#millennia magazine

[onemillennia]

15kobain behind the scenes for his “Fashion Rules” video

Photography by Manny Boadi

Shot on 35mm with Fuji Superia 400

Developed by 1Millennia Film Labs

Maryland, USA

December 2024

ONE MILLENNIA MAGAZINE MARCH 25’

[ingravinoveritas]

Lovely new article about Michael in Paste magazine. Article is behind a paywall, so here is a transcription (with thanks to the person on FB who transcribed it, and the parts in bold are my own emphasis).

There’s so much to love about Prime Video’s Good Omens. A delightful adaptation of the popular Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel of the same name, the series is romantic, thoughtful, hilarious, and heartfelt by turns. The story of the almost-apocalypse and what comes afterward, it wrestles with big concepts like destiny, free will, and forgiveness, all framed through the lens of an unorthodox relationship between an angel and a demon whose love for one another is a key to saving the world.

As anyone who has watched Good Omens already knows, nothing about this series works without the pair of lead performances at its center. Stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen—who play the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale, respectively—have the kind of lighting-in-a-bottle chemistry that’s the stuff of legend, and their characters’ every interaction conveys both their deep affection for one another and the Earth they’ve made their home. Their romance is the emotional linchpin around which most of the series turns, and their heartbreaking separation in the Season 2 finale is so devastating precisely because we’ve seen how necessary the two are to each other’s lives.

But it’s Sheen’s performance in that final scene that really twists the knife. As Aziraphale’s face crumples following his and Crowley’s long-awaited kiss, the actor manages to convey what feels like every possible human emotion in the span of less than thirty seconds as the angel realizes what he has both had and just lost. The moment is emotionally brutal to watch, particularly after sitting through five and a half episodes of Aziraphale looking as lovestruck as the lead in any rom-com. Sheen makes it all look effortless, shifting from giddy joy to devastated longing and everything in between, and we really don’t talk enough about how powerful and underrated his work in this series truly is.

Though he’s half of the central duo that makes Good Omens tick, Sheen’s role often tends to get overshadowed by his co-star’s. It’s not difficult to see why, given that Tennant gets to spend most of the show swanning around in tight trousers looking like the Platonic ideal of the charming bad boy, complete with flaming red hair and dramatic eyewear. Tennant also benefits from Crowley’s much more sympathetic emotional arc. I mean, it’s hard not to love a cynical demon with a heart of gold who’s been pining after his angelic best friend for literal millennia even after being cast out from Heaven. Of course, viewers are drawn to that—likely a lot more easily than the story of an angel who’s simply trying the best he can to do the right thing as he wrestles with his role in God’s Ineffable Plan. Plus, let’s be real, Tennant’s sizeable Doctor Who fanbase certainly doesn’t hurt his character’s popularity.

As a performer, Sheen has a long history of playing both real people (Tony Blair, David Frost, Brian Clough) and offbeat villains (Prodigal Son’s Martin Whitly, Underworld’s Lucian, the Twilight Saga’s Aro). In some ways, the role of a fussy, bookish angel is playing more than a bit against type for him—Gaiman himself has said he originally intended for Sheen to be Crowley—but in his capable hands, Aziraphale becomes something much more than a simple avatar for the forces of Good (or even of God, for that matter). With a soft demeanor and a positively blinding smile, Sheen’s take on the character consistently radiates warmth and goodness, even as it contains surprisingly hidden depths. The former guardian of the Eastern Gate of Eden who gifted a fleeing Adam and Eve his flaming sword and befriended the Serpent who caused their Fall, Azirphale isn’t a particularly conventional angel. He enjoys all-too-human indulgences like food and wine, runs a Hoarders-esque bookshop that never seems to sell anything, and spends most of his time making heart eyes at the being that’s meant to be his hereditary adversary.

Given the much more difficult task of playing the literal angel to Tennant’s charming devil, Sheen must find a way to make ideas like goodness and forgiveness as interesting and fun to watch as their darker counterparts. It’s a generally thankless task, but one that Sheen tackles with gusto, particularly in the series’ second season, as Good Omens explores Aziraphale’s slowly evolving idea of what he can and cannot accept in terms of being a soldier of Heaven. His growing understanding that the truth of creation is colored in shades of grey and compromise is often conveyed through little more than Sheen’s deftly shifting expressions and body language.

Our pop culture consistently struggles to portray the idea of goodness as something compelling or worth watching. Explicitly “good” characters, particularly those who are religiously coded, are frequently treated as the butt of some sort of unspoken joke they aren’t in on, used to underline the idea that faith is a form of naivety or that kindness is somehow a weakness. For a lot of people, the entire concept of turning the other cheek is a sucker’s bet, and believing in something greater than oneself, be it a higher power or a sense of purpose, is a waste of time. But Good Omens is a story grounded in the idea that faith, hope, and love—for one another, God, and the entire world—are active verbs. And nowhere is that more apparent than in Sheen’s characterization of the soft angel whose old-fashioned waistcoats mask a spine of steel and who refuses to give up—on Crowley, on humanity, or on the idea that Heaven is still something that can be saved.

Though he and Tennant have pretty much become a matched set at this point (both on and off-screen), Sheen’s performance has rarely gotten the critical accolades it deserves. (Tennant alone was nominated for a BAFTA for Season 2, and Sheen was categorized as a supporting actor when the series’ competed in the 2019 Saturn Awards.) But it is his quiet strength that holds up so much of the rest of the show around him, and Sheen deserves to be more frequently recognized for it. That he makes it look so easy is just another sign of how good his performance really is.

I love this so much. The thoroughly well-deserved praise for Michael's incredible performance as Aziraphale, but also that Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship is specifically described as a "romance." And of course, the first sentence of the last paragraph that acknowledges how much Michael and David are indeed a "matched set" that cannot (and should not) be separated...

[liesmyth]

top 5 griddlehark fics?

omg listen it's so hard to pick ONLY five. I tried

Hooters Across the Houses by glitterpig [additional tag: porn magazines. Just run with it]

Dear BladeBabe9, I read your story. You sound single lmao - Necr0mantic

If you're doing it right you'll break their ribs by @nectarine-pit [casefic, set during GtN]

"How do you know Nonagesimus has gone somewhere dangerous?" asked Isaac. "Have you wired some kind of alert system?"

Mortification of the Flesh by @theriverbeyond [Harrow Nova AU, graphic depiction of violence]

In the myriadic year of our Lord—the ten thousandth year of the King Undying, the Lord of the Sharpest Edge!—Harrow Nova challenged the cavalier of the Ninth for his title.

never hear the sound of someone calling me home by @corpsesoldier [post NtN]

Kiriona Gaia returns to the House of the Ninth.

Violent Sun by eggsinskillet

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Black Anchorite and the first Ninth soldier to ever grace the Cohort in millennia, is partnered with a dashingly handsome and incredibly annoying coffee slinger. (Bari Star AU)

Bonus!! Modern AU, ongoing: Mors Vincit Omnia by @four-for-fidelity

Working security at an architectural firm isn't the thrilling career Gideon had seen for herself, but it pays the bills. When a series of gruesome murders take place, she finds herself dragged into the path of her childhood tormentor, now a well-respected forensic anthropologist. Together they get pulled under by the current of desecration and accusation, fighting for truth as unlikely allies.

[hanahanumana]

From AnaMaria Abramovic on Fb

Paste magazine has done an article about Michael and how underrated he is in Good Omens and I found a transcript since it's behind a paywall. Here's the link if anyone wants to subscribe. 💙

https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/amazon-prime-video/good-omens-michael-sheen-underrated-performance-explained-streaming

There’s so much to love about Prime Video’s Good Omens. A delightful adaptation of the popular Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel of the same name, the series is romantic, thoughtful, hilarious, and heartfelt by turns. The story of the almost-apocalypse and what comes afterward, it wrestles with big concepts like destiny, free will, and forgiveness, all framed through the lens of an unorthodox relationship between an angel and a demon whose love for one another is a key to saving the world.

As anyone who has watched Good Omens already knows, nothing about this series works without the pair of lead performances at its center. Stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen—who play the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale, respectively—have the kind of lighting-in-a-bottle chemistry that’s the stuff of legend, and their characters’ every interaction conveys both their deep affection for one another and the Earth they’ve made their home. Their romance is the emotional linchpin around which most of the series turns, and their heartbreaking separation in the Season 2 finale is so devastating precisely because we’ve seen how necessary the two are to each other’s lives.

But it’s Sheen’s performance in that final scene that really twists the knife. As Aziraphale’s face crumples following his and Crowley’s long-awaited kiss, the actor manages to convey what feels like every possible human emotion in the span of less than thirty seconds as the angel realizes what he has both had and just lost. The moment is emotionally brutal to watch, particularly after sitting through five and a half episodes of Aziraphale looking as lovestruck as the lead in any rom-com. Sheen makes it all look effortless, shifting from giddy joy to devastated longing and everything in between, and we really don’t talk enough about how powerful and underrated his work in this series truly is.

Though he’s half of the central duo that makes Good Omens tick, Sheen’s role often tends to get overshadowed by his co-star’s. It’s not difficult to see why, given that Tennant gets to spend most of the show swanning around in tight trousers looking like the Platonic ideal of the charming bad boy, complete with flaming red hair and dramatic eyewear. Tennant also benefits from Crowley’s much more sympathetic emotional arc. I mean, it’s hard not to love a cynical demon with a heart of gold who’s been pining after his angelic best friend for literal millennia even after being cast out from Heaven. Of course, viewers are drawn to that—likely a lot more easily than the story of an angel who’s simply trying the best he can to do the right thing as he wrestles with his role in God’s Ineffable Plan. Plus, let’s be real, Tennant’s sizeable Doctor Who fanbase certainly doesn’t hurt his character’s popularity.

As a performer, Sheen has a long history of playing both real people (Tony Blair, David Frost, Brian Clough) and offbeat villains (Prodigal Son’s Martin Whitly, Underworld’s Lucian, the Twilight Saga’s Aro). In some ways, the role of a fussy, bookish angel is playing more than a bit against type for him—Gaiman himself has said he originally intended for Sheen to be Crowley—but in his capable hands, Aziraphale becomes something much more than a simple avatar for the forces of Good (or even of God, for that matter). With a soft demeanor and a positively blinding smile, Sheen’s take on the character consistently radiates warmth and goodness, even as it contains surprisingly hidden depths. The former guardian of the Eastern Gate of Eden who gifted a fleeing Adam and Eve his flaming sword and befriended the Serpent who caused their Fall, Azirphale isn’t a particularly conventional angel. He enjoys all-too-human indulgences like food and wine, runs a Hoarders-esque bookshop that never seems to sell anything, and spends most of his time making heart eyes at the being that’s meant to be his hereditary adversary.

Given the much more difficult task of playing the literal angel to Tennant’s charming devil, Sheen must find a way to make ideas like goodness and forgiveness as interesting and fun to watch as their darker counterparts. It’s a generally thankless task, but one that Sheen tackles with gusto, particularly in the series’ second season, as Good Omens explores Aziraphale’s slowly evolving idea of what he can and cannot accept in terms of being a soldier of Heaven. His growing understanding that the truth of creation is colored in shades of grey and compromise is often conveyed through little more than Sheen’s deftly shifting expressions and body language.

Our pop culture consistently struggles to portray the idea of goodness as something compelling or worth watching. Explicitly “good” characters, particularly those who are religiously coded, are frequently treated as the butt of some sort of unspoken joke they aren’t in on, used to underline the idea that faith is a form of naivety or that kindness is somehow a weakness. For a lot of people, the entire concept of turning the other cheek is a sucker’s bet, and believing in something greater than oneself, be it a higher power or a sense of purpose, is a waste of time. But Good Omens is a story grounded in the idea that faith, hope, and love—for one another, God, and the entire world—are active verbs. And nowhere is that more apparent than in Sheen’s characterization of the soft angel whose old-fashioned waistcoats mask a spine of steel and who refuses to give up—on Crowley, on humanity, or on the idea that Heaven is still something that can be saved.

Though he and Tennant have pretty much become a matched set at this point (both on and off-screen), Sheen’s performance has rarely gotten the critical accolades it deserves. (Tennant alone was nominated for a BAFTA for Season 2, and Sheen was categorized as a supporting actor when the series’ competed in the 2019 Saturn Awards.) But it is his quiet strength that holds up so much of the rest of the show around him, and Sheen deserves to be more frequently recognized for it. That he makes it look so easy is just another sign of how good his performance really is.

[myboybreakscoffins]

Behind the Barriers 

hypnotize  (march 27), @black-brothers-microfic — regulus & sirius black microfic — fluff — word count: 722

They sat cross-legged on the floor of the old greenhouse at the summer villa, facing each other. Sirius was diligently tying a sickle to a piece of string while Regulus watched with a frown.

“You do realize this is totally unfounded, right?” the younger Black asked for what had to be the thousandth time.

“It’s an ancient technique, Reggie. There’s millennia of scientific evidence to back it up,” Sirius replied, not even bothering to look up. He was far more interested in making sure the coin was securely attached to the string than getting dragged into another one of Regulus's tedious debates.

Regulus snorted. “And you read about it in one of your Muggle leisure magazines—” 

“Aha!” Sirius announced triumphantly, ignoring his brother completely. His homemade pendulum was ready.

Regulus sighed as Sirius started swinging the coin between them. “It just doesn’t make sense. You really believe someone can enter a trance with just a coin, a few sentences, and no magic involved? It’s absurd.”

“Come on, Reggie, don’t be a spoilsport,” Sirius coaxed, even though he didn’t have much faith in Muggle hypnosis himself. But if he admitted that out loud, Regulus might refuse to participate, and honestly, they had nothing better to do. “Let’s just do it for fun.”

Regulus huffed. “And why am I the guinea pig?”

“Because, dear Reggie, this is my idea.” And, he thought, whether it works or not, it’ll be hilarious to watch your reaction.

Regulus rolled his eyes.

“Alright, let’s get started.”  Sirius took one last glance at the magazine, cleared his throat, and began gently swinging the pendulum as Regulus watched, looking deeply unimpressed.

After a few seconds, Sirius lowered his voice to a slow, deliberate drawl: “You’re hearing the sound of my voice…”

Regulus snorted, barely suppressing a laugh.

“For fuck's sake, Reg! Can you cooperate a little?” Sirius snapped.

“I can’t help it, that sounded ridiculous,” Regulus shot back, smirking. “so serious.” 

Sirius groaned. “Just… stop thinking and follow my instructions.” He swung the coin again, determined to hypnotize his little shit of a brother.

“Look at the coin carefully. Breathe slowly. Let my words wash over you. Everything is calm here. It’s just you and me.”

Sirius watched as his younger brother’s body gradually relaxed, his breathing evening out.

“You are safe. You feel relaxed. Your eyes feel heavy.”

Excitement bubbled in Sirius's stomach as Regulus’s eyelids fluttered. Was it actually working?

“When I count to three, you will drop your barriers. One… two… three.”

Silence.

Sirius studied his brother’s face. Regulus looked… serene. No frown, no skepticism, just barely open eyes as if he were drifting off.

“Introduce yourself,” Sirius instructed cautiously.

“I’m Regulus Arcturus Black,” Regulus replied instantly, his voice clear and steady. “Second son and heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. A Slytherin.”

Sirius wrinkled his nose. That was painfully formal, even for Regulus. “Tell me, honestly, what you think of me.”

“Foolish. Irreverent. Outrageous. Arrogant,” Regulus listed with unsettling ease.

Sirius scowled, about to cut him off, when Regulus continued, “Brilliant. Bold. Funny… and I love you.”

Sirius’s mouth fell open. Oh. Oh, this was definitely working. Otherwise, Regulus would never admit that.

“Raise both hands and meow like a cat!”

Regulus did so without hesitation.

Merlin.

Sirius barely held back a cackle. Muggles were geniuses. This was incredible.

Then, a new idea struck him. The Ultimate Test.

"Tell me who your crush is."

"James Potter."

Sirius paled, completely stunned. "What... Who is your crush, Reggie?" he asked again in a small voice.

Regulus remained expressionlessly still. “James Potter.”

Sirius felt like someone had dumped a cauldron of ice water over him. James? His James?!

He scrambled to his feet, clutching the coin like it had personally betrayed him. “No. Nope. Absolutely not. That’s bullshit. It’s broken. You’re lying. This is a scam.”

Regulus didn’t react, still staring blankly ahead.

“Wake up, Regulus!” Sirius barked, voice slightly shrill. “WAKE UP WAKE UP ONE TWO THREE!!” He was so flustered he didn’t even notice the faint twitch at the corner of Regulus’s mouth. “I am NOT dealing with this. Absolutely not.”

Regulus sat there, impassive, as Sirius turned on his heel and stormed toward the door, muttering angrily. “This is bullshit!” 

Then, Regulus blinked, stretched lazily, and smirked.

“Well, I told you so.”

[talonabraxas]

“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:13-15). Cosmic Serpent Talon Abraxas From out of the depths of endless heaven uncoiled the shrouded serpent, his sinuous neck and darting tongue alive with grace and power. There was no corner of the world he did not penetrate, no race of man who did not bow in awe before him. In all cultures there are ophiolatrous practices and serpent carvings exist from early Paleolithic times. Serpent worship has taken myriad forms over the millennia, from the python worshippers of Africa, where God in serpent form is guarded by priest-attendants, to the sanctification of cobras in India and the snake-handling cults of the southern United States. In Greece the sacred serpent of Athene had its abode in the Acropolis, and at Epidauros serpents were fed at the temple of Aesculapius. The ancient Hebrews kept seraphim or serpent images in their household shrines, while the Ophites in the second century maintained a 'Brotherhood of the Serpent,' worshipping them as saviours, representations of the Christos principle. Every tribe of American Indians practiced a form of serpent worship, usually in connection with the sun. In ancient Egypt the headdresses of kings and gods were often capped with the disk of the sun out of which a serpent emerged.

The Uraeon – a hierogram of a disk, wings and serpent – has been found all over the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, and Mexico. In England it was inscribed on the walls of the Druidic temple of Abury, which consists of two giant stone serpents, 1400 feet in diameter and two miles long. The word Abury itself derives from auh, meaning 'serpent,' and aur or ur, meaning 'light.' Similarly, the name Carnac comes from the words cairn and hac, meaning 'serpents' hill.' The Druidic Carnac was patterned after Karnak in Egypt, built by hierophant-priests of the Solar-Serpent Race in still more ancient times. Each stone of the wondrous monument was put in place by successive priest-adepts. The serpent walls of China are impressive in size, but an overwhelming expression of serpentine form can be found at Angkor Wat. Giant serpent causeways span moats to meet with intricately carved temple walls whose every angle and panel is adorned with seven-headed serpents. Just so do the mighty plumed serpents of Mexico impress by their bold size and number. The efforts of ages, of millions of human lives, have gone into the carving of these awesome figures.

As a symbol, the serpent has inspired a wealth of interpretations. The encircling serpent, eating its own tail, is a widespread symbol of eternal life, just as the sloughing of its skin signifies resurrection. This was so for the Old World as well as the Americas, the Gnostic Ouroboros being essentially the same as the Hopi encircled serpent. The Egyptians and Gnostics related this to the Wheel of Life, determining birth and rebirth. The serpent also symbolizes wisdom, a universal idea reflected in the admonition of Jesus: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

The stars of fantasy drama Good Omens have teased an "even closer" relationship between angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) when the show returns for season 2.

The original run, which released back in 2019, saw the unlikely duo join forces in order to prevent armageddon, with this follow-up tackling a smaller-scale story, according to creator Neil Gaiman.

Sheen and Tennant, who created the lockdown sitcom Staged between their work on Good Omens, spoke to SFX Magazine about how the relationship between their characters has evolved.

"What’s different in season 2 is, because of what happened at the end of season 1, they no longer have head offices that they have to report to," began Tennant.

"They are in a very different position. Whereas before they were trying to get away with things, now they are kind of free agents."

Sheen continued: "Although sort of fugitives as well. They are sort of in-between. But this amazing life they have created over a millennia, they are now able to enjoy in a slightly different way.

"They are not having to put on a front for their respective teams. There is a different kind of freedom.

"They have always been the only two beings who could understand each other’s position. Now they are pushed even closer together."

Tennant added: "[Crowley] only has one friend. He can only have one friend. That is the great liberation, and also the great prison, that they find themselves in. They have no one else.

"They have come to rely on each other more than they ever did. And more than they care to admit."

[duckprintspress]

Cover Reveal: “Scrap Metal Angel” by Nicola Kapron

On October 10th, Duck Prints Press will be launching our next crowdfunding campaign for the novella Scrap Metal Angel by Nicola Kapron – and today, we’re sharing the cover for the first time!

Secret Gates have protected mankind from the unknown chaos beyond the edges of reality for millennia, and now, all that stands between everything humanity knows and the horrors outside it are a depressed trans man, his exhausted partner, and a creature ill-suited to the world after being pulled from his own horrific reality. This is Scrap Metal Angel by Nicola Kapron, an urban fantasy where only fragile Gates protect all we know from eldritch, incomprehensible magic. This is the world that Adrian Somer is determined to save.

Blurb:

Reality, tiny and fragile, is cut off from the sea of chaos and nightmares that surrounds it by seven Gates. One of them is open—and has been since the Stone Age. Through that opening, strange creatures and energies slip through. Some are malevolent. None are harmless. And all of them must be kept a secret.

Every hidden magical world needs a shadowy clean-up crew. Adrian Somer is a Gatekeeper, sworn to protect the cosmic Gates, to defend reality from the unknown entities that exist beyond them, and to help those whose lives are affected by magic.

When a grieving sorceress starts punching holes in reality to try and resurrect her murdered fiancé, Adrian must turn to a ghost from his past in order to save the city, and perhaps the world—even if that means digging up someone he thought was safely buried: the twin brother he killed eight years ago.

About the Author: Nicola Kapron has previously been published by Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Rebel Mountain Press, Soteira Press, All Worlds Wayfarer, Mannison Press, and more. Nicola lives in British Columbia with a hoard of books—mostly fantasy and horror—and an extremely fluffy cat.

From October 10th through October 25th, we’ll be crowdfunding through our website and webstore to fund publishing this awesome novella, with a goal of $2,800! You can preview the campaign RIGHT NOW, and if you’re interested in backing and want to get a notification when the campaign goes live, make sure you follow us on social media and/or sign-up for our newsletter!

We’re currently doing a poll to determine the exclusive extra that Patreon backers who also back the campaign will receive. There’s no time like the present to become a backer and get access to exclusive previews, behind-the-scenes access, backer reward short stories, Patreon-only merchandise, and more!

[thirsty4villains]

Cool Heat

Summary: You're an assistant for the Avengers. Loki has been hiding up in his room for the past week. You go to check on him and he's reverted back to his Jotun form, but he's not quite himself. The two of you discover that Jotuns go into cycles of heat, and Loki hasn't been in his Jotun form for over a millennia...

Rating: Explicit (smut in future chapters)

Warnings/Tags: THIS STORY WILL CONTAIN SMUT, and 1 chapter will have some dubcon, Loki lives in Stark Tower with the Avengers (because my brain is perpetually stuck in 2012 Tumblr era), sleep sex, PIV, smut, humor, romance, Jotun!Loki, more tags to be added

Find me on AO3, Wattpad, Patreon

CHAPTER 1

“Has anyone seen Loki lately?” Steve asked one Saturday afternoon. Tony Stark, Natasha, Clint, Bruce, and you were all hanging around the lounge area in the penthouse of Stark Tower when Steve had walked in and posed the question.

You still couldn’t believe that you were The Avengers’ assistant and that you regularly spent time with them in Stark Tower. You started as an intern for S.H.I.E.L.D. back as a senior in high school years ago and now, here you were, filling out reports and helping the Avengers out in any way you can.

“Don’t tell me you’re complaining about it,” Clint responded. “This is the most peaceful it’s been in a while.”

He laid his head back and slumped deeper into the couch.

“You’re not worried, are you, Cap?” Tony said teasingly.

“About the guy who tried to take over Earth a few years back and now has access to highly confidential S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets? Yeah, I could say I’m a little worried.”

“I think he’s just been in his room all this time,” you piped up. You were busy multitasking eating a sandwich and going over some S.H.I.E.L.D. documentation that Coulson decided to drop on you last minute.

“Yeah, he’s just been kind of keeping to himself,” Bruce said. “Well, except for…”

He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Except for what?” Natasha asked, turning her head, finally looking up from the magazine she was reading. However, you were fairly certain she was listening the entire time.

“Well, last night. Or the other night, I can’t remember — it doesn’t matter. Anyway, the other night I got hungry and went for a midnight snack, and when I came to the kitchen, Loki was there too. He had the fridge open, but he wasn’t looking for anything. He just had his eyes closed and just… stood in front of the open freezer. It was only for a second and then he noticed I was there, so he shut the fridge and went back to his room.”

“Maybe he was sleepwalking?” You asked.

Bruce shrugged, then shook his head. “I dunno, but also when he saw me he kind of… snarled. I thought I imagined it because I was half awake, but maybe he did.”

“Okay, that is weird,” Tony said, shoveling some chips into his mouth.

“Should we tell Thor about this?” Steve asked.

“And say what?” Tony asked. “Hey Thor, sorry to bother you while on your vacation with Jane but Loki was standing in the fridge and he kinda growled at Bruce. Is he evil again? Please advise.”

Steve crossed his arms. “I just think someone should check on him at the very least. When is the last time anyone has seen him, aside from Bruce?”

The room fell quiet as the cogs in people’s brains turned.

“Monday,” Natasha said.

“Monday, yeah,” Clint said.

“Sunday, I think,” Tony offered.

“Monday for me too,” you said.

“Ok, Sunday or Monday. Today’s Saturday. That means no one has seen him in almost a week, except for Bruce the other night. Something must not be right.”

“So… Who’s gonna check on him? Not gonna be me,” Tony said. “I’m not gonna piss him off.”

The room was silent again.

“Oh come on, really. No one?” Steve asked.

“Why not you?” Natasha rebutted.

“Because I’m fairly certain he likes me the least. He’ll probably just slam the door in my face.”

“Oh my god, okay, here.” Tony roused from his chair and went to the kitchen, pulling out a box of toothpicks from a drawer.

He proceeded to snap them, throwing tiny bits of toothpick into the garbage can.

“Come on, all of you. We’re drawing straws. Everyone get up and pick one.”

Each person moved to grab a toothpick from Tony. As you took yours, you hoped to God that you wouldn’t get the short stick.

You’d been working alongside the Avengers for 6 months – a little time after Loki joined. In that time, you’d gotten to know each person well. Some you were closer with than others, but overall you got along with everybody. Loki, however, was a different story. Most days you weren’t sure if he tolerated or hated you; other days, on the rare occasion, he treated you very kindly and joked with you. On any given day you couldn’t be certain what kind of attitude he would have. At this point you decided he was just a reformed asshole, and usually kept your distance.

Your last interaction with Loki on Monday was curt. You attempted to make small talk with him about his weekend, but many of his answers were one-worded, so the conversation wasn’t really a dialogue. He seemed agitated, but not more than usual. Maybe he was feeling depressed and that’s why he’s been holing himself up in his room?

It was time to show the toothpicks off. Everyone outstretched their hands and revealed theirs. You all compared sizes and, lo and behold, of course you had the short stick.

“Oh, great,” you said, blowing a puff of air out of your mouth.

“Thank god it wasn’t me,” Natasha said.

“Or me,” Clint responded.

“Phew,” said Bruce, deliberately avoiding eye contact with you.

“Alright, alright, I get it,” you said. “I’ll go figure it out. If he kills me, you’re all to blame and Tony’s paying for my funeral.”

You tossed your tiny toothpick into the trash and went to the elevator, hitting the ‘10’ button, the floor where most bedrooms were. At the end of the hall on the left side was Loki’s. In all the time you worked for the Avengers, you’d never gone to his room, not even knocked on his door. Loki was very private about his space and you respected that.

You brought up a fist, but hesitated, like a force prevented you from knocking on the door. Almost no one ever bothered him while he was in his room, and you were just a lowly human compared to superheroes and literal gods. The last thing you needed was a god’s ire directed at you.

Hopefully you could just knock on the door and find out he snuck out for the afternoon, and avoid an interaction altogether.

Knock knock.

Silence. You waited.

Knock knock knock.

You waited some more.

“Loki?” You asked. “I’m here to —“

“Here to what, mortal? Antagonize me?” Loki said from behind the door. His interruption startled you.

“We haven’t seen you in days, we just want to make sure you’re okay.”

The god swung open the door violently. You took a step back, alarmed by the sudden interaction. Loki’s face was deeply perturbed, and blue.

Blue!

And not just his face: his neck, his ears, his hands. His entire body was a deep blue. What’s more was that his eyes were entirely ruby red, whites and all. If you didn’t know him you would have gone running back down the hall. It was quite a terrifying sight to see, like a demon just opened the door. And yet, there was something about this appearance that beguiled you.

“I am alive,” he said. “Happy? Now leave me in peace.”

“Loki… what happened to you?”

He groaned. “It is the business of no one here. You will tell no one. Not Iron Man, not the Captain, none of them. You hear me? Make up a lie if they must know.”

“Loki, if you’re sick I want to help. Or did some magic you cast go wrong? I’ll tell them a lie, just tell me if there’s anything I can do.”

For a brief moment, his look of irritation and anger softened.

“I don’t think you can. But it was no magic, and I do not believe that I am sick.”

“Then why are you blue?”

He was quiet, then gave a long, drawn out sigh.

You expected to come here and get a door slammed in your face. Instead, Loki began explaining to you a part of him you never knew. Loki wasn’t Asgardian, he was something called Jotun, and he didn’t know about this for a millennia. He explained the Jotuns to you, then went on to say Odin kept his parentage a secret from him as a way to protect a peace treaty between the Asgardians and the Jotun. But what’s worse is that Odin also brought Thor and Loki up believing that Jotuns are barbaric murderers.

It was quite the info dump you weren’t prepared to hear.

Loki continued: “Despite my… monstrous heritage, there is still much I don’t know about that aspect of myself. A few days ago I began to feel ill; faint and light-headed, so I laid down on my bed. When I woke up, I no longer had my Asgardian appearance but my Jotun one, and I have been unable to change back since.”

“Are you weaker in this form? And are you positive this isn’t some kind of disease?” you asked.

“I am fairly certain, and all of my capabilities are at their fullest. However, I have been feeling agitated, angry, and frankly just on edge. It’s becoming worse by the day. I’ve confined myself to my room for the safety of myself and others, but I’m afraid that this… affliction is not going to cure itself on its own.”

“Maybe Tony can help? Or Bruce?”

Loki chuckled sardonically. “How would they? I have little knowledge of Jotun biology, what help could they possibly offer?

“Maybe…”

“Enough chatter, woman!” he exclaimed, making you jump. “I will find a solution on my own. Your concern has been noted. Leave me now, would you kindly?”

He shut the door in your face. You retreated back to the lounge in the penthouse. When you arrived, everyone stopped what they were doing to look at you.

“Well?” asked Steve.

“He’s alive,” you said. “And very grumpy, I would advise not to bother him. He told me he has some sort of Asgardian illness and it should go away soon.”

“That settles that. Great work,” said Tony. “I’m going to my lab now if anyone needs me.”

“I have some stuff to look over, so I’ll be going home for the day,” you said. “Ring me if you need me.”

When you got home to your apartment, you did do some work poring over your S.H.I.E.L.D. files like you said, but more of your time was spent wondering about Loki. You couldn’t stop thinking about how his true heritage was kept from him for a thousand years. It didn’t excuse what he did in New York but it sure did explain a lot. You were aware of his jealousy toward Thor, but the pieces connected a little more firmly now regarding his angry and irritable nature.

The other thing that you couldn’t expel from your mind were those ruby red eyes surrounded by sapphire skin. They were piercing, and sometimes when you blinked you could swear that you saw them flash in your retinas. They were frightening yet alluring. It was a shame he seemed to hate his true form so much – not that his usual one was ugly by any means.

Although Loki said to leave him be, you felt dreadfully sorry for him, on both accounts of his history and his current predicament. If he didn’t speak up soon, you would check on him again.

[onemillennia]

Zee Alexander in the studio

Photography by Manny Boadi

Developed & Scanned by 1Millennia Labs

Circa 2023

Maryland, USA

[rewh0re]

─ ILLICIT AFFAIRS ; SAKUSA KIYOOMI

Is it evident enough that this is lowkey inspired from miss Swift's song 'illicit affairs'? Fluff to angst tho nothing major. Lot of laughing kiyoomi in the beginning. Allusions to cheating (but is it really so?), Secret relationships and possibly fwb and one sided love.

Contrary to popular belief Sakusa Kiyoomi did smile. It was barely there, a small uplift of the corners of his lips, gone in the blink of an eye, but it was a smile nonetheless. This small smile was reserved for most of the world. Sakusa gave this small smile when he was doing press interviews or in gala parties, in fancy events you could only ever dream of going to.

But you, you saw him smile, you saw him laugh. You saw his lips stretch into a wide grin, his eyes slowly turning to crescents and the smile eventually fading into a boisterous deep chuckle that left you mesmerized the moment you heard it.

So this is heaven you would think when you would hear that laugh. This laugh was reserved for close friends, family and you.

"What?" He would ask when he would catch you staring as he laughed at your lame jokes under the sheets of your bed with you.

"You're laughing," you would tilt your head and smile at him and he would break into more fits of laughter. "It's pretty Omi, do it more often!"

And a pink hue would slowly cover his face at your words. Each time you complimented his laugh or him in general, he would turn a shade of red. It was cute. This was life with Sakusa Kiyoomi. The life that you could only experience at the wee hours of the night in the confines of one of your apartments when no one was around. It had always been like this. Kiyoomi would come to find solace in you, with his hood up and sunglasses on even when the sky was a midnight blue with the moon as the source of light. You, lovesick and smitten by the being that is Kiyoomi would always take him in whenever he came to you, even if it was not everyday. Even if it was never ever in the mornings or when the sun was up.

Meeting with Kiyoomi was always a clandestine affair. It was a matter of secrecy never to be revealed and he made that clear everytime. You took what you could get, making most of the love you held for him. He would laugh with you in the confines of your bedroom, leave as sneakily as he had entered, would never hint at being in a relationship when asked about it and always asked you to never reveal this illicit affair of yours.

You would find yourself asking one question when he wasn't around 'was it really love that you both shared or just a one sided travesty that he entertained?'

And with the passage of time came what you feared the most, the man to whom you had poured all your love and self to was rumored to be in a relationship with some famous actress, which he claimed was a false one. He held you tight in his arms as you hit his chest, he whispered sweet nothings into your ear, he gave you false hopes and made you believe that what you had indeed was love.

Then suddenly, the visits stopped one night. His social media and number were inaccessible and you contemplated confronting him directly.

But you stopped when you saw the front page of the newest edition of some magazine you found on your way to the local bookstore. There he was, your Kiyoomi smiling his smile, the smile you saw so many times during the late hours of midnight when everyone slept. Only right now, it was directed to the girl he got into a relationship with a few months ago. The headline read something that your mind could not quite process because the only question you could ask yourself was whether he was ever yours.

You stared at that picture for what felt like a millennia and the only thing you could focus solely on was that smile. So true and so, so genuine. Luminous enough to make mascara run down the eyes, his smile was reminiscent of a love that never was there.

REBLOGS + FEEDBACKS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED!!

[specialagentartemis]

The new agreement will soon be enshrined into BC law, naming the Haida as the rightful owners of all 200-plus islands of Haida Gwaii, which they have been stewarding for millennia. After a two-year transition period, the Haida Nation will manage the 98 percent of its archipelago that was formerly considered Crown land, including protected areas and other forested lands. Having more of a say over the logging industry—which has clear-cut over two-thirds of the islands’ old-growth forest since 1950—has been a focus of the Haida’s title fight since the very beginning. The agreement won’t affect private property or municipal and provincial services, from highways to hospitals, which will continue to be regulated by the province. “The idea that each legal system is recognizing the other one is a turning point,” Borrows [a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation and an expert in Indigenous law at the University of Toronto] says. “It’s also radically democratic and participatory.” This marks a new kind of relationship, which can draw on the best of Haida and Western influences, he adds. And unlike a treaty or court decision, which are more set in stone, this approach requires ongoing negotiation that can adapt and evolve with the times. “It can keep people at the table, learning and working together with one another and trying to find that path to mutuality,” Borrows says.

[blueiscoool]

A 2,600-Year-Old Unopened Etruscan Tomb Discovered in Italy

Community leaders and archeologists in central Italy recently gathered in the municipality of Montalto di Castro for the opening of a tomb that dates back more than 2 1/2 millennia, the municipality announced in a social media post last week.

"Today … we witnessed the opening of an ancient Etruscan tomb buried at the Osteria Necropolis in Vulci," the municipality of Montalto di Castro, which sits along the Mediterranean Sea about 100 miles northwest of Rome, wrote Oct. 27 on Facebook, calling the grand unveiling "a day of culture and history" in a translated statement.

Historians say the Etruscans built their civilization on a portion of the land that is now modern-day Italy, beginning as early as 900 B.C., and operated as a network of city-states not completely unlike the Roman Republic that came after it. The Etruscans dominated Italy until falling, as a result of the Roman-Etruscan wars, to the then-expanding Roman empire around the 4th century B.C.

Vulci, an archaeological site in the northern Lazio region not far from Montalto di Castro, was once a rich Etruscan city. Its ruins have become a popular spot for tourist visits and as well as a place of interest for archaeological excavations.

The tomb discovered there earlier this year was found remarkably intact when it was officially opened at the end of October, for the first time in about 2,600 years, according to the Italian online magazine Finestre sull'Arte, which focuses on ancient and contemporary art. It was opened and explored following the opening of a similar tomb in the area this past April, the magazine reported. Montalto di Castro Mayor Emanuela Socciarelli attended the opening along with Simona Baldassarre, the councilor of culture for the Lazio region, Simona Carosi, the manager of the Superintendency of Archaeology for the province of Viterbo and southern Etruria, and Carlos Casi, the director of the Vulci Foundation, which helped lead the excavation alongside archeologists.

Archaeologists found a collection of long-lost treasures inside the ancient tomb, including a collection of pottery and amphorae, which are tall jars with two handles and a narrow neck typically associated with ancient Greek or Roman cultures. The jars contained wine from Greece, likely from the island of Chios, Finestre sull'Arte reported. It could be a relic of the wine trade happening at that time in history.

Utensils, cups, iron objects, and a variety of ceramics and decorative accessories were also found inside the tomb in perfect condition, as was a tablecloth that may have been used for a funerary ritual offering called "the last meal" or "meal of the dead." A bronze cauldron was also found.

The stockpile of personal belongings found inside the tomb suggests the family for whom it was constructed was probably quite wealthy in their day.

The complex structure and layout of the burial site is also important to archeologists and historians, Casi told the Italian news outlet Il Messaggero, noting that the tomb "appears to be characterized by a partition saved in the rock which creates a passage arch between the dromos, i.e. the short corridor with steps, and the vestibule, from which the two rooms were accessed, the front one and the one on the left: the usual one on the right is missing, evidently because the space had already been occupied by other tombs."

By EMILY MAE CZACHOR.

[spineless-lobster]

Orpheus hadesgame voted time magazine’s worst court jester of the millennia

“He kinda just sits there and cries” sources say

[kawaiigirly21]

MODERN BLOOD OF ZEUS AU WARNING

I definitely know Natasha's favorite song is Another Life by Motionless in White

I also know that it hurts her to listen to the song because Ares introduced her to the band

She always felt connected to the song because the lyrics hit her in a spot she didn't know she had

To get her mind off things, Hermes invites her to his track meets

Apollo and Hyacinth like to have her at their photoshoots for the high fashion magazines they pose for

Dionysus had her as a taste tester for his wine brand while they gossiped about Aphrodite and Ares

Hephaestus taught her iron welding in his workshop and she made her own sword from damascus steel

Hera and Zeus we're overjoyed to have her around in their little villa while they enjoyed retirement

There the three shared their favorite memories with the family

Heron and Seraphim both took her to their favorite band concert's respectively

While Heron was a fan of calmer indie music, Seraphim was into hardcore metal

Athena, Artemis, Hestia and Demeter scheduled a spa day which ended at a shooting range

Poseidon took her out to sea where they went whale watching and settled on a very suspiciously romantic dinner afterwards (wink wink)😜😜

There was only once or twice Natasha ran into Ares and Aphrodite

She barely acknowledged the boxer and makeup brand spokeswoman

At some point, Hades and Persephone take Natasha to see a movie called The Condemned and the ending song Savin Me by Nickelback becomes her new favorite song because it reminds her of the special times she spent with her family who saved her from that dark place she was in

Ares reached out a little more often than she had liked begging for her forgiveness and another chance at being her husband since their divorce a few years prior

He wasn't Natasha's first love but he was her first husband. She's reluctant to forgive him. Maybe she will but not in this century or millennia

Not when she recently discovered Poseidon was vying for her attention 🤭🥰

[talonabraxas]

Toltec Shaman🌵 Keepers of spiritual knowledge and practices of the ancient masters

Our first recorded glimpse of what was to become known a shamanic practice, accessing the spiritual knowledge of all ages, labelled shamans (men) and shamankas (female) by anthropologists to define the role of the spiritual leaders and keepers of the knowledge in the 1400s in Siberia and Mongolia.

The word ‘shaman’: The root of the word means ‘to know‘ and may originate from ‘šamán‘, most likely from the Tungus language of Mongolia. The word was thought to be brought to the west in the 17th century by the Dutch traveller Nicolaas Witsen, who recounted his experiences with the Tungus-speaking people of Siberia in a book Noord en Oost Tartaryen, which was published in several languages.

Don Miguel Ruiz is one such modern shaman, who shares the ‘Toltec Spirit’ of the ancients, and the Toltecs of today, our modern shamans, are still spiritual warriors…

A modern movement led by writer Miguel Ruiz is called ‘Toltec Spirit’. In his famous book The Four Agreements, Ruiz outlines a plan for creating happiness in your life. Ruiz’s philosophy states that you should be diligent and principled in your personal life and try not to worry about things you cannot change.

No one knows why the Toltec culture disappeared sometime in the 12th century and, other than the name ‘Toltec’, this modern-day philosophy has absolutely nothing to do with the ancient Toltec civilisation.

From the Mastery of Love, by Miguel Ruiz:

“Thousands of years ago, the Toltec were known throughout

southern Mexico as “women and men of knowledge.”

Anthropologists have spoken of the Toltec as a nation or a race, but in fact, the Toltec were scientists and artists who formed a society to explore and conserve the spiritual knowledge and practices of the ancient ones. They came together as masters (Naguals) and students at Teotihuacan, the ancient city of pyramids outside Mexico City, known as the place where ‘Man becomes God.’

“Over the millennia, the Naguals were forced to conceal the ancestral wisdom and maintain its existence in obscurity. European conquest, coupled with rampant misuse of power by a few of the apprentices, made it necessary to shield the knowledge from those who were not prepared to use it wisely or who might intentionally misuse it for personal gain.

“Fortunately, the esoteric Toltec knowledge was embodied and passed on through generations by different lineages of Naguals. Though it remained veiled in secrecy for hundreds of years, ancient prophecies foretold the coming of an age when it would be necessary to return the wisdom to the people. Now, Don Miguel Ruiz, a Nagual from the Eagle Knight lineage, has been guided to share with us the powerful teachings of the Toltec.

“Toltec knowledge arises from the same essential unity of truth as all the sacred esoteric traditions found around the world. Though it is not a religion, it honours all the spiritual masters who have taught on the earth. While it does embrace spirit, it is most accurately described as a way of life, distinguished by the ready accessibility of happiness and love.