#milleniums rule

[waitafrikk]

Trudi canavan books are criminally underrated

The black magician trilogy (and sequels) has banger world building, plot and characters (two gay men and one wlw couple (im not sure what their labels are , probably bi and lesbian))

The age of 5 is my favourite, its got a really cool concept and explains the lore without that much expo dump I dont think. The main character is also got a girlboss for reasons I cannot say due to spoilers.

Millieniums rule is my least favourite but it still bangs, its got a bisexual guy in the last book, one of the main characters is a dark skinned girlboss and the other character is in love with a book?? It makes sense i prommy

[depressedraisin]

here's how armand can still be bengali

why do i think so? no other good reason than i am bengali myself and i want armand to be. (also assad zaman's family is from bangladesh. bengali solidarity!!!)

bengal: the region in south asia comprising present-day bangladesh and the indian states of west bengal, odisha, assam and parts of bihar.

armand said in the season one finale, that takes place in 2022, he is a 514 year old vampire. is it 514 years including or excluding his human years? let's go with including. that means armand would have been born in 1508.

now what was going on in india and bengal in 1508? well, the mughals hadn't come to india yet; it's still about two decades before babur makes his way here. delhi was under the rule of the lodi dynasty, the delhi sultanate was in its dying days. most of north india, mainly uttar pradesh and bihar was under the jaunpur sultanate. bengal was still it's own independent kingdom, called the bengal sultanate. alauddin hussain shah had just seized power and become the sultan of bengal in 1494, beginning the hussain shahi dynasty (they ruled in bengal till 1538 when the mughals captured the region).

india as a country did not exist yet. even it's conception would be a few centuries away still. the subcontinent was a collection of big and small kingdoms and sultanates, constantly warring amongst themselves, some ruled by hindu rulers others by muslims, each with their own distinct histories and cultures. bengal was one of the most prosperous and thriving among them. the bangla language and bengali culture was just beginning to develop.

vasco da gama had arrived in india in 1498, landing at kozhikode on the malabar coast. this began the arrival of the portugese in india, and soon other european colonialists followed. they soon set up their capital in goa, built forts all along the western coast and established trade through obtaining licenses and exclusive permits from local rulers. they first made their way to the bay of bengal region around 1516, with the first portugese representative- a guy called joao coelho- coming to chittagong (present day bangladesh). the first factory was set up in chittagong the next year.

the portugese traded in spices and cotton and fruits and muslin and also slaves. the european indian ocean slave trade began with the coming of the portugese in the early 16th century. slavery in south asian societies had obviously existed long before, and it was a deeply complex and diverse system of dependency and regimes of slavery. slavery of youth and children was also pretty prevalent: it would not be uncommon for poor, farming families to sell away themselves or their children to zamindars (landlords) and colonial overlords in desperation. there were many, many cases of young children being forced to get onboard ships where they'd be held agains their will and taken to europe, the americas or south-east asia. goa and lisbon were the two cities that linked the movement of goods and people between the indian and atlantic oceans, but goa wasn't the only place where enslaved children were traded in portugese india nor lisbon the only european they were taken to.

one of those kids might as well have been arun.

i know the brief glimpse at the talamasca files showed armand's origin to be in delhi but in this particular scene he clearly says that he was sent *to* delhi, thinking he was going to work on a merchant boat.

this is just a theory i have btw. armand could've been from maharastra or the deccan as well idk. anyway.

armand is a monster, a vicious, villanious creature of unfathomable powers and ferocity. but he is also so deeply tragic. he had been forcibly torn away from his people and his land. he has no memory of his family or his humanity. he has lived for over half a millenium. the india he might've known hasn't existed for centuries, and he never got to know the one that exists today. the bangla he might've spoken no one remembers anymore. he has nothing left of the human he was except that name.

further readings (STRONGLY SUGGESTED!!!):

[pixelnrd]

Vote for the Langston Legacy 2000s Heir

The time is upon us to vote for your final heir to the Langston Legacy!

As this Legacy heads towards is conclusion, you will be voting for the heir that will lead us into the new millenium, and whose children will be the final descendants born into this family.

Will it be Jasmine, Quincy or Ginger? Here are some hints for what to expect the 2000s for these kids:

Jasmine has always been perfect, preppy and popular. But sensitive Jasmine might have a lot coming for her in the real world where high school status doesn't mean anything anymore. Will she stop caring about status and perfection, or will her priorities lead her down a unique path?

Quincy is the doted on boy of the family, but has gotten away with a bit too much bad behaviour bending the rules. A skater and a stoner, will Quincy finally be able to pull his head in and focus on making good decisions for his future? Does he have the capacity to achieve big things?

Ginger is the black sheep of the family, considered to be a bit out there by her siblings but loved nonetheless. She has struggled to accept the end of childhood and still behaves with a hedonistic mind. Will Ginger finally grow up and do something worthwhile with her life? Or is she destined to walk her own weird path?

VOTE HERE

Poll will close in 3 days

*Please don’t ruin this for me or anyone else and only vote once!

[dreamlandcreations]

Fae AU

dark fae!Feyd-Rautha x light fae Atreides!Reader

The Dune connects the Realms. All the fae magic comes from the sands of Arrakis, the desert between the light of Caladan and the endless darkness of Giedi Prime.

Arrakis is supposed to be a neutral territory, each side guarding it for a millenium with the guidance of the Bene Gesserit, the order tasked to maintain balance and peace.

Yet, after 800 years, it is ordered now that the Light should start to rule over that land.

With pure magic around you, your senses and powers get heightened but this brings you no comfort or joy because you know if you follow the path this new magic is trying to show you it might mean death to you and your people.

Despite that feeling, you can't resist the pull for long. You wander to the border of the dark, dead forest, not expecting that you are about to walk into the arms of your destiny.

• moodboards masterlist •

[franki-lew-yo]

--Fifty actually good Free to Watch Animated Movies--

Most are on Tubi, of course, but I don't think you'll mind that. Get em while they're hot - please dm/pm with any potential triggercontent warnings that you think might be needed.

I especially recommend Mary & Max, Kubo and the Two Strings, Last Unicorn, The Wolf House, Ernest and Celestine, Rock & Rule, Hair High, and Nocturna.

They're all beautiful and absolutely worth your time while they're still on Tubi, Youtube, or just online at all.

Safe for Families 

The Legend of Hei (Chinese, English Dub) Action, Fantasy

Ernest and Celestine (English Dub) Comedy/Drama

All Dogs go to Heaven (English) Fantasy/Action/Musical

The Secret of NIMH (English) Adventure/Action/Drama

Nocturna (English Dub) Fantasy/Comedy

The Mouse and his Child (English) Drama/Adventure

The Magic Pony/The Humpbacked Horse (English Dub) Fantasy/Adventure

Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (English) Fantasy/Adventure/Musical

Here Comes Peter Cottontail (English) Comedy/Fantasy/Musical

Moon Man (English Dubs) Fantasy/Comedy

The Legend of Sirius/Sea Prince and the Fire Child (English) Fantasy/Romance/Drama

The Adventures of Unico and Unico and the Island of Magic (English Dubs) Fantasy/Adventure/Comedy

The Snow Queen (English Dub) Fantasy/Adventure

Long Way North (English Dub) Adventure/Historical

Eleanor’s Secret (English Dub) Fantasy/Adventure

The Last Unicorn (English) Fantasy/Drama/Adventure CW: Contains a harpy for one scene that your super religious mom might have a fit at but otherwise safe

Night on the Galactic Railroad (English Dub) Drama/Fantasy

Havoc in Heaven (Mandarin, subs available) Fantasy/Action/Adventure

Tito and the Birds (English Dub) Fantasy/Action/Horror

The Thief and the Cobbler (English) Adventure/Fantasy/Action CW: Ideologically sensitive despictions

The Adventures of Mark Twain (English) Adventure/Fantasy CW: May disturb some children, ideologically sensitive material

Raggedy Anne and Andy: A Musical Adventure (English) Adventure/Fantasy

On Happiness Road (Hokkien/Mandarin, English Sub) Drama/Comedy/Adventure CW: Systemic oppression

The Tale of the Fox (German, English Sub) Fantasy/Adventure

Ringing Bell (Japanese, English Sub) Drama/Adventure CW: May upset some children as it's an analogy for child soldiers

The Brave Little Toaster (English) Adventure/Drama CW: violence towards appliances

The Little Vampire (English Dub) Fantasy/Adventure

--Mature--

Have a Nice Day (Mandarin, English Sub) Action/Thriller/Crime CW: Violence, Domestic Abuse

The Painting (English Dub) Adventure/Comedy/Drama

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (English Dub) Drama/Thriller/Action CW: Police Brutality

A Cat in Paris (English Dub) Action/Comedy/Crime

Penguin Highway (English Dub) Speculative fiction/Drama

When the Wind Blows (English) Drama/Horror CW:Radiation poisoning, Elder Abuse

I Married a Strange Person (English) Comedy/Horror/Romance CW: Violence

Blood Tea and Red String (English) Horror/Arthouse CW: Violence, Sexual assault imagery

S He (non-verbal) Arthouse/Horror CW: sexism and misogynist ab*se (with shoes)

The Plague Dogs (English) Drama/Action CW: Animal abuse, animal death, violence

The Romantic (English) Fantasy/Horror CW: Domestic abuse

A Dog's Courage (English dub) Drama/Action/Adventure CW: Animal abuse

Robot Carnival (English Dub) Sci-Fi/Drama

Vampires in Havana (Spanish, English Sub) Comedy/Drama CW: Violence

Gandahar (French) Fantasy/Action/Adventure

Animal Farm (English) Drama/Thriller CW: Animal death, animal abuse

Technotise: Edit & I (Serbian, English Sub) Thriller/Fantasy

Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic (English) Horror/Fantasy CW: Religious/sexual/domestic abuse imagery, violence

Louis by the Shore (English dub) Drama/Psychological

Rock & Rule (English) Fantasy/Action/Musical

Ghost in the Shell (English Dub) Action/Thriller/Drama

Millenium Actress (English Dub) Fantasy/History/Action

Away (Latvian, no talking) Arthouse/Drama

[dresshistorynerd]

How did cotton win over linen anyway?

In short, colonialism, slavery and the industrial revolution. In length:

Cotton doesn't grow in Europe so before the Modern Era, cotton was rare and used in small quantities for specific purposes (lining doublets for example). The thing with cotton is, that's it can be printed with dye very easily. The colors are bright and they don't fade easily. With wool and silk fabrics, which were the more traditional fabrics for outer wear in Europe (silk for upper classes of course), patterns usually needed to be embroidered or woven to the cloth to last, which was very expensive. Wool is extremely hard to print to anything detailed that would stay even with modern technology. Silk can be printed easily today with screen printing, but before late 18th century the technique wasn't known in western world (it was invented in China a millenium ago) and the available methods didn't yeld good results.

So when in the late 17th century European trading companies were establishing trading posts in India, a huge producer of cotton fabrics, suddenly cotton was much more available in Europe. Indian calico cotton, which was sturdy and cheap and was painted or printed with colorful and intricate floral patters, chintz, especially caught on and became very fashionable. The popular Orientalism of the time also contributed to it becoming fasionable, chintz was seen as "exotic" and therefore appealing.

Here's a typical calico jacket from late 18th century. The ones in European markets often had white background, but red background was also fairly common.

The problem with this was that this was not great for the business of the European fabric producers, especially silk producers in France and wool producers in England, who before were dominating the European textile market and didn't like that they now had competition. So European countries imposed trade restrictions for Indian cotton, England banning cotton almost fully in 1721. Since the introduction of Indian cottons, there had been attempts to recreate it in Europe with little success. They didn't have nearly advanced enough fabric printing and cotton weaving techniques to match the level of Indian calico. Cotton trade with India didn't end though. The European trading companies would export Indian cottons to West African market to fund the trans-Atlantic slave trade that was growing quickly. European cottons were also imported to Africa. At first they didn't have great demand as they were so lacking compared to Indian cotton, but by the mid 1700s quality of English cotton had improved enough to be competitive.

Inventions in industrial textile machinery, specifically spinning jenny in 1780s and water frame in 1770s, would finally give England the advantages they needed to conquer the cotton market. These inventions allowed producing very cheap but good quality cotton and fabric printing, which would finally produce decent imitations of Indian calico in large quantities. Around the same time in mid 1700s, The East Indian Company had taken over Bengal and soon following most of the Indian sub-continent, effectively putting it under British colonial rule (but with a corporate rule dystopian twist). So when industrialized English cotton took over the market, The East India Company would suppress Indian textile industry to utilize Indian raw cotton production for English textile industry and then import cotton textiles back to India. In 1750s India's exports were mainly fine cotton and silk, but during the next century Indian export would become mostly raw materials. They effectively de-industrialized India to industrialize England further.

India, most notably Bengal area, had been an international textile hub for millennia, producing the finest cottons and silks with extremely advance techniques. Loosing cotton textile industry devastated Indian local economies and eradicated many traditional textile craft skills. Perhaps the most glaring example is that of Dhaka muslin. Named after the city in Bengal it was produced in, it was extremely fine and thin cotton requiring very complicated and time consuming spinning process, painstakingly meticulous hand-weaving process and a very specific breed of cotton. It was basically transparent as seen depicted in this Mughal painting from early 17th century.

It was used by e.g. the ancient Greeks, Mughal emperors and, while the methods and it's production was systematically being destroyed by the British to squash competition, it became super fashionable in Europe. It was extremely expensive, even more so than silk, which is probably why it became so popular among the rich. In 1780s Marie Antoinette famously and scandalously wore chemise a la reine made from multiple layers of Dhaka muslin. In 1790s, when the empire silhouette took over, it became even more popular, continuing to the very early 1800s, till Dhaka muslin production fully collapsed and the knowledge and skill to produce it were lost. But earlier this year, after years lasting research to revive the Dhaka muslin funded by Bangladeshi government, they actually recreated it after finding the right right cotton plant and gathering spinners and weavers skilled in traditional craft to train with it. (It's super cool and I'm making a whole post about it (it has been in the making for months now) so I won't extend this post more.)

Marie Antoinette in the famous painting with wearing Dhaka muslin in 1783, and empress Joséphine Bonaparte in 1801 also wearing Dhaka muslin.

While the trans-Atlantic slave trade was partly funded by the cotton trade and industrial English cotton, the slave trade would also be used to bolster the emerging English cotton industry by forcing African slaves to work in the cotton plantations of Southern US. This produced even more (and cheaper (again slave labor)) raw material, which allowed the quick upward scaling of the cotton factories in Britain. Cotton was what really kicked off the industrial revolution, and it started in England, because they colonized their biggest competitor India and therefore were able to take hold of the whole cotton market and fund rapid industrialization.

Eventually the availability of cotton, increase in ready-made clothing and the luxurious reputation of cotton lead to cotton underwear replacing linen underwear (and eventually sheets) (the far superior option for the reasons I talked about here) in early Victorian Era. Before Victorian era underwear was very practical, just simple rectangles and triangles sewn together. It was just meant to protect the outer clothing and the skin, and it wasn't seen anyway, so why put the relatively scarce resources into making it pretty? Well, by the mid 1800s England was basically fully industrialized and resource were not scarce anymore. Middle class was increasing during the Victorian Era and, after the hard won battles of the workers movement, the conditions of workers was improving a bit. That combined with decrease in prices of clothing, most people were able to partake in fashion. This of course led to the upper classes finding new ways to separate themselves from lower classes. One of these things was getting fancy underwear. Fine cotton kept the fancy reputation it had gained first as an exotic new commodity in late 17th century and then in Regency Era as the extremely expensive fabric of queens and empresses. Cotton also is softer than linen, and therefore was seen as more luxurious against skin. So cotton shifts became the fancier shifts. At the same time cotton drawers were becoming common additional underwear for women.

It wouldn't stay as an upper class thing, because as said cotton was cheap and available. Ready-made clothing also helped spread the fancier cotton underwear, as then you could buy fairly cheaply pretty underwear and you didn't even have to put extra effort into it's decoration. At the same time cotton industry was massive and powerful and very much eager to promote cotton underwear as it would make a very steady and long lasting demand for cotton.

In conclusion, cotton has a dark and bloody history and it didn't become the standard underwear fabric for very good reasons.

Here's couple of excellent sources regarding the history of cotton industry:

The European Response to Indian Cottons, Prasannan Parthasarathi

INDIAN COTTON MILLS AND THE BRITISH ECONOMIC POLICY, 1854-1894, Rajib Lochan Sahoo

[whencyclopedia]

The Myth of Etana

The Myth of Etana is the story of the Sumerian antediluvian King of Kish who ascends to heaven on an eagle to request the Plant of Birth from the gods so that he might have a son. Etana is named as the first king of Kish in the Sumerian King List (composed c. 2100 BCE) which claims he reigned early in the 3rd millenium BCE. According to the Sumerian King List, Etana was known as "he who stabilized the lands" after the gods had created order out of chaos and established the concepts of kingship and government among humanity. Etana was, therefore, a well-known and highly respected figure and would have been chosen as the central character for precisely this reason. A central message of the myth is that one should trust in the gods and Etana, a great king, would have been chosen by the unknown author as the best exemplar in conveying that message.

Central Message

That the myth is very old is attested to by cylinder seals depicting Etana on the eagle's back which date from the reign of Sargon of Akkad (2334-2279 BCE). The British Museum has among its holdings a fragment of The Myth of Etana from King Assurbanipal's library at Ninevah, dating from the 7th century but, as G.S. Kirk points out:

The Neo-Assyrian version from Ashurbanipal's library happens to be the most surviving text, but where it overlaps with an Old Babylonian version of a thousand years earlier it corresponds with it very closely, sometimes word for word. A short Middle Assyrian fragment maintains the same accuracy. (25)

The story contains many motifs seen in myths of every culture: a great city created by the gods, a search for a worthy ruler, talking animals, broken oaths, divine intervention and a quest which brings the hero to the land of the gods (this one involving an eagle of mythic proportions). The myth may have been intended, as suggested by R. McRoberts, to convey a political message regarding kingship:

When this story is placed in the context of the First Dynasty of Kish, and its exceptional rule of twenty three consecutive kings, it can be seen as more than a tale of fantasy. Earlier dynasties in the King Lists show only a few kings ruling in succession. It is possible that the success of the First Dynasty of Kish could be owed in part to a new tradition of passing the monarchy on to a male heir of the previous king. The myth of Etana served as a colorful reminder that it was the king's duty to go to any lengths, or heights as the case may be, to produce that heir. (40)

While McRoberts' observation is certainly valid, the duty of the king was not only to his people but to the gods who had not only given him life but placed him in his position. According to Sumerian belief (and Mesopotamian belief in general), the gods had created humanity as co-workers to maintain order and keep the forces of chaos in check. The king was responsible to both the gods and his subjects to make sure the gods' will was followed. He could not perform this task if he had no faith in the gods himself and so the myth, in addition to its many other themes, would have emphasized Etana's faith in the gods even when it seems his prayers have not been answered.

Continue reading...

[cult-of-the-placeholder]

I like to imagine that Shamura always knew.

They have the gift of prophecy, after all: on the day of Narinder's birth, when Shamura first takes the infant god into their arms, they know. Their clairvoyance shows a distant future, an angry, hateful Narinder, wielding a great, cursed scythe with terrifying mastery, bellowing at Shamura to take up arms and fight him.

The vision splits, two possibilities at once: they can either do as demanded and fight their little brother--who's no more than a soft, mewling infant in the present, delicately holding onto their finger and cooing at them in wonder--and their overwhelming power of the eldest all at once will quell him. They can strike him down there with a single, decisive blow, and Narinder will collapse to the ground, crown shattering and lifeless body splayed out grotesquely. Shamura's siblings will shun them for killing Narinder, and the grief will slowly drive them insane.

Or... they can refuse to fight. If they refuse to raise their hand to their brother, Narinder will best them easily. Becoming increasingly more angry as he slashes and strikes them, shrieking at their older sibling to, "Fight me, damn you! Fight me!"

Shamura sees their own skull cleaved, sees the other bishops rush to defend them. They see Heket's throat torn out, Leshy's eyes gouged, Kallamar's ears ripped from his head. He sees them all, bloody and beaten, retreating. He sees them bandaging one another's wounds, sees them forging unholy shackles and chains that could hold their brother. His death is something they want to avoid, even after he injures them so.

Shamura knows better than anyone that a prophecy cannot be outrun or outsmarted, but they still try. What else can they do? The vision leaves them suddenly and the newborn god in their arms is whining with discomfort--tears have begun to drip off their cheeks and have speckled the poor child's face. They gently wipe them away, heart pounding with nerves, and nestle the baby close against their chest.

They try so hard. They run themselves ragged over the next several hundred thousand years, taking every preventative measure they can. They search endlessly for more visions, for some kind of hint, something they can do to change it. They vow to love Narinder completely, infinitely, and their other brothers and little sister as well. Perhaps if they loves him enough, treasures and cherishes them and gives them each the entirety of their heart, this horrible future can be evaded. Delayed. Denied.

Surely something must cause Narinder to raise his blades against them. They nip every problem in the bud, they raise the four other gods with grace and love, hands warm and kind when they need to be, just as they are firm and stern when it is necessary. The other 4 bishops grow in great power, and they love each child endlessly. Especially Narinder. The little god of death is the only one that shares their passion for the written word, and so often retreats into Shamura's vast libraries to study poetry and prose alike. Sometimes they read together, first with Narinder seated directly in their lap, then sitting together shoulder-to-shoulder when he's grown too big for that. Shamura is sure to express their affections each and every time, so that Narinder can never forget how loved he is.

Millenium pass by the hundreds, and the horrible prophecy hasn't yet come to pass, and Shamura tries valiantly to forget it. The world grows and matures and worships them, and their siblings have become fine rulers indeed. The lands prosper, endless devotion for them to dine on and grow ever stronger.

Then... Narinder asks Shamura about the prospect of change. Changing death's rules, carving out a new and uncertain future, letting the mortals walk again after having left the waking realm, and not in the means of rebirth, no: rather, instead, he spoke of granting their souls a second chance in a revived body.

It's blasphemous. It's heinous. It's unnatural.

Shamura cannot allow him to violate the laws of nature. They forbid he do such things, and that night they're plagued with the nightmarish vision again, but this time only one ending plays out: their skull is split because they refuse to fight him. It's happening so fast all around them, and they go to Narinder in the middle of the night. Hugs him desperately, grasping his shoulders with all four hands, begging him to remember that he is loved and that something like this shouldn't come between them. Begs him to reconsider, but refrains from telling him about the prophecy. Telling someone of a percieved inevitability often acted to push them directly towards it. Fate was ironic like that.

They beg Narinder not to, beg him to just stay as he is, and their little brother is so confused. And when Shamura refuses to tell him what is going on, he becomes suspicious. Bids they go away, and disappears into a dark portal to a place where Shamura can't track him.

It devolves from there. Shamura knows what's coming and is powerless to stop it--they stop sleeping, they stop eating, they withdraw entirely and throw themselves desperately into their forbidden library, searching for something, anything they can do to change their fate. A loss like this will be felt for thousands of years to come, and their heart can't bear it. Shamura spends days, weeks, months, years in a restless trance, mind stretched thin as their desperation drives them to search for a solution that does not exist. A long time for mortals to be sure, but for a god it could be the blink of an eye. While they have been deep in the recesses of ethereal knowledge, Narinder has grown considerably more bored, more angry, more isolated.

When Narinder comes to them, scythe in hand, Shamura is exhausted. It has been so long since they drank from their followers' devotion. Narinder comes to challenge them, a fight for death, he says--death will evolve, and if Shamura wants to stop it they will have to kill him. Or at the very least beat him into submission.

And Shamura can't. Their worst nightmare is playing out in real time right before their eyes, and they do nothing when Narinder's pitch black blade comes down on them. They're crying, silently, tears of grief flowing down their face because they know what's coming. If they raise their arms and fight their brother, Narinder will die.

They can't. They won't. Not to their baby brother.

[gabbythegoosequeen]

My Strange Assortment of Music Taste!

Tagged by @yokobai (we are doing this, aren't we?)

Rules: shuffle your "On Repeat" playlist and list the first 10 songs. (I don't have spotify si it's gonna be my youtube mix aswell)

• Anybody can find love (except you.) - hkmori

• 24 Hours - Agnes

• Wonderland - Alexa

• Across the Spider-Verse (Intro) - Daniel Pemberton

• Happier Than Ever - Billie Eilish

• XS - Rina Sawayama

• LA DI DA - EVERGLOW

• Frankenstein - Rina Sawayama

• WORK - millenium parade

• Fever - Dua Lipa, Angèle

• Seventeen - Yoasobi

Tagging... idk i don't have a lot of ppl to tag... let's go with @ocelotegg, @uh-beh-coullun (even tho you probably won't), @neonanon

And yeah that's all, i won't dare tag other ppl

[srasdoesthings]

＊✿❀Day 6: Fantasy AU❀✿＊

･ﾟﾟ･:.｡..｡.:ﾟ::✼✿

Rei and Eichi being in false dichotomies rattles in my head so so mach. Might be the wrong term but I just legit blank out whenever I see them sfjds. So for this AU and piece, I based it on Slay the Princess!! The whole change and stasis, how two seemingly opposing concepts are in essence bound together for all eternity, large ethereal beings embodying the make up of reality dancing around each other and mad in love-

Anyways :33 another blurb thingy under the cut! I find deities and myths in videogames very interesting so might as well spit it all into something for the girls🔥🔥🔥 This was beta-ed and heavily proofread by another fello femstars discord member: Cordelia!! (@kanameows) Big big thanks to her, he's really helped me straighten this out and fix up the wording to make it sound less modern nsdkjff

Sorry for rambling dhsnfkmas enjoy the short read^^

✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*

From the beginning of time, two great entities watched over the earth. The Greatest of the greats, the highest of the high. They were gods, deities. They ruled over concepts, embodies them. Eichi and Rei.

Despite all the worship, reverence, and adoration of the people, though, no one truly knew what dominion these gods ruled over. Years, centuries, and milleniums of myths and legends passed down from generation to generation, tainted by the interpretations of those spreading their story. Small details mutate and are discarded over time.

These different spins on their myths go as follows:

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Eichi was the God of Good and Rei was the Demon to be defeated. Eichi was born of light and she drove away the darkness that followed Rei like a shroud.

Eichi brought wonderful things such as the spring and summer, warm and bright; cheery.

Rei is followed by Autumn and Winter, windy and cold --biting at the senses, numbing everything.

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Eichi was the God of Life. All living things are her subjects, each and every one blessed by her power.

Rei was the God of Death, who brings rest to the weary, comfort to the tormented, and punishment to the sinners.

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Eichi was a God who strived to keep the world perfect. A tyrant creator who destroys all that mar her perfect vision.

Rei was a kind god that accepted the strange and unwanted into her arms, soothing their broken souls.

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Eichi was an evil god. An evil god surrounded by wonderful things. An evil god who makes sure she's surrounded by wonderful things. She creates new flowers to hide those that wither in her hands; brought forth life to erase the dying.

Rei was a pitiful god framed by her as evil. She mourned, cried for those she has hurt; unable to protect, only able to take them under her large black wings, singing melodies of solace.

.・゜-: ✧ :-

At least, those were what the myths say...

.

.

.

.

.

But myths are products of human culture, unable to comprehend those above them. In truth:

Eichi is the God of Change; of growth and decay; of revolution and corruption. She is the passing of seasons. She is improvement and she is the loss of progress. All encompassing and always there.

Rei is the God of Stasis. The moment, an ending, and the time spend lingering in it. She is of long nights with loved ones where time holds no meaning and she is minutes stretched to hours in agony. All encompassing and always there.

There is no winner or loser, no right or wrong, and know good or bad. They are merely forces of nature, the absolute truth of the world, and the gears that turn reality. They are simply change and stasis. Simply Eichi and Rei.

･ﾟﾟ･:.｡..｡.:ﾟ::✼✿

[kidrauhlschik]

Let The World Burn. - I.N.

1. The New King and Queen

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In the end, he managed to forget that a king is nothing without his queen.

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~

Part 2 will be linked in the master list above!

Pairings: Jeongin x Reader (and some love triangles among the way.) enemies to lovers, royalty au!

Warnings: ANGST, implied smut, war, aggression, anxiety, depression, death, please let me know if i miss anything... (this was heavily inspired by the song “Let the world burn” by Chris Grey.

Word Count: 3.5k

~

You had your destiny planned out for you since before you were born. While your mother, the queen of Eldoria, still carried you, your father, alongside the King of Rexerum, forged an alliance between their two kingdoms.

The Queen and King of Rexerum were a powerful pair, ruling their realm with vigor and passion, in slight contrast to your parents, who led their kingdom with kindness and a deep sense of unity. Rexerum was one of the strongest kingdoms of its time, invincible and unwavering. An alliance among the two kingdoms was deemed to be the best strategic decision of the millenium.

When Prince Yang Jeongin was just a year old and you were still in the womb, both kingdoms decided to unite. Once the King of Rexerum passed, it was decreed that the two of you, once of age, would marry and lead both nations to greatness.

You had always known of this, at only six years old, you received the first letter from you betrothed.

"Hello, I am Jeongin. I am looking forward to a happy future with you." Though brief and simple, the letter was deeply meaningful to a six year old's heart. To you, it felt like a fairytale coming to life. What young girl doesn’t dream of her Prince Charming?

At the age of ten, you received a gift from the prince. A locket with a letter. "Hold on to this locket, and one day you will place a petal from your wedding bouquet inside." You wore that necklace every day after you received it.

At the age of sixteen you finally knew what your future husband looked like. You received a painting that took months to arrive to your homeland. He was very attractive, with fox-like features, sharp eyes, and a cheshire smile. He looked full of life and kind, almost like a dream to your sheltered eyes.

When you turned nineteen, you finally received the final letter. It was from Jeongin, announcing that his father passed away due to an unexpected illness. He didn't explain much aside from the fact that his father was bedridden for weeks before he finally succumbed to a sickness that you couldn't quite understand. The last words of the letter being, "See you soon, my love."

Despite the dire circumstances, you couldn't help but feel excitement. A queen of a country and a bride on the same day seemed overwhelming but very exciting to you. The roses that sat in every corner of your room seemed brighter all of the sudden, like it was their own farewell to you.

Being sheltered from the world, due to your parents putting everything on the alliance, you were not allowed to leave the castle unless it was absolutely necessary. Only learning the world through stories and teachings. As much as you mourned you father-in-law-to-be, it meant the start of your new life.

Your mother, in her stunning blue and black dress, bid you farewell in tears, wishing you the best and telling you that if everything goes well, this would be the last time you'd see her, because after your boat sailed, your duties as princess of Eldoria, would be nothing in comparison to your rights as the queen of Rexerum. Her crown shined under the sun, made from pure silver, and decorated by sapphires and diamonds, so intricate and delicate, it made you wonder what the crown you would wear in Rexerum would look like.

Your father told you to be strong, he was never a man of affection, but he held you close and whispered, "Be careful my daughter." Before you left your homeland and parents.

On the sail to Rexerum, you held on to your locket that still sat around your neck. Nervous and anxious, but at least you knew that Jeongin would be waiting for you at the end of the road. You loved him, despite never meeting him, but maybe you were living in a fairytale that you never wanted to reach the end of.

The ship took four days to arrive to Rexerum, the only person that kept you company was your advisor and best friend Lee Felix, who kept your spirits up anytime you felt hopeless or homesick. He was your rock. "You are going to be an amazing queen your highness." Was his go-to phrase, as you rolled your eyes at the term, 'your highness.' He was your best friend, and you've told him that the formalities could be dropped behind closed doors, but at this point, he was saying such things with no purpose but to get under your skin.

When you finally arrived to the foreign kingdom, a crowd awaited you. The citizens of this new country, welcomed you with open arms, all hoping to catch a glimpse of their queen-to-be.

The man that held his arm out to you at the dock was not your future husband, much to your disappointment. You understood why Jeonjin couldn't be there though. His father had just passed, and now he was preoccupied with the arrangements of the wedding and coronations of the both of you. He is a king afterall now, is what you told yourself.

The horses leading your carriege couldn't be any slower. You were practically shaking with anxiety and excitement to finally fulfill what you were born to do.

However, when you finally arrived to the castle, you were caught off guard. You were raised in a palace full of light, flowers surrounded every wall, your followers would come and go as they pleased in order to meet the royal family, the air was happy and free. You couldn't help but notice the stark differences in your new home, surrounded by soldiers and walls. The castle seemed gloomy and even the servants would keep their head down and wouldn't dare to make eye contact with you.

It caught you off guard when you were lead through the back entrance by soldiers who only addressed you as, "My grace."

They led you to a room on the third floor in the place, the room a bit bigger than your old one at home.

"Your belongings will arrive shortly my grace, please make yourself comfortable and enjoy your stay," The guard still wouldn't make eye-contact with you, which made you slightly uncomfortable because you were raised with the belief that every person in your country is your family. You stand for the people and someone not seeing you as such, is very out of your comfort zone.

A day went by, and you still hadn't met your husband-to-be.

"It feels stuffy in here." Felix said, as he opened the windows of your new bedroom.

"I'm sure this is just a spare room, once I move to Jeongin's room, it'll be better." You said as your new ladies prepared your wedding dress. A white, flowy dress with loose sleeves, and beautiful embroidery awaited you. One of your ladies, Rose, if you remembered correctly, was putting your hair up with a flower shaped clip. She didn't say much, aside from agreences.

"I hope so, because this place feels depressing." Felix looked at your reflection on the mirror as you sighed out loud. "I know, but maybe the prince is preparing something special." Rose's movements halted for a second at your words, you only realized because of the eye contact she made with you through the mirror before focusing on you hair again. She seemed worried or maybe hesitant, but then again, this was a huge shift in the kingdom so it was expected.

That night is when you were to walk down the aisle, yet you couldn't help but adore this new sense of freedom you received. No longer under your parents rule, but under your own. The servants wouldn't say much to you aside from telling you about your itinerary. Lunch with the queen, dressing ceremony, walking down the aisle, consummation, and living the rest of your life with the King.

You woke up the morning of your wedding feeling a sense of wonder, your luncheon dress was ready, sky blue, long, and made from silk, was prepared for your meeting with the queen, but since your anxiety wouldn't let you rest prior to the lunch, you decided to wonder the garden.

The garden was the only place that reminded you of home. Roses and daisies surrounded the area. Wisteria flowers decorated the fences and walls. The place felt serene and free in comparison to the gray walls that surrounded the palace.

That morning, you took advantage of your new found freedom and asked Felix to accompany you in search for your wedding bouquet.

You roamed around the pond on the west side of the palace, finding red and white flowers to build your wedding bouquet. Felix made you a flower crown, made from peonies and jasmines, as you hopped around the area boasting about your future filled with excitement.

Felix feigned happiness, although he wished that in another world, another life, his status would be higher, or yours lower, so he could maybe, possibly dream of a world that you would see him as more than a friend or advisor. He was happy for you nevertheless.

You were unaware that through a window on the fourth floor of the palace, your future husband was observing you. "Foolish." He whispered under his breath as the arms of his beloved enveloped him from behind in a warm embrace.

"Let her be." Rose said as she graced her lips against his neck, his body craved her warmth and chased her as she pulled away.

"I don't want to. I don't know her. I have never spoken with her. I do not understand why my parents would tie me down to someone that they didn't even know. What if her intentions are misconstructed?" Jeongin turned to Rose, who was merely covered by his robe.

"Innie, you're a king, your ties are more than trust, they are for the good of our country." Rose was always so good to him, so understanding.

"If I am the king, why can I not choose my queen? I would choose you a million times over in a heartbeat my love." He approached her as she sat on the bed.

"You know it's harder than that my love." She leaned back as Jeongin hovered over her, "Can we at least be together one more time before this afternoon?" He asked as his hands roamed her body, his hands traced her waist, her hips, and until they finally landed on her thighs, pulling one of her legs around him, "I just want to feel you again." He whispered into her ear as he pulled the robe back and felt his lover crumble with his every move.

-

You held you self-made bouquet with pride. You looked beautiful, all in preparation to meet your husband. You stood behind the doors of the coronation room. The ceremony was smaller than you expected, more a formality than anything. In your country, wedding was a celebration, a birth of a new family, a new root in a never ending garden. This was different so far, after being in Rexerum for two days, you began to notice the differences. The lines between royalty and common folk were very clear in your new nation.

Nevertheless, you waited for the priest to announce your arrival.

Once he uttered the words, "And now we welcome the princess of Eldoria and the new queen of Rexerum to our country,-" Guards opened the grand doors, and you began walking down the aisle.

Despite your nervousness, you managed to look in Jeongins direction. He was looking down, almost seeming avoidant.

When you reached the end of the aisle, you tried to offer him a smile, but he was avoiding your gaze with everything he had in him. Once you reached his side, the two of you looked forward as the priest continued the ceremony.

Eventually, he made the two of you turn to each other for the vows, once Jeongin finally made eye contact with you, he couldn’t lie to himself. You were beautiful, your eyes had a light in them that he had only seen once, in the eyes of his lover. A face so innocent, that anything could break the wonder. Your dress was beautifully embroidered to represent your old country, flowers laced the fabric so subtly. A flower crown sat on top of your head so delicately, made for you by the hands of someone that loved you so well.

Yet he couldn’t help himself but to look at you with resentment, no emotion behind his brown eyes, his jaw locked and stiff, he was looking down at you and all of the sudden you felt small beneath his gaze.

You are a princess and a queen-to-be, feeling small was something you weren’t used to. Yet, beneath the king of Rexerum, you felt like nothing but a peasant. The man you built in your delusions was not present in your wedding.

"I stand before you, as the king of the great country of Rexerum, bound by duty. I vow to honor this union. May we find harmony in our shared path. I, King Yang Jeongin, take you, YN LN, to be my wife. I offer you my crown, my kingdom, my protection, my name, and my duty. I promise to fulfill the obligations of this union, as dictated by tradition, and to honor our commitment in the eyes of our realm. May our paths intertwine until…” he takes a deep breath, “until the end of our days." After his vows, he slips a ring so shiny that it could blind you, onto the ring finger on your left hand.

After hearing his vows and reading the room, you felt truly out of place. Nervousness seeps into your bones, a feeling you’d never felt before. With a shaky breath, you let your eyes wonder Jeongin's surroundings. You spot his mother, Queen Dowager, standing off to the side, poised and proper as all queens should be.

You try to calm yourself to keep face, but then you spot your advisor, Felix, he looks somber, almost as if he could read your thoughts. He gives you a small nod of encouragement, so you force yourself to collect your thoughts and turn back to your husband-to-be, and put all of your royal training and preparations to utter the next words.

"I, YN LN, humbly accept the honor of becoming your queen. With reverence for the history and the future of our kingdom, I vow to stand by your side in prosperity and adversity. I promise to carry the mantle of royalty with dignity and grace, to support you in your reign, and to cherish our realm and its people. May our union illuminate the shadows and strengthen our bond as we journey through life together, as partners and sovereigns." The shortened version of your vows is all you could muster. Of course this is an arranged marriage, but you thought that he at least cared about you. He was the one that had been writing you letters for so long, you wondered if the same man that stood before you was remotely the same person you imagined at all.

Once you slipped the ring on his finger, the two of you turn back to the priest and get on your knees.

"May the blessings of the divine rest upon this union of hearts and kingdoms. As you, King Jeongin, and you, Queen YN, embark on this journey together, may your love be steadfast and your commitment unwavering. May wisdom guide your decisions, compassion soften your hearts, and unity strengthen your reign. Let peace reign within your palace and prosperity within your lands. May your union be a beacon of hope and inspiration to all. In the presence of all who witness, I pronounce you King and Queen, bound in sacred matrimony. May your days be filled with joy, and may your love endure for all time." As the priest finished his speech, you felt someone take off the flower crown felix had made you and replace it with a weight on the top of your head. A golden crown embellished with rubies and pearls sits on the top of your head, almost the opposite of the silver crown that decorated your mother’s head on the day of your departure.

The guests stand and clapped for their new rulers. Everyone of them bowing as you and Jeongin made your way out of the room. The second you step through the doors, Jeongin leaves your side, walking down the other side of the hallway.

"Hey!" You call out before your mind catches up with you. He halts in his steps and doesn't even bother to turn around to look at you. You're not even sure why you called out to him. It's foolish.

"What's going on? Have I misunderstood this union? Why are you upset?" With that, he turns around, unmoving from his spot.

"I am upset because my life was dictated for me before I could speak. This union is for convenience. Do not think of it as more than that." With those words he continues to walk down the hallway, indifferent, leaving you confused and distraught.

He leaves you with your thoughts, he was a man that you didn't know. Your husband, a man that had a whole life before you, and apparently wasn't willing to share his story. You begin to wonder if those letters you received were written by him in the first place.

When the time for the consummation ceremony came, you were scared and nervous. Being a virgin and unaware made you feel small among all of the things that were belittling you on the same day. You did not feel like a queen. You felt as if the world was shaking beneath you. Too fast and too big, the world is unforgiving, and you are coming to learn that very quick.

The night, began before you could collect your thoughts. After being led back in to your room, you were rushed into taking off your dress for a much simpler attire, just covered by a robe, delicate and embroidered, you were lead to a room that had sheer curtains surrounding it. You knew that there were numerous people surrounding you. A priest, the court, and the royal family were all observing you, alone.

Your nerves were off the roof. You felt uncomfortable, anxious and scared. How could you feel okay, surrounded by strangers observing you? As you let your your skin rise and your body tense up, you heard a sound, a distant door.

Before long, Jeongin came through the door of the open bedroom. You backed away from where you were standing out of caution.

He held his hands out and kept his face serene. "I am sorry about earlier, but this is our duty as rulers." He said as he approached you. You knew better. He meant well, so you allowed his approaches to continue, unmoving.

As he sat face-to-face with you, you began to really see him. Not in a painting, or in a story. You saw the human being you were intended to marry before you were born.

His sharp features seemed much softer up close. His eyes were soft, admiring, and glowing. When he put his hands around your waist, he was careful, almost as if he could break you.

"You are my queen. Only me and you matter at this moment." He said as he softly held your face with his left hand so you couldn't look at the crowd, forcing you to only focus on him.

With his right hand, he pushed the silk of your robe back, holding your waist. He guided your face towards his own, staring into your eyes. This is the Jeongin you always imagined, and he was finally there for you.

He noticed your hesitation and fear by your shaky form. He pulled your body towards him. His warmth felt strange as you had never been close to someone before then. His sharp gaze softened. His cheshire smile became soft and tame. He felt safe, and even though the safety was only fleeting, you held on to it at the moment.

"It's okay." He whispered as the both of you were inches apart.

You took the initiative and moved forward, grazing his lips. He made the final move and locked his lips with yours. The kiss was soft, as if he was aware to be gentle with you. His touches were gentle and careful. He made you feel safe.

He backed you up to the bed, and hovered over you. His hand reached the strap of your nightgown before he paused, "May I?" You managed to nod despite being flustered. He lowered the gown and once you were exposed, he took you in.

He appreciated every part of you and kissed everywhere he could. He made the consummation feel easy. Although you were uncomfortable at first, Jeongin pulled every stop to make sure you were always comfortable and under pleasure.

The experience made you confused.

After being so gentle with you, he had to care for you. Right?

~

A/N: This was supposed the be larger but I will break it into parts instead. Thank you for reading! I will make a taglist if enough people care lol

[butterscotch-brigade]

🐴 eat-the-alicorns Follow

sick of ponies saying shit like "luna > celestia" or "celestia is a tyrant, luna is best princess" like you know equestria is still a monarchy right. it doesn't matter who you "stan" they're still both members of the royal family. i should not have to explain to you why "stanning" a literal monarch is wrong

🌚 moonrises Follow

Somepony's a Celestia stan

🐴 eat-the-alicorns

read my post again

🌫 books-and-friendship-deactivated10102010

Excuse me, but can you please explain to me why the monarchy is so bad? I'm from the Dragon Lands, and we choose our leaders by sending them on a dangerous quest to retrieve a scepter from an active volcano. Thousands of dragons die every millenium to this gauntlet alone. How is that any better than living under the alicorns' comparatively peaceful and diplomatic rule?

🐴 eat-the-alicorns

girl you're literally a twilight sparkle stan blog i'm not arguing with you. go read books egghead

🥀 unlucky-rosepetals Follow

op thats not just a twilight themed blog that is the actual princess twilight herself

🐴 eat-the-alicorns

WHAT????????

🐴 eat-the-alicorns

IM BUCKING CRYINGGGG SHE DELETED THE POST AKSJDJDDJSJSJ

⛅️ chasingcloudstildawn Follow

SHE MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN TO SWITCH TO HER SIDEBLOG LMAOOOOO

🥕 beyond-my-garden Follow

NO BUCKING WAY SHE DEACTIVATED. RIP BOZO

🌅 sunny-daze-haze Follow

Welcome to Tumblr, the only website where you can cyberbully the princess of friendship into deactivating. Well done guys

🐴 eat-the-alicorns

"cyberbullying" she's taken on Actual Demons From Tartarus i think she'll be fine

📰 gxbby-gxms Follow

one of those "demons" was a literal child btw. yknow the one currently encased in stone in the canterlot sculpture garden

🎭 chaotic-strings Follow

Being a minor doesn't make you exempt from the consequences of your actions????

🐴 eat-the-alicorns

SHE'S A /CHILD/??? LIKE AN ACTUAL CHILD. and she's FULLY aware of everything going on around her??? tell me why you think eternal petrification is a fitting punishment for a child

⏳️ timeywimey Follow

@/chaotic-strings is Discord btw. In case you're wondering why he's advocating for turning a child to stone. I love sucking hooves

⏳️ timeywimey

???? I DID NOT TYPE "I LOVE SUCKING HOOVES" WTF???? DID SOMEPONY EDIT MY POST OR SMTH I THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T DO THAT ANYMORE????

🎭 chaotic-strings

lol

🍎 i-say-eeyup Follow

eeyup

[hekpacubo]

DJ SQUAD 🪩💥

Yooooo I'm here again with mini sets from Candy, Joaquin and Xerxes! 3 DJs, 3 different vibes, 3 tracks 🦾 Select your favourite in the survey below (I need to know your opinion to create a new set for the New Year festival), thanks! 🖤

🪅🎆 Candy:

💋👯‍♀️ Joaquin:

⛓️🩹 Xerxes:

[uniquevoidflowers]

Royal Link AU Masterpost

What's the Royal Link AU?

An AU set milleniums after the events of LU and LOZ. Sky and Sun, descendants far down the line rule the kingdom of Hyrule. Legend, their son, making him the prince. Warrior, serves as a bodyguard for Legend, Wild as a bodyguard to Sky and Sun. The rest of the Links live as civilians. Trouble brews as a group called the Servants of Demise come out of hiding to wreak havoc.

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Main Storyline:

Chapter 1:

https://www.tumblr.com/uniquevoidflowers/751145794470543360/welp-i-got-a-lot-of-brainrot-for-a-lu-au-so-im?source=share

Chapter 2:

https://www.tumblr.com/uniquevoidflowers/755403562090168320/ehehe-chapter-2-of-the-royal-links-au-that-i?source=share

Chapter 3:

https://www.tumblr.com/uniquevoidflowers/756938569865674752/korok-kokiri-names-legend-of-zelda?source=share

Chapter 4:

https://www.tumblr.com/uniquevoidflowers/759832611260710912/chapter-4-is-finished-now-its-short-but-ehehe-i?source=share

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Map of all the kingdoms:

https://www.tumblr.com/uniquevoidflowers/757026859468963840/s?source=share

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Character Designs:

Legend, Wind, Warrior, Hyrule: https://www.tumblr.com/uniquevoidflowers/751673313558986752/yall-asked-for-it-drawings-and-explanations?source=share

Vio, Blue, Red, Green: https://www.tumblr.com/uniquevoidflowers/751674916113416192/next-is-vio-green-red-blue?source=share

Sky, Sun, Twilight, Wild: https://www.tumblr.com/uniquevoidflowers/751677065043001344/time-malon-now-i-had-trouble-with-times-hair-so?source=share

Time, Malon: https://www.tumblr.com/uniquevoidflowers/756560261603819520/time-malon-now-i-had-trouble-with-times-hair-so?source=share

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[spiderine]

Story time!

Once upon a time, many decades ago in a whole 'nother millenium, I was working at a place where we designed and sourced mail-order catalogs (yup, I'm that Old) with all kindsa new age, astrology and pop-pagan trinkets. You know the kind: jewelry, little statues, fancy journals, trinkets, crystals. The big rule was, "no occult or religious items," including tarot cards and anything with a pentacle.

Oh, I should say it was a French company and all my co-workers were raised there. As we know, France is a notoriously "atheist" country to the point where almost every form of religious dress and symbolism can get you anything from denied a job, to arrested, to y'know, beaten or killed in the street.

Almost every religious symbol, except for one.

It was a fun job. We were three or four young women who got paid to flip through wholesale catalogs and go, "ooh, shiny, I want that!" and actually get it! We were all friends, went out to lunch and would hang out at a bar after work. I even invited them to my birthday party.

So my work-friends and I were flipping and giggling and ooh'ing at a wholesale catalog to pick out some jewelry. We get to a page with some cross necklaces. One of my friends (let's call her "Anne") noticed a couple of pretty little ones and said we should get those.

I reminded her, "We can't, it's a religious item." And she was like, no, no, it's just fashion.

I said, "It's the Christian symbol." And the other girls were all, oh don't be silly, it's just a fashion thing, everyone wears them, it doesn't mean anything.

Anne said, "Look, I'm an atheist, I was raised without any religion, and I'm wearing one now!" She was indeed wearing a little cross necklace. I asked if she minded being mistaken for a Christian, and she looked at me like I had two heads.

I pointed out that she had been married in a church. She said, "oh that was just for my parents." But I thought your parents were atheists too? That's when I guess she realized I was serious, because she stopped smiling and said, "Look, it's not that big a deal. Stop making something of it."

I shrug and say, "Cool. Then you don't mind if we go back a couple of pages. I saw a really pretty star of David over there that I think we should consider."

And she said, "Oh, no. That's a religious symbol."

I stopped hanging out, and got a new job soon after.

[ligbi]

I'm having Sailor Moon thoughts for the first time in a long time and

The cats.

They're from Planet Mau. We all know this. We also know they existed in the Silver Millenium and Queen Serenity put them into a stasis to wait for Usagi to need them after she's been reborn -She's been re-born before according to Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Musical, but that was an era of peace(?). While we don't know the exact time the cats awoke, it seems to be after Beryl's reincarnation accidentally woke Metallia up at the D Point, so it seems fair to assume the seal on Metallia and on the cats was linked.

Now, Queen Serenity doesn't come from our solar system, and is from another Galaxy (as is Nehellenia), but Pluto/Uranus/Neptune and the Inners seem to have been born in the Galaxy, as was presumably Saturn who slept until she was called upon to destroy the world after the cats were sent away. What we don't know is when the cats came to the Moon from Mau.

Did Queen Serenity take them with her when she fled from her place of origin? Were they ambassadors sent to the our Galaxy? Tin Nyanko recognized Luna and Artemis as Mau residents, but didn't seem to know them personally- it seems like she assumed they escaped when Galaxia came to the planet to murder everyone.

I have obvious opinions on the timeline of Silver Millennium events- Queen Serenity left her home during the early days of the Sailor Wars because it takes Galaxia a while to murder Everyone, Nehellenia's curse summoned a poor clone of Chaos to the sun which created Metallia, the events with Artuka happened while Endymion and the Princess were courting, Beryl did a lot wrong but I forgive her anyway, ect ect, but Why the cats were there in the first place isn't explained and we can't use the same crow logic for them.

Lead Crow knew Phobos and Deimos during the Silver Millennium Era, and that they were chosen to be trained as soldiers- presumably a type of Sailor Senshi- under Mars. Chosen by whom is unclear but Queen Serenity hand picked Mars to be, well, Mars, and we can assume did the same with the other girls, so it seems like a sailor crystal is gifted to you and linked with your star seed- or maybe replaces it?- which makes some sense since Queen Serenity just showed up to this galaxy and took over crystal duties- and appointing a child to guard the door of time and space. Is Pluto the only person in the universe doing that, or are there other doors in other galaxies? Did Queen Serenity have some type of Senshi-adjacent duty before she had to leave?

But the cats don't have sailor crystals and don't seem like they were training to become senshi- one for obvious reasons since even with the Golden Crystal Mamoru is still just...whatever he is, and the other-look PGSM is the best Sailor Moon, but it does Not fit in with the greater canon sorry Sailor Luna with your Candy themed attacks- so let's assume they....what? moved to the Moon to be advisors? Was Queen Serenity a big deal 'elsewhere' and that's what people of Mau who aren't even here to train as senshi are so close to the royal family? Was she taking in refugees from other planets that were destroyed by Galaxia? That could explain the residents of Moon and the castles of the other senshi, and why they just have castles that seem to be rules by the Moon, instead of their own kingdoms.

I know this solar system has great balance for harboring star seeds, which is why it gets to be the specialist place in the universe, and the last one Galaxia attacks, but was it the new ancient magical alien equivalent of the U.N. after the first was was presumably destroyed by Galaxia? That would explain some things, I guess.

I also think Mau was a version of Loveless which explains why human!Diana has a tail but Artemis and Luna don't (th3y hd th4 seggz ~>.<~)