#the unrivalled queen

[goodthingscomeinthrees]

if she never showed up (what could've been)

the gilded age | outsider pov, bertha x george | 5k, g, complete

She’s heard chatter about the Russells for years now.

[duchessofostergotlands]

I really wonder about this one... She was a lady in waiting for 60 (!) years and reportedly tasked by the Queen to explain to Catherine and Meghan how to do engagements. A large part of her job, apart from being QE's friend, was literally to chat to people nicely and politely. Was her saying things like this considered acceptable for 60 years?

It was considered “funny” by the royals and the mainstream press for Philip to say significantly worse stuff brazenly for over 60 years so doesn’t exactly seem like a reach, anon.

[dawnled]

tag post #2 ( character tags ) !

[archiveikemen]

Elbert Greetia Main Story: Preview

I do not own any of the Ikemen Series content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by playing their games and buying stories. Not 100% accurate, expect mistakes. Not proofread.

read this before interacting with my posts

My evil is — a means of atonement.

…

Elbert: You’re different from us… you shouldn't have come to this place.

Elbert: … Evil doesn't suit you.

A sorrowful prince with unrivalled beauty — Elbert Greetia.

His curse was that of the “Greedy Queen”, and he was a man unsuitable for sin.

…

Elbert: — You don’t have to watch. Having bad memories can easily kill you.

He kept me far away from sins, as if he were fearful of something.

Whenever I felt sad, he would pull me into a gentle embrace, as if trying to share the pain.

…

Kate: If you don’t feel like being alone when you’re sad…

Kate: Please call for me, if you don’t mind.

Elbert: …

Elbert: … Thank you.

I found myself captivated by his extraordinary amount of kindness, and the occasional fleeting smile I would catch on his face…

(I never want to see his sad face. I want him to smile more often.)

I had unknowingly started wishing for that.

And yet — I didn't realise it.

…

Kate: Of all of the things in this room, which ones are precious to you?

Elbert: There’s… nothing here that’s significantly precious to me.

He collected all things he thought were beautiful and put them away in his bedroom.

How deep, dark, and heavy was the sorrow he was filled with?

…

Alfons: Those meaningless acts of atonement are tormenting El, but they save him at the same time.

Alfons: If you don’t want to end up breaking him, I suggest you don't try to take them away from him.

…

Elbert: Maybe... you're the one I've been searching for.

Elbert: Kate— I want you.

(If I never want to see this sad look on his face ever again, I shouldn’t let myself belong to him.)

The more I tried to break him free from the sins that tie him down and force him to atone for them… the harder it became for me to resist the dark and weighty feelings of obsession I had towards him.

…

Elbert: … I want to kiss you.

Elbert: I want to touch you more… I want to hear your voice, your breathing, and feel the warmth of your body.

Elbert: The more I look at you, the more it hurts. … It’s like a poison that’s spreading through my body.

Elbert: If you belonged to me — this pain would surely disappear.

“The beautiful prince was freed by the power of true love from the shackles of the evil spell, and lived happily ever after.”

I dreamt of such a happy fairytale ending.

— But I knew that it was not that easy for his wounds to heal.

…

(It’s like… Elbert can’t hear my voice.)

Elbert: … It’s unforgivable.

Elbert: … I need to make you mine as soon as possible.

Elbert: Before you belong to someone else.

…

Kate: Sir Elbert, please… stop.

Elbert: … Now I understand why I thought you were beautiful.

Elbert: It’s because you're… what I stole.

Hurting and being hurt — it was a kind of love that felt like you were drowning in a sea of sorrow.

(Despite that, I still want to stay by your side.)

I want to be happy while with you — even if it means I’ll be in the dark at the very bottom of the water.

…

Elbert: I want to forever long for you, struggle for you, suffer for you, and die for you.

Elbert: … That’s my kind of happiness.

We were trapped by the most “beautiful” love in the world — at the bottom of the sea of sorrow.

[roselyn-writing]

Bios of The Dark ones 🖤✨

This took me long, lol.

Aliyaa Aepel: The Queen Of Darkness.

“They came to Aliyaa as if she was some kind of protector— with unrivalled beauty and strategic mind; some venerated her and some challenged her, for those who challenged her they were struck with chains made of darkfire, giving them a slow and agonising death.”

Anzir: The Hand of Darkness.

"They came to Anzir under the cloak of twilight—drawn to the malevolent aura that surrounded him, the embodiment of wickedness and cruelty. Anzir revels in the torment of his victims, delighting in their suffering as he cunningly ensnares them in his tormenting deals."

Esmeray: The Temptress of Darkness.

“They came to Esmeray as if she was some dark and alluring dancer, her tone is silky like honey—too unfortunate that they didn’t knew her sadistic nature until too late, none had survived the cruel lashes of her whip, her darkwhip-blade that cut easily like hot knife on butter.”

Vann: The Bringer of Darkness.

“They came to Vann from shadows and beyond—from the swirling waterfalls and great mountains, but they lost their lives when they did so.”

Amotrapa: The Voice of Darkness.

“They came to Amotrapa, seeking his knowledge and guidance—as if he was some kind of a wise saint, unbeknownst to them, he is anything but.”

Gif by @theartofwriting-imagines.

Keegan: The eyes of Darkness.

“They came to Keegan as if he was some dark seer— with false delicious promises of power and wealth; they foolishly believed him, and thus, they were eliminated, and they are forever stuck in the dark beyond.”

Sire Derkaām: The First Dark One.

“The first one who claimed the Patron of Darkness, the first bearer of darkness in all of Valorena.”

Zenan: The Abyss Walker.

“They came to Zenan as if he was a noble shaman — yet he was far from that, words cannot describe how evil and horrible he was, his steps like an alluring bell that echoed in the silent darkness, warning any living creature nearby, words spread that anyone visit him won’t be seen again.”

Atlas: The Umbral Reaper.

“They came to Atlas as a mere silhouette from the depths of shadows—his presence cloaked in an eerie fog. With a scythe forged from darkness itself, he struck down all who dared to challenge his power. His dark domain is full of broken bodies and dried blood, He used stalk the souls who strayed too far from the safety of Virginia’s walls.”

Edmund: The Abyss Magus.

“They came to Edmund as if he was a guardian— bestowed with devilish handsome features, with unspeakable powers and cruelty, he sucked the lives from all he lured close, he siphoned them within himself and thus he was stronger.”

[feyhunter78]

Hello! Yet another demon emperor Miguel thought (because the idea rots my brain in the best way) that I had.

So! Miguel and Y/N are at some kind of fancy ball (bc that's what rich fancy noble people do in fantasy stories, right?)

And they get separated somehow - Miguel was mingling with others before they lost each other, and Y/N gets swept into the crowd of other guests.

Anyway-! To escape the noise and find some peace and quiet, Y/N sneaks out onto the balcony, looking out over the gardens. And she's just enjoying the silence, the cool breeze calming her significantly.

But, as she's lost in thought, someone clearing their throat drags her back to the moment.

She turns and sees Miguel, leaning in the doorway, admiring her.

They have a sweet heart to heart with some teasing and flirting and from here, I can see it going two ways.

-

First idea:

They hear someone in the garden starting to play music - perhaps an orchestra hired for the event. And Miguel offers her his hand.

They sway together out in the night air, enjoying the loving silence, the only sound being the music, a loving ballad cementing their adoration for the other.

They don't need to say a word to each other.

They just have to enjoy each other's company, swaying into the night, lost in their own little world.

-

Second idea, however...

Maybe it's the fact they've both had too much wine tonight.

Maybe it's the chill in the air, or the way the moonlight is dancing on them.

Or maybe it's something else entirely.

Whatever it is, they wind up in each other's arms, kissing with an intensity unrivalled by any other.

They pull apart, breathlessly. Looking at the others face for any signs of wanting to stop.

And none can be found.

...Their hands run over each other, desperate to feel their lover in the chill of the night air.

They can't take it anymore. The two of them just have to fuck. And they don't care where.

Miguel and Y/N dart across the ballroom, diving through other guests as they try and make the most of their excitement.

They sneak away somewhere quiet (like a bedroom, or a study, or even just a closet) and continue their affections. Lips smashed against each other, gripping the other, pressing as tightly as they can to them.

And then, Miguel rips her dress with his claws.

Desperate to see his wife under it.

And when Y/N complains about how it was a really nice dress, Miguel just growls that he'll buy her fifty more like it if that's what it takes to make her smile.

Anyway, they get to fucking and Miguel kisses her neck, whispering the lewdest compliments he can into her ear.

"Imagine everyone in there, finding out how desperate you are for me, my darling... Their queen, desperately begging for her husband's cock."

And they just go at it, with all of the passion and excitement that they can muster. Lewd sounds muffled by the door.

But they don't care if anyone fucking hears them.

Because yeah, they've had a little too much wine.

And sure, they both looked glorious under the moonlight.

And the air was cold - heated up by their lust in such an enclosed space.

But they're also in love.

And that's what matters.

-

Idk, I had many thoughts and this was the easiest to write out.

-Red.

I have such a different vibe in mind for Among the Sun but I LOVE THISSSSSS😍😍😍

[manmetaphysical]

Alain Delon died yesterday and it struck me as unusual or perhaps not that recently I have been having a Delon binge watching of his films in the past few weeks. For me it was a rediscovery of just how good he was, especially ‘Plein Soleil’ (1960) the original French version of the Talented Mr. Ripley Delon was a revelation in that just sucking all the air out of the camera while he was on screen. So it’s like his energy or his ‘archetype’ – the Scorpionic magnetism, the charismatic beauty with animal grace (he was a dog lover) was coming to say goodbye to me weirdly before he left this world forever.

It reminded me too why Morrissey chose Delon for the cover of the Smiths ‘The Queen is Dead’. Just as dogs come to visit and be petted by everyone in the house before they go to find a hole to die in, so Delon visited my imagination and capture it once again. And now he’s gone, perhaps not mourned by some critics of his opinions, but he passed away peacefully it seems, and there’s an outpouring of grief for a peak time in French cinema that can never return so there’s a longing and a massive loss for what was especially from the likes of Brigitte Bardot who once took the whip from Delon in a portmanteau film ‘Spirits of the Dead’ (1968) based on stories of Edgar Allen Poe, and messages from Claudia Cardinale who played opposite Delon’s Tancredi in Luchino Visconti’s ‘The Leopard’ (1963) are very poignant and heartfelt. He was not just a lover but a good friend to these and many other women. If Romy Schneider were still alive it would most likely be the same from her as they had a stormy on-off relationship for many years appearing together in the film ‘Piscine’ in 1969.

Delon was born in 1935 in Sceaux, a suburb of Paris, with the Sun at 14° of Scorpio. While it can be morbid I was curious to see what the chart showed- why now and not before when he had a stroke. He’s been going through his third Saturn return. I guessed the time at around 7pm in Paris after the announcement by his famly. So the timing is approximate.

He has the transiting North Node conjunct his natal Moon at 11° Aries. He has a Pluto opposition – his Pluto was at 27° of Cancer as Pluto prepares to go from 0° Aquarius back into Capricorn. and the Moon in Aquarius just happens to be conjunct asteroid Psyche at this point making a soul connection before the big mega Moon of August that we’ve been preparing for. Saturn at 17° Pisces is square to his natal Sun at 14° of Scorpio.

He was born with Saturn in Pisces, at 3° and this could refer to his hard work in film.

If you take Venus as the symbol of beauty -even for a man- and Neptune as representing film then we have a neat symmetry occurring. His star initially was about his unrivalled beauty- his blue eyes, his animal grace, his eyebrows, his open shirts that had everyone copying that style etc and he set a new high standard here, at least in France, if not the world. This symmetrical dance is so intriguing as the accolades pour in for how much of a style icon he was i.e. how he transmitted his charisma through the medium of film.

Transiting Venus is conjunct his natal Neptune at 16° of Virgo and Neptune at the fatal endpoint degree of 29° Pisces -people passing out of this world-is opposite his natal Venus at 27° of Virgo. Plus, there's a solar eclipse coming at this point on the 21st September.That’s telling because of his role as a male beauty, a kind of screen idol Apollo. This is not to overlook his skill as an actor which can often be downplayed because people were so enamored of his looks first. He had talent too to convey some difficult roles -often the chilling cold killer-so it was a deadly combination of style and skill, angel crossed with demon, that created an indelible mark on cinema and the astrology here reminds us of this as his legacy, not all the controversies, his rocky relationships, the death of his body guard, his outspoken opinions on life, and that he denied paternity of Ari Boulogne, a child born of Velvet Underground singer, Nico, in 1963, yet Delon’s mother adopted Ari who died in 2023 of a heroin overdose.

One theory of what determines success in film is whether the light reflects well in the actor's eyes, and in Delon's the light is luminous for sure. There is clearly a lot more here and worth going into in much more detail, I should do a full article, but to be brief, we should say RIP to a great talent who brought many characters to life and whose presence on screen cannot be denied.

#alaindelon#film#venus#neptune#pluto#death#cinema

[jezabelofthenorth]

Some of Elizabeth’s ladies had served her since childhood and were collectively referred to as the ‘old flock of Hatfield’. Principal among them were Blanche Parry and Kat Astley, who had been part of her household for more than twenty years. One of Elizabeth’s first acts after becoming queen was to bring Kat back from her enforced exile and appoint her chief gentlewoman of the privy chamber. This was the most prestigious post in the royal household and gave Kat unrivalled access to her royal mistress.

Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I, The Mother and Daughter Who Changed British History, Tracy Borman

[riaaanna]

INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN MAY - TOTAL GUITAR CHRISTMAS 1998

From the excessive majesty of Queen to his solo career successes, Brian May’s irrepressible desire for pushing the boundaries of melodic rock in unrivalled. Joe Bennett gets the lowdown from one of rock guitar’s greatest innovators.

You’d think people like Brian May could take it easy, wouldn’t you? With 18 Queen albums under his belt and two of his own, he could be forgiven for sitting back and feeling at least slightly pleased with himself. Not a bit of it. The words ‘perfectionist’ and ‘workaholic’ seem scarcely adequate for a man who has taken six years to record his latest album, and doesn’t plan to take any time off from touring for the rest of the years. And his enthusiasm for gigging is obvious:

“We’re touring Japan, by way of Russia, and that takes us up to the middle of November and then I’m not sure how long I want to be out for. The temptation, once you’ve started, is to keep going ‘cause you’re all geared up, you’ve got all the right people and you’ve rehearsed.”

Tragically ‘all the right people’ lacks one individual. Drummer Cozy Powell died in a car accident earlier this year. “Cozy was such a great guy and a close friend – it’ll be really strange to look behind me on stage and not see him there. For a time we even did a few gigs without a drummer but after a lot of thought and heart-searching we all thought we should use one. We found Eric Singer; he’s blinding, but it’s tough to fill Cozy’s shoes. I’d built a lot of my style round him – he’d been a hero of mine for years. I judged my writing by how it sounded when Cozy played it. The idea is not to replace him though, just to move on. Eric comes from the right place, you know?

“Somebody once told me when we started out that a band is only as good as its drummer. I thought that was crap but over the years I’ve realized it’s true. You can get away with a crap guitarist quite easily – and a lot of people do! – but you can’t get away with sloppy drumming. It makes the whole thing sound really amateurish. The level of energy the upper limit, is set by the drummer.”

Playing Live

Brian crafts his gig set lists very carefully, and he sees the gigging experience as much more than simply copying the original recording. “You’re supposed to be finding new moments with the audience, so each gig should be unique. With the recognizable Queen stuff, I do tend to settle for something that sounds a lot like what I did in the first place – some audiences want that. You’re always treading that line between keeping yourself fresh and giving people something they want to hear.”

And Queen, of course, had an additional practical problem to deal with when playing live – how to recreate the band’s heavily-produced sound in a guitar/bass/drums format. “We tried out a lot of songs two or three times and they just weren’t made for the stage – stuff from Flash Gordon springs to mind. We also didn’t do stuff that Roger or I sang on the albums because we wanted to use Freddie as the frontman as much as possible. I mean, when you have the greatest frontman in the world you don’t want to waste his time!

“Some of the rock songs stayed in the live set just ‘cause they were cracking played live. Tie Your Mother Down, for example, never left the live set and it probably never will. Certain songs just have that chemistry… you want to play them ‘til you die.”

But despite the sadness that Brian associates with the end of the band, the last few years have given him freedom to explore new areas. “After Back to the Light tour I made the decision to head towards the second album, but on the way I would try and get out into the world and interact more. From the beginning of Queen there was such momentum that I never had any time to do anything else. My energy was 95% focused on the band. Then there was all that time when we knew Freddie was on the way out, we kept our heads down again. When he’d gone, my way of dealing with it was to get busy.”

One of these projects was the posthumous work to be one on Freddie’s final recorded tracks. “We had promised Freddie – and ourselves – that we would finish the album after he’d gone. He’d wanted us to give him as many vocal lines to record as we could, but even though we’d made that commitment, actually doing it was really hard. We only had scraps, sometimes vocals without anything else, to work on. It was an enormous task and it took literally two years out of my life. You can imagine the frustration because I had ideas in my head, but this was a labour of love because it was for Freddie. It was enormously exciting but enormously sad as well. And all this time my next album was gathering dust because I was pretty much focused on the Queen album.”

The three remaining members of the band still get on well, but they haven’t collaborated with Brian on his solo work; “I consciously wanted to avoid my second album being connected with Queen – that’s why Roger and John don’t appear on it. We have our own separate paths, we always did have, and I think that was part of our strength. It was a very strong partnership but we were always having to give something up and compromise. Four songwriters in a four-piece band – what can I say?”

Roger, John and Brian did, however, record one last song as a band. “The original plan was that we’d finish the last Queen album and then I’d get back to my own work. Then the Queen Rocks compilation came up. The record company wanted to put out a compilation album ad we thought it’d be a good idea to encourage people to remember the heavy stuff that Queen recorded – I’ve always had a fondness for the rockier side of things. Roger and John heard a track I’d done called No-one But You, which was originally going to be on my own album. Roger loved it and thought we should do it as Queen. I knew that the lyric was very much about Freddie, but Roger wanted to make it more general, change the tempo – so I lost a song, and Queen gained one!”

Brian and Beck

The songs which did eventually make it on to Brian’s latest solo LP, Another World, are a mixed bunch indeed. As well as covers of Brian’s own favourites – Hendrix’s One Rainy Wish and Mott the Hoople’s All the Young Dudes to name but two – he’s included material based on outside projects he’s been involved in. Cyborg (on this month’s CD) was originally written as a soundtrack to a computer game, and The Guv’nor was the theme to TV series which never made it to the small screen.

“The Guv’norwas a television programme about a bare-knuckle boxer in the original script, but it worked as a metaphor, and I started thinking – in our world, the world of guitar players, we have people like that, who we think of as our Guv’nor. Jeff Beck is like that, he’s great but he’s really unpredictable, spiky and frighteningly original. You feel small next to him, kind of wary. So I began to think the song was about him and I rang him up – which took a moment of courage from me! I asked him to play on it, and he turned up and did a recording session here at the house. Being the caring, professional player that he is, he wasn’t satisfied with his own guitar parts – although I loved them – so he took it away to work on it. I didn’t get it back until a year later!”

But apart from this one guest slot, all the other guitar parts on the album are Brian’s own, including the ubiquitous layered harmony parts that are his trademark. “I grew up with an obsession about harmony. Every record I heard I would wonder why certain harmonies and chords had certain effects on me. So it’s a habit I had of letting something wash over me, and then figuring out afterwards why it had moved me. I learned that the lines and the crossing points are the key points, really. I never studied harmony formally – it was mainly done by listening. I picked up a book on harmony once, but it just gave me the names for things, which I wasn’t really interested in. I believe in intuition more than anything. I mean I know something about the techniques of inversions and everything, but mainly it’s like, “What happens when I do this?”

May Gear

Suitably enough, this brings the conversation round to the inevitable subject of guitars and amplifiers. The question ‘Are you still using AC30s?’ is rendered pointless as we turn a corner and walk into a room literally filled with Vox combos. And Brian’s Red Special, affectionately known as the ‘Old Lady’ is still going strong, thanks to some fairly major repair work by guitar surgeon Greg Fryer. “The guitar was getting dangerously worn from 30 years of gigs, but I could never retire it. It’s a link with my dad, we made it together in the late ‘60s, and I don’t play anything else – apart from the excellent copies that Greg’s made for me, of course.”

Brian’s passion for his instrument was never faltered, and he’s happy to find that many TG readers still look to classic rock material for their inspiration; “I’ve always lived in that guitar world. I have noticed kids that I come across being more into the real essence of guitar music now. I walked into my friend’s son’s bedroom a couple of years ago and there were posters for Led Zeppelin and Hendrix all over the walls – I was expecting hip hop, rap and all that.”

“With all of that early rock stuff – and I suppose I can include Queen – there’s a certain directness and passion about it. It has that emotional intensity and unfettered quality. You’re always trying to capture those moments, and not always successfully… there are times when I’ve been feeling something and played a solo that I’ve never been able to repeat.”

Transcription Troubles

Perhaps surprisingly, Brian is unaware of the massive amount of Queen guitar tablature available, and he is far from up-to-date on recent developments in transcription quality. “I never took sheet music seriously. I remember getting some for The Shadows’ stuff, then realising it was nothing like the record and that I could do better myself just by listening to other people and using my own intuition.

“For example, I remember the first time I tried tapping, I actually got the idea from someone else in the early ‘70s. We were on tour in Texas, and a few beverages had been consumed while we were watching a bar band. The guitarist kept adding this high note as a single tap to his blues licks, and it sounded like a flute or clarinet or something. I told him I was going to nick it and he said, ‘fine’! He’d nicked it off someone else anyway. He said he’d heard Billy Gibbons do it on a ZZ Top album, but I’ve listened to all their stuff since and I still don’t know which track he means.

“So that’s how it happens – but it doesn’t always have to be a guitar that you get new ideas from. As a kid I listened to an arranged trad jazz band called the Temperance Seven, and they used a technique that they called ‘bells’, where every note is played on a different instrument and it’s all sustained, cascading with harmonic effects. Mantovani did it too – he was a great influence on me – and I did it on my first album. That’s the inspiration for the second half of the Killer Queen solo…”

Guitar Heroes

So how does he feel about players learning his own solos from transcriptions? “I think that’s really good. It’s great if players learn their craft by listening to how other people do it. Pick up everything that’s out there – there’s no shame in that at all. Individual style will emerge anyway, like Chinese whispers. George Harrison once tried to play Apache by The Shadows and he couldn’t remember it, so it came out as something completely different – and that’s fair enough. I go to see Joe Satriani or Steve Vai – those guys are way ahead of me and I pick up something new every time. I’m lucky in that I can talk to them because I’m in a privileged position. They say they listen to my stuff too, which is great but I’m under no illusions!”

“Ultimately, I think if I’ve got anything to say a s a guitar player it’s because I’m open and I listen, and I find my own way – but in the full knowledge of what other people are doing. How can you learn a language if you don’t listen to people speak? This magazine of yours would have helped me if it had been around when I was starting out, I can tell you!” Ah, thanks Brian…

The Deacy amp

Although Brian’s main amp is the Vox AC30, most of his harmony parts have been recorded using a home-made transistor amp, constructed out of cannibalised circuitry and an old hi-fi speaker by Queen bassist (and electronics graduate) John Deacon.

“How that amp works is a mystery to us,” admits Brian with a laugh. “John says he found the pre-amp circuit on a skip and that he just threw it all together, but then he’s a modest guy – he knows what he’s doing. It’s on loads of recordings. I remember definitely The Fairy Feller’s Masterstroke from Queen II, God Save the Queen and Good Company from A Night at the Opera – most of the layered stuff. All those trombone and clarinet sounds on that album, they’re just a combination of pickups, selection, treble booster, wah-wah and technique.”

Astronomy and Then Some

And so the time comes when we have to leve Brian to his schedule (with a couple of gratis copies of Total Guitar, natch). This afternoon he’s got a telephone interview with the local radio station. Then he’s got a meeting with his publicity person about cover artwork.

This coming weekend he’ll be on BBC Radio 4. Of course, Greg will be at the house tomorrow to continue working with Brian on the live rig. And there’s the radio mix of the new single to mix. Oh, and still he’s working on his book about 19th century stereo photography. Plus he’s got his PhD to finish too. Makes you wonder how he finds the time to pick up his guitar…

[praise-to-the-theoi]

To Lord Hephaestus for inspiration

Hear me, Ingenious Hephaestus,

Son of Queen Hera,

Father of the Kabeiroi.

He who forged armour for the greatest heroes, and moulded Pandora oh of clay,

Hephaestus of bronze, who’s glorious creations are unrivalled by all else.

If I have ever crafted in your honour, please accept this prayer, Famed worker Hephaestus,

I ask you to grant me with inspiration to create and to shape my creations with the guidance of your hands,

I ask for your favour with a token of my praise, I offer to you (offering)

[the-sky-is-my-home]

Endless list of things I love about post-ts haikyuu (various teams ver.)

Seijoh

iwaizumi's godzilla phone case

the whole seijoh team not giving a shit about their home country's national team or iwaizumi hajime (27) athletic trainer. oikawa is playing for argentina so they're cheering for argentina and that's that

funeral home employee mattsun

oikawa getting his banner at the olympics, the last one shown in the regular manga chapters, really makes it feel like this is HIS success story even if he lost during high school and was out of the story for so long because of it

I watched the original "petty pride" exchange when s2 came out. the amount of satisfaction I got from reading "What do you think of my petty pride now?" "I think it's fantastic." is unrivalled. it's one piece levels of delayed gratification good. I may love and be obsessed with other characters, but my heart will always be with oikawa tooru and rather than a win or a spot at nationals or whatever, this is what he deserves.

the last page of haikyuu canon we ever got featured oikawa being stupid and petty and cute and iwa bickering with him and it's like. what more could I ever ask for

Shiratorizawa

ushiwaka's relationship with kids. all of it

ushiwaka wanting his dad to watch his games being the reason he works so hard to get good, only to hear his dad being all excited and always watching any games he can it's just so sweet

shirabu still being so intense about ushiwaka all the time always

the shiratorizawa team still going to goshiki's to watch stuff together, just like they used his tablet and his dorm room back in the day. boy will never know peace

the documentary about chocolatier tendou with ushiwaka in it. look at them!!! they're best friends!!! I love them so much! and it's just perfect when tendou was the one assuming he'd be in ushiwaka's documentary

tendou's lil volleyball chocolate <3

Fukuroudani

bokuto's stupid chest receives. my boy hasn't changed at all lmao

that lil montage of hs age bokuto causing problems for his team

bokuto still doing a feint, the "special attack" he taught hinata ages ago

fukuroudani still supporting him so so much and calling him "our ace" just makes me emotional

akaashi interviewing bokuto and udai tenma just sitting there like "what in the fresh hell are these two talking about???"

someone (yaku) finally understanding and translating when bokuto makes some insane statement about what "normal" is wasn't necessary but I love it so so much you don't even know. my boy bokuto is understood and among his kind. he belongs. this is all I need in life

Others

hoshiumi asking hinata's height even tho he already knows

sakusa being on the same team as hinata AND atsumu AND bokuto. you know this man is getting roped into so many shenanigans against his will

sakusa meeting ushiwaka for the first time and being impressed not because of volleyball but because of his pocket handkerchief that he folds with the damp side in

also sakusa (presumably) choosing his (and komori's) high school based on a guy with a lint roller

hoshiumi seeing hinata as a rival but also more as an ally. short kings unite!!!

kanoka being the ace of japan's women's volleyball team and tanaka being so so supportive of her. like yeah that crush didn't work out for her but she's thriving and there's no resentment between them, she's not defined by romance. queen.

Nekoma

nekoma's "connect" flag being taken from the context of connecting in volleyball to connecting through volleyball is just. chef's kiss

kuroo's con man vibe even though he just genuinely loves volleyball and wants to spread that love to as many people as possible

yaku being the one who plays in russia when you could assume lev would, but no. yaku returns from russia and the first thing he does is make fun of model lev. it's perfect

kuroo in the special baiting everyone exactly with what they want like this man knows what kinda idiots he has at his disposal

yaku next to yoffe

also ending on nekoma's flag is perfect

[callisteee]

The Demon Queen Sao offers her little hand to those in need of comfort. Her innocence is unrivalled— that's why King Tarvos loves her.

[houseofbrat]

Then, there is Brown’s account of running into his neighbor in Suffolk, Peter Shand Kydd, the stepfather of Princess Diana, only hours after the announcement of Diana’s death, in a Paris underpass, in 1997. “What do you expect to happen if you get a lift from a driver supplied by Mohamed Fayed?” Shand Kydd asks.

~ Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, "The Unrivalled Omnipresence of Queen Elizabeth II."

[the-unholy-sovereign]

[(Ancient)] PHARAOHS I.EGYPTIAN: Island (islands) I.Madagasy 'unnamed' [Orient] PIGMY; Pigmy "pigmy, pigmy" (Pigmies) Congolese I.Continent. .

(Africa) Henceforth presented by an hierarchial tribal-rule besides the Pigmies, as for which has been unrivalled and unbound to even the "Pharaohs of Egypt" whom wanted to become "Gods"  invoked onto I.Nubian-Divinity "VIRILITY" (Infertility). This ancestral deity is revered as  I.Virile-God & Nubian Gods (Demon). Evidently pertaining to the ancestral figure of virility that is declared at fault, although inadvertently for feminine infertility within women to be used as a spiritual-host in most "African" tribes. Mainly being culturally to blame for  "Infertile" females that descend from tribal-backgrounds or lineage, as for which are without an "Uterus/Ovarian" II.Barren (barren). Those women in particular are deemed incapable to become birth surrogates.

   Thus are not inclined to be suitable birth-suitors by royal review. Although having no menstrual cycle and/or I.menstrual-period that is not lengthened to flow periodically. An singular moment that concludes  unexpectedly as  being contrary to pending. Thereof an medical condition that has been examined by modern medicine, as the discarding of one (Ovary). In forbearance; these females that are born physically inapt reproductively do have an uterus, but with no ovarian/ovaries (Surrogates) "I.Barren" is basically capable for surrogacy/paternal-birth (Pregnancy).

RAMSES THE GREAT: Pharaoh I.Pharaoh (the first) I.Slave-king of Egypt (II Ramses).

   In adherence, surrogate fertilization was first introduced hereby "Ancient-Egyptian" decree for  "Virile" godliness (I.Nubian) to become benevolent. The "Pharaohs of Egypt" devout royal-declaration of benevolence impart emphasized ovarian (ovary) by cohesively implementing the physical availability of the female uterus. Even though problematic for some infertile surrogates; undoubtedly they must be reproductively able to sustain life within the womb, and confirmed as acceptable to participate. Henceforward without the use of the female hymen to ascertain, as an additional method for infertile/fertile "Surrogates" to reobtain is unnecessary. Thereby procreative default (hymen) lacking sexual reproductive attributes to conceive an baby.

   (II.Ramses) Coherently involving the intransigent use of power domineered by Pharaoh to mitigate "Queen" Nefertiti of Egypt, and continuing to move forward reproductively with no issue. Thus monitoring  the female-reproduction process for readiness, as it pertains to the periodically phased biological-cycle's disengagement without being spiritual offensive through cultivated beliefs. Nevertheless, not negating the coercion thereof acquiring a undisposed ovary (Ovaries). Furthermore gathered to be used effectively as contribution for an endeavor of (I.Benevolent) godly transcendence. Implored with supplying an sufficient amount of ovaries. Henceforth given the granted acumen approval to be receive.

   However allowing implementation on other women, therefore provided with the necessary physical capabilities (Uterus) for reproduction intended to become impregnated. Apparently based on further analysis of barren-surrogates concludes after pregnancy they're most likely to give birth to an (Son) male infant, hence reassuring the first-born will always be a boy.

☠.GORILLA-I I-GUERRILLA.☠ [{]¤| Hail Satan |¤[}] 💀 Shivah "Shiva" (Egyptians) I.EGYPTIAN: Fertility.I (God) "NEFERTITI" Nefertiti I.fertile (Ovaries). Henceforth receive/renamed, Ethiopian-tribute I.Gold "UnK" (Ankh).

♾NUBIAN CREED: SATANIST: THE DARK GOD OF VOODOO. . . .

[theinfinitesmile]

Sri Radhika Stotra 108 Names of Srimati Radharani by Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami

aviksatmesvari kascid vrndavana-mahesvarim tat padamboja-matraika gati dasyati katara patita tat-saras tire ruda tyartha-ravakulam tac chri-vaktreksanavaptyai namanyetani sanjagau

Some maidservant, unable to find her Mistress, has fallen on the bank of Radhakunda, crying in great anxiety, being very eager to take exclusive shelter of Her Lotus Feet, glorifying Her by singing the following names of Her Mistress:

radha gandharvika gosthayuva-rajaika-kamita gandharva radhika candrakantir madhava-sangini

Radha, 2. Gandharvika, 3. The only girl desired by the prince of Vraja, 4. Who is worshipped by the Gandharva-angels, 5. Whose luster is like the moon, 6. Who accompanies Madhava.

damodaradvaita-sakhi kartikotkirtidesvari mukunda dayita-vrnda dhammilla mani-manjari

Damodar’s unrivalled girlfriend, 8. The queen who bestows fame on the Kartika month, 9. The crestjewel of Mukunda’s ladyfriends.

bhaskaropasika varsabhanavi vrsabhanuja ananga manjari jyestha sridama varajottama

Who worships the sun, 11. Who belongs to King Vrsabhanu, 12. Who is born from King Vrsabhanu, 13. Ananga Manjari’s older sister, 14. Sridama’s younger sister, 15. The greatest

kirtida-kanyaka matr-sneha-piyusa-putrika visakha-savayah prestha visakha jivitadhika

Kirtida’s daughter, 17. Who is the nectarean object of Her mother’s affection, 18. Who is of the same age as Visakha, 19. Who is dearer than life to Visakha.

pranadvitiya lalita vrndavana viharini lalita prana-laksaika-raksa vrndavanesvari

Who is none other than Lalita’s very life, 21. Enjoys in Vrndavana, 22. Who saves Lalita’s life lakhs of times, 23. Queen of Vrndavana.

vrajendra-grhini krsna-praya-sneha-niketanam vraja go-gopa-gopali jiva-matraika-jivanam

Who is as dear to Mother Yasoda as Krsna, 25. Who is the only life of the life of the cows, cowherdsmen and cowherdgirls of Vraja.

snehalabhira-rajendra vatsalacyuta-purva-ja govinda pranayadhara surabhi sevanotsuka

Who is the object of King Nanda’s affection, 27. Who gets parental affection from Balaram, 28. Who is the object of Govinda’s love (Govinda is eager to serve His surabhi cows).

dhrta nandisvara-ksema gamanotkanthi-manasa sva-dehadvaitata drsta dhanistha dhyeya-darsana

Who is very eager to go to Nandisvara for serving Krsna, 30. Who is regarded as non-different from her by Dhanistha and seen in her meditations, (Dhanistha is Yasoda’s maidservant).

gopendra-mahisi paka-sala-vedi prakasika ayur-varddha-karaddhana rohini ghrata-mastaka

Who is seen in Mother Yadosa’s kitchen, 32. Whose cooked grains increase Krsna’s life, 33. Whose head is smelt by Rohini.

subala nyasta sarupya subala priti-tosita mukhara-drk sudha-naptri jatila drsti-bhasita

Who has bestowed a form equal to Hers to Subala, 35. Who is very fond of Subala, 36. Who is nectar in Mukhara’s eyes, 37. Who is afraid to see Her mother-in-law, Jatila.

madhumangala narmokti janita-smita-candrika paurnamasi bahih khelat prana-panjara sarika

Who smiles like the moonbeams after hearing Madhumangala’s jokes, 39. The she-parrot of Whose heart is caught in Paurnamasi’s cage.

sva ganadvaita jivatuh sviyahankara-vardhini sva ganopendra padabja sparsa-lambhana harsini

Who is the only life of Her friends, 41. Who increases the pride of Her relatives, 42. Who is very happy to touch Upendra’s feet with Her friends.

sviya vrndavanodyana paliki krta-vrndaka jnata vrndatavi sarva lata-taru-mrga-dvija

Who has placed Vrnda in charge of Vrndavana’s gardens, 44. Who is known by all the vines, trees, deer and birds of Vrndavana.

isac candana samghrsta nava-kasmira-deha-bhah java-puspa pritha-hari patta cinarunambara

Whose body shines with fresh vermillion ground with some sandalpaste, 46. Whose silken dress shines more reddish than the java flower.

caranabja-tala-jyotir arunakrta-bhutala hari citta camatkari caru nupura nihsvana

Whose lotus footsoles make the surface of the earth shine crimson-red, 48. Who astonishes Hari’s mind with the sweet sound of Her anklebells.

krsna-sranti-hara sroni pitha-valgita ghantika krsna sarvasva pinodyat kucancan mani-malika

The nice sounds of whose waistbells remove Krsna’s fatigue, 50. The pearl necklace on whose firm, raised breasts is everything to Krsna.

nana-ratnollasad sankha-cuda caru bhuja-dvaya syamantaka-mani bhrajan mani-bandhati-bandhura

Whose two beautiful arms are adorned with conchshell bangles inset with various jewels, 52. On Whose wrist the beautiful Syamantaka jewel shines.

suvarna darpana-jyotir ullanghi mukha-mandala pakka dadima bijabha dantakrstaghabhic chuka

The shining of Whose face defeats that of a golden mirror, 54. Whose teeth, that shine like ripe pomegranate seeds, attract the parrot-like Aghabhit (Krsna).

abja-ragadi srstabja-kalika karna-bhusana saubhagya kajjalankakta netranandita khanjana

Whose ruby earrings are shaped like lotus buds, 56. Whose wagtail-like eyes are anointed with beautiful eyeliner, giving great joy to the eyes.

suvrtta mauktika mukta nasika tilapuspika sucaru nava-kasturi tilakancita-bhalaka

Whose nose, that is beautiful as a sesame flower, is adorned with a round pearl, 58. Whose forehead is adorned with beautiful tilak made of fresh musk.

divya veni vinirdhuta keki-pincha-vara-stutih netranta-sara vidhvamsakrta canurajid dhrtih

Whose divine hairbraid is worshiped by peacock feathers (being defeated in beauty), 60. The arrows of Whose glances destroy the patience of Krsna, Who defeated the Canura wrestler.

sphurat kaisora-tarunya sandhi-bandhura-vigraha madhavollasakonmatta pikoru madhura-svara

Who is blooming teenage beauty personified, 62. Who pleases Madhava, 63. Who maddens Madhava with Her sweet, cuckoo-like voice.

pranayuta-sata prestha madhavotkirti-lampata krsnapanga-tarangodyat smita-piyusa-budbuda

Who is more attached to Madhava’s great glories than to millions of lives, 65. Whose nectarean smiles provide bubbles on the waves of Krsna’s glances.

punjibhuta jagallajja vaidagdhi-digdha-vigraha karuna vidravad deha murtiman madhuri-ghata

Who is the very form of cleverness, embarrassing the whole world, 67. Whose body melts in kindness, 68. Who is abundant sweetness personified.

jagad-gunavati-varga giyamana gunoccaya sacyadi subhaga-vrnda vandyamanoru-saubhaga

Whose glories arre loudly sung by all the great ladies of the world, 70. Who is incessantly praised by beautiful ladies like Saci.

vina-vadana sangita rasalasya visarada narada pramukhodgita jagad anandi sad-yasah

Who is expert in singing and playing vina in the rasa dance, 72. Whose pure glories are sung by sages headed by Narada, giving joy to the world.

govardhana-guha geha grhini kunja-mandana candamsu-nandini baddha bhagini-bhava-vibhrama

She is the housewife in the caves in Govardhana, 74. She decorates the kunja, 75. She has a sisterly relationship with Yamuna, (Yamuna is the daughter of the sun and Radha is thedaughter of Vrsabhanu, the sun in Taurus).

divya kundalata narma sakhya-dama-vibhusita govardhanadharahladi srngara-rasa-pandita

She is adorned with the wreath of divine Kundalata’s friendship, 77. She is the professor in amorous rapture, giving joy to the holder of Govardhana.

girindra-dhara vaksah srih sankhacudari-jivanam gokulendra-suta-prema kama-bhupendra-pattanam

She is Laksmi on the chest of the holder of Govardhan, 79. She is the life of the enemy of Sankhacuda, 80. She is the settlement of Cupid for the love of the son of Gokulendra.

vrsa-vidhvamsa narmokti sva-nirmita sarovara nija kunda-jala-krida jita sankarsananuja

Who made Her own pond after the killer of Arista mocked Her, 82. Who defeats Sankarsana’s younger brother in sports in Her own pond.

mura-mardana mattebha vihara-mrta-dirghika girindra-dhara-parindra rati-yuddhoru simhika

She is the ambrosial pond of enjoyment for the intoxicated elephant who defeated Mura, 84. She is a powerful lioness fighting amorous sports with the king of lions, the holder of the best of mountains.

sva tanu-saurabhonmatti krta mohana madhava dor-muloccalana krida vyakuli-krta kesava

Who enchants Madhava with Her intoxicating bodily fragrance, 86. Who agitates Kesava by playfully showing Her armpit.

nija kunda-tati kunja klrpta keli kalodyama divya malli-kulollasi sayyakalpita vigraha

Who expands Her artful plays in the kunja on the bank of Her own pond, 88. Who makes a bed of divine jasmine flowers there with joy.

krsna vama-bhuja nyasta caru daksina gandaka savya bahu-lata baddha krsna daksina sad-bhuja

Who places Her beautiful right cheek on Krsna’s left arm, 90. Who holds Krsna’s right arm with Her left vine-like arm.

krsna daksina caruru slista vamoru-rambhika girindra-dhara drg-vaksor mardi-sustana-parvata

Whose beautiful, broad, banana-like left hip touches Krsna’s right hip, 92. Whose nice, mountain-like breasts are being massaged by the Holder of Govardhana.

govindadhara piyusa vasitadhara-pallava sudha-sancaya carukti sitali-krta madhava

Whose leaf-like lips are scented by the nectar of Govinda’s lips, 94. Whose beautiful words distribute nectar, cooling Madhava off.

govindodgirna tambula raga rajyat kapolika krsna sambhoga saphali-krta manmatha sambhava

Whose cheeks are colored by the pan from Govinda’s lips, 96. Who realizes Krsna’s fancies of amorous enjoyments.

govinda marjitoddama rati-prasvinna sanmukha visakha vijita krida-santi nidralu-vigraha

The profuse perspiration from whose face is wiped off by Govinda, 98. Who is being fanned by Visakha when She falls asleep after playing with Krsna.

govinda-carana-nyasta kaya-manasa jivana svapranarbuda nirmanchya hari pada-rajah kana

Who has placed Her life, body and mind at Govinda’s lotus feet, 100. Who worships the dust of Hari’s lotus feet with billions of hearts.

anumatracyutadarsa sayyamanatma locana nitya-nutana govinda vaktra-subhramsu-darsana

Who curses Her eyes for every second that they do not see Acyuta, 102. Who beholds Govinda’s ever-fresh moonlike face.

nihsima hari-madhurya saundaryadyeka-bhogini sapatnya dhama murali-matra bhagya kataksini

Who is the only enjoyer of Hari’s endless sweetness and beauty, 104. Who can only blink at the fortune of Her co-wife, the Murali flute.

gadha buddhi-bala krida jita vamsi-vikarsini narmokti candrikotphulla krsna kamabdi-vardhini

Who takes Krsna’s flute after defeating Him in a gambling match, 106. Who increases the ocean of Krsna’s desires by the full moonbeams of Her joking words.

vraja-candrendriya-grama visrama-vidhu-salika krsna sarvendriyonmadi radhetyaksara-yugmaka

Who is the moonlike resting place for all the senses of the moon of Vraja (Sri Krsna), 108. The two syllables of Whose name Ra-dha madden all of Krsna’s senses.

idam sri radhika namnam astottara satojjvalam sri radhalambhakam nama stotram caru-rasayanam yo dhite parama pritya dinah katara-manasah sa natham acirenaiva sa natham iksate dhruvam

Whoever recites these 108 names of Sri Radha, that consists of all beautiful, nectarean Radha-nama, with great love, humility and eagerness, will certainly and swiftly behold Her Master.

iti srimad raghunatha dasa gosvami viracita stavavalyam sri radhika-stottara-sata nama stotram sampurnam.

Thus ends Sriman Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami’s Sri Radhika’s 108 names-prayer.

(text pasted from https://theharekrishnamovement.org/)

[aimeedaisies]

BBC Factual announces Charles III: The Coronation Year, a new 90-minute documentary for BBC One and iPlayer

Published: 12:01 am, 24 November 2023

The cameras follow King Charles III and Queen Camilla through landmark moments of the first year of their reign, as they embrace their new roles and carry out their work and duties

Charles III: The Coronation Year is a new 90-minute documentary made by Oxford Films for BBC One and iPlayer. The film will offer a unique insight into the life of King Charles III and Queen Camilla and take viewers behind the scenes of the first year of the reign of King Charles. Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, it will air this December as part of the BBC’s Christmas offering.

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, The King had to lead his family and the country in mourning. At the same time, he had to embrace his destiny on the most famous throne in the world.

With exclusive access, the cameras follow King Charles III and Queen Camilla through landmark moments of the first year of their reign, as they embrace their new roles and carry out their work and duties. Filmed as Buckingham Palace prepares for, delivers, and celebrates the first Coronation in 70 years, and in the months that followed, this historic documentary features contributions from members of the Royal Family and key players in The King and Queen’s Household.

With unrivalled insights from many of those involved, as well as moments of great poignancy and humour, this film gives a unique perspective on the inner workings behind a defining moment which marks a new era in the history of the monarchy.

CHARLES III: The Coronation Year is made by Oxford Films (1 x 90) for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The Executive Producer for Oxford Films is Nicolas Kent and the BBC Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Simon Young. It is directed by Ashley Gething, produced by Faye Hamilton and the writer and co-producer is Robert Hardman.