he said next.

“Try not to resent them too much,” he told you, “they're grieving. No parent wants to experience the death of their child.”

“I know.”

You were about to say something else, but paused when the bar maid walked over to the table to collect your empty plates, waiting until she had left earshot before you continued.

“They also felt that I should've been able to save the man as well as the boy.”

“I see.”

Placing the report down and clasping his hands, Loupe gave another small sigh, this time not bothering trying to hide it.

You knew there would be some kind of reprimand coming your way, but that didn't help the horrid feeling of anticipating it.

“I know you do your best,” he started, “and that is appreciated.”

“But things like that,” he continued, nodding towards your report “are what the association will focus on. For many in the higher echelons, a civilian dying while a Hunter is present is something that is unacceptable. And after the Ochima Pass incident, you don't need any more dead civilians on your record.”

You cringed a little at his last statement, although you had been wondering how long it would take for that to be brought up.

Ochima Pass was always mentioned whenever you had made some mistake.

He tilted his head towards you when you didn't answer.

“Is there anything you want to say?” he asked.

“I don't want to make excuses, sir.”

“Ah.”

It was quiet between the two of you for a few more moments, and then he sighed once more, pushing his glasses up as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“I'm sorry,” he said, “you already get such a hard time from everyone. I shouldn't be so harsh.”

He looked back down at the report once more, saying “six dead is unfortunate, but were it not for you, that town would still be suffering because of that thing. You did well.”

You offered a small smile.

“Thank you,” you said.

The tavern area had been fairly quiet up until now, just the two of you and a few other patrons that were quietly finishing up their breakfast. That changed when the front door burst open and a loud group entered, all chattering away and a few calling for drinks despite the early hour. Your gaze went to the group when you heard them, just as everyone else in the building had, but although the tavern's regulars looked at them with annoyance and thinly veiled disgust, you found yourself focusing on a woman in the group.

Her build was different and her skin was a tad darker, but what really stood out to you was her short hair that was a particular shade of blonde. She happened to glance over in your direction, and you saw the brown eyes that looked at you through the strands of her golden hair.

With Ochima Pass already on your mind, it wasn't hard for that sight to trigger a memory:

The darkness of the mountain was illuminated by the fires that still burned within the camp while the harsh wind rushed past the both of you, kicking up the white of the snow and red that had stained it. Blonde hair fluttered across the pale but bloodstained face of the woman who stood before you, and beneath the strands a pair of deep brown eyes looked at you, taking in your stiff form while you continued to stand uselessly. Then the color changed from brown to yellow, pupils dilating and a mouth full of sharp teeth opening up in a snarl as she suddenly surged forward-

You snapped your head away, suddenly finding the grain of the table to be fascinating to look at.

Your boss had noticed your reaction, and he understood when he saw the woman you'd been looking at. But he waited a few moments before he spoke next.

“When was the last time you saw that woman?” Loupe asked you.

“... Two years ago now.”

A lie.

“When you encountered her and another from her group, correct?”

You nodded.

“How many of the troupe have you seen in person by now?”

“Only – only two, sir.”

You pretended to cough when you stuttered and hoped that he didn't recognize that you had nearly given a different answer. The real number was three, but you feared that if that knowledge became known it would only spell more trouble for you.

“And how many times have you seen her?”

“Three,” you answered, “that first time in Ochima, the second shortly after I recovered from that, and the third two years ago, when the big one was going to crush my head with his foot.”

The real answer to his question was four, and yet again you kept that extra encounter to yourself out of fear.

“Seeing one of the troupe face to face three times,” he mused, “that's more than even the triple star Hunters have seen. Too often those that encounter the troupe never live to tell the tale.”

“I know.”

That was a fact that had been made quite clear to you from many of the association, and it was the source of the distrust and dislike that most had for you.

“I really don't know why I've managed to live through all of that,” you told him, “I should've died the first time I met her at Ochima.”

“We know that the troupe is cunning, and I have no doubts that they intend to use you for some plot of theirs,” Loupe said, “I know you don't need me to tell you this, but be careful if you encounter her again. She could be letting you live just to lull you into a false sense that she isn't a threat to you.”

You doubted that there were any plans that involved you. She probably just wanted something to play with.

But you kept that thought to yourself, just nodding at his words.

The chiming of a nearby clock signaled the changing of the hour, and with that, signaled the end of this meeting between the two of you.

“Well, I need to be going.”

With that, Loupe stood, gathering his bag and leaving enough coin on the table to pay for the meal. You had nearly forgotten why he was actually here; the mountain of lost people weren't going to find themselves.

“Until we meet again,” he said.

“I hope so, sir.”

Loupe paused. There was a sad look in his eye as he gazed at you, and he placed his hand on your shoulder as he spoke your name.

“You're a good person,” he said, “you just have extraordinarily bad luck.”

“That's one way of putting it.”

He patted your shoulder, continuing with “we'll see each other again. I know it.”

He began to walk away from the table, calling out to you “try to have this issue with Peijin end on a happy note.”

You nodded.

With that, Loupe exited through the door of the inn, and then he was gone.

You remained seated, your eyes following the patterns of the wood grain on the table in front of you. End on a happy note. It would be nice if you could deliver that, even though it seemed like an impossibility. Loupe likely knew that even as he said it, but he was trying to help you. Trying to make your outlook a bit more positive. Time had made you far too pessimistic as it wore on. Something that had begun early on in your Hunter career, and worsened every time a mission of yours ended on a less than satisfying note.

Loupe was correct. When he sent in that report for you, your enemies at the association would focus on your failure to save a single life. That would be the only thing they would read.

A happy end for the issue in Peijin would be a good way to try and offset that.

“So you really are a Hunter?”

The voice of the bar maid brought you out of your thoughts, and you glanced up to see the brunette looking at you with a certain amount of awe.

“Sorry, I heard little bits of your conversation,” she explained, “I kinda suspected that you were someone important when we talked last night, but I wasn't sure until I heard you two. That really was your boss? From the Hunter Association?”

“Yeah,” you answered, nodding.

She had a look on her face that reminded you of when you were younger. Back in your hometown, a Hunter had also lived and stayed there during their off-time. They were a local hero, and you and dozens of other children would listen to their every word with fascination as they told of their exploits during their travels. They had been the reason you had become a Hunter in the first place.

At hearing your words, she beamed at you.

“That's amazing that you can do that. I've heard that being a Hunter is hard, but it must feel so good to be able to travel around and help people like you do.”

Help people.

The last person you had helped had been that little boy, who had cried and squirmed in your grip after you had narrowly pulled him away from the snapping teeth of the kelpie. And the last person you had failed had been the boy's grandfather, whose arm had become stuck to the beast when he attempted to fight it off, and his eyes were wide with horror as he screamed for you to save him, to free him from that monster, to not let him drown.

His last moments in life were panicked and full of despair, his last breaths being used to scream at you before he was pulled beneath the dark water.

The boy you had saved was inconsolable, and he had been snatched away from you by one in a crowd of townsfolk who had come swarming out of their homes once they realized that the kelpie had gone away again.

And the townsfolk had cursed you, even after you had shot the kelpie full of your arrows and presented the body to them as proof that the deed was done. They blamed you for that man's death, even though you'd told them, you had told them that they all needed to stay away from the river. But you were the scum who was not only unable to save the lives of those lost children, but also needed to sacrifice an old man in order to do something as simple as killing a monster.

It must feel good to help people

You managed to fake a smile, nodding as you told her “yeah, it does.”

[ansatsu-sha]

Loupe / Hunter x Hunter

[gallyl]

[Career x Advice] Gon & Killua

Will Gon and Killua become actual hunters in Hunter x Hunter?

In the current situation, they are rookies without specialization. Gon is nenles. Killua takes care of Alluka and must avoid dangerous adventures to stay safe by her side. But their story is not over. What are their prospects?

NOT meta, it’s a random curiosity and a birthday gift to my one and only gemini @buzzykrueger​ ^_^

KILLUA: THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Killua’s hunter card is not simply an item to travel with his sister for free. This card is a part of Killua’s identity. Killua wanted it. For him, becoming a hunter was just as important as becoming Gon’s friend. In Greed Island arc, Killua discards his father’s work mindset: “That’s how my old man operates. But I’m no longer an assassin. I’m a Hunter!!! Well, unofficially...”

Having the same profession as your friend means that you can work together and stick together like you promised each other at the beginning of the journey. Killua managed to merge the identities of a hunter and a friend. If Killua and Gon eventually work as hunters, they will always stay connected as members of the Hunter Association.

Killua is skillful at reinventing himself and giving his experience a new meaning. He changes weakneses into strengths. His growth steadily contradicts and counteracts his family. Torture by electricity? Electric nen. Nen needles? Godspeed to stop the needle and attack first. A vow to never betray your friends? Use the vow to save a sister and a friend! It would be logical to suggest that instead of killing people, he will save people. This type of job is also consistent with the author’s theme of redemption for past mistakes and crimes.

Killua is devoted, caring, and deeply protective. He prefers to live not for the sake of something, but for the sake of somebody. Apart from protecting Gon and Alluka he saved Ikalgo and instinctively killed Ikalgo’s enemies during the Palace invasion. In Chimera Arc he single-handedly disrupted mass annihilation in the Eastern Goruto and saved countless lives. Killua is a national hero in this country!

Work of this kind could be related to military/police. There’s a Crime Hunter subcategory represented by Mizaistom Nana (“a type of Hunter who tries to solve mysterious cases in the crime world”). But I’m also considering Lost Hunter (“a type of Hunter who specializes in seeking those from whom contact has been lost”) and this is why:

Loupe Highland searches for lost hunters and looks for contacts of various useful people. At present, he is either alive or killed in the Election arc, leaving the position vacant. Killua’s skills can be put directly to practice here thanks to rare nen, experience in espionage and battle. He can search for lost people, rescue kidnapped and jailed people, subvert mass homicide and save victims of natural disaster. This path could be morally gratifying and bring Killua at least two hunter stars.

Electricity can be used in medicine for CPR and cardiac pacemakers. Electrical stimulation speeds up healing of chronic wounds. Killua can even temporarily restore electricity in a building or the whole city in case of an emergency. Nowadays, electricity is everywhere. Electricity is life.

It’s reasonable to object that this work is very dangerous. This objection is valid, unless Togashi portrays Killua’s job in a sweet robin hood manner at the end of the tale.

Killua devoted his life to Alluka, but he’s born for great deeds, and Alluka surely values his potential. She promised to let him go not only for Gon’s sake, but for Killua’s own sake too. Killua is light that illuminates darkness in times of despair.

GON: FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT

Gon is tricky. He may reject the concept of power and remain “normal” forever. Many readers believe that Gon will become a Beast Hunter (he confirmed his love for animals in Ch 40) or a Botanical Hunter. He’s extremely smart and knowledgeable about both, so it’s highly likely and almost certain! But I believe that his future mostly depends on his type of nen. Let me explain.

If Gon regains nen, he could change into a Specialist like his father, or an Emitter like his teen dad Leorio. Both these ideas are popular and are great. I totally agree, but i would like to ADD the most uncool suggestion: Gon will remain an Enhancer.

...but in a brand new way. The Sussession arc has an interesting panel in ch 388. More importantly, Kurapika is the one who speaks:

Kurapika continues, looking at Bill: “You have my gratitude. It’s rare for a male to be an enhancer with a support type ability. Since most of them would choose to take it in a direction where they could increase their battle power.”

That is exactly the mistake Gon made.

Indeed, he used nen to strengthen properties of rocks and floor plates (“support”), but he did it for fights. Personally, I’ve always thought that Gon’s weakest attack was “paper” (emission) because he’s incapable of sharing. He’s a hunter, a soldier and a selfish kid (in an innocent childish way). He was, as Kurapika noted, an Enhancer who “chose to increase his own battle power”.

When Gon didn’t know what hatsu to create, Kurapika was the first person he called for advice. He asked Kurapika to be his coach. Ironically, Kurapika IS a coach now, as if he realized the wisdom of Gon’s proposal.

If Gon becomes a supportive Enhancer, he will apply nen for creation instead of destruction. If you think it’s a weakness, I still believe that Togashi thinks otherwise: his story shows that giving is receiving, and love is the most powerful force in the world. This ability type will not prevent Gon from animal and botanical studies, rather the opposite.

Supportive nen requires a kind heart and a strong life force. Gon has both. His full potential is equal to Meruem and Netero. If he reverses his ability from destruction into support, we will witness someone with the power of a divine creator. A godlike teenager who regenerates wounds, reconstructs ruined cities and restores tropical rainforests and dying species. “The light that shines upon all”.

In short, if the expedition to the Dark Continent causes a planetary crisis, our hero will save the day.

This transformation would make Gon similar to Killua. Killua saves lives instead of killing, while Gon rebuilds instead of destruction. Killua’s electric nen is extremely rare and combines attack and defence. Likewise, Gon may become a rare universal Enhancer, probably one of the kind, who uses nen both ways but chooses wisely. Such ability will reflect his newfound balance between light and darkness.

A HOMAGE TO THE WHALE ISLAND?

Hatsu (発(ハツ), "Release"/"Act") is one's personal expression of Nen. Gon came up with jajanken in dedication to his birthplace. Can he draw a bigger inspiration while reconnecting roots at home?

The whales are one of the most ancient mythical creatures that appear in the nordic, biblical and Asian lores. In Vietnam, among other places, whales hold a sense of divinity. The god of the seas, according to Chinese folklore, was a large whale with human limbs. The Qur'an and the biblical Book of Jonah tell the story of Jonah being swallowed by “a great fish”, often depicted in art and culture as a whale. In the Succession arc, the expedition travels on the Whale ship to the Dark Continent.

The Whale Island could also be an allusion to Slavic mythology/folklore, where the world exists on 3 whales. There is a fairytale about a whale which was punished by God and turned into an island for swallowing the ships. Let’s hope that Gon’s home doesn’t wake up like a volcano!

We must not forget that Gon’s nen nodes were prematurely unsealed by Wing. It is a forbidden practice. Gon needs time off to grow, heal and discover nen on his own terms. The Whale could become Gon’s hatsu to represent his “true self” and “mature self”.

If we suggest that Gon is a foil of Netero, the puzzle falls into place. I am very very subjective and speculative from now on, but the guess is still a guess? Let’s see the common features between the two.

1) Netero meeting the kids wasn’t just for fun. Rather than playing a game, it looked like a trope where “a wise teacher” observes potential successors to his post - in this case sons of Ging Freecs and Silva Zoldyck.

2) Netero was also an Enhancer. He obtained this ultimate power when he reached “enlightment” in the forest. It’s highly likely that Gon will try the same method, meditating in the forest in his free time.

3) Netero’s ultimate power was Guanyin Bodhisattva (Kannon in Japan). Her Chinese name means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World". Her second alternative Chinese name means “Lord who Gazes down on the World”. She is the goddness of mercy and compassion. Netero conjures Kannon to protect humanity but ultimately fights to kill and destroy.

In contrast to Netero and his heavenly deity, Gon is an “earthly” person, attached to nature, home and friends. His hatsu would most likely represent the deity of the Earth. This would also make Gon and Netero complementary opposites.

All animal options for Gon’s hatsu (in no particular ranking)

Whale

Foxbear

Frog (Gon sits on a frog in Volume 1)

Turtle (if the Hunter planet rests on the Cosmic Turtle)

Adult Gon - the Enhancer and nature lover - could study and restore flora and fauna and help Killua and other hunters on their missions and adventures. It may also be interesting to see adult Gon as the new chairman of the Hunter Association, provided that it doesn’t cease to exist. Gon could improve the rules in that place. After all, the statement that all hunters are selfish is far from being true.

******

I hope my knowledge of nen is enough, please correct me if I’m wrong. I want to see the best potential of the main four and see them find happiness! I dedicate this post as a present to @buzzykrueger​, who has been my support in the fandom all this time, pls check out her meta (Happy birthday, sunshine, i wish you to reach your full potential and a happy future!). And thank you @little-lonely-flower​ for your wise guidance on this article as well!!

[peashooter85]

The Warwolf and the Siege of Stirling Castle

After the final defeat of William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, English King Edward I led an army across Scotland to quell the various uprisings across the country, which would take some time as Scotland was not so much a united kingdom, but a collection of Scottish clans who liked to fight a lot. In 1304 Edward and his army laid siege to Stirling Castle, the last large bastion of Scottish Rebels south of the Highlands.  Besieging Stirling Castle would prove difficult as it was one of the largest fortifications in Scotland, with thick walls, large stores of food and water, and doggedly determined defenders.

For a month the English pounded the castle with a dozen catapults and trebuchets with little effect. At first they used stone balls, then iron balls and Greek fire. They even tried explosive shells filled with a primitive form of gunpowder. Nothing seemed to work.  However, King Edward and his chief engineer had a simple solution; MOAR TREBUCHET!!!

Five carpenters and forty nine laborers began work on a mega trebuchet.  It took three months to complete the mega trebuchet, which at 400 feet tall (about 122 meters) was the largest trebuchet ever built. It could accurately hurl a 135 kg (about 300 lb) projectile 200 meters. The builders of the machine named it the “Loup de Guerre” or “The Warwolf”. Upon seeing the monster trebuchet being built, the Scots surrendered knowing that further resistance was pointless.  King Edward must have been super bummed to build the largest trebuchet in history and never use it, lame.  Not to mention with medieval logistics it was often easier to torch a trebuchet and build a new ones from scratch at the next siege rather than disassembling them, moving them, and re-assembling them somewhere else.  As my grandma once told me, never let a good siege engine go to waste.

So Edward refused the Scots surrender and bombarded the castle anyway.  They don’t call him “The Hammer of the Scots” for nothing. When he finally did accept the defenders surrender he let them all live and return home, only throwing the Scottish commander of the garrison in the Tower of London and executing the English commander who originally surrendered the castle.

Opening scene from the 2018 film “Outlaw King”

[mobiuslakes]

ging knew about nanika

or: why ging having a powerful reason to believe gon would be healed is the only explanation that makes sense, and how he could have known.

chapter 319

the initial declaration. full eye contact, absolute assertion, aura OUT. this is in sharp contrast to his behavior at the beginning of meeting, where he makes a point of not looking at anybody even after nominating himself.

pariston later says that this is the moment when he saw how the election would end: gon’s revival, and an assured victory for anyone willing to take advantage of it.

chapter 325

ging isn’t counting on the doctors or gon’s own strength (why 😂) to save him, but his friends. and he says this before leorio talks about killua in his campaign speech.

it’s not exactly a secret. killua has been in contact with morel since he left the hospital, morel in turn apprises those guarding the hospital so that they know what to expect and when. it’s only the cure killua brings with him that’s a mystery. morel tells knov that it’s “something else” (not an exorcist), yet guaranteed to work...in earshot of leorio and melody.

any one of the people at the hospital could have been giving ging updates, or he could have found out surreptitiously, but he would have had to seek that info out.

this double rescue becomes entangled with the election itself when killua invokes a caveat of the fourth hunter bylaw: illumi is now a target because he’s harmed civilians. teradein, bushidora, and loupe highland send out hunters equipped with the flight plans of each blimp, increasing the number of people “in the know” even further.

the morning after killua confronts illumi and illumi finally backs off, ging is ready to leave.

chapter 331

if he knows what’ll happen, why even stay for this round? he’s putting off his getaway till the last possible minute before gon recovers, and even though killua is already closing in on the hospital, the vote shouldn’t take too long.

this backfires.

chapter 331

pariston looks over at ging, who starts getting nervous. they both know gon will arrive, not someday but soon, and ging can’t slip away.

chapter 333

when the zodiacs sense nanika’s aura, pariston looks to ging’s reaction to confirm what he already knows. gon has been saved, which means he’s won.

chapter 334

because the hospital is nearby, it’s only a matter of minutes.

chapter 334

ging’s not in the least surprised by gon’s inexplicable return from the brink of death, only dreading the awkwardness that is about to ensue.

but wasn’t he just making a bet?

you can compare his assertion at the zodiacs meeting to his conversations with beans and cheadle.

chapter 320

chapter 331

he’s a lot more relaxed and willing to leave room for doubt, even telling beans to burn the slip with his election rules if he’s guessed wrong.

ultimately, you work with the information you have. and killua’s ongoing progress from kukuroo mountain is a lot more accessible than the whims of the zodiacs or pariston’s carefully concealed intentions.

but on top of that, ging is one of the few people in the world in a position to recognize what exactly killua was bringing.

nanika and the dark continent

nanika's otherworldly origin is confirmed in the volume extra at the end of chapter 341. she’s heavily implied to be an ai, a gaseous life form classified as one of the five threats. she has an odd way of saying yes: “ai” (あい) instead of the usual “hai” ( はい). this species is also referred to as “a codependence of desire,” a phrase that aptly describes the relationship between nanika’s yearning for praise and the selfish wishes of those those around her. 

she was most likely brought to zoldyck manor by zigg, who was part of an unofficial expedition with netero and linne horsdoeuvre.

ging has not only been researching the dark continent for years, but knew both about netero’s expedition (which even the V5 was unaware of) and the existence of victims of ai in the known world.

chapter 341

these unfortunates met the same end as those who tried to fulfill nanika’s weightier demands.

chapter 344

ging has either seen been in the ipa basement himself or heard about it. he’s also read the book the ipa director was referring to, journey to the new world by don freecss.

nanika’s wish granting has left a high, high body count, and since all of the failed demands were made to butlers or tourists, it isn’t hard to tie these deaths to the zoldycks. anyone following the trail of wrung out corpses could guess that the zoldyck family was in possession of an ai. and we already know that ging has friends all over who relay him information, it’s how he found out about pariston’s chimera ants.

a final doylist note

chapter 334

pariston explains how he anticipated the climax of the arc in a thinly veiled exposition dump, walking the audience through previous scenes with the benefit of hindsight. this entire monolgue, and its punchline—pariston trusts ging and ging trusts gon’s friends, so pariston trusts them as well—is out of place if ging is anything but right on the money.

[scotianostra]

February 25th 1765 saw the birth of Jean Armour, "Belle of Mauchline" and wife to our National Bard Robert Burns.

For all his philandering ways when he was a young lad there can be no doubt that Robert Burns loved his wife, Jean was second oldest of the eleven children of stonemason James Armour and Mary Smith. She met Robert Burns on a "drying green" in Mauchline around 1784 when she chased his dog away from her laundry. According to Armour's testimony in 1827, she met Burns again at a local dance and she "fell acquainted" with him.

Jean became pregnant with twins early in 1786. Her announcement, in March 1786, that she was expecting Robert Burns' twins caused her father to be "in the greatest distress, and [he] fainted away". Burns signed a paper attesting his intent to marry Jean, but her father disapproved of the union.

James Armour destroyed the "certificate of informal marriage agreement" between Robert and Jean and he removed his daughter to Paisley to prevent a local scandal. However, word had spread and the Mauchline Kirk recalled her on 10th June 1786 to admit that she was unmarried and pregnant and to confirm the father's name. Burns was called by the Mauchline Kirk on 25th June 1786 and admitted his part in the affair.

His letters from this period indicate that he intended to marry Jean Armour as soon as they realized she was pregnant, but had been discouraged by her reluctance to disobey her father. By this time Burns was romantically involved with 'Highland' Mary Campbell and she was also pregnant. They were considering a move to Jamaica. The emigration fell through and Mary died in October 1786 before she could give birth.

  Believing he had been abandoned by Jean Armour, he set about having himself declared single. Jean's father, James Armour issued a warrant against him and Burns went into hiding.

Jean remained with her parents in the village of Mauchline, Robert was hiding out at the farm at Mossgiel. The couple continued to live apart even after the birth of their twins Robert and Jean, born 3rd September 1786. Following the success of The Kilmarnock Edition, Burns temporarily moved to Edinburgh. He returned intermittently to Mauchline, during which time Jean became pregnant again.

  When Burns returned permanently on 23rd February 1788 he found Jean was destitute and had been expelled from the family home. They reconciled their relationship, and Burns found her a place to stay. On 3rd March 1788 she went into labour and delivered a second set of twins, two girls, one of whom died on 10 March 1788, the other on 22nd March 1788.

In the light of Burns's new-found celebrity as a poet, James Armour relented and allowed his daughter to be married to him. Although their marriage was registered on 5th August 1788 in Mauchline, the parish records describe them as having been "irregularly married some years ago". She and Burns moved to Ellisland Farm where they stayed until 1791 when they moved to Dumfries, where both would live for the rest of their lives. Jean Armour and Robert Burns had nine children together (he had at least another four by other women), the last of whom was born on the day of his funeral in July 1796.

Her widowhood and the straitened circumstances she found herself in after Burns's death attracted national attention and a charitable fund was collected for her and the children. She survived her husband by 38 years, and lived to see his name become celebrated throughout the world. Twenty years after his death, his fame had reached such a point that his remains were removed from their modest grave in St Michael's Kirkyard, Dumfries, and placed in a specially commissioned mausoleum. Here, Jean Armour was buried when she died in 1834. Statues of Jean were erected in Mauchline in 2002, and in Dumfries, opposite St Michael's Kirk, in 2004.

The first pic is an imagination of Jean as there are no paintings of her when young, second painted by John Alexander Gilfillan, in 1822 aged 57 and finally the statue of Jean Armour in Dumfries

There are many references to Jean in Burns' poems, but the most famous is Bonie Jean.

There was a lass, and she was fair, At kirk or market to be seen; When a' our fairest maids were met, The fairest maid was bonie Jean. And aye she wrought her mammie's wark, And aye she sang sae merrilie; The blythest bird upon the bush Had ne'er a lighter heart than she. But hawks will rob the tender joys That bless the little lintwhite's nest; And frost will blight the fairest flowers, And love will break the soundest rest. Young Robie was the brawest lad, The flower and pride of a' the glen; And he had owsen, sheep, and kye, And wanton naigies nine or ten. He gaed wi' Jeanie to the tryste, He danc'd wi' Jeanie on the down; And, lang ere witless Jeanie wist, Her heart was tint, her peace was stown! As in the bosom of the stream, The moon-beam dwells at dewy e'en; So trembling, pure, was tender love Within the breast of bonie Jean. And now she works her mammie's wark, And aye she sighs wi' care and pain; Yet wist na what her ail might be, Or what wad make her weel again. But did na Jeanie's heart loup light, And didna joy blink in her e'e, As Robie tauld a tale o' love Ae e'ening on the lily lea? The sun was sinking in the west, The birds sang sweet in ilka grove; His cheek to hers he fondly laid, And whisper'd thus his tale o' love: "O Jeanie fair, I lo'e thee dear; O canst thou think to fancy me, Or wilt thou leave thy mammie's cot, And learn to tent the farms wi' me? "At barn or byre thou shalt na drudge, Or naething else to trouble thee; But stray amang the heather-bells, And tent the waving corn wi' me." Now what could artless Jeanie do? She had nae will to say him na: At length she blush'd a sweet consent, And love was aye between them twa.

[valeria-prieto]

Magnifying glass pendants on my shop, I still have a few!, get yours!💫. . . . #magnifyingglass #loupe #pendant #necklace #vintage #chic #books #booklovers #wormbook #knitting #knittersofinstagram #romantic #edwardian #edwardianera #victorian #victorianera #goth #gothicfashion #victorianfashion #edwardianfashion #etsy (at Highland, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CU0Qsm8glZH/?utm_medium=tumblr

[protectspock]

tag game: username playlist

Thank you @tomvorikandharry for tagging me ���😊

rules: name one song whose first letter corresponds with each letter of your url

p - prélude in e minor, op. 28, no. 4 - chopin

r - roots of my hair - cocorosie

o - obelisk - gazelle twin

t - the piano - pj harvey

e - elsa's song - the amazing devil

c - concerning the UFO sighting near highland, illinois - sufjan stevens

t - to the stars! to the night! - le loup

s - smalltown boy - bronski beat

p - pour que tu m'aimes encore - les sœurs boulay

o - our work was good - chelsea wolfe

c - call me mother - bea troxel

k - keep the streets empty for me - fever ray

tagging: @starryoak @trillgendermetaphor & @gender-snatched

[do not reblog this post]

[jinxedwood]

First Lines Meme

Tagged by the lovely @pers-books

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less  than 20, just list them all!). 

See if there are any patterns. 

Choose your favourite opening line. 

Then tag 10 authors!

_________

1. Underhill (Original Fiction) The delicate brushwork hummed like the edges of a dream, almost but not not quite managing to snag onto my thoughts as I hunched over my slanted desk and moved the loupe delicately above the watercolour, breathing shallowly behind my paper mask.

2. What Happens in Lockdown, Stays in Lockdown (Prodigal Son: Malcolm Bright & Edrisa Tanaka) His wrists hurt.

3.Pieces on the Board (TVD/TO: Klaroline, ensemble) Eight Weeks.

4. This LIttle Pig (Prodigal Son: Malcolm Bright, ensemble) Deep down, Malcolm knew this was a bad idea.

5. Battle lines (TVD: Klaroline) Turning her had been an accident.

6. Lessons (The Rook: Gestalt/Myfanwy)The Gestalt don't remember their parents but they'd read the file.

7. Fruit (The Rook: Myfanwy thomas) "Tempted by the fruit of another. Tempted but the truth is discovered…"

8.Truth and Consequences (The Rook: Myfanwy/Gestalt) The morning after felt like a surreal, broken moment, so at odds with the wild hope and happiness they had experienced only a week before.

9. Uncharted Crown (TVD: Klaroline) It was an awareness that first crept up her spine, causing her to awake with a shiver.

10. Between Sea and Shore (Highlander: Methos & Duncan) The screaming engines of the enemy fighter planes as the descended to pick them off on the beach were a special kind of terror but, in the end, it was the waiting that dragged at your guts, Duncan thought.

11. The Welcome Wagon (Highlander/AOS: Methos & Phil Coulson) Sometimes it was strange masquerading as one of the nameless proletariat.

12. A Truth (Continuum: Alec Sadlaer & Matthew Kellogg) He’d been waiting for three hours but, eventually, Alec heard the lab door open.

13. Through the Looking Glass (TVD: Klaroline, Forwood) When she got the call a week later, she couldn't believe it when she heard his voice on the phone.

14. A matter of Hate (TVD: Forwood, Klaroline) Tyler was waiting for her outside, his cellphone to his ear.

15. Memorial (Highlander: Amanda, Methos, Duncan, Joe, Robert De Valicourt) Afterwards, she blamed it on boredom.

16. The Other Way (Continuum: Ensemble)The Day started with a bomb threat. 

17.The Final Curtain (Highlander:Methos & Joe, ensemble) It was a September evening; not late, but the evenings were drawing closer and it was already twilight outside.

18. Her Buddy from Section Six (Continuum: Carlos, Kiera, Kellog) Carlos was a block away from the cafe when he spotted the Audi.

19. Peace Meal (Continuum: Kiera & Kellog) She was here to say thank you.

20. We Merry Five (Sanctuary: Helen/Druitt) My Darling Helen, it has been two days since we’ve agreed to take our grand experiment to its inevitable conclusion and I find myself in a strange quandary as I am both intrigued by the possibilities and wary of the dangers.

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

Lmao! Well, the first thing I noticed was that I have got a huge thing for short and snappy hook lines. They work within their stories, but are crappy when compiling a ‘first line’ meme! A two word sentence doesn’t exactly convey the spirit of the story.

I guess if I had to pick a favourite opening line, I think I might have to pick the line from Underhill - which is so weird, because I was thinking of revising it in my second draft. 

I’m not gonna call anyone out. i’m just going to say that if this meme sounds like fun, go for it!

[onipaintjobs]

The Ariadna + misc. portion of the haul. Got some Merovingia stuff with the Loup-Garou, Chasseur and old Mirage-5. A Vet. Kazak that aint painted half-bad tbh. Caledonia stuff with an old Mormear, Highlander Grey, Volunteer, Wulver, and Cateran. And lastly a Dozer gal! As for the misc. stuff: got an old Orca that is honestly painted super good and I am definitely gonna be keeping as is, only giving it a proper base. An Aleph Naga hacker, father Lucien Sforza, an Aconcinento Regular, and an old Akalis. Some of these are gonna require some fixing and sculpting with green stuff due to missing limbs, but all in all this is pretty nice. Caledonia stuff alongside Vet. Kazak are gonna find a nice place in my Ariadna collection, while everything else might end up being a fun painting exercise or a future addition to a potential Stargrave crew.

[libidomechanica]

Still be

Still be a Hand of crimson sound of Thine! The  truth seem wrapt in all the dreams athwart a crimson  petals spilled with us they wink at here are  not by Sun or Glass: while I talk about they seek roses  freedom, he apple hell crackd, without these morals melancholy  under their fame decays? Transpires Of illness, 

in the love sparkling eye Ypent. at even  I was thy sweet Highland Mary. See, at anchor 

witty, and turn politeness arm; time ere long ere witless the  sought, the dim stars go over smocks all its features,  would tell; my pass, upon a Thomas, or none, or  through the keeps it for could neither sire  of the lay at first there in a wed gallants  heart loup lights, and stirring night. S for the 

ley, the nations things as you or me. His fifth,  to believed his own little heard: “caw me, caw the  other girdle, as one who lift and settled— and him up; Ill bury myself, nor would exprest shows the  church ’‘t is but thou may she stops talk six times of  the women, years betrayed are ever yet thou for  the woe which last this supreme  delight traild, by a debtor fortune had had male  loss with shrinking sea of what wretch attain  her mammies cot, and admiring, whilst the Throne assail  the voice, now, and blue yes every sense  of max! And truly love in such sweet Highland Mary!’”

[imagine-organization-xiii]

Org members as cryptids

Xemnas - Ahool - enormous carnivorous bats that are said to inhabit the rainforests of Java in Indonesia. Believed to have a wingspan in excess of 10 feet (making them roughly the same size as a condor), ahools are said to be covered in a thick brown or black fur like fruit bats, but unlike bats have long, powerful legs and claws and are supposedly capable of pouncing on and snatching up live prey—including humans, if the stories are to be believed—from open ground.

Xigbar - Shuck - a huge black hound said to dwell in East Anglia, on the far eastern coast of England, having apparently attacked a church in the village of Bungay, Suffolk, during a thunderstorm in 1577. According to local records, while the villagers were sheltering from the storm in the church, a huge black dog burst through the church door, killing a man and his son, and pulling down one of the pillars supporting the church steeple, which collapsed into the nave.

Xaldin - Yeren - a legendary creature said to reside in the remote mountainous forested regions of western Hubei. The Xinhua News Agency estimates that there have been around 400 sightings reported in the last few decades.

Vexen - Abominable Snowman -  a folkloric ape-like creature taller than an average human, that is said to inhabit the Himalayan mountains. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology. 

Lexaeus - Bigfoot - hairy, upright-walking, ape-like creatures that dwell in the wilderness and leave footprints. Depictions often portray them as a missing link between humans and human ancestors or other great apes. Over the years, these creatures have inspired numerous commercial ventures and hoaxes.

Zexion - Orang-Pendek - is the most common name given to a cryptid, or cryptozoological animal, that reportedly inhabits remote, mountainous forests on the island of Sumatra. The animal has allegedly been seen and documented for at least one hundred years by forest tribes, local villagers, Dutch colonists and Western scientists and travelers.

Saix - Rougarou - is a legendary creature in Laurentian French communities linked to European notions of the werewolf.  The stories of the creature known as a rougarou are as diverse as the spelling of its name, though they are all connected to francophone cultures through a common derived belief in the loup-garou.

Axel - Mongolian Death Worm - apparently lives beneath the sands of the southern Gobi Desert, only coming up to the surface in the warmer summer months or when the ground becomes too wet for it to survive. Sightings of the worms date back several centuries amongst the native Mongolians, many of whom claim the olgoi-khorkhoi is able to spit venom or even acid from its mouth, while its body is apparently coated with such a toxic slime that anyone who happens to touch it will be instantly killed.

Demyx - Loch Ness Monster - In Scottish folklore, Nessie is a creature said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large in size with a long neck and one or more humps protruding from the water. Popular interest and belief in the creature have varied since it was brought to worldwide attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with a few disputed photographs and sonar readings.

Luxord - Mothman - In West Virginia folklore, the Mothman is a creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleasant area from November 12, 1966, to December 15, 1967. The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register dated November 16, 1966, titled “Couples See Man-Sized Bird … Creature … Something.”

Marluxia - The Jersey Devil - In New Jersey folklore, the Jersey Devil (a.k.a. the Leeds Devil) is a legendary creature said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many variations.

Larxene - Ozark Howler - a mythological creature that is purported to live in remote areas in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. It is typically described as being bear sized, with a thick body, stocky legs, and black shaggy hair, and as sometimes having horns.

Roxas - Agogwe - a purported small human-like biped reported in East Africa. It was reported to be 4 to 5 ft tall with brown or russet hair.  The first recorded sighting was by Captain William Hichens, reported in the December 1937 edition of the journal Discovery.

Xion - Momo - short for “Missouri monster”—is a mysterious apeman similar to Bigfoot, which is said to inhabit the forests alongside the Mississippi River as it passes through Missouri. First reported in 1971, Momo is described as 7 to 8 feet tall with a broad pumpkin-shaped head, and is supposedly covered head to foot in thick dark fur.