#nine noble virtues

[blueeyesfilledwithpassion]

Nine Noble Virtues

Courage

Truth

Honor

Fidelity

Discipline

Hospitality

Self-reliance

Industriousness

Perserverance

The Nine Noble Virtues Of The Vikings

Viking Honor System.

[theunfairfolk]

because ive seen stuff going around about it; yes, the “nine noble virtues” were made by white supremacists. “odinists” and the “asatru folk assembly” are white supremacist groups. there is absolutely nothing in them worth using in any form. it is a pile of dog shit formed by nazis. i would sooner kiss the pope than reference them in any way.

[therabydskald]

Thoughts on 2022

Happy Sif’s Day and Happy New Year! I look back on 2022 with frustration and some sense of self-discovery. It’s amazing how much those two go hand in hand. My frustrations stem from a lack of satisfaction with where I am and what I am doing. I dislike Texas for a lot of reasons. I don’t enjoy the politics of it; the sub-tropical climate without any season to speak of; unless you count moving…

[broomsick]

Will start spreading these instead of the nine nazi virtues right away!

Nine Lokean Virtues:

1. Truth: Be real. Be true to yourself and allow others follow their own truth.

2. Humor: Learn to find the humor in things, especially yourself.

3. Humility: If you need to tie your balls to a goat to accomplish your goals, suck it up buttercup.

4. Cunning: Try to think outside the box. Don't make a mess so big that you can't figure your way out of it.

5. Transformation: Don't be afraid of change, because that's how we grow. Don't be afraid of self-examination and listen to constructive criticism.

6. Creativity: Create awesome stuff. Try new things out. If you don't like it, blow it up and try again.

7. Accountability: You are the only one in charge of your own destiny, your own life, and your own actions.

8. Empathy: Try to see things from more than one perspective. Shape-shift into someone else's shoes before you pass judgement.

9. Experimentation: A mistake is only a mistake if you do it twice. Until then, everything is an experiment.

[williamrodricks]

᛬ ᚾᛁᚢ ᛫ ᚴᛅᚠᚴᚢ ᛫ ᛏᚢᚴᚦᛁᚱᚾᛅᚱ ᛬✨

Níu Gǫfgu Dygðirnar

(The Nine Noble Virtues in Old Norse)

ᛅᚱᛅᚦᛁ Áræði (Courage)

ᛋᛅᚾᛚᛅᛁᚴᛦ Sannleikr (Truth)

ᚼᛅᛁᚦᛦ Heiðr (Honour)

ᛏᚱᚢᛚᛅᛁᚴᛦ Trúleikr (Fidelity)

ᛅᚴᛁ Agi (Discipline)

ᛒᛅᛁᚾᛁ Beini (Hospitality)

ᛋᛁᛅᛚᚠᛋᛏᛅᚦᛁ Sjálfstæði (Self-reliance)

ᛁᚦᛁᚢᛋᛁᛘᛁ Iðjusemi (Industriousness)

ᚦᚱᛅᛚᛅᛁᚴᛦ þráleikr (Perseverance)

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Hello everything is fine? you could write Aemond engaged to Y/n wanting to take her virginity before marriage

EVERYTHING IS GROOVY, DUDE, THANKS FOR ASKING.

I've taken kind of a diary entry approach to this. There is basically no plot. Y'all know the drill.

Warnings: Smut, duh. Word count: ~1000

Before the betrothal

Aemond nods solemnly when his mother breaks the news that he is to be betrothed. He had known this day would come and accepted it as his duty to House Targaryen. He was to be wed to a noble girl from a noble house in order to strengthen Aegon’s claim to the throne. He has no thoughts of his future bride beyond doing what he must for the good of his family.

First meeting

Her hair that falls in soft, loose waves almost to her waist. She is small and slight. Her gown hugs her figure like a second skin. Aemond’s mouth runs dry as he takes in her bright eyes and rose petal lips. He clears his throat, remembering to introduce himself when his mother nudges him in the ribs. He had not expected her to be so beautiful. “Is she really going to be mine?!”

Nine months before the wedding

While Aemond knew she was beautiful, he had not anticipated being captivated by more than her looks. He is delighted to find that she is quick witted, intelligent and fierce - most importantly she is unafraid of him. His breath catches when she touches his arm when he makes her laugh. She does not leave his mind from that point onwards.

Six months before the wedding

They are finding more and more excuses to spend time alone together. Aemond cannot keep her out of his thoughts. Shameful as it is, he finds himself with his fist around his hardened cock each evening while he thinks about the softness of her skin, the way her lips part and the glint she gets in her eye when she looks at him. He cannot help but wonder how it would feel to be buried inside of her. Six turns of the moon feels like an agonisingly long time to wait to find out. 

He is taken aback one day when she presses a soft kiss to his cheek. He surprises her in return by turning his face and capturing her lips. It quickly turns heated and his eye goes wide when he feels her tongue slide against his, no one has ever kissed him like that before. Hands from both sides grope where they ought not to, and Aemond has to quickly excuse himself as his erection presses painfully against the lacings of his breeches.

Three months before the wedding

Aemond has discreetly read every book that the Red Keep’s library has to offer on the act of physical love. Underneath his stoic demeanour he is giddy with anticipation at all of the things he and his betrothed will get to try when they are wed. Yet, it is still months away, and he is losing patience. His interest is piqued when he discovers a tome on the art of pleasures of the flesh that do not involve fornication.

A few days later, Aemond and his lady find themselves cinched in another passionate embrace. What Aemond has read springs to mind and desperation and curiosity get the better of him. 

She gasps a quiet “what are you doing?!” as he crouches down and pushes at her skirts. 

“Trust me” he whispers back, before pressing his face between her legs and licking a hot, wet line along her cunny. 

He groans at the squeak she elicits, hand finding its way to his cock and fisting it as he feasts upon her soaking centre. Hot ropes of pearly spend coat his fingers as he climaxes with a grunt when she finally comes undone around his tongue. He has never tasted anything more divine.

The night before the wedding

Having spent every available opportunity exploring each other’s bodies and pleasuring each other without breaching her virtue, Aemond can hardly wait for them to finally become one, his body aches with the need to be inside of her. He knows they mustn't see each other the night before the wedding and yet he cannot stay away. 

He steals away into her bedchamber and, before he knows it, they are naked and tangled together in her sheets. He is stunned when she straddles him. He hisses as he feels the wet heat of her cunt press against his hardened length.

“We are supposed to wait.” He says, voice thick with lust, offering no real objection.

She giggles. “We are. I am not going to take you inside. My handmaiden told me how to do this and I’ve been dying to try it.”

“Well, who am I to deny my lady?” He asks with a sly smirk.

His jaw goes slack, his eye fluttering closed as she slides herself up and down his erection, rolling her hips against his without him ever breaching her entrance. The tip catches her there a few times, but she is quick to pull away, placing him back at her pearl and applying pressure where she needs it most.

His mind is foggy with pleasure. If this is what it feels like just to have her rub against him, what must it feel like to be inside? His stomach muscles tense and his stones tighten as he feels the first licks of his climax tease at his lower back. He can tell from how her pace has begun to falter and how her moans have turned to breathy pants that she is close too.

Her arousal soaks his lap as she falls apart above him and he finally allows himself release, gripping her hips and splattering his stomach as he bucks up at her.

After taking a moment to come back to reality, they stare at each other, both huffing a small laugh as they try to catch their breath.

Aemond swipes two fingers across his abdomen, collecting his milky spend and pressing it to her lips. She wraps her lips around the digits, sucking them clean with a contented hum and he grins at her.

“Just think.” He purrs at her. “Tomorrow I will finally spill my seed inside of you.”

Read on AO3

More Aemond fics

[jaimeski]

So in QSMP most of the eggs we seen them as dragon right? I was going to draw Chunsik but i couldn't find any good reference for him (try to look for korean dragon but i couldn't find any)

like im afraid if i draw the type of dragon wrong or something, do you think you can help?

Here's the article i found explaining the differences of korean dragon from other east asian dragon i'll put some of the text below :3

[...] Korean Dragons originally start out as gigantic land serpents, otherwise known as ‘Imugi’, who then transform into true dragons, or ‘Yong’. Such transformation only comes from time and patience (both noble virtues) as being the guardian of Korean culture.

Some of the most striking physical differences from western dragons are that Korean dragons do not have any wings and sport long beards -- attesting to their wisdom and knowledge. They also dawn a variety of colors - green, blue, gold, or red - and can sometimes be seen next to a river, mountain, waterfalls, or the sky. They typically take on a wavy or circular form, which represents the intricacy of life’s many obstacles and high points. Most importantly, these dragons are often depicted carrying an orb in their claws, or mouth, called a ‘yeouiju’ representing authority over creation and divine will. [...]

[...] The Korean dragon also displays nine different animal traits that represent a holistic symbol of the Asianic animal kingdom. It embodies luck by having a nose of a pig; the abundance of the rabbit by sharing its eyes; the giving nature of a cow by having its ears; the elegance of a deer's antlers as its horns; the sturdy forehead of the camel; the long and adapting body of the snake; fertility with the scale patterns of a carp; the long claws of a hawk; and the power of a tiger’s fists. These all-encompassing qualities are unique to the Korean dragon. [...]

[skaldish]

Hey what's the deal with Thursatru? Something feels off about it to me...

You can ignore my last ask; I saw you answer someone else who had the same question

Well first for posterity: Thurs (or Tussar) are Jötun, and Jötnar are the wild, untameable forces of nature. But unlike most Jötnar, Thurs are wild to the degree that they are actively and decisively incompatible with human wellbeing.

They represent the most extreme and destructive phenomena of nature, like rockslides and volcanic eruptions—stuff you have no chance of surviving if you get caught in its path. The destructive nature of Thurs is where we get the meaning of the rune Thurisas from.

Folklore has it that Thurs commonly dwell where humans fundamentally cannot. Some are said to live in Jötunheimen national park, up where the mountain peaks are swallowed by the clouds and where nothing grows. They throw rocks down at people passing by.

They also live in the volcanos of Iceland (Muspelheim). Thurs such as Sutur are responsible for the destructive nature of volcanos, spewing fire, ash, and molten rocks, while cracking open the land during an eruption.

My understanding is that it's uncommon for people to venerate the Thurs, but not for any taboo reason. Rather, it's the same reason why we don't worship wild tigers; "worship" is not the kind of relationship that builds any rapport with them. For most people, their relationships with Thurs involve being cautious of their nature and staying out of their way.

This is the way Thurs are understood in folklore. Now, to understand what Thursatru is, and what its deal is, take everything I just said and throw it out the window.

"Thursatru," from what I've gathered, basically characterizes itself as the Satanism of Heathenry, and it only makes sense in relation to specifically the American flavor of Asatru.

Keep in mind not refering to all of Heathenry in America, but to the way Icelandic Ásatrú is interpreted by Americans: The Eddas are treated as scripture, the past is treated as doctrine, Valhalla is treated as the goal to aspire to (awarded to those who live by the "viking values" outlined in the Havamal, or the snake-oil known as the Nine Noble Virtues), and Odin is treated as the Supreme Being and Loki his adversary.

The phrase "Asatru"—meaning "true to the Aesir"—is viewed as almost like an oath of office. You are pledging yourself to the Aesir's "side" in a prophesized cosmic war, fought between the forces of Order (represented by the Aesir, especially Odin) and Chaos (represented by the Jötnar, with figures like Loki, Ymir, and Sutur).

Jötnar basically fulfill the same function in American Asatru that demons and devils do in Christianity. If Satanism is the worship of all that is antithetical to the Christian god and Christianity, then Thursatru is the worship of all that is antithetical to the Aesir and Asatru belief. By being Thursatru, you're choosing to oppose the Aesir, aligning yourself with the forces destined to fight against them during Ragnarok.

And yes, all of it is extremely corny.

None of Heathenry was ever like this, and much of American Asatru is Christianity in viking garb.

Rockslides are dangerous, but not evil. Volcanic eruptions are disastrous, but not evil. The natural processes of the world—processes that are essential for life on Earth—don't always align with our needs as individual organisms. In fact, some of these processes will always be to our detriment if we stand in their way, as is the case volcanic eruptions and rockslides. That is the Thurs. That is who they are and what they represent.

So basically, the thing that's "off" about Thursatru is that it exists as a reaction to the narrative of American Asatru, and actually legitimizes that narrative to the public eye because it conforms to the American Asatru claim that venerating the Thurs fundamentally opposes the Aesir.

It's not true though, and that logic doesn't check when you put Heathenry back into its own paradigm. Saying Thurs-venerating opposes the Aesir is like saying "Exploring volcanos means you fundamentally oppose the existence of human-friendly environments." Like, what.

The only thing that actually makes someone Aesir-opposing, is their stance of opposing the Aesir. Venererating Thurs just makes someone Norse Heathen.

It's shenanigans all the way down.

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

January week 5

We're gonna start this week with some broad ideas that are going to make us think. Take a look not only at what you practice and how you practice, but the why behind those things. What are the rules and philosophies that you follow?

Monday - Rules

Introspection/ lab notebook -what are the ground rules you set for yourself in your practice? Put these in your lab notebook, as these may grow and change with your practice through the years. What are the hard nos you have in your life and practice, things you absolutely won’t do spiritually or magically? What are the things you do every time you practice, the “have to” dos? Setting yourself these rules and having them written or even just said out loud can help you understand yourself. Once you have them down, think about the why behind each one.

Journal- think back about what got you into your practice in the beginning. What was it? What is the how and why? What were the reasons you got into witchcraft in the first place.

Tuesday - Morals and Values

Lab notebook - think along the lines of the seven deadly sins and the nine noble virtues. Do you hold stock in any set of moral standpoints or pillars within your craft? What are there? Where did you learn about them? How do you go about navigating them and handling them? A great deal can be learned from understanding oneself.

Study - Pick another herb off your list and study all you can about it! Magical, mundane, medicinal, history, culinary uses, myths and legends, everything you can!

Wednesday - Doing The Work

Lab notebook/ practical- do a spell! Find one or make one and outline it in your lab notebook. What will you use? When and where will you do it? What will you actually do? Why will you do it? How will you do? Once it is outlined, do it! Then take notes on how it went and what needs to change, if anything, to make it better!

Study - Like before, pick a gem and study everything possible about it!

Thursday - Philosophies

Study - what’s one thing in witchcraft you’ve always wanted to learn? Whatever it is make a page for it! Be it scrying or cursing or protection magic or sigils. Whatever it is, study up on it! Add the notes to a notebook or your lab notebook!

Introspection/ Journal - What ideals do you stand for when it comes to your craft? Personally, my practice both spiritual and witchcraft related, pertain almost entirely to balance. What ideas or places do you draw inspiration from?

Introspection/ journal - what are three goals you have to work on in your practice this year? Journal about them now. How will you do it? What steps will you take to achieve these goals?

Friday

Catch up day- use this day to catch up on any work you’ve not gotten done so far this year.

Design- design a new page for your book! Add stickers, colors, pictures, leaves, flowers, cards, anything!! Whatever style your grimoire is, let it show! Be creative!

Ah! Another week down! There’ll be more bonus prompts in the coming weeks. I hope everyone is enjoying the posts and the challenge and again feel free to tag, message or inbox me at any time! I’ll reply as fast as I am able and am enjoying the feedback I’ve gotten so far!

Good luck and happy crafting witches!

-Mod Hazel

[theyonlyhadeachother]

i have so many bookmarked midam fics its insane. i dont know if i've read all of the midam fics on ao3, but i've def read a very large majority of them

just a few of my absolute favorites are below the cut. none of them are rated E, but if anyone is interested in some of those, shoot me an ask and let me know

----

Gen, 3,693 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1 chapters

bound to the marrow of how it feels by paradisecas

Summary: Ask any kid what their superpower would be, nine times out of ten the answer will be flying. Adam, son of a nurse and a bit of a goody-two-shoes, was always the odd one out choosing the noble imaginary superpower of healing people. If Adam could go back in time—and technically, he could—he’d change his answer. Not to flying, and not from healing; he knows now that he can have it all. He’d like to kneel down in front of baby-Adam and say, hey kid, someday you’re going to have everything anyone could ever want at your fingertips, and you’ll be sharing it with the love of your life. You’ll fly straight through the atmosphere and fix broken bones with a snap of your fingers and sit invisible in the corner of a room you’re not allowed in. You’ll eat until you can’t anymore and still have room for seconds. You’ll be able to pick up a car to save a baby, if that situation ever arises, and it won’t even be adrenaline that does it. He wants to say, no matter what nightmares come your way, something good is waiting for you too. You’ll share your body with someone who loves you. You won’t ever be alone again. You’ll always be warm.

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Lucifer's Cage (Supernatural), Post-Canon, Michael Possessing Adam Milligan, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, michael dies but he gets better tho

hook and eye series by thishazeleyeddemon

Series rating of Mature, 19,945 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 2 fics (2/2 and 1/1 respectively)

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Sam Winchester, The Empty | The Shadow (Supernatural), Witch Adam Milligan, Episode Fix-It: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Post-Episode: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Grief/Mourning, Bitterness, Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural), Break Up, would you all like to hear about Michael essentially getting his ex to get back together with him, of course you would, Emotional Manipulation, Self-Esteem Issues, Adam Milligan is Not Forgotten, Adam Milligan is So Done, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Adam is such a bitter bitch in this one, it's okay y'all they'll get through it, I just was like Adam can have a little Being Mean and Unreasonable. As a treat, Men of Letters (Supernatural), more tags for Part 2!!, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Gaslighting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, THE PROMISED. HAPPY ENDING., I REWROTE THIS SO MUCH I AM GOING TO BED, prays the rewriting paid off, Michael Steals From The Rich, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Angelic Grace Kink (Supernatural,) arguably - Freeform, Body Horror, although Adam would gut you for saying such things about Michael, obviously Michael is beautiful and perfect no matter how many eyes, Consensual Possession, Making Out smidgeon of angst. just a spicy dollop, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, by virtue of being a hook and eye-verse fic

Summary of the First Fic: you fit into me like a hook into an eye a fish hook an open eye - Margaret Atwood Michael succumbed to his Father's manipulations. He never wanted to destroy the Earth, but it was so hard, so hard, to find the words to fight back against his father when he was all alone. He never wanted to do that. He never wanted to leave Adam. Adam doesn't know that.

Two Weddings and an Engagement by lumpy_space_princess

Teen, 7,812 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Gabriel/Eileen Leahy/Rowena MacLeod/Sam Winchester, Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Gabriel (Supernatural), Sam Winchester, Eileen Leahy, Rowena MacLeod, Kevin Tran, Charlie Bradbury, Claire Novak, Kaia Nieves, Dean Winchester, Castiel, Post-Canon Fix-It, Minor Castiel/Dean Winchester, Midam at the Destiel wedding, Midam at the Saileen wedding, Everybody Lives, This is crack so don't think too hard about it, Adam & Kevin & Charlie & Claire & Kaia Michael & Gabriel - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Seriously everybody knows it but them, The Love Is Requited They're Just Idiots, They work it out in the end though

Summary: Adam massages fingers over his temples, and tries not to look morose. "Listen. You're not exactly telling me anything I haven't told myself. But there's just - there's baggage there, ok? It's been hard to look at the future when we've barely gotten used to having a present again." He huffs. "Anyway, I don't think he'd even want that. He's an-" "-an archangel, yeah, you've said. It was crap the last time you said it, too." Kevin props himself on his elbows, gazing intently at Adam. "How will you know if you don't try? How is it fair to him, that you just decide what he feels without asking him about it?"  Charlie nods. "Would you want him to treat you that way? It's obviously weighing on you. How would you feel, if he was keeping something this important from you?"  ----------------- Or: Michael and Adam, bless their hearts, are mutually in love. Strangely, they're the only ones who can't seem to see it.

the past is made of stardust (the future's shifting sand) by Anonymous

Teen, 30,461 words, Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Castiel/Dean Winchester, Adam Milligan, Michael (Supernatural), Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural), The Empty | The Shadow (Supernatural), Lucifer's Cage (Supernatural), Post-Lucifer's Cage (Supernatural), Post-Episode: s15e08 Our Father Who Aren't in Heaven, Post-Episode: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Non-Chronological Fix-It, Post-Canon Fix-It, The Empty (Supernatural), Adam Milligan Saves Michael from the Empty, Michael Possessing Adam Milligan, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Kinda Fluff, Temporary Character Death, i am going to rewrite this. i mean it.

Summary: Adam knocked on the door and waited. And waited. And waited. He knocked again, and then it opened to Sam brandishing a gun, Dean behind him with a knife and a bottle of whiskey. When they saw him, they didn’t relax, but they didn’t attack either. “Adam?” Sam asked, hesitantly. “Or… Michael?” Adam knew he had to look ridiculous. Before, they’d seen him while he still had an archangel maintaining his body, but after the last day and a half? He was sweaty and sunburnt and dehydrated and he could almost feel the bags under his eyes. But another gift of the Cage was losing the ability to give a fuck what he looked like. “Michael isn't home right now,” Adam said. “And I’d like to know why.”

Mirror Of Change by QuicksilverCastiel

Teen, 2,127 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Serafina (Supernatural), Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Raphael (Supernatural), Serafina is going through it, Or at least she's bluescreening on account of Michael's heart-eyes at Adam, Also Heaven ecology yay!, they/them pronouns for Raphael

Summary: When all is said and done, God defeated and the world righted again, Serafina takes on her biggest challenge yet: Going back to Heaven. Not to stay, but to see if the rumour of it 'changing' have any truth to it. Turn out, at least some archangels have definitely changed. And it may be because of another Adam.

your mother's son by darkmillennium

Teen, 10,633 words, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1/1

Tags: Michael/Adam Milligan, Michael & Adam Milligan, Michael (Supernatural), Adam Milligan, Alternate Michael's Grace-Enhanced Monsters, POV Adam Milligan, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Slice of Life, Fluff and Humor, Post-Episode: s15e08 Our Father Who Aren't in Heaven, Michael Possessing Adam Milligan, Adam Milligan is So Done, Developing Relationship, Romantic Tension, listen they're in love with each other we've all seen it, this is just 10k words of michael and adam living life, Enochian-Speaking Adam Milligan, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Summary: Adam wants a normal life. He really does. He wants, at least, as close to a normal life as he can get after spending ten years—a thousand years—in the Cage. And he’s got it, mostly. He’s got an apartment and a job and a closet full of clothes that aren’t the clothes he went to Hell in. He thinks he’s been managing pretty great, all things considered. But one day, Michael warns him that he’s sensed a pack of werewolves move into the area, and then people start dropping dead with their hearts ripped out, and.. Life isn't going to be as relaxed as he'd like it to be, is it?

[paradoxcase]

Chapter 3 of Nona the Ninth

Huh, so:

I guess this is definition 7, then. I've never heard that word used to refer to a person before, but it's not marked as being regional

So Nona looks old enough that people are fine with hitting on her, but not old enough that anyone thinks she's graduated from middle school. This is not a fun fact

Also, this school has "almost 20 children", this is like a one-room schoolhouse from the 19th century except it's in the middle of New York City for some reason, what even

I mean, is it really that hard to pimp out Augustine? If she'd said "I'd have had better luck pimping out Mercy" that would have been something, but maybe it actually is easier to pimp out Nona and Camilla than it is to pimp out Mercy

Can Camilla and Palamedes have regular conversations with each other? Very curious as to how that might work

Quasi-telepathic abilities sounding more and more likely

There's been descriptions of it being hot, and I'm not sure if a) it's just summer, and that's what summer is like wherever New Rho happens to be, or b) this planet is just hotter than Earth by virtue of being closer to the sun or having a naturally thicker atmosphere, or c) some kind of climate change is happening here

It sounds like she has some still-repressed memories of learning this stuff?

So they live in basically a cop building, and Pyrrha did say that one of their neighbors is a cop and another one has militia connections, so I'm guessing they are probably being specifically kept there by BOE or some other entity because of their Nine Houses connection, and Camilla doesn't want Nona telling people where they live because people might infer that based on the building?

Given that a lot of people here don't speak each other's languages, I wonder how much of this is just another culture's kinship system being mistranslated into whatever language the kids are using. Like, Brother Father and Younger Brother Father sound like they're probably uncles, Eldest Father could be a grandfather, and New Father could possibly be a step-father

I mean, first of all, Palamedes has been living here for a while, I think he should be used to BOE (or whatever you want to call this culture) names by now, but also, Honesty is a perfectly fine name. Like, Wake's name was silly, Hot Sauce is a silly name, We Suffer And We Suffer and Crown Him With Many Crowns are at least fairly odd from an English-language naming standpoint, and many of our common names are borrowed from ancient languages and don't mean anything in regular conversation, but we totally 100% also name people things like Grace and Faith and Hope and Joy and Harmony and Prudence and Felicity and Constance and I'm sure there's plenty of cultures where boys are named this way too and Honesty is a perfectly fine and reasonable name. While we're at it, Beautiful Ruby and Born in the Morning are also pretty good names? The only thing odd about these names is that we're not used to seeing them

Anyway, possibly the kids are speaking some non-House language (or are at least named in non-House languages) and Nona is translating their names into House for this conversation? It's a little odd in that case that she's not translating "Kevin" at least in the narrative text, since Kevin is just an anglicization of Irish Caoimhín which means "of noble birth" in Irish. But if Nona's language abilities are based on some sort of telepathic sense, she might fail to translate Kevin's name because Kevin doesn't know Irish? Irish seems unlikely to have survived the apocalypse, at any rate

She definitely can lie, though, she successfully lied and told the teachers at the school that Camilla was her sister and Pyrrha was a friend of her father's and that she had been through many resettlements, didn't she? She just doesn't seem to know on her own when she should be lying and when she shouldn't be

There are some implications for how language is being processed for someone who really can't lie, basically the science fiction premise of Embassytown by China Miéville, and in that book the aliens who could not lie also had an empathetic aspect to how they understood language. But I don't think Muir knows enough about linguistics to write that kind of linguistics science fiction

Is this why Nona's legs are sore, she is running around with these young kids all day and having trouble keeping up?

Very curious if this is actually some kind of possibly war-related movement of things through the underground tunnels, or if this is just a vernacular name for something else

So BOE is recruiting children on this planet to join their militia, and they are also executing necromancers here by burning them to death

It's kind of funny that Honesty is calling her stupid here - he knows there are spies who are necromancers and/or zombies, and Nona is in fact a necromancer (or used to be one at one time) and she also lives with Palamedes for that matter, but it doesn't occur to Honesty that there is actually a chance that Nona or someone she lives with could be one of the spies

So this is what they call the resurrection beast? Except we know that resurrection beasts don't come for regular necromancers, or else they would be all over the Nine Houses, they only come for Lyctors. I guess it's entirely possible that this one could be here for any of Nona, Pyrrha, or Camilla/Palamedes, or it could just be here to eat a living planet because that's what they do. I wonder if the mythology of these people is that the resurrection beasts are like God's punishment for necromancy or something, it seems like Hot Sauce believes that to be the case, at least. Possibly it's not completely wrong, depending on what the relationship was between the deaths of the nine planets and the occurrence of necromancy

[skyrimsimmer]

The Nine Noble Virtues

[softmoonlightmelody]

Foxfire and Exillium can't be the only schools in the Lost Cities, so I'm making up my own, a secret third option, Gildstern.

Gildstern is a school for non-banished elves who do not pass the entrace exam or midterms or finals for Foxfire, talentless elves, and non-noble elves.. If a noble elf is talentless, the elf goes to Gildstern instead for what would traditionally be the Elite Levels.

School starts at nine o'clock am sharp, and ends at 4:30 pm.

Gildstern focuses on non-ability-based things. In the Foxfire curriculum, those are noted as the following:

Agriculture - this is taught by gnomes! It is to be noted that some Gildstern graduates tend to go into the agricultural field, and work with gnomes. The Council uses that as an excuse - 'we're doing agriculture too!' and safely ignores the fact that Gildstern graduates are, by virtue of their position, not exactly happy with the Council.

Alchemy & Elementalism - a popular pastime and career, alchemy is some Gildstern students' favourite class. Like agriculture, alchemy is a very common career choice for Gildstern graduates. Instead of being two independent courses, Gildstern has chosen to combine them. Slang is often used, as this is called 'AlchEm'.

History - it's very important to learn history. All history is taught, only the censors guarding things, including human history. The year is divided into halves, and then one half is divided into six quadrants. One half of the year is spent teaching about Elvin history, and the other six are about all other intelligent species and humans.

Physical Education & Skills - the skill teaching in Exillium and the physical education in Foxfire, combined! Called just Physical Education.

Metaphysics & the Universe - exactly like in Foxfire, again combined. As slang, Gildstern students call this class 'The Works'.

Talents/Linguistics - this is its own thing, where elves who have manifested take classes together with those who also manifested. If the students are talentless and in the last two years of Gildstern, they replace this class with Linguistics, where they learn languages. Those languages are not taught to manifested students, although if the students really want to, they are allowed to take Linguistics in a different way. Talents and Linguistics replace what was previously Ability Detecting for the previous five years.

Okay, that's the curriculum. There are tests, but there is no need to score perfectly on them. Instead, those tests are used to determine which group the students fall into. Smarter students are in class together, while less smart students are together too. It varies subject by subject, and the Gildstern staff just says it's because of schedule mixing.

Students have five days of school, two of which have half their classes, two of which have the other half, and one of which comprises entirely of study hall and visiting hours. If the student is taking talents, they have a period where they can take Linguistics. If students are not taking talents, they can sign up for any of the clubs which happen, or they can spend time in the music program. If you're not taking music or linguistics, you can just simply have a study period. at that time, you don't even need to be at school.

Things to do on study hall days are listed as thus:

Linguistics - if you are taking talents, here is your two-hour period for Linguistics! 9:00 am to 11:00 am.

Music - have an interest in music? Take this class to learn music theory, compose music, and make music. Happens at 11:05 am to 12:05 pm.

Lunch - you're required to be at lunch, because announcements and attendance is recorded here, as it is in the rest of the days. 12:10 pm to 1:10 pm.

Hobby Clubs - these are clubs for things like reading, writing, animals, games, and design. 1:15 pm to 1:45 pm.

Drama - technically a class. This lasts for one and a half hours. 1:50 pm to 3:20 pm.

Subject Clubs/Tutoring - each last thirty minutes, and run twice. If you're interested in a particular subject, get there for one of the sessions, or sign up for tutoring! Help each other and have fun! 3:25 pm to 3:55 pm OR 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm.

Of all schools, Gildstern in the closest to high school and middle school formats in the human world.

Students who are talentless enjoy study hall days because they do not have to arrive at school until 12:00 pm, or, if they take music, until 11:00 am. Sometimes, if a student has no classes on a study hall day, they only come for lunch and then leave. After all, lunches are quality and worth it, and leaping is easy.

An student's schedule on regular days may look like this:

9:00 am to 10:00 am - The Works

10:05 am to 11:05 pm - History

11:10 pm to 12:10 pm - AlchEm

12:15 pm to 1:15 pm - Lunch

1:20 pm to 2:20 pm - Agriculture

2:25 pm to 3:25 pm - Physical Education & Skills

3:30 pm to 4:30 pm - Astrakinesis

The same student's schedule on a study hall day might look like this:

9:00 am to 11:00 am - Linguistics

11:05 am to 12:05 pm - Study Hall

12:10 pm to 1:10 pm - Lunch

1:15 pm to 1:45 pm - Architecture Club

1:50 pm to 3:20 pm - Study Hall

3:25 pm to 3:55 pm - Linguistics Club

Gildstern is a manor donated by a talentless Vacker who realized with anger that there is no option for continued education. To this day, there has always been a talentless principal. The manor is large, and contains multiple wings. Fortunately, the secret passageways now function as actual things, and people will often take them to get places easier. The manor is shaped like Versailles, and is around half the size of Versailles. One wing is entirely devoted to apartments, for the teachers and principles, in case if necessary.

Wraith is the Vanishing teacher.

(Also - let me know if I forgot anything, because I am going through this)

[therabydskald]

The Flexible Nature of Pagan Philosophy

The Flexible Nature of Pagan Philosophy

Happy Thor’s Day! A commenter recently asked if I would explain where I am now to help understand my journey from Christian Pastor to the present. I would and have been classifying myself as a Pagan Atheist for some time now. The Atheist part is easy to understand or so you would think so. Simply put I do not believe in gods, goddesses, or even spiritual beings or forces because I do not find…

[the-world-annealing]

The Names of Yedru-Har

While in other lands, a man shares one name with his ancestors and bears one of his own, distant Yedru-Har has never seen the wisdom of such a system. What kind of men live beyond their borders, that who they are is determined by the choices of their fathers and grandfathers alone?

Instead, in Yedru-Har each name consists of two numbered parts; one might be named Seven Windows and Two Lamps, Countless Fruits and Sixteen Dewdrops, or Three Axes, Three Streams. Though this system vexes foreigners to no end, there is a simple and elegant logic to it.

First, the names of peasants, which are simple enough. Two names are given upon birth, one by the father and one by the mother, and the 'countless' numerator stands in front of both.

A peasant who is called upon to serve the nobility may, to denote this honor, bear the number of their house before one part of their name. Thus, if a woman called Countless Quills, Countless Blankets becomes a servant to the thirteenth house, her name would change to Thirteen Quills, Countless Blankets, or to Countless Quills, Thirteen Blankets, and remain fixed thereafter. Typically, a man places the number of the house before his father-given name, and a woman before her mother-given name, but this is not enforced and deviations are rarely remarked upon.

But as with any system, it is the nobility that enjoys the true benefits. Nobles have two names like all others, but prefix both names with a number. These numbers must sum to the rank of their house, but are otherwise freely assigned. Though newborns use even or near-even splits, many nobles will re-name themselves and shift the numbers to reflect changing philosophies, hopes or aspirations, or a favoring of either parent. When the poet Four Gestures, Three Lions fell deathly ill, a fortune-teller told him that his divided loyalties, strewn among many noble houses, had caused his sickness, and so he changed his name to Six Gestures, One Lion, and kept it ever after he recovered.

A noble who marries into another house keeps their names, but must change their numbers: if Twelve Stars, Four Coals marries into the eleventh house, his name might change to Nine Stars, Two Coals.

As the house of kings, the first house is endowed with two names like any other. However, this house is given the unique right to the number zero, which the First Great Sage conceived. A king, it is said, must be one thing or another thing: he cannot waver, nor can he change without making it apparent to all the world. The current king is Zero Hawks, One Flower, who changed her name twice: once upon her proclamation of war, and once upon its end.

The second house is unique, for it alone cannot change its names. This is because they are the house of sages, advisors, and priests, who must be the calm constancy to the king's resolve. Foremost among them is One Ruby, One Branch, vizier to the king and wiser than any other living soul.

There are over twenty other houses, though some numbers are set aside to be granted to those of appropriate virtue. It is understood by all that this system has great benefits, as it communicates an individual's names, but also their relative rank, their philosophy, and even tells us something of their father and mother both. Why the remainder of the world sticks to their obsolete way of naming things continues to perplex even the wisest of Yedru-Har's sages.

[ofdutyx]

lady melessa florent .

while      my      roots      dig      deeper      inside      and      my      leaves      stay      bundled      up      tight,      i      felt      my      face      get      bigger      than      life.      not      only      did      i      survive,      i      learned      to      blossom,      finding      sunlight      in      the      grey,      knowing      i      will      be      okay.      i      learned      to      blossom,      finding      sunlight      in      the      grey,      flowing      lifeline      with      no      rain.      i   learned   to      blossom. - - -

# basic information.

official  name:  melessa florent.  nicknames:  lessa, les.  noble  title:  lady of brightwater keep.  date  of  birth:  april 14, 824 ac.  age:  twenty-five.  birthplace:  brightwater, the reach.  home:  brightwater keep, the reach.  nationality:  westerosi.  gender:  cis woman.  pronouns:  she/her.  orientation:  heterosexual.  monikers:  none at the moment.  languages:  the common tongue.  accent:  whatever the reach has.

# physical information.

faceclaim:  choi yewon.  ethnicity:  korean.  hair:  dark brown.  eyes:  brown.  height:  5'5.  build:  slender.  scent:  peaches.  dominant  hand:  right.  allergies:  none.  scars:  some minor ones from childhood.  distinguishing  features:  prominent ears, often hidden by her hair.  clothing  style:  fine, but simply designed gowns and robes ; pieces that draw little attention.

# personality.

label:   the wallflower.   mbti:   isfp.   enneagram:   the peacemaker - type nine.   element:   water.   star   sign:   libra.   temperament:   very, very low.   character   inspirations:   laney boggs from she’s all that ; tara maclay from buffy the vampire slayer.   deadly   sin:   envy.   heavenly   virtue:   chastity.   godly   parent:   demeter.

# drives.

hobbies:  painting, flower pressing, bird watching, mushroom collecting, gardening.  religion:  faith of the seven.  alliance:  house florent/her siblings.  personal goals:  to shine some light into the darkness that is clouding her eldest sibling.  would they choose family or power?  family.

# familial ties.

parent one:  axwell florent.  relationship:  negative.  parent two:  melara florent nee blackbar. relationship:  positive.  spouse:  none. relationship:  none.  sibling:  gwayne florent ( eldest sibling ). relationship:  very close.  sibling:  — florent ( older sibling ). relationship:  tba. 

# brief history.

tw: mentions of abuse. one would think being born into a noble family would make life easy. alas, for the florent children, their fates would be that of pain and suffering at the hands of the man they called father. for melessa, she was spared the worst of it–the sacrifice her eldest brother, gwayne, made had left him to bear the marks of the torment instead. at such a tender age, the girl would often cower behind her brother, both hoping and expecting that he would come between her and the wrath of their father. her brother never failed her, and it was only when melessa grew older that she understood that damage that such actions had caused the person she relied on most. the fear that was instilled in melessa as a child carried on into adulthood. she did not speak out of turn. she did not disobey. and she did not dare bring any ill attention to the family. instead, when foul emotions arose, the youngest florent would find solace in her paints. and when painting wouldn’t suffice, it was the outdoors that brought her comfort. from gardening to gathering mushrooms ( and even sitting outside for hours watching the birds ), melessa found perfect escapes from a less than pleasant family life. even in her grown years, melessa has found herself relying heavily on her siblings, particularly gwayne. she has made it her recent mission to bring some sort of light into his life–anything that would help shrink the darkness that grows inside him. the last thing she wants is to see her brother turn into the man their father is. and she will do anything to ensure she succeeds, even if it means putting off her own chance at marriage, children, and a life away from her father.

# headcanons.

melessa has little interest in marriage right now, as her focus is solely on her brother’s wellbeing. this has lead to her avoiding social events meant to promote such arrangements. when an event is unavoidable, she will simply make herself as small as she can and sink to the back of the room. her favorite bird is the black-throated blue warbler. though she paints anything and everything, her favorite subject to paint is nature, particularly flowers. she has a large collection of flowers that she has dried and pressed into books. they are amongst her most prized possessions. melessa takes her chastity very seriously, so seriously that the lady of brighthall has not even bestowed a romantic kiss upon another. even skin to skin contact with a male who is not of her own blood feels uncomfortable. like the rest of her family, melessa is less than pleased with house tyrell. what she feels for them is the closest thing to hatred she can muster. if she can help her family take the reach back, she will…even if it means doing things she never thought she would.

# wanted  connections.

birds of a feather:  friendship. - whether it’s painting, bird watching, or something else, your muse and melessa have bonded over it. though it can often be hard to find time to enjoy the hobby together, they always cherish the moments they can meet up. ( open for two muses, women only. she’s not about to catch a rumor. )

the unmasking: friendship - your muse has decided that melessa is far too lovely and kind to be hiding herself away from others. your muse has made it their mission to gently ease melessa out of her shell, hoping to unleash a beautiful, vibrant butterfly from her cocoon. ( open. women/fem. presenting only. )

a gentle failure: former betrothal - for some reason we’ll decide upon, a betrothal between your muse and melessa went bad. melessa holds no ill will toward your muse, as she’s far too gentle-hearted to do so. truthfully, she was quite relieved, as it meant she didn't have to leave her siblings' sides. this can be recent or years ago. ( open, men only. )the temptation: strong attraction - your muse has somehow managed to give melessa thoughts she almost never has. your presence tests her chastity and morals to the point it appears she is constantly angry with your muse. the anger and annoyance is only her attempt to convince herself she doesn't want to know what your muse's lips taste like. ( open, men only. )

from a distance:  one sided crush. - melessa is oblivious that your muse has very much noticed her at all the events she tries to go unnoticed at. your muse has decided to take the careful approach, learning what he can about her before swooping in to make his interest known. it’s unlikely that melessa will return any romantic interest, but who knows. ( open, men only. )