#perdita answers

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

Just read your story, “Tomorrow’s Hope”, and wanted to let you know how amazing I thought it was. It was truly an incredible piece so thank you for making it 😊

AH, thank you so much!!! I'm so happy you liked it. I wrote it so long ago I totally forgot about it. And you still took the time to come here and tell me that!!! zfzfzdfadasdasdasdasd! I'm just aaaasdassgsgfsg! Thank you again!

[bardic-perdita]

i think breoch has a collection of perfumes he doesn't use but insists on bringing everywhere. i think he impulse purchased most of them because he liked the smell and thought the bottle was pretty and decided he would make this one his signature scent but keeps forgetting to actually apply it and then the cycle repeats with a new scent. i think he insists on arranging the bottles artfully every time they make camp

Ask from this here!

This is spot on, 100% something Breoch would do! He might have had a system once upon a time, wearing a specific perfume when spending time with certain people, but soon lost track of it. One danger is that so many of the poisons and coatings on the surface are in such pretty bottles, so they might accidentally (or intentionally if someone Astarion is a lover of chaos) find their way into his extensive perfume collection.

Special bonus below the cut:

Hide the evidence:

And the drawing of what Breoch's tent would look like:

[sharpstake]

okay yeah i just cried at the ending all over again but man, Murder at Homecoming truly is THAT bitch. god...scooby doo gang but heavily intertwined with the nuances of being queer and a poc. the way grief is such a heavy thread throughout the entire narrative, the way Perdita's fate (as well as the two options regarding this: dead or simply lost to you) is foreshadowed in her very name and the lack of closure to her disappearance speaks to not only the nuances of Valentine's two possible arcs (letting go or holding on) but informs their motivations during their current case. the way all three LIs are deeply nuanced and complicated characters. the incredibly fun if slightly dissonant sequence where ur being chased by a little sister trying to brain you. impeccable book 10/10.

[the-ravenclaw-werewolf]

Oh, maybe in celebration of Disney's 100th Anniversary coming soon on October 16th, maybe you could do a 40 list, but only for Disney movies.

This... was... the hardest question... EVER!

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY MOVIE I STARTED OUT WITH?!

59!!!! AND THEN I HAD TO DELETE 19 OF THEM!

I COULD HAVE MICKEY FROM FANATSIA MEET UP WITH GOOFY FROM A GOOFY MOVIE!

TARZAN AND MOWGLI COULD HAVE BONDED!

THEY COULD OF HAD THE CHANCE TO WATCH THE BLACK CAULDRON!

Don't worry, I'm not actually mad😋, but as someone who loves most of these Disney movies, I wished I could have kept all of them. 😭😭😭

However... I still stuck to the 40 limit... and here's what what I got!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Snow White

Pinocchio: Pinocchio

Dumbo: Dumbo

Bambi: Bambi

Cinderella: Cinderella

Sleeping Beauty: Aurora

One Hundred and One Dalmatians: Pongo OR Perdita

Robin Hood: Robin Hood

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Pooh

The Little Mermaid: Ariel

Beauty and the Beast: Belle

Aladdin: The Genie OR Aladdin OR Jasmine

The Lion King: Simba

Toy Story: Woody

The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Quasimodo OR Esmeralda 

Hercules: Hercules

Mulan: Mulan

The Emperor's New Groove: Kuzco OR Kronk

Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Milo Thatch  

Monsters, Inc.: Sully OR Mike 

Lilo & Stitch: Lilo OR Stitch

Treasure Planet: Jim Hawkins

Finding Nemo: Nemo OR Marlin OR Dory

The Incredibles: Bob Parr

Meet the Robinsons: Lewis 

Ratatouille: Remy

WALL-E: Wall-E OR Eve

Up: Carl Fredricksen

The Princess and the Frog: Tiana

Tangled: Rapunzel

Brave: Merida

Frozen: Anna OR Elsa

Big Hero 6: Hiro OR Tadashi OR Baymax

Inside Out: Joy OR Riley

Zootopia: Judy OR Nick

Moana: Moana

Coco: Miguel OR Héctor

Luca: Luca

Encanto: Mirabel OR Bruno

Turning Red: Mei Le3

[gale-dekarios]

Hiya! For the ask game: 6, 22, and 27? Rose is wonderful, so would love to know more!

~ @bardic-perdita

Hi!! Thank you so much for asking!

6: What companion are you platonically close with?

He's probably closest with Lae'zel. Rose is fairly liberal when unpartnered, so they'd actually slept together multiple times before he started dating Gale. She caught feelings, he didn't. He felt so bad about it for quite a while afterwards, but with everything going on with the Githyanki, and how supportive Rose was, I think they reconciled pretty quickly. He does consider her one of his best friends, though. He's also close with Astarion (who he also slept with, and who also caught feelings, although he took it a lot better than Lae'zel), and Karlach, who he is through-and-through 100% platonic with and always has been.

22: What languages is your character fluent in?

He speaks common and infernal fluently.

27: What was their life like before the events of BG3?

He worked in a stonemasonry during his days in Baldur's Gate, but he'd travel to Elturel semi-freuqently both to work, and to visit his best friend Milo, a tiefling woman he's known since they were 10 (and also the face the Emporer chose to take when interacting with him.) He was on the road back from Elturel to Baldur's Gate when it descended into Avernus, where he presumed Milo had perished.

During his nights, although perhaps not recently, he'd work in a local tavern as a bard, which was a lot flashier than his day job. He was pretty good at keeping those two parts of his life separate because his mum didn't approve of barding as a career (his dad, her ex-husband, was a bard), and the majority of his family (including his mum) are stonemasons. When he moved to Waterdeep, however, he expanded it into a full career doing drag (or the Waterhavdian equivalent) in the local dance halls. And he became fairly well known in Waterdeep for it!

send me a number + ill answer for my tav, rose! :3

[hezzabeth]

"For the last time, that poem isn't romantic! It's insulting," Revati yelled over her shoulder as she began to pedal.

The layout of Olde Landon had been deliberately designed to keep tourists inside for as long as possible. There was only one way to access the front gates, and that involved defeating the Queen of Hearts' hedge maze. When the park was still open, tourists would be forced to spend at least an hour in the maze, stumbling upon tiny toy shops and food stands around every corner. The same thing occurred when they left, resulting in a very rich park and bankrupt guests. Now the maze was overgrown and easy enough to navigate.

Revati pedaled past the cart that once sold her heart-shaped sunglasses. Then she turned left, almost crashing into the wall of roses. The wall of roses stared back at her, their red blooms heavy and suspicious. Thanks to Bridgadeiro, she knew they were probably secretly insulting her.

The next turn consisted of an old stardust popcorn stand. Revati skidded to a stop and inspected the inside tray, where a few ancient kernels lay. Carefully, she picked up several of them and placed them in her jacket pocket. As far as she could tell, the kernels were seeds. Someone was shifting around the corner, causing the branches to shake.

"Aurora, is that you? Did you go ahead of me?" Revati yelled.

"While conferring in the labyrinth where false preachers reeked of death, the monster began to growl," a voice called from around the corner. An unfamiliar, flat female voice. Raiders. Raiders were, of course, an occupational hazard in any post-apocalyptic settlement. Normally, they never made it further than the broken glass pit at the park's gates. Sometimes Dityaa would bring one in, insisting they were "lovely," which always led to awkward dinners.

Revati slowly walked around the maze corner. There was a screeching metallic sound, and the weapon fell from Revati's hand. An android was slumped over on the ground. Once it would have been golden, but now it was rusty and covered in mud. Someone had ripped its legs off, leaving nothing but wires and tubes spitting bright blue fluid. Instead of a torso, there was a black empty hole with a concave door swinging on its bent hinges.

"And in the forgotten twists, footsteps quicken, hearts beat, and teeth are bared," the android chirped, its voice still distorted and far away. The android's face was a beautiful mask. Still-carved eyes. Unmoving sweet lips.

Revati powered up her solar gun and slowly walked forward, aiming it at the android. The android's metal eyes scraped in their sockets, turning towards her.

“Is that you? My darling Perdita?” The android’s voice whispered, the lips unmoving. The whispering voice had a posh lilt to its accent. Revati refused to answer. It was best to never engage with AI.

“Perdita, I clawed my way in! They know about you; the spider knows,” the android whispered before collapsing completely.

Revati slowly walked forward, still holding her weapon. With one foot, she kicked the android. It didn’t move. Its power had definitely died.

“Spider? Is that some sort of gang?” Revati whispered to herself. Gangs were always given stupid names.

“The spider is us; the spider is legion,” a flat robotic voice called out, and Revati spun around.

Queen Victoria was standing behind her, scorch marks all over her dress. A faint blue glow was erupting from beneath the skin of Queen Victoria’s chest.

[raindrop-on-a-spiderweb]

Is there a time in which you plan to share the plot/ending of stories that have been shelved, like Wayfaring Daughter? I finished my second reread of the chapters published and I am soooo interested to know what happens next and what is the endgame for those well-developed characters!!!

Or is that something you want to keep close to you? I imagine long, multi-chapter original stories are so difficult to finish, it is insane you already have one completely finished and one nearly done! Props to you!!

Keep up the great work!!! 💗

Answering these both at once if that's ok!!

I've come to a sad conclusion that Wayfaring Daughter will never be completed. It's a hard pill to swallow, but I bit off more than I could chew with this story. The world circumstances at the time in which I was working on it intimidated me, and I made the worst decision an author could do--I let fear and self-doubt creep in, and inspiration get away from me. So I'll tell you what I had planned for Wayfaring Daughter.

Here is what I had planned:

Rosannah gets pregnant while in the attic and is forcefully married to Robert, while Jeremiah still prowls around. Leland threatens them into a threesome because he knows that Rosannah is still wanted by the FBI.

Meanwhile, it also turns out that it wasn't Robert who was fucking his mom Perdita. It was her brother Harland. Rosannah had the two rooms in the back wing switched. The argument that led to Josiah's death was that Robert was Harland's son, and not Josiah's, as he had the recessive pale hair of the Beauforts instead of Leland, who was a brunette and Josiah's legitimate son–and that's why Josiah hung himself in the coat rack room.

This was revealed to Robert and Rosannah during a scene with ranting, dementia-riddled Ezra in his bed, who had walked in on his brother and sister fucking each other.

Knowing that if Leland–the only legitimate son–would inherit Bethlehem Hall that it would fall into ruin, Rosannah smothered Ezra, as Robert was unable to do it. Connected to that, it was also gradually revealed that as a child, Rosannah had purposefully slit the threads that sewed the rattlesnakes' mouths shut so they couldn't bite during church services. Resulting in that the next time her Pentecostal father had a snake-wielding service, the snake got its mouth loose and bit him fatally. 

Rosannah finds a diary in a nook, about a house slave girl named Philomena, who was the unwilling paramour of her half-brother Clement. She is the many-greats grandmother of Noah Broughton, who had inherited all the land in Savannah from the Beauforts and is why Letitia had hated the Broughtons so much. Clement had gotten Philomena pregnant, who hated Clement and was sickened by his abuse because she regarded him as a brother.

Philomena fell in love with a field slave called John, who is the many-greats grandfather of Arletha. This was the crux of Noah and Arletha's love, the descendants of two star-crossed lovers who could never be together.

This ties into the basement plot. Uriah was a serial killer and rapist of the slave women of Bethlehem Hall, as well as Maudelynn at a party when she was a young girl, as she had retreated into PTSD when she was asked about him. As the Union forces approached Bethlehem Hall, the fathers and brothers of the women who'd been murdered and raped by Uriah rose up, stormed Bethlehem Hall, caught him in the wine cellar and burned him alive. That's where the dark scorch mark comes from, and the spirit in the basement is him, trapped there forever. While the slaves are freed, Philomena is already pregnant and doesn't dare approach John, feeling unworthy of him as she is already pregnant. They part without ever seeing each other again. This is where it was implied that the Broughtons got their fortune, from Clement willing his land to Philomena and her son.

Liza Ann, Linney Belle's mother, arrives at Bethlehem Hall to take her daughter back at one point. While Rosannah liked her and she was completely apologetic and looking forward to connecting with her daughter, Rosannah was wary and angry that she would dare take Linney Belle away from her, and got Robert and Leland to strangle her to death and bury her in a grave out in the Bethlehem Hall lands.

When Linney woke up the next morning and asked what happened to Liza Ann, Rosannah tells her that her mother abandoned her again, and hugs her.

While investigating Liza Ann's death, Jeremiah finally makes his way back to Bethlehem Hall and confronts Rosannah, Leland and Robert.

From there, there were a lot of endings that I had in mind.

1. Rosannah was executed by hanging, but her spirit still haunts Bethlehem Hall. Linney Belle, an impoverished old woman, gave tours of her dilapidated old home Bethlehem Hall, and after one of the tour groups left, she walked into an empty room and saw Rosannah in her familiar dress turning to meet her, and she died on the floor.

2. Rosannah holds the men at gunpoint, kills Jeremiah, and restrains her husband Robert and Leland with rope. She flees into the night, but even after Linney's entire worldview of her is shattered, she still runs after her, begging to come along with her. Rosannah kisses her and says when she is old enough, they will be reunited. On Linney's 18th birthday, she receives a postcard of an American state and a PO Box. She travels there, and the PO box contains another postcard of another state. On and on it goes until Linney crosses the border to Mexico, riding donkeys across the Darien Gap, traveling hundreds of miles until the final postcard is simply an address. She walks into the Colombian forest until she comes across a gate, and a pale-haired little girl (Robert and Rosannah's daughter) greets her and tells her she knows who she is. Linney follows her up the winding road to a house, and in the distance she sees a figure with curly black hair, and Linney lets go of her suitcase to burst on the ground to scatter clothes all over, and she runs.

3.  The 3rd ending is the worst one. The same series of events happen with Rosannah killing Jeremiah and running from Bethlehem Hall, but this time she accepts Linney coming along with her. They leap on a train going out west, then it segues into a flashback of how Rosannah's first baby died. It's from the point of view of Jack Semple, and he spies through a sliver of door Rosannah pushing her daughter under the water and drowning her with a blank look in her eyes.

After the funeral of their baby, they trudge back to their shack, and Jack hesitantly asks if she really did it. Rosannah seems inhuman in that moment, and tells him he saw nothing and was imagining things.

And then he went to the liquor cabinet and swigged from a bottle of whiskey to forget his memory, although he had never done so before. Implying that he had started drinking because of Rosannah's manipulation and to forget what he had seen, and that what we've seen from Rosannah's point of view had been totally false, and that perhaps she had been the real villain the whole time--manipulative enough to get Leland and Robert to kill Liza Ann, manipulative enough to kill her father, and brutal enough to kill her husband.

Then the scene cuts to Rosannah and Linney on the train, Rosannah pregnant and Linney resting her head against her belly as Rosannah caresses Linney's hair.

The last scene is Rosannah, not pregnant and no longer with Linney, coming across a rural Mexican village. She smiles, says she's from out of town, and asks if she can take a teaching job. After all, she loves children.

[jungle-angel]

LISTEN LISTEN 🗣️🗣️I Remember Everything by Zach Bryan is SO ABSOLUTELY Rhett Abbott having a fight with you and making up CODED i need someone to write this so bad

OH GOD NONNY!!!!! I am so sorry that this is so late in coming but the squeak I had let out when I saw this!!

It had been a long week for both you and Rhett. He felt terrible about the fight you two had gotten into one night, a simple mistake really, but one that you didn't wish to make again. Tensions in the house were already high and everybody was on their last nerve, the stress of getting your home built up in Bozeman and the stress of getting all the paperwork in so that you and Rhett would have legal custody of Amy.

You sniffed away the tears, your hands buried in your face even as Pongo, your beloved Dalmatian whined and licked your face. Perdita wasn't too far behind him either, settling in beside you with her head in your lap.

You turned every thought over in your head as you watched the gorgeous sunset of early spring, the days much warmer and much lighter now, listening for the little baby monitor on the porch just in case Amy started crying.

God why does this shit have to be so fucking hard.......?! You thought.

Why did it? It shouldn't have been that hard and yet it was. You wiped away the tears from your stinging, reddened eyes, watching the hills with every hope that your husband would come back. You heard the storm door on the porch hiss and click shut along with the clunk of your father-in-law's boots.

"Hey sweetheart," Royal said, seating himself beside you. "Ya'll ok?"

"I dunno Roy," you croaked. "I'm so sorry for whatever happened......."

""Don't you dare be sorry (y/n)," Royal told you. "This ain't your fault. There's just alot of tension in the house right now and us Abbott men tend to let it get the better of us."

You nodded as Royal handed you a mason jar full of his homemade spiked apple cider. It was so smooth you couldn't even taste the alcohol in it.

"Why does shit have to be this hard?" you croaked.

"Sometimes shit gets hard so that we can appreciate life more," Royal mused. "I know it sounds fucked up, but if ya'll go through life expectin everything to be handed to ya then what's really the point of it all?"

"You think so?"

"Not a doubt honey," Royal answered. "S'a real harsh lesson to learn. My Ma and my Pa learned that the hard way too and so didn't I. Ya'll should've heard the stories from when Cece and I were startin out."

"That bad?"

"Her temper got real hot one night after her younger brother stole money from her," Royal said with a chuckle. "She thought I was him walkin through that door and chucked a kitchen knife right at me."

You suddenly laughed through your tears as Royal went into detail about his and Cecelia's younger years, just starting out on the ranch as a young married couple with no idea of what the fuck they were doing. Deep down you felt better, but a nervous pang welled in your chest when you saw the familiar sight of Rhett's truck pulling up the gravel driveway. You saw Pongo and Perdita bounding down the steps to go and greet Rhett as he pulled out a bag from the back containing his and Royal's dinner orders from The Handsome Gambler.

"All good Dad?" he asked.

"Yeah just sharin a before dinner drink with (y/n)," Royal explained. "You free tomorrow or no?"

"I've got some stuff goin on," Rhett answered, running a hand through his hair. "Chester needs some help down at the farm across the street from the school."

"Alright, just curious, that's all," Royal said with a shrug. "Here, I've gotta go in and help your Ma with the laundry for a few."

Royal disappeared inside, leaving the two of you alone on the porch. Rhett quickly noticed the look on your face and tilted your chin so that your gazes met.

"Baby I am so, so sorry," he apologized, his voice croaking a little.

"Rhett, it was my fault, I made a mistake and....."

Rhett quickly drew you into his arms and pressed a heated kiss to your lips. "Hey," he said. "We both made a dumb mistake and we own up to it. Ya'll know I'll never walk out and leave you right?"

You nodded, the tears starting again.

You and Rhett sat on those steps for what felt like forever, nearly forgetting that dinner was waiting. You, Rhett, Royal and Cecelia all sat out on the porch and ate together, all of you listening just in case Amy woke up. Rhett curled his arm around you and pressed a kiss to your lips, the lingering taste of a cheeseburger still on his lips and the both of you closer than ever.

[smallnico]

For the Tav ask game: 20, 23, and 24 (will always take any opportunity to learn more about Esper >:3)

~ @bardic-perdita

and of course i will take any opportunity to talk about esper!! thank u!!!!

20. What is their relationship to touch? Do they shy away from it? Do they need it to feel present?

esper's relationship to touch is complicated! they crave it just as much as any person does, and they're horribly touch starved, but they struggle to get physically close to living beings without feeling the itch of the urge telling them to kill. they love affection, it just takes them a bit to warm up to it.

pre-tadpole, they were afraid to defy what they knew to be the direction of bhaal, so they just never got close to anyone they weren't actively killing, and when they were occasionally overcome with the animal need for affection, they would do things like kill with their bare hands or snuggle up to corpses in the temple repository. post-tadpole, though, they work through their initial hesitation to touch (the urge still craves violence, but esper is providing enough resistance through the power of mindfulness that it's not overpowering, beyond the initial kneejerk anxiety that they feel because What If I Can't Stop Myself) in small doses until they're comfortable enough with it that they're constantly all over people. it helps that most of the physical contact they have to start with is with astarion -- since he doesn't have the same life signs as a living person, esper doesn't feel the same itch to make the life signs stop. really not beating the necrophilia allegations there, esper.

23. How does your Tav act in situations of stress? In moments of peace?

esper is at their best in situations of stress just because their life thus far has been nothing but operating at perfectionist capacity under constant stress. it feels the most normal to them. depends on the stressor too, though -- they're very goal-oriented, so as long as they have a clear Thing to aim at they're in their element, but in a situation where they really don't know what to do and nobody else is taking charge i think esper would just start biting people.

the other side of this is that esper never ever relaxes, lmao. they fill their downtime with tasks so they don't have to sit still with their thoughts for any extended periods. one of their classic downtime activities is playing their lyre in resonance with the sounds in their surroundings as a way of keeping watch using magic, but if they're not doing that you're just as likely to find esper working themself into a migraine trying to puzzle out the pieces or their memories or practicing their swordsmanship. they don't like sleeping either, since it brings nightmares and possibly murders. if esper weren't literally an unkillable demigod they would be collapsing from exhaustion regularly, but they are one, so they see nothing wrong with the way they currently do things.

24. What does your Tav consider to be their own biggest character flaw?

i mean, the uncontrollable murder urge is a big one. it's not the murder that bothers them as much as the lack of control that bothers them, but that's also the easy answer, so how about another one? have a list actually, esper is very self-critical.

- lethal perfectionism

- judgemental. they have high standards for everyone else too

- poor hygiene and self-care, just does not know how to do all that and doesn't think it's worth the effort (because they hate themself)

- moral compass is entirely ungrounded, they're down for all kinds of unethical or illegal shit as long as people won't get mad. this means if they can get away with doing something objectively evil they'll do it if they think it's fun

- very strongly motivated by approval and praise. will do some dark shit for you if they like you and want you to like them

- also in that vein, very private with information that probably matters to the party until the last possible minute, such as their urges, because they're ashamed and afraid of the lack of control

- will drive themself into the ground with how hard they work themself and how little they rest

they know all of these things. the only redeeming quality to how ruthlessly they judge and incisively roast everyone around them is the fact that they will, at the drop of a hat, do the same thing to themself. but they also only just started having a personality recently so they're open to being nicer to people if it means people will like them more. which it does. part of the reason they started experimenting with being a good person (and discovered it was kind of nice and gratifying and rewarding so they decided to do it more) was to impress wyll and karlach. esper has the moral backbone of a pudding cup but they are ride or die for competent people who are genuinely nice to them.

but all that said they would probably say the murder urge and lack of physical autonomy is their biggest flaw until you specified a personality flaw, at which point they would present you with the list above (signed and notarized).

[sca-nerd]

Why ViVat and Not Huzzah?

By Thomas Richardson

I wrote this for the Dec 2018 Cascadian (The news letter for the Shire of Glenn Linn) If you visit the North Country Medavielists facebook group and check the file section you can check out past editions of the Cascadian.

If you are in the SCA and live in the East Kingdom you have likely encountered the cheer of ‘ViVat!” (or “ViVant”) when an individual is celebrated for some form of achievement. On the other hand, if you have had the opportunity to visit several kingdoms during your tenure in the SCA, or ever simply visited a Renaissance fair, or seen an old medieval movie, you may also be more familiar with the oft used cheer of “Huzzah!” The cry of vivat (singular) or vivant for several people means “Long Life” (from the Latin) and is attested as early as the De Brevitate Vitae of 1287 (“Vivat academia!” ,“Vivant professores!” etc.). Huzza'ing was an established custom by Elizabethan times and may have originated as a sailor's shout of exaltation, encouragement, or applause. It appears in In Shakespeare's Henry IV (1591): “Huzza! Huzza! Huzza! Long live the King!”

The first time you heard vivat you may have thought, as I did, “Huh...strange” and just went along with the crowd not giving it much thought. I was well acquainted with the occasional hardy huzzah, and when exposed to the, in my opinion, less exuberant and more equivocal vivat, I began to wonder why. As all who have ever asked the question “why?” about any SCA subject knows, the answer always starts with a history lesson...

Once upon a time there was the West, and the West was what there was because there was nothing else. That was the SCA. But in 1968, the lands east of The Great Muddy was declared The East. So, now we had West and East. But the West also had the BOD (Board of Directors) and the East... well, the East did not, and was just a kingdom.

In 1969, both the Kingdom of the East and the Kingdom of the West (in the guise of the BOD), chartered groups in the middle, as it were. There was some confusion about exactly who was empowered to charter new groups. And while the East struck first in the region, the BOD struck last. Luckily, the two newly formed groups chose to ignore the politics of their parents and joined together to become the Kingdom of the Middle. Keep in mind that there were not exactly a lot of feet on the ground back then, so having a cluster of folk brave enough to dress up, run around acting silly, and hit each other with sticks, was reason enough to become a kingdom. In this case, a kingdom made up of lands granted from both the East and West, proud parents of their new offspring.

Two years later, in 1971, the West (or BOD, if you prefer) decided to both thumb its nose at the East and git rid of some potential trouble makers from Arizona and created the Kingdom of Atenveldt, which stretched from Arizona straight across the country to the Atlantic coast, absorbing large chunks of both the West and East kingdom (proving that the BOD could do what they want, even taking land back away from a kingdom).

At this point the SCA had created its four great incubator kingdoms- West, East, Middle, and Atenvelt. Every other kingdom from this point on would originate from one of these four kingdoms or from one of their offspring Kingdoms. Let us keep that in mind.

So in the West, when everything was new, ‘Hip hip hooray’ was the cheer of the day. The East, born of the West followed its traditions, also crying ‘Hip hip hooray’ for a while until the reign of King Gyrth and Queen Melisande (04/01/1978 - AS XII). Upon concerns that the term was significantly post-period, and that there was some speculation (now considered spurious) that its origin is anti-Semitic with the word word "hip" stemming from a medieval Latin acronym, "Hierosolyma Est Perdita" ("Jerusalem is lost"), Gyrth asked the people to switch to “Vivat/Vivant,” (as told to me by Melisande). Incidentally, it was never their intention to have it chanted three times – that being a carryover from the older cheer. It would appear that around this time, perhaps under the same concern over anti-Semitism, the West switched to ‘Huzzah’.

Now this is where the linage of each kingdom comes into play. In 1978, the Kingdom of Meridies was formed out of Atenveldt lands and invested by the Atenveldt court. As Atenveldt was a huzzah kingdom, so also became Meridies. Also in 1978, the Kingdom of Caid was born from the West, inheriting the use of huzzah. In 1979, Atenveldt created another huzzah kingdom with the birth of Ansteorra. 1981 brings us the Kingdom of Atlantia, which separated from the East and therefore cry's “ViVat!” Another huzzah kingdom is created in 1982 by the West in the form of An Tir and then comes an odd ball.

The Middle Kingdom, the love child of bickering parents, repudiated both and uses either huzzah or vivat. Instead, they yell "hoobah" as an expression of acclamation and joy. Why? Well, legend has it that an early king of the Middle, upon being presented with a troupe of belly-dancers, exclaimed "Hubba hubba!" In 1984, the Kingdom of Calontir, born from the Middle, became the second "hoobah" using kingdom. In 1985, we return to the normal order with the creation of the Kingdom of Trimaris out of the huzzah using Meridies. The huzzah using Kingdom of Outlands separated from Atenveldt in 1986 and Drachenwald, being born of the East in 1993, carried on the vivat tradition.

In 1997, we encounter another odd bird. The Kingdom of Artemisia is formed out of Atenveldt, with bits of the kingdom of Outlands and the Middle thrown in. Among all the confusion, they become a vivat kingdom. Why? Go ask them. Also in 1997, Æthelmearc is spawned as a vivat using child of the East. Ealdormere separates from the Middle in 1998 and, being completely against the grain, immediately begins using “ Wassail”. The year 2002 sees the creation of Lochac out of the West and Ciad, both passing along the use of huzzah. Northshield, created from the middle in 2004, is a vivat user because the first Prince by right of arms was nurtured in Atlantia, a vivat kingdom. Gleann Abhann, which sprang from Meridies in 2005 is on the huzzah standard, while the final kingdom, Avacal adopted huzzah from its parent An Tir, when created in 2015.

For those who were keeping count, that is ten for huzzah, six for vivat, two hoobahs, and a single wassil, most of whom were predictable based upon their linage. So, now you know.

Note: There is at least one anecdotal reference to the Barony of Carolingia using vivat prior to the request of King Gyrth, however no evidence has been presented to substantiate the claim.

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

You Super Booped me >^^<J

And I won't hesitate to Super Boop you again!

[bardic-perdita]

Shrike Reference Sheet

Name: Shrike

Pronouns: They/Them

Class: Oath of Vengeance paladin -> Becomes an Oathbreaker after their reunion with Gortash in Act 3

Romance: Astarion and Halsin (and in an AU Breoch as well)

Personality: At first, they are unnervingly still and quiet. They only speak when spoken to, only act when they need to act, and fight like a blade forged in the heat of a thousand battles. Though once you have moved beyond the hard exterior, Shrike is a kind and caring soul, with an unwavering sense of justice. For Shrike, violence is their chosen form of protection. They choose to be the sword that vanquishes evil and the shield to protect those that cannot defend themselves. They still don't talk very much, but their smile and their actions speak far louder than any bard's song ever could.

Act One Introduction here

More info under cut:

Camp clothes and body markings:

Slayer form (pre-tadpole):

Chosen of Bhaal armour:

Other details:

Spotify Playlist

All content for Shrike is under the tag "Durge! Shrike"

[playchoicesconfessions]

Sent by anonymous

‘I'm of mixed mind about MaH being a standalone and the whole Perdita mystery never being answered. One part of me is okay with it as sometimes there are things that never get answered. The other part is not okay as I want to know what happened!!!’

POST/CONFESSIONS DO NOT REFLECT THE MOD’S PERSONAL OPINIONS!

[dd122004dd]

The Forgotten, The Forgiven

Request: Hi! I saw your requests were open and that you write for the Charmed Reboot! If I could, can I send in a request for a Maggie x sibling reader (or sister or other pronouns if you prefer!) who is adopted and has had a bad life, but Maggie slowly helps them with self love?

A/N: Hey! Thanks for the request, I hope I did the promt justice!

Warnings: Potion abuse, mentions of child abuse

A spell. A simple spell she’d found in her mother’s diary hidden in the attic. It was supposed to reveal the hidden, the invisible, the forgotten. Macy read through the spell. The ingredients were simple and easy to gather. Rosemary, thyme and lavender, a few candles, crystals and chalk.

She read through the grimoire once more, wondering what her mother hid, perhaps it was the answer they’d been looking for, perhaps it was the chest to which the mysterious key fit. Sniffing, she continued drawing the runes as directed, sprinkling the herbs as she went. Once they were done, she chanted,

“Omnum revelare, omnum revelare, omnum revelare.

Memorias occultas, res perditas,

quaere veritatem,

suscipe sumptus.

Pretium solvit. Revelare!”

As the last word slipped from her lips, the magic surrounding her clicked into place, flowing from her through the house, revealing the hidden. Her magic pulsed as it pulled layers of protective enchantments, battering against shields till she heard a scream in the distance.

She rushed out of the attic, following the cries of pain through the house till she climbed down the stairs, rounding the corners to find the source of the tearful sobs. Their sister, the youngest, lay crouched in a ball along the stairs as she cried, her heart wrenching sobs echoed through the house as Macy moved towards her sister in an attempt to comfort her, yet her sister screamed louder every time she tried to comfort her or get closer to her. The third time she tried, a wave of magic echoed through her sister as it pushed Macy back before solidifying into a shield around the young witch’s body.

Macy, unsure of what to do, frantically called Harry and her sisters home as she stood guard outside the shield, watching to make sure her sister hadn’t harmed herself.

White light flashed in the living room as the white lighter and the two charmed sisters appeared, rushing towards Macy and their sister.

“What happened?” asked Harry.

“I-I don’t know, I was upstairs, doing a revealing spell and I finished and after that I-I head her scream and rushed down. What happened to her?” Macy asked quickly.

A moment later Mel approached the shield, trying to touch it, “No! Don’t!” Macy screamed as Mel was pushed back. “Her magic created an impenetrable shield around her, it’s defensive magic, it responds to her emotions and right now she’s in fight-or-flight mode,” said Harry, observing the shield.

“So, what do we do?” Mel asked, wanting to get her sister out of her self-made shield.

“There’s nothing we CAN do. She has to feel calm and safe; only then will the shield recede. And before you ask, Mel, we can’t force her out without damaging her magic,” Harry sighed, glancing worriedly at the witch, worrying about what caused the young girl such strife.

“Can I try something?” Maggie asked slowly.

Harry stared at her apprehensively, “What are you gonna do?”

“You said she needs to feel safe, right? Well, I’m gonna make her feel that way,” Maggie said confidently.

She slowly walked towards the glowing shield, humming softly as she wove magic within the familiar tune. Slowly her lips parted as she sang, projecting calm through every word as the sound of her lilting voice echoed through the room. It was an old lullaby their mother used to sing to them on stormy nights.

The shield slowly crackled, almost responding to the slow notes of the song as it slowly faded from existence. Her sister was calm once more, her frame curled around her knees, almost shielding herself from the world.

Harry walked forward, gently scooping up the sleeping girl and taking her to her room. He laid her on the bed before exiting the room and turning to her sisters, “She’ll be out for a while. Her magic is no doubt drained after creating that shield.”

“What do we do, then?” Macy asked, feeling guilty. Perhaps she botched the spell and caused her sister so much pain.

“We wait. And when she wakes up, we will be there to support her, as always,” Maggie said, determined not to leave her sister alone.

Hours passed before she finally awoke, gasping for breath as memories flooded her, painful forgotten memories that she’d begged Marisol to hide. Dark secrets of her past that lingered in her subconscious, whispering maliciously in her ear, venomous and demeaning.

She was broken from her thoughts as the door opened, Maggie walked in with a tray of sweet-smelling mug and her favourite snacks. “You’re awake!” Maggie exclaimed in excitement as she quickly placed the tray beside her bed before tightly embracing her sister

“Are you okay?! What happened to you?” Maggie asked frantically after pulling away.

“I remember…chanting and then a flood of memories and then pain. What happened?” she asked Maggie.

After briefly explaining what had happened, Maggie asked, “What do you remember?”

“You know how mom adopted me when I was younger?”

“Yeah? What about it?” Maggie asked.

“Well, I remember my mother, not Marisol, my birth-mother. I can remember her screaming at me, calling me worthless when I couldn’t cast a spell properly or-or quickly enough. Her voice echoes in my head, calling me unworthy,” she stuttered as she tried making sense of the memories, “I-I could hear all these voices- it was too much,” she exclaimed, tears in her eyes.

“Shh, it’ll be okay little sister, we’re here for you. All of us. We love you,” Maggie reassured as she slowly rocked the younger woman back and forth through her sobs.

~

Getting back to normal took time. Her memories have been blocked by Marisol for a reason but now that they were back, she had no choice but to try and navigate through the voices, through the abuse. She tried to ignore it, the nagging thoughts as she tried to function, yet everyday was an arduous journey with seemingly no end. She’d tried to bury her pain, but when that didn’t work, she turned her gaze to magic. Though Maggie had tried the same solution and failed, she saw no other choice, anything to numb her feelings of pain and rejection.

The potion was quick to grind as she smothered the green paste on her arm, whispering the incantation as she felt her pain recede, the numbness setting in as she breathed slowly. Finally, she could focus on her work, on her research.

The rest was a blur, her over-working herself, living on caffeine and the potion as she kept herself huddled in her room. Her sisters were none the wiser, each busy with their own lives until one day Maggie stumbled in on her mixing the potion, the ingredients were familiar to the young witch.

“What’re you making, sis?” Maggie asked nonchalantly.

“Just a paste, a new potion I was trying,” she replied monotonously, trying to hide the ingredients from the older witch.

“Oh really? I think I recognize the ingredients, dear sister,” Maggie said as she pulled the bowl from her hands, “Why are you trying to block out your emotions?”

“I-I just can’t anymore, Maggie. I can’t pretend that everything is normal,” she said, her voice breaking down as the potions effects wore off. It had been hours since her last dose. She could feel her emotions trickling in, the pain she’d been running away from slowly flooded her.

Maggie placed the bowl on the counter and hugged her sister, slowly comforting the younger woman as she led her to her room. “You’re not gonna use that potion anymore, it can be addicting, to not feel pain. I should know. But this just hurts you. You’ll have to face it, and I’ll be there by your side.”

“Okay,” she said softly. Maggie sat on her bed, “Now, what’s gonna happen is first, you’re gonna talk about it, we’re gonna talk about your past and then I’m gonna order some takeout and maybe a movie, one of your favourites. Any time you feel bad, you’re gonna come find me, okay?”

“Okay Maggie,” she said as she snuggled in her blankets, sighing as she recounted her memories to her sister. The older woman listened, holding her as she broke down, offering comfort.

It was hours before her sobs stopped. She felt better, she wasn’t okay, but she felt better now. In that moment as she nuzzled deeper into her sister’s comforting arms, breathing her familiar comforting scent, she realized, no matter what, her family would be by her side.

[hesawifebeaterdanusethegun]

Hello! What about ‘As Above So Below’ do you like so much? I was going to do a YouTube video on it but I realised I couldn’t really differentiate it from its peers. Thank you!

Oh! This is a fun one, I'm not sure how much help I'll be if you do decide to do a video on it as I'm bad at getting my thoughts out coherently, but I'll try!

So As Above So Below is first and foremost a found footage film, a very well made one in my opinion. From a technical standpoint, there isn't much to differentiate it from any other found footage film (The Blair Witch Project, Hell House LLC, The Houses October Built, etc.) besides the character Benji (Edwin Hodge).

Benji is making a documentary about Scarlet (Perdita Weeks) and her search for the philosopher's stone. Because of this, the director had an excuse for some more "cinematic" shots throughout the film while preserving the "found footage" aspect completely.

However, the historical aspects of the film are subjects that my lil goth/history loving heart holds dear. I'm fascinated by the catacombs and the history of alchemy. So this movie was kind of made for me and appealed to me more than it might the average person.

The other thing that I really enjoyed about this film was the very obvious but still really nicely shown parallels to Dante's Inferno and the implication that they are in what can be taken as literally hell, with the need to atone or make peace with their perceived sins (which I'll mention again in a minute), their travel downward through all the "circles" of hell as in the Inferno, and the obvious warning at the entrance (Abandon all hope, ye who enter here).

Now, the sins. This part may seem kind of, well, stupid. The only one who seems to have a legitimate sin that they need to atone for is Zed (Ali Marhyar), who has a child he's never seen. Scarlet's sin is that she wasn't there when her father needed her (she didn't answer the phone when he called the night he committed suicide), and George (Ben Feldman) got lost trying to get help for his brother who was trapped in a cave and drowned waiting for him. These don't really seem like sins deserving of hell on the surface, not answering the phone and being a scared kid who got lost, and I agree.

But when you think about it, it isn't about whether the sin is real, the guilt makes them believe the sin is real. Scarlet says it best, "as I believe the world to be, so it is." They damned themselves with their guilt. Overcoming that grants them redemption and a way out.

Okay I'm rambling too much now and I don't know if what I wrote makes sense but I hope so. I could go on and on about this movie if you let me, honestly.

[choices-binglebonkus]

Any hope for CoP book 3?

Idk if it’ll have a book three or not but if they do, I’m going to be a little concerned about it. Book threes in Choices have a tendency to dip in quality at best or nosedive at worst.

Juliana’s murder being investigated in book two is something that makes sense: she was a popular Drakovian countess who was engaged to the royal heir and set to be queen, and she was killed in a violent manner in which no answers were found. There was ample reason to investigate it because it was a high profile death and had evidence surrounding it.

People say book three should focus on solving the MC’s dad’s death. That, I think, wouldn’t make much sense. He wasn’t a noble or public figure: he was an average joe cop killed in the line of duty. His death didn’t have a large scale impact as a series of ritualistic murders did, or the mysterious death of the future queen. And given the lack of any evidence surrounding his death, well, not to sound like a broken record, but his death being solved just wouldn’t make sense. It’s not plausible.

People complain all the time about questions remaining unanswered. While a lot of the time they’re absolutely right, there are some instances where questions don’t need to be answered. For instance, Perdita’s disappearance in Murder at Homecoming. Her disappearance, while very tragic, was the catalyst for the MC becoming a kid detective. I truthfully didn’t mind that we never found out what happened to her: some things just aren’t ever solved. Plus, I mean…her name is literally Perdita, the Latin word for something or someone being lost.

So while I would like a book three, I think it would be more promising with a different case instead of investigating the MC’s dad’s death.