#saline the salt lake queen

[voluptuarian]

13 days of witches: Saline, the Salt Lake Queen

In a prehistoric dried-up lake A million years after the last earthquake There lived a little girl who loved to bake The only thing she made was cake And all she used was salt That's all she had - it's not her fault Saline, the salt lake queen She used a rudimental substance for An ingredient that she could pour Into a chalice she carved out of stone Her only friend, it was a big black crow That flew with love He would fly high above Then look back at her below Oh Saline Only seventeen Swollen up with pride Oh Saline Under desert skies She's a bromide She makes green fire in a tunnel of thorns And she's got yellow eyes — Rasputina

[absinthe-and-alabaster]

doing the song user name thing

A - astronaut by amanda palmer B - black blade by blue oyster cult S - saline the salt lake queen by rasputina I - i've seen footage by death grips N - new invention by i dont know how but they found me T - touch peel stand by days of the new H - head like a hole by nine inch nails E - even flow by pearl jam A - ana ng by they might be giants N - nth degree by morningwood D - desperation song by carbon leaf A - ara resurrected by tigran hamasyan L - lost lander by patricia taxxon A - arisen anew by joren tensei debruin B - browser history by graham kartna A - atomyk ebonpyre by toby fox S - synthesized by the epoxies T - temple of love by sisters of mercy E - eternal nausea by black dresses R - raspberry by i mother earth

[piteousfangirl]

Oh, Saline...The Desert Queen...

I guess this is my late birthday present to Amy? Inspired by everyones fabulous GIF sets of Marks latest video. 

[powdermelonkeg]

Zora headcanons please?

There's so many kinds of Zora; how about I do them all? :D

River Zora

So, the River Zora were the first kind of Zora we were ever met with in the LoZ series.

Capable of shooting fireballs, this variant of Zora is EXTREMELY territorial and defensive of their domain. And with good reason; their eggs are a rarity--a River Zora might lay only two eggs in their entire lifetime, which can reach up to 800 years. And monsters, especially water-based monsters, tend to be scavengers, meaning that if a Zora isn’t careful, their nest can be raided and the eggs devoured before they have a chance to react.

The River Zora are vibrantly colored, with the ability to puff up to three times their normal size and possessing side-fins to use as flashy warning signs against potential predators. Living in a place like Hyrule means you have to have all kinds of tricks up your sleeve!

But all that flash isn’t just for show; when they’re stressed, their skin releases a toxic substance that can cause paralysis in nearby enemies.

You can see it here in Queen Oren’s fountain, how the water’s gone dark purple (along with the size magnification mentioned previously).

Their mouths contain special glands that secrete a kind of organic napalm. When creating a fireball, they gather some of this substance in their cheeks and ignite it with a spark of electricity, similar to an electric catfish. This ability takes time for them to develop, and fireball accuracy is a point of pride among their soldiers.

Their diet consists of mostly trout, and their domain is hidden in a waterfall beside Death Mountain. However, by BoTW’s time, the River Zora have fled Hyrule for distant Holodrum, where there’s remarkably less threat of extinction.

Zora Warriors

These are actually the result of River Zora adapting to salinity! Also called “Geozards” to differentiate them from their ancestors, these Zora have lost their toxicity and pufferfish-like abilities in exchange for denser muscle mass and near-impenetrable scales. The frill atop their heads is their only biological sex indicator; frill means male, no frill means female, and the sex of a Geozard is determined by the temperature their egg was kept in, like alligators!

They also have an increased capacity for firepower compared to their more docile inland counterparts, an adaptation developed in the presence of more aggressive waterlife out in the open ocean. The napalm they produce is a LOT harder to get off of yourself, so watch out!

Lake Zora

Most famous for their queen, Ruto, Lake Zora are blue-white in coloring and have fins that mimic the patterns clear water would create on the seafloor. Unlike their vibrantly-colored firebreathing cousins, these Zora are stealth hunters, blending in with the water and staying very still before darting out to catch their prey in a split second.

The well-known fondness for jewelry that Zora have started with this subspecies, where earrings, necklaces, and gemstones were first utilized as bait, similar to metallic fishing lures. Since then, the fondness for shiny decoration has only grown, peaking when the Zoroyal family was entrusted with the Spiritual Stone of Water. Since receiving it, the gifting of sapphires between Zora has been a token of engagement, similar to how rings are in our culture.

Early stages of Zora life strongly resemble tadpoles; upon hatching, they’re little more than eyes and a sharklike tail. As they mature, however, the rest of their body develops, tucked into the curve beneath their faces, before eventually emerging into a Zora guppy.

Zora guppies are...clumsy, to say the least. Their bodies haven’t grown quite enough to support their heads yet, so they need neck support at all times. It’s just like human babies! It takes a Lake Zora about three years to get to the point where they can support their own head weight, so during that time, the parents have to be extremely diligent with their baby’s safety.

Bay Zora

The Zora that live in the Great Bay of Termina are almost identical to their Hyrulean counterparts.

Almost.

These Zora have had to adapt both to salt water and the presence of predators larger than them, so on top of the skills the Lake Zora possess, they also have a faster swimming speed, a tolerance to acid, and the ability to create a weak electric field around themselves to ward off potential attackers.

Falls Zora

This subspecies of Zora actually marks an evolutionary transition point between the Lake Zora and the Sea Zora. They still possess muted coloration to blend into the water for stealth attacks, but they’re starting to branch out; sunset-colored fins and bioluminescent spots on their headtails mark the development of several key traits BoTW Zora possess.

It’s also the point where we first see sign of the red and purple color mutations.

But by far the most interesting point of this particular era in Zora history is their cultural development.

This is the point in time where they start decorating their domain with the trademark Zora silver we know them for in BoTW, with intricate lacing designs in semi-see-through walls.

We also see the first use of Zora spears, along with masks worn by soldiers and metallic jewelry, signifying that the Zora have begun to develop the means to forge tools.

This is huge, from a worldbuilding perspective. Aquatic races tend to get locked into a stone-age level of tech, because it’s insanely difficult to forge metals without fire and without cooking yourself. The techniques they use to make these weapons and decorations, though they remain a carefully guarded Zora secret, are the reason they can make grand palaces like we see in BoTW.

This era also marks the appearance of Zora armor; as in, clothing created from Zora scales.

Magical garments for breathing underwater existed before, but the presence of this here means that Zora can both shed and craft their scales into a kind of chainmail mesh. In later years, this kind of garment would become the equivalent of exchanging sapphires, specifically for inter-species relationships in Hyrule.

And, finally:

Sea Zora

These are probably the Zora you all were expecting. I’ve covered the reasoning behind their coloration and physical variation here, so let’s get to the stuff I haven’t quite covered yet, shall we?

The Zora of BoTW are highly adapted to salt-water conditions, capable of breathing in both fresh and seawater. Their scales, however, are thinner due to generations of enjoying a peaceful lifestyle, making them highly susceptible to burns, frostbite, and electrical nerve damage. This makes elemental arrows a huge threat to the Zora population; it’s an ongoing debate in their kingdom on whether or not it should be banned.

A Sea Zora’s lifespan consists of about 20 years of being a guppy, at which point, they develop their “sea legs.” As you’ll notice, this is much longer than the standard infancy of their ancestors; while Lake Zora matured at a similar rate to humans, Sea Zora more closely resemble the lifespans of River Zora, which can lead to generations of Hylians passing by in only one Zora lifetime.

After growing out of their guppy phase, Sea Zora stay at a relatively small size, even into adulthood, until they hit their growthspurts. This final stage of Zora maturity is triggered by environmental factors, such as temperature, abundance of resources, and emotional stability, though some Zora take longer to reach that finicky balance than others. The growth stage takes about two years to finish; Mipha, a hundred years prior to BoTW, was right in the middle of hers, thus making her much smaller than other fully grown Zora at the time.

On a cultural note, Zora from this era participate in neck elongation, like many human cultures in Africa and Asia.

In this practice, coils of metal are wrapped around the neck to give the appearance of it being longer than it actually is. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t actually dislocate the neck and vertebrae; instead, it works by pushing the collarbones down and the chin upwards.

We can see this practice on Zora of any age, and all walks of life; it’s even present in the Zora Armor, to a lesser degree.

Notably, though, Royal Zora and Zora in direct service to the Zoroyal family haf elegant frames rather than coils, as a secondary indicator of status.

Luminous stones are popular with these Zora, and it’s believed that this started as a mirror to their developing bioluminescence. And they have a lot of it; unfortunately, however, it’s on a scale humans don’t perceive very well, as to us, the most glow we get is right above Muzu’s eyes.

But for Zora? They see A LOT.

Sidon, for example. We see him like this:

But Zora night vision isn’t as good as ours, so they’d see something more like this instead:

(Not an accurate depiction, a rough estimate done by someone with little art skills)

The spots on his head, the brightly colored edges of his fins, and the luminous stones all stand out, letting Zora identify each other in murky waters easily.

Sea Zora eyes possess special cells in them specifically for detecting luminescence. These disappear in strong light:

But are visible in darker settings, like rainy Zora’s Domain, in the form of tiny dots on the outer edge of the iris.

These cells work by catching miniscule amounts of light and color and reflecting them, causing weak dots to become much more pronounced, at the cost of their night vision overall.

Hope this answered your questions about the Zora!

[cannibalmukbang]

in life and in death we give glory

mother wants her baby back.

don’t you want to become a cult leader? - idyllia // Running Up That Hill ( A Deal With God ) - Kate Bush // Lose Your Soul - Dead Man’s Bones // Holocaust of Giants - Rasputina // Spellbound - Siouxsie and the Banshees // Crystal - Stevie Nicks // Saline the Salt Lake Queen - Rasputina // White Rabbit - Emiliana Torrini // Trust in Me - Siouxsie and the Banshees // Hammer Horror - Kate Bush // Dark Science - Coyote Kid // Seven Devils - Florence + The Machine // The Moon Asked the Crow - CocoRosie // Sorcerer - Stevie Nicks // Persephone - Cocteau Twins // Sick Child - Siouxsie and the Banshees // Bad Moon Rising - Rasputina // Danse Macabre - Camille Saint-Saëns // Season of the Witch - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

[onwesterlywinds]

The Body Fragile Yields

Part of my Godhands series, set roughly in the year 1544 of the Sixth Astral Era - thirty-three years before Hydaelyn’s present-day, and thirteen years before Ala Mhigo’s fall.

Content warning for sexual assault and body horror.

GODHANDS IS NOW ON AO3! If you like it, send over some kudos!

Once, in the early days of her service to the crown and only some few moons after her father's death, Sigrid had been sent out to attend to Theodoric and Hrodric on a stroll through Queen Edila's gardens. Theodoric came across a dead marmot and at once took a stick to it. He poked it over and over again until its half-scavenged, half-decayed innards collapsed into themselves and spilled out over the earth. That single act of violence loosed a stench so foul that Hrodric went running; even Sigrid had to cover her face and recoil from it. That memory was one of the very few of her own that would overcome her once the vera root took hold, though it came more as a dream than a recollection: it seized her whether or not she wished it to, usually whenever Blackram seized her in kind.

***

"It's alright," Blackram whispered, again and again, as his blackened hand moved across her skin, as his body moved over top of her body. He could not reach her when she was like this, not truly, but her distress was an agony for how deeply it had taken root in him. If he could not soothe her, he would soothe himself, and he would speak to her as he did not ever need to when they were truly one.

Each time the primal's influence waned, they spent at least a week abed while they shook off the mantle of divinity and regained some semblance of their selves. It was a harrowing process made somewhat less so by the warmth of Sigrid's body lying next to his, and the persistence of their bond, and the knowledge that their suffering would soon be at an end.

***

His given name, she divined from their pervasive mental thread, was Grimms. It was not that he disliked the name for any reason; he simply doubted whether or not he was worthy of claiming it. Every woman and man who had spoken his name aloud had met a brutal end, and rarely ever by his own hand, as if the Undercity itself could expunge any trace of it on a whim. As such, he preferred Blackram, the title of his own making, at least until he could pass it on to a deserving heir.

***

Ashley. Their heir could only be Ashley, and yet this conviction invariably brought them pain twinned with pride. Sigrid would weep from it, no matter how much vera tonic she'd imbibed, and the prospect of Brynhilde's son as her son - their son - brought forth in him her visceral grief and guilt, as debilitating as their shared sickness. Of all he had done to secure the Undercity, to remake it on Sigrid's behalf, he could not yet fathom what it would mean to bring Ashley into their fold: in fulfilling his own destiny, in treating with the power of the gods, would he condemn his only scion to this same hell?

Only the Ascian would know.

***

Some days, when he needed solitude but ached for her closeness, Blackram would carry her on his arm to a spot deeper still than the catacombs: a placid saline lake where snowflies gathered to flit above the surface if the air was warm. While there, he would release her for some few moments to tend to his own musings, and she would run her toes along the smoothed rocks that comprised the banks until her last dregs of energy were spent and her legs would heed her no more.

It was akin to how the Saltery had found Blackram's mother so long ago, floating face-up and stone-cold in the shallows of Loch Seld. In life, the lot of them had called her a banshee - one of the beings that haunted the valleys with their wailing lamentations since long before the flood - and even as they hauled her corpse from the water, her hair and lips and lashes crusted with salt, they handled her with far more caution than reverence.

***

The Undercity was deep in the throes of winter, and only the salt of the lake kept it from freezing over so far beneath the earth; the snowflies were well into hibernation for the year and would not return for another few moons at best. The cold settled itself upon every ilm of stone like a fine shroud, brutal to bear without the warmth of their bed, and the bite in his boots intensified as Sigrid stretched out her own feet into the frigid, numbing depths.

Through it all, his dead hand ached worse than ever.

"You're late," drawled the red-masked figure.

***

No matter how deeply the vera root infringed upon her consciousness, no matter how low she had sunk into vague scenes from her memories or Blackram's, that voice had a way of cutting through the debility, the cold, the fear. Half the time it did not sound like Common, let alone any other language she had ever heard, and yet she understood it better than she understood her innermost thoughts.

She would have to simply lose herself, as she had learned to do while chained to the catacomb walls at this voice's behest, while lying futilely on her back, while Blackram whispered over and over that it was alright. She threw her head back to the cavern ceiling and a moan escaped her lips - the first sound she made in longer than she could remember.

***

He had grown used to the Ascian's dramatic entrances. Whoever they were and whatever their origin, they defied every law the Undercity imposed upon its denizens. The passage before him, now only a vague memory of Skalla, was the sort of place no living soul could traverse without leaving some trace of themselves - and yet there his benefactor stood, surveying the clawed tips of their gloves as dark currents from the void swirled around them.

"We've done it," Blackram declared. He was breathing heavily, as though he had run a malm while wracked with fever, all from the strain of having carried Sigrid to her point of rest in the pool. "We've summoned Zalera of our own flesh and survived."

The Ascian gave him an evident once-over from behind their blood-red mask and scoffed. "Albeit the worse for wear."

Blackram gritted his teeth but offered no retort. He would endure the weakness, endure the chills, endure his own dead hand until the primal was to be brought forth again. The only other choice was for him to lie down and die - and if he were to perish with so much left undone, then so too would Sigrid.

"We have fulfilled our end of our bargain, done as you instructed. But I would ask something different of you in exchange."

The Ascian's smile widened, ever the more unsettling for the fact that it was their only visible feature. "Oh?"

"I set my previous terms before Sigrid and I were joined - and now, there is much more at stake than the specifics of my past. I would inquire instead of the future."

"Hmph." They shrugged, rolling out their shoulders. "This could be your only chance for answers - to know of yourself, where you came from, how you came to be. You would deny yourself this knowledge forever?"

If this was a trial, a test of wills, he would overcome it. For Sigrid's sake. "I would."

"Suit yourself - though I must warn you that foresight is not a gift I possess. Nevertheless, I would not have your deeds be met with a reward you deem unfitting. Ask whatever you wish, and if it is within my knowing, I will grant you your answer."

For the briefest of moments, a glimmer of Skallan tilework, as blue as a clear morning, captivated his attention from somewhere off in the darkness. "If our heir should take up the mantle of Zalera in our stead," he began, and found that his question evaded him until only a fatalistic certainty remained. "...He will suffer as we have."

His benefactor did not move. They gave no sign that they were even breathing, let alone listening; when they spoke again, it was in a voice far softer, far more deadly, than any they had used before.

"That is something no one can say. What you have achieved thus far - the binding of two souls in service of a primal - is without precedent for your kind. Whether this mantle can be passed down to another will depend entirely on this boy, and perhaps on what he can learn from you."

And for the first time in longer than Blackram could remember, his gut clenched with stirrings of hope.

"Now, then. If that's all, you'd best return to your lady love. There's no telling what she could get up to unattended, even in her state."

Sigrid would be missing him; she was alone and cold and so distant in body and mind. But he was halfway to the primal's haunt, and he could use the last of his strength to make that journey alone, to gather what he needed with her none the wiser.

"Oh, and Blackram?"

The Ascian was at his flank in an instant, tucked into his blind spot faster than he could blink. He raised his arm to fend off an attack, only for the Ascian to whisper in his ear.

"Your success has also earned you this..."

They did not speak the next words aloud. His father's name fell into his thoughts as though it had been there all along.

***

The knife brought her back to herself. Her hand slipped to the stones at the pool's edge and touched its hilt, and she knew it at once as a gift from Rhalgr or Byregot or Brynhilde. Its blade was rusted along its edge but plenty sharp at the tip, sharp enough to pierce skin, perhaps rupture vital organs. For the first time in moons, she was reminded of her father - not a specific moment in which to lose herself, but the sound of him at work in their home's basement forge, then the smell of his sweat when he'd emerge at the end of the day. The memories stung her all the more for their vagueness, for the reprieve they could not grant her.

And she was alone. Blackram had yet to return for her, though she could sense some decisive purpose driving him deeper into the cavern, much deeper than his talk with the Ascian had required. The vera root was wearing off and her pulse was quickening, and the salt on her tongue tasted of Brynhilde.

She tucked the knife into the band that tied back her hair, though her arms ached to stretch them so, and she prayed the glint or press of it would not alert Blackram when he came to pick her up once more. When at last he reappeared, he lifted her across his unblemished left arm, steady against his shoulder. He whispered words she could not make out, adjusted her headband to cover her eyes, and the knife did not fall. She endured the familiar, troubled movements of his body as he walked them back up to their chambers in the catacombs, where a new horror beckoned.

A swath of red lay across the bedsheets, so violent in its scattering that she retched. She could smell the rot of flesh from him and from everywhere, as overpowering as ever. She backed away from the bed even as Blackram reached for her, shaking her head and trembling all over.

Get away from me. The words would not leave her, no matter how she screamed.

"Sigrid," he whispered. He held more of it in his blackened hand, its perfume overpowering; a bloom of-

Red lilies.

He reached for her but the knife was already in her hand. He reached for her and she stabbed outward until the lilies fell to the stone at their feet. He reached for her until he drew back with a hiss of pain, a shuddering gasp, a gush of blood flowing freely from his side.

He reached for her and held her fast about the waist, stanched his wound with her skin, pressed his dead hand to the base of her spine and bared his soul to hers.

Blackram, bastard son of Titus yae Galvus, summoned Zalera from their agony once more.

[heyjadesprite]

i think saline from saline the salt lake queen by rasputina is a homestuck troll

[castiellesbian]

I pronounce them like you do. Whenever I read saileen I get “Saline the salt lake Queen” stuck in my head

lol I don't think I've ever heard that song?

[absinthe-and-alabaster]

music asks: 12 13 14?

12: a song from your preteen years Saline the Salt Lake Queen by Rasputina (X) when i was like 12-ish I was a huge Rasputina fan. i dont know how you feel about electric cello lol

13: one of your favorite 80s songs so I looked through my music library for songs released between 1980 and 1989. (Out of Touch is in there which seems like too obvious an option). Apparently Head Like a Hole by Nine Inch Nails was released in 1989?? it does not feel like an 80s song anyway I did have a big bangles phase when I was like 13 which is like classic 80s but at the same time I was really into Blue Öyster cult so I'm going to pick this absolute classic from 1983:

Shooting Shark by Blue Öyster Cult (X). it is a very silly song. ive never seen the music video before now. it is also very silly. 14: a song that you would love played at your wedding I feel like in general my music taste is not very geared towards weddings but Make Me Cry by Jacob Collier (X). its in waltz time

[bluesuedeclogs]

adrianalacervas replied to your post “attn: mutuals”

6'1.....

now we’re talking! you’re a babe

[famous-aces]

Saint King of Poland

Who: Kinga (her given name is sometimes spelled Cunegunda, Zinga among other spellings and pronunciations) (also known as Szent Kinga or Święta Kinga)

What: Queen Consort and Saint

Where: Hungarian (active largely in Poland)

When: March 5, 1234 - July 24, 1292

(Image Description: a painting of Kinga. She stands with her hands steepled in prayer. She wears all white with ermine robes and a crown. In front of her on a little table are some rocks. There are white flowers growing in the background. She is a white woman with a narrow face and dark eyes. Her hair is covered by a veil. End ID)

Kinga was the daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary and his Queen Maria Laskarina and wife of Bolesław V the Chaste of Poland. She was Beatified in 1690 although she wasn't actually Canonized until 1999. She is now a Patroness of Poland, Lithuania, and salt miners (we'll get there).

She was married in 1239 to Bolesław, then Duke of Kraków, (she was 15, he was 13).  Kinga spent her reign in Poland doing many charitable works. She gave special attention to and provided care for the then maligned and outcast lepers.  After her husband's death in 1279 Kinga refused any further place in government and any other husband. She sold off most of her earthly possessions, gave all her money to the poor, and became a nun.  She would remain a nun until her death.

In 1280 she founded a Convent of the Poor Clares on her lands in Sącz. Eventually a Franciscan Order she established settled nearby. From this and the surrounding villages came what is now Stary Sącz, one of the oldest cities in Poland.

Her sainthood comes from a miracle that supposedly occurred shortly after her marriage. Legend goes that when she reluctantly left what was then Hungary for Poland she decided to bring the Polish -- who desperately wanted for salt -- a clump of the stuff.  While she was at the salt mine in Máramaros, she dropped her engagement ring into a shaft, a testament to how little she wanted to be married. Upon her arrival in Kraków she either requested or was present for some people digging a deep pit, in which they found a "rock" made of pure salt. When the lump of salt was broken open her ring was found inside. In this pit more salt was discovered and it would become the immense Wieliczka Salt Mine (Kopalnia soli Wieliczka), now a World Heritage Site.  It operated from the 1240s to 2007, making it one of the oldest operating salt mines. Interestingly among its many famous historical visitors is Alexander von Humboldt.

There is an enormous complex still there, one of the most visited places in Poland with a museum and three routes through it depending on your interests, the Tourist Route (which boasts nearly 45,000,000 visitors since its opening and contains elaborate salt statues, chambers carved from the stuff, saline underground lakes, and "almost 3 kilometers of meandering corridors"), the Miners Route (off the beaten trail about the history and function of the mine allowing you to engage and explore yourself), and, what Kinga would have been proud of, the Pilgrims' Route (with at least three chapels and sculptures made out of salt and wood). She also would have been glad to know there is a Rehabilitation and Treatment center there as well.  Anyway this place sounds very cool and I want to go there.

(Image Description: a sculpture of Kinga from the Wieliczka Salt Mine carved out of pure salt. End ID)

Probable Orientation: Aroace

Kinga was very young when she married but her husband's nickname (the Chaste) is part of the reason she ends up on the list. Often young Medieval couples waited a little while before having sex but Kinga persuaded Bolesław to join her in a vow of everlasting chastity. The marriage was (like many royal marriages) one of politics rather than romance , but unlike most royal marriages it was never consummated at any point during its duration (1239 - 1279). She never broke that chastity vow even after his death, choosing instead a life largely in solitude.

Apparently Bolesław and Kinga got along well enough, described as living like "brother and sister" rather than husband and wife. So it wasn't as if they hated each other. She never had a secret lover noted by history (and again it would be hard for a queen to have one).

The vow was Kinga's suggestion and Bolesław was coaxed into it by his wife and his own sister Blessed Salomea of Poland. The vow was supposedly a religious one (both of their families were deeply entwined in the Church), but it is an odd choice for a Queen Consort to make. I discussed the problem of Elizabeth I's chastity in great detail, but I don't know Polish or Hungarian history well enough to know if there was a similar distrust for childless queens, but it is still striking that a queen did not continue her line. Her chastity is framed as part of her sacrifice to God (much like Joan of Arc), but it may have been that Kinga was inspired by her religious family to use God to get out of having sex.

(Image description: a painting of Kinga being given back her engagement ring by the miners. It was painted by Florian Cynk. It shows her in fancy dress with the miner on his knees in front of her holding out her ring. She reaches out to take it from him. She has people gathered around her looking on in surprise. End ID)

[fictionasplacebo]

url playlist

I got tagged to do this by @lesbianjanetpluchinsky thank you! um bear witness to my bizarre taste in music.

f the fuel- sneaker pimps

i iieee- tori amos

c comfort eagle- cake

t this apparatus must be unearthed- the mars volta

i imperial march- vitamin string quartet

o oh beautiful town- iamx

n not an addict- k’s choice

a agenda suicide- the faint

s saline the salt lake queen- rasputina

p pretty life- jakalope

l light, yet refreshing- snog

a automatic systematic habit- garbage

c the chain- Fleetwood mac

e English summer rain- placebo

b bust your kneecaps- pomplamoose

o oceanographer’s choice- the mountain goats.

idk who to tag so just whoever wants to do it!

[pukemaudernism]

Rasputina - Saline the Salt Lake Queen

[muafrikaadventuresafaris]

Lake Katwe, an ancient salt lake in the South Western part of uganda in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is substantial for Salt mining and the miners use old traditional methods.For salt to be extracted, Evaporation in the dry season, makes saline water of Lake Katwe to concentrate making a hyper solution that forms salt. The salt lake is naturally meant to be an animal 'referral hospital' where wounded animals dip their wounds. This is the only activity that wasn't tempered with during colonialism. #uganda #safariphotography #safariafrica #safaris #safariguide #wildlifeofinstagram #wildlifephotography #wildlife #adventuretime #adventure #africa #africangamedrive #africansafaris #naturephotography #nature #travelphotography #travelafrica #travel #visituganda #katwesaltlake #queenelizabethnationalpark #queenelizabeth #lake #vacation #vacations #bestvacations #gamedrives #boattrip #boatcruise #muafrikaadventures (at Queen Elizabeth National Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CY0pAfOqtDL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[theentiredsm]

Below are two versions of the same poem. The original is first.  I wrote the new version as part of a creative writing assignment. Which do you like better?

Chess - February 2018

Are you cold?

Don’t worry—

I have some chocolate to

Warm you back up if the Dementors

Stay too long.

Are you falling?

Don’t worry—

I’ll weave a net from my fingers and hair

And string it from Mt. Everest to give you

A soft place to land.

You brought a crystal chess set to the park.

Said you wanted to play, but when a 

Retired grandmaster with a white beard and

Cardigan took your pawn, it fell over and

Shattered. And you shed a tear and

It splashed over the weeping shards,

And you didn’t mean for your hand

To knock over the King but you didn’t

Mind it either. And when the bearded

Man left for a game of backgammon

With a cancer kid, it was only fate

That I walked by with a tube of

Krazy Glue and a book on how

Chess pieces shatter. I sat

Across from you at the concrete

Table and opened the book to page

185: Mending a bruised ego.

You picked up piece #39742

But I shook my head when you

Asked for the glue. That piece goes

On #11, not #1269213, I told you.

You asked how I knew so much

About repairing chess pieces,

And I gave all credit to the book.

Then we both raised our eyebrows,

Because we realized the page we were on

Was blank.

As was the next.

And the next.

And…

I knocked over your queen when I

Moved to grab piece #2912478.

I tried to hide the brokenness with my hand

But you noticed the blood and the smile

Like the one I had when I woke to find

The sun was still on sabbatical.

And you took my hand and smiled too, and didn’t

Mind the smear of red I left on you.

Then it was my turn to cry: when I

Realized I couldn’t be everything I heard

When I was alone in the dark. But it’s okay,

You said. You have chocolate too,

White chocolate. And some days it will

Be sweet and some bitter and some sour.

Like mine. It’s okay, you said. A net

Made of two kinds of hair is more than

Twice as strong. The water is inside

Your eyes now, swirling like the reservoir

Drain out at Lake Dixon—like a toilet, but

That’s a bad image. I look down at the

Pawn and find it isn’t broken anymore.

Neither is the queen.

The board shrinks to fit in your pocket.

You ask if I’m cold. I nod.

So you move to put your arm around me. Chess - May 2018

You were the quintessential American Girl

I watched from the coarse grass and shade of an oak tree:

All smiles and idealism and red hair bows

And frilly, knee-high white dresses to let flow

In spring breezes. All hope and no common-sense or realism.

Your name could have been Chelsea, maybe Katie or Lindsey

Or anything else we call a “white people name”

These days. You were someone I could have met

Walking down Main Street in Freedom, USA,  

But instead, I saw your sun-gold hair caress the determination

In your eyes as you strode toward the park’s checkered tables

And the players seated pensively on either side.

  You had crystallized your dreams into a chess set,

Told the smirking strategists that your place was the Big Leagues,

The Champion’s Circle along with Bobby Fischer.

Under the spider web shadows of the oak branches,

You stood unshakable in your skills, bellowing a challenge.

Your gaze was the kind of certainty in a child’s

Insistence that they know how to read a psychology textbook.

I had heard something similar from my own mouth

More than once, so I “hmmed” and stared and speculated

When you approached a retired grandmaster wearing a white beard

And a cardigan emblazoned with the phrase “that’s life.”

  Noticing your face fall within the first five moves,

I couldn’t help but think his sweater might be a metaphor.

By move seven, you’d tasted checkmate, but not bitten it yet.  

In move nine, he took your final pawn with such force

That it fell over and shattered. You shed a tear that splashed

Over the pawn’s shards, and amid the soup of saline

And splintered silicon, the crystal clarity of your dreams

Became cloudy and indistinct. I could see through your eyes

As salt and defeat stung them, as you knocked you king

Aside through the shroud. And though you assured the grandmaster

You didn’t mean to resign, I had a feeling you didn’t mind it either.

  When you bowed your head, the bearded man followed suit

Before leaving for a game of backgammon with a cancer kid.

I took your shaking sobs as my cue—after all, I’m the hero

Who wrote the book on broken dreams. Who could help but me?

I sat across from you at the concrete table, a tube of Krazy Glue in hand,

And offered help from a man with more knowledge of chess piece dreams

Than anyone alive. After your heaving chest slowed, you assented

With gratitude through still-sparkling lashes.

  By the time I had assembled the pawn’s base, you’d salvaged

Pieces 4,500 and 324, but I refused when you asked for the glue.

Both those pieces go on number 3,755, I told you.

When you wondered how I knew so much about chess piece dreams,

I asked if you’d like to see the book I’d written. At your nod,

I produced a mini Bible-sized journal with tissue-thin pages.

But as I flipped through before turning it to you, I realized

That every page was blank. That I had never written a word.

That I had only mended the pawn base by accident.

You stretched up in your seat, nearly spotted the emptiness.

In my haste to cover the proof of my ignorance,

I flung my arms over the book, and sent your queen tumbling.

  You started at the shattering sound, and I scrambled to cover my error.

I slapped a hand across the queen’s new pieces, felt a thousand

Tiny cuts shred my palm, seep sanguine into the saline and silicon.

Staring at the mini sea of blood, tears, and broken glass, I realized

That I would be of no help to you. That my book and your chess set

Were the same—indistinct, overconfident dreams, the only difference

Being that yours were broken and mine were blank. That in my haste to help,

I too was a child “reading” a psychology textbook. It was my turn to cry:

When I knew I knew too little to be the hero you needed.

  But you noticed. You noticed the blood and the smile

Like I had when I woke to find the sun was still on sabbatical.

You took my shredded hand and smiled, too, and didn’t mind

The smear of red I left on you. It’s okay, you told me. They say

You shouldn’t meet your heroes, anyway. It’s okay, you told me.

We’ll learn to fix the pieces together, and when we’ve finished,

We’ll write a book together too, one far more beautiful for it. It’s okay,

You told me. The bearded man left a scar, but also a lesson and a message.

  Maybe, you told me, gluing dreams isn’t the solution, then threw the bottle

Across the field. Wafts of spring air welcomed the scent of peonies.

Maybe, you told me, we’re to wait until the wind makes dreams anew.

  The tendrils of wind wound together to create a dust devil

Amid the mess on the table. I felt the moisture whisked

From my hand and into the cloud of broken glass that swirled

Three feet into the air. When the current subsided, the gold

Of your hair seemed colder, more muted, but not gone—

Transferred to your eyes, which now seemed a twinge wiser.

I looked down at the pawn to find it wasn’t broken anymore.

Neither was the queen. Each, instead, was different, rougher,

No longer perfect but far more pristine. They looked like stained glass,

As they should have—patchworks of their component blood and tears.

  Still smiling, you tapped the first page of my book. I looked down

To find that it, too, had changed. A single line now stared back—

One I didn’t write but didn’t mind, either. “Be the hero you can be,”

It said in dark red ink, “Not the hero you think they need.”

  I stowed the book back in my pocket. You told me my face

Had fallen, but that somehow, it now seemed more honest.

Setting the pieces in their proper places, I wondered aloud

If you wanted a fair match. You thanked me, nodded,

And shortly won your very first checkmate. After a thousand

More, and a thousand more broken chess piece dreams,

I thought, you’ll be ready to face the bearded man again.

And I’ll be with you every step, filling my barely not-blank book,

Ready to remind you not to pick up the pieces, but to wait

Until the wind makes them unfamiliar, but that much stronger. 

[flyingcarpettours]

Egypt Holidays and Jordan Tours

Enjoy Egypt Holidays and Jordan Tours, Flying Carpet Tours takes you to the wonderful sightseeing in Egypt and Jordan so don't miss the chance to enjoy one of unforgettable Egypt Holidays and Jordan Tours. Visit the various tourist spots in Egypt and Jordan like Umm Qais, Jerash, Ajloun, explore Mount Nebo, Madaba, Dead Sea, Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum, Old Cairo, the sphinx, Karnak Temple and more. Explore Egypt Holidays and Jordan Tours and discover the best time and places to visit. Discover the history and architecture of these ruins and many others alongside knowledgeable guides. On Egypt Holidays and Jordan Tours, Jordan is the perfect destination to embark on a private luxury tailor-made holiday, from the historic site of Petra to the wild desert of Wadi Rum. Enjoy visit Abu Serga Church. The Church of Saints Sergius (Abu Serga) considered to be the oldest of Cairo's Christian churches, which built in 4th century, It is consecrate to two early martyrs who served as soldiers in the Roman Army. Jordan, an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River, is defined by ancient monuments, nature reserves and seaside resorts. It’s home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, the Nabatean capital dating to around 300 B.C. Set in a narrow valley with tombs, temples and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs, Petra earns its nickname, the "Rose City." The Dead Sea is a salt lake whose banks are more than 400m below sea level, the lowest point on dry land. Its famously hyper saline water makes floating easy, and its mineral-rich black mud is used for therapeutic and cosmetic treatments at area resorts. The surrounding desert offers many oases and historic sites. Try Egypt Holidays and Jordan Tours Day 01: Arrive Cairo At the time your flight touching Cairo Land, one delegate from Flying Carpet Tours will be holding a sign with your name, transfer to hotel, relax from the inconvenience of your travel, be ready for your Cairo and Nile Cruise Package tomorrow, overnight in Cairo.

Day 02: Pyramids, Egyptian Museum, Old Cairo Taste the flavor of your breakfast at hotel, then Flying Carpet Tours guide will lead you to a ravishing tour to Pyramids of Giza, feast your eyes by visiting Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus, then your guide will take you to panoramic view of the pyramids, memorable photos available to the three pyramids together, next move to the Sphinx, scout the valley temple, relax by having lunch at local restaurant, after Lunch your tour guide will escort you to the Egyptian Museum which contains amazing treasures of King Tut Ankh Amun, your last visit will be to Old Cairo, visit the hanging church, Abu Serga Church, and Ben Ezra synagogue, finally back to hotel, night at leisure, or choose from variety of optional tours, Either to try Dinner Cruise on the Nile River with Folklore show, Belly Dancer, surprises are waiting for you, or try optional to the sound & light show at the pyramids, overnight in Cairo.

Day 03: Cairo to Luxor - Nile Cruise Taste the flavor of your breakfast at hotel, then one delegate from Flying Carpet Tours will escort you to Cairo domestic airport, fly to Luxor, arrive Luxor, transfer to your Nile Cruise, start your Cruise Package, embrace the Culture of Luxor, visit the flourishing Karnak Temple, watch the glory of the huge Pillars hall, move to scout Luxor temple, at the end of your tour back to your Cruise, Lunch included on board, Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 04: Nile Cruise Package Taste the flavor of your breakfast on board, feast your eyes between Valley of the Kings ( visit 03 Tombs Only ), Next visit to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, known now with the name of El-Deir El-Bahary, your last visit will be to Colossi of Memnon, Watch the glory of the two huge statues, finally your tour guide will escort you back to your Cruise, Sail to Edfu, Lunch included on board, Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 05: Nile Cruise Package Taste the flavor of your breakfast on board, then Flying Carpet Tours Guide will escort you to visit Edfu Temple (Horus Temple), feast your eyes once your Cruise sailing from Edfu to Kom Ombo, arrive Kom Ombo, unleash your soul while exploring the glory of Kom Ombo Temple, sail towards Aswan, Lunch included on board, Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 06: Nile Cruise Package Taste the flavor of your breakfast on board, embrace Aswan Culture by visiting the High Dam, next tour to the Unfinished Obelisk, feast your eyes and visit the ravishing Philae Temple, Lunch included on board, Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 07: Aswan / Cairo Today is your flight back to Cairo, taste the flavor of your breakfast on board, then one of Flying Carpet Tours delegates will lead you to Aswan Airport, fly back to Cairo, once your flight touching Cairo Land, transfer to hotel, array of optional tours you can choose if you prefer, either to try sound and light show at the Pyramids, or to try Dinner Cruise with Belly Dancer, overnight in Cairo.

Day 08: Cairo to Amman Taste the flavor of your breakfast at hotel, then Flying Carpet Tours delegate will transfer you to Cairo Airport, move to Amman, at the time you arrive Amman, transfer to hotel, relax from the inconvenience of Travel, overnight in Amman.

Day 09: Umm Qais, Jerash, Ajloun Taste the flavor of your breakfast at hotel, then drive by air-conditioned vehicle to Umm Qais which known as Gadara, it is ten cities considered as a union, enjoy the wonderful view in Jordan Valley, Galilee Sea, and the heights of Golan, then move to scout Jerash, which back to the Roman Empire, located in Gilead Mountain, it is considered one of the largest sites of the Roman Architecture, watch the glory of the colonnaded street, Artemis Temple and the Nymphaeum, then move to the castle of Ajloun, which is an Islamic castle, built by Salah Eldin at the 12th Century, at the end of the day transfer back to the Hotel in Amman, Overnight in Amman.

Day 10: Mount Nebo, Madaba, Dead Sea Taste the flavor of your breakfast at hotel, then drive by air-conditioned vehicle to The Mountain of Nebo, and visit the tomb of Moses the profit, then explore the old Monastery overlooking the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, as well as Jericho, then move to visit Madaba, akso visit St. George’s Church, then visit the mosaic map of Palestine, then drive to the famous dead sea, which is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west, It was one of the world's first health resorts, it is your chance to enjoy natural health and the beauty at the same time, the dead sea considered the saltiest and most mineral-laden body of water in the world. Get relax, and enjoy, at the end of the day transfer back to the Hotel in Amman, Overnight in Amman.

Day 11: Petra Tours Taste the flavor of your breakfast at hotel, then drive by air-conditioned vehicle to The Rose Red City of Petra, know the legends of Petra, carved directly into vibrant red, white, pink, and sandstone cliff faces, the prehistoric Jordanian city of Petra was "lost" to the Western world for hundreds of years, Petra is without a doubt Jordan's most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction, enter this hidden city through a long narrow Siq, Explore the amazing carved buildings made by Human hands, get the chance to try horseback riding to the entrance of the canyon, Camels are available to hire inside Petra, finally at the end of your tour drive back to Amman, overnight in Amman.

Day 12: Final departure Today is the valediction day, taste the flavor of your breakfast at hotel, then one of Flying Carpet Tours delegates will lead you to Amman airport, for the final departure. More info about: Egypt Holidays and Jordan Tours Tel.: +201099906242 Email: sales@flyingcarpettours.com Website: www.flyingcarpettours.com