#symbol: legendary weapons

[conceptofjoy]

unbreakable katana, irony as a shield, heroism and masculinity. thats the whole post thank you.

[thenationofzaun]

Underneath the joke here, there is actually something compelling to be explored. The idea of "Jinx" being so notorious that she's mythologized. The myth being a hyper exaggeration of all her infamous traits, until it strays far from what the real Jinx is actually like. A spin on the whole "League of Legends" thing. The show did attempt to play into this theme with the openings. The way Season 1's opening depicts statues carved of stone, showing them as heroes and legendary figures, then Season 2's opening depicts them as human, stripped down to their underclothes. But the show could have done much more with this than a simple joke about an enforcer thinking the real criminal mastermind would never wear circus pants.

Imagine people telling stories of the dangerous criminal Jinx, but exaggerating certain details about her. Saying her nails are long and pointed as talons, her braids drag behind her on the ground, her teeth are sharp as a shark's, her bullets never miss, she is utterly without feeling or mercy, a spectre come to haunt and destroy Piltover. Imagine Piltovians viewing her as a horror story, and Zaunites viewing her as a dark hero, their vengeance against Piltover. Of course, the real Jinx likes painting her nails bright pink, let her father braid her pigtails, has a small tooth gap, misses her shots often, and feels way too much. The idea of both cities taking this girl and turning her into a legend, stripping away all her human qualities and projecting all their own fears and desires onto her is so interesting. Jinx, Piltover's ruin and Jinx, Zaun's revenge. Instead of Jinx the human.

Imagine Jayce meeting her. He never met her in the entire show's run which I feel is a missed opportunity. She was the catalyst of so much of his story in Season 1. It was her who broke into his lab, stole his gemstone and research. She defaced his entire lab, putting her grafitti and monkey symbols everywhere to taunt him. He spent the entirety of Season 1 worried sick that she would find a way to weaponize the gemstone. Her massacre of the enforcers on the bridge traumatized and sickened him. He demanded that she be locked up in exchange for Zaun's independence. I wonder how he imagines her? Does he picture a grown woman? Someone his age or older? Someone devoid of emotion or humanity? Imagine if he finally met her, this person who has caused him so much distress, and he sees an ill teenage girl. Baby fat on her cheeks and chipped nail polish.

Vi's story could have mirrored this too, losing her own identity while her sister sinks herself into her "Jinx" persona. Feeling abandoned and betrayed by Zaun, she rejects it and falls into Caitlyn's (Piltover's) arms. Becoming absorbed and assimilated into the city, losing connection to her real roots. Piltover taking advantage of her strength and exploiting it against Zaun. Turning her into their weapon, one of their enforcers. Using her as a diversity hire, the token trencher to prove how kind and not at all oppressive the enforcers are. Vi losing her own humanity as she makes The Piltover Enforcer her new identity and lets herself be engulfed by it, the way her sister does with her Jinx identity. Both cities taking these sisters and turning them into symbols. The sisters being dehumanized but letting it happen because they feel they have no other path or that they deserve it. But underneath Jinx and Piltover's Enforcer, are two broken young women.

[lordsovorn]

Years later I'm suddenly realizing what a powerful symbolic gesture it was when the Penitent One first took Mea Culpa. A woman's guilt, manifested into a sword. A silent warrior, decades later, pulling the sword from her petrified body, denying the sanctity of her suicide.

In this way, Mea Culpa is transformed from a single-use tool into a weapon, a cornerstone of a determined quest. Its purpose twists from ultimate violence against self to violence against others. Its appearance was akin to a divine confirmation that life doesn't matter and you are worthy of punishment - and now it is taken to protect the life of its bearer and to take lives of those who stand in his way. The woman's pain was from her horrible feeling of guilt - the sorrow of the Penitent One is for the suffering of others, who torture themselves and are tortured in the penance made material. Born from individual guilt, Mea Culpa is repurposed for empathy.

No wonder this is heretical and puts the Penitent One firmly against the church - it is not a mindless desecration of a relic, it is a conscious re-imagining of its essence and a conscious denial of canon. A heresy by textbook definition.

It is not just a random legendary sword - taking it is a gesture louder than words that shows at a glance what the Penitent One is fighting for.

[thisisnotthenerd]

a collection of my favorite stuff from this episode:

the whole interaction with gubbling? perfection.

getting to snowgrave and hearing erro's story

the vault!!!

nia and the moonweaver!!!

the agrupnin vault! the legacy of the agrupnin family!!!!!!

nuts of healing!

the dragonborns sharing draconic!

nothing but nut!

unicorns!

byroden!!!!!!

the key finds doors?!?!?!

anyways, we still haven't gotten confirmation of garen's class yet, but i'm still holding out for a forge cleric. that or he's the mortal form of moradin, trapped on exandria unknowing for many decades.

a list of the vestiges they've found thus far:

stormgirdle: belt. bestowed by the stormlord. for carrying others through adversity. currently held by crokas.

honor's last stand: erro's mother's shield. bestowed originally by platinum dragon. currently held by erro.

infiltrator's key: key made from the blood of 12 master thieves. it talks?? currently held by fiedra.

condemner: shadow-touched heavy crossbow that served as the weapon of the legendary assassin todora. currently held by fiedra.

moon's mirror: a silvered hand mirror that bestows invisibility. blessed by the moonweaver. currently held by nia.

hearth's hammer: a war hammer beautifully decorated with the symbol of the all-hammer. currently held by garen.

the orb of avalir: PATIA'S ORB!!!!!! mark my words, crokas is going to be a cobalt soul monk. adds +6 to INT and +4 to WIS, and a skill & language proficiency. currently held by crokas.

[killervelveteenrabbit]

Reaction to “Werepapas” (S6 E5)

Most episodes from seasons 1 through 4 are named after the Monster of the Week™. The titles of the ones that aren’t (“Felix" and “Gabriel Agreste”) allude to the person genuinely responsible for the episode’s crisis. “Werepapas” follows that pattern: Ringmaster was the villain, but the Werepapas—Emil and Johnny—caused all the trouble.

The opening scene suggests that Emilie’s illness dominated Adrien’s early childhood, setting him up for further trauma after she “disappeared”. Since he knew she was critically ill, maybe he knew she didn’t just vanish but he didn’t dare admit it.

This episode features numerous subtle callbacks to “Representation”, where Marinette (and the audience) learned about the Graham de Vanily sisters’ upbringing. We already knew their parents were cold and disapproving with high expectations, although it’s likely this was primarily Emil’s influence considering he barely allowed Millie to speak.

On that note, it’s well-known that children in abusive families often find themselves mired in abusive dynamics as adults, as either victims or abusers. They subconsciously recreate the situations they experienced in childhood because it’s familiar, even if unwanted. Both sisters ended up married to controlling tyrants, just as their mother did. There’s a slight difference, though: Colt apparently started that way and Amelie married him reluctantly. Emilie defied her family to marry Gabriel, and he was a kind and loving husband once. But over the years he changed, possibly as a reaction to the stress of his wife’s illness and his desperate search for a cure.

There’s been a concerted effort (probably on Nathalie’s part) to warm up Maison Agreste’s sterile ambiance. But festooning the house with greenery can only do so much, and there are still parts of the house—and parts of the family legacy—that remain shuttered and shrouded.

Parents watching this series with their kids may giggle at “Millie (Graham de) Vanily” and the reference to a certain R&B act of yesteryear. But anyone who knows the history of the duo will get the hidden meaning: Milli Vanilli didn’t perform any of the vocals on “their” songs, and Millie doesn’t have a voice of her own either.

Johnny and Gabrielle are huge fans of Jagged Stone… imagine if they found out Adrien is friends with his son… and Adrien is dating his ex-girlfriend!

After several episodes where Marinette’s assorted complexes directly or indirectly caused someone’s akumatization, it’s refreshing to see a storyline where Marinette fixes things instead of messing them up. She even weaponizes her infamous clumsiness with that “accidental” spill on the custody contract. Too bad Emil had a duplicate.

Ever since the show introduced the Graham de Vanily twin rings, it was implied they had some legendary mystical ability aside from serving as Adrien’s amok. It turns out they had power after all: they symbolize the fraught history between the Graham de Vanily and Agreste families. Ladybug breaking the rings to destroy the akuma within them parallels Marinette’s role in liberating Adrien from his parents' and grandparents' control, allowing him to choose his own guardian and his own future.

Why didn't breaking the rings kill Adrien if they contain his amok? Here's a theory: before Gabriel made his wish, he had counterfeits made and gave those to Adrien, hiding the ring containing the amok someplace no one could recover and destroy it. There's precedent for that theory--it's exactly what Felix did after he stole Gabriel's ring, as seen in "Gabriel Agreste".

[iongsiyi]

mulan: the best disney character ever made

okay, i may be in a disney phase right now. but as a fellow asian, there is no way i'm going to talk about disney princesses without mentioning the best disney princess (character) disney has ever made - mulan.

originally a legendary chinese folk heroine from the northern dynasty era in chinese history. the disney adaptation of mulan is somewhat similar, only difference is that she had siblings in the original folklore, and she had to go to war because her brother was too young and her father was too old, and at the end, she revealed her identity only after returning home.

let's face it, the fact that a disney princess went to war made her stand out from the rest of the lineup. let's go over a few badass facts about her in the movie: 1. she wasn't going to give up because she did bad in training. her perseverance and determination led to her trying over and over, pulling herself up that pole that literally no other men in the army could do. she's unbending, not willing to give up without putting up a fight, and she not only proved to li shang and her peers that she's not weak, she proved to herself after all that self-doubt that she's just as capable as anyone else, more than anyone else if anything. 2. the fucking avalanche scene. the fact that she was smart enough, quick-witted enough to plot that within seconds with her enemy right in front of her, clearly using her brain for a good cause to save her entire army which consisted of about 50 people against thousands of huns. war is about tactics, and she demonstrated just that. she also ignored the pain of her wound to pull li shang up from the snow just shows her loyalty to her troops. 3. even after being thrown out of her army in the middle of the mountains full of snow, seeing the huns rising from the snow, she knew she gotta alert li shang that they were coming. despite li shang not believing her (or tried to ignore her), she tried her best to come up with ways in attempt to save her country from potentially being invaded. at that moment, she didn't care about the fact that she literally lost her dignity in front of everyone, she only cared about her country, her homeland, and that just shows how selfless she is.

4. the last scene was probably the most badass out of the entire movie. again, plotting a scheme within minutes in attempt to save the emperor, coming up with ways to get into the palace, get into the emperor's room, and revealing her identity as ping to shan yu to save li shang again. best part was, the only weapon she had in her hand was a fan, it not only symbolized her identity as a female, but also the fact that she was a female in the army. (fucking pulling the sword out of the fan was so badass i need to insert the gif here)

everything about that scene was perfect. it wasn't entirely serious, some ridiculous humor was implemented there and there, but also allowed for one final demonstration of how strong mulan is, not physically, but mentally.

5. actually, this last one might be the most badass. she didn't bring honor to her family (and herself) by marrying a man, starting a family like what the society expected her to, she earned a standing ovation, a collective bow from the entire country of china and the emperor with her own hands. best part? she didn't care about the honor, she didn't care about the fact that she was offered a position in the council as a female, she only cared about her family, her father. love was what made her strong. gracefulness, bravery, loyalty, and intelligence are just a few of her qualities. not only was the character full of great qualities, her imperfections were also shown, her stubbornness and clumsiness. it felt as though she was a real human because of her merits and faults, and her character development throughout the movie never ceases to amaze me.

again, i don't want to go on forever about this, but one thing will never change - mulan will always be my favorite fictional character ever created.

my little baby is all grown up and ... and savin' china

[usafphantom2]

Legendary Pilot Bob Pardo, Who Pushed A Damaged F-4 With His F-4 Over Vietnam, Has Died

December 20, 2023 Military Aviation

Bob Pardo

Bob Pardo in a 2017 photo by Senior Airman Ridge Shan. In the background, Pardo's Push in an artwork by S.W. Ferguson.

Bob Pardo passed away earlier this month at the age of 89. With his Phantom, he pushed a crippled F-4 outside the enemy airspace in one of the most heroic missions in the history of military aviation, known as “Pardo’s Push”.

“Pardo’s Push” is the name of an incredible maneuver carried out during the Air War over North Vietnam that, over the years, has become the symbol of heroism and a demonstration of courage and contempt for danger.

March 10, 1967.

Captain Bob Pardo is flying in an F-4C with Weapon Systems Officer 1st Lt Steve Wayne. Their wingman is the F-4C flown by Captain Earl Aman with Weapon Systems Officer 1st Lt Robert Houghton. The two Phantoms of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, are assigned the task to attack a steel mill in North Vietnam north of the capital Hanoi.

During the approach to the target, both F-4 is hit multiple times by enemy’s anti-aircraft fire. The North Vietnamese flak causes significant damage to Capt. Aman’s aircraft whose fuel tank begins to leak fuel forcing the crew to abort the mission. While hit too, Pardo’s F-4 is able to continue its mission.

On their egress route, at 20,000 feet, Aman and Houghton determine that they do not have enough fuel to reach a tanker or Laos, where they could eject and avoid capture. Although his F-4 is still efficient and has enough fuel to reach a tanker, Pardo decides to remain with his wingman.

At a certain point, while still inside North Vietnamese airspace, Aman’s Phantom flames out. To save Aman and Houghton, Pardo decides to do something he believes no one has ever done before: he attempts to push the other F-4 to Laos.

Initially, Pardo tries to push the other F-4 by gently making contact with the drag chute compartment. However, turbulence interferes with the maneuver and after several failed attempts, Pardo opts for an extreme solution: he instructs Aman to lower his tailhook, then he positions his F-4 behind the other Phantom leaning his windscreen against the tailhook. The contact is made but the “solution” is quite unstable and, as a consequence of turbulence, Pardo needs to reposition his F-4 every 15 to 30 seconds. Nevertheless, the push works and rate of descent of Aman’s Phantom is considerably reduced.

As if the situation was not complicate enough, Pardo’s F-4 suffers an engine fire, forcing him to shut it down.

Try for a second to visualize the situation: a flame-out F-4 is somehow pushed by means of its tailhook by another F-4 powered by a single engine. In enemy airspace. Incredible.

Ezoic

Pardo pushes Aman’s F-4 for another 10 minutes until his Phantom runs out of fuel too. With both planes safely inside Laotian airspace, at an altitude of about 6,000 feet, the aircrews of both F-4s ejects (they will be rescued by SAR helicopters and evade capture).

Although he saved another aircrew, Pardo was initially reprimanded for not saving his own F-4. Until 1989, when the episode was re-examinated and both Pardo and Wayne were awarded the Silver Star.

Retired Air Force pilot Lt. Col. Bob Pardo poses in front of a static display model of an F-4 Phantom II, one of the many fighter aircraft he has flown, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., Dec. 12, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ridge Shan)

Pardo and Aman both continued serving and retired from the U.S. Air Force in the rank of lieutenant colonel. Years later, after learning that Aman had lost his voice and mobility because of Lou Gehrig’s disease, created the Earl Aman Foundation that raised enough money to buy Aman a voice synthesizer, a motorized wheelchair, and a computer. The foundation later contributed to raise funds to pay for a van, which Aman used for transportation until his death. In other words, Pardo never left his wingman behind, not even after retiring.

Ezoic

Noteworthy, as told by John L. Frisbee in his 1996 article for Air Force Magazine, Pardo’s push was not the first time a U.S. pilot pushed another jet out of enemy airspace: in 1952, during the Korean War, fighter ace Robbie Risner pushed his wingman out of North Korea in an F-86. However, pilots were ordered to refrain from attempting the hazardous maneuver again, and the episode had faded from memory and was almost completely unknown within the Air Force by the time Pardo and Wayne pushed Aman and Houghton outside of North Vietnam’s airspace.

Bob Pardo passed away aged 89, on Dec. 5, 2023. His courage and ingenuity, along with the legendary “Pardo’s Push“, will be remembered forever.

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

@Aviationist via X

[blasphemousclaw]

Do you think radagon ever regretted leaving his wife and kids? I always had a headcanon that he did love them deeply but due to a mix of beliefs, aswell as being a literal pawn for the two fingers and greater will he did it cause he had to.

ok in all seriousness, I do believe Radagon did genuinely love Rennala and his children based on the way Miriel talks about him and Rennala. However, despite his love for them, I don’t think he necessarily regretted leaving them.

Radagon has shown at every turn that above all, he is loyal to the Golden Order — Marika calls him “leal hound of the Golden Order,” he’s identified as “of the Golden Order” in his boss fight, and he attempted to repair the Elden Ring after Marika shattered it. While Marika wants us to succeed in becoming Elden Lord, granting the Tarnished grace and tasking Hewg with crafting a weapon that can kill a god, Radagon does not want us to succeed, blocking off the entrance to the Erdtree with impenetrable thorns in the shape of his rune, and personally attacking us once we make it inside… he would rather the Order be preserved in its shattered state than be created anew. Radagon even turned the greatsword Rennala gave him upon their marriage into a Golden Order greatsword:

“Greatsword made of light, modeled after the Elden Ring itself. Forged by King Consort Radagon to proudly symbolize the tenets of the Golden Order. One of the legendary armaments. Telltale signs betray that this was once the greatsword bequeathed to him by his first wife, Rennala.”

Perhaps he chose to reforge the sword in order to still carry a memory of Rennala with him, but the fact remains that he has changed this sword from one of Carian make into one “proudly symbolizing the tenets of the Golden Order.” To me, this reads as carrying the past with you, but still forging ahead with what you believe is your duty… Golden Order fundamentalism also combines faith and intelligence, integrating the knowledge Radagon learned as Rennala’s husband with his Golden Order faith.

Essentially, Radagon is a zealot who will serve the Golden Order no matter the personal cost. And I do believe him leaving Rennala and their children was a great personal cost to him… he loved them, but he left them anyway. His cutscene upon his defeat is a perfect symbol of this idea — his body itself being turned into a sword, a literal tool used by the Elden Beast:

“Sword wrought from the remains of a god who should have lived a life eternal. Thoughts on what the weapon portends are many and varied. Some consider it the mark of a great sin, or a sign of great devastation. Some think of it as the end of an age, while others; the beginning.” (Sacred Relic Sword)

[yuurei20]

Lilia Facts Part 83: Lilia and Silver (pt12)

Sebek discovers Lilia’s magearm from when he was on active duty in Lilia’s closet, saying that Baul has told him about the weapon, “its incredible magical blasts, and how it left foes prostrated and helpless on the ground.”

Sebek says that he has never seen a magearm with such a lavish amount of mystium and he is in awe to be able to view such a legendary warrior’s weapon up close, but Silver reveals that they would keep it in a shed back home for use as a hatchet.

Lilia decides to take it with him to the Land of Red Dragons as “the mountains are supposed to be quite cold and snowy” so he can continue to use it as a hatchet, scandalizing Sebek.

Silver discovers a candy tin with a ring and acorns.

The ring seems to result in “a wave of drowsiness” for Silver and Lilia declares that it can go back to its original owner: Silver.

Lilia explains that Silver was wearing the ring on a necklace when Lilia found him as an infant and he had been intending to give it to him when he grew up.

Lilia says that he is certain that his parents left him the ring to symbolize their hopes for his future, and he has grown into a fine young man who is worthy of it.

The ring’s abilities are, at this point, still somewhat vague: one of the first things we see it do is pierce through Malleus’ darkness when he is attempting to force Silver into a deeper, darker sleep.

Silver describes his surrounds as “dark, cold and sad,” and after the ring begins to glow he says, “Father, give me strength,” in reference to Lilia.

When Sebek begins to succumb to Malleus’ dream world the ring glows again, causing the darkness to shrink back. Silver says that he can feel power coming from it and orders it to banish the dark, which it does.

While helping the group flee Henrick’s army, the Dawn Knight calls upon “guardians fairies” to give him strength as the ring glows. He says that he was gifted with the ring as a child and “it should be one of a kind,” despite how Silver has one as well.

There is a certain light animation that plays throughout the next several scenes of the game, always proceeding a memory of Lilia’s that Silver then watches. Sebek is also capable of seeing the light, which appears directly before and after each of Lilia’s memories that is shown to him. 

After guiding Silver and Sebek through Lilia’s memories the ring’s light seems to help Sebek locate Silver, and then shows them an image of the Dawn Knight in the clouds, but we have yet to know what any of this means.

[egoistsarchive]

Michael Kaiser Profile from Egoist Bible Vol.2 (2024)

Nationality: German.

Weapon: “Kaiser Impact”

Birthdate: December 25th.

Age: 19 years old (At the start of the Neo Egoist League)

Zodiac sign: Capricorn.

Birthplace: Berlin, Germany.

Family structure: Father, himself.

Height: 186 cm.

Foot size: 28 cm.

Eyesight: 0.9 in both eyes

Blood type: A.

Team: Bastard Munchen.

Dominant foot: Right.

Grip Strength: 80 kg.

Favorite soccer player: None.

Age started playing soccer: 15 years old.

Motto: "Become the symbol of the impossible"

Nickname: Blue Rose Emperor.

Strengths: Looking down on all other “humans”.

Weaknesses: I have a crazy bedhead. I wake up grumpy.

Favorite food: Bread crust rusks. When I was a kid, I used to make them with discarded bread from the sandwich shop in my neighborhood. The sugar and garlic flavor are so damn good.*

Disliked food: Milk. It brings back bad memories. And I simply hate the smell. Disgusting. Fucking nasty.

Best rice accompaniment: I don’t eat rice that often. Do tell me what’s good.

Hobbies: Reading. Psychology and Philosophy. I’m interested in the principles of human behavior.

Favorite season: Winter. Because loneliness suits me.

Favorite music: "Desperado" by Eagles.

Favorite movie: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Character color: Metallic Blue.

Favorite animal: Stray dogs.

Best subjects: I didn’t take classes seriously.

Weak subjects: I didn’t go to school so I don’t know.

Fetish: Face of Despair fetish. I want to taste the depth of that person.

What makes you happy: Being regarded as an enemy. Just thinking about destroying them gives me thrills.

What makes you sad: Presents. I don’t know how to react to them. Don’t fucking need them. Just get the fuck out.

Ideal type: Someone beautiful, intelligent, and affectionate. 

Last year’s valentine day chocolates: 800. I heard they were delivered to the team's clubhouse.

Sleep time: 8 hours (7 hours+1 hour nap)

Where do you wash first in the bath?: Left chest.

Favorite smartphone app: Health app. Every morning I check my pulse, and I feel alive looking at the numbers.

Mushroom or Bamboo Shoots?: What are you talking about? Chocolate? Mushroom is fine then.**

What made you cry recently: When I squeezed my neck, tears came out. I looked at my face in the mirror and laughed.***

At what age did you stop receiving presents from Santa?: Never received any. Santa doesn’t exist.

What did you ask for a Christmas present from Santa?: Freedom.

What would you do on your last day on earth?: Regret. Thinking of how I could’ve lived my life differently. If tomorrow were my last day, I think I'd regret it.

What would you do if you received 100 million yen?: Whatever. Maybe I’d buy a rose garden.

What do you do on your days off?: Take a long shower, read, think about people I want to kill and about myself, take a shit then go to sleep.

What would you be doing if you hadn’t discovered soccer?: Committing crime. Starving to death

Who is your favorite historical figure?: Nietzsche. Freud. Napoleon. I’d like to talk to these three.

If you could only bring one thing to a deserted island, what would it be?: My soccer ball. Where would you go if you had a time machine, to the past or the future?: The future. There’s no salvation in the past, so the future is better. I want to see if there is salvation in the future.

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

Notes:*…サンドイッチ屋で捨てるアレをもらって作ってた。 (...sandoitchi-ya de suteru Are o moratte tsukutteta) -> ”...made them using the stuff (bread) that was thrown away from the sandwich shop…”

**Kaiser is German so he wouldn’t know the legendary beef between Team Mushroom or Team Bamboo.

***Kaiser said 自分の首を絞めた時 (Jibun no kubi o shimeta toki) or “When I strangled my own neck”. The verb 首を絞める (kubi o shimeru) is “to wring the neck”, “to strangle.” 

Ness basically said the same thing in chapter.243 -> 自分で自分の首を絞めて･･･!?!?! (Jibun de jibun no kubi o shimete..!?) – and the official translated it as “He’s squeezing his own neck!?”, so we also went with ‘Squeeze’!

[hellishjoel]

cherry wine

629 words / pairing: oberyn martell x f!reader

← masterlist | notifications blog | seasons of life challenge masterlist

word: fireplace

warnings/information: fluff, descriptions of food, alcohol consumption, the connection to oberyn (partner, wife, friends, unattached, etc.) is up to the reader

a/n: I was thinking and envisioning warmth and immediately thought of our sweet prince of dorne. my banners are by @saradika-graphics. shoutout to @berryispunk and @lady-bess for putting this together on @fanfictionoverload!

The Prince of Dorne’s golden robes complement the crackling embers of the grand fireplace. 

The months spent planning the Festival of the Long Light had finally come to fruition, as today was the winter solstice celebration to welcome the return of longer days. 

It’s a long-standing Dornish tradition to celebrate with candles, lanterns, and bonfires to symbolize resilience and hope, even during the darkest time of the year. 

Prince Oberyn says that it strengthens the Dornish spirit. It’s ultimately his way of drinking wine from dawn til dusk while the crowds of happy townsfolk gather for archery contests, combat displays with flaming spears and swords, and dining on the winter citrus feast. 

After a day of indulgent celebration, the Prince has succumbed to the heady effects of wine, his sharp wit and natural charisma now softened into a playful blend of teasing flirtation and extravagant storytelling.

“Do you recall how I earned the nickname the Red Viper?” He muses, a lopsided smile on his lips as he leans along decorative pillows with you by his side. 

You take a sip of your warm spiced wine and nod thoughtfully. “I do believe that you will tell me-”

“House Yronwood was one of the most powerful houses in Dorne, only second to House Martell, of course,” he eagerly jumps in with theatrical hand movements, “Our houses have always had a… strained relationship.”

“Treacherous,” you hiccup.

“Yes, often to their family’s wrongful pride and our political dominance.”

“Surely,” you amuse him, both pausing to laugh with the sweet red wine coursing through your veins. 

“During our family gathering, the youngest heir to House Yronwood, Draymond, insulted my family’s honor. I wouldn’t let it stand.”

His eye contact is powerful, amber eyes highlighted by the flickering flames of the fireplace. The wood could use stoking as it hisses and whistles, but Oberyn’s loving hand gliding up and down your side has you in a trance.

“You wouldn’t let it stand, my love.” You agree, Oberyn’s dark head of hair nodding with a distracted lull as he glances to your lips. 

“I ended the duel without delivering a fatal blow, only striking him with a glancing hit. What appeared as a prick had the young heir collapsing hours later, stricken with pain and a fever. I had coated my sword with a non-lethal poison.” Obern smirked around his golden goblet, throwing back what was left of his cinnamon-spiced wine.  

Confusion laces your features, tilting your head with intrigue, your eyes ultimately softening. “You did not aim to kill him.”

The handsome prince found solace in your understanding. “It was never my intention to let it escalate. Some men wield their tongues like weapons—loud, reckless, and prone to stirring trouble. They rarely find peace, nor do those around them. After that... enlightening encounter, the family gave us no further grief. I realized then, if I wished for a peaceful princehood, I had to quell the storm before it could even gather."

Your eyes must appear dazzled and surprised, causing Oberyn to smile back at you. 

"I have lived a life of many adventures," Oberyn begins, his voice low and rich, each word dripping with quiet confidence. "I studied the arts and pleasures of the Free Cities, fought alongside legendary sellswords in Essos, and played dangerous games of power in Volantis." He pauses, his hand rough yet deliberate as it tilts your chin upward, his thumb brushing lightly along your jawline. His gaze, intense and unyielding, meets yours. "But you," he murmurs, his lips curving into a seductive smile, "you are the only adventure I crave now."

His hand, scarred from years of wielding a sword, presses gently against your cheek. It's a tenderness that contrasts with the fierce strength it once knew. His lips are soft and inviting, his tongue lining yours as you taste the cherry wine that still lingers.

[elains]

Azriel's association with Enalius, what it means for his arc and Illyria

This is something me and my friends have talked about off tumblr, but I wanted to write my own post about it and gather my thoughts. But here, I'll discuss a bit Azriel's character and how the revelations we witness in House of Flame and Shadow will be important to his character. (+ a little bit of Emerie).

What do we know about Enalius? From ACOSF, Emerie provides us with a little exposition when they are in the Rite, when the Pass of Enalius is brought up:

Long ago—so long ago they don’t even have a precise date for it—a great war was fought between the Fae and the ancient beings who oppressed them. One of its key battles was here, in these mountains. Our forces were battered and outnumbered, and for some reason, the enemy was desperate to reach the stone at the top of Ramiel. We were never taught the reason why; I think it’s been forgotten. But a young Illyrian warrior named Enalius held the line against the enemy soldiers for days.

Now, from the Crescent City crossover, we learned that Truth-teller and Gwydion are twin blades. They are a pair. According to the Silene History Lesson, the dagger used to belong to her father's (Fionn's) dear friend, slain during the war. A bit later, when they find Vesperus, she confirms that this friend was Enalius:

The Asteri’s eyes flared with recognition at the long blade. “Did Fionn send you, then? To slay me in my sleep? Or was it that traitor Enalius? I see that you bear his dagger—as his emissary? Or his assassin?”

Immediately before that, she also confirms that the Asteri crafted (which can either mean created, shaped forged, but we are going with created) the Illyrians:

The Asteri’s blue eyes lowered to the dagger. “You dare draw a weapon before me? Against those who crafted you, soldier, from night and pain?”

From everything, we can conclude this: Enalius was the original wielder of Truth-teller before Fionn and Theia, a dear friend to Fionn, and someone who pulled the ultimate sacrifice to keep the Asteri/Daglan from reaching the top of Ramiel. He was a traitor to the Asteri, a rebel against his masters and everything they stood for.

Enalius is the hero most Illyrians strive to mimic, the legendary figure who they all hope to one day surpass. He's a symbol of their people, even if so much about him has been forgotten — the fact that he had a dagger, Fionn's friendship, what the battle was for, maybe even how he was as a person. Brave, for sure. Willing to die for the cause.

And it's Azriel who bears his dagger. Azriel, who has such a complicated relationship with his Illyrian heritage and loaths it - and by extension, himself - is the one with this enormous legacy right at this hand. And this matters.

Still in ACOSF, we have Rhys talking with Cassian and wanting him to play Courtier, the following exchange then follows:

“What, we’re doing some role reversal? Az gets to lead the Illyrians now?” “Don’t play stupid,” Rhys said coolly. Cassian rolled his eyes. But they both knew Azriel would sooner disband and destroy Illyria than help it. Convincing their brother that the Illyrians were a people worth saving was still a battle amongst the three of them.

Azriel hates the Illyrians for what happened to him and his mother and his dislike for them is, to a degree, understandable. The thing is that Azriel, no matter how much he loaths it, is Illyrian. Maybe he's more than that (as it's pointed that Az is different in a lot of ways and Bryce wonders if he is Starborn), but at heart, he's Illyrian. Siphons, leathers, fighting, being Carynthian, his wings, his scabbard and the dagger it holds.

It was healthy, perhaps, for Az to sometimes remember where he'd come from. He still wore the Illyrian leathers. Had not tried to get the tattoos removed. Some part of him was Illyrian still. Always would be. Even if he wished to forget it.

Being Illyrian is part of who he is and his deep hatred for them only fuel his self-loathing. He would like to set himself apart, but he is not.

We can actually draw a direct parallel between Azriel and Bryce with how they regard the Fae vs the Illyrians. Bryce loathes the Fae and for most of HoFaS, she believes they are evil, corrupt, power-hungry and quite generally, not worth saving. She would leave them all to burn. Sound familiar?

And Bryce is wrong. Sathia challenges her notion, pointing out that she's laying judgement to all fae and that is hardly fair. What the one who don't deserve it? Herself, yes, but Flynn, Declan, and Ruhn himself? Do they deserve to burn too? Bryce herself acknowledges this:

Urd had sent her there to see, even in the small fraction of their world that she’d witnessed, that Fae existed who were kind and brave. She might have had to betray Nesta and Azriel, trick them … but she knew that at their cores, they were good people. The Fae of Midgard were capable of more. Ruhn proved it. Flynn and Dec proved it. Even Sathia proved it, in the short time Bryce had known her.

And this part here sums up quite neatly:

Fire met starlight met shadows, and Bryce loosed herself on the world. It ended today. Here. Now. This had nothing to do with the Asteri, or Midgard. The Fae had festered under leaders like these males, but her people could be so much more.

There are Illyrians who are kind and brave and break the mold. We see this with Emerie, who is also a woman. We see that with Balthazar, Cassian. The main point stands, though, that you cannot judge or condemn an entire race for the bad apples.

Azriel is wrong, just as Bryce was wrong, and his journey will be also to realise that his people are worth saving. They were created of night and pain (words that Azriel embodies, being a master of shadows and a torturer), but that is not everything they need to be. They can be more than soldiers. They can thrive.

And I believe this was something Enalius himself came to the believe, long ago. His people deserved more than to be slaves to the Asteri, forced to give them their power when need be, bred to live and die for them. They could be more. And Enalius died to free his people from their chains.

Is Azriel Enalius's blooded descendant? I'm not sure, but he doesn't need to be. Azriel is Enalius successor because he will finish what was started. He'll uncover the secrets of the past, what his people were in truth, what Enalius rebelled for, what he stood for, what the Blood Rite truly means - which he only got a glimpse of.

And this is where I think Emerie will also come in. She's s one of ACOSF most relevant characters and the first female Illyrian to be Carynthian. I think Emerie will also become an inspirational figure to the Illyrian women, another of these what they coud be. What they can be. And more importantly and that is just a theory, what they were.

Orestes was a warrior. What if so was Carynth and she was woman? The name always struck me as similar to Carina, which is the name of a constellation and commonly used by women. It would be ironic and another shaking revelation to the Illyrians that Carynth, for whom their greatest warriors are named after, was a woman.

Does that mean all Illyrian women must become Valkyries? No, but some might wish to follow this path whilst their society takes its time to catch up. They already shook the status quo and with Nesta poised to have a big role (andthe Valkyries along her), they will continue to do so.

Azriel will uncovered the lost history of Vesperus offered him all the clues he needed to start looking. His journey to find out this secrets will lead to him facing his own demons, confronting his loathing for his people and, in doing so, he will make peace with himself.

[epicspheal]

A Strong and Upstanding Heart! A Lance Analysis

Imagine you're a kid in the 90s playing Pokemon Red and Blue…you’ve gotten all eight badges, made it through Victory Road and bested Lorelei, Bruno and Agatha. Now the only person that you think stands before you and the title of Indigo League Champion is a certain cape loving Dragon Master…

That’s right we’re talking about Lance! Lance is definitely one of those character who has very different interpretations depending on whether or not you’re looking at the anime, games or manga. For the sake of consistency with my other analyses…I’m only sticking to the gameverse and any media that corresponds to it (mainline games, Pokemon Masters EX and Generations). 

Let’s start with his name…in English it’s a weapon. Which is very befitting a dragon master as in many pieces of European Folklore knights wielded lances to slay dragons. But considering in Pokemon Lance doesn’t slay dragon-types but befriends them you could compare him to many of the heroes of dragon-rider fantasy who often had weapons they carried while on the back of their flying reptilians. Lance in the games is very knightly in demeanor and one could very easily imagine him riding on the back of his Dragonite wielding a lance. In French his name is Peter which is actually derived from petard which is another medieval weapon again reinforcing that knightly demeanor. His German name is Siegfried who is a legendary hero who bested the dragon Fafnir, further symbolizing Lance as a proud warrior. 

But then his Japanese is Wataru which has a couple of different meanings. First is “Watatsumi” who is a legendary kami and water deity in Japanese folklore that happened to be a dragon. But also it is derived from “wata” which means “cotton” which his Korean name also is derived from. When we think of the language of flowers we usually think of Roses and Forget-me-Nots. Yet cotton has a lot of symbolism. Cotton is known to mean “fortune, gratitude, cherish, well-being and receiving blessings”. When we think of Lance, he’s had a lot of blessings in his life. He was born into a prestigious dragon clan and was chosen as the heir of said clan before he went to the league. He became an Elite Four member which is an esteemed position many trainers could only dream to have. He even manages to become champion afterwards which as a title bestowed upon very few. So much of his life is very much blessed and Lance recognizes that blessing and cherishes it. 

Now let’s take a look at his team. His team varies throughout the series due to his changing roles from Elite Four to Champion so we’ll be covering both

Starting with his Elite Four team, the first thing that often stands out is that he lacks a lot of diversity on his team with him having 3 Pokemon from the same family and two of them being unevolved. While some people may consider it poor team building (at least from a more competitive mindset) it actually means a lot storywise. We have to remember that Pokemon was originally meant to end at GSC and we know by then Lance has ascended to the rank of champion. So him having two Dragonair actually makes sense in that context as it was foreshadowing his growth in his strength as a trainer. Now let’s take a look at his movesets. One thing that sticks out is that he really loves the move Hyper Beam, Outrage and SafeGuard. Hyper Beam is a very powerful move with the drawback of causing the Pokemon to not be able to move after for one turn after its use. It definitely establishes Lance as a power player with a hint of recklessness since the use of Hyper Beam does leave his Pokemon so vulnerable. However it also shows the trust he has in his Pokemon’s power to have that move consistently in the movesets. Outrage is another high-risk, high reward move that allows him to utilize STAB as it’s a dragon type. Again this further solidifies Lances hyper offensive strategy and his trust in his Pokemon. However this is where the move Safeguard comes into play as the move actually protects against the self-inflicted confusion status. This shows that Lance is strategic with his hyper-offensive strategy

Now let’s look at his team as champion! We can see he now has three full Dragonite which again shows that him having Dragonair in the Kanto games was an intentional choice to foreshadow his eventual ascent up the ranks. And now we also see that all of his Pokemon share the flying type which leads to the joke that Lance should be known as the “flying type champion”. His movesets for his Pokemon have also drastically changed. He has way more variety in types which helps to enable better coverage. He still relies on high-risk, high-reward moves but with more focus on moves that have lower accuracy (Thunder, Blizzard, Fire Blast, Dragon Rush). This change in strategy reflects his growth in the time between the original Kanto events and the Johto events. He’s had to step up to the role of Indigo League champion which warrants a change in tactics. That being said, he still definitely relies on his old faithfuls Outrage, Safeguard and Hyper Beam on his signature Dragon type.

His rematch team in HGSS shows more Dragon types and a shift in strategy to involve more set up (Dragon Dance, Swords Dance and Double Team) as well as some more evasive techniques (Roar to get rid of bad matchups)

I also wanted to bring up his team when pairs up with his cousin Clair. His signature Dragonite in these match-ups knows the move Dragon Meteor- a powerful move that can only be learned by Dragon types that have a high enough trust in their trainer. This shows that he has a strong bond with his dragon types which is something Clair at the time hasn’t quite yet gotten to.

"Ah! I've heard about you, <player>! I lead the Elite Four. You can call me Lance the dragon Trainer. You know that dragons are mythical Pokémon. They're hard to catch and raise, but their powers are superior. They're virtually indestructible. There's no being clever with them. Well, are you ready to lose? Your League challenge ends with me, <player>!"

I really like this introduction quote from Lance as he does a good job selling the power of Dragon type Pokemon to the player. Not only that you can see how much pride he has in being the leader of the Elite Four.

"I still can't believe my dragons lost to you, <player>. You are now the Pokémon League Champion! …Or, you would have been, but you have one more challenge left. There is one more Trainer to face! His name is… <rival>! He beat the Elite Four before you. He is the real Pokémon League Champion."This quote here gives us a look into the mindsight of Lance in Gen 1 where he’s a little overconfident in the powers of his team. Which makes sense because as we know up until Blue and Red no one had managed to make it to the league at all meaning that he’s held the title of the strongest for a long time. So him getting beat by not one, but two 11 year old kids in succession was definitely a shock to the system.

"That red Gyarados wasn't acting right. As I feared, somebody must have forced it to evolve… Did you come here because of the wild tales? You're <player>? I'm Lance, a Trainer like you. I heard some rumblings, so I came to investigate… I saw the way you battled earlier, <player>. I can tell that you're a Trainer with considerable skill. If you don't mind, could you help me investigate?" This is our first conversation with Lance in the Johto and you can actually see a change in his demeanor. He’s not boasting about the superior powers of dragon types or his own skill as a trainer. He’s actually more humble with his approach saying he is a trainer “like you”. Also right now he’s focused on trying to solve the mystery of the Red Gyarados, showing that he is taking the mantle of being the champion of the Indigo League very seriously

"Dragonite, Hyper Beam."I just had to put in his iconic phrase in this analysis. We know what’s coming here- he’s about to blast a poor Team Rocket grunt to kingdom come and give him PTSD (as we know from Pokemon Masters as the grunt he hyper beamed is currently on Pasio). We see here how he has no tolerance for evil-doers

"Sorry, <player>. I saw how well you were doing, so I just hung back. Now all there is left to do is to turn off that odd radio signal."A lot of complaints about champions prior to gen 8 were that they let the protagonist take down the bad guys with little to no assistance. But here we get some reasoning from Lance as to why he took a backseat. He noticed that the player could handle the grunts by themself so there was no need for him to step in. 

"It's this machine that's causing all the problems. I don't see a switch on it… We have no choice. We have to make all the Electrode faint. That should stop this machine from transmitting that strange signal. It's no fault of the Electrode, so it makes me feel sad. <Player>, let's split the job.I really like this quote because it complements the “Dragonite, Hyper Beam” quote. Even though he is no-holds barred when it comes to evil, he recognizes that the Electrode are innocent and don’t deserve to suffer even though they have to be fainted in order to help save the Pokemon affected by Radio transmission.

"I've been waiting for you. <Player>! I knew that you, with your skills, would eventually reach me here. There's no need for words now. We will battle to determine who is the stronger of the two of us. As the most powerful Trainer and as the Pokémon League Champion… I, Lance the dragon master, accept your challenge!"Lance’s pre-battle quote before the champion battle is a nice progression from his pre-battle quote when he was an Elite four member. Again he comes to this battle with a more measured, less haughty response than three years prior (although he does kind of borrow Blue’s “I’m the most Powerful Trainer” bit). You can tell how much he’s grown not just in strength, but in attitude.

"…It's over. But it's an odd feeling. I'm not angry that I lost. In fact, I feel happy. Happy that I witnessed the rise of a great new Champion!"

Again we can see more of this growth from the defeat quote as champion versus when he was the leader of the Elite Four. Here we see he’s not in disbelief, nor is he upset that yet another kid bested him. In fact he’s happy to have seen the growth of another champion. 

"I'm glad to be on your team, Silver!"Alright now onto some Pokemon Masters EX quotes. I chose this one of the team ups because I like how we see throughout the game, we see how much Lance looks out for Silver and is proud of him. A far cry from when they first interacted in the Johto games where Lance had to give him some tough love by completely annihilating his team. It all comes full circle for Silver during the Johto Neo Champion arc where he’s finally able to win against Lance, and Lance couldn’t be prouder of him. 

"You all haven't changed one bit, I see! I must admit, I'm looking forward to these battles myself!"I really like this line from the Normal Champion Stadium where the original Indigo Elite Four and Blue team up. It’s nice to see how he interacts with some of his former colleagues 

"(I guess he's right. I was very happy to witness my challengers surpass me.) But maybe that means I'm starting to forget what it feels like to WANT to win.) [...] I still remember how frustrating it was to lose to Red and Blue back in Kanto. Both Dragonite and I need to approach this like challengers, not Champions..."I really like this quote from the Arc-Suit chapter as we see Lance coming towards an important realization. He’s been so focused on being an ideal champion, a trainer who can be a role model to others and mentor as well, that he’s forgotten what made him want to aim for the title of champion in the first place. His drive to win. His joy for the taste of victory. He thinks about his losses to Red and Blue and how he was frustrated he was bested by kids. And now he’s realizing that if he wants to continue to grow stronger, he has to approach battles like he’s not at the pinnacle of what it means to be a trainer.

"It's true that you're strong, Clair. And it's good to have confidence in your own abilities...but there's a limit to what's good and what's not. Too much pride can make you overconfident, and overconfidence can make you vulnerable." 

"You can be a little impulsive sometimes, Clair...but that earnest, straightforward attitude of yours is one of your greatest strengths as well. If you can learn to hone that, the sky is the limit!"I really like the relationship Lance has with his cousin Clair. Even though their personalities clash a bit, we see how much he does care for her even when he is chastising her. He wants her to be the best version of herself that she can

"A long time ago, when I was a member of the Elite Four but not Champion, I was defeated by a Trainer.He claimed to be the greatest of all, and he had the strength and skill to back it up. But eventually, a stronger Trainer came along, and even he was defeated... It was then that I realized something. That title—"the greatest"—can inflate your ego, but it doesn't really mean anything. It's an illusion, there one minute and gone the next...The way I see it, seeking to grow and improve yourself is far more worthwhile than chasing a fleeting illusion of greatness."

This quote here shows the moment where we can see the shift between his Gen 1 and Gen 2 personalities. It was the quick succession between Blue and Red as champion that allowed him to temper himself when it comes to chasing success. Sure he still values the title of champion, but he realizes that just because he obtained it that he can’t rest on his laurels, lest someone else come by and snatch the title away from him

"Leon, I think that capes should be more simple! When you're the Champion and greet new challengers with a swoosh of your cape...I understand that the details of your cape speak volumes about who you are. But for me, the simplicity of my cape helps me stand out more!" The dialogue about capes between Lance, Steven and Leon was a cute little interaction between the three champions regarding capes. We see Lance prefers simple capes compared to Leon’s whose cape is filled with advertisements. We know Lance has a huge fondness for capes even back from the Fame Checker where a woman from the Celadon Department Store mentions he comes by to purchase capes frequently. Even though he disagrees about designs for capes with Leon, we know from further into the conversation that he still greatly respects the symbolism Leon’s cape has showing him to be an open-minded and respectful individual

"I noticed you weren't your usual self right before our match.It was almost as if you were so worked up, you couldn't tell what was happening with your partner. Iris, you must remember that you're no ordinary Pokémon Trainer. You are a role model to others, and you represent Unova as Champion. I hope you can understand that and conduct yourself accordingly."

Ah so this is dialogue from the Iris event that definitely rubbed some people the wrong way. We know from earlier in the event that Iris was struggling with knowing that people seemed to find her an embarrassment as the champion from Unova. And then her Hydreigon goes out of control. We see here Lance actually could tell that something was up, but didn’t know the full context. His words do come off a bit harsh here to someone who knows everything going on with Iris, but you can see that he was trying to help her out. He understands the weight that comes with being champion, and also the weight of being a dragon tamer. 

"It's never too late. You can start with whoever needs you most."I really liked this line from Lance to Diantha once Iris is able to regain confidence in herself. Diantha was lamenting the fact that she didn’t think about mentorship as a champion (as she was kind of removed from the Team Flare plot in the gameverse canon). And we have Lance who's not admonishing her for that but showing there’s room to grow.

"Someday, stories about me will be passed down to future generations of our clan as well. If I think about it that way, it reminds me that I have to be on my best behavior.I'd like to be a good role model for all future dragon masters."This quote from Lance really helps to shine light on why he is so passionate about being a good role model and having a strong and upstanding nature. He realizes that he will forever be immortalized in his clan’s history and in the Hall of Fame. He wants to make sure the legacy he leaves behind is one that makes people feel energized and not ashamed

"This outfit shows off Gyarados's power as a dragon! What's that, you say? Gyarados isn't a Dragon-type Pokémon? Haha, not all dragons are Dragon-type Pokémon!" I remember this quote making rounds on social media as we get to have some in-universe acknowledgement that dragons =/= dragon types! It’s a distinction that you would expect a dragon master like Lance to know!

Lance is an iconic character and he’s a really good case study on how Gamefreak has always cared about their characters even as far back as gen 1. A lot of people deride the first region as being barebones but he’s one of the many characters regions that has had layers woven into him from the beginning as we can see his growth between the events of Kanto and Johto. He grows from the proud (and just a tad cocky) leader of the Elite four to a wise noble Champion and Dragon Master

[vintagetvstars]

Richard Dean Anderson Vs. Michael Shanks

Propaganda

Richard Dean Anderson - (Macgyver, Stargate SG-1 (Seasons 1-7)) - Arguably the only man ever to make a mullet work, he is very pretty in Macgyver. Also an anti-gun activist and vegan! A very cool man. He also kicked ass in the Battle of the Network Stars!

Michael Shanks - (Stargate SG-1 (seasons 1-7)) - No text propaganda

- No Negative Propaganda Please -

Master Poll List | How to submit propaganda | What is vintage? (FAQ)

Additional propaganda below the cut

Richard Dean Anderson:

I’m a lesbian, but I *have* to make sure my buddy Richard here gets submitted. His role in MacGyver as the show’s namesake is simply legendary, a true symbol of positive masculinity; and, since he wasn’t happy with only starring as *one* iconic character, he also brought the renowned Major General Jack O’Neill of Stargate fame to life. Also — he’s (proudly) on the NRA’s blacklist because of the treatment of weapons and gun violence in MacGyver! I just think he’s neat.

Michael Shanks:

[sifu-kisu]

The legendary Honjo Masamune sword, regarded as a national treasure in Japan. It was forged around 1300 by the renowned swordsmith Gorō Nyūdō Masamune, who developed techniques to create superior blades capable of withstanding the toughened Mongol armor during the invasion of Japan.

Masamune's innovative methods involved folding high carbon steel over 30,000 times, creating a blade with a flexible spine and a rigid, razor-sharp cutting edge.

The broader, longer blade was designed to pierce Mongol armor, and the hardened edge allowed for easy repair. The Honjo Masamune was not just a weapon but a work of art, renowned for its beauty and discerning, honorable nature.

The sword was passed down through generations of ruling Shoguns for over 700 years, playing a significant role in Japan's rigid social structure.

The samurai, the knightly class, revered their swords as their most prized possessions, symbolizing their souls.

After World War II, the Honjo Masamune mysteriously disappeared.

Records indicate that a U.S. Sergeant took possession of the sword, with the intention of having it destroyed.

However, some believe he may have saved it and brought it back to America instead.

Today, the Honjo Masamune is estimated to be worth millions of dollars, and experts speculate that it may still exist, hidden away somewhere.

[lets-try-some-writing]

Hello! I recently read your Rites of Cybertron post about the major thirteen holidays for the original Thirteen Primes, but there were only twelve holidays in the post. Is there a holiday for Solus? What would it be like?

WHOOPS totally forgot Solus in my tired writing haze. Here the link to the previous post.

The Rite of Embers

Solus Prime is a legendary figure in Cybertronian mythology. She represents life, creativity, femininity, fertility, and so much more. Her core symbolism shifts entirely depending on city and world (in the case of Caminus particularity). However, there has been one great holiday reserved for her and her great deeds.

The cycle is dedicated to connection and healing. It is a holiday for those with bonds, lovers, friends, family, anyone who has worldly connection. It begins days before the actual holiday as every bot prepares a gift to give to someone special. It is traditional to make a gift personally, but that doesn't stop mecha from hawking their wares deca-cycles in advance. Despite that, most do craft their own gifts and prepare to offer them at first light on the cycle of the rite. Most of the time, the young prepare simple things such as armor attachments and small tools with symbols carved into them. Mentors will offer their wards things that are useful, a way to show their young one that they care while also preparing them for the world ahead of them. Meanwhile friends and lovers will exchange items of personal significance, usually objects that mean nothing to others.

It is a special thing to take a gift. Usually it is something that can be worn or otherwise carried without issue, and so mecha make a point of showing off their gifts. Once gifts have been received, mecha take time to dedicate to working on something together. Solus was a Prime of the forge. It is only right that her holiday allow bonded bots to work to create something together. Families will often prepare meals, especially if they are poorer. Younger companions will usually create jewelry or be "rebellious" by painting each other as a way to show that they helped "forge" the other. Lovers and friends will generally use their respective skillsets to produce items that showcase their unity. Ratchet, Jazz, and Orion Pax made quite a few elegant dagger pens that also doubled as scalpels.

The Rite of Embers ends with every bot, young and old, building a fire, large or small. They then pray beside it, not moving until the fire has burned down to embers in remembrance of Solus Prime's mighty life and unfortunate fall. Those who adhere to the old faith will skip the gift giving entirely and instead use their great bonfires to forge weapons and tools, each made unique. They do this to remember Solus's purpose and kindness in arming her brethren. They take her example very seriously.