#okay so while writing this i looked it up in hungarian media

[bookwormstarwarsfan]

Somebody please explain me what is this ash on your forehead thing, and why half of the USA is histerical about it

I'm officially a Catholic, my country is Catholic, my grandparents are strictly following the rules and traditions, my studies included a lot of stuff about religion, but I have never heard of this. I mean about Ash Wednesday yes, but not the cross on your head.

But many Americans in the comments talk about this like it's the most important part of being a Catholic and is done by everybody for ages and how dare anybody not know about it or even criticizing those who overdo it for show off.

And I'm curious now

[ts1m1kas]

Original Ask: whenever you can would you be willing to write a piece about dominik and the reader being in the shy honeymoon stage of their relationship 🩷🩷🩷

Word Count: 1040 words

(author's note: my first dominik request !! i hope you enjoy it, my lovelies 🩷 i'm so sorry if you feel it doesn't match your ask, i've been so uninspired lately so i hope this makes up for my absence !!)

Anyone who looked at Dominik and Y/N would think they were a couple. They were inseparable. Being around each other at all times was normal for the pair, along with the subtle glances and their hands that were so often intertwined.

It was an average day for the pair. Y/N had gone over to Dominik’s house, eventually ending up in his bed, asleep in his arms. She couldn’t say she was surprised as it wasn’t the first time it had happened. Although the lines between friendship and romance had been blurred, the two adults still refused to address what was going on between them.

Y/N knew Dominik had training so she felt selfish for wanting to keep him tucked up in bed with her. Under the plush covers of his bed, wrapped in Dominik’s arms was her favourite place to be. He stirred softly, subconsciously pulling her closer to his body.

“Domi, it’s time to wake up. You’ve got training.”

The Hungarian grumbled, tucking his face into the side of her neck, clinging on to the last remains of sleep. He knew he had to wake up, but the bliss he felt in that moment clouded his rational thoughts.

“Five more minutes, it won’t take long for me to get ready.”

“No, you need to get up now. Your version of five minutes is more like fifty.”

He let out a laugh, now fully awake. He pressed a kiss to Y/N’s head and got up out of bed. He pulled on his training clothes and busied himself with getting ready. He ate breakfast, packed his bag and brushed his teeth before jogging back upstairs to say goodbye to Y/N.

“Bye gyönyörű, I’ll see you after training, okay?"

“Goodbye Dom, see you later.”

He waved at her as he exited the room and then turned his attention to putting his training bag into the boot of his car. Getting into the driver's seat, his mind wandered to Y/N. Dominik wanted nothing more than for her to be his girlfriend. She was kind, beautiful, and outgoing. He could list her good traits for as long as time. However, the fear of rejection had sunk its claws into him, and he remained silent about his feelings. 

He pulled into the car park of the training facility and turned off the ignition of his car. He grabbed his bag from the boot and headed to the reception to sign in. Making his way to the changing rooms, he spotted Curtis walking ahead of him.

“Curtis wait for me,” Dominik said, catching the attention of the scouser.

Curtis stopped in his tracks and turned around. He stood still as he waited for Dominik to catch up.

“You alright, Dom?”

Dominik nodded his head and the pair continued the short walk to the changing rooms. Once they arrived they pushed the door open and began to undress to put on their training gear.

“You know, I’ve been planning on asking this girl out. She’s the new social media intern. Have you seen her?”

Dominik’s heart dropped. He knew exactly who Curtis was talking about and the idea of them getting together made him feel sick.

“Are you talking about Y/N? I think she has a boyfriend.” 

“Oh really? Who’s her boyfriend?”

“Me.”

Curtis’ face fell.

“Sorry Dom, I didn’t realise.” Curtis scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with the man in front of him. 

“Don’t worry about it. Not many people know.”

Training went on as usual. Curtis tried to stay out of Dominik’s way while the Hungarian was having an internal crisis. He didn’t even know where the claim that he and Y/N were together came from. He was so blinded by silent rage that his thoughts weren’t coherent. He just said the first thing that came to his head.

He had to make it come true. He knew that if he let Y/N fall through his fingers he would regret it.

Once the team had been dismissed, Dominik rushed to grab his bags and pulled his car keys out of his pocket. The journey home was short, but in that moment it felt like an eternity.

As soon as he was parked in the driveway, he sprung out of the car and unlocked the front door.

“Y/N? Where are you?” He urged, the adrenaline surge giving him the confidence to finally tell the girl he loved how he felt about her after so many years.

“In here,” she replied from the living room, “Is everything okay?”

Dominik strode down the corridor and stopped in the doorway of the room Y/N sat in and looked straight at her.

“We need to talk, now.”

Her eyes widened and she patted the empty seat next to her, signalling for him to sit down.

“What are we?”

“Dom, what do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. Are we a couple? Are we friends?”

Y/N looked down at her hands. She picked at the skin on her fingers and fidgeted. She had been in love with Dominik for nearly as long as he had with her. The idea of them being a couple was something she had only dreamed of and now that Dominik had brought it up, she didn’t know what to say.

“Dominik, I don’t know-”

“I’m in love with you. I have been since the day I met you. It’s fine if you don’t feel the same way, but I can’t keep this to myself anymore.”

Y/N twisted her body to face the man who sat next to her. With trembling hands, she cupped his face and pressed her lips to his. Dominik was taken by surprise, but that didn’t stop him from kissing back as enthusiastically as he could muster. 

When they broke apart, Dominik smiled down at Y/N. 

“I think that answers my question.”

The silence that hung in the air was no longer filled with uncertainty and unsureness. It was filled with relief and reassurance. The silent agreement between the pair had been a long time coming, and both of them couldn’t be happier.

“I’d hope so,” Y/N responded, pressing a second kiss to his lips.

[f1]

Terry Crews is hailed for 'brilliant' Hungarian GP grid-walk interview with Martin Brundle - weeks after 'rude' Cara Delevigne was slammed

Terry Crews is hailed for 'brilliant' Hungarian GP grid-walk interview with Martin Brundle - weeks after 'rude' Cara Delevigne was slammed Terry Crews was interviewed by Martin Brundle on the grid in Hungary Sunday Fans hailed his kindness, in the same month Cara Delevigne was slammed  DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news  By Ben Nagle For Dailymail.Com Updated: 10:30 EDT, 23 July 2023 Hollywood actor and former NFL star Terry Crews has been hailed by fans for his 'brilliant' grid-walk interview with Martin Brundle - even flexing his pecs for the viewers on live television. Brundle's pre-race grid-walk has become a staple for Formula One fans around the world and it was no different in Hungary this weekend, with the Sky Sports analyst searching for famous faces before the action began. As he walked around the grid, he stumbled across Crews, who was at the Hungaroring as a guest of Red Bull Racing - attending his first ever Formula 1 race. Often celebrities are slammed for their unwillingness to be interviewed by Brundle, but that couldn't have been further from the truth with Crews as he appeared incredibly excited to be on the grid. 'Oh hey, how you doing?' Crews began, as Brundle introduced himself, before the actor exclaimed 'I'm revving up right now' while flexing his pecs for the camera. Terry Crews flexed his pecs for Martin Brundle during a hilarious grid walk in Hungary Crews was a guest of Red Bull for the race and appeared to be reveling in the opportunity The former Rams, Chargers and Redskins linebacker then added: 'This is my first F1 (race). And at Oracle Red Bull Racing, they've been so amazing to me. Taking me around. Showing me what's all about science and technology. 'You literally have a spaceship here on this track now. Oh my God, I'm looking at the future.' Fans quickly took to social media to hail the respectful Crews, with one writing: 'Dear celebrities, that is how you treat Martin Brundle', while another added: 'Brilliant!' Elsewhere, another F1 fan noted: 'Terry Crews a hugely refreshing change from how most American celebs greet Martin on the grid.' Earlier this month, Cara Delevigne courted huge controversy at the British Grand Prix when she snubbed Brundle's attempts to interview her. The presenter approached the supermodel with a Sky Sports F1 microphone but was quickly told by an apparent security aide that 'she doesn't want to talk'. Unperturbed, the racer-turned-broadcaster was clearly keen to get his chat anyway, saying: 'That's the deal now, everybody talks on the grid,' to which Cara responded: 'I can’t hear anything, sorry,' as the Red Arrows roared overhead. Crews shared images on his social media flexing his muscles and enjoying the hospitality Earlier this month, model Cara Delevigne hit the headlines for snubbing Brundle on the grid  The British model repeatedly turned down the opportunity to speak to the Sky F1 legend  She felt the wrath of fans on social media after opting against a short grid-walk chat with Sky The supermodel, who was seen wearing a chic black trouser suit with a matching bra underneath and a black baseball cap, gave a curt 'no', shaking her head, before repeating 'no' again. Clearly frustrated, Martin told her: 'The deal is everybody has to speak on the grid...' Unimpressed, Martin replied with more than a hint of sarcasm, telling viewers: 'Okay, well, I'm sure it would have been extremely interesting,' at which point the model offered a thumb's up to the camera. The contrast between Crews and Delevigne was not lost among F1 fans, as one wrote on Twitter: 'Terry Crews, a much more pleasant individual than Cara Delevigne, it has to be said.'  Share or comment on this article: Terry Crews is hailed for 'brilliant' Hungarian GP grid-walk interview with Martin Brundle - weeks after 'rude' Cara Delevigne was slammed via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

[orange-positivity]

Hi, I'm an Asian with very little background of Slovenian politics - could you please help me understand the situation on the ground and how's it come about?

Hi! I'm not the best with politics but I'll try my best

I'll first do a run through and then I'll put in bold what's happening right now but before I start, the main thing right now is that they want to shut down independent media

Just putting this first because it's the most important, okay now for the run through

Pretty much our former prime minister, Marjan Šarec resigned and so Janez Janša was elected by the National assembly in March, which is also when the coronavirus outbreak started in Slovenia. Now a lot of shit went on while we were in lockdown and I honestly can't tell you much about that because I wasn't really following politics at the time, but there was a thing with ordering unsuitable masks and respirators and also during the whole corona crisis, they tried to pass laws completely unrelated to the epidemic (because they knew all media attention was on the virus). Janez Janša and his political party (SDS) are also very right wing and corrupt (Janša actually went to jail for corruption a few years back)(he's also good friends with Orban, the Hungarian prime minister and I think he [Janša] owes him [Orban] some money?) and there were just a lot of allegations of corruption flying around during that time as well as bribing other parties into teaming up SDS to form the government (members of the parties who connected with SDS got promotions and raises). The government also gave themselves the highest paycheck possible, but they offered very little financial support to small businesses during the lockdown (as far as I know, the only thing small businesses got was that they can pay their taxes with a delay or something?). They also passed an amendment against the conservation of nature, but thankfully that's been put on hold by the constitutional court.

That was lockdown and the protests started in early April with people banging their pots and pans on the balcony. In late April, the bike protests started. So every Friday, people would ride their bikes on the streets around the parliament. There was a lot of shit with the police at the beginning, putting up fences on our protesting space for no good reason and writing people up or arresting them for BS. At this point I'd like to say that the protesters have never gotten violent. The most "violent" thing they did was throw massive paper airplanes across the fence.

But I feel like shit really hit the fan on the 24th of June. For context, 25th of June is Slovenian independence day.

So Slovenian Antifa organized an anti celebration on Prešeren square in Ljubljana (Slovenian capital) on the 24th, as to say "we don't support this government and what it's doing to our country". That's when the Nazis roll in. They saw what the antifa was trying to do and they said "okay, we'll go to Prešeren square as well as to show our support to the government". There were about 50 of them and they were all wearing neon yellow vests (no correlation with the Yellow Vests movement in France btw - they just stole their symbolism). Some (I think 11) of those "Yellow Vests" had Nazi tattoos and some of them were identified by other people as active members of the Slovenian neonazi group called Blood&Honour.

On the 24th, the police also put fences around half of Ljubljana city centre. People couldn't get to their homes, cars, bikes because the police wouldn't let them through... They [the police] did that so that the government officials could have their own private independence day celebration (on the Congress square which is about 200m from Prešeren square) without having to listen or look at the protesters.

After that, the nazis came to three more protests before deciding to "leave us alone" by mixing into our crowd (their words not mine), taking pictures of us and trying to expose us on their twitter account (@/RJopici). They call this "yellow monitoring" and they said they specifically target middle aged people employed in the public sector, NGOs and or on RTV (RTV is radio television Slovenia basically like the BBC)

What's happening right now

Janša is pushing to shut down RTV (the biggest independent media house in Slovenia). He says it's a leech to the Slovenian budget and not even necessary (because most of his voters watch Nova 24 TV anyway which is Janša's TV company and it's basically like the Fox news). Shutting down independent media is simply unacceptable. Hungary and Serbia already shut down most (if not all?) independent media and idk about Poland? But Janša looks up to those countries and wants Slovenia to be like them. So yeah, Janša and SDS are pushing to shut RTV down entirely or at least cut its funding. This on it's own is a bad thing, but it's really put in perspective when you see just how shitty and biased the reporting of politically owned media like Nova 24 or Planet TV is. They lie and turn everything around to cater to their agenda.

The other thing that's happening is we have an increased number of corona cases. We were down to only 6 active cases so the borders opened and a lot of Slovenians went to Croatia (which is a popular tourist destination for like most of Slovenians). So people brought in new cases from abroad and as of 25.7. we have 241 active cases (which isn't a lot compared to other countries but we are pretty small). Despite that, the government still doesn't want to shut down the borders again or at least put Croatia on the red list because putting Croatia on the red list would mean people returning from there would have to go into a two week self isolation period and that would mean people would be discouraged to travel to Croatia, obviously. But I'm pretty sure our government gets a share of the money Croatia makes from Slovenian tourists, which is why they don't want to restrict travel to Croatia just yet. Probably once the tourist season is over, they will restrict travel immediately.

Instead Nova 24 TV is blaming the protesters for the rise of infection numbers, which isn't true. If the new infections were in fact caused by the protesters, then Ljubljana would be the epicenter of the epidemic (since that's where the biggest protests are), but as of right now, Hrastnik is actually the epicenter and Hrastnik is in a whole different region than Ljubljana.

There's also now talk about stepping away from the Istanbul convention (just like Poland did) - but right now it's just some of the right wing politicians tweeting about it. As far as I know, Janša's government is also looking to privatize healthcare (rn we have free public healthcare). Obviously they won't do that in the middle of the epidemic, but it's one of their interests.

That's not even counting all the racists, xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic comments our politicians make on twitter daily.

Oh and if you're wondering where our president (Borut Pahor) is amidst all of this, he's posting selfies on Instagram and refusing to acknowledge the situation at all.

TLDR: our government is corrupt and wants to shut down independent media and just all in all make our country more like Poland or Hungary and people aren't happy with that

If anyone is from Slovenia, feel free to fill this in if I've missed anything or got anything wrong

[blankasolun]

source: Loudersound May 31, 2016

How Mayhem’s De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas changed metal

By Dayal Patterson (Metal Hammer) May 31, 2016

Mayhem are one of the most influential black metal bands on the planet, and their album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas remains a timeless classic

  It is an album whose significance, both inside and outside of black metal, has been acknowledged by a wealth of leading contemporary metal acts, from Watain to Enslaved to Inquisition, and one that led Nergal of Behemoth to proclaim it “the opus magnum of extreme metal”. Two decades after it was recorded, it continues to top ‘best album’ lists by longtime fans of the genre, while at the same time providing primary inspiration for new bands whose members were not even born when it was recorded. There are many who would say it is the single most important album in black metal’s broad and ever-growing catalogue, and very few who would argue that it is not, at the very least, a strong contender for that accolade.

The record in question is none other than Mayhem’s De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, a milestone work that the long-serving Norwegians are set to perform in full around Europe this year, including Finland, Norway and France. And well they might, for this is an album that has lost neither its devoted following, nor any of its potency, in the years that have passed.

There are plenty of even more hyperbolic (yet equally true) statements that could be made in support of this unique collection of songs. Yet the biggest testament to its artistic value is perhaps the fact that discussion of its recording, songwriting and performance qualities continues to outweigh the highly notable circumstances of its creation. Indeed, it is testament to Mayhem’s significance as a musical force that any music was able to overcome all the drama involved with the band during the period in question. For – as most reading this will probably know – this is also a record that captures the vision of a musician who was not only cut down in his prime, but cut down by a bandmate appearing alongside him on this very recording.

The former party is of course Mayhem guitarist and co-founder Øystein ‘Euronymous’ Aarseth, who was stabbed to death in his apartment in August 1993 by the latter, Varg Vikernes, best known for his similarly-influential project Burzum but also the bassist for Mayhem during the era of De Mysteriis’ creation. The ultimately fatal conflict between the two men is a long and complicated episode in black metal’s grim history that has been discussed at length by fans and media alike for two decades.

What is still worth noting today though, is that the album’s roots are intrinsically linked to two now-departed members of the band. The second is the Swedish-born vocalist Per Yngve Ohlin – otherwise known as ‘Dead’ – and in fact it was he who actually came up with the title; Latin for ‘Of Lord Satan’s Mysteries / Secret Rites’, and a title taken, he explained, from an occult book he had discovered. The fact that Dead took his own life in 1991, while the album was released in 1994, gives some idea of how long the band’s debut studio album was in gestation.

Certainly it was long enough that the band’s first full-length, the legendary live album Live In Leipzig, (recorded in November 1990 but released almost three years later) captured the band (the line-up then comprised of Dead, Euronymous, bassist Necrobutcher and drummer Hellhammer) performing no less than half of its eight numbers. The oppressive, melancholic and suffocating aura found on that recording would thankfully remain in place following the transition of these aforementioned songs to the studio. While the obvious standout track Freezing Moon ia a grim monochromatic epic that remains a fan favourite even today – the unholy and, well, freezing feeling within that song is just as present on Funeral Fog, Pagan Fears, Buried By Time And Dust.

Complementing these older compositions and undoubtedly giving the album a more three-dimensional character was the incorporation of four newer, somewhat more angular and twisting songs, namely the title track, Cursed In Eternity, Buried By Time And Dust and From The Dark Past. Euronymous’ playing had become somewhat more calculated and considered by this point, his writing influenced significantly by the introverted but talented guitarist Snorre Ruch, whose unique approach to riffing within his band Thorns had proven ridiculously influential within the Norwegian scene. In fact, Snorre (now going under the name ‘Blackthorne’) would be inducted into the group as a second guitarist prior to the album’s recording. Despite not appearing on the finished record, he would contribute entire Thorns riffs to several songs, his presence being felt not only during these moments but more generally through his impact on much of Euronymous’ creeping guitar work.

His other role would be to rearrange Dead’s lyrics on several songs in preparation for the deceased vocalist’s replacement, Attila Csihar. A Hungarian musician who was admired in Norway thanks to his short-lived but seminal black metal band Tormentor, his appointment and spirited performance remains a defining factor of the record, and it was one that provoked no small controversy at the time. In contrast to the more typical black metal vocal styles of the time he introduced an eccentric, otherworldly and theatrical approach incorporating a drawling delivery and lurching from screams and rasps to an almost operatic form of singing that makes a feature of his distinctive Hungarian accent.

“The way of singing it, we were talking about how to do it of course,” recalled Attila in an interview conducted back in 2009. “I heard some demo recordings that had been done by Dead and [previous vocalist] Maniac before, but I like individualism… so when I talked to Euronymous in the studio I said, ‘Why don’t we try something else instead of making again the traditional screamed vocals?’ The De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas song, when I looked at the lyrics there was this Latin line so I thought, ‘Let’s do this voice there.’ I came out with the low vocals with more melodies, and he liked it so much we did the whole recording that way.”

Though seemingly a long-running plan on the part of Euronymous, the decision to use Attila for the role proved as much of a surprise for other musicians in the Norwegian scene as it was for the Mayhem fanbase. After all, not only was Euronymous surrounded by an abundance of local talent, but many of the vocalists in the country actually knew the songs on the forthcoming album already, having listened repeatedly to an instrumental tape that had been making the rounds for some time.

“People were a little bit pissed that they didn’t receive the phone call,” recalled Grutle of Enslaved during the same interview, “but they thought, ‘Well that’s going to be interesting’ – and it was! Actually while [Attila was] doing the vocals Øystein went to the callbox and called me and said, ‘He sings like a sick priest, he sings in Latin, with an accent, it’s incredible!’”

Of course, one cannot mention De Mysteriis without mention of the pounding and detailed percussion that underpins it. A fine performance by one of black metal’s best known drummers, Hellhammer (a man who has performed for innumerable bands from Arcturus and Covenant to Dimmu Borgir and Shining), the formidable yet restrained drumwork is complimented by both the spacious, eerie and strangely minimal bass work and a powerful and gloriously unpolished production. The latter is no small factor in the album’s success and was apparently the result of a considerable amount of work on the part of both Euronymous and the infamous Pytten, a producer who spent much of the 1990s capturing iconic works by legends such as Enslaved, Burzum, Hades, Gorgoroth and Immortal.

“Euronymous had specific ideas about each instrument and he had specific ideas about echoes,” recalled Attila. “The drums were recorded in a huge concert hall, solos were recorded in a room and he was moving round all the time and saying, ‘Okay, there we have it.’ If you listen to records from the time and then De Mysteriis you hear the production is far and away better than anything else.”

“The whole album was recorded in very spacious areas,” confirmed producer Pytten. “Øystein, Hellhammer and me were walking about, talking about how to do it and I really wanted to use the stage for the drums. I really like big sounds — especially for the drums — and reverb on the leads. So the drums were done on stage and [in that hall] you have nine stories going up, so we closed the room side, but kept all the height.”

It isn’t only the drums that utilise large numbers of tracks, another defining ingredient in the album is the mass of multi-tracked guitars, which create a huge (yet suitably icy and treble-heavy) wall of sound, a perfect compliment to the similarly sizeable percussive bombardment. Indeed, the combination only accentuates the crushing and malevolent character of the whole record, the overall effect being a dense and impenetrable assault on the senses, one only balanced by the surprising touches of groove throughout the album.

And this is perhaps the last thing to underline, particularly for newcomers to the record. Though undeniably a standout opus, it is not an easily accessible work – even by black metal standards – and is not necessarily a gateway album. Nor is it meant to be. It is a purposely gloomy and aggressive beast, and one that makes no concessions to outsiders, instead following its own wilful and destructive path without any apology. Give it the time it deserves however, and it will be with you forever. We can only hope that its forthcoming live invocations are equally memorable.

The interviews in this piece were originally conducted for the book Black Metal: Evolution Of The Cult and appear in an extended form there. The book and its sequels are available at now.

#gallery-0-9 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-9 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; } #gallery-0-9 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-9 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

#gallery-0-10 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-10 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; } #gallery-0-10 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-10 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

How Mayhem’s De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Changed Metal source: Loudersound May 31, 2016 How Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas changed metal By Dayal Patterson…

[loukissdraws]

Reading report + artist research

I got a book from my dear friend and classmate Asia for Christmas, called Heroes by Stephen Fry. Fry is an English comedian, actor and writer, however so far, I have only known him for television.

In his book, which is a sequel to his first book, he writes about Greek heroes. However, his version of Medusa was a disappointed for me.

In his version, Medusa is one of the three Gorgon sisters, who gets cursed and turned into a monster - with snake hair and killing glaze. On the hand, the hero here is Perseus, who - in Fry’s version - accidentally gets into a conversation in a pub and after having too much alcohol, he agrees to kill the Medusa and bring her head, even though he does not know what a medusa is. His mother is angry, first because Perseus was drunk, and then after finding out what he agreed on, she fears for his son’s life.

Perseus, as a hero seems to be rather a university student, someone that we see a little bit our younger selves in, who doesn’t know anything about the world, at the same time he seeks for adventure. He gets help from other gods, he receives a magic helmet that turns him invisible, winged shoes from Hermes that can fly, and polished shield to see the reflection of Medusa without getting him killed. Perseus found Medusa beautiful even cursed, which overall inspired my animation as well. “Her eyes opened, He didn’t know what had expected, ugliness and horror, perhaps, certainly not beauty. But Medusa’s eyes, for all their blaze and fury, had a quality that made him want to turn from the reflected image and look deep into them for real.” 1 

At this point, I was hoping for a plot twist, but that never came. Fry wrote the classic story as it is, with a bit of humour in it. However, I was missing sort of a plot twist based on his previous works. Therefore I was quite disappointed after this chapter, as well as quite angry. I thought Medusa never deserved being raped for her beauty, as well as being punished for being raped. I was really expecting from Fry to “spice it up’ a little bit, but I felt like it was just the same story I could have also read online in any article.

---

Therefore I decided to do a much deeper research to see if there is any story or other interpretation of the original myth where there is a twist in the ending.

As I was searching through articles and texts in my local (Hungarian) online library, I came across a Hungarian article. It was a story of an artist who sculpted a Medusa statue with a twist, and how it started to influence women in the past years.

Luciano Garbati is an Argentine-Italian artist based in Buenos Aires, but he grew up in Italy, near Florence. He gained a sudden fame with his Medusa sculpture, when it went viral on social media short after the #MeToo movement. People were describing it as the “symbol of female rage” or the “modern symbol of feminism”

Garbati created a thought provoking statue, that shows a perfect female body, which despite the fact that she is completely naked, does not showcase any erotics, and not portrays her a sexual object. Yet, her face and glaze suggest force without a doubt.

In his work, Medusa became the ‘hero’ of the fight, as she ‘did what she had to do’ in order to defeat herself. She stands strong and stable on the ground, holding Perseus head in one of her hands, and a sword in her other.

According to the article, Garbati had always been interested in studying the human eye, gaze and looks. As an interesting turn, he said the fact that Medusa’s stare could turn people to stone, she did not kill them, but in fact she was making sculptures. He did not want to make Medusa appear as a classic winner or hero of this situation, as after all those things she had to go through, in the end it was still a tragic story because she overall lost the ability of human contact forever. However, with the plot twist gives Medusa the ability to win. The artist says in the article that he does believe that there are human personalities, therefore his statue is not an allegory, but indeed a statement.

Garbati said in an interview at Quartz, that he questioned Medusa as a monster, as she was only a victim of a rape, and nobody could blame her for that, as she was innocent.

The artist was inspired by two well-known Italian artists, who also made their versions of Medusa back in the years, Caravaggio and Cellini. While doing studies around these artwork, a question emerged in his head “What would it look like, her victory, not his? How should that sculpture look? I was thinking of Perseus, this man with all his gadgets, going there and having this victory. This difference between a masculine victory and a feminine one, that was central to my work. The representations of Perseus, he’s always showing the fact that he won, showing the head…if you look at my Medusas…she is determined, she had to do what she did because she was defending herself. It’s quite a tragic moment.”

He made this statue more 10 years ago, however the fame for him arrived after the #MeToo movement after somebody posted a photo of this statue with the caption “The way it always should have been.” It is now exhibited in New York, USA. After the exhibition Garbati started to receive hundreds of letters and messages from women, saying his sculpture is healing them and their wounds that had been caused by sexual assault or violence by men.

As a conclusion, I really liked Garbati’s work and his concept about Medusa. I disagree with portraying Medusa as a monster, instead I think she should get more attention as a victim of violence. Garbati’s work deeply inspired and encouraged me to go forward with my animation, and be brave with a plot twist. 

Reference:

1 Fry, Stephen, 2018. Heroes, p.33., Penguin Random House UK

https://qz.com/quartzy/1408600/the-medusa-statue-that-became-a-symbol-of-feminist-rage/

https://hvg.hu/kultura/20190110_A_Meduzaszobor_ami_gyogyitja_a_noket  (sorry, this one is in Hungarian, I hope that is still okay to use?) 

[worrywirt]

The music video for There There by Radiohead is a masterpiece and here is why

So, as many of you might know already, There There and Nude are my two favourite songs by my favourite band, Radiohead. They are two very unique songs that move me in different but equally intense ways. But what makes There There extra special to me is the video, which managed to combine basically all the things that I love: spooky forests, little animals in clothes, hollow trees with winding roots, references to fairy tales and literature and a dream-like, voyeuristic atmosphere. I am first going to analyse the song itself, then how combined with the video, it is one of my favourite pieces of media I have ever seen.

Lyrics here. As the song starts off, it already feels like the listener is dropped inside a weird, intense primal world. I love percussion-heavy music and when I first heard it, the use of tom-toms and alienating, hardly recognisable sounds already reminded me of one of my other favourite artist’s best-know song: Björk’s Human Behaviour. I can’t really explain it if you don’t hear it, but both have this hypnotic, primal quality that beckons you in right off the bat. Then Thom’s mournful voice sings: “In pitch dark/ I go walking in your landscape/ Broken branches/ Trip me as I speak”. Not to go all A-Level English on his ass because let’s be honest, Thom’s lyrics are often nonsensical and vague, but I love this verse so much. It goes perfectly with the instrumental, starting off in a way that is like the start of a story; the words painting you a picture that is both dreamlike and frightening. To me, it describes falling in love in a way: “I am walking in your world, and I don’t know the way, and it’s all new and confusing and dark and sometimes I say the wrong things but I am still exploring, and it’s beautiful”

After this start that frankly hits you in the chest like a basketball in year 9 PE, we are treated to a combo attack with the lines “Just 'cause you feel it/ Doesn't mean it's there”. In classic Radiohead fashion, all the perceived optimism from the first verse is denied from us, basically saying “just because you feel a connection, it doesn’t mean it’s real”. Trust issues central. But it can also be interpreted to mean emotions in general, which is usually how I (a very emotional person) interpret it: feelings technically aren’t real. And the way you perceive the world while you are Going Through It™ is not always correct. No, everyone doesn’t hate you because their world isn’t centred around you: stop obsessing. It’s okay. There, there. (This is also reinforced later on with “someone on your shoulder”, basically saying it’s just your brain playing tricks.) Additionally, some think it’s referring to a dream, which would fit thematically with the music video.

The next verse to me is about the temptation of a bad decision while Going Through It™. Yes, it would be very easy to do the wrong thing, to go off this path that is making it really hard to get up in the morning: but it would also ruin you. I also interpret “don’t reach out” as coming from the siren (i.e. surprise, surprise: depression) – it wants you to self-destruct, to be a “walking disaster” but that, however tempting, is the wrong thing to do. The use of “we” also works with the “someone on your shoulder” line, and to me (however cringy that sounds) it means that music will always be there for me and help me work things out. It can also be applied to the relationship angle: the couple are in the same boat (/ship), and if one of them does something self-destructive, it will affect both. Both of these options work with the “Why so green and lonely? (…) Heaven sent you to me” lines. It’s interesting because the religious interpretation on Genius always annoyed me – Radiohead are the least religious band ever! This is the only religious reference I can think of from the top of my head, minus “angel” in Creep – but because it’s so rare, maybe it has a reason to be here? Maybe it IS about God after all, but I don’t really think so. Also, to me the imagery of “green and lonely” and the nautical “siren” and “shipwreck” have a much bigger weight visually than “heaven”, so they negate the religiousness in my eyes. I think it’s about two broken people finding each other, but also finding it hard to figure out how to fit together. They’re thinking that it might be a lost cause and destruction is right around the corner, but the best they can do (is good enough) is try and be there for each other while they head towards their ultimate end. Very comforting in a twisted way, which is Radiohead’s specialty.

So, let’s talk about the VIDEO!!! I’m writing this after an HQ version was FINALLY released on their website, so I’m going to use screenshots of that because oh my god, it’s beautiful. 

We start off with the “pitch-dark landscape”, more-or-less just as I imagined it while listening to the song. Although it is kind of drab and boring at the start, this only emphasises the magical quality of what it becomes later, as our protagonist Thom (I’m going to call him by name but I’m obviously referring to the character, not the real person) heads deeper and deeper inside. Oh, how I love forests in the dark. Nothing else has the same perfect ambiance.

Thom is walking in a way that matches the rhythm and the dreamlike atmosphere of the song, i.e. somewhere between an alien who just learned the way the Earthlings walk and the exaggerated, slightly sped-up movements of a silent movie star. We already know he has an affinity towards both bowler hats (Lotus Flower video) and pantomime-like acting (ANIMA) so this is truly on brand. He then sees dark clouds pass at a breakneck pace (again, the dreaminess of it all... chef’s kiss), then confused and lost, heads back into the forest which this time looks a lot less boring and “real” then at the start. The dark clouds can be interpreted as a warning of things to come (“stay out, not safe”), which he ignores or just a sign that something is off and we’re not in Kansas anymore.

So as he turns back, we’re treated to my first Favourite Moment: Thom finding the beckoning yellow light and deciding to follow it. The way he is acting suggests both curiosity and sneakiness, like he suspects the thing emitting the light is much better than his original destination (if he had a destination at all). 

I love the way the light is illuminating his eyes here, it again reminds me very much of old movies (and Morticia Addams in the 90s movies, but probably because the filmmakers also took inspiration from the same well)

Oh my god, just look at this shot. Beautiful. Lothlórien who?? I only know magical glowy Radiohead forest. Because yes, we’ve obviously crossed the path between realms the minute Thom decided to pursue the yellow light (which can also be connected to the “siren singing you to shipwreck” in the lyrics). This is now the land of magic and fairy tales, and strange things are afoot. 

Again, I gotta stop analysing for a moment and just note that the amount of serotonin this gives me would fuel 10 people for a year. For anyone who doesn’t know me well enough, animals in little clothes living in little well-arranged dwellings inside a tree are in the top 5 things that make me happy, and combined with Thom Yorke Radiohead peeking in the window like an innocuous tourist… and the warm light illuminating the miniatures… perfection. Okay, moving on.

Thom is exploring this strange world of anthropomorphic animals like an awkward giant, without seemingly anyone noticing him. This adds to the alienation seeping from the music: this is a weird and wonderful place but you don’t belong here (sorry for the Creep reference, swear it was not intentional). He first saw a pair of squirrels, chilling in their house; then a big banquet; then a cat wedding (power of 3, the fairy-tale number). If we are going with the dream metaphor here, these might be alluding to things happening in real life, especially the wedding as he actively walks away from it, but this is just a speculation. Mostly it just shows that these animals are living in a happy little community and we love that for them! But it also make me feel like this is a coping mechanism for our protagonist here. Apparently Thom (the real one) got the idea for this video from a children’s TV show called Bagpuss: I had a look and it’s the tear-jerkingly comforting and nostalgic stop-motion series that everyone needs one of in their lives (I have several, both English and Hungarian). The subtitle “The Boney King of Nowhere” refers to a song in episode 2 about a king who wasn’t comfortable on his throne: according to this link, this resonated with Thom, who found himself on a pedestal he never wanted. (It’s kind of funny that a little kid’s song about a king’s bony ass has such a sick name though). He also wanted the original creator of the show (Oliver Postgate) to animate the video but he declined. Anyway, the "fifties East European genre animation, overlaboured and naïve” aesthetic, to me, symbolises comfort and warmth that our protagonist doesn’t feel at home in.

So off he goes, into the dark heart of the forest. Also, important to note the patch of fog that keeps showing him the way: is this the siren’s song physically manifested, pulling him away from the warmth of community? (”don’t reach out, don’t reach out”)

He then climbs up and sees a golden coat on a tree inside some kind of ancient ruin. This to me immediately brought to mind the Golden Fleece from Ancient Greek myth, which was the fleece of a magical ram that hung on an oak tree. It signified kingship, linking back to the subtitle. Thom sneaks to the tree, looks up at the ravens (7 of them: another fairy-tale number) and when he sees they are sleeping, tries on the coat. I found it interesting how at this point the coat looks quite ordinary, drab and brown – possibly a metaphor for a decision that you know is bad but you do it anyway; and by the time you realise it actually didn’t feel as good as you thought, it is too late - he listened to temptation (the sirens). He even takes the boots from inside the tree, which reminded me of SO many of the folktales that I grew up on: it’s not enough that the bad sibling did this one bad thing, they even did ANOTHER bad thing, which cements the listener in believing them to be irredeemable and worthy of the awful fate the tale has in store for them. The ravens (birds of death and in this case agents of justice) wake up – Thom has a little “oh shit” close-up and then start running for his life in his new attire.

Addition: another theory I found interesting among the comments is that this place is Limbo -  “

The gothic look of the ravens chasing Thom with the rising full moon is such a huge contrast to the warm, comforting glow of the stop-motion animal town, but it makes sense with the crescendo of the music and it’s dark and menacing cacophony: “we are accidents waiting to happen”. This was Thom’s mistake: and now there is no turning back. (Quick note: his running here reminds me once again of the Human Behaviour video – I am working on another similar essay that concentrates on how Radiohead and Björk are mirrors of each other so look out for that). 

He thinks he is saved for a moment by the magical seven-league boots (another folktale reference) but it is only a false hope. He gets his punishment and turns into a tree by what we can assume to be a painful and terrifying process (I love his facial expression so much). The ravens arrive and we realise that this is most likely how the previous tree met his or her fate. The cycle continues. He is now the Boney King of Nowhere.

One of my favourite mental images is people taken over by nature: not in a decomposing way but more like a Hanahaki disease way. Thom turning into a tree reminded me of a couple of things: one, my other favourite piece of entertainment Over the Garden Wall, which is very similar in tone to this video (if I ever meet Thom, I genuinely only want to ask him if he’s ever seen it and if yes what his thoughts are on it). SPOILERS for OTGW: the Beast turns lost children into trees and uses oil from the trees to keep his lantern alive, which is basically his life source – in this case the tree-person seems to be the living beating heart of the forest. The way the tree-curse is transmitted also reminded me of how the lantern was (nearly) passed down to Wirt. Basically, it is an inheritable burden. Two, and this isn’t my interpretation but I thought I’d mention it: Daphne & Apollo, wherein Daphne hides from Apollo’s sexual advances by turning into a tree. This doesn’t really fit the tone of the scene in my opinion, because Thom’s transformation is an involuntary punishment; but it kind of connects to the other reference to Greek myth, Odysseus and the sirens (both chasing after women, or the impossible dream). Three: Dante’s Inferno, in which the second ring of the seventh circle is the Wood of Suicides where “the souls of the people who attempted or committed suicide are transformed into gnarled, thorny trees and then fed upon by Harpies, hideous clawed birds with the faces of women; the trees are only permitted to speak when broken and bleeding”. Whomp whomp, it was a suicide metaphor :/ And it wasn’t a dream, it was Limbo - a thematic preoccupation of the band, so not impossible.

A comment I found relating to this: “After death you have to cross over. He got distracted by the nice and shiny shoes and jacket (don't reach out), hence the siren that leads you to shipwreck (Odysseus). When you want to enter the spiritual realm you have to be able to leave the material world behind or you shall not pass. He was distracted, got caught and changed into a worldly tree (he was still to attached to the material realm). The so-called reality we live now is the dream. (Just 'cause you feel it doesn't mean it's there). He remembered that he died and came back to this illusion. We are stuck in a lift....” I really like this interpretation of Thom’s downfall being too attached to materialism/ fame & fortune. I wonder what he meant by “came back to this illusion”? Also, who are the animals in this scenario: aspects of Thom’s life or other people, stuck in Limbo/ every-day oblivion?

This wouldn’t be the first or last time Radiohead explores the concept of death, so I don’t think it’s far-fetched. And it fits with the lyrics too, as I’ve discussed briefly above: this is what happens when you listen to the siren (the fog, the light) and stray away from the cute animal town, Thomas! I’m joking because it is kind of a bummer to end it on this, but I just love how dense and layered this video is. Most of their videos are top-notch but this one just hits a really sweet spot for me, so yeah! 2500 words! I’m glad you came along, pardner! Goodbye till next time!

[autunno101]

Takoda

Writing-prompt-s:  A villain kidnaps the hero’s sidekick, only to realize the hero has been badly mistreating them, and decides to take the sidekick under their wing.

He looked a little pale, but that could be just the light. However, his thinness and obvious fragility under the baggy clothes - looked more like hand-me-downs - could not be so easily explained away. He had only just arrived...

"Where'd he get the black eye?" Of course, his men were not expected to be gentle with the sidekick, but the condition was alarming.

"We grabbed him from the back of the station, nursing it with an ice pack." At the villain's nod, he continued, "didn't really struggle too much. I don't think we even bruised him..." The man cleared his throat. "Those other bruises weren't from us."

Other?!

The villain opened the door, no longer interested in only peeking through the tiny window. His sudden and intimidating appearance had the young man cowering in his corner.

Yellow bruises lined his arms, several looking suspiciously like handprints and none of them fresh enough to be the cause of his men. Face-to-face, he could see sickly bones protruding from sunken flesh.

The sidekick shook under the villain's presence.

In an attempt to calm him, he waved his security out of the room and they waited just outside the still open door. Near, but out of view.

Krisztian Simon, known under the name Hydra - Agent Hydra when employed under Sidero. Recently, the media had taken a liking to the name 'Guta'. A Hungarian demon. His number of victims had increased greatly in the past six months, though that may be due to the sudden and huge losses he sustained, and most landed underground. The name became suitable.

If Takoda recalled correctly, Sidero had been his first official victim after breaking off as a solo villain. Killing her after a supposedly large fight over the direction they should take.

Both had been powerful water manipulators. Sidero preferring to kill her victims by drowning and Hydra - or Guta - physically sucking the water from their bodies. Either gruesome to watch.

Now a highly wanted, international criminal responsible for stealing and selling military weapons and plans to either terrorists, villain organizations, or warring countries.

"Forgive me for not knowing your name, at least, how to pronounce it, Takoda." He squatted down to be eye level. "You're a healer... sidekick to Lady Vienna."

Her real name was Bernita Mora.

Bernita had been a real-life superman, towering over the average man with the strength to easily lift a semi-truck and fly at a max of Mach 3. The world loved her and from her heroic acts, ranging from her home in Costa Rica to Japan she loved the world.

"It's Pejihuta Witshasha." Krisztian could barely hear him.

"An easier name would have been better. The press simply call you 'The Healer'. Though, I haven't seen you since your... what? Third live appearance? You were a lot heavier then too..." He intended to poke his stomach in jest, but Takoda flinched away from him. "What does it mean? You're little sidekick name."

"Healer." Again, Krisztian strained to hear.

"Alright..." Seemed stupid to him. "Do you know who I am?"

"Hydra..."

"The press like 'Guta' nowadays." He stood and carefully helped the young healer to his feet. "You can heal yourself, can't you?" Only a trembling nod in response. "Why haven't you?"

The change came suddenly. And a bit violently.

Takoda squirmed out of his hold, scratching even to break free of Krisztian's light hold. He dashed back into his corner, his trembling increased and he hid his gaunt face in the crook of his elbows.

The subordinates outside the door shrugged at their boss's questioning brow.

"Takoda." Sternly, he pulled the kid to his feet and lead him out the door with a bit more force than before. "Let's talk."

After a shower, some ointment for the bruises he refused to heal - there was something to that and Krisztian planned to figure it out - and dinner, Lady Vienna wasn't so kind after all. At least, not to the criticism magnet her sidekick turned out to be.

Takoda, Krisztian admitted, wasn't fat. Not like how the media relentlessly teased. A little chunky with no real strength or stamina, but otherwise a healthy kid. Someone who sought to help those in need. Lady Vienna, of course, found his abilities useful. Bullets could still hurt her after all.

The press were quick to point out the adorableness of their obvious different builds. Their view changed rapidly to poking fun and degrading.

A fan of his native heritage, Takoda sought to make his family proud with his choice of name. Unfortunately, while Lady Vienna had no issues with one being proud of one's heritage, the media disagreed, finding more ammo to use in their taunts. Criticism was one thing the superhero would not stand for, especially when she felt heat because of her certain young man by her side.

If the press didn't appreciate his lack of build or the "excessive" pride in being Sioux, then neither did Lady Vienna.

"You know, Guta is a demon in Hungarian myth." They had been silent for a bit after dinner and Krisztian sought to end the silence. Takoda had been much too afraid to engage in small talk. "Your translate more accurately to a Sioux healer, correct? Medicine man?"

His men had been diligent in their search during dinner including finding Lady Vienna's excuses for her sidekick's public absences after fights.

Too weak at the moment.

Because you were starving him.

Badly injured.

Because you beat him every time the media sneered at you.

Shy.

More like afraid.

Unavailable...

Takoda had only been 17 when first meeting Lady Vienna. Standing proudly at 5'5" and used to be over 175 lbs.

Now, at 19 years old, he stood around 100 lbs.

"Yeah..." His hesitancy to answer made Krisztian cringe.

"I prefer Guta because it sort of reflects my own heritage. And my reputation." The confession sparked curiosity in Takoda.

"Really?" The villain nodded, laughing at the excitement.

"Yes, really. Much better than Hydra." Venom laced his tone at the former name. "Stupid Sidero. Always so arrogant," he grumbled but didn't elaborate.

Takoda had nothing to say to that.

"Tell me, Sioux Healer," once more, the 19-year-old perked up, "do you think she will come for you?"

Half a world away, the sunset lit the sky a somber orange, chased by indigo. Twinkling lights off a city in the valley shone so brightly, it blocked the stars, despite the stronghold's superior altitude in the mountain's side.

"Yes."

"But, not because she has to."

"No."

For such a scared child, Krisztian noted that Takoda had not once stuttered. Mumbled. Whispered. Never stuttered.

"You could always stay here. Though, I'm sure you haven't seen you're family in a long time... Would you work for me?" He expected a flat out no.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." He was happy with the answer he received, even if not a definite yes.

"You don't have to." Guta stood, beckoning the younger man to follow. "I hope you understand I will you use you as evidence to display her cruelty. To ruin her."

"I guessed..."

He continued, unfazed, "good. There are always other heroes and non-heroes alike that oppose me and my operations." Hopefully, a small reassurance. "After a few photographs, I'll send you home, okay?"

Takoda nodded glumly.

Once home, Takoda took his time recovering, staying removed from the public as Lady Vienna came under fire. Many still supported her, but with Takoda "missing" and his family not speaking out per his wishes, the debate remained one of the biggest unsolved superhero issues.

About a month later, Takoda found a package, addressed to him, sitting on his porch. He hadn't heard a knock or the doorbell ring.

A neat note sat on top of a pile of clothes and other items.

Takoda,

I hope you've gained some much-needed weight since we last met. From what I understand, Lady Vienna and others believe you are still under my care. My accusations have only angered her, but I'm dealing with the blowback pretty well.

I know you had a goal of helping people. Take this card and use it as you wish. I'm sure you'll go where you feel as you needed. Your culture is important to you, but perhaps a different name would suit you and be better for the public's sake. Perhaps a role model's name?

-K. Simon

P.S.: If you know Captain Thunder, he sends his regards, as well as his young sidekick, Boo. I did tell them I sent you home and they haven't publically announced it - I don't think they were the only ones suspicious.

Takoda inspected the black card, surprised it was real. He had never had one before. Perhaps before meeting Lady Vienna, he had thought about it, with the prospects of a new job.

It had his full name in silver on the front.

"Woah..."

The clothes were nice too. Cotton t-shirts, jeans, formal button-ups, and slacks. A few silk ties. A brand new Rolex watch with dusted gold and diamonds. Several pairs of sneakers and loafers.

Krisztian had no reservation about spending money apparently. But, when you're a villain with supposedly a billion corporation you had money to spend.

The young healer hadn't met Captain Thunder, a loud, but pretty cool Canadian hero that manipulated sound waves. Boo was a ten year old from Chad with the ability to turn invisible. Her powers extended beyond just herself and she could turn objects she touched invisible as well. Often, she liked to spook the reporters, much to the Captain's amusement.

Perhaps he would meet them one day.

Re-reading the note, Takoda suddenly had an idea and raced to his bookshelf where he had kept a lot of books relating to the Lakota, his mother's people. In particular, he had several relating to the Black Elk, a medicine man, and participant in the Wounded Knee Massacre.

While his mother had disagreed with several of the books, written mainly by non-natives, he found some quotes comforting.

It wasn't easy growing up with his abilities, especially when he was younger. He never lived on a reservation, though he knew relatives that did, and his father, a non-native, graduate engineer from Chicago, didn't agree with his maternal family's interpretation of his abilities or the sudden pressure laid on his shoulders.

When he was seven, his parents moved away to Iowa, which was equally easier and difficult. His biracial status didn't mix well with his black relatives, but they at least were kept from knowing about his powers.

One quote in particular was "...I cured with the power that came through me."

Takoda had questioned whether Black Elk had actually said it as his mother's doubts and criticisms of the book echoed through him time and time again. But, he had decided a while ago that it didn't matter. In context, out of context, real or fake; it brought him comfort.

Krisztian was right. "The Healer" was what he did, but not who he particularly was. "Pejihuta Witshasha" was too difficult for the press - as much as that insulted him.

Guta described Krisztian based on reputation, but not necessarily ability...

Lady Vienna chose her name as more of a nickname.

Captain Thunder... well, Takoda had no idea where he got the name from and Boo got hers because that's what she always said scaring reporters.

Takoda wanted to reach those in need, but such a task would take him all over the globe. Many cultures had their own view on healing and with it, he wanted to adapt to it.

Why be one if he could be many?

Early in this process, he decided to stick to the shadows. Avoiding heroes and villains alike for his own safety. As such, black or navy would need to become a part of his attire.

Guta was surprised, pleasantly so, at how quickly the "Black Bear" and "Black Stag" appeared throughout North America over the span of two months only to disappear.

The media speculated if the appearances were individuals or the same person while others claimed it to be the work of some type of cryptid. However, the collective terms "Black Healer" and "Black Healer Society" were often used.

Shortly afterward, the "Black Hummingbird" began to spread its wings over South America. It took a while and after heavy debate that remained mainly unresolved, the public believed the figure to be some kind of bird. The hummingbird becoming more likely due to the images of a unique long beak that extended from the face and colorful reflectors of a sort that made use of the moonlight and city lights to produce a beautiful metallic look.

Guta quickly checked the card he had given the healer, noting only a few charges here and there. Mainly flights and bus rides back and forth across the countries. Still, Takoda must have been using a lot of his personal money.

It took a bit, especially since Takoda moved quickly and almost at random. Useful for hiding from those seeking him out. Nonetheless, Krisztian found him.

A small Haitian village. Dressed in dark, casual clothes with a cloak. No animal symbolism.

"No animal this time?" The healer jumped at the familiar voice.

"Gu-... uh, I mean Mr. Krisztian..." As awkward as ever, Takoda glanced around them. Of course, the famous Guta wouldn't travel without some degree of protection hence the number of armed men surrounding them.

"I see you haven't finalized your outfit yet or was that what you were going for?" Krisztian nudged Takoda along to the jeep not far from the small alley.

"I... uh... wanted to use animal symbolism, but the internet hadn't been very cooperative with me." The older man hummed thoughtfully.

"One symbol should be enough."

Takoda shook his head but didn't elaborate until they reached a resort. Apparently, the villain preferred to stay in luxury.

"I wanted it to be significant to them..." He continued to follow the villain, uncomfortable with his shabby appearance contrasting against the upper-class finesse.

"The bear represents healing, the stag... I don't quite-"

"It varies but I was aiming for longevity and gentleness."

"Alright, and the hummingbird was optimism, yes?" Krisztian gestured to a secluded booth from the other guests.

"Basically... why am I here?" While the security gave them space, the atmosphere remained heavy and intimidating.

"To catch up, of course." Krisztian tapped the menu before sliding it his way. "Wine and food all on me."

"I don't drink..."

"Soda, water, whatever you'd like." He waved his hand in the air, unconcerned. "I expected a bit more weight on you."

Takoda had removed his cloak, revealing the still oversized clothes he wore underneath.

"Oh... uh..."

Krisztian shook his head in disapproval.

"The card was for you to use to your heart's content. Including feeding yourself and putting a roof over your head during your travels." With that, Krisztian waved over a waiter and they placed their orders.

After spending the night, Takoda was booked a flight home. He needed more time to think.

The mysterious healer or healers disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Months rolled by without an appearance.

Then, as winter rolled through, photos surfaced from Ethiopia. A hunched black shadow wandered almost empty streets with horns upon its head.

Press, blog sites, and cryptid believers were quick to tear the photos apart. The assumed horns were really antlers. Bear claws covered the hands. An assumed stag head covered the face. It took a while, but another managed to find more photos of it traveling along the African east coast. Most notable were the ones under the full moon where the light reflected a familiar, colorful pattern across the arms to the back.

A mash of the three healers before.

Because of the animal symbolism and the communities most believed theories, the public took the liberty of calling the healer "Shaman". Many referred to the healer as a cryptid rather than a man and most notable suspected it to be capable of shapeshifting between four forms.

In a public announcement by several heroes including Captain Thunder, Guta had reassured them he would not lay a hand against the Sioux Healer - as was a concern considering the healer's sudden travels into the villain's prominent domain. A domain that traveled from Somalia, up the coast, across the Arabian Peninsula and into Jammu and Kashmir.

His statement seemed to confirm the theory of the healer's native origin and spun new debates.

However, as if to keep people on their toes, the healer would vanish only to reappear as a bear, stag, or hummingbird or as the entangled embodiment. Its work remained seemingly random to the public and continued to be uncaught by the press or heroes.

Lady Vienna expressed great public interest in meeting the Shaman. Despite her attempts, Takoda managed to stay out of her grasp and eventually feeling unsafe, he abandoned everything. Abandoned his outfit. His personal items. The credit card from Krisztian. His mission down the east coast of Africa.

She came much to close and in a moment of panic, he disappeared into the Kenyan savannahs. Thankfully, commotions began to appear globally, including South Africa, and she was forced to stop her pursuit.

Hiding away, he accepted the kindness of strangers when offered and stayed off every beaten path. He continued south.

Takoda crossed the path of many heroes, local and foreign as they aimed to take down several terrorizing organizations. He kept his distance.

Starving, he entered a city despite the war zone it had become. Perhaps there would be food and clothes abandoned for him to have. His had been torn from the travel, the ambushes, and predators.

Here, his powers were limited to an almost unfair level. His exhaustion and hunger only hindered him further. Still, he tried to comfort those dying by easing their pain, unable to extend their lives.

A little girl laid under some rubble and all he could do was close her eyes.

"You shouldn't be here, Sioux Healer." He froze at the unfamiliar voice.

A large man stood behind him, bloodied from the fighting. From his black combat boots to the jockey straps and cut to fit shirt, he bled a fighter. Not local however by his white skin and dirty blonde-ish hair.

Takoda's eyes widened at the trademark hat that hid his cropped hair. One that had a logo of a maple leaf overlapped by a military jet surrounded by a blue circle.

The Canadian hero, Captain Thunder.

"Takoda, Lady Vienna is here. You need to go." With a hand signal, Boo appeared by his side in a fine, colorful, and decorative dress with a matching head-ware that hid most of her hair. Takoda assumed traditional clothing for her people. "Boo will help you out of the city."

The Captain took off without much of a word, heading to the thickest fights in the city.

"He doesn't want me to join anyway." Boo sounded a bit dejected, but took Takoda's hand and led him away.

"He cares for you."

"Like Lady Vienna should have for you?" Her bluntness hit him hard. "Sorry." Apparently, she noticed.

Wishing to change the subject, he asked, "how many languages do you speak?" It was well known her first appearance with the hero had been to help translate for him.

"Including dialects... seven fluently." It had been debated before, but the numbers were impressive. And she only counted what she was fluent in.

"That's impressive."

"Thank you. My parents are big advocates for education in Chad. I spend more time with them and doing school work than with Captain Thunder." That also bummed her out. Before Takoda could ask, she answered, "I only get to hang around for reporters and small crimes. Me being here was an accident."

"Things like this can be dangerous."

"I know..." With that, Boo quickly hushed him and they ducked out of view as people passed by.

She kept them invisible as they moved past fights, survivors, and emergency personnel.

At the very edge of the city limits, Krisztian waited. Angry at Takoda's starved appearance.

"I believe I told you to gain weight, not lose it." Krisztian grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him to the guarded helicopter.

Takoda limply let him shove him inside and deflated as he offered a kind hand to Boo.

Takoda folded him into himself, keeping silent as they headed to a small, private airport. On the plane, Boo sat beside him as Krisztian talked with others outside.

Alone, she patted his hand, "if it helps, Captain gets depressed too. I think its because the ratio of people he saves is small compared to how many he couldn't."

The thought was depressing. Captain Thunder had such a loud, joyous, and respectful persona that made it hard to believe. But it made sense.

"Thanks, Boo." Takoda smiled her way, grateful, but that wasn't the problem.

"Krisztian, for a villain, is exceptionally caring. Captain was surprised too." Boo didn't elaborate as said villain returned.

Boo left first, her parents already awaiting her return. Krisztian remained on the plane, hidden away lest they know who dropped her off. Afterward, they headed for the stronghold in the east.

Takoda did his best to avoid the villain, staying closed off and curt in his answers. When they landed and Krisztian went to guide the kid by the shoulder down the ramp, he noticed him flinch. Takoda nearly tripped over his own feet to get away.

"Takoda..." His words were soft and his touch gentle as he helped the healer regain his balance. "I'm not going to hit you. Come on. You need a full meal, not just snacks." Even though Takoda had received fresh clothes, Krisztian removed his jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders.

Inside, Takoda feasted on everything they gave him. His father would have been upset at his behavior, to say the least. He had always been big on manners.

Krisztian watched, disgusted, but never uttered a sound of protest. Let the kid eat.

Takoda, finally feeling full in months, became over consciously aware of his surroundings and took a napkin to wipe his hands and mouth.

"Sorry..."

"Don't be. More?" He began to wave over a servant, but Takoda stopped him.

"No, I'm... I'm good." Taking a gulp of water, he cleared his throat. "Can I ask you something?"

Krisztian quirked a brow at that, "sure."

"When did you and Captain Thunder become friends?"

Krisztian laughed, "oh no. We're not. The only thing we have in common is you."

That came as a surprise.

"Me?"

"I think I told you before that he had suspected something going on. I did end up telling him and he, thankfully, kept that to himself."

A servant interrupted them, bringing Takoda a decent slice of chocolate cake.

Krisztian encouraged him to eat, pouring a glass of wine for himself. He came to sit next to Takoda, sipping his 1990 Grand Cru.

They intermittently had small chit chat. Both put thoughts of heroes and villains aside. Here, they were merely friends. Passing the time until they grew tired and while Takoda would remain under 24/7 watch, Krisztian had work the next morning.

Takoda remained at the stronghold, trying hard not to think about what Krisztian's job entailed. A villain's job.. is well, he supposed a villain's job.

Krisztian returned a couple of weeks later, bandages covering his torso and hands. While he had Takoda informed of his return, he did not summon him to his side. He had always healed naturally. No need to put the kid to work.

However, Takoda ventured to the upper floors on his own. He ignored the caution servants threw his way.

The Guta does not wish to be disturbed.

This is not wise. Return to your chambers.

Please, sir, return downstairs.

He moved around them, not even registering their words. Nudging open the doors, he stepped inside the bedroom.

Krisztian had his bedside lamp on and the windows open with a view of a dark sky over a dry desert. He held a small, leather worn book in his hands.

"Takoda?" He set the book aside.

The healer came, pulling up a chair, and sat beside him.

"You should have called me. I can heal you." Setting to work, he first unwrapped the man's hands. It had always been easier to heal if he could see the wound.

"I'm a villain. An international criminal. A terrorist to some." Krisztian watched on. Amused at the scene before him. Impressed as the light green glow faded and rather than bloody and torn fingers, they were sore and barely scarred.

"You helped me. You fund me..." His words felt like a half-ass excuse.

"I make people into raisins."

"I've managed to heal over two thousand people and that number is going to continue to grow. This past year is really the only time I've been practicing my powers. Dealing with different people, different wounds. I'm growing stronger." As if proving his point, Takoda healed Krisztian's torso - easily in worse condition than his hands - with ease.

Takoda continued, "I couldn't have done that as quickly before. I'd have barely started and already would be sweating. Broken bones took at least 15 minutes without any breaks and I usually would need a long break afterward." He looked Guta in the eyes, seeing a friend rather than a demon. "I've grown a lot. I'm healing faster. Leaving fewer scars each time. Actually able to help with healing diseases and illnesses rather than just the symptoms."

Krisztian nodded, chuckling at the enthusiasm.

"Alright. I helped you out a little."

Takoda wasn't quite finished.

"Besides, I've never known you to be that cruel, not even to Sidero and the media seemed to make it out like you guys loathed each other." He raised a questioning brow at that, so Takoda continued, "Gamez, from a couple of years back, sold out one of your operations and you suffered some pretty severe causalities. However, Hana's betrayal happened a few months later. She sold out your smuggling operation in Taiwan, but you never turned her into... a... uh, a raisin."

Krisztian remained silent. Partially in awe of the kid's observance which reminded him a bit of Boo. Mainly to hide his laughter at Takoda's hesitancy to use the word 'raisin'.

Krisztian settled for scoffing.

"You're a bit too observant, aren't you?" Takoda stiffened as if he had been slapped. "It's impressive. Don't get me wrong." Thankfully, he relaxed at the villain's praise. "But that doesn't make me good."

"No, but..." Krisztian watched, heart heavy and light, as Takoda balled his hands into fists. Frustrated. He wasn't prepared to back down as he finally shot back, "it's better than no reason at all or just for fun. You have reasons and motives that may be... exaggerated or unethical-"

"I suppose." Krisztian surrendered the fight. The last thing he wanted was to work Takoda up.

He patted the empty space next to him on the bed, moving pillows out of the way. Takoda put the chair back before taking the invitation. Krisztian picked his book back up, secretly flexing his fingers in delight. The pain was gone.

"Heard of the book called 'Embers'?" At the shake of his friend's head, Krisztian nodded, already figuring that was the case. "You might like it..."

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

I tried really hard with this and it was only meant to be like a couple of pages long, not ten. Anyway, I’m sorry if I messed up.

[thetimecrystal]

Down For Whatever, A group of dumbasses (which i love) (part 1 out of 2?)

Hi, it’s Late(TM) and I love Down For Whatever, a hungarian metal band! Their music is very good (here are some links OwO) and they’re dorks. I am here to ramble have a Tedtalk!

Before I ramble, I am just gonna plug their igs, soooo go have a look!

Kiki

Robert

Zsombor

Dávid

Official band one

Aaaaand all the images I am talking about (And More!) is from this google docs folder, from their official(ish?) photographer Alexandra! Now that I am done unsubtly plugging all their social media, I am gonna actually start! 

okay soooo i have like too many photos but i will do this in order of member and start with the one i have the least photos of (to the one with the most photos) and pepper some band ones in between ahfhfh

there is one photo of zsombor. he is a bit mysterious. also kiki taking a photo while someone is taking a photo of him is like the absolute media class mood

my main reason for downloading this is just robert looks so cute. he is so bundled up in his coat (inside??) and just. cute. (also look at how sMOL dávid is :D)

i am just. dumbfounded. what is this way of sitting? this hAnD??? this is like weirdly an action shot (he is obviously in a conversation with someone we’re not seeing) (or so i hope) anddd just. this amused me. and amazed me. great job robert

he. is. PRECIOUS. (we’re not even at my favourite member and i am already yelling compliments. this is going to go wonderfully)

i have like no idea why he looks like he is about to rob a bank, but still. PRECIOUS. 

more bank robbin’ boys! (this time with the biggest fucking mood, in form of their former member attila, in the background.) 

honestly, i just downloaded this to admire how nice robert looked (and the Makeup)

this is like an interesting shot because kiki is trying (??) at this lipstick business and both the makeup artist and robert is like “kiki. please. stop.” which kind of is. you know. A Mood.

here is a very cute photo of kiki and dávid havin’ a hug and you can really see how tiny dávid looks (i’d be surprised to hear he was taller than me tbh) this is also my not-so-smooth smooth transition into talking about dávid because he is whacky and i have a lot of photos of him. (still not onto my favourite member though) (i don’t think tumblr is ready for the amount of photos i am about to add to this post) (i don’t think i am ready for it either tbh)

a makeup wearin(tm) boi. also. do i need to say smol once again? he is cute okay and very attractive ajfhfjf

he also plays drums and like he has covered a billie eillish song and her music isn’t exactly my thing but i always appreciate metalheads doing non-metal stuff

 tumblr isn’t letting me add more pictures what is happening hfhgh

i absoutely adore this photo for several reasons and just again. dávid. you whacky, weird man. (that is like the main reason) (also because i made a superhero edit of this called mr. lampman and i keep singing that to the melodyof mr. sandman)

we have a term for what you re seeing on this photo in norwegian. snikene ullteppe. or sneaking wool blanket. (it’s a nickname i have.) but dávid also pulls of that cuddly sneaky look. 

bundled dávid is best dávid fight me. but this looks like ti could be taken on west norway and i am kind of. surprised. you may even say shook. maybe.

okay i have this and another from like the same day as the upper one and i mean. he looks really good? also his eyes ajghgjg. #dávidstopbeingsoattractivechallenge (fanis will fight me i know)

:D i :D got :D gloves :DDD

this is like the ultimate wonderfully weird photo of dávid. maybe i am just too tired to understand. but you know what. i don care.

OKAY SO I AM TIRED. I WILL WRITE A PART TWO WHEN I AM MORE ALIVE (FOR A LACK OF A BETTER WORD) (MAYBE TOMORROW) (PROBABLY TOMORROW)

[wickymicky]

Kpop linguistics is literally the exact content I love to see around here as someone also finding herself at this weird interest intersection lol lowkey this kind of stuff is one of the reasons you're one of my favourite blogs around here

WOAH!!!!! aAAAAAA! thank you!!

im gonna put a Read More here bc it got too long and rambly

i cant help it lmao, i’m a linguist and i went to college for linguistics. that’s just how my brain works, it’s like an adhd hyperfocus special interest type thing, idrk what to call it, but i’ve been learning everything i can about language (in particular phonology and morphology) for like a decade. i dont talk about it much but i spend a huuuuuuge amount of time working on and thinking about my conlang (constructed language) that i’ve had since high school. it’s not very good, but it’s sort of a sandbox where i can fool around with linguistics stuff lol. i wanted to write a paper about the use of conlangs as tools for linguists to use for better understanding certain concepts that they have trouble with, but im not in college at the moment and idk if i will be again anytime soon... anyway yeah like this is my shit lol.

oh and like thats whats super cool about getting into kpop! its a whole lot of media in a language i didnt have much exposure to beforehand. i took latin in high school and ancient greek in college, and then i did like hungarian and vietnamese duolingo for a while lol, but there’s not a ton of easily accessible media in those languages, and certainly not much with subtitles, and definitely not anything for latin and ancient greek haha. like i wish there was something like anime for every language, just a huge wealth of shows in various animated styles in a language i dont speak, but with subtitles so i can recognize that when they say a certain word multiple times and i pick up on it, and every time they do the word “dream” is in the subtitles, i can piece together that that word probably means dream. 

so like i have a suuuuper poor understanding of japanese grammar and shit, but i think fairly good pronunciation and a long list of vocab words ive picked up on because thats what my brain gravitates towards. like when i’d hear something i thought was interesting, i’d spend hours looking it up too. like how high vowels (“i” and “u”) often become voiceless between two voiceless consonants in japanese, which is why “sasuke” is pronounced seemingly like “saske”. but if it was an o instead of a u, it’d probably be sasoke not saske, cause its only the high vowels that drop out. also things like... why do certain words that start with a voiceless consonant become voiced in some compound words, but not others? “kana” becomes “gana” in hiragana, but stays “kana” in katakana. why? well, apparently that’s a thing and there’s a name for that. i forget it at the moment lmao, but i know that it happens. and so how come h- becomes b- in that situation? well it’s because it was originally p-, and then it weakened to a sort of f-like sound, and then further into h-, except for “pu” which stayed on the middle stage as “fu” even in modern japanese. all instances of “p” in modern japanese are either because the p was doubled (geminated), or they’re loanwords. so like yeah haha, it’s not that i “picked up japanese from watching anime”, it’s that watching anime and hearing certain things made me curious and i spent a lot of time looking into that. not learning the language tho lol... i like learning ABOUT the language, but im not very good at actually learning the language.

and thats what ive been doing with korean too! it’s not a language i had much experience with, so at first i couldnt make out any words at all in kpop songs. it was hard to tell where one word ended and where the next began. and that was only like two or three months ago lol... i’m still really new. i started noticing certain words that came up a lot. “piryohae”, “saranghae”, “bogosipeo”, “nareul”, “eolgul”, “joahae”, “jigeum”, “shigan”, “sungan”, “eopseo”, “bimil”, “maeum”, god the list goes on and on. it’s just vocab, but for the most part i learned to recognize those words before i knew what they meant lol, cause i dont look at lyrics much. so i’d look them up and go “ohhhhhhh yeah okay i can see why that word would be in those places in those songs” or whatever. and like, you know, learning more about hangeul teaches me more about the phonology of the language (which is my SHIT). and like i could try to write about how the unaspirated and aspirated initial consonants are often pronounced the same by the younger generation of speakers, but the unaspirated one adds something of a low tone to the following vowel, or i could try to write about how the double-consonants (jj, pp, tt, kk, ss) came often from initial sequences of sp- st- sk- etc, or how an ongoing sound change that you’ve probably noticed is that initial m- and n- are being pronounced closer to b- and d-, and how ae and e have completely merged, and how long vowels arent pronounced by younger speakers anymore, etc lol. i could write about how korean used to have a strong system of vowel harmony but centuries of sound change and loanwords from chinese that broke the vowel harmony rules have eroded it significantly, but it still plays a role in a handful of grammatical conjugations. i’ve been like cracking out, for lack of a better term, on learning about the history of the language and the inner workings of it, and ive spent some time attempting to learn the language too, though not that much lol. my brain is much better at collecting facts and having a deep understanding how Language works than it is at understanding how to speak a particular language lol. i cant really speak a word of arabic but i know all about triconsonantal roots and emphatic consonants and 3-vowel systems and differences between the various dialects of arabic lol

blah anyway lol

[purebloodprincess]

Ship game

Thanks @eternalyumelove for tagging me! ♥

Embrace your inner shipper!  Answer questions about your favorite ships or fandoms. Reblog to participate and let your ship flag fly!

1. What are your top 10 manga/anime ships of all time?

Hey, I’m going to go with less than 10. Cause I could techically find 10 ships that I like but I want to list only the ones that I currently really love (aka the OTPs). And that is actually a lot less than 10.

Hak/Yona (Akatsuki no Yona) I’ve been obsessing over them for a while now. Like, so much that it’s actually a bit embarrassing lol. But I don’t care. XD Kusanagi is a genius and bless her.

Victor/Yuuri (Yuri!!! on Ice) My newest one, I watched the anime literally a week ago. This ship is so.damn.good. It very quickly became part of my top favourites. Considering that we are talking about a 12 episodes only anime, it’s very surprising lol. This is also my only same-sex OTP which actually tells you a lot. I do like BL but usually the relationships are not portrayed healthily. Well, Victuuri is the exception.

Ren/Kyoko (Skip Beat!) I mean, we are not really getting new content for them but I still love it a lot. I will probably be 90 years old and on my deathbed by the time they get together though.

Kaname/Yuuki (Vampire Knight) My oldest ship, it was my number one throughout my teens. I still love them a lot although admittedly not as much as I did before. That’s partly the fault of the writing of the manga.

2. What gif or screenshot most sums up your ship? Well, I added gifs to all of them so there you go lol.

3. Describe your favorite ship in seven words or less.  Hakyona: innocent, respectful, teasing, best friends Victuuri: harmonious, pure, respectful, eros and agape Kyoren: destined, slowburn, hate to love, pining Yume: dark, passionate, complicated, eternal

4. What’s your go-to episode or scene when you need ship feels? Hakyona: The entire manga??? Well, jokes aside, I guess it’s a bit hard to choose because I love all of their scenes. Chapter 110 where Yona gives Hak the pendant and fully realizes she is in love, chapter 137 aka The Kiss™ and chapter 152 aka The Confession™ are definitely high up on the list. Victuuri: The kiss in episode 7. And then of course the entire fucking episode 10 is a blessing. And also, the pair skating at the very end of episode 12 legit made me cry. It was beautiful. Kyoren: The Heel Siblings Arc. Period. It’s shippers dream come true, quite literally. I think that was actually the best arc of the entire manga. Yume: Chapter 49!!!! Probably my all time favourite chapter in the entire manga, I love it so much. I also completely adore Chapter 52 and the Chapter following Yuuki’s awakening. Where she pushes him to bed and sucks him dry. (sadly not like that though ;))

5. What song or songs remind you of your favorite fandom, character or ship? Hakyona: Theory of a Deadman - Angel Victuuri: Once Upon a December (Russian ver.) It’s all your fault @aphrodytevalentine lol Kyoren: Imagine Dragons - Demons Yume: Tom McRae- My Vampire Heart

6. What ship are you embarrassed to admit you like? Out of the ones I listed, none.

7. Do you prefer to indulge in (consume or create) fanart or fanfic of your favorite ship? Well I do spend an unreasonable amount of time on Tumblr, so I like everything pretty much. I love looking at pretty fanarts and edits. I also love reading fanfics, my favourites are always canon compliant and have lots of fluff and smut lol.

8. Smut or fluff?  THE TWO COMBINED.

9. What task are you most likely to procrastinate so you can indulge in your ship or fandom? Well, I’m the world’s biggest procrastinator so I legit procrastinate everything lol.

10. How many hours of the day do you spend reading fanfic or looking at fanart or other media? Does Tumblr count? Cause then.... a lot?? Lol. Jokes aside, it depends how busy I am. I guess it’s about 1-3 hours on avarege. 

11. How many memorabilia’s do you own of your favorite fandom or ship (clothes, plushies, etc.)? Well I really like to collect anime and manga related stuff. I have fuck ton of manga volumes/artbooks/magazines/Drama CDs etc back at home. I also own quite a few official and non-official merchandise like plushies, keychains, stickers etc. I will put together a proper list once and show you guys.

12. If you could own one authentic item from your favorite fandom world, what would it be? Is this question about merchandise I want or items that characters own that I also would like to have? Well, I’m going with the first possibility. 

My favourite fandom is the akayona fandom, but currently I don’t desperately want anything that I don’t already have lol. So I’m going with Yuri on Ice, and in that case, I currently really want the Victor and Yuuri nendoroids. They are so cute, just look at them:

There are different versions with different costumes and accessories. By accessories I mean Yuuri’s glasses and phone, Makkachin, a bowl of katsudon, silver medal etc lol. They also come with different facial expressions and I’m totally dead ahaha. Don’t judge I love cute shit okay? XD

13. What is the strangest thing you’ve done to honor your favorite fandom, ship or character? I don’t really consider the things I do strange? I mean surely, I’m not the only one fangirling a bit too much lol. Well, actually, when I was 16 I coded an entire website dedicated to VK and I was running it for years. I added new content daily. It was in Hungarian, so basically for the fans in my country. I don’t consider it too strange though cause it was actually really popular. XD

14. What fandom have you found to be too toxic to deal with? VK fandom. This is not even a question, the literal worst I have ever seen.

15. Do you have or would you consider getting a tattoo depicting your favorite ship or fandom?  No. I don’t like tattoos, so this is totally out of the question. And even if I did, I still wouldn’t get a tattoo of my..... ships lol. That’s going a bit too far in my opinion, especially since a tattoo is a very permanent thing.

16. If the creators of your favorite fandom asked you to write the ship canon-confirmation episode, what will you write/how will it happen? All of my ships are pretty much already canon.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Okay so pretty much everyone that I wanted to tag has already been tagged, but whatever, I’m tagging again lol.

@aphrodytevalentine, @yumikuran11, @kaname-v-kuran, @yumiko27, @roxy1294, @the-princess-button, @katsukiine, @lichthime, @kimi-ni-todoke

[figkeele]

2022 in fics

So I will do my favorite lists also here not just on other social media sites (well if you can call the Hungarian "GoodReads" a social media site...)

But because I don't think I'm gonna finish any more fics this year, I wanna look back on my own writing, and yes! List them! Because I wrote them and I am still hecking proud that while battling with a serious medical condition (and my mom's cancer diagnosis) I still managed to write.

Super cool, I’m proud of these

So the first category is the fics that I’m proud of and I think they did very well:

Wishing You'd Be Mine (Spider-Man Video Games) Miles/Peter, written for the small fandom big bang, this is the fic I am the proudest of because I just showed myself I can finish something long. Also helped me a lot to learn to edit and hone my skills. Apart from the adventure I had with my non-artist here, this fic has a special place in my heart, being my first foray into the fandom, with the most niche ship ever, I never hoped for the warm reception it got!

Yeah, this year this is my only big achievement, but I'm okay with it.

But wait, there’s more…

Pretty decent

Next up are fics that I really like and had some reader interaction:

2. someone I can't live without (Spider-Man Video Games) Miles/Peter, written for the Domaystic event, was a challenge to get myself back to writing after spending so much time in hospitals. It's basically a drabble sequence and pure fluff.

You know what? These are pretty niche

They didn’t get a lot of traction but I still love them, and I had to realize at this point that I’m mostly writing the rarest of rare pairs. (Which is no surprise, of course...)

3. Love is Yellow (Life is Strange: True Colors) Alex/Ryan/Steph, this ship just ate my brain when I finished the game, and I really wanted to see everyone together, hence this fluff piece. Tried to write more for them, but honestly, I just got into so many ships, I'm not sure I'll finish any other WIPs for them. Which is a shame.

4. Take My Heart (Horizon: Zero Dawn/Forbidden West) Aloy/Alva, written for the HC exchange, I found my people who ship Aloy/Alva!

5. Curse of Night (Hades Game) Hypnos/Zagreus, written for the Goreswap exchange, the hardest thing I've ever written. The recip had so many good prompts and I have like a dozen WIPs started, but nothing got into real horror territory, apart from this. I know it's niche due to the body horror but 🤷‍♀️

6. Focal Point (Plague Tale) Lucas/Amicia, look I was the gal who shipped Amicia with EVERYONE in Innocence, and to this day I can't even process I got a gift where all my ships lived happily ever after. I was very meh going into the game because the reviews said that the old gang (meaning Lucas and Beatrice) is switched out, and I wanted my Lumicia content if I couldn't have Mélie back. And the game fed me so well, I finally managed to finish a Plague Tale fic. There are more coming, right now I have two WIPs, but real life will decide how I'll progress.

Why don’t you love me?

These fics are not bad but somehow they got crickets.

7. I'm lost and it kills me (Spider-Man Video Games) Miles/Peter, written for a HC prompt, I know it might be too niche, but I still love it.

8. Fear Is for the Weak (Hades Game) Achilles & Zagreus, written for a drabble exchange. It's gen, it's a drabble, I'm not shocked it didn't get any readership.

9. can we say that we love each other (Spider-Man Video Games) Felicia/MJ, written for the AU exchange, you see I can write something else than Peter/Miles, but it's femslash, so... I still love this ship, and I might write something else for them.

10. Keeping the Faith (Frostpunk) gen, written for a drabble exchange.

The absolute flop

Okay, not to rag on my writing. I love these too, but let's face it, they are beyond niche or just short. 🤷‍♀️

11. Stay With You (Life is Strange: True Colors) Alex/Ryan, written for a drabble exchange, it's a sweet short fluff.

12. Come Back and Haunt Me (Marvel's Midnight Suns) Fem!Hunter/Peter, what can I say? The FIRST fic in the fandom. I binged the game, and honestly, I would just read all the happy poly fix-it fics for it. But because it's a long game, and a niche one at that, I don't think it'll have such a big fic presence. So I took matters into my own hand and wrote this half fix-it. I still think I will write an epic long fix-it where everyone lives happily ever after, even if no one reads it.

I mean all in all it was a good year, a dozen fics! Short, long, and everything in between! But the most fun thing is: I'VE ONLY WRITTEN FOR VIDEO GAMES THIS YEAR! Hell yeah!