#the accidental empress reading blog

[archduchessofnowhere]

The Accidental Empress Reading Blog I: Evil Gackl and the regency of Archduchess Sophie

I knew what I was getting into when I started The Accidental Empress, I really did. This historical fiction romance novel by Allison Pataki about Empress Elisabeth of Austria doesn't have particularly flying reviews in Goodreads, mainly to the historical inaccuracies and mischaracterizations. But I wanted to judge it by myself, specially since this is a very popular novel.

But I'm only one chapter in and this is my only reaction:

I have so many things to say about this chapter alone that I'm going to do a break down of it. I'm not planning to do this with every chapter (it will take me forever to finish it if I do), so enjoy this over analyzing reading blog, it won't happen again!

We start the chapter with Elisabeth and Helene outdoors, hiding from someone. We soon learn that that someone is their 13-years-old brother Karl Theodor "Gackl". Who is a bully that constantly torments them and insults them. I wish I was making this up.

...

In reality, Karl Theodor was Elisabeth's favorite brother and they remained close all their lives; he even named one of his daughters after her. Karl Theodor must have been a very charming and likeable man, since everyone that knew him held him in high esteem. Needless to say, he was nothing like how Pataki chose to portray him.

Because changing Gackl's personality was a deliberate choice by the author, in her own words: "I needed a mechanism for some early character development for the spirited, plucky young Sisi, and so Karl became an early opponent of sorts". I'm not that advanced into the book to decide if this benefited Elisabeth's character arc; but Gackl just bullying his elder sisters with no consequence seems kinda... dumb?

Continuing with the chapter, after this (they escape from Gackl by throwing rocks at him or something? I don't remember) the family gathers to dinner. Here we are told a little more of the family, and we find out that Elisabeth's eldest brother Ludwig Wilhelm "Louis" just... doesn't exist in this book? Karl Theodor is referred as the eldest son and heir more than once?? Weird choice, specially since the second book (yes this has a sequel) covers the Mayerling affair, in which Louis' daughter Countess Marie Larisch played a key role.

During dinner comes the unavoidable moment in which Ludovika announces that her sister Sophie asked for Helene's hand in marriage for her son, the young Emperor Franz Josef. This never happened, but (with great sorrow) I'll let it slide for the sake of the narrative.

Up until that point this novel had been your average, overly done, "Sisi lives free of worries in humble Possenhofen until her sister is told she's going to marry the emperor". I had nothing positive to say about it, but also nothing negative. It is a curse of contemporary Sisi adaptations that a relative she had a good relationship with is turned into a sort of antagonist (think Helene in RTL's Sisi and Ludovika in Netflix's The Empress), so even Gackl's villain arc didn't upset me that much.

You know what did upset me? This:

WHAT??? Franz Josef had been emperor since 1848. There was no regency, Sophie didn't had to rule anything. He was only eighteen, but he was of age and took charge of his reign from the very beginning. The implication that only since 1853 he had power is insane.

I already fear that Pataki went down the path of "Franz didn't do anything wrong, ever! It was his evil mother who ordered all those executions!" In fact, a couple of lines later Elisabeth recalls Franz Josef as "schrink[ing] whenever his mother had spoken" when she met him in 1848, a few months before the abdication of emperor Ferdinand. Which is also total crap.

And if I had any hope left for nuanced portrayal of Sophie, I completely lost it when Elisabeth recalls her meeting with her aunt:

Wow I can't wait to see the rest of her characterization! *sarcasm*

So far the writing itself had been okay-ish, even if I already had problems with the characterization and historical accuracy. But from this point onward we are delivered incredibly awkward expository dialogues, which completely took me out of the novel because it was obvious that the characters weren't talking to each other, but explaining to the reader the historical context. Like this just isn't a natural sounding dialogue at all:

"Your father is referring to the fact"???? I understand this novel is aimed at a general audience, but having the characters literally explaining the history (specially since this is recent history for them! it happened less than five years ago!!) feels extremely forced to me. Duke Max's dialogue alone worked fine, a voice in off could've explained the rest.

The chapter wraps up after this with Ludovika informing that Elisabeth will also accompany Helene to meet her betrothed (say it with me: Helene and Franz Josef were never engaged!), then the girls have an emotional talk in their bedroom and the chapter is over. I'll give Pataki one point for originality because she didn't follow the typical path of Helene being groomed to become empress for years and even had her oppose to the idea of marrying Franz Josef, but that's it.

And to finish this ridiculously long reading blog, I left under the cut all the inaccuracies that, while don't actually affect the plot so in theory can be forgiven, annoyed me anyway!

The Aunt Myth strikes! I don't blame Pataki for this mistake, since she probably took it from Hamann's biography. I made a whole post about how this is incorrect, but in short: while it's true that the Ducal household was in mourning, it wasn't for an aunt, but for Duke Georg of Saxe-Altenburg, Queen Therese of Bavaria's brother (so he wasn't even related to Elisabeth).

Actually Ludovika herself was extremely introverted, and according to her granddaughter Amalie of Urach, every interaction with people outside her inner circle was a torment for the Duchess. Public events and social gatherings caused Ludovika a lot of anxiety and she tried to avoid them at all cost, often excusing herself alleging being ill. All her children were said to also be very timid, most famously Elisabeth, who apparently spoke so lowly that sometimes it was hard to understand what she was saying.

It wasn't unusual for royals to marry people they had never met in their life (that ended up being the case of Sisi's sister Marie), but Ludovika and Max knew each other since they were children. King Maximilian of Bavaria, Ludovika's father and Duke Max's great-uncle, was fond of his nephew and wanted him to be close to his daughters, partly because Duke Max was quite lonely as a child, and partly so he wouldn't be a stranger to his future wife. A nice gesture, but that didn't prevent the couple of being utterly miserable together once they married at 20-years-old.

I am once again asking writers to understand that this was just not a possibility. Netflix's The Empress also has a moment of "You will stay with me as a lady-in-waiting!!", ignoring that being a lady-in-waiting was technically a job that belonged to the women from the highest ranking noble families in the empire. Noble, not royal. Elisabeth was the granddaughter of a king, being a lady-in-waiting was beneath her status. Also, why is this presented as a good thing anyway? Sisi serving her own sister would've been humiliating for her.

This is a silly mistake to point out since it can even be justified within the text as Sisi not knowing the proper titles for being so young; but this is the me being annoying section so I'll point it out anyway: there was only one Crown Prince, the rest of Helene's hypothetical children would've been Archdukes or Archduchesses (the Crown Prince was also an Archduke, but it was more usual to call him by the former title). And the Crown Princess was the Crown Prince's wife, the Habsburgs never had a Crown Princess in her own right.

High class girls going into marriage completely ignorant about sex is an strangely common trope in historical fiction, and while this was true for some (this was the case of Stephanie of Belgium, at least according to her memoirs), most of them knew exactly what was supposed to happen. After all, producing an heir was their more important task, so why would they not be told how they were meant to achieve that?

Ludovika was well aware of that, and she did not keep her girls in the dark about sex. She always talked very openly about it, and was proud of having educated her daughters about what happened on the wedding night. So no, she didn't "only ever implied things"

To be fair with Pataki, she wouldn't have found this information regarding Ludovika in Elisabeth's biographies in English. All of this information I found in Martina Winkelhofer's biography, only published in 2021 and still untranslated in English. I think the biggest problem with this book in regards with historical accuracy is going to be that Pataki relied solely on outdated English sources that perpetuate myths that have been challenged in German works for the past decades.

[he-calls-me-kitten]

Sugar, Spice and a Tempting Vice (1)

VA! MC x OM! Characters

TW: Eh it's more fluffy than smutty I'd say, but minors DNI. Loads of random lore for the sake of immersion. Now to brainstorm the rest of the characters.

INTRO

Tagging: @romaissa @eliciana @your-favorite-god @april-notthemonth69 @ikevampharem @k8tznd8wgz @futureittomain @m-majoko @the-auguer @yurinayumi @i-am-empress-irish @deepazur @rippedbutnotamasterpiece @pomegranateboba @ra1ns70rm @anjodedesgostoeerros @sammywo @annoyingbiscuitathleteland-blog @ourfinalisation @creativecupcake @snowthatareblack @angelofbooksworld

"After a freak accident, you and a group of 5 people get teleported into a fantastical world together. Who will you team up with to try and leave this place? Or will they convince you to stay and have a new life with them here instead? Or will you stumble across the biggest secret that this new world holds...?"

You read out the summary for them at a group dinner at Diavolo's castle. Apparently, it was to celebrate your debut as a VA. They all clapped and bombarded you with questions. You tried to answer as many as you could without any spoilers.

They were supposed to have already started playing the game but the game servers got a little overwhelmed and had to go under maintenance with so many people downloading and making accounts at the same time. So Diavolo hosted this party instead.

"So how many endings can you get with a single character?" Simeon inquired.

"Well on an average there's around 12 endings per character, but there's a varying number of endings depending on the character you choose. I'm not sure I remember for all of them-"

"We just want to know yours." Belphie smirked.

"Oi come on, it makes it sound like you're all just going to play my character, don't do that! The other characters are also incredibly well written!"

The sheepish grins and side glances told you that they were clearly going ignore your last advice.

"Honestly you guys, one of the characters here has a teleportation ability, one can read minds, and another one has insane fighting skills - the only thing you know about my character is that I don't have a name!"

"Omg this means they are definitely building you upto to have the most OP ability of them all!" Levi exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh yes that's usually how it goes in these tropes. The most unassuming character ends up giving you the secret ending." Solomon nodded in agreement.

"Both of you, shush! Just play the game normally okay?! You will get to interact with all the characters anyway until the second phase." You reprimanded, sighing, knowing no one would listen anyway.

Lucifer - Saved by the Belle

"Before Tyla takes us home tomorrow, would you like to spend your last day here with me, Lucifer?"

Lucifer and you worked with loyalty and rigor under Tyla, an old world Sorceror. It was because of you two specifically that Tyla's magic was powerful enough to create a portal back home. Your character was so much like you - it felt like he completed this whole journey of freedom with you, and not just an image on screen.

> "Of course, MC. In fact...I would like to spend the night with you too."

MC blushed on screen, looking away and nodding. "Oh? Well then... I'll look forward to it."

He enjoys this way more than he thought he would. He visits for the last time, all the places you both had been together. The first tavern, the first forest path, the first temporary abode - the HumbleBee Inn.

> "It's late. Should we go back here again, for old times sake?"

"Why not? Maybe they'll accidentally put us in the same room again and get overbooked so we have no other choice. Maybe this time it'll be a bit more...eventful." You said with a sly and knowing smile as you skipped ahead.

Lucifer's knee jerked upwards, hitting the table. Just what kind of lines are these? And what are those expressions? Who else was in there listening to you when you recorded this? The way your voice sounded, Lucifer was convinced you were thinking about someone special. If only you saw the effect you were having on him.

> "I've been holding back all day. Forgive me if I'm too rough."

Lucifer pushes you against the wall, caging your body. You blush in the dark, your arms wrapping around his shoulders. It was driving him insane. He could feel his pants getting tighter at the crotch.

Last time he endured the sexual tension of sharing the bed with you, constantly trying avoid your body even though he was desperate to feel it's warmth. This time there wasn't any reason to deprive himself.

"It's okay...I can take it. Please don't hold back..."

Oh hell, you were about to be the death of him. These...are these really the sounds you'd make in bed? Godamnit you are ruining his mind. He can't relax until he's jerked off now. And it's all your fault.

The next couple days, you notice Lucifer hesitates to keep eye contact with you. In fact, he has a rather visceral reaction every time you simply call his name, standing at his door. Only he knows how badly he wants to pull you into his bed to ravage you - practice your lines with him, why don't you?

Mammon - Stranded Together

"Guess they didn't want either of us huh, Mammon?"

Nah Mammon was mad at this ending. He gets why the group left him behind - he made too many questionable choices like stealing the last reserves of food or money (so you never went hungry), running away from the monsters instead of staying and fighting with the group(with you ofc so you wouldn't be in any danger), finding new shelter and not telling anyone (except you).

> "I'm so sorry...it's because of me that they left you too. You did nothing wrong yet...no this will not stand! I'll go threaten them into taking you too!"

"Mammon wait- no don't! Alright fine I was lying! They didn't leave me...I chose not to go!"

Mammon was stunned. He stared at your character blushing and looking elsewhere while holding onto his arm. His heart beat just a little bit faster.

> "Wait...what? But you wanted to...don't you want to go back and keep looking for your family?!"

"Who knows if the family I was looking for even exists?! But you...you are real. And you are so kind to me, and so great. So..."

Your character moved in closer and closer to him. Mammon leaned back too far from the screen, falling backwards on the floor. He was not ready for what was about to come.

"If I really want a family that bad...I can just make one here...with you. But only if you wanted that too ..."

> "I do! Of course I do! We can both find work and home in the kingdom now that big monsters are all dead! I'll be yours and you'll be mine!"

Mammon pressed it on instinct, not knowing his character was gonna grab yours and pin them to the ground. His face burnt up in excitement seeing you all cornered like this. You blushed and whispered as you leaned in to kiss him.

"Hehe...Mammon...I'm all yours already. But there's others ways you can claim me if you like..."

Your sleeves fell loose, and off your shoulders and his hands began to wander. Mammon almost screamed the house down, grabbing at his sheets, humping his pillows, struggling to look away from the screen. But he couldn't stop.

How the fuck was he supposed to face you tomorrow at the breakfast table?! Yet, Mammon re-played that part at least 30 times. And now every time you whispered to him in class, Mammon had to grip his knees and stop himself from imagining the unholiest things.

Leviathan - Power of Friend-ship??

"We did it! We actually did it, Levi! Can you believe it?! Look even the people are cheering for us!"

Levi punched the air in glee, he definitely must have gotten the best ending right?! That was such an intense combat scene - he almost cried when he thought you got swallowed by the Giant of The Depths, then he watched you burst out of its stomach with all the other victims while he slashed through its neck. You and him - the two underdogs dealt the final blow. At this point, every other character was shipping you two together.

> "Let's go Army of the Third Lord!"

MC cheered and high fived him from the screen, while the rest of the group danced in celebration! Ah MC had already become one of his favourite characters of all time. He had already preordered the action figures, posters and a body pillow (yes the ecchi one).

"Come on Levi, won't you join the celebration feast!? Everyone is calling for you!"

Oh no this was Levi's nightmare. Loud and crowded parties - but it was you asking him to go, what if he missed out on an important secret ending. Just to be safe he chose a neutral option to see what you would prefer.

> ... I'm not too sure.

"Then...would you like to celebrate in private with me? I know a quiet place with a good view."

Levi almost fell out of his seat. It's happening. This is where he unlocks the hidden erotic ending. The blush on your face, the way you held out your hand for him to take - biting down on his knuckles in excitement.

> I'd really prefer that! Thank you!

You smile and nod, leading him by the hand to a nearby pond. The moonlight shimmered on the water, the reflections dancing on your skin as you both lay down next to each other. Levi could feel himself falling for you all over again.

"Look Levi, in the pond! The Gloriees are back! Aren't they beautiful?"

Levi looked at the pond in awe, glowing orange fishes swam around in the waters, jumping in and out. He watched the fishes swim around the hand you put in the water. It was like you and hundred Henries in the water.

> "So beautiful..."

"They are my absolute favorite....they have the same color as your eyes..."

Your hands reach up to touch his face, pulling him closer and Levi feels all his self restraint jump out the window. He tried to grab and kiss you but ended falling in the water with you instead.

"Oh? I didn't know I excite you so much... don't worry, it makes me really happy..."

You rose from the water, laughing and coughing slightly, your entire body now laid bare through the transparent white cloth. And if that wasn't already bad enough, he heard your moans as his character started going at it with you in the lake. You were so professional, so skilled at it...he thought he was prepared for it but he clearly wasn't.

Levi couldn't resist jerking himself off there and then, soiling his computer screen with light ropes of his cum. Now every time you announced you were going to shower, this image just popped into his mind, giving him instant boners at the most unfortunate times. And god forbid he sees you walk out of the shower with your hair wet - he'll have to rush to his room to hide that he's creamed his pants.

Satan - Bridge to Televithyia

"Satan, I will be waiting for you always. I know if fate wills it, I'll definitely get to see you again."

Satan cursed himself for this ending, almost chucking his phone at the wall. His magical powers no longer worked since the portal now connected him to his own world. And while you could use all your magic here, it would lose all power in his world. With both worlds needing help after a long and destructive battle, you both knew it was selfish to abandon your either of them - especially since you two were the only Great Guardians left.

> "I will find a permanent path between our worlds. I swear upon my life, MC."

Damnit this game had better not cut his story short. He was willing to keep going, trying to fix the playthrough so he could make a good ending out of this. Just you wait MC, he's not letting you go. A part of him wanted to go into your room and hug you, just to make sure you're there atleast in real life.

Satan rubbed furiously at his eyes as you waved him goodbye. His total playtime could rival Levi's. After gathering enough resources and magical knowledge - he could finally get started on creating the bridge. But to his pleasant surprise, he only needed to build half of the bridge, because there you were standing on the other - building your own path towards him too.

"Satan...is this a dream? Are you really back? Or is this another magical illusion again...?"

Satan blushed as you rushed to hug him peppering kisses all over his face. He had to physically get away from the game, walk around, and silently scream into his hands before he could calm himself down. Because he knew even better things were yet to come.

> "It's really me, MC. I'm sorry did I make you wait too long? I missed you so terribly...I have so many things to tell you about..."

"Come with me, we've been rebuilding our town. I know a place we can catch up...it's a special place I helped build with you in mind."

Satan follows you, your arms intertwined. You point out places to him - old renovations and newer projects. You tell him about everything that's been happening since he left.

How some endangered species came back to life, how the remaining smaller beasts were tamed and how the cursed were given peace. You stopped suddenly in front of a quaint little cottage.

"Welcome to my humble abode. I'm sorry I didn't prepare a separate room for you...because I thought you wouldn't mind sharing a bed with me..."

He blushes and grips your hand as you open the door to your room. He sees pictures of both of you on the wall and next to the bed.

> "You already built a home...with me in mind. *Smiles* Yet...the bed looks in it hasn't been slept in for a while? Did you get no sleep for the past few days?"

"Actually I haven't slept in the bed yet. I sleep on the sofa - I know it's silly but I really don't like sleeping alone in a place of two..."

Satan grips the phone tighter, as he makes his character push you on the bed. How sweet - you both get to enjoy it together for the first time. He climbs after you, trapping you underneath him.

> "Good thing I'm here now, MC."

He cups your face and trails his hands downwards, undoing some buttons on your clothes. You kiss his palms and tug down his collar.

"It's a pity though...I don't think we'll be using the bed for sleeping tonight afterall..."

He watched the screen, slack-jawed as I heard your sultry voice echoing through his room. He fell back on his pillow, hurriedly attaching his earphones. It proved to be more lethal. He could almost imagine you in his bed right now, kissing your way down his chest, while he fondles your bottom.

When you approached him later asking if he liked your work in the game, he had to cover half his face to hide the redness. He couldn't possibly tell you that he had downloaded snippets of all your moans and saved them to a secret folder. Or that he listened to them quite frequently.

[auspex]

VtM Fangfest 2024 Prompt : The Empress

Hello! Here is my fourth fic for Fangfest 2024 :)

All my fics will be about characters that are previously established, so you might not have context for everything mentioned or hinted at within :( Feel free to reach out to ask I love explaining!

I've never really posted my writing before so be kind!

my first fic is here

my second fic is here

my third fic is here

This fic is about a Nosferatu from the game I am the storyteller for, Blood and Silicon, which has its own blog run by the player @chiss-ticism here: @sanguineasylum. This one was a bit rushed so perhaps less well proof-read as the others D:

Van lazily threw a paper plane towards the garbage. “Now Vic,” she flicked one of her hoop earrings as she spoke; “I understand what he’s askin’ me to do. What I’m not sure about is if this one is worth the risk, and the time. We’re busy these nights, you know that.”  

Rubbing his face profusely, though expertly avoiding the open boils that covered his skin, Vic spoke through his hands. “Ugh. Look. Don’t kill me Van.” 

“The hell does that mean.” 

“Ok so,” he crossed his arms in front of his chest protectively. “We get the usual payment, a promising contact in LA, and we fuck over the Ventrue. And I uhm, kind of accidentally already said we’d do it.” 

Van’s voice was gravel. Even more so than usual. “Hand me the fucking file. Then get out.” 

“Thanksyou’rethebest bye!” 

She didn’t have to tell him twice. 

Flipping through it, the request seemed routine. The only trouble was who it was for. But hey, no one said this shit would be easy. Van wouldn’t let Vic know it, but she would have agreed anyways. 

So many kindred wanted to travel to LA these nights, ever since the anarch foothold there solidified. Smuggling those who were being hunted by the Camarilla to LA and getting them properly embedded was just one of the many services the Nosferatu of San Jose provided, and Van was the essential head of operations. Once they made it to her, only the last leg of the journey was left. 

It was straight down the freeway to LA. Any would-be Camarilla pursuers knew it, and if their quarry got this far, they tended to become desperate. 

Now, getting there was only half the battle, but Van handled everything - the trip, and getting settled. An all inclusive package, to those who would pay the cash, and be a source of intel for the Nosferatu for the next 2 decades of their unlives. After doing it for a decade, Van knew practically as much going on in LA as she did in San Jose. 

She drummed her long fingernails on her desk as she read through the profile. “Richard, Hoàng’s sire, huh.” Surprising. Richard had embraced Hoàng in San Jose and clearly was positioning him to work closely with promising up-and-comers. Such a long term strategy would imply Richard wasn’t leaving anytime soon. 

But it seems his past was catching up with him. Richard’s sire, Anthony, had recently awoken for torpor, and was not pleased with Richard’s defection. Those Cammie Ventrue had a reputation to uphold and all that. San Jose was far from New Orleans, his native city, but LA was even further from the Camarilla’s reach.  

Oh, fuck you Vic. And here was the kicker. 

Richard didn’t just want an introduction and safe passage to LA. He wanted his death faked, and assurance that the Nosferatu would corroborate his final death to any-would be investigators. 

Still, a deal could always be sweetened. Van smiled. Perhaps this actually presented an opportunity.

~

“Richard. Thanks for coming by.” 

“Of course. Thanks for having me. You have a lovely office. I like, erm, your posters.”

Van turned her head to look. Her tiger posters were striking, she had to admit. 

“Yeah. Yeah. Preciate’ it or whateva. Didn’t have you come by to show you my decor though.” 

The well-dressed Ventrue nodded and clasped his hands in front of them, laying them on the desk. He spoke in a slight Yat accent. “But of course. We can get down to business. How were you considering handling my proposal?” 

“Oh well, yanno.” She tilted her head deeply to the left, casually leaning and resting her head on her hand. “It’s not the most ridiculous thing I’ve considered. Pretty close to acceptable, actually.” 

Richard raised his eyebrows, but kept a congenial smile. “I thought it was found to be acceptable already?” 

“Look Richie. I dunno, I guess you twisted Vic’s arm about it, god knows it isn’t hard to, but if you want a job done right, it betta be worth my while. I’ll do it, but if you want a real convincin’ death? Let’s bring Hoàng into it.” 

His smile dropped. “You might need to do some explaining.” 

“It’s simple. Despite what you’ve done for him, proppin’ him up or whateva’, and despite keepin’ him bonded, anyone with a brain can see he resents you for forcing him to cut ties with his kid early. He’s barely a neonate.” 

“I can see where you’re going with this. Perhaps.” 

“No, ya don’t, I’m not done. I reach out to him, I cut a deal with him - say I’ll get ya killed, and keep his hands clean. Now we got a paper trail of the death. If your old man comes around, we accidentally leak the info.” Van accentuated the word ‘accidentally’ with air quotes quite dramatically with her unnaturally long nails. “Plus, Hoàng now owes the Nos for doin’ nothing we wouldn’t have done anyways, so we all benefit. I can arrange it. You don’t gotta worry bout’ a thing Richie. I just need ya to confirm some things about him… and provide somethin’ to prove-” again, accentuated by air quotes- “we got your ass.” 

“This could work. And please, call me Richard.” 

~

“Oh, Vic, it is good t’have a reputation. A lesser kindred could have never pulled that deal off. Now, when ya meet with Hoàng, be real nice, okay?” 

“I always am, Van.” 

“Ya, I know, that was sarcasm. Fuckit man, get meaner. Make sure he really feels like he owes us - Richie here positioned him well, let’s get that intel. Now get out.”  

Van turned before Victor could reply and returned to her spreadsheet on the computer screen. She didn’t much care for technology, but with the amount of cash she had… well, it definitely was easier to use than a physical calculator. 

Cobbling together fake IDs took lots of money. Bribing anarchs to accept Ventrue in LA cost extra. Vic really should have charged this asshole more. 

[starry-blue-echoes]

Alright I’ve been “following” (in the sense that I’ve been reading it consistently, I only actually pressed the “follow” button recently) your blog for about a month, I really like a lot of your AU’s, and I would like to contribute some of my own thoughts to them.

I’m going to start with Dual Trip (the Part 3 version, since there are now multiple Dual Trips in existence).

Specifically, how the first half of the fights would be split between the two groups (since the second half has already been thoroughly discussed)

The two groups will be referred to as the “Jotaro Crew” (Jotaro + Kakyoin + Polnareff) and the “Jospeh Crew” (Jospeh + Avdol + Iggy) 

Tower of Grey - Joseph Crew

(Because Jospeh cannot enter a plane without fate causing it to crash)

Joseph is probably the one to defeat it dye to a combination of Hermit Purple and Joseph Joestar(trademark) Bullshittery.    

Dark Blue Moon - Jotaro Crew

I feel like an idea for this was discussed in a previous post, but I will expand on it a little bit. 

In this version, Imposter Captian Tennille is not an imposter, instead, Kakyoin and Polnareff pretend to still be servants of DIO for the purposes of getting a quick boat ride to Egypt. 

“Hello, fellow servant of DIO! Don’t you just love serving our wonderful master DIO today? We are bring this Joestar descendant as an offering to lord DIO, who we love serving so much!��� Unfortunately, Polnareff talks to much and Jotaro talks too little, so the Imposter Captain catches onto their ruse. 

A fight breaks out, and the ship ends up getting destroyed, forcing the Jotaro crew to make the rest of the journey by land. 

Strength - Jospeh Crew 

(Because this way, we can avoid… that particular scene with Anne)

After the plane crash, Jospeh requests a boat from the Speedwagon foundation, but when it arrives, all of the crew are dead. After some suitably scary haunted ship action, Avdol resolves the situation by burning down the entire boat.  (And that wretched awful horrible ape along with it) 

Ebony Devil - Jospeh Crew

This is probably where Iggy shows up. Jospeh spends the whole encounter running away from a killer doll, while Iggy uses his sense of smell to track down Devo the Cursed. 

Yellow Temperance - Jospeh Crew

This fight was another one discussed in a previous post, where Rubber Soul disguises himself as Jotaro, which complexly fools the Jospeh Crew for longer than they would like to admit. 

Hanged Man + Emperor - Both Crews

This was similarly discussed in more detail in previous posts, but Avdol and Polnareff accidentally cross paths, Avdol gets shot, and then Polnareff and Kakyoin finish the fight just like in canon. 

Empress - Jotaro Crew

Admittedly I don’t have any strong ideas for this once, except that maybe Polnareff getting targeted by Empress, and Nena guilts him into not destroying it because “How could you hurt a poor innocent girl like me?”

But I’m not 100% sold on this idea, so I would be interested to hear if you had any other ideas for how this could go. 

Wheel of fortune - Jotaro Crew + Iggy

Alright, so what if Iggy used the Fool to make a giant car made out of Sand, and then (smashes toy trucks violently together like a 5 year old)  

Justice - Jotaro Crew

This probably plays out pretty much like it does in canon. Enya’s death is probably what clues DIO into the fact that “Hey wait a minute, Polnareff and Kakyoin aren’t actually working for me!” 

Lovers - Jotaro Crew

Jotaro is the one who gets the Lovers stuck inside his brain this time,  Polnareff has to have Steely Dan step on him because Polnareff is the universe’s punching bag, and Kakyoin is left on his own to get the Lover’s out of Jotaro (which is much more difficult than in canon since Hermit Purple isn’t there to provide helpful visuals)   

Sun - Jotaro Crew

Goes the same as canon. The crew walks into the desert, gets heat exhaustion, laughs at two identical rocks, and then Jotaro throws another rock and saves the Day. 

Death Thriteen - Joseph Crew

Like Empress, I don’t have any specific ideas for how this fight should go, since I don’t know if it is funnier to have Avdol, Joseph, or Iggy be the one to figure it out that the baby is the stand user.  

Judgement - Jotaro Crew + Iggy

Probably starts the same as canon, with Judgment appearing before Polnareff, offering him the wishes, Polnareff wishing for his sister and Avdol back, then getting attacked by zombies. 

However, this time It is Iggy, instead of Avdol, who saves the day. 

My reasoning for how this goes is that the “Zombies” that Judgment makes are just made out of earth, and the Fool generates itself out of the earth, meaning Iggy could just…. immediately win the fight by turning the “Zombies” into his stand. I don’t know if that is how those stands work, but the idea is funny.

Then Iggy farts in Polnareffs face and leaves. 

High priestess -Joseph Crew

This is another one where I don’t have any specific ideas, I just knew that the Jotaro crew don’t have the resources to acquire a Submarine, so this had to be another Jospeh Crew fight. Other than that, I got nothing. 

And then previous posts already outlined how the rest of encounters in Egypt would go.

If you liked these Ideas, I have some a few more to suggest about the other dual trips, as well as a lot of ideas about the StarSwap AU (which is my other favourite AUs you created), as well as an AU suggestion of my own (albeit one inspired by a comment you made), all of which I would be willing to share if you are interested. (Whenever I next get the time to type up something as long as this)

OOOOOOOOOOO YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

Joseph is forever cursed on planes, that is one of the few universal constants that no AU can change

You took the thoughts right out of my head with Kakyoin and Polnareff pretending to have Jotaro hostage. And what if in an attempt to sell it more, Kakyoin ends up looping some of Hierophant's tendrils around his hands and feet like cuffs. It's not enough to actually impede him in any way nor tight enough to be uncomfortable, but it comes across as "making sure Jotaro won't try anything" thing. Maybe Tennille tries locking Jotaro below deck but Kakyoin explains that Jotaro was a crafty one and it would be best to keep him within sight at all times

and what if Anne is almost indirectly responsible for them being found out, in a way. Similarly to canon she's a stowaway, but what if at that point Tennille was starting to get suspicious so he tries killing her to bait a reaction. Lo and behold Hierophant's tentacles do almost nothing to impede Jotaro from attempting to cave his skull in

Given the fact Tennille didn't need to pretend to be an impostor this time around, it's entirely possible the crew of the ship could be some nameless extra Stand Users under Dio's command. So while Jotaro's fighting Tennille in the water, Kakyoin and Polnareff are fighting the rest of the crew on the boat while also trying to keep Anne safe. Maybe blowing up the boat was a sort of last ditch escape attempt which thankfully worked out in the end and now they have a new member of the crew :D

A BIG yes with Avdol burning the ship. These two take one look at this creepy horror movie looking thing and all the bodies and decide "yeah, how about we didn't-"

Ebony Devil could possibly have some moments similar to the N'Doul fight in how Devo doesn't see Iggy as a threat nor an enemy until it's too late. Also I think Joseph should be allowed to Yeet Iggy with Hermit Purple, just because it would be funny. And possibly to add even more insanity, what if Rubber Soul ends up teaming up with Devo so both attacks are happening at the same time. Devo was acting as a distraction so Rubber Soul could get close enough and get an opening to kill them, but in the end and possibly thanks to Iggy and his sense of smell, they realize he's a fake

Joseph........ is NOT happy, to say the least

And while the Hanged Man + Emperor fight has already been mostly covered, there's going to be a bit of added fun in Polnareff striking out on his own. After all, despite his immaturity, he's been the only adult supervision these two(technically three if you count Anne) have had for the whole trip. It hurts even worse for Kakyoin because for once there's someone else like him who's not an awful human being. Kakyoin has learned more about Stands in the last handful of weeks than he has in his entire life, and now Polnareff decides to up and leave them

He knows why, and as an explanation it's perfectly logical and should make complete sense. After all Polnareff had made his intentions very clear when he had joined up with them and Kakyoin knew him leaving was inevitable........ so why did it hurt so much?

Unfortunately I'm drawing just as much of a blank when it comes to Empress. Maybe it could play into Polnareff's actions during the previous fight? After all, they did occur within a very short time frame of each other, and the emotions and slight betrayal (plus the grief of getting someone killed) are probably still very fresh. I can honestly see Jotaro taking a bit of a backseat in this one, mostly dealing with Polnareff and Kakyoin's traumas and how they accidentally hurt eachother

I love the idea of Iggy making a giant sand car thing. He's doing all sorts of crazy tricks just to fuck around and have fun, mostly at the expense of Joseph and Avdol who are trying to hold on for dear life and not get thrown off

You're right about Justice being almost completely the same, and off the top of my head I don't see much being all that different at all. Kakyoin is absolutly going to tease Polnareff relentlessly for licking the toilet

But Steel Dan though :)

When it comes to the Lovers, I'll admit I had a slightly different idea: so as you've said, at this point Dio's starting to become aware of how Kakyoin and Pol might not be on his side anymore and thus likely wouldn't trust them with Jotaro's "transport" anymore, right?

What if Steely Dan had been sent as recon. To check it out, to secretly watch the four when they arrived and see how they acted when they thought no one was watching

Needless to say, it's pretty easy to see they aren't enemies...... so Steely Dan ends up enacting the instructions Dio had given him if they turned out to be traitors after all

Taking over Jotaro's escort to Dio. After all, his Stand is exceptionally useful in taking hostages :)

And as we've seen, Steely Dan has no qualms with putting children in the line of fire :)))

So now Anne is the one to get put under the Lover's influence and Jotaro is forced to go with Dan unless he wants her to suffer

and this is....... really not fun for them to deal with. They're all on a time limit because while Steely Dan is still toying with Jotaro and being a smug motherfucker, he's already called Dio to inform him about the situation and is slowly making his way to some transportation to take Jotaro to him, and if he does end up leaving they're going to be screwed. The man made it very clear that any attempts at following wouldn't be tolerated, and once they leave the town proper there wasn't a whole lot of cover to hide behind to conceal any attempts a tailing them

So yeah. It's stressful.

Jotaro is fucking SEETHING while this whole thing is going down. He wants nothing more than to pummel this asshole into the ground but he can't because that would mean hurting a child, hurting Anne, and after the weeks of travel he has to admit he's grown attached. He wants to fight, to yell, to do anything, but he's completely trapped right now and can do nothing but rely on his friends to save him

The Sun is at least going to be a nice break. Don't get me wrong, it was definitely terrifying, but they got a good laugh out of it

Death Thirteen....... while I don't have too many thoughts, I think we should give Avdol some time to shine here. Maybe we could play around with the fact that as sadistic as this little shit is, he's still a baby and Dio is using said baby to try and kill people. Maybe there's some kind of motive we could put in, maybe with the kid's parents (or possibly lack thereof?)

Judgement....... OW that one's going to hurt so much because this time Avdol isn't going to be there to help comfort. As far as Polnareff knows, Avdol is still dead and gone. Nothing's going to be able to bring that man back and he got taken advantage of because he thought otherwise. Iggy definitely helps serve as a wake up call here in confirming no Stand can bring back the dead, but it's still going to sting

And yeah, Submarine Shenanigans are going to be....... wild. Also fun fact, did you know that dog scuba gear exists?

and I would LOVE to hear your thoughts for the other encounters, you did an absolutely amazing job with these ones, it was incredible and so well put together and a joy to read. Definitely one of the more fun asks I've had to answer

[friedchickenlover01]

Welcome to the duck cult!

Here we believe in ducks! ( although you’ll still be welcomed if you don’t <3 )

note - this is a dark blog that contains heavy smut and dark themes, they will be some fluffs but just be aware, ppl who dont wanna see nsfw, minors, and so on, dni.

Master list:

The fandoms I write for is:p

-Lookism

-Manager Kim

-Demon Slayer / Kimetsu No Yabia

-Jujustu Kaisen

-Record Of Ragnarok / Shuumatsu No Valkyrie

-Brutal: Confessions Of A Homicide Investigator

-Kakegurui

-Kakegurui Twin

-Chainsaw Man

-Hellsing

-Black Butler

-Death Note

-The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K

-Junji Ito

-Helluva

-Hazbin Hotel

-Im Not That Kind Of Talent

-The Remarried Empress

RULES

- my word will be absolute as i will be the god duck’s representative on earth

( but please keep in mind that this ‘cult’ is made up and fiction. any references to any real religion / faith, race, etc is a coincidence and not intended )

- i am 18+

- i write fem, male, gn and etc, just pls specify them.

- i will put warnings for elements in smut and mature writings including putting warning for violence, drugs, etc

- you are responsible for what you read

- i will not go through my followers and check, i just do not have the energy so please dont attack me when some problematic is following me

- i also put nsfw in the title of every smut, so people who don’t like smut do not interact with those posts

- please do not repost, modify without credit and do not copy, translate or plagiarise any of my work

- all drawings is credited to the original artist but the editing of the photos, etc belongs to me. created with the help of the app, picsart

- i will not hesitate to block people who are rude or those who broke the rules

- i will age up minor characters when writing smut for them

- I will usually write in headcannons by default so make sure to specify in requests

DOs

( what i write for )

- smut

- rape / noncon

- drugs / alcohol

- fluff

- platonic and romantic yanderes

- incest and stepincest

- headcannons, oneshot, drabbles, and imagines

- animal abuse

NOs

( what i dont write for )

- vomit / pee / faeces / scat ( only a little or a mention is allowed and i will dictate whether it is appropriate )

- characters i do not know of or don’t feel comfortable writing for

- no omegaverse or furries but i will again dictate which i will write regarding asks

- mental illness but it will be dictated regarding asks ( but i probably won’t as i don’t know how to exactly portray it and i fear that i might accidentally disrespect it )

- pedophiles

- racism

- sexism

- homophobia

- ableism

- ageism

- fatphobia

Please send request to me and all is appreciated!

Sorry for making this long!

Thank you for all your support <3

I wish you all a great day!

[practicalmagicintuitions]

General love reading on CE

This reading is what the title describes. :) I know it seems  I have a HC blog, maybe because I have knowledge on his past dating patterns. I know almost nothing about CE, but this doesn’t mean you cannot send me an ask about him or engage with other anons on my blog.

The rules however still apply. Be careful what kind of languages you are using if you are talking to me.

DISCLAIMER: If you will send me an Anon, I will answer in the same tone as your ask, opinion is written.

All information and statements made in this reading or any other post of mine are all alleged until proven to be fact and for entertainment purposes & usage only. All information stated is based on my intuition and my tarot cards. Opinion only. The readings have no intention to cause any harm to the individuals, people featured in it.

The question was simpy what should I know about his love life now?

I draw 5 cards

The Devil, The Empress, Strength reversed, 3 of wands reversed, 10 of cups reversed….

You don’t have to be afraid if you got “scary” cards in a reading like The Devil or Death but those are very powerful cards they deserve extra attention.

The Devil card is not evil, he is the power in any form. Great, bad it’s up to you how you use it. It is desire, pleasure, control. Those apply too if this card represents a person. He or she is magnetic, erotic, have a control, the puppetmaster. It also means weakness, denial, addiction. It could mean we are not controlling the pleasure or power, those control us. 

The Devil and The Empress together tells me that his love life atm is very physical and sex driven. I would say it’s a seriuous attraction which is very erotic based. The Devil makes stronger every sourrungind card and the Empress is very sensual, erotic, earty woman. If he has one particular person in his life, he is crazy about her, he is very attracted, they have a very hot and busy sex life. Because the couple on the Devil card have chains aroung their neck, this card suggests a kinky, bondage, sub/dom type of sex life too. The Devil and the Empress combination could mean lots of lots unprotected sex which can lead an (unwanted) pregnancy (and this is something I cannont brush away in this reading,we will get to it later).

The Devil means someone has a power on you, for example because you are so infatuated. So I think he has someone who makes him weak at the knee. It’s important that I don’t see this woman manipulative or a user, no. The Empress is very caring, loving, mother nature, she is also sensual and sexual. She is strong, vibrant, and powerful. I just feel he is very obsessed with her. I don’t really use astrology in tarot, just the basics but The Empress is ruled by Venus, it represents the sun sign of Libra. (The Devil represents Capricorn).

The Devil card especially with the Strength rx is lack of control. Your inner beast is not tamed, sometimes it is about some addiction. (sex,substance, alcohol or any kind). Here, with the Devil and the Empress I think it means he is dissolving in this very strong attraction he feels about her. He has no control over himself and over what is coming. 

Three of Wands rx is not having a right plan or a plan at all or regretting some past decision. It could mean delays in some plans. In a relationship it means the growth of the relationship has stopped, the promising start leads to disappointment. It also means the consequences of your actions are returned to you. What do I mean? If he totally dissolved himself in this desire and sexually fueled relationship it will have consequences. It could be many kinds of results, but because we have the 10 of Cups rx it will be some family related ending of this.

If the 10ofC is upright that is the perfect family card: 2 parents, 2 kids, rainbows. If it’s reversed it could mean an unhappy family situation or a non traditional family structure. Non-traditional could mean having a kid but not being married or married after the kid, etc. 

3 of W can mean a summer romance too. 

The 10 of Crx  is the card which made me think it doesn’t really matter he has one particular person in his life or he is more hedonistic and have many women because the lifestyle he lives at his moment won’t bing him a happy family environment (I don’t know if he wants a family at all or talked about it in interviews bit if he did, he is not on the good path)

3 of Wrx and the 10ofCrx means for me that something is not working because of lack of planning. Maybe the problem will be that they want a different thing from life on the home front. Or not discuss this at all and suddenly have to deal with it. I am unintentionally going back to the pregnancy scenario again and again…. The Empress the creation, the fertility, the pregnancy theme is strong. And as I said the Devil ( besides it a very sexual card) makes the surrounding cards even stronger. So I see an accidental pregnancy in the cards. 10 of Crx also means self sabotaging your own happiness or family dreams scenario. And all of this comes from the previous cards. 

It also could mean the unhappiness comes from moving, relocating yourself. 

I don’t have clients but if he were mine I would definitely advise him to chill a little bit (and use protection). Be a little bit less busy, focus on himself instead of pleasures (maybe a few months of celibacy) 

That was the reading on his love life at the moment. You can send me questions, observations if you like but keep in mind I know almost nothing about his past, so my answers will be short ones. Also keep in your mind if this is not what you wanted to hear it’s not my fault. 

[syubub]

2021 Reading for BTS and the collective!!

Wow wow wow! I didn't disappear or get dragged away by a demon. No no, I just got thrust into unexpected shadow work and I now have an unhealthy obsession with sea shanties and a love of pasta.

I had this idea planned to be early in January but that didn't pan out so I'm doing it now. I have another yoongi reading in the works and another fun thing coming soon as well!!

I promise I won't bore you to death any longer but I hope you've all been doing well!!

Disclaimer: This is for entertainment purposes only and not to be taken as fact.

If this message doesn't apply, let it fly!

Cool cool cool.

Let's get it.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Oki. I first want to say that this I gonna be long lol. I did a meditation and gathered some little pieces of things y'all might need to hear and then I pulled cards for every month. The fountain tarot deck is the cards for us, the collective, and the rider-waite cards are for bts. It'll make more sense when I add picks and stuff. I did a little extra card pull for yoongi for the month of May too :) I'll make sure to type out all the cards in text so you know what they are (the pics are kinda wack.) I also used my pendulum to ask if there was a bts related event for every month and that's at the bottom. It's just to take in the possible energy for the month and something that could result from that energy!

LETTUCE BEGIN (hehe)

Starting with the section for the channeled messages. I want to reiterate that this was collective so if it doesn't resonate with you, the message might not be for you! Use your intuition.

(Enough talking. Damn)

So. As I said this was through meditation and connecting to the big column tree thing (I told my cousin about the tree/pillar and they were like,, "so basically a big energy dildo in the æther?" .... I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. h e l p m e) and asking if there was any messages or advice that needed to be delivered and it was... intresting?

Things came fragmented. So there was little messages like, "Its gonna be okay" and "things are changing for everyone" and "open your eyes if you want to see" (that's sassy.) There was one particular thing that was confusing me though. Straight up it was just "flower" on repeat and like a really bad picture of a flower? Like you could tell what it was but it was bad quality. Anyway, I was like "okay. Kindly shut the fuck up. Pls." And I wrote down flower, pink flower and rose. Sooo.... idk but there you go.

More messages were things like, "the block isn't in your head", "try calling forth that which you seek" and... February. Possibly there is specific (very very very loose) connection to the 10th-19th? I'm not to sure what or why but I'd say maybe look out for opportunities on these days and also maybe external events.

Continuing with dates. In the last this 21 and January 21 came up. It came up again but with 2 messages. So first, either 21st is a day where something is put into motion (possibly private or public) or announced and the second was "add them together dumbass" that's not very kind but 3. Again this has been discussed too but but but... maybe a signal of a third mixtape 👀 (not necessarily on the 21st per say but possibly in March? I'm really not sure).

Oki. I got side tracked like I always do and started thinking about tattoos and stuff and I really want koo to have a peony tattoo. I feel it in my BONES. It would suit him so well. and as I was thinking about tattoos I heard, "don't be surprised if yoongi gets/shows a tattoo this year" ??? What the fuck? I think maybe they messing with me but now I have hopes and I don't want them to be crushed and thrown to the wind :(

Back to normal stuff, "the theme is growth" I think that fits very well with the reading. "Blue might be a lucky color" self explanatory. It might be lucky. "Start practicing grounding and centering" this was LOUD. This will help you in how you react to events in the future. Really do practice this if you haven't.

This is where it gets a little weird. So, I got a message that said "start living as if you never existed." I am not a 100% sure what this means but I think I have a pretty good guess. I hate to make it sound weird like this but by sort of focusing on something that is so hard to comprehend (because our brains can't comprehend not existing very well) you kinda break the 4th wall? Like in Deadpool when he addresses the audience and is aware that he is a character played by Ryan Reynolds? anyway, focusing on something that seemingly impossible you kind of accidentally open up the floodgates for a lot of other things. I would say if you are not in the right headspace to do this don't do it but it can be a powerful way to break up the monotony of reality. The theory that everything happens simultaneously bc time isn't a linear progression events blah blah we are energy blah blah the multiverse blah blah.. Theres so so so so so so so so so much about this and how it applies to things that I could probably write you 10+ dictionaries worth of material but for the sake of simplicity and not wanting to write a novel right now, I will continue. The main lesson is to start challenging your perception of the world around you. Ask why and why and why and why. Essentially seeing cracks in the matrix. Pulling your head out of your cosmic ass, realizing that rose you're smelling is actually daffodil ect. It's not supposed to bring you fear but just kinda encouraging you to question all the things that you perceive as given truths.

I tried to make that sound cohesive but really it's such a big concept that I can't really wrap it up all nice and neat.

Oki. May and March are also important times.

Listen to your intuition and try not to take everything so seriously. I'm not saying to check out and go squat in the Himalayas but it's important to find joy in the now. Life is already tough enough so don't forget to watch a silly show that you like or change your hair to a style you've never tried, wear makeup in a very loud way. Just have fun and don't worry so much about things that you can't control. Listen to yourself and your intuition.

Well that was all over the place. Let's get on to the actual tarot part now.

For the record, the pictures are right to left.

January for the collective

We have the empress, the sun, 7 of swords and a fortune that says "act well your part; there the honor lies"

Hmm. Ngl I was a little confused to see the empress and the sun for January... I mean it hasn't been great. So I pulled clarity card 7 of swords. The 7 of swords is all about betrayal. It's about the deception and and actively getting away with things. This is people lying, cheating, sneaking and the works.

This makes much more sense!! The Sun card is usually about joy and success and happiness but in this case I see it as illuminating the betrayal. It's shining light on the deception and keeps the spotlight there. Its also an energetic card so I think that shows passion for uncovering the truth.

With the empress card too I think January is all about getting creative in all forms. Creative ways to protest, to mourn, to celebrate, to connect. Also taking in the abundance that we DO have. The beauty that surrounds us. I like to think of aphrodite energy for this. Its not just love and passion and creativity but is also asserting yourself and having strong passion for what you love and fighting for it. Did you know aphrodite was also called upon in ancient Greece in times of war? She was honored as a goddess of war but still a goddess of love, the sea, fertility ect. What I'm trying to say is that being a creative and "feminine" energy is in no way weak. Sometimes the most powerful things come from this energy. Love aggressively with good intentions. The point is that you should take whatever you're feeling and translate it into something creative or something you care about. The fact that covid is still a thing really sucks but take any rage, hurt, sadness, joy, love whatever and use that shit to make something amazing. Bake bread and punch the fuck out of it, paint your frustration, play hopscotch in higheels while you listen to heavy metal. You get the point.

Now January for BTS!!

We have the death card. (I only pulled one card bc I have things planned from this)

January has been... strange? To say the least.

This card can be a lot of things for them. I think this points to more maturity in their music? Like they've finally ditched the "shiny kpop boy band" label and are being taken seriously in the west. I also think that they're going through a musical/concept transformation~ I think it also signified the change in plans bc of the Grammys perhaps they had things planned an that fell through so they were forced to rapidly change plan/course.

For January: possible mixtape or announcement.

February for the collective

We have 8 of coins reverse and hanged man reverse.

The 8 of pentacles reverse talks a lot about self improvement. Doing that good good inner work and self care. Working on developing parts of you that you've maybe neglected. It's also learning how to work with how you are instead of wishing you weren't the way you are. If you have a therapist its a great time to maybe ask for any extra tips that you can practice daily to help you even more. Maybe exploring more into insecurities relating to finance or jobs or your passions. If you don't have a therapist but you have the means to get one I always highly recommend. You don't have to have "problems" to see a therapist. Everyone could use a non biased point of view that is literally trained to help you be you best self. If you can't get therapy, I get it. Shits tough rn but there's still things we can do to better ourselves like Journaling and reading therapy blogs or self help books (not the taky shit) or trying a hobby you fell out of touch with. There's also a lot of places where you can get therapy promise on the internet. Most importantly, better yourself in the way that you need. Take time in February to take notice of what you want to improve upon. The 8 of coins reversed does come with the warning not to get stuck in perfectionism. Go easy on yourself and if you find yourself getting frustrated when working on projects, try to take a step back and practice whatever it is in a fun way and then come back to it later

Hanged man reverse talks about knowing that you need to chill but you don't. You'll need too. Maybe you'll find yourself swept up in work and tasks and you're over whelmed and know you need to stop and catch your breath but you resist. Why? Well, perhaps you're trying to ignore reality by filling the empty spaces with things and stuff so you don't have to face what's bothering you. Not wise. Take time for yourself. There's also the flips side where people are just kinda stuck.. creative block. Maybe you want something to turn out one way and it just isn't, so your stuck and frustrated and can't move past it. Let go of your expectation of how it should be and let it be what it is. Go with the flow and maybe you'll see a new way to overcome your problem. You'll eventually get that break through that you need! The theme of February is about self improvement. Listen to yourself.

February for BTS

We have judgment.

Hehe yeah. This card is about rebirth and the inner calling. Letting go of the old to step into the new version of you. This is also a very spiritual card lol. This can talk about a new decision that you have to trust your gut on. This is a very significant card that screams comeback to me. It also can talk about sharing your struggles with a group of people and that to me sounds comeback ish. Maybe this will be an announcement in February, maybe they'll be working on it idk but this is ultimate comeback energy so I hope they utilize this for a big group project!!

February: possible BTS comeback (even my pendulum knows)

March for the collective

The chariot and justice

This plays directly off of February! With the chariot you're taking the self improvement that you've done and putting it to action! Now is the time to act on the dreams and passions that you have don't wait and hope for the best. March is about action and standing in your power.

Justice card is cause and effect and truth. What you do will have consequences good or bad. Not doing anything also has consequences. Cease the moment and make the best of it. You'll be taking responsibility for what you do. You start a business? Now you have the responsibility of running it and you get the credit. Stuff like that. Stand by your decisions with conviction and trust yourself.

There's also the side of justice that talks about bringing justice. If you've been wronged, you'll be brought justice if you stand up for yourself.

We also carry the continuous lesson of learning what we truly believe and challenge those beliefs!

March for BTS

Oki we have the hermit and the 6 of pentacles reverse.

Well... let's start with the 6 of pentacles reverse. This can really talk about being so generous and giving to everyone else that you forget about yourself. I think that maybe they might be over exerting themselves and giving so much that they're exhausted physically and emotionally as well. I think too, they take on so much of our pain like its their own? Idk but this would be a good time to do a large scale fan project to show them a little extra love!

With the hermit card it talks about a self introspection so they could be looking inward as a team and kinda evaluating their bond.

I also see this as maybe being alone as in they maybe can't physically go to the grammys? Or maybe they had been planning the rescheduled concerts and they had to be pushed back even further? Things like that. Regardless this signals re thinking/reevaluating the goals that they have and considering what direction to go in!

March: possible mixtape or solo project?

April for the collective

We have 6 of coins and 3 of cups reverse.

Let's start with the 6 of coins. It's about sharing. It can be about charity so sharing money via donation but also giving time, effort, energy to people as well. Giving knowledge is good too! It's an all round exchange. Maybe someone lends you money or you lend money to someone. It's give and take. It's a two way street. It's also a card of balanced finance. So money stuff should be looking promising around this time (for you U.S people this could point to more stimulus help as well)

And for the 3 of cups reversed... I see this as reopening of places and people struggling to find the balance. So think people who've been in lockdown celebrating by throwing a big party... yikes. This card reminds that we should be mindful of the long-term consequences that come with our actions.. maybe also people that are experiencing fear of being in public places now. This is only one facet though. Bc I think this also means in general, missing being with friends and having a renewed relationship because you've really realized how important it is to have these people that mean so much to you in your life. Don't forget that you have people that love you and want the best for you. Call them when you feel alone.

April for BTS

The heirophant

Mhmm. This one kinda gives me vibes that they'll be mentoring people? Idk but I see them more as the heirophant teaching what they've learned/ know to help guide others. HOWEVER this could also be them taking a new task under their belt. Learning something new. Since this is as a group reading I assume that this talks about the group as a whole. This card is also very tradition oriented so maybe they are taking lessons that are connected to traditional Korean culture? Maybe its for RUN or maybe its to incorporate into music and preformance. Think bts mma preformance but all of them learning together? Idk, it's just a thought (maybe wishful thinking). It also talks about seeking counseling so maybe they'll do yoongis idea from the most recent RUN.

This can also be them embracing this kind of leadership/ status.

April: I got nothing. It does feel like something though

May for the collective

Five of cups and queen of cups reversed

Five of cups is disappointment, regret and self pity. Now honestly this to me looks like possibly a tightening of restrictions yet again. Regardless of the situation that this is talking about, the best thing you can do is not wallow in the bullshit. You scrape yourself off the pavement and move foward. You'll need forgiveness of yourself and others and that if shit isn't going your way, you need to pull your head out of your ass and look around bc there's options out there. It's like drowning in a kiddie pool. Just stand up, dude. The water is like 5 inches.

Queen of cups reversed talks about self love and self care. It's more of that look inwards energy. Think about really taking care of yourself. May might be emotionally draining so you need to be ready to take care of you! Part of self care is making sure that your boundaries are well enforced.

Be on the look out for codependent behaviors. Check in with yourself.

The queen of cups is very intuitive and having it in reverse can talk about you not taking enough time to listen to it. Make an effort to meditate for like 5 minutes a day at least. Do something to let yourself connect to your intuition and higher self.

May for BTS

9 of pentacles

This about enjoying the fruits of your labor and absolute abundance and luxury. This could talk about them rolling in the dough after signing a new partnership or having a concert or something if the sort. This could also be a time where we see them buying new things like houses, cars and rings (lol) but also this could be them doing a very high production value project! Also namjoon and his bonsai army are thriving in this time!

May: possible concert or scheduled concert event. Activity of some kind.

Yoongi interlude

I asked for one card to give me an idea of what the mystical May 13th really is. I got: the star, 2 of cups, 4 of wands, the world and the sun.

Guys. I can't with this. 2 of cups is a card of union, romance, soulmate. 4 of wands is celebration, joy, homecoming, bliss. The world is completion and the sun is happiness, joy, marriage, enlightenment.

I've said it a billion times but that's some soulmate shit. So soft so cute and May will be eventful for his personal life.

June for the collective

Death and the heirophant reversed.

Wow wow wow death is transformation and a new chapter so a new way of life and something new/ different that changes how we see things. Again this could be relating to new covid things and new policies and stuff like that but also new as in new to all of us. Groundbreaking perhaps?

The heirophant reversed talks about teaching yourself. Being your own teacher and making your own path. This might be spiritual or otherwise. Challange what the world wants from you and instead listen to what you truly want bc you don't need anyone's approval. Continue to ask questions about why things are the way that they are.

June for BTS

Page of pentacles

Oki oki page of pentacles means a new creative venture and manifestation. Maybe something that they've been wanting for a while finally comes to fruition. This might be the start of a new project that they haven't done before or something cross genre? Idk but its a really good sign of being motivated for a new endeavor and manifesting any projects that they've ever wanted to do. Love this promising energy!!

June: idk

July for the collective

10 of swords and 9 of cups reversed.

10 of swords signals a painful ending. Also deceit. Its a necessary end to a long battle. The only thing you can do is control how you react in these situations. You just kinda gotta surrender into the pain and know that it's temporary. Take time to reflect on what happened and why and how it will help you grow.

The 9 of cups reversed talks about valuing stuff and material things over emotions and spiritual things. This can be talking about society in general, that we are becoming more aware to the fact that there is often more value placed on ephemeral items rather than humanity as a whole. This also can be talking about coming to the realization that we've been working so hard towards... something we don't really care about simply because we were told that it's what you do.

If you want something different to happen you have to put in effort. You can't be sitting in front of a water fountain being like, "damn. I'm thirsty. I really really want water so why isn't it in my mouth yet?" Like?? Hello? You have to take the first step, my dude.

Certainly don't try to do anything that would cost you finatial security or health.

You have the potential to find happiness within yourself. So try looking inside instead of looking outward.

July for BTS

4 of swords.

This is about rest and relaxation!

Taking time to meditate and take some time to look at what you've done objectively. Ots like the hermit in a way but much more focused on resting and relaxing so you can come back stronger and with better direction. Maybe they'll take a break for a couple days but I really see it as them reassessing options. Especially if July goes how I think it will. Maybe they'll film something like In The Soop again? Maybe we'll see bon voyage type thing? Idk. But it could be something kinda out of the spotlight? Maybe something more healing?

July: maybe something?? I'm not sure but it seems like something might be in store.

August for the collective

5 of coins and the wheel of fortune

Well let's see. 5 of pentacles talks about isolation and a negative mindset. This talks about falling on hard times but its a temporary set back. This energy can be talking about falling on hard times emotionally as well. In the card it shows a woman outside of a church shivering and cold but she's too busy thinking about all that she's lost that she doesn't notice the warm church that she could step into for shelter.

But then with he wheel of fortune that talks about fate/destiny, opportunity and luck so maybe this is a necessary loss so that a new door can open. This does kinda tie in with July as well. The end of something is painful but it's often a necessary thing. Might be a bit uncomfy but that's how things change. Again I see this maybe hinting more towards society but none the less it's definitely a theme for August to have doors closing and new ones opening so be on the lookout for that.

August for BTS

The devil.

Now don't fret. The devil talks a lot about choice. Most notably the choice between instant gratification and and something more substantial and the devil leans towards indulgence. It also has a lot to do with the shadow side. This could talk about ~scandal~ sure, but I think its more of a time where you become aware of negative patterns and you shine a light on that part you've ignored. On a much lighter note this card talks also about an incredible bond between people. It can be unhealthy if not given space or boundaries. Listen to pied piper and come back to me.

I also REALLY REALLY REALLY hope that this card points to this: sexuality. The boys have always been pretty pg when it comes to the topic of sex and embracing sexuality so I really do hope to see something more daring and grown up and exploring a tastefully sexy concept. On the same vain as sexuality this card also talks about kinks and stuff like that so don't be surprised if we get more outfits like fake love Era bondage harnesses.

August: ???

September for the collective

We have the world and 10 of wands reversed.

The 10 of wands reversed talks about carrying burden. Doing extra work and taking on more responsibility. Doing everything by yourself and carrying this heavy load alone will get you burnt out quicker than anything. You might be taking on too much and you'll need to prioritize what you really need to focus on. I also think there will just be a lot happening in September for a lot of people. It's a lot of working hard because you know it's good work or because it's what's right. This could be social responsibility that's placed on you or work responsibility. For whatever reason this burden isn't something you want to share with others because you think its yours alone to deal with. It's not though bc you'll figure out eventually that if it hurts so much you'll find a way to lessen the burden. 10 in tarot is all about the completion of a cycle and going through the wands cycle is hard work because for anything to be made of passion, you need to put the work behind it. The burden isn't forever, the heavy work load will lighten but this is you seeing things out. It's a good thing!

Especially considering this is paired with with world. The world is all about completion and that's what you're doing here is finding completion. You are seeing things out until the end but you just need to learn to give up some responsibility, lessen your burden.

This also talks about hard work being put into wider social spheres as well. Things like the vaccines becoming more widespread through the whole globe or at least better planing and infrastructures not related to covid. Things are looking up!

September for BTS

Knight of swords reverse

This bad boi is restless energy. It's being so pent up that you're ready to burst and you really want to take action but you can't because something is keeping you from taking that action. Again I do think this is kinda covid related in regards to touring bc if they do tour in 2021 its gonna look a lot different. This energy can be a bit impulsive and directionless so I think maybe they'll channel this into album material something? I'm not really sure tbh. I'm suprised this energy didn't show up earlier because it almost seems inevitable.

September: no clue

October for the collective

Ten of coins and the star reverse.

Welp let's start with the 10 of coins. Its about wealth, financial security, and long term success so this is a pretty prosperous time. This talks about the obvious monetary wealth and material wealth but also an abundance of opportunities. So this is definitely a good time to enjoy whatever consistency you have. This energy is really really abundant in the career space as well. So October could be very prosperous in the job field and you'll have likely found what it is you really want and could be successful at. This could be the actual act or just the idea. This is could also talk about investing in something for your future, this could be time or money.

With the star reversed it can talk about a loss of faith and a disconnection. This often points to feeling like you've just been forgotten or left out. Like the universe doesn't give a shit about you and left you out to die. Things might seem unfair but always try to look for the lesson that you can take from the experience. Seeing the 10 of coins and the star makes me think that a lot of people have kinda lost faith in their manifestations and also just in the concept of not living in a state of need. Especially if you see other people doing well and you've been trying so fucking hard but you haven't gotten a break. I know we hate to hear it but this can serve as a test of faith. Or rather an opportunity to get your shit in line and take a second to breath. Do something good for yourself and then continue on. This star in reverse serves to show you what no longer sparks joy and helps you find what does and what that initial spark was in the first place. Helps you get back to the original vision/ spark.

October for BTS

5 of pentacles reverse.

This signals the end of difficult times and getting that groove back. The last month was restless energy with no where to go but this month that energy is certainly put to good use. They might be figuring out what has been missing In their lives and starting to rectify that. They are definitely reminded that material wealth doesn't bring spiritual or emotional wealth. Might be also feeling a bit alienated too.

October: something is likely but idk

November for collective

Six of swords reversed and the moon.

Transition and change is prevalent. The 6 of swords is about leaving behind the familiar. Maune this is leaving a job, a new change in the status quo, leaving a relationship ect. The thing you have to keep in mind is just how amazing this is in terms of what it will do. It will alow growth!! And bring clarity!! Thos can also be societal as well, something being left behind in favor of something new. It's letting go and reflecting so that you can move foward.

This is strengthened by the moon card. The moon card is the subconscious and all the things that come with it. The anxiety, the illusion, the uncertainty. You'll want to deal with whatever emotions come up. The moon can signify a confusing time where things aren't what they seem to be. That's the illusions so you'll have rely more on intuition at a time like this. Your dreams might hold significance in this time as well. Listen to your guides and your own guidance because it will help you understand more than you did before this journey began. Using moon cycles to your advantage in November might really help you!!

November for BTS

7 of wands

Challenge and competition. People are envious of bts. We know this. But people will be challenging them for what they've gained: music industry domination. This might co.e in the way that people will spread vicious rumors in attempt to disenfanchise or possibly it will be a fair fight. It could also be a challenge/ battle for some other aspect that involves legal matters.

My best guess though is good old competition. Bts has proven again and again that they will continue to do what they do how they do but they will not be trampled over. In the best way this could renew some of that spirit in friendly competition. They will tear eachothers throats out for a pack of ramen so maybe a bit of competition will be good for them. It keeps life intresting.

November: nothin

December for the collective

Two of cups and the emperor!

Let's start off with the emperor card talks about stability and order. It can also signify being the "breadwinner" so its a good sign that you'll kinda be on top of your shit. The emperor is also an amazing leader so you might find yourself taking on a leadership role too! This is very organized energy that works very smoothly!

two of cups is such a lovely way to end out the year! It's love and partnership and attraction so if you aren't in a relationship by this time you might meet someone who strikes your fancy!! On a none romantic relationship note though, this card is also great for business partnership bc it signifies that you're on the same page and have the same goals in mind!

It's harmonious relationships and trust between them!! Love love love this energy so much! Cups are the suit of emotions and this card is so promising.

If you are in a relationship, this can talk about "falling in love all over again" like you're just reminded of how good they are.

December for BTS

Queen of cups

Intuition, creativity and emotional stability. They're using intuition to guide their moves foward with emotional maturity. They are in a place of knowing what they want and why. This would be a good time to work on an album or a book or to release them. The queen of cups is like the friend that you can tell absolutely anything and somehow they have a helpful answer. This card is really calm and it can also talk about subconscious thoughts.

I think that bts is maybe making more of a conscious effort to make sure that what they do is just as emotionally fulfilling for them as it is for us! They might be kinda pondering the future at this time and considering if this is what fills their emotional cup!

December: possibly a thing?

Now these cards are the vibe of the year and some advice.

For the collective (on the left)

Three of swords and judgment reverse.

The fortune says "accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory"

The 3 of swords is about disappointment and hurt and heartbreak. It's about the emotional release that we all need when shit gets tough. Don't pretend to be strong. If you need to cry, fucking cry. This year is about letting go of expectations and do what you have to do to release so you can move foward and not have these things pile up.

You have to make an effort to not let yourself take on what other people think of you. You aren't defined by what some asshole says. You define yourself.

Judgment reverse is about self doubt and ignoring your path. It's being stagnant and being harsh on yourself. This year has a focus on building yourself up and noticing when you are not. Bring light to the things that are holding you back without harsh judgment for yourself. You can't beat yourself up. If you make a bad decision you know not to make it again. Take accountability and move on.

The oracle card is inner temple.

Seriously all the focus of this year is in self improvement and dear god, please take time to work on yourself spiritually!!! Everything you want to know is there if you take the time to listen. This should be a place where you feel safe and welcome. It definitely should not feel like something you HAVE to do.

For BTS

10 of swords and page of swords

The fortune says "you create your own stage. The audience is waiting" (how tje fuck?? This is the perfect fortune)

The 10 of swords is a painful but necessary end. This is accepting the current situation. They maintain focus for 2021 for them is adapting and keeping their spirits up.

With the page of swords it talks about new ideas and that kind of creativity. It's also a lot about communication so I really think that they'll be figuring out new ways to connect and new projects that will be prosperous.

The oracle card is Pleiades

This is what we talk about all the time. Bts has helped so many people want to be better and do better. They are uplifting humanity and giving people a sense if belonging. Bts finds you when you need them most 💜💜💜

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow I had to write this up over 2 days bc this was so fucking long. I need a nap. Idk if I'll proof read this before I post it so don't hate me for the mistakes (honestly, there's like 10,000 spelling and grammar mistakes in my other posts too 🙃)

I hope you guys enjoyed it and maybe this will be helpful to to have a forecast of some possible energy for you to look out for!!

Also bts bc I love them. I have another bts 2021 reading I'll do soon too!

Hope you guys are happy and well 💜

[ahiddenpath]

I posted 750 times in 2021

242 posts created (32%)

508 posts reblogged (68%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 2.1 posts.

I added 428 tags in 2021

#taichi yagami - 71 posts

#koushiro izumi - 51 posts

#hidden's life - 42 posts

#chosen children - 39 posts

#mimi tachikawa - 38 posts

#yamato ishida - 38 posts

#digidestined - 38 posts

#sora takenouchi - 38 posts

#digific - 37 posts

#jyou kido - 36 posts

Longest Tag: 124 characters

#it's useful to remember the general timelines for when the chosen would have to start marrying and having their canon kiddos

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

The Chosen as Major Arcana Tarot Cards

The Fool: Motomiya Daisuke

The Magician: Izumi Koushiro

The High Priestess: Anami Eimi

The Empress: Takenouchi Sora

The Emperor: Yagami Taichi

The Hierophant: The 02 Crew

The Lovers: Digimon Partners

The Chariot: Ishida Yamato

Strength: Yagami Hikari

The Hermit: Gennai

The Wheel of Fortune: Inoue Miyako

Justice: Hida Iori

The Hanged One: Kido Jyou

Death: Ichijouji Ken

Temperance: Homeostasis

The Devil: Digimon Kaiser

The Tower: Dark Towers

The Star: Takaishi Takeru

The Moon: The Dark Ocean

The Sun: Tachikawa Mimi

Judgement: Older Chosen

The World: Global Chosen

43 notes • Posted 2021-06-18 23:06:02 GMT

#4

Digiweek2021 Day 07: Home (free day)

HAPPY ODAIBA DAY to my friends on the Eastern Hemisphere!  I’ll be back tomorrow to post on Odaiba Day in my country with the other artwork I did for this fic; I got my Western Hemisphere babes, too ;) 

I posted a new fic to celebrate!  It’s called Ladybug House, please read it on AO3 to enjoy the art I made and the screenshots I included!  Here is the summary:

After his seniors graduated and Mimi moved away, Koushiro is the last of the older Chosen attending his high school. Although Koushiro doesn't let it show, Tentomon senses that he's lonely and joins him on his commute to school. When the harsh cold of winter makes Tentomon shut down, Koushiro asks him to stay home instead of braving the elements. Tentomon refuses, citing Koushiro's loneliness. This pushes Koushiro to reconnect with his friends, and he starts with the one he misses most...

Focuses on the relationships between Koushiro and Tentomon and Koushiro and Taichi. Taishiro written in such a way that it can be interpreted as platonic or romantic. Explores what it means to be an adult and forge an adult life. Post Tri, pre Kizuna, canon setting. Complete oneshot.

Minor characters: Kae Izumi, Daisuke, Miyako, Takeru, Hikari

I put so much love and work into this story, I am so stoked to share it with you all on Odaiba Day as part of @digiweek 2021!  Special thanks to the mods of the event for inspiring so much Digimon content!  I am dedicating this story to my dear @sunflowergem, who inspired it.  If you enjoy it, please let me know <3  Much love to all of you on Odaiba Day!

Oh, you can also read in on FFN!  But alas, you will miss out on the art and screenshots.

51 notes • Posted 2021-07-31 22:41:59 GMT

#3

I feel... seen.  (Mild Psychonauts 2 spoilers)

61 notes • Posted 2021-09-14 21:58:43 GMT

#2

Repost Art Accounts

Hey guys, sorry if I’m overstepping, but I’ve noticed an uptick in digimon art reposting blogs on Tumblr (at least, in my little corner of it).  It’s so easy to accidentally follow and reblog them- I followed one myself recently until I recognized a piece and knew where it actually came from!

When people repost art, it makes the actual creators less likely to make and share future works.  So please, if you see an account where the OP is making lots of ‘original’ posts in wildly different art styles (ie, not reblogging from the source)...  Take a look, see if the art came from elsewhere, and reconsider interacting with reposts.  Another sign of reposts is oddly cropped images- the reposter removing the artist’s watermark.  Noticing that nothing on the blog is watermarked is another big giveaway!  Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t notice right away, it literally happens to everyone!

If you want to share art from folks who are not on Tumblr, kindly link to it instead of reposting it.  Also, please know that “reposted with permission” usually means “reposted without permission.”

Please respect artists, so they continue to create and share with us <3

65 notes • Posted 2021-07-03 16:59:11 GMT

#1

Hello, please enjoy this Mimi that I drew.  Sitting poses are so fun!

91 notes • Posted 2021-10-09 14:15:18 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[archduchessofnowhere]

I was going to leave this for the second part of the reading blog post but I don't know when it's going to be ready and I wanted to complain about this right away lol. So in chapter two of The Accidental Empress, when Sisi and co. arrive to Ischl, we have this line:

Weeks. Meaning more than seven days. From Possenhofen to Ischl.

The distance between the two places is about 200 kilometers (124 miles); even if you go with the slowest horses in the world, on the worst roads known to man, there's no way it can take you weeks to reach the destination. According to Google today this is a three hours ride in a car, walking it should take you two days. This is just one line that is never mentioned again so perhaps I'm nitpicking too much but why wouldn't you at least google how much distance there's between two places that will be important in your story?

And by the way, we do know how long it took Duchess Ludovika and her daughters to arrive to Ischl: one day. Stopping twice during the trip.

[dent-de-leon]

I’ve seen you blogging a lot of Dragon Age (and a lot of other ppl I follow too, honestly) and I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about it. It seems pretty cool!

oh ya sure!! oh boy this is gonna be a lot lmao,, but,, Dragon Age is an RPG by Bioware–they also made Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic, in case you’ve heard of those–and the DA series are easily some of my favorite video games. They go super in depth with lots of lore and there’s tons of world building,, I’m embarrassed by the number of fantasy Elvin words I know and I can tell you way too much about the history of fake countries cause that’s where I’m at lmao,, 

To try and summarize: the first game is called Dragon Age: Origins, and the focus is very much on fleshing out and playing through a backstory that you handcraft for your PC. You can be everything from an elf trying to reclaim their lost history, to a privileged human of the ruling nobility, a sheltered mage that’s locked away from the rest of the world for “their own good,” a dwarf just trying to survive whose always been a fighter at heart–skilled enough to champion a tournament, and so on. I played the City Elf origin and it just about killed me. 

The appeal here is you can start with various different branching paths and backstories, all of which culminate in your character becoming a Grey Warden. Essentially, DA has these monstrous sort of demonic creatures called darkspawn and usually they’re very disorganized and attack at random. But sometimes there’s a more powerful demon that can connect to them and control them as a kind of hive mind; they become a more organized army force, and spread a “Blight” and its taint wherever they go–it causes sickness and a long suffering death, makes the land completely uninhabitable, lots of bad shit. There’s only been four Blights before Origins, so they’re pretty rare, usually centuries apart. 

In the event of a Blight, the only thing that can stop the lead demon and its army is a Grey Warden. They’re a,, supposedly “neutral” party in political affairs; they’re meant to be an outside force from other armies and they aren’t divided by nations or anything, if you’re a Warden, you’re a Warden everywhere. So they’re also kinda above the law. Wardens can requisition land and resources, forcibly recruit condemned criminals and high ranking nobles alike–“anything to stop the Blight.” They’re elite warriors, and the only ones who can actually sense the darkspawn. That’s because they’re already tainted by them. You drink some darkspawn blood,, probably you die, but maybe you don’t,, and if you survive,, congrats!! You’re in the Wardens. Forever. You can run, but they’ll probably find you. There’s really no running from the fact that the taint will get you eventually in a few decades though. In Origins you end up being one of the only two surviving Wardens left to defend the country of Ferelden during the Fifth Blight–you have to travel the country, gather allies, try to prove you’re not a war criminal, save the whole world, and don’t forget to pet your dog :’) 

Dragon Age 2 is a lot simpler to talk about with all that context out of the way–you’re Hawke, a Ferelden refugee fleeing from the Fifth Blight. The Warden saves the world and everyone throws a big party just as you’re getting settled in your new city. Kirkwall is…a lot,, real creepy place. Maybe it’s that it used to be the center of the Imperium’s slave trade and is still called “The City of Chains.” Maybe it’s all the centuries of blood magic and death that’s seeped into the walls. Maybe it’s those architecture plans you find for the city that point out it’s been built in the shape of one big magical glyph. But there’s something weird there and the whole place is incredibly unsettling. Way more demons crammed into one city than most of the country combined, templars ready to turn on every mage in sight, there’s a lot happening in that one little place. 

I always say that other Dragon Age games are more about the player, but DA2 is really about your party members. It’s your companions’ stories–Hawke is sort of this unsuspecting bystander that just gets dragged under by all the city’s malevolent machinations. And ultimately–accidentally, so very unfortunately–they wind up at the very epicenter of it all. Maybe it’s about Hawke, a snide, sarcastic refugee just trying to provide for their family and take care of their friends. But it’s probably more so the story of a quintessential Byronic antihero tortured by his past and sparking a war for mage freedom, or a charming pirate captain in search of her mysterious lost treasure and who knows more about the city’s supposed “invaders” than she lets on. Or the silver-tongue dwarf with a love of telling stories, and a penchant for extravagant lies–the narrator of it all, and entirely unreliable. 

At its core, DA2 is about mages and templars. The mages typically being locked away in towers known as Circles because they’re seen as “too powerful, a danger to themselves and others,” etc. They’re guarded by knights that work for the dominant religious order known as Templars. Only the Templars frequently harass and systematically abuse the mages in their charge instead of “protecting” them. Ultimately, it’s also about betrayal and redemption, how far someone can go before they’re beyond redemption, etc. 

DA2 always hits this very melancholic note that neither of the other games quite reach. I think it’s because Origins and Inquisition are very grandiose in scope and scale,, you’re a chosen hero,, you’re saving the world,, the player is incredibly empowered. But in DA2, it really does feel like you have no power. Like you’re just trying to scrape by and look out for the people you care about. Like everything keeps going wrong no matter how hard you try to help, like you’re a failure to your family and somehow lost your friends. DA2 is confined to a single city and so much smaller in scope and scale, but the little glimpses of intimacy that you do get from that unique experience really hits you in the end.

Lastly, there’s Inquisition. You can choose your player’s race like in Origins, but you don’t really get to play out your backstory or anything, you’re just kinda thrown right into it. Inquisition is very go big, so everything is big–lots of exploration, lots of questing, LOTS OF DRAGONS,, THIS GAME IS IMPORTANT SOLELY FOR THE 13.5 DRAGONS YOU GET AS OPPOSED TO THE 1-2 IN EVERY OTHER DRAGON AGE GAME,, SERIOUSLY LACKING ON THE DRAGON PART THERE HONESTLY IT’S KINDA FALSE ADVERTISING,, but yeah I’d say DAI is the most like an open world sort of deal,, very classic high fantasy like Origins (though not so brutal or grisly like Origins), very You are the Chosen Savior stuff,, big departure from Hawke running round the sewers 

DAI builds directly off the previous games and decisions players made in them, but it’s also actually very easy to jump right into with no info on prior games. I’d say it’s also the most user friendly, and it’s probably better for new players to start with it to see how they like the world. Combat and mechanics in Origins can be very tedious, and parts of it just haven’t aged well. DA2 is easier mechanically, but much more punishing and harsh with its consequences. DAI is very forgiving by comparison, and you won’t accidentally get party members killed for the calls you make. And while DAI is very lore heavy, I think it’s the perfect place for newcomers to kind of run around and try to explore the living breathing world crafted from that world. 

The essential plot is that you’re following on the heels of the Mage Templar War, and rogue members from the Chantry (church basically) are looking to upstart the Inquisition again, a huge military organization that waged holy wars back in the day. You end up accidentally being in charge of everything because, and I quote, “You killed everyone who was in charge.” Oh yeah, there’s also demons tearing open rifts from their world into yours and you’ve been blessed/cursed with a magic mark on your hand that makes you the Only One who can close those rifts and save the world. Build your army, get drunk with your friends after slaying dragons, dance with your partner after usurping the empress at her own ball, try not to get torn to pieces by the magic in your own hand, get good at reading tarot cards, and maybe don’t romance the Elven God of Trickery on your first (heartbreaking) play through,, 

Lastly, there’s actually a fair amount of queer characters in DA, which is pretty cool. And a lot of them are romanceable partners for your character, so you can definitely play a queer PC. So,, off the top of my head–Bi characters (and romance options): Leliana and Zevran [Origins], Fenris, Anders, Isabella, Merrill [DA2], and Josephine [Inquisition]. There’s also Iron Bull, and he’s a pan character who’s romanceable in Inqusition. Dorian is gay and romanceable, and Sera is a romanceable lesbian, both also from Inquisition. Krem is a trans man and Maevaris is a trans woman, the former is a side character (and best friend of Iron Bull) in Inquisition, while the latter only appears in supplementary sources like comics, but she does get mentioned from time to time in Inquisition as Dorian’s close friend. Oh! Also--Solas and Josephine’s routes in Inquisition don’t culminate in a sex scene, so lots of people headcanon them as asexual. And you can also swing Dorian’s romance so it doesn’t have a sex scene if you wanna romance him but kinda play an ace Inquisitor, which is cool! Sorry for the long rant lmao but uhhh, I hope this helps?? :’)

[hetaliafantasyauhub]

i dont think another submission was necessary but you know, okay

Mun’s Information

Mun’s name: Randy returns!

Age: Under 18

Pronouns: He/him

Blog(s): ask-dollrepainterwy, ask-fantasy-2p-russia [i think i accidentally abandoned my other account, woops] 

Would you like to join the AU’s Discord server?: Jokes on you, I’m already in it. Was it necessary to make another submission?: i don’t know, you tell me :)

Character Information

Character: 2P!Nyo!Germany, and according to the 2ptalia wiki, her fanon name is Monika Beilschmidt… so… Anja Haas. Screw the wiki.

Age: 22

Kingdom/Empire: Currently affiliated with Buttercup, originally born in Iris.

Role/Status: Empress

Appearance: She’s 5'5 and has pale skin. Her hair is platinum blonde. Her eyes are like… Reddish-purplish? Aaand I’ll figure out what to do with her dress once I figure out how to draw them. I hope that short description plus the image is enough ^^; The drawn image is here. 

Personality: Anja is a very kind lady, whether in public or in private. She greets her people with a warm smile. The enemy however, is a different story for a different time. She’s hiding many secrets, one already known to… you, the person reading this! When in private she’s said to not be very ladylike. I’ll let you decide what that means.

describing people suck, thank you for coming to my ted talk

[foxymoxynoona]

Ooooh I want to get on the recommend-Foxy-stuff-to-check-out-while-healing train! Here's some things that are very easy to get caught up in:

Shows: Kim's Convenience (comedy, Netflix), Derry Girls (comedy, Netflix), Only Murders in the Building (dramedy, Hulu), Lupin (thriller, Netflix), Love Island UK - begin Season 3 or later (trashy reality TV, Hulu), The Big Flower Fight (reality competition, Netflix), Hotel Del Luna (kdrama, Viki), W: Worlds Apart (kdrama, Viki), Fruits Basket (manga, Funimation).

Music: Human by Mōzi, Misterwives, Lawrence, Alice Merton, Nur-D, Ruth B., CHAI, Los Abandoned, Empress Of, Frank Turner, CHIKA, Paolo Nutini, Nao, CL, Young the Giant, The Revivalists, The Struts

Podcasts: Bad Blood, Scam Goddess, I Hate It But I Love It, Science Vs., Ologies with Alie Ward.

Books: The Kiss Quiotent by Helen Huang (romance), Spolier Alert by Olivia Dade (romance), Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon (quirky memoir), Warcross by Marie Lu (YA sci-fi/fantasy), A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn (historical fiction), Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola (retold myths), This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar (Sci-fi/fantasy), The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Fantasy).

A few have heavy premises or elements to them, so tread carefully if you need to. Let me know your thoughts if you check anything out!

Also, that medical experience sounds wild. I hope you hear back good news about the tumor. Thinking of you through your recovery!

🎉

(P.S. I might have gone overboard with the recommendations, but your stories have brought me such joy and comfort, I want to be able to dohe dame for you while you're resting.)

Hey you sent this to me a loooong time ago after my surgery and I've been saving it but I realized other people might also want to see these recs!! So I'll post to my blog, so all can see who are looking for something to read/watch/listen to

[elisabeth515]

God. I actually don’t even know why I gotten into history-

It seems like my interest towards history is here since forever.

Somehow I have written another post on this but this time I’m going to spill some more tea about my life. Well, I know you won’t really like to read some worthless ramble, so long story short, it was a bad time, and indulging into history and stories has been a way for me to survive in such an unpleasant world.

There’s several periods that I have or had been interested in, and of course, the Napoleonic era was one of them. In fact, in summary the histories that I’m interested in are mainly either in France, Germany (+Austria) and China (and Hongkong of course because that’s, Uh... where I grew up—sad days🌧).

Firstly, the Napoleonic era. Probably because my very first history book is probably written by a Francophile, so somehow I just got attracted by the stories of Napoleon and his wars (it’s pretty much told like a children’s story, to be honest). This is my very first time knowing that Napoleon is not like a “dictator” as English media had described. Well, here I am not saying that he’s a saint, but certainly the stories of his European campaigns were epics to be told... oh well wait for me to be cancelled by Meghan Markle stans😂😂😂😂😂😂 Well, the exploits intrigued me and that’s why I’m here talking shit about the marshal babies.

Then there’s another thing: musicals. Besides listening to “La Gloire à mes Genoux” religiously every day, I also love the musical “Elisabeth” too much, that I found myself learning about Empress Sisi, as well as the Austrian Empire/Austria-Hungary. With my interest towards 19th century Austria-Hungary, somehow I stumbled across other things like German reunification, also the second empire, etc. And well, so I just went into the rabbit hole of 19th century Europe anyways...

As you all who have followed my blog know, I also have an affinity to historical fashion—mainly 1850s to 1910s. It was a very accident that I accidentally stumbled across a video by Karolina Żebrowska (she might sounded a bit too pretentious to some but her youtube content is beautiful and aesthetic), and well I just got into it because somehow I watched more YouTube videos on fashion history thanks to our meme mum. But why 1850s to 1910s? I don’t know, probably it’s kinda similar to why I like Hanfu (ethnic dress of Han Chinese, which is unfortunately associated with some very xenophobic rhetorics...)—it flows in a very graceful way, also I love how extra our past generations can be.

Well, I’m fine with Regency/Napoleonic fashion but just something in it doesn’t really sits with me right—probably because they all reminded me a bit like snobs that I read in English class... also Bridgerton.

By the way, here’s my announcement: I’m going to start sewing and I can’t wait to party like it’s 1912🌚👌🏻 (it’s not a joke, I’m really going to make my summer wardrobe because fuck fast fashion I’m going to make my own outfits.)

In addition to 19th century, I am also kinda into WWII (and this is how I met Hetalia). It started from my curiosity towards the things behind the parodies, as well as my grandmother sometimes talking about her times during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong when I was a kid, and it died out after I got into Hetalia. It’s a totally different story, like I feel like we need to understand what our grandparents had done if we don’t want something like this to happen again. The lessons I’ve learnt from after all those weird jokes are very valuable to me.

Somehow, my interest towards this period was reignited by reminiscing stuff during lockdown—and this is how I (*re)discovered de Gaulle. It’s a very weird story that I can’t really tell in a short paragraph—long story short it was a kind of invisible string. For some reasons, I found him a very fascinating man that I feel so relatable to (and he’s so awkward and so cute like look at his pets I—just imagine a very serious-looking 6’5 man letting his floof messing around his office at home🥺). Also, I’m learning French and his speeches are one of my biggest motivations for speaking (urgh his speeches are just- like urgh, even his English is better than me when I was 14/16). Really, a short paragraph cannot really talk about my love(-hate) feelings towards Charles but there you are—sticks and stones never break my bones :3

Well, that’s all that I want to say. It’s quite a journey for me, like also I recently started reconciling with my heritage and getting some nostalgia (before truly moving forward), so sometimes you will see me reblogging Chinese history stuff as well. I can’t really say anything here because some of the details would take me a big chapter to explain (like it deserves a story of its own tbh). If anyone wants to talk to me, or wants to know more about the details that I’ve left off from this, just message me, I don’t bite just sometimes too pissed about how the world is going.

Question to all in the Napoleonic Era/Marshals fandom:

What about this period interests or fascinates you the most? How were you first introduced to it?

I’ll start.

Keep reading

[shuicheese]

tagged by @plantsarehardcore (Thankie my dude!! :,D)

5 things you can find on my blog

Pokemon

Birds

Dangan Ronpa

Some stuff I find funny/interesting

BNHA

5 things you’ll find in my bag

Currently some coupons

Pencils and pens

Sketchbook

Sometimes my 3DS if I really need it

Sometimes coins and bottle caps

5 things you’ll find in my bedroom

GARBAGE TBH

Lots of plushies

Figurines

DVD’s aND BOOKS

Video game consoles + games for that consoles

5 things I always wanted to do

UuhhhHHHH Hold a toucan?

I don’t know actually- I don’t think I got a lot in mind atm.

Go to Gator Land?

HONESTLY- I DONT KNOW

UUUHHH H HH H H

5 things that make me happy

Friends!

Drawing

Music

Drawing

Birds!!

5 things I’m currently into

Dangan Ronpa

BNHA

Hatoful Boyfriend- It’s been years and I still love it as if it’s a new thing hELP

Camp Camp

OFF (Again, it’s been maybe 2 years and I still love it sO MUCH)

5 things on my to do list

Finish my art assignments before school starts hhn

Finish some art requests

Catch up on BNHA season 2 (Only 3 more episodes,,,!!)

WATCH THE GOD FORSAKEN EMOJI MOVIE BECAUSE I’M A MASOCHIST

Plan out my comics and actually start it soon

5 things you might not know about me

I have a wireless mouse that I mostly use as a stress relief toy when I go outside sometimes?? I put it in my jacket pockets and click on it repeatedly.

I have troubles reading novels, I don’t have the patience anymore + concentration issues.

I’m the reason to why my cousins have a massive minecraft phase. I told em about it when I was a kid and to this very day, some of them still play it 24/7 all because of me. I don’t think I even played it when I told them about it.

I once accidentally stole a chocolate bar and a book mark from this one store and I got away with it as a child. 

I impulsively bought a Kewpie Tarako doll and I personally have no regrets.

Tagging: @zingospinning , @empress-of-silhouettes01 , @maginpui , @fluzeh , @dettouo , @valf-xx , @rani-amami , @kamukuraprojects , @crowstainedred , and whoever wants to do this really~

Note: You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to~!

[haljathefangirlcat]

The Waltharius as a Triad Poem

So recently I discovered the existence of the Triad Verse AU thanks to this wonderful blog: @triadverse

(Read their world-building posts they are SO COOL!)

… and since then I may have kinda sorta maybe spent a whole day, night included, imagining a Triad AU of the Waltharius Manu Fortis. Yes, the German poem by Ekkehard I. Yes, these are kind of things I usually think about. No, I don’t know why, I just do.

(Warning: I’m actually not that good at history and/or speculation, so this will probably end up not mostly not making sense. Yay!)

 So, the plot of the Waltharius is this:

Attila the Hun plans to expand his power in the west. King Gibicho of the Franks, fearing the oncoming invasion, asks his vassals what he should do, and they advise him to pay a tribute to the Huns and to send a hostage to them. Now, Gibicho has a son, Gunther, but he’s too young to be separated from his mother and embark on such a journey, so instead the king sends Hagen, the son of one of his vassals, whose family is supposed to be descended from the Trojans and so is noble enough not to be deemed an unfitting hostage.

Following Gibicho’s example, Heriric, king of Burgundy, sends his daughter and heiress Hildegund as a hostage, too. King Alphere of Aquitaine then also sends a tribute and his son Walther, who happens to be Hildegund’s betrothed. Now satisfied, the Huns return to their land, Pannonia. Attila decides he will raise the three hostages as if they were his own children: he personally oversee Walther’s and Hagen’s education, and lets his wife Ospirin in charge of Hildegund’s. Walther and Hagen eventually become first men in Attila’s army, while Hildegund is made the steward in charge of all his treasures. In the years they spend together, Attila and Ospirin grow to love them all dearly, Hagen and Walther become the best of friends, and the love between Walther and Hildegund grows.

Things abruptly change when Gibicho dies and Gunther take the throne, dissolves the treaty with the Huns and refuses to keep paying the tribute. Fearing for his life, Hagen flees back to the land of the Franks. After discovering this, Ospirin fears Walther will want to leave, too, which would diminish the strength of Attila’s army. So, she tells her husband he should convince him to marry the daughter of one of his Hunnish vassals to tie him to their court forever. Walther, however, refuses this proposal, saying he wants to concentrate on serving Attila in his army and that having a wife and children would only distract him from his military duties. Having said this, he leaves to go suppress a foreign king’s rebellion.

When he comes back, he finds Hildegund and declares his love to her, but apparently, the maiden has heard of his earlier rejection of marriage, and so doesn’t believe his feelings are sincere. Walther reassures her of his honesty and reveals that he wants to flee to his homeland with her, and that in truth, the thought of leaving her alone in Pannonia is the only reason he hasn’t run away already. The two lovers then concoct a plan: Hildegund will use her access to the treasure to steal the king’s gold, while Walther will prepare a feast for the whole court and make everyone drink until they pass out, and then they will escape together, unnoticed and full of riches.

The plan works and the couple do leave Pannonia unscathed, because even after the wine wears off and Attila comes to his senses and tries to send his warriors after them, everyone is too afraid of Walther to run after him and challenge him. Eventually, Walther and Hildegund come to the valley of Wasgenstein (also called Vosges), where they set camp and rest for a while. Meanwhile in Worms, not far from there, Gunther and his court hear news of the arrival of two mysterious travelers. Hagen immediately recognizes his old friends and is overjoyed. The king rejoices, too, but only at the thought of challenging Walther and taking his gold, which he sees as a repayment for the tribute the Franks once paid to the Huns. Despite Hagen’s pleas and warnings about Walther’s strength, Gunther orders twelve of his men to come with him to fight him. Hagen, too, is forced to follow him. Once they reach Wasgenstein and Gunther refuses Walther’s initial offers of peace, though, he distances himself from the other knights and refuses to fight.

Walther fights the Frankish warriors and defeats them all, one after the other, until Hagen’s nephew Patavrid challenges him, too, despite his uncle begging him not to. Walther initially refuses to fight the youth, understanding that his friend holds him dear, but Patavrid still insists on attacking him and accidentally almost wounds Hildegund, so in the end Walther’s forced to kill him.

Eventually, of the twelve Franks who came to Wasgenstein, only Gunther and Hagen are left alive. After much pleading, promises of generous rewards and insults to his manhood and martial prowess, Gunther finally manages to persuade his vassal to fight by his side. Together, they ambush Walther and attack him, and despite Walther’s pleas for Hagen to remember their friendship, the fight resumes. The ending is a bittersweet one: Walther cuts off Gunther’s leg, Hagen cuts off Walther’s hand, and Walther pokes out Hagen’s eye, but after this, they all finally stop fighting, and Walther and Hagen even start joking together about the situation, the way they used to in Pannonia, while Hildegund pours wine for them. After the friendship between the two warriors is repaired, Hagen and Gunther go back to Worms, while Walther and Hildegund resumes the journey towards Aquitaine, where they’ll marry and one day rule for thirty years after the death of Walther’s father.

 Now, the reasons why Walther/Hildegund/Hagen is, like, the best OT3 ever:

- They were all taken away from their families and homelands at a young age and raised together. Stuff like that’s likely to make people grow very close. Especially if you consider that, while Attila appears to have lots of vassals of Germanic origins living at his court in other poems, he seems to only have Hunnish warriors by his side in this one. And even if he did German vassals off-screen, they probably wouldn’t be in his hostages’ age range anyway, living them still quite isolated and likely to cling to each other.

- They’re all brilliant, gifted people. Growing up, Walther and Hagen “surpassed the brave in strength and the wise in wit, until soon they boldly excelled all the Huns” and “whenever [Attila] made a campaign, [they] sparkled amidst triumphal decorations”, while Hildegund “abundantly displayed her outstanding character and the industry of her works” and as a result “was but little short of ruling herself, for, whatever she wanted, she actually did”. Their position as, respectively, first men in the army and steward of the king’s treasure, are clearly both given “not undeservedly”. Acknowledging and appreciating each other’s qualities and virtues, they may all be drawn to each other.

- Walther and Hildegund clearly love each other. Walther can’t bear the thought of leaving Hildegund alone and always strives to protect her, and Hildegund is visibly upset when she doubts his feeling and intentions. Once reassured of Walther’s sincerity, the girl declares herself willing to follow him and support him no matter what he will do, even if his actions will cause her suffering.

- Walther and Hagen have some serious No Homo™ thing going on. Like, really. The Wasgenstein part of the poem, where Hildegund gets (sadly) sidelined to focus on all the loyalty conflicts and the fighting, looks more like a love triangle with Walther and Gunther competing for Hagen’s heart than anything else. There’s lots of talk about childhood games and promises, unbreakable bonds based on a “famous harmony” that “used always to remain in both war and peace, never knowing the traps of temptation” and apparently almost made the two youths forget all about their families and homelands, and other things like that. An example I personally find really shippy: when he attempts to convince Hagen not to fight him, Walther remembers how, during their recent farewell, Hagen “seemed hardly able to be pried away from [Walther’s] embrace”. Which seems quite an emotion-driven and risky thing to, as Hagen had to quickly escape in the middle of the night or risk being discovered and caught, and likely couldn’t afford to lose too much time. Oh, and right before saying this, Walther sees Gunther embracing and kissing Hagen to “comfort” him before the fight and feels “fear” at this sight. Which in the poet’s mind probably just means he fears the king and his vassals joining forces against him and becoming an actual threat to him, but a shipper can dream. Also, the ending with them joking about the mutilation they’ve inflicted on each other instead of hating each other forever is lovely.

- If random essays found on the internet aren’t lying to me, there are versions of the story where Walther wants to flee together with Hagen, but Hagen himself stops him, reminding him that he’s betrothed to Hildegund and that the maiden will be a fitting bride to him so he should treat her like an empress. Which, let’s face it, probably means Hagen likes Hildegund, at least platonically, and he totally ships her with Walther.

 How the story could work if it was written in a world run by the rules of the Triad Verse:

- In the original Waltharius, before being shipped off to Pannonia, Hildegund is supposed to “reside at her father's court and […] to enjoy the wealth collected there”, as she is the “heiress” to the kingdom of Burgundy. In this Triad version, this could mean Hildegund and Walther hadn’t yet been betrothed to the third member of their marriage at the time of the Hunnish invasion, which means Hildegund should have been able to live at her parent’s court for at least some more years and learn to manage its wealth, before being married off. Perhaps, Hildegund and Walther’s betrothal as a primer couple was initially born out of political necessity, but there wasn’t yet any real urgency to complete the triad and go on with the actual wedding. Or perhaps, Walther and Hildegund would have been allowed to search for a third together and discuss the matter between themselves as a primer couple, maybe as a way to prevent their parents meddling in and trying to find a third that would really be beneficial to only one of the families.

Their ideal third later turns out to be Hagen, of course, as they both fall in love with him in Pannonia.

- If I understand correctly, in ancient times in the Triad Verse, MFF triads were encouraged over MMF, so as to produce more heirs. This would be especially important for noble and royal families, having also a need to pass titles, lands and power to said heirs. Two wives also likely means two dowries given by the brides’ families to the groom’s families, and two noble or even royal brides’ dowries will consist of lands and various riches. Therefore, Hildegund’s and Walther’s parents probably wouldn’t be too happy to find out their children would actually prefer a MMF marriage.  

However, Christian theology actually encourages MMF marriages, as they are seen as a reflection of the holy triad of God/Mary/Joseph in everyday life. Now, Walther is a very Christian character, the kind of devout hero who first mercilessly slaughters enemy after enemy and then thanks God for allowing him to defeat them while also begging him to redeem their sins and allow them to find their way to Heaven. If there’s one character who would pull out that particular example to justify the validity of his relationship, that’s probably him.

Incidentally, Hagen is the kind of character who (in the Nibelungenlied) tries to drown a priest in an attempt to avert a prophecy and save his kings and comrades. So, it’s safe to assume that he’d put practicality over religious morality, and even over morality itself. The scene where he encourages Walther to stay with Hildegund instead of following him could be incorporated in the Triad Waltharius, but inserted at an earlier point in the text and reworked as a more complete discussion between Walther and Hagen. I can just imagine a young and love-struck Walther declaring that, as soon as their exile will end, he will do his best to persuade his and Hildegund’s parents to let them marry Hagen, only to have Hagen protest that Walther should look for a more advantageous MFF marriage for himself and especially for Hildegund and find a noblewoman who will be a fitting bride for them both. This would evolve into a discussion of pragmatism versus spirituality, and eventually Hildegund would have to do what many other Germanic and Norse women have done before her and step in between the two men as a mediator and peacemaker, as she would wish to marry Hagen too but wouldn’t want him and Walther being driven apart by a discussion over events which they may still not need to think about for years. Of course, this would also mean giving more speaking lines to Hildegund, who is a young lady with lots of sadly unexplored potential and who I love from the bottom of my heart. In short, it would be a win-win situation with lots of philosophical discussion, introspection and character development for everybody.

- Still on the subject of MMF marriages: parental consent aside, the marriage between Walther, Hagen and Hildegund could actually be a viable option. For a MMF marriage to work, at least in ancient times and then in more traditional (read: patriarchal) cultures, it needs a wife, a “lord” husband, and a “swain” husband. The swain husband should be weaker/more effeminate than the lord husband and be submissive to him. Hagen is not weak by any means, and I doubt anything about him could be described as “effeminate” in any traditional sense, and clearly is not “submissive” by any means in German tradition. He is a fierce warrior who strikes fear into his enemies and later on, in the Nibelungenlied, becomes a cunning and ruthless advisor to Gunther, with a vital role in his court. But he is still the son of a vassal, while Walther is the son of a king. So, Hagen is of lower social rank than Walther, and that must count for something, when it comes to the acceptability of their relationship.

I briefly wondered if Hagen’s father would be offended at the idea of what his presumably his first male child (I actually have some sort of headcanon about Patavrid’s mother being Hagen’s older sister, but that doesn’t really matter here) and heir ending up marrying as a swain husband. But, after all, he would still be married to a future king, which I’m sure wouldn’t be all too bad of a position.

- On a semi-unrelated side note, one of the things I love about Walther/Hildegund/Hagen in the Waltharius is how their relationship looks very unequal from all sides but is actually pretty well-balanced when you look deeper. When you look at it from a social point of view, Walther and Hagen are men while Hildegund is a woman, but then again Walther and Hildegund are the children of royalty while Hagen is only the son of a vassal. Seen in this light, their dynamic sound unbalanced. Growing up in Pannonia, though, Walther and Hagen become friends, treat each other as equals and obtain the same rank in Attila’s army, and Hildegund gets a very important position too when she is made “the steward to watch over all the king's treasure” and afforded the freedom and independence that goes with it. This makes it all sound more equal. Adding a possible lord/wife/swain dynamic to this would mean adding yet another layer to the pre-existing dynamic, making it even more interesting and complex.

- Now, for the part after Hagen’s escape (which would obviously include a tearful farewell to both Walther and Hildegund, this time). Attila himself would have two wives, who I think should be the Ospirin of the Waltharius and the Helke/Herke of other Germanic traditions, and these two very wise and cunning wives (because of course they would be) would first consult between themselves, fearing Walther and Hildegund could flee to the Franks to reunite with their lover, before bringing the matter to their husband. Attila’s attempts to give Walther a Hunnish bride would become attempts to convince him to add a Hunnish lady as a third to his primary couple (as a substitute to Hagen and the possible but disadvantageous marriage with him), and Walther’s refusal would become a refusal to give his complete attention to two women and a serious, complete relationship. Hildegund would be upset about Walther denying her, possibly forever, the chance to experience the complete happiness of a full marriage, and without even bothering to ask her how she feels about their recently-failed relationship with Hagen or their status as a newly-incomplete couple.

- Hagen’s inner conflict between loyalty to his friend and loyalty to his king, one of the main themes of the original poem, would turn into a conflict between love and duty/social obligations. Gunther would be read by scholars not only as a greedy king but also as alternatively an immature youth still unable to fully understand the love of a triad or a selfish suitor trying to separate Hagen from his lover to have him all for himself. The last fight scenes would be even more intense and heartbreaking, as would be the death of Hagen’s relative Patavrid at the hand of his lover Walther.

- Hagen losing an eye could be read symbolically by later commentators as punishment for his decision to blind himself to the love he still feels for Walther and Hildegund. Walther would lose his hand as punishment for raising it to strike his almost- swain husband. Gunther would lose his leg for daring to step in between an established triad and ruin their relationship. Many scholars would probably read the poem as a cautionary tale meant to warn readers not to prefer MMF triads over MFF triads, but others would think it’s actually about how social duty should take a step back when it risks endangering a triad’s bond.

- The last scene, with Hildegund pouring wine for Walther and Hagen, would become a mirror to the earlier scene where she offers a cup to Walther and he makes the sign of the cross over it as a way to renew their betrothal’s promises. Walther telling her “"Now mix wine and offer it first to Hagen” would not be meant as a half-compliment half-jest as it is in our Waltharius (in it, Walther motivates it by saying “He is a good athlete, provided that he keeps his pledge”), but rather as a symbolic way to complete the couple’s bond to Hagen before they’re forced to separate themselves from him yet again, this time forever. Of course, Hildegund would then skip offering the cup to Gunther, too, but after all, she is never actually shown doing that in the text.

- Other German poems dealing with the Burgunds/Nibelungs or even the general concept of triadic love would likely refer back to the Waltharius as either an earlier source to draw on or a model to follow or deconstruct.

- In the Nibelungenlied, instead of taunting Hagen about not being brave enough to fight Walther, Hildebrand could remind him (and the poet’s audience) of the events at Wasgenstein by accusing him of being unfaithful and dishonest to his lover.

- In the Rosengarten zu Worms, where several knights come to Worms to fight each other in hopes of earning a kiss from Gunther’s sister Kriemhild or one of her ladies in waiting, Walther could renounce the promised reward and ask instead for a kiss form his older lover Hagen, if he should win his duel.

In conclusion, I personally this story would be perfect for a Triad Verse - style reworking.

Now... time to find other Medieval material that could work just as well...

*squints in Arthuriana’s general direction*

[yennefers-geralt]

And once again, people project words onto me that I never once said. Where in anything I've ever written have I said that "only the “Strong Independent Woman” aka the “Action Girl” is worthy of feminism. That women and girls like Dany, Sansa, Missandei, Arianne Martell, Myrcella Baratheon, Melisandre, Shireen – those who wield power through vehicles other than a weapon and martial training aren’t worthy"? You are blatantly fabricating too many lies to even count let alone quote and trying to criticize me for your fabrication. If you have to make things up in order to pretend you have an argument to make, that means your stance is completely groundless and you're wasting your own time.

If you read my response you would know that what I criticize is this idea that there is only one type of femininity, which happens to be one defined by men. When women don't match their behavior to that one form, they are criticized for being unfeminine or even masculine. That type of thinking is founded in misogyny and is extremely harmful to all women. That isn't a criticism against women who happen to fit that type of femininity. Its a criticism against the sexist idea that there is only one type of femininity. Just so you know, Dany, Arianne, Melisandre, and Missandei would not fit into the restrictive femininity that's being endorsed. They would and often are criticized for not fitting the "right" or "traditional" (read: western European) form of femininity.

Also, if you have read much of my blog , you would know that not only am I very positive toward Dany, Shireen, Missandei, Myrcella, Arianne, Catelyn, Cersei, and most ASOIAF female characters, I often make arguments against reducing Arya to just an action girl. She too can "wield power through vehicles other than a weapon and martial training" and frequently does. Physical combat is a skill she uses very infrequently. She relies on her intelligence to overcome the hurdles thrown at her. This is an argument I make quite often. So I don't think Arya "wearing gowns and having other talents and strengths" is something to criticize. I also don't see it as something to criticize about other female characters or real women.

As far as Anne Boleyn goes, you proved my point. Women who stepped out of the role men decided women should have were punished and killed. Empress Matilda did not get to rule England because she didn't tailor behavior to the restrictive role that was dictated for her. I don't see how bringing these two historical figures who suffered from systematic sexism into the discussion helps whatever point it is you're trying to make. It supports my stance, so thank you. But I'm still confused by all this.

I am genuinely at a loss as to where all these words you've written even come. The only thing I can think is that you were responding to a different post and accidentally pasted it into this one, because, again, what you're saying really has no connection to what I wrote. If you think you were responding to me, maybe you should read what I wrote instead of making things up and railing at your own fabrications.

Arya Stark + Disarming the Patriarchy