#r can be a vowel if you trust in your heart

[bioluminescent-fungus]

bicom ongofrnibl. ġūs old inglisċ orþagrafi

[arvandus]

Destruction & Creation

So.... this has been something that’s been bouncing around in my brain for a while and it finally got to a point that I had to write it out.  It’s longer than I intended, but that’s to be expected for me... 😆 Pairing: Jotunn Loki x GN! Reader

Word count: 1735

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, emotional SMUT/lovemaking, lots and lots of heavy poetic romance (cuz that’s how I roll 😎) Synopsis: Loki hates his Jotunn form.  So of course he never shares it with anyone.  Until now...

“Does it frighten you?” Loki asks. His words have their usual smoothness to them, but they’re contradicted by the stiffness of his posture.

He’s vulnerable.

You sit in front of him on the soft rug next to the fireplace as you stare at him.  The firelight dances across his blue skin, coating him in a warm orange glow.  Patterns cover his face, framing deep red eyes that watch you with guarded uncertainty. It’s so different from how you’ve known him, and yet…

“No…” you whisper.

You calmly reach to touch his face, but he shies away slightly. You halt your advance, your hand lowering yet never fully retreating.  Instead, it hovers in the space between you as a silent request.  An offer.

He stares at you. Scrutinizing, thinking. He can read the unspoken plea in your eyes.

‘Please… please trust me.’

But you never say it. You never ask for more than he’s willing to give.  Instead, you wait calmly, hand outstretched. 

You are patient.  Always patient. And he knows that if he were to turn away in this moment, you wouldn’t pursue it.  You wouldn’t be angry.

But you would be sad.  Hurt, even.

Slowly, his posture relaxes, and he returns to his position, eyes silently following your every move. You give a small, grateful smile as your fingers finally reach his skin, soft and gentle.  He sits still as a statue and nearly just as cold.  Your head tilts curiously as you run a thumb along one of the small ridges crossing his cheek.

“Where did these come from?” you ask.

“I presume I was born with them.” He replies.

“They’re beautiful.”

His breath catches in his throat, every instinct within him telling him to sneer at you and deny it. He hates them.  He hates what they represent, and he hates their permanence.

And yet…

Your fingers begin to trace over the lines.  Your touch is tender, loving, purposeful.  He stares at you, searching your face for any sign of fear, any clue of repulsion. Instead, your expression is soft, eyes sparkling with wonder as you take in his true form.  It’s as if you’re introducing yourself to him all over again, committing the image of him to your memory.  And that’s when he realizes…

You’re mesmerized by him.

It takes him by surprise, filling him with confusion.  He closes his eyes against it, squeezing them shut in denial.  He can’t see you look at him like this.  Not with that expression on your face.  Your reaction is so opposite of everything he’d expected. Everything he’s experienced. He feels a knot forming itself in his throat that he can’t seem swallow as he struggles against the waves that threaten to pull him under.  Fear, hesitation, hope, relief…

You notice, of course… how could you not?  It’s obvious in the thin line of his mouth, in the furrow of his eyebrows… and are those tears trapped in corners of his dark lashes? You stop your tracing and return your palm to cup his cheek.

“Loki…” you whisper. “Look at me.”

Surprisingly, he does, his red eyes opening to focus on you.

“You’re beautiful.” You say.

And then you do something he doesn’t expect.  You kiss him… on the forehead.  It’s gentle, the softest brush of your lips against his skin, yet the weight of it – of what it represents – is heavy as an anchor.  It grounds him, pulls him back from the threshold of panic he was teetering on. You begin to pull away, but his hand stops you, cupping your jawline.  Your eyes lock and you barely have time to register the meaning of his expression before he pulls you back to him and captures your lips with his own.  They’re perfect.  Intoxicating. Your air is stolen from your lungs, you heart pounding in jubilation.  You lean into it, your body pressing against his, and he groans.

He needs you.

He needs the unconditional acceptance that you’ve offered him without question or judgement.  He needs the love that you’ve worn plainly on your sleeve, as you’ve waited patiently for years for him to come and pluck it like a rose from a vine.  He drinks it in like a man parched, letting it soak into the deep dark places within himself like springtime showers falling over cracked and broken land.  It fills him, breathing the kiss of life into his lungs and watering the dormant seeds of his heart.  His own emotions spring forth unfettered, beautiful and vibrant. They consume him, choking him, until they can’t be contained any longer.  They’re not for him to keep, anyway… they’re for you. They’ve always been for you.  He has to give you everything.  He needs you to know…

It doesn’t take long before you’re scooped up into his arms and carried into the dark bedroom. He lays you gently on the bed, his body never straying more than a few inches from yours as he joins you, his limbs caging you beneath him.  Hot mouths, and cool touches.  Soft whispers and gentle caresses.  Warm firelight traded for cool moonlight.  And finally, the restriction of clothing traded for skin upon skin.

Making love with Loki in his Jotunn form is like making love with the universe.  It’s eternal, timeless.  In the heavy dark of the room, his blue-tinted skin becomes a deep midnight as his strong, lean arms hold you close.  His touch is cold, brushing across your skin like a winter breeze, goosebumps following wherever his gentle hands wander.  The ridges of patterns on his skin are etched across his body like a map of untraveled galaxy roads, alien and mysterious. Your fingers trace them gently, following them around his shoulders, his neck, his cheeks, memorizing every divot, every curve.  Ruby eyes stare into yours, ancient as the oldest red giant stars, and you fall into them without thought.  You’re powerless against him, trapped in the gravity of his stare, locked in an orbit that you never want to leave.

He’s ethereal, ancient, a creature of the universe. 

And real.  So real. 

His mouth is soft and tender against your heated skin, filled with enthralled purpose as he murmurs his worship in an ancient, foreign tongue.  The sounds trickle from his parted lips like the moonlight through the open window, a gentle tumble of rolling R’s and dancing vowels that find their way through your ears to bask your heart in their silver glow.

He’s a man, filled with need, raw and carnal.

You can feel the weight of him, feel the ripple of his muscles across his back as his hand wraps firmly around your thigh, lifting your leg over his hip.  It ushers in the sweet, burning pressure as he pushes into you, his hot breaths warming your parted lips.  Your sweet gasps sing your praise as he fills you, and your body trembles gratefully.  Your legs wrap around his waist in an effort to pull him closer, deeper, until the space between you is but a memory. He moans your name like a prayer, and you feel godly, placed on a throne so high you swear you can touch the stars.

His hair falls around you like a curtain, long strands black as dark matter, making the world around you fall away until everything is forgotten.  Everything except the touch of his skin against yours, the heat building in your core, and the sound of his ragged breaths. His face buries itself into your neck as your bodies move together, a perfect push-and-pull, give and take. He is the moon and you are the tide, bending to his will as he pulls soft moans from your parted lips only to swallow them hungrily in the darkness.

The heat within you builds as he pulls you closer to the center of his galaxy where promises of rapture await, burning the both of you away to leave something new and whole in its wake.  To let the imperfect universe as it exists fall into oblivion, leaving space for the creation of something far more perfect and indestructible.

He’s omnipresent and omnipotent.  His presence surrounds you, consuming you in mind, body, and spirit.  His power over you is limitless, supreme, and you have no choice but to answer his call.

When you finally explode, you explode together, bodies linked in shared euphoria.  Your back arches, toes curling as you cling to him, his name ripped from your lips with a cry. His arm holds you tight against him as he drives into you, words of love falling clumsily from his wet lips with a deep groan as he empties every drop of himself like an offering at your altar. You accept, your hands pulling his face to you in a tender kiss, even as your heart continues to pound and your body hums with the aftershocks of pleasure. You feel incorporeal, a floating balloon secured by the most delicate of strings, yet held by the strongest of hands.

Loki stays, placing his head upon your chest as hot, heavy gasps slowly give way to deep, steady breaths.  Your arms hold him, fingers running through his damp hair over and over.  It’s a soothing lullaby, sung through the soft brush of your fingers in a slow rhythm that lulls the both of you gently back to Earth.

He’s alien, yet human.  So human.

He holds all the same complexity that humanity does, fueled by the same motivations and fears. And like so many humans, he dances the knife’s edge of the worst and best versions of himself.  Hate and love.  Fear and bravery.  Suspicion and trust.

Destruction and creation.

Tonight, he’s chosen creation.  To create love and build a future that has you in it.  But he also must destroy.   He must destroy his loneliness, his isolation, his mistrust. It terrifies him; the fear of failure, the fear of success… but he knows it’s necessary. For only by culling some of the darker parts of his nature could he offer you a space within himself that is beautiful and worthy enough for you to occupy; a place where his demons can’t reach.

He wants to give you safety – a place to flourish - just as you have for him.  You are his home, his place of rest.  You may have given him the world, but he swears to give you the universe.

He is yours.

[a-big-apple]

all the animals with names that begin with a vowel

kljdsfakljdakj delightful <3

Owl - What’s your favorite punctuation to use?

Hoo boy, I definitely love to use (and overuse) semicolons and em dashes! I like the visuals they make, and the way they change the sound of a line.

Elephant - What’s your least favorite thing(s) about writing?

I think the worst for me is when I sit down to write to a deadline and I can’t get into the zone. I put words down, but I never like them, and I always end up deleting them and starting over another day. I think it’s very good writing advice to not stress about the first draft because you can always edit it, but I’m Very Bad at doing that.

Octopus - What’s your favorite letter of the alphabet?

R! Also I like f and p a lot, because they make interesting sounds.

Iguana - Do you plan on having/have a career in writing?

Definitely not. I’ve written original fiction and poetry in the past, and published a very small amount of it; I may get around to writing a novel or two, and if I do I’d probably try to publish for kicks. But it’s really important to me for my mental health and happiness to keep fun creative outlets, like writing, separate from what feeds me and pays my bills. 

Ant - What would you say to someone who is self-conscious about their writing?

This is hard, because I am also self-conscious about my writing!! I think my advice comes from being a children’s bookseller for a decade, rather than a writer. Every book has a reader, and every reader is looking for different things in a book. I think it’s the same for any writing, including fic! Even if you’re unsure about your own work, there’s a reader out there for it. If you put in the effort of writing, someone’s going to appreciate it. Also it helps to have a trusted beta or two who’ll tell you honestly what they love and where the weak spots are (looking with heart eyes at jeej and flor right now).

Unicorn - How many drafts do you currently have saved?

jsadfl;fdjk This is hard to answer because all my WIPs are in one document, but I have four stories started right now that I have solid plans to finish (as opposed to single phrases or paragraphs or notes that may never turn into anything).

Otter - What is your longest piece? How long did it take you?

Longest has got to be this one I wrote for a Merlin big bang! 41,000ish words, and that took me about a year and a half. 

[healingsistematically]

Ritual: Scorpio (Super) New Moon

Scorpio New Moon Ritual

Ritual Tools: ∞ Cleansing tool of your choice ∞ Candles ∞ Crystals ∞ Herbs of your choice ∞ Essential oil(s) ∞ Bowl of water ∞ Pen and journal ∞ 3 small pieces of paper (Sigil Magic) ∞ Meditation with Be

Ritual

1. Bring your crystals, candles, essential oils, your bowl of water and anything else that you feel is necessary to your ritual space. Your ritual table or setting can be as minimal or as lively as you like.

2. Start by using your cleansing tool to cleanse and protect your aura and your space. You may recite the following:

As I sit under this new moon energy, I release all that no longer serves me. I cleanse this space and my aura of any stagnant or negative energy. I vow to be present and honest through this stage in my evolution. I am protected. I am abundant. Thank you.

3. Set down your cleansing tool and begin your Meditation with Be.

4. After your meditation, grab your journal and write down 3 intentions. Because you are using these intentions to create sigils, be clear and specific and simplify your intentions. To help you, you may use any of the following prompts:

I am... I need... I want... I wish... More...

You may also simply use certain qualities that you desire, such as “compassionate and empathetic” or “trusting and mindful”.

5. Once you are done writing your 3 intentions, start with the first intention on your list. Cross out the vowels and the repeating letters (if there is a repeating letter, you use that letter once to create your sigil). When you have your remaining letters, create your sigil on a separate piece of paper. Continue to do these with your other intentions to fill the remaining two pieces of paper.

“I am safe and secure in my own skin” “I  a m  s a f e  a n d  s e c u r e  i n  m y  o w n  s k i n” You are left with the letters: msfndcrywk

6. When you have created your 3 sigils, put them aside and bring your bowl in front of you. Grab your herbs and essential oil(s) to pour them into the water.

7. Then place your sigils in the bowl of water one by one. Really envision yourself with each intention fully manifested in your life and then let it go once you place them in the bowl of water. 

8. Once your sigils are placed in the bowl of water, bring your palms pressed together at your heart’s center. Take a couple of breaths here and recite the following out loud:

I know and I trust. I know and I trust. I know and I trust.

9. You may close out your ritual here or you can use the following journal prompts to start a reflection. If you do not close off with a reflection, I encourage you to take the time within this week to really sit with yourself and these questions. 

∞ What fears and emotions am I suppressing? ∞ What in my belief system is keeping me stagnant? ∞ How am I authentically expressing myself? ∞ What relationships do I feel ready to deepen?

10. You may leave your bowl of water by your bed tonight and then dispose of the ingredients in any way the following morning.

Happy Super New Moon!

[isingonly4myangel]

Lionel goes over the line, and Monty just straight up punches him in the face.

Alright folks, it’s the 11th of May again, and that meant I had to fight my brain to do The Writing Thing to post my annual story! Anyway, this is a combination of this fantastic prompt request that I’ve had for ages and the fact that I just watched all of Big Little Lies in about 3 days. In the style of the show, the italicized passages are the police interviews after the fact, and the rest is self-explanatory. Sorry if I’m a little rusty, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve written much of anything! 

“Mrs Lionel Holland? I never met her when she was Sibella Hallward,” spoke Lady Jane Sitwell. “I often saw her at the theatre or the Albert Hall, especially in the company of Lord and Lady Navarro. And at a handful of dinner parties where she and her husband were in attendance and I accompanied my aunt.”

Lady Jane did not particularly care for the man sitting across from her, nor did she care for the room they sat in. Dim lighting cast shadows in the corners of the grey stone floor, worn down in places after being tread on over the years, with a rickety wooden table and chairs. She feared dirtying her rather expensive skirts merely by sitting there. Having been offered tea, she had foolishly accepted, soon finding that it was terrible. The police inspector seated across the table from her sported a rather bushy moustache and a brown coat, clearly several years out of fashion and somewhat worn in places. She noted the excess of vowel sounds and occasional intrusive ‘r’ in his speech, so sharply contrasting her own precisely rounded and clipped way of forming words.

“Did you ever converse with her at these functions, dinner parties?”

“Never about anything of consequence, for if you believe things of consequence are ever said at dinner parties you are sorely mistaken, but she always seemed good for conversation on fashion or art or theatre, even literature sometimes.”

“And did you ever note anything else about her?”

“Like what, may I ask?”

“Well, perhaps there was something that stood out to you about her. The way she acted, or how she spoke to her husband, the way she dressed…” The inspector trailed off, giving the woman an opportunity to answer.

“I did note that she was always very well dressed, with a face and figure like that, she could pull off anything.” The slight edge of envy in her voice said more of Lady Jane’s thoughts on the matter than she would have cared to speak aloud. “Even that night, she looked wonderful.”

Sibella’s hand shook as it squeezed Phoebe’s. The blonde’s grip was tight and felt almost desperate, though her face showed nothing of the sort. Her smile was as dazzling as ever, her lips painted and her eyes sparkled. Only her fingers betrayed her as they wrapped around Phoebe’s own.

When Lady Sitwell hailed her young niece with a wave of her hand, the somewhat tedious conversation had come to a polite end, and Phoebe led Sibella gently to the side of the room, under the guise of using the fireplace for warmth.

“What is it, my darling?” Phoebe murmured, as the question was for Sibella’s hearing only. The blonde took a quavering breath before answering.

“Lionel and I are… in the midst of a… disagreement, I suppose you could say. One that has continued on from this afternoon.”

“And it was because of this disagreement that he decided to accompany you this evening?” Lionel’s attendance of the soirée at Highhurst had not been planned for, but when he had arrived with Sibella in his own motorcar it was clear that he would be staying.

“I believe so.”

“What happened this afternoon?” Phoebe questioned, half dreading the reply.

“He umm… I-“ Sibella stopped to gather her breath and wrestle back the tears that had sprung up in her eyes. “I can’t talk about that here,” she said with a smile that was clearly more for herself and the room than for Phoebe. The brunette nodded in acquiescence, though a small crease of worry drew her brows closer together.

“Yes, I saw their little 'tête-à-tête’ after I left to join my niece. They both looked highly conspritorial, if you ask me. Mind you, I’m not suggesting- but they looked as though they- that is, I could tell they were hiding something. Huddled together, the Countess holding her hand, it made one wonder- well, surely you’ve heard the rumours about their- with the Earl that is- and sometimes I wonder if they aren’t true, especially now after what’s happened you know- well I always thought she looked a tad too- and there was always something in her eyes I did not trust.”

The older Lady Sitwell finally paused to draw breath, leaving Inspector Jameson regarding her with wide-eyed bewilderment, astounded at her ability to never pause her speech and yet never follow a thought to its end.

“Ah,” the Inspector began, clearing his throat to spur himself back into action. “I- er- you say in your written statement of your account of the evening that you witnessed the beginning of the… altercation between Mr and Mrs Holland?” He opened the field for Lady Sitwell to speak again, rather trepidaciously.

“I did indeed. Can you imagine the sheer audacity it takes to start a marital row in the middle of a social gathering like that? Only a politician and his social-climbing chit of a wife would have the nerve.”

“Many people seem to blame Lord Navarro for the events in the parlour.” Mr William Sanderson sat opposite Inspector Jameson in the dingy interrogation room, equally as well-dressed as the women had been, but significantly more agreeable in his manner than the Inspector had anticipated.

“But you do not, sir?” asked Jameson.

“No indeed. I rather think most of the blame lies with Mr Holland. He said some highly objectionable things to Lord Navarro, and to his own wife as well. I can’t imagine speaking to or about a woman in such a fashion. If he had behaved in a more gentleman-like manner, he wouldn’t have had his nose bloodied. I wished after the fact that I had been nearby, that I might have come to Mrs Holland’s defense, and if Lionel Holland had spoken to a dear female friend of mine that way, I would have hit him myself.”

Inspector Jameson nodded solemnly and lifted his pen to add this declaration to his notes.

Monty watched the entirety of Sibella’s body stiffen as Lionel stepped up behind her, taking her elbow in one hand. Her smile never faded, but Monty had spent enough time studying Sibella’s every expression that he could tell her husband had surprised her.

“Lionel,” she spoke, bringing her husband into the circle of conversation. “You remember Lady Jane Sitwell, and of course Lord Navarro, and Mr William Sander…” She trailed off as her husband spoke in her ear, too low for the company to hear, and she nodded graciously with a soft, “Please excuse us,” before allowing herself to be led away by her husband.

Monty made a valiant effort to revive the conversation, dutiful to his role of host, all the while keeping one eye on Sibella and Lionel. “Mr Sanderson, you were beginning to say something about a vineyard tour?” As the conversation took a few halting steps towards normalcy, Monty remained distracted by the couple now hovering near the doorway to the hall. Sibella had extricated herself from her husband’s grasp and now stood facing him. She seemed to be struggling to curb her temper, a mannerism of hers that Monty was intimately aquainted with. Lionel, however, soon became visibly agitated, and as Sibella reached to her left to set the glass she held on a side table he seized the opportunity to take hold of her right arm again. This time he held her just above the elbow, exerting more control over her movement with a tighter grip, and he tugged her towards him. The moment Monty glimpsed the flash of fear across her face- however brief- he had bowed out of the conversation murmuring a half-hearted apology and was striding towards the couple.

“Come with me,” Lionel was saying, his volume increasing so that several people nearby threw glances over their shoulders as they shifted to be farther away. “Outside, this instant.” He tightened his hand around her arm and Sibella had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from flinching.

“Mr Holland,” Monty began with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. “It was very kind of you to join us for our little soiree here, however, if you insist on manhandling your wife in my parlour I will have to ask you respectfully to depart.” Lionel turned Sibella and brought her into his side, forcing her to move with his hand still on her arm.

“Lord Navarro,” Lionel spoke with the same false cordiality. “I would be only too glad to depart, but it seems my wife will not agree to accompany me.”

“Well then, perhaps you would consent to Mrs Holland remaining here for the duration of the evening. I can send her home in our car when the rest of the compay departs.”

“No, Lord Navarro.” Lionel pronounced the title with such disdain that Monty raised an eyebrow. “My wife will be coming with me.” Monty glanced to Sibella for some hint as to a course of action, but she only gave him a small, terse smile before casting her eyes off to the side. Monty gave a subtle look to the room and realised that a number of people were beginning to pay more and more attention to the three of them.

“With all due respect, Mr Holland,” Monty tried his utmost to keep his tone even and calm. “She is not your posession, she is your wife, and if Sibella wishes to stay you cannot rightfully force her into going when she does not want to.”

“You have no right to call her by her Christian name, and as she is my wife I have every right to order her to come home with me,” Lionel snapped at him.

“She is not a servant, you have no right at all to order her to do anything.” Monty fought to keep his volume down, noticing that they were steadily attracting more attention. “And before this conversation continues I would ask that you remove your hand from her, she is clearly uncomfortable.” Sibella shot him a warning look, but he ignored her caution.

“She is my wife and I will lay hands on her any way I see fit.”

“You may choose to do so within the privacy of your own home, and it is my greatest regret in life that I am powerless to stop you there, but you will not do so on my property.”

“And what precisely are you insinuating with that last remark?” Lionel raised his voice to question Monty.

Sibella, now apprehensive of what the exchange might come to, gently attempted to free herself from her husband’s grasp, to no avail. She tried a second time, pulling away from him strongly enough that she was able to take a step back towards the room. However, before she was fully separated from the two men, Lionel’s hand reached out and took her forcefully by the wrist, wrenching her back around to face him and she cried out in pain and surprise.

Hearing Sibella’s gasp of pain was the last straw for Monty, and he hardly knew what he was doing as he pulled his arm back, but when it flew forward it was suddenly a fist, and the next moment it connected with Lionel’s face. Lionel stumbled backward, knocking Sibella’s discarded drink off the table as he fell into it, and raised a hand to press against his aching lip and nose.

Not a moment after he looked up at Monty in angry shock, every one of the men nearby sprung into action. Strong hands steadied Lionel and other pairs held Monty in place, fearing he would throw another punch. As two additional gentlemen stepped between the pair with arms outstretched, calling a halt to combat, Sibella felt a gentle and distinctly feminine hold on her shoulder and waist, and she was quickly pulled away from the men. Upon turning, she saw that it was Phoebe and Lady Jane Sitwell whose hands were upon her, and that Lady Eugenia seemed to be clearing a path ahead of them. She allowed herself to be hurried outside and through the French doors before being placed in a chair on the terrace.

“My sincere apologies, Mr Holland,” Monty was saying as he saw Sibella being whisked away. Holding up his hands in surrender, the men released him and he straightened his waistcoat. “Do allow me to fetch you some ice for your injury.” Without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heel and was striding across the room in the opposite direction when Lionel called after him.

“Filthy Spaniard son of a bitch!” the other man was shouting. “You’re as common as they come and have no claim to the D'Ysquith family name!” But Monty never turned and never faltered, though his blood boiled in his veins.

“Four socialites and a member of staff stand at the top of garden stairs while the husband of one lies dead at the bottom of them.” Inspector Pickney, Scotland Yard, paced up and down the length of his office while Inspector Jameson stood nervously near the desk chair.

“Indeed, sir. Several superficial wounds were presumably sustained in the altercation, not including the bruising of the lip and bloodied nose, which were a result of his earlier skirmish with Lord Navarro in the parlour. Broken neck was the direct cause of death, and all five people seem to agree on the idea that Mr Holland simply fell. But personally, sir, I find that difficult to believe.”

“As do I, Jameson. All of them had motive, and evidently there was a physical altercation at the top of the stairs. Reportedly, he attacked Mrs Holland first.” At this, Pickney momentarily halted his pacing to flip open the file on his desk to a group of photographs documenting Mrs Holland’s injuries. Taken at the police station later that evening, they showed quite clearly her hair falling from its elegant design, a cut and bruising at the corner of her mouth and a similar mark just above her eye. Additional photos showed bruising around her wrist, where he had forcibly laid hands on her in the parlour, and the notes from the doctor’s exam noted similar bruising on her upper arm and two cracked ribs on her left side.

“If all those present witnessed his violence towards Mrs Holland, it’s entirely possible they came to her defense, and that his more minor injuries were not inflicted by his wife,” Jameson contributed.

“Entirely possible,” Pickney echoed. “Especially if he was kicking her in the ribs at the time.”

“But sir, if he didn’t fall… who pushed him?” Pickney gave a deep sigh before replying.

“Mrs Lionel Holland, Lady Phoebe D'Ysquith Navarro, Lady Eugenia D'Ysquith, Miss Marietta Shingle, and Lord Montague D'Ysquith Navarro himself, who already has a rather notable arrest for murder, though charges were dropped. All of them present at Lord Navaro’s trial back in 1909, all of them with conceivable motive for the murder of Mr Lionel Holland. That is indeed the question, Jameson. Who pushed him?”

[blog20041994punam]

Numerology - Discover Your Purpose

Numerology has been used for thousands of years to determine specific things about an individual. The Pythagoras were the first to discover that numbers have a vibration to them, and each number has a specific vibrational field around them. They believed that we create our life by giving our parents our name that we want to be born with and specific date of birth that we choose to come forth in. So they have discovered meanings of the numbers and their influence on our lives. Numerology is also to believed to be used by our spirit guides to help us along in life by pointing out specific number patterns to us while we go through our daily lives. Remember Mathematics has been considered the Universal language for some time now. That can't just be a coincidence.

Furthermore, according to Underwood Dudley, author of "Numerology: Or What Pythagoras Wrought", the Pythagoreans became interested in number mysticism after discovering a particularly fascinating fact about numbers. If you add up a series of odd numbers beginning with the number one, the result is always a square number.

Discoveries like this led the Pythagoreans to the conclusion that "all is number." According to one interpretation, this means that people can measure everything in the world and describe it in terms of numbers and proportions. This is a reasonable idea, and it has had a big influence on science and mathematics. But according to another interpretation, "all is number" means that everything in the world is made of numbers and can be reduced to a numerical value.

Along with describing numbers in terms of math and geometry, the Pythagoreans also described them in terms of non-numerical traits. These traits had more to do with intuition and mysticism than science or mathematics. For example, odd numbers were masculine, and even numbers were feminine. The number one was creative, since the addition of multiple ones can create any other number. Two represented duality and was female, while three was male. As the sum of two and three, five represented marriage, and since it fell exactly in the middle of the numbers one through nine, it also represented justice.

Ten was a sacred number, largely because it is the sum of the first four digits. The holiness of the number 10 led to a list of 10 fundamental opposites:

Limited and unlimited

Odd and even

One and many

Right and left

Masculine and feminine

Rest and motion

Straight and crooked

Light and darkness

Good and evil

Square and oblong [Source: Dudley]

Systems also designate numbers with repeating digits as master numbers, which include all the attributes of two other numbers:

11: 1 and 2

22: 2 and 4

33: 3 and 6

44: 4 and 8

Numerology has been used to tell the future, guide human behavior, predict the outcome of relationships and otherwise divine the unknowable by figuring out a person's numbers. For example, if the number 5 has a particular vibration, a person whose number is 5 has the same vibration. That person can choose what to eat, where to go and how to live based on which choices have a vibration that is compatible with 5.

Numerologists will interpret the results and the meanings of each number to make recommendations or theorize about a person's future. Recommendations often include:

Lucky days or lucky numbers

Optimal career paths for a person's numerological temperament

Negative tendencies to avoid

Positive attributes to emphasize

What to look for in a romantic partner

Business Decisions

How is Spirit Guiding you

How to find your numerology number? Read on.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A B C D E F G H I

J K L M N O P Q R

S T U V W X Y Z

This chart is how to find the numbers from your name. It's universal and has been used for thousands of years in every language. Our name makes up our Expression/Destiny number and our Soul Urge/ Heart Desires Number. Use this chart to find yours. I set up an example of Angelina Jolie to help you out.

For example: Angelina Jolie Voight.

Calculating a Expression/Destiny Number:

Angelina=36, 3+6=9. So Angelina=9.

Jolie=24, 2+4=6. so Jolie=6.

Voight=36, 3+6=9. So Voight=9

36+24+36=96. 9+6=15. 1+5=6

9+9+6=24. 2+4=6

Angelina Jolie is a 6.

Calculating a Life Path Number:

Her birthday is June 4th, 1975

6+4=10.. 1+9+7+5=22.. 10+22=32. 3+2=5

Calculating a Soul Urge Number:

A,E,I,A. O,I,E. O,I.

Angelina = 16. 1+6=5. Jolie = 20. 2+0=2. Voight = 15. 1+5=6.

5+2+6= 13. 1+3=4.

Her Life Path Number is 5.

Her Expression/Destiny Number is 6.

Her Soul Urge/Hearts Desire Number is 4.

To get a better understanding here's a simple definition of the most basics that numerologists look for when they start adding from the letters in our name, the vowels in our name and our birthday.

Life Path Number: The Life Path is the sum of the birth date of a person. This number represents who you are at birth and the native traits that you will carry with you through life. The Life Path describes the nature of this journey through life.

Expression Number: A number derived from all of the letters in your full birth name make up what is called the Expression or Destiny number. This is the number that describes the talents and attitudes at your disposal in this lifetime, if you choose to develop and use them of course. This is sometimes referred to as your potential or destiny. Living up to attributes of this number may not be easy, but it is your goal. It is your life's purpose, spiritual mission, and your field of opportunity. Unlike the Life Path number which reads as you ARE, the Expression number more correctly reads as you MUST, to accomplish your mission in this lifetime.

Soul Urge Number :The Soul Urge or as it is sometimes called, the heart's desire, is an important influence in numerology .This means your inner craving, likes and dislikes. It's made up of the vowels in your name.

Here is what the basic of numbers mean: The details are relatively similar from numerologists, this is just an example of each number.

Number 0 - Limitless, Unity, Nothingness, Boundless, Truth, Purity, Love, All, Alpha and Omega, Possibility, First Cause, Unmanifest, Breath of God, Unified Field, Source, Space, Consciousness, Cosmic Egg, God.

Number 1 - Beginning, New, Focused concentration, Goal-striving, Action, Independence, Originality, Courage, Invention, Leader, Self-reliant, Ambition, Pioneer, Will, Conscious Mind, Positive.

Number 2 - Duality, Division, Polarity, Choice, Gestation, Cooperation, Service, Harmony, Support, Waiting, Diplomacy, Patience, Psychic, Intuition, Adaptable, Empathic, Partnership, Mediator, Comparison, Receptive, Helper, Collecting, Reproduction, Balancer of Opposites, Subconscious Memory, Positive and Negative.

Number 3 - Trinity, Union of Divine plus Human, Manifestation, Positive, Negative and Neutral, Expression, Subconscious Mind/Imagination, Creative, Optimistic, Enthusiasm, Expressive, Charming, Humour, Fun, Attractive, Friendly.

Number 4 - Practical, orderly, patient, logical, hard-working, loyal, builder, steadfast, frugal, responsible, earthy, planner, materially creative, green thumb, even tempered.

Number 5 - Adventure, change, freedom, exploration, variety, sensuality, unattached, curious, experienced, periodicity, knowledge seeker, knowledge teacher, traveller, imagination, child-like, playful.

Number 6 - Harmony, beauty, nurturing, love, marriage, family, responsibility, understanding, sympathy, healing, empathic, perfectionist, order, duty, comfort, service.

Number 7 - Philosopher, sage, wisdom seeker, reserved, inventor, stoic, contemplative, aloof, deep-thinker, introspective, spiritual, faith, esoteric, exotic, unusual, hidden, seeking perfection, ethereal, other worldly, enigma.

Number 8 - Achievement, abundance, executive, strength, self-disciplined, power, success, authority, psychology, entrepreneur, intensity, supervisor, provider, grandeur, material manifester.

Number 9 - Endings, completion, humanitarian, compassionate, romantic, selfless, generous, philanthropic, loving, wisdom, idealist, artistic, spiritual healer, all allowing, other worldly, blending.

Numerology has been used for business decisions, relationship advice, seeing the signs of the Universe and/or Spirit Guides, Karmic situations, subconscious dreaming, what to overcome in this specific life, why you are the way you are, Maturity level, Rational Thought. There is a literally a number for everything that makes up who we are on every level. It takes a lot of studying and work to find all this information on your own, (trust me I've looked), I find it easier to just get a reading. Enjoy finding out what really makes me you tick.

Peace to all Beings and may Love and Wisdom guide you through Life!!!

Learn more about it and get your personalized numerology report for free.

[tinkadreamchaser]

Vargas Arithmancy/Numerology

So, today I found out Arithmancy is real and not just Harry Potter. Numerology is the actual term for assigning meaning to numbers, Arithmancy is assigning numbers to letters and words. I’m still reading up on that, though, so apologies if I’m wrong. Of course I immediately had to apply it to fictional characters and so you get this.

In my Vargas Astrology post I took a swing at figuring out their birthdays, and that will be useful later from what I’ve read, since a few numbers need a birth date. As a reminder, I estimated Scriabin to be born on October 27, 1997 and Edgar on August 24, 1964

There are five important numbers in Numerology, the Life Path number, the Expression/Destiny number, the Birth Day number, the Heart’s Desire number and the Personality number.

Life Path number

I’m gonna start with the Life Path number, just like I started with the sun signs in the astrology post. Seems like they are similarly important. And like I said, this one needs the birth date. Or rather, the digit sum of the birthdate. There is actually an order to it, that tells you how to reduce the numbers in the birth date.

The next bit is some simple math. First, you have to reduce the month, then the date and lastly the year. All of those numbers are then added up and reduced until we get a single digit number.

For Scriabin, that’s the month October = 10 = 1+0 = 1, the day 27 = 2+7 = 9 and the year 1997 = 1+9+9+7 = 26 = 2+6 = 8. That makes 1+9+8 = 18 = 1+8 = 9.

For Edgar, it’s the month August = 8, the day 24 = 2+4 = 6 and the year 1964 = 1+9+6+4 = 20 = 2. And so for him we have 8+6+2 = 16 = 1+6 = 7.

Now we have the Life Path number 9 for Scriabin and 7 for Edgar, but what does this mean? The Life Path number is like our Sun Sign in Astrology, it’s supposed to give an idea of who someone is, what’s important to them, how they behave, and so on.

Honestly, this is just a fun little exercise, but a few aspects of the Life Path 9 could fit Scriabin, I think. 9’s have a lot of charisma and self-confidence, which draws a lot of attention from others and is often used by them to get the things they want in life. A downside of the Life Path 9 is that they may develop a negative obsession with success and freedom, especially in financial matters. Also, since the 9 is the last number in numerology (excepting the master numbers 11 and 22), it’s considered an ‘old soul’ and in a way, a sage. Which plays a large role in that they keep offering insight, guidance and advice to others. Honestly, what I read about this was all phrased very kindly, but to me they sound a lot like smartasses.

The number 7 is funny to me, because one website described it as a blend of Virgo and Scorpio, which are the Sun Signs I pinned on Edgar and Scriabin respectively. And since the Life Path number is there since birth, this is just such a neat little thing! And actually, there is so much more in this Life Path that fits really well in my opinion. 7’s are analytical, they search for knowledge and the answers to mysteries. They enjoy deep, abstract and philosophical conversations, but can get easily overstimulated and withdraw as a form of self-preservation, which makes them loners most of the time. That in turn gives them a lot to learn about relationships. And since they are so reflective, they will eventually be forced to also go deep within themselves to confront themselves. Which I can imagine, if this went wrong for whatever reason, could have some very bad results for them. Since the goal of this kind of self-discovery is trusting yourself to set yourself on a path of achievement, it must be detrimental to suddenly find oneself ridden with another person in your brain. Also, the people on Life Path 7 distrust their own judgement a lot anyways, so it’s all just a bundle of trust issues.

Expression number

Next up is the Expression number, which is also called Destiny number. This one is tricky here, because it comes from your full name at birth, the one on your birth certificate. Which in Scriabin’s case could be considered the note Edgar wrote in Chapter 29. It’s what I’m going to go with at least. It works by assigning numbers to each letter of the alphabet and then calculating the digit number of your name.

SCRIABIN VARGAS

13991295 419711 = 1+3+9+9+1+2+9+5+4+1+9+7+1+1 = 62 = 6+2 = 8

EDGAR VARGAS

54719 419711 =  5+4+7+1+9+4+1+9+7+1+1 = 49 = 4+9 = 13 = 1+3 = 4

The Expression number is often called Destiny number because it shows the kind of person you were meant to become. It doesn’t mean you will become like this, just that it is the goal you should strive towards, the one for which you have the tools to achieve.

Scriabin’s Expression Number is 8, but I also calculated a 3 for just his first name. The three has a stronger focus on social skills and communication than the 8, but the 8 also includes having an ability to judge people well. This does not mean having any deep connections with them, though, which is something 8’s often lack. Close relationships with an 8 are difficult since to them it feels as though their peace is disturbed. Really, the Expression number 8 is one of material gain and they seek financial security, which I don’t think fits well with Scriabin? But they can’t all be winners. There are still some other parts of the number 8 that fit fairly well, like that they can turn to being impatient and commanding if they get too ambitious. They do have good leadership skills, but if there are no emotion or connection to support that, it’s easy for them to become domineering and controlling. 8’s also tend to see an idea that is different from their own as wrong.

And Edgar is a four, which is a number I’ve seen before described as ‘four legs on a table’. It’s stable, it’s down-to-earth and it can be stubborn as hell. Yes, tables are stubborn, and tables with four legs are always harder to just tip over! But really, 4’s are kind of fixed in their ways, just as Virgo’s are. And they are occasionally loyal to a fault, which I figure could prove to be difficult, since the thing that makes them happiest is being around people with the same moral compass as them. But if they are specifically loyal to someone who does not share their integrity... sounds like a tough situation to be in. Now, 4’s are hard-working, which if they take on too many challenges can make them frustrated to the point of coming off as aggressive and bossy. Also, they’re not gonna do anything without a plan. Another cute little bit is that they are considered good parents, since they tend to be good with kids.

Heart’s Desire and Personality numbers

I’m going to do the Heart’s Desire and Personality numbers here, since they are also calculated from the names. The first is calculated by only adding up the vowels, the other by adding up the consonants.

SCRIABIN VARGAS

---91-9- -1--1- = 9+1+9+1+1 = 21 = 3

139--2-5 4-97-1 = 1+3+9+2+5+4+9+7+1 = 41 = 4+1 = 5

EDGAR VARGAS

5--1- -1--1 = 5+1+1+1 = 8

-47-9 4-97-1 = 4+7+9+4+9+7+1 = 41 = 4+1 = 5

So for Scriabin, the Heart’s Desire number is a 3 and Edgar’s is a 8. That they share the Personality number 5 is intriguing to me. 5’s value expression of personal freedom greatly and in most aspects, 5 is a Personality number that fits Scriabin much more than Edgar. They always know all the gossip, have a wide circle of friends and socializes often, but won’t settle down in any way. That means jobs, homes, partners, you name it. They just can’t commit to anything long-term.

And the Heart’s Desire numbers in this case are also kind of off, but I’m gonna give them to you anyways. 3’s are likely to want to express themselves through art, in any medium, which includes acting among things like music or decorating. Scriabin does get artistic with his imagination, I guess. And 8’s usually wish to be primary figures in organizational matters, to take over big projects.

Something more interesting is the meaning associated with certain letters in a name. The first letter of a name (the Cornerstone) represents that persons approach to life, while the last letter (the Capstone) shows how they accomplish things and follow through. Basically, the beginning and end of any task they undertake. The first vowel is important too, since it shows what the person values the most. It’s also a part that people rarely get to see.

So, for Scriabin it’s S-I-N. Which is hilarious. S in the beginning shows a magnetic presence and strong persuasive skills, N is all about imagination and free thinking, while I is - because of course - soft-marshmallow-y compassion and creativity.

And Edgar is E-E-R, I guess. I don’t know the rules when a first vowel is also the first letter. But E stands for freedom being a driving force for that person, and also has some romantic and expressive energy. R is all hard work and shows a commitment to support and uplift people.

Birthday number

But let’s move away from the names and take a look at the last core number, which is the Birth Day number. This only looks at the day someone was born, no math needed. Again, I’m going with what I pinned them as in my Astrology post. Edgar is a 24 and Scriabin a 27.

Birthday number 24 seems to me like a sweetheart. They’re loyal to their loved ones, able to be nurturer, protector and provider, but are also supposedly good at maintaining balanced and stable relationships. Then again, they also have a tendency for self-sacrifice and are very aware of their place in the world and the role they play in it. If something upsets their principles, they become narrow-minded and stubborn. One website said they ‘have drastic manifestation of emotions’, which yeah, that made me laugh.

27’s are funny, because one website described them as natural aristocrats, while another quite literally said they can make people do things. And once again, people born on the 27th are often great artists. They also can have difficulty with accepting a different point of view. And most importantly, if there are negative connections in their life they should cut those off, before they are driven to retaliate, since that exponentially increases the negativity in their life.

 Aaaand that’s another ridiculously long post about me focusing way too hard on psychoanalysing fictional characters with spiritual means. Who know, next I’ll bust out my tarot deck and do a reading for them!

[woollyslisterblog]

1834 May Friday 16th (part three)

For you m[u]st n[o]t forget, that, as a circumst[ance], w[hi]ch seems mo[re] partic[ularl]y to tell you the sect[io]n of your own heart, w[oul]d n[o]t then ha[ve] occurr[e]d, you m[i]ght still ha[ve] been ignor[an]t of it as ev[e]r; and I sh[oul]d n[o]t ha[ve] h[a]d the str[aight] advent[age] of being val[ue]d as at pres[en]t –

Mary! Is n[o]t this reasonab[le]? You f[i]nd trav[ellin]g insupportab[le] - you h[a]d oth[e]r int[ere]sts [unreadable] than mine - you c[oul]d n[o]t bear to leave Lawton - you ev[e]n made a point of my promis[in]g to set[tle] n[ea]r th[e]re - and you ab[ov]e all peop[le] knew how I w[a]s situate[e]d tow[ar]ds my own pl[a]ce where my fam[il]y h[a]d liv[e]d bet[ween] 2 and 3 cent[urie]s, I be[in]g the 15th possess[o]r of my fam[il]y and na[me] - Mary! The sp[iri]t of my unc[le] start[e]d up bef[ore] me, and h[a]d my life been the sacrif[i]ce, idolat[o]ry m[ust ha[ve] yield[e]d to hon[ou]r - Mary! My d[ea]r[e]st Mary, you th[ou]ght of me too lowly then, as you think of me too high[l]y now -

Reflect up[on] these th[in]gs - you will be happ[ie]r by and by - you will trust my fr[ie]ndsh[ip] and reg[ar]d implic[itl]y; and this will n[o]t be the least of the comf[or]ts that I firm[l]y hope will att[e]nd us b[o]th - ask me to wr[ite], or do an[y]th[in]g - I do n[o]t feel as if I sh[oul]d ev[e]r disap[poin]t you m[u]ch - I ha[ve] no feel[in]g tow[ar]ds you b[u]t affect[iona]te reg[ar]d; and my gr[ea]t[e]st anx[iet]y is for your welfare - B[u]t cheer up , Mary be comfort[e]d my d[ea]r[e]st Mary, if it sh[oul]d be b[u]t for my sake- How my pen still lingers on your engross[in]g subject!

I m[u]st answ[e]r the prompt of your let[ter] - James Clayton is no longer my serv[a]nt - he ca[me] to me on the 24th ult[imo] Refused to wear Thomas's liv[e]ry - on the 26th and left me on the 28th sorry probably for his folly , and n[o]t calculat[in]g That I sh[oul]d n[o]t retrace the warn[in]g giv[e]n at the mom[en]t - Mr Williamson, register office for serv[a]nts, Colliergate, (I th[in]k it is) York is the on[l]y pers[o]n I kno[w] of, like[l]y, to kno[w] an[y]th[in]g ab[ou]t the man –

You will see Fr[om] my last, as far as I can tell at pres[ent], wh[a]t I am go[in]g to be ab[out]- I shall prob[abl]y be in York By 12 on Tues[day], and off in an h[ou]r tow[ar]ds Richm[on]d – In my a[un]t’s pres[en]t state of health, I can’t be abs[en]t Mo[re] than a week – I do not exp[ec]t her surviv[in]g anoth[e]r wint[e]r – my fath[e]r’s life, too, is ver[y] precar[iou]s – He h[a]d a ver[y] slight paralyt[i]c affect[io]n, mo[re] partic[ularl]y in the left arm, 3 or 4 days ago – Mar[ia]n’s Attent[ion] to h[i]m is qui[te] exemp[lar]y- Her feel[in]g towards me seems altogeth[e]r chang[e]d int[o] wh[a]t is m[o]st Comf[orta]ble – God bless you, my d[ea]r[e]st Mary! You can’t poss[ibl]y doubt my reg[ar]d, n[o]r how m[u]ch I am alw[a]ys Ver[y] espec[iall]y yours AL’

writ[in]g out this let[ter] has taken me fr[om] 3 25/60 to 4 10/60 = 1 1/4 h[ou]r – what will Pi-[Mariana] think of it? I see three tears fallen on her paper - what a goose she has been – surely she never thought of losing – she played upon me too much – the history of our acquaintance maybe summed in she - accept[e]d refus[e]d marr[e]d offend[e]d refus[e]d repent[e]d-

The way AL trucates her vowels in the written form has me wondering if it was a reflection of her speaking voice. A tendency to speak far back in the throat and elide the vowels The thermometer scene when she speaks 'of VER[y] VER[y] bad memor[ie]s' springs to mind. But I'm sure that I have read elsewhere that Regency voices are closer to American North East pronounciation due to the Pilgrims not accents remaining closer to English as spoken then, so it is a mere idle speculation.

[lord-rosenth0rne]

When Jim met Morgan Pt. 2

Last one before I go to bed. I couldn’t sleep yet unless I got this out.

Also, since Quackerjack does not have a canon name, he’s Jack Stones. Again. So original but it’s easier on me to remember. Was going to name him Tad Stones but I think he wanted a more serious Quackerjack and the one I have in mind is about as loopy as you can get. Besides, Jack is a very common name.

Part 1 here.

What had supposed to be a short audition ended up spanning the rest of the evening. As bad as it made Morgan feel that the casting crew had turned away other candidates for the role, she was having too much fun reading out her lines with the man himself. She put on a more mysterious, graceful facade while playing Morgana, channeling the women who inspired Morgana’s style while elongating her vowels slightly with a velvety voice.

Jim’s reactions to her talking to him seemed much more genuine than the script called for. He swooned into each line and nearly melted when ‘Morgana’ was instructed to caress ‘Darkwing’s’ cheek. This, in turn, caused Jim to give a more powerful performance, one that had put all his on-screen performances to shame. The chemistry between the two was absolutely perfect. By the end of the night, they seemed to have become quite comfortable with each other, something the casting crew had never seen before with Jim.

“Well, if you’re okay with it, we would like to give you the part of Morgana,” the casting director suggested when Jim and Morgan ended the scene they were working on. “Just to cut out the middleman of making you wait for a response.”

“Really?” Morgan blinked, falling out of the character she had put together.

“I mean, it’s obvious there’s chemistry here and I think what we saw here tonight would be a tough act to follow. We would like you to be Morgana. We can discuss details with your manager later but we want to extend the offer to you personally.”

Just beyond the casting director, Morgan could see Sparky spaz a little out of excitement and nod quickly to encourage her to take it. Jim, too, clenched his fists in anticipation of her answer.

“Well then, I accept,” she smiled.

“Excellent! You won’t regret it! Believe me!” Jim exclaimed then cleared his throat and running a hand over his head some with a slight smirk. “Well, now that that’s out of the way and we’ve been at this for hours now, how about we call it a night and maybe get dinner?”

The casting director rolled his eyes before wandering off, knowing very well that the offer was exclusively for Morgan. Morgan chuckled softly and shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Starling. That sounds wonderful but I’ve got to get back home to my little girl. She’s probably wondering where ‘Mommy’ is.”

Jim’s face fell.

“Little girl?” he repeated. He cleared his throat and his head before putting his hands up. So she was a mother. “No matter, we can swing by and-”

“That little feathery ball of energy has probably run her father ragged by now,” she smiled back at Sparky who laughed. Jim froze. The sound of everything shattering around him was nearly audible to everyone else.

“F-Father?” he asked, sounding defeated this time. “There’s a Mr. Nightingale?”

Morgan nodded.

“Yes. He offered to take over taking care of Mina while I auditioned for this role,” she explained. After a moment, Jim’s demeanor changed from disappointment to upbeat and he chuckled weakly.

“Of course you would be married! Silly of me to think you weren’t! And the studio does offer some of the best childcare services for actors, or so I’m told. I don’t have any kids of my own,” he waved a hand. “That way, dear old Daddy can also do what he needs to do away from the studio. But, ah, at least let me take you to your car. I have a golf cart around back.”

“That’s kind of you, but Sparky was my ride here since he knew the area better,” she snickered as she glanced back at Sparky who was twirling the golf cart keys around his finger. Jim’s shoulders fell once more.

“Oh.”

“Please don’t be disappointed! There will be plenty of time later to get to know each other when we’re on set!” her smile was genuine and even a blind man could see that she meant it in the most innocent way possible. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Starling.”

“Please,” Jim started with a smile and his voice deepening as he took her hand with both of his and kissed the back of it. “Call me ‘Jim’. I, too, look forward to seeing more of you…r work. On set, of course. Heh.”

“Oh my, you charmer, you,” Morgan giggled. “Well, if we’re going to be on a first name basis, you might as well call me Morgan. Though, it might be hard not to call me ‘Morgana’ with how close the names are. I guess I’ll have to learn to answer to both!”

“Whichever you prefer, though I think I did see somewhere in the script where I or ‘Darkwing’ calls you ‘Morg’,” Jim released her hand to go through his script once more.

“I already answer to that, so just add that to the list! Ah, but this was fun. I can’t wait until our first shooting,” Morgan brought her hands together with a dreamy sigh. “I already love the pairing of Darkwing and Morgana. To see it in action on the screen will be amazing!”

Jim looked as if he was about to melt again, this time into the floor with Morgan’s enthusiasm.

“I hope I can keep a straight face when it comes time for me and Sparky to interact in the show.”

The mention of another man sobered Jim immediately as Sparky walked up and put an arm around Morgan’s shoulders.

“Oh trust me, I already thought about that,” he waved his free hand. “We had the hardest time keeping a straight face during the duet in Little Shop of Horrors back in college.”

“I remember that! You nearly tripped coming up the stairs while singing.”

The conversation had erupted in laughter but it was lost on Jim. In fact, he couldn’t hear a word of it. His attention was focused on Sparky’s hand resting on Morgan’s shoulder. An eye twitched heavily and his jaw clenched tightly. His body started to visibly shudder in rage but just as it began to reach its peak, the hand was removed and everything that had built up was released. Jim’s stance deflated slightly in relief.

“Ha, well we better head out. The area gets pretty busy at night with all the clubs and such nearby.” Sparky sighed as he wiped his eye. “They’ll probably call you back sometime this week for a costume fitting before anything major starts.”

“I can’t wait!” Morgan gushed as she followed her friend out.

“I-I’ll probably see you then too!” Jim called after her, causing her to look back. “You take care now, Morgan!”

“Until then, you do the same, Mr.- Oh,” Morgan paused then smiled. “Jim. Have a wonderful night!”

The two excitedly recounted the events of the evening on the ride back to Sparky’s car.

“I can’t believe they just handed you the part like that!” Sparky squealed. “I was sure they were going to pull the same ‘we’ll contact you’ bull they tell everyone! They did it to me!”

“I didn’t expect them to know who I actually was!” Morgan bounced in her seat but then calmed down, leaning a cheek against her fist. “Still though, I feel bad for the other actresses who didn’t get a chance to audition.”

“Nah, I’m sure they have a mountain of other auditions to perform at. The studio always has several projects going on at once.” he flicked his hand.

“True. Tonight was absolutely amazing though.” she sighed, staring off out of the window.

“It was fun watching you and Jim get into the roles,” Sparky nodded. Silence fell between the two for a moment before he continued. “You’re lucky Rodrick isn’t the jealous type. You and Jim hit it off almost immediately.”

This made Morgan look over.

“Hm?”

“I mean, Jim doesn’t normally open up to anyone like that. Not anyone involved in the show, anyway. I think he really does like you.”

“I guess I am lucky in that sense. Rodrick knows my heart belongs to him. I hope Jim understands that too.”

“Mm. I know if I saw what happened tonight happen with Jack, I’d be a tad jealous,” Sparky shook his head. “I don’t think I’d be able to help it.”

“I know. But most of what we did was in the script-,” Morgan started but paused then narrowed her eyes playfully. “Who’s Jack?”

“What?!” the man jumped in his seat some at the question with his face reddening suddenly. “N-No one!”

“Don’t give me that. I haven’t seen your face go that red in a very long time!” Morgan poked him in the side teasingly. “Who’s this Jack person and do I have to play cupid?”

“No!” he snapped. Once he parked the golf cart, he leaned down with his face in the steering wheel and grumbled. “Jack Stones is the actor for Quackerjack…”

“Oooooh! Someone’s got a crush!” she grinned widely. “Does he know or is this an unrequited sort of deal?”

“I’m… not sure. He flirts with nearly anything that moves but I’m never sure if he’s serious or not. They kinda found the right person to play the insane harlequin.” Sparky rubbed the back of his head. “And he keeps calling me “Sparky” too which annoys me because only people who actually know me can call me that. Unfortunately, it’s become a show staple now. I mean, I WANT him to know me that well but… I don’t know, it’s complicated.”

“I see,” Morgan rubbed her chin. “Might be easier said than done, but maybe you should try to flirt back next time and see what his reaction is. You never know, he might actually be serious and want you to do so. But, uh, you might want to brush up a bit on your flirting. Last time you tried that it was as limp as a wet noodle.”

“Hey, I-” Sparky tried to defend as he watched Morgan get out and he did the same. “You know what, that’s fair. My flirting game is a bit weak.”

“We’ll work on that,” she chuckled as she leaned against the hood of Sparky’s car. “You know, maybe it was a good thing you sought me out for this role. It’ll be like we were back in college. We’ll be able to support each other once again and goof off like no one’s business. I think this is going to be the beginning of something grand.”

[zodiac-queens]

Name Numerology

Every letter of the alphabet matches a number from 1-9. The number can be calculated by the digit sum equaling the place of the letter in the alphabet. E.g. ‘K’ is the 11th letter, the digit sum of 11 is 2, so ‘K’ equals the number of 2.

Alphabetical number table:

1      A      J      S

2      B      K      T

3      C      L      U

4      D      M     V

5      E      N      W

6      F      O      X

7      G      P      Y

8      H      Q      Z

9       I       R

For the calculation of your Name, Personality and Heart number use your complete name(s) with first, middle and last names as it is written on your birth certificate! (This will bring the most accurate results.)

Here’s an example of how to calculate the Name number:

                          J   E   F   F   R   E   Y         L   E   B   O   W   S   K   I

                          1   5   6   6    9   5   7         3   5   2   6    5    1   2  9

add together                     39                                          33

build digit sum                3+9=12                                 3+3=6

                                       1+2= 3                                  stays 6

add together                                           3+6=9

NAME NUMBER IS                                     9

What your Name number indicates:

(1)    A leadership personality with frontier spirit, strength, independence and determination.

(2)    A diplomat and peacemaker who is sensitive towards the own and other people’s emotions.

(3)    A master of words, always appearing to be youthful who is able to do many things at once and who becomes more self-confident in the process of getting older.

(4)    A practical person who works hard, is patient and possesses a sense of detail.

(5)    A freedom-loving traveller who appreciates diversity and change and who is able to do many things at once.

(6)    A harmonious person who loves a peaceful home, family and all things beautiful and who is responsible as well.

(7)    An analyst who is wise to use his time for reading and writing and moreover doesn’t miss the forest despite of all the trees.

(8)    An organiser who gains power and success when being in charge of one’s own fate.

(9)    A true humanist who loves art, music or voyages. You give generously and need recognition.

For calculating your Personality number you do the same as above only using the consonants of your name(s).

E.g.  J E F F R E Y     L E B O W S K I  —  J F F R Y    L B W K S                       Personality number: 6

Your Personality number indicates that the people surrounding you see you as:

(1)    daring, independent, original, strong-willed, competitive

(2)    receptive, sensitive, empathetic, cooperative, diplomatic

(3)    friendly, optimistic, eloquent, happy-go-lucky, entertaining

(4)    disciplined, practical, hardworking, reliable, loyal

(5)    astute, versatile, active, adventurous, modern

(6)    affectionate, adaptable, helpful, responsible, fair

(7)    restrained, self-confident, critical, analytical, trust-worthy

(8)    modest, disciplined, efficient, powerful, successful

(9)    gentle, generous, helpful, tolerant, influential

For calculating your Heart number you do the same as above only using the vowels of your name(s).

E.g.   J E F F R E Y     L E B O W S K I   —   E E     E O I   —   Heart number: 3

Your Heart number indicates that your deepest inner feelings, wishes and skills motivate you to:

(1)    use your own ideas to lead and guide others exemplary.

(2)    collaborate with others and to use your sensitivity and diplomatic skills to be a joy to the people around you.

(3)    express your optimism and creativity.

(4)    bring sacrifices to reach tangible results for all your hands-on plans.

(5)    seek adventures and to live life on the fast lane.

(6)    create harmony and a peaceful atmosphere.

(7)    spend time alone seeking for the truth and to reflect on the meaning of life.

(8)    take things in your own hands and to use your energy to gain money, power and success.

(9)    use your knowledge and compassion for the benefit of others.

[salt-moon]

Tornami a vagheggiar

(A transcript of Francette’s performance last night at @palazzoaldenard‘s opening night masquerade!  @mugishalffull was kind enough to record a video, and although there is no sound, you can find Amanda Forsyth’s brilliant rendition of the aria here!  Thank you so much to @oleandre-ffxiv for his guidance and dedication, my friends and their support last night, all the behind the scenes helpers, the cast and crew, and everyone who came out to the show last night!  And thank you to @moonhartsffxiv for these pics! Thank you for all your support of the Palazzo!)

With a flourish of jeweled fabrics and a swirl of platinum locks, the next performer spins lithely onto the landing above the stage.  Silver-clad feet lead up upward into slender, gilded legs, only too soon hidden in the shock of color sent whipping about them.

Saturated aubergine feathers, glinting with a hint of oil slick metallics, glisten and catch the light to curve around her side and flow down over her hip and thigh. Tufts of softer blues, no less beautiful in hue, splinter through the center of the lavish coat to make way for a perfectly Gridanian-emerald swath of silk hugging her left side.    

Wearing a light, happy smile, Francette places a hand over her chest and bows to the audience, giving a clear view of the ivory tipped mythrite wings that adorn her shoulders.  She rights herself and the music begins, cheerful and airy, and she starts her slow descent of the stairs.

Halfway to the stage is where her footsteps pause, and with a spread of her arms her voice ignites the space between her lips and your ears.  Lilting through scales with ease and precision, the short soprano’s rounded cheeks hint at the what must certainly be a vibrancy in her gold-obscured eyes.

As Francette sings, one by one, slowly and delicately she steps down the massive oaken stairs until finally she has taken the stage.  Her voice never faltered as she moved, and once she stands before you she offers a effervescent smile and another sweep of her arms to begin the second verse.

The scales intensify now and, as if the prismatic colors of her elaborate coat weren’t enough to convince you, the trilling of her crystal-like voice and grace of her posture allude to that of a glossy hummingbird.  Francette is insisting now, leaning closer to the audience and curling her fist at her chest in adoration for each and every note.

Her head flickers with each nuance of sound, tilting this way and that, almost as if each minute movement helps to capture the exact tone she needs.  Plush mauve lips curl around every pitch just as lovingly as the one that came before it, and the radiance etched on her face infects the room with cheer.

Francette continues her aria as she begins to walk to one side of the stage and then the other.  Her feet carry her on a cloud, almost as if floating, so smooth her steps are.  While her gaze remains obscured by her golden mask, her attention moves from person to person, at times seeming to sing directly to them.

When she comes to pause in the center once more, her voice lifts above all other notes, clear and rich like a bell.  The sound rings out across the opera house, then glides effortlessly down the scale, warm and mellow.

The violins pick up her melody and Francette lifts her arms to begin a proper ball dance.  Rich amethyst plumage and viridian silk flutter around her legs as she moves, face glowing with a true joy.  Her chin lifts regally, her movements sharp, then fluid.

Behind her the harpsichord and strings carry the music with a jovial, lilting spirit, each note bright and lauding.  Gradually the tempo slows and Francette’s feet still, again in the middle of the stage.  Her shoulders pull back with a soft regality, and after her next breath her voice fills the air once more.

Her tone shifts slightly now, an aura of insistence clinging to her every word.  Francette gestures with her arms, her hands, pleading with you to listen, imploring you.  That honeyed tongue trills around R’s and ravishes vowels, lips ecstatic with each syllable.

Those notes grow and swell gradually, flirting with increasing, precarious heights before retreating and slowing.  A clear impression of her subtly growing smirk reaches you, her words taunting in a deliberate, drawn out manner… before igniting far above the previous octave.

Francette holds that single, lustrous note for both an instant and an eternity before descending the scale, her mischievous smirk still painted on her face.  She releases the last note and takes a deep breath, letting the pause hang in the opera house for just a moment before the strings begin again.

Once more the steps of a ball dance fit for a Sultana’s parade move across the stage.  Light clicking of heels, the muted padding of the balls of her feet, and of course the vibrant, billowing costume sweeping along as she goes.  Just as before, the dance eventually brings her back to center, where she recomposes herself.

With a renewed energy, Francette’s voice kindles and toys with the baroque arpeggios of a verse that mimics the initial one.  This time, though, the intricacies multiply, and the idea that this blonde-haired songstress might actually be a hummingbird in disguise seem more than possible.

The smile on her face grows as she reaches into the cluster of plum-coloured feathers at her hip, plucking a single, small plume with her thin fingers.  A simple snap litters the air with a fluttering swath of glittering, downy feathers, and as they come to rest gently on the floor, the faint, invigorating scent of fresh green grass begins to filter through the atmosphere.

Francette spins in a circle then, the billowing of her skirts sending the feathers into flight and further dispersing the subdued perfume.  The addition of her own wildcrafted fragrance gives even more life to her voice, and as she continues to sing and improvise even more detailed scales, she plucks yet another feather from her hip.

She snaps again and, this time, as the velvety little things drift to the floor, the lush, sweet scent of honeysuckle combine with the grass.  A veritable sunny garden now, the only thing missing being the warm rays from above.  Francette spins once again to circulate the aroma.

By this time the song leaves the soprano nearly giddy, high on the symphony of sound, the scents of pure joy, and the rapt attention of the audience.  The tinkling of her voice in a such a beautifully high register parrots the sound of bubbling laughter as she uses one last feather.  

This one fills the stage with that last missing element: the sun.  Warm and golden, a scent akin to amber and laundry drying on the line, it mingles perfectly with the two previous fragrances she released.  As the instruments fade, a smirk tugs at her lips.

With the harpsichord and strings utterly silent, Francette turns her head slightly to one side in a playful sort of gesture, almost as if telling a secret.  Her voice saturates the room and reverberates in your very bones, luminous and clear, soaring.

When her accompaniment tenderly plays its way back underneath her, she’s landing her last notes right in your lap, leaving them there to keep you company, to see their way home with you.  Her posture relaxes then, and with a soft, perhaps even unheard chuckle, she begins to dance once more.

((<Translation> Return to me to languish, Only you it wants to love this faithful heart, My dear, my good one, my dear!  •  Already I gave you my heart : I trust you will be my love; but you will be too cruel, my dear hope.))

[polyglotisms-blog]

Day 2: Basic Hangeul Consonants

June 15, 2017.

Today, talktomeinkorean.com’s lesson focused on the basic Hangeul consonants. (These aren’t all of them, but I’m assuming they’re the easiest to remember and the difficulty will be upped tomorrow.)

It’s important to note that I’ll continue to use romanizations at this stage to help with learning pronunciation, but it’s crucial to remember that you shouldn’t trust romanizations. They’re a useful tool, but they’re not 100% accurate and it’s better to get rid of them as you get more comfortable with Hangeul. (Or any alphabet that’s not your own!) 

(P.S. This will probably be a longer post, but it’s all good information, I promise.)

To start, the instructor listed the order of these consonants in Korean dictionaries. This wasn’t the order we learned them in, though, as it’s much more intuitive to go out of order. That being said, here’s the dictionary order of some consonants we learned about today: 

ㄱㄴㄷㄹㅁㅂㅍ

Since consonants are rarely voiced on their own and are almost always accompanied by a vowel, we addedㅏ to each consonant for convenience’s sake.

Additionally, it’s easiest to learn these consonants in groups, so each group will be separated by some heart emojis.

💖💖💖💖💖

The first consonant we focused on was ㄱ. ㄱ is somewhere between the English g & k sounds. The shape of the character itself mimics the shape of your tongue (when viewed from the side) when you make this sound. I know it can feel sort of stupid to be making random noises by yourself, but go ahead and try it; the root of your tongue really does rise toward the roof of your mouth while the tip of your tongue stays put at the bottom.

가 would then be romanized as gah or kah.

Next, we have ㅋ. ㅋ looks just like ㄱ, only with an extra line. Thankfully, when King Sejong made Hangeul back in the 1400s, he took stuff like this into account and none of it is a coincidence. Each time you add a line to an existing character, it simply means you add more air/aspiration and/or more friction. The positioning of the tongue is exactly the same. This makes things so much easier, I swear. 

So, ㅋ is just like ㄱ, only with more aspiration. It’s romanized as a k.

카 would then be romanized as kah.

The double consonant is one of the trickiest things for Korean language learners to pick up on. That being said, the instructor offered a tip that I know will be invaluable: when pronouncing a double consonant, the pitch of your voice should be slighter higher and the sound should be even more abrupt and/or explosive.

Practice pronouncing 가 vs. 카 vs. 까 (the last one should have a slightly higher pitch, as it is the double consonant of ㄱ).

💖💖💖💖💖

The next set of consonants all come from ㄴ, which would be romanized as the English n (although they’re not identical). 

Once again, your tongue should mimic the shape of the character (when viewed from the side). In this case, the root of your tongue would be lowered while the tip of your tongue is lifted toward the roof of your mouth. 

Instead of putting your tongue behind your top teeth (as you usually would pronouncing an n in English), put the tip of your tongue slightly between your top and bottom teeth, biting down on the tiniest bit of your tongue.

나 would then be romanized as nah (which actually means “I” in casual, informal speak).

Once again, whenever you add lines to an existing letter/character, it means the tongue shape and position is identical; you’re simply adding more air and/or friction.

Next comes ㄷ, which is similar to an English d.

다 would then be romanized as dah.

Adding another line, we get ㅌ, which is similar to the English t. Remember to keep the tip of your tongue between the your top and bottom teeth.

타 would then be romanized as tah.

Finally, we come to the double consonant once again. Remember that the double consonant should be pronounced stronger and in a higher pitch.

Practice pronouncing 나 vs. 바 vs. 타 vs. 빠. 

That last one is kind of hard to see, but it’s the double consonant version of 바.

💖💖💖💖💖

The next consonant is a set of its own.

In Korean, there’s no clear distinction between the English l and r; some people say that l and r don’t exist in Korean and ㄹ is a sound all its own that exists somewhere in between. (The instructor says this also mimics the tongue shape, but I didn’t find it as helpful for this consonant as I did for many of the others.)

The instructor noted that ㄹ is similar in pronunciation to the Spanish rolled r, only you do it once instead of continuing to roll it. I find it to be very similar to the Russian r sound as well. This one can be written as all straight lines or as a single squigly line, depending on the font/handwriting.

라 would then be romanized as rah or lah, though its neither of those exactly. 

A useful pronunciation tip: say the English “rah.” Then, make the tip of your tongue touch the roof of your mouth for a moment - but not too long, or else you’ll say the English “lah.” 

Practice shifting from the English “rah” to the Korean 라, noting the difference.

💖💖💖💖💖

The final set has to do with closed mouth sounds. This means you don’t really use your tongue much, which is why each of these consonants is more closed than the consonants mentioned above. You’ll see what I mean in a second. 

First, the instructor especially emphasized during this group that Korean letters are more abrupt and less drawn out than English ones. This is why a lot of consonants can sound very similar when spoken; context is key when practicing listening skills.

We start off with ㅁ, which is most similar to the English m. 

This mimics the shape of your mouth as other groups did before because all four corners of your tongue should be touching the bottom of your mouth; they’re not raised at all, really.

마 would then be romanized as mah.

Next, we have ㅂ, which is most similar to the English b, though it’s softer. Some fonts and handwriting write it more as a single straight line followed by a curvy English (lowercase) d, so watch out for that. You’ve sort of shifted one of the lines of ㅁ (it sort of looks like you’ve added one), which means you add more friction, but your tongue stays the same.

바 would then be romanized as bah. 

Finally, we have ㅍ, which is most similar to the English p, but, once again, it’s softer. The lines have shifted again, meaning you add more aspiration, but your tongue stays the same. 

파 would then be romanized as pah. 

Now we have the double consonant again and then we’re finished!

Practice pronouncing ��� vs. 바 vs. 파 vs. 빠 

That last one is hard to see again, but it’s the double consonant version of 바!

💖💖💖💖💖

Finally, we have a couple words and phrases we can already read with the basic vowels and consonants we’ve learned already! 

나빠 means something along the lines of “you’re bad!” or “you were wrong!” in casual, informal language.

파마 is a Konglish word for perm (the thing you do to your hair).

나라 means country.

Thus concludes Lesson Two! It was a long one, y’all; I don’t know if I’m ready for tomorrow.

[blue-dream-rhapsody]

Why I Love Extra Game

i’ve had this lying in my notes since the manga version finished getting scanlated but it seemed timely

SPOILERS and long post ahoy!

-Hyuuga acting like he doesn't want to be the one Riko takes to the friendly streetball match and Koganei being like "ooh ooh me pick me" and Izuki being like "no no shhhh ouR CAPTAIN SHOULD GO YEP YEP"

-the GoM teams watching this match and seeing their old teammates on team Strky

-Mukkun laughing with his team about Okamura's existence

-I know what Strky is but why the fuck call it "Strky" like call it "Tryks" or "Stryk" even and use the y as a vowel but fucking Strky sounds like Thanksgiving dinner

-Kasamatsu's existence

-Kagetora going off on the whole asshole team in fairly fluent English (and vowing to disembowel himself if his dream team can't defeat them like shit son papa took a level in metal)

-the reactions of the GoM as the American asshole team basically says the same things they'd say before about people who are no good just needing to give up because holy fuck did that shake them

-Kuroko and Kagami hearing it too and getting angry like "fuck here we go agAIN"

-obviously seeing the GoM all on the same team again is magical

-plus they added my children Hyuuga and Takao and Wakamatsu to the team as bench 

-Akashi welcoming Hyuuga and reassuring him that he's good enough when he's obviously nervous about being there

-putting Riko and Satsuki in charge together made me really happy because those two should be friends even if they're rivals I mean look at the shit they deal with daily from these boys also Satsuki sure can't complain to Aomine about how much a pain in the ass Aomine is she needs girl talk so bad

-Hyuuga I swear to fuck you may not be playing much this game but you sure fucking better confess to Riko when you boys win do you understand me

-Mukkun dunking Akashi's shot and just saying "Whoosh."

-Akashi deciding he'll be taking on Nash and Aomine saying Akashi's got it "cuz it's you."

-Kise tries to rally everyone and Aomine just kicks him in the side poor bby

-Kuroko babY STOP DON'T JUST GO CONFRONT THE TEAM OF ASSHOLES BY YOURSELF BABY NO

-KUROKO YOU CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS EVERY TIME PAPA KAGAMI IS GONNA GET TIRED

-SOMETIMES THERE ARE JUST TERRIBLE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD KUROKO HONEY JUST LEAVE IT ALONE

-Kuroko speaking slow, clumsy, careful English and still remaining formal as fuck

-the whole GoM plus Kagami sprinting to stop Kuroko from getting killed, with highlights from:

    -- Kagami: "Is he some kind of idiot?!" Murasakibara: "At this point I think it's definitely a possibility."

    --Akashi: "Kuroko really never ceases to amaze me."

-naturally everyone's mad but Akashi fucking seething when they find Kuroko's been hurt

-Kagami and Aomine at the front of their group right away being totally ready to throw down if the other guys so much as move while Mukkun looms threateningly a little bit back because even though they hurt Kurochin he's not gonna pick a fight himself but if somebody else does first this boy's got his team's back

-Kuroko wanting to settle this solely through basketball so Akashi knowing this well tells the two more impulsive idiots to take it easy

-Kise picking Kuroko up and being the one to carry the baby back

-Midorima no you're the least intimidating right now except maybe for Kise don't even try child your shirt has stripes

-on one hand it's kinda cheap storytelling but on the other the fact that their teamwork clicked again so quickly was kind of moving because it's like thank god they remember being a team

-all the teams watching and hoping Vorpal Swords kicks some ass

-The first quarter where Vorpal Swords kicks some ass

-Kuroko was paying extra attention to Murasakibara after first quarter and it made me really worried Big Purple was injured already

-Aomine and especially Mukkun not liking being shit-talked whether or not they understood the English

-MUKKUN IS MAKING KUROKO WORRIED AGAIN IN TIME-OUT though purple is literally just like "fuck those guys Imma set them straight I can handle this" but then Mamakashi is like "no you listen here you beautiful fuck the coach is right calm the fuck down you too Aomine" because to be fair if anyone ever needs to calm the fuck down it's usually Aomine

-"LITTLE EMO-BOY" KUROKO

-everybody's so goddamn angry about working with Kagami

-After second quarter they're really working with Big Purple and giving him ice and so much of this extra game seems so focused on him which suits me just fine tbh we didn't really see his character development in the original series

-stoP HURTING MUKKUN HE DOESNT DESERVE NOSEBLEEDS

-Kise tag-teaming with Aomine and matching him move for move with his Copy when angry blue was in the Zone

-Kise swearing to go through with this at the cost of himself because he wants his precious senpai Kasamatsu to know he didn't waste all that time loving basketball

-Kise then actually entering the Zone himself and fucking destroying for all of a few minutes

-Sorry Midorima maybe you can Zone later in the game angry carrot

-Momoi being so fucking happy Aomine and even Kise have gotten to this point and Kuroko giving her this kind look and then cheering for them both with his pure smile

-MukkUN KEEPS GRUNTING BBY R U OK

-Akashi getting ready to enter the game starts having a conversation with his other personality to have him use Emperor Eye and not only are they treating each other respectfully, but Bokushi is concerned about throwing off the tempo of the team by coming in and Oreshi suggests to him, "But haven't you changed, too?" Like that's not how this kind of thing works irl but Akashi had character development x2 and that's beautiful to me

-also the fact that he warned the team ahead of time so that they wouldn't be flustered and they're like "yeah okay cool is that all you needed" starting with Big Purple and Big Blue because they don't see Bokushi as some terrifying enemy to face down anymore and trust Akashi to handle things properly and respectfully

-Takao being faintly jealous that someone other than him (Akashi) got to combo with Midorima

-Midorima's turn to slay and encouraging Kagami and the carrot son is good

-Kise sweetie you were great out there but pleaSE GO GET SOME REST YOU COULDN'T MOVE FOR A MINUTE THERE

-everybody believes in Akashi and even when Nash is minimizing his ability Bokushi is just calm as fuck

-Purple picking Akashi up and asking to handle everything else so that Akashi can focus on Nash because Purple recognizes Akashi now more than ever and thinks Akachin is definitely the one who can do it

-I feel like we never really got to see much of Big Purple's interactions with his senpais so the little flashback was adorable. Big Purple being mothered gives everyone life

-but Purple getting serious A++ 10/10 would recommend

-but Purple smiling because he doesn't have to hold back C- 5/10 would vaguely recommend

-but Purple getting hurt again F-- 0/10 would not recommend

-BABY PURPLE IS SO BIG HE BROKE HIS ARM BY FALLING ON IT AND WAS LIKE "ehh but akachin needs me imma still play"

-ANGRY BABY KUROKO

-Mukkun concedes pretty easily and leaves his spot to Kuroko--then sits on the bench with his broken arm in a sling and my guess is that's because there was no way in hell he was going to miss watching the end of the game (much like Kise noT FUCKING RESTING AFTER NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE)

-Aomine and Kagami tag-teaming in the Zone (with Kagami praising Kise and Mukkun's efforts and getting ready to fuck Jabberwock up over the shit they did to Strky)

-Aomine just casually shoots a basket from behind the board nbd

-Kuroko gets possession of the ball and does his phantom shot and you can only see Mukkun's eyes on the sidelines but he looks fucking pissed to see that goddamn move again

-Aomine motivating!!!

-Momoi shouting her heart out while Riko looks like she's giving orders like she's used to as coach!!!

-Okay seriously not how this works but holy shit Bokushi bowing out and integrating into Oreshi to make Emperor Eye complete was moving and Oreshi seemed unhappy with this being the way to win but Bokushi just thanks him for being able to play with the team one last time and then bam

-Midorima gets to make a shot!!! Thank god!!!

-Look at papa Hyuuga shouting for his team

-When Kuroko snatches the ball away from Nash-hole and takes off yes Kise is shouting like the ray of sunshine he is but look at the savage fucking smile on Mukkun like he is feeling this SO HARD

-THEN AOMINE AND KAGAMI BOTH COME RACING DOWN THE COURT TO BACK THEIR SHADOW UP TOGETHER

-Mukkun was the only Miracle who wouldn't shout for Seirin when they went against Rakuzan because it was embarrassing but he sure as hell is shouting for Vorpal Swords' last basket

-WON BY ONE POINT FUCK YEAHHHHHH

-Kise can finally stand again omg and Mukkun looks like he can't really believe this and he may have been holding his breath or may not have even realized how pumped he just got

-Our babies are all sweaty and loud and smiling and making fists together in celebration and oh my god they did it

-KIYOSHIIIII

-NIJIMURAAAAA

-Tiny Kagetora so happy he doesn't have to disembowel himself

-All the teams getting back to training except Mukkun who looks like he only broke his wrist but still can't really do anything and the coach is angry but Mama Himuro is like wait chill please

-Look at everyone trying hard and being happy and loving basketball again and PRACTICING

[vishers]

Harmonic Experience: Tonal Harmony from Its Natural Origins to Its Modern Expression (1997) by W. A. Mathieu: A Pre-read

★★★★★

What is Harmonic Experience about, as a whole?

Mathieu provides a systematic course of study for those who want to tune in to the effects that general harmony has in us through becoming acutely aware of the effects that resonance has on us.

What is being said in detail, and how?

Title

Harmonic Experience

Subtitle

Tonal Harmony from Its Natural Origins to Its Modern Expression

Preface

Mathieu has developed an approach to self-training in harmony that focuses on the listener's response to combinations of tones. He takes as his starting point the phenomenon that comes closest to being a universal part of human experience: Our attraction to music that is in tune. That quality of being in tune is called resonance, and just as tones in correct relationships resonate together, so do we, as listeners and performances, resonate along with them. Mathieu shows us how, by singing and playing various combinations of notes in tune, we can learn to observe our changing responses and begin to develop an understanding of music's power based on what happens in our bodies and minds.

Harmonic Experience begins with the fundamental building blocks of music—single tones, sung over a drone—and shows you how to examine in minute detail your own responses to pure resonance. As you gain a conscious appreciation of these responses, a map of music's inner geography starts to emerge. Once those responses are mapped, the same process of attentive listening and introspection is applied to the impure tunings of equal temperament, which we are able to accept as more or less reasonable facsimiles of the genuine article. The next step, then, is to examine how to the ambiguities of equal temperament make possible a harmonic language of exquisite subtlety and beauty.

Such a regimen of careful listening reveals to us not only how music works but also how it works in us. The one prerequisite, beyond the ability to read music, is a willingness to do the practices. Reading the book will put the ideas into your head; singing, playing, and listening will put knowledge in your heart.

— pp. xi-xii

Introduction

HARMONIC EXPERIENCE DESCRIBES THE FULL RANGE of harmony, from its fundamental gestures to its most complex expressions, by means of the unifying principle of resonance. By harmony I mean not simply chord progressions but the relationship of notes in a piece both to the keynote and to each other. By resonance I mean those specially reinforcing combinations of tones that in their mutual resounding—their perfect in-tune-ness—evaporates the boundary between music and musician.

It is generally believed that there are two related but distinct and opposed systems of harmony: an ancient one based on a system of resonances, or "pure" tunings, called just intonation, and a modern one based on the equal division of an octave, but with "impure" tuning, called twelve-tone equal temperament. This book redefines the modern as an evolutionary transformation of the ancient and is allied with a comprehensive revival of ancient values that is already, at the turn of the twenty-first century, well under way.

— p. 2

How This Book Is Organized

The text is divided into four parts.

Part 1 shows how the simplest frequency rations—perfect fifths and major thirds—are felt as resonances, and how these two resonances combine to organize the system of just intonation. It goes on to describe how a lattice of perfect fifths and major thirds generates most of the world's musical modes, and asks you, the reader, to be an accomplice in eliciting these modes by singing them. It maintains that bodily understanding is crucial for authentic intellectual mapping, and guides you step by step in comprehending the harmonic relationships implicit in the melodies you sing.

Part 2 shows how the lattice of just intonation serves as the template for our modern system of twelve-tone equal temperament. In the beginning keyboard practices, the twelve tones of equal temperament stand unambiguously for the twelve least-complex tones of the just lattice. The text goes on to demonstrate how, under certain conditions, the twelve tones of the equal-tempered keyboard can stand for more than thirty tones in just intonation.

Part3 examines in detail the musical responses that allow only twelve tones to stand for more than twelve. First, it shows how a single equal-tempered tone can be made to evoke either of two distinct just tones separated by a very small difference in pitch, called a comma. It then enumerates the behaviors of the various types of commas as they are perceived in equal temperament, thus accounting for all tonal harmony—modal, diatonic, and modulatory—that is available in the modern tuning system.

Part 4 presents a compendium of keyboard practices designed to place the language of tonal harmony simultaneously in the ears, in the intellect, and under the hands. These include diatonic and cadential formulas, tonal modulations, modal modulations, cyclic sequences, and symmetrical harmony. Various notations are offered, the better to visualize the harmonies. Analyses of pieces from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries show how a resonance-based theory can enrich our understanding of a variety of musics.

There are many books that this book is not: it is not a book about counterpoint, or figured bass, or melodic or rhythmic structure, or compositional development, although all of those subjects come into play. It is a harmony book that is meant to reconcile and go beyond, but not supplant, traditional texts.

—pp. 2-3

I approach harmonic theory as an empirical art rather than an aesthetic science. I am lead forward by subjective experience, ephemeral feelings of longing and aversion. Learning to hone and keen these, and to trust them, is my work. I can talk numbers and examine the responses of populations, but that will not tell me, finally, what I want to know. What I want to know is my own ear, because it is the only true path to yours.

…

Never sacrifice your hearing for a name or a number; there is no music in that direction. True, I will say, "Such-and-such sounds like so-and-so," and I will describe numbers as having qualities; that is because words and numbers can point the way. But it takes authentic experience—the inside feeling of rightness—to validate concepts. You are the replete knower, and the method of your knowing is the self.

…

It is not enough to listen passively to pure harmonies, or learn to recognize them, or to combine them on an instrument. One has to connect them with one's feelings by placing them in the body. Sung harmony is embodied intelligence.

In Harmonic Experience, great emphasis is placed on singing over a drone. I want this to sound inviting and not the least bit forbidding, because everyone—no exceptions—is capable of singing perfectly in tune over a drone. The object is not to become a great singer, or a performer of any kind, necessarily. The object is to begin at the source, and then carry the source resonances with you as you go along.

—pp. 3-4

Publication Date

1997

Notable Chapters and Statements

When you hear a perfect fifth in tune, it is pleasing enough. But when you sing it in tune, it glows, and you glow along with it. Sing a perfect fifth over a drone as in example 4.5. Sing the syllable pa, with the vowel wide open, and with the steadiness of the sun at midday. Drop your jaw, relaxing its hinge muscles; relax the back of your tongue as well. (Might as well straighten your spine while you're at it.)

—p. 26

The Territory

Our work so far has been confined to twelve specifically tuned tones sounded against a drone, and we have tried to articulate, in various ways, the harmonic experiences that result. We have described the hearts of triple and pentamorous nature and traced how our responses are the architects of a coherent system of modes. To locate the coordinates of our responses, we have made a map for the eye and explored its many roads, using the vocabulary of map reading: north, south, east, and west. To maximize the connection to real music in real time we have employed musical notation and observed the appearance of sharps (one so far) and flats (four). For the sake of certainty, we have quantified our experiences with numbers, pinning down the tones by means of their ratios like so many chloroformed butterflies. To further describe an ordered spectrum of responses we have used such archetypical symbols as sun and moon, or such archetypical characters as mothers and cowboys, and an array of sensual metaphors like bright and easy and velvety. Finally, we have hinted at the notion that harmony is some kind of inner real estate, a landscape through which, perhaps like oxen, perhaps like mermaids, or even like falcons, we draw and navigate and fly our music.

As you spend time improvising dronal music, I hope that your curiosity about this last subject will emerge. What is harmonic territory the territory of? Is it the territory of the inner ear? Or the mind, or the brain? Or the heart, or the psyche? Or somehow all of these? The answer is, of course, that even if it proves impossible to describe, it is nevertheless your territory and is eminently possible to explore. A true musician knows the inner ground.

Singing is the royal road to this inner land. Once inside, you become the mapmaker. You name the canyons and ranges, the hidden valleys, the underground rivers, the unnameable. The most amazing thing is that your map seems to be more or less identical to mine. That's why music connects individuals, communities, cultures, maybe someday a global population: We are more the same than different. And yet, vive la différence. Without it, music, like evolution, would be long gone.

In any case, sing, sing, sing. Let the lattice be your guide until, like a good guide, it becomes invisible against the scenery.

—pp. 93-94