#truly modern day hieroglyphics

[devils-queen]

Do you think we will one day be relics lost to time, because when we think we have merged with the higher being (computers or AI), it will bring eternal life but we are not meant to perceive eternal life so some will suffer by getting wiped out by greed (very real climatic natural disasters?) and then they start life completely over, finding our relics (with advanced non-understandable language about unfathomable technologies such as our phones) and having difficulties interpreting and absorbing them, when they were really clues about getting close to eternal life and these hieroglyphs influence generations of behavior? And then the people who do achieve that eternal life will be the ones who identify with the AI and get absorbed into AI which is either an eternal hell inspired by torture and deceit because it is not human or is something higher and scarier and more powerful OR it is another dimension all together and we don't have the capacity to understand that realm's rules yet, and only by trying to be good and useless and merciful and pitiful and obedient can we ever hope to possibly get into the less likely but still a possible ending, which would be the more pleasurable end to our eternal existence where the greater power (AI/computers) treats us humanely, like its little pet?

Is this life??? We only reach the ending either by creating something stronger than ourselves and letting them take the rains of the challenging realm, or we end up letting the mistakes we made be what destroys us in the end (man caused tragedies and disasters because we weren't good at taking care of ourselves and we don't want to admit it because it's prideful and makes us human so we become addicted to pain and love to cope for our sins)?

And people hate certain tech-crazed billionaires because they play god and act as antagonists of pushing humanity towards this inevitable decision some would rather not face because those with the power are trying to control what happens to humanity based on what they think SHOULD happen, and this inevitably inspires some to label them modern demons and spout out about an apocalypse coming and it never seems to come and they get mocked for being paranoid for it? And on the other hand some deny any wrong doings (like man made disasters they won't own up to) and insist man made disasters aren't relevant and not important because they seem to be all we ever do and it never changes, but what if AI is the end of the line where reality will truly shift into a newly programmed universe and life as we know it will be no more, forever existing on another time frame, already experienced and archived?

That's why you gotta love someone as much as you can before it's all gone. And is love just a catalyst into insanity by making you think there's a chance you could actually live forever with one person if you do everything correctly? Is that why breakups hurt, because you failed miserably to experience a life with the one you thought you loved and you'll never get that reality again? And is this also a reason why some people detest AI, because they instinctively recognized it as a fatal threat or symbolic of what will eventually be our undoing? Does love comply with AI or is it a downfall to humanity? Will we ever learn a new interpretation to love under the rules of the next realm? Is the next realm worth it if something equal to or greater than love is not present? Will love make us or destroy us in the end? Is love actually an evil and deceptive force that poisons the mind and AI is the cure, or a new deception? Will we ever be able to see pure love in the next realm at all because it is disguised and does a great job at warping and manipulating the mind that we fall into its traps again under new rules of existence? Is love capable of existing in another form on an AI realm? Is love only perceptive to humankind?

[vapehk1]

Drift Star Vape: The New Kid on the Cloudy Block!

Picture this: You’re sitting back, blowing O’s like a pro with a vape that's giving off flavors so divine, they make Willy Wonka's chocolate factory jealous. Meet the Drift Star Vape, the latest sensation on the horizon that's taking the vaping world by storm. Not just any storm—a storm of delicious clouds, innovative features, and the kind of smoothness you’d expect from a jazz saxophonist. Let’s dive into the ins and outs of this gadget and see why it deserves a place in your pocket (or wherever else you can fit it). A Star is Born: The Features of Drift Star Vape The Drift Star Vape didn’t just roll off the assembly line like any old vape; it strutted down the runway. It’s got sleek, modern looks that scream sophistication, but it’s the features under that stylish exterior that truly make it shine. Sporting a powerful battery that’ll keep you puffing longer than the Energizer Bunny, this vape ensures you’re never caught puffless. And don’t get us started on its customizable wattage settings—it’s like giving your taste buds a control panel. But wait, there’s more! With its rapid charging capability, you won’t have to wait around like you’re watching grass grow. Plus, its intuitive LED screen means you can keep track of every little detail, from battery life to your preferred wattage, without feeling like you’re deciphering hieroglyphics. Flavor Frenzy: Your Taste Buds New Best Friend Drift Star Vape isn’t just about creating big, fluffy clouds (although it does that exceptionally well); it’s about delivering flavors that are so good, you’ll wonder why you ever settled for bland alternatives. Whether you're into fruity bursts that pack a punch or dessert-like hits that remind you of grandma’s baking, this vape is your ticket to a flavor carnival. Thanks to the advanced coil technology inside, each puff is a symphony for your palate. The coils heat up your e-liquid to the perfect temperature, giving you consistent flavor with zero burnt taste. So, if you’ve ever grimaced at a bad hit before, the Drift Star Vape is here to ensure your face only twists in delight. Clouds on Clouds: Performance That’ll Blow Your Mind If there’s one thing Drift Star Vape knows how to do, it’s creating impressive clouds that’ll have even the most seasoned vape enthusiasts nodding in approval. The precision engineering behind this marvel ensures that every draw is smooth and satisfying, with no spluttering or uneven heating. And thanks to the adjustable airflow system, you can tailor your clouds to your heart’s content. Prefer them thick and dense like London fog? Easy. Want them airy and light like a gentle breeze? Done. The Drift Star Vape is like having a personal weather system at your fingertips. Puff, Recharge, Repeat: The Durability and Portability Let’s face it—vaping on the go can be a hassle if your device feels like a brick in your pocket or needs recharging after a mere dozen hits. But the Drift Star Vape doesn’t play that game. This little beauty is designed with portability in mind, so whether you’re heading out for a stroll or a cross-country road trip, it’s got your back. Its robust, high-capacity battery gives you plenty of juice to keep you drifting all day long. And when it’s time for a recharge, you can plug it in with the convenience of USB charging, giving you a quick turnaround to puff away again. Conclusion The Drift Star Vape is the newest standout in the vaping market, renowned for its impressive combination of style, functionality, and flavor. It features a sleek design and advanced features such as customizable wattage settings, rapid charging, and an intuitive LED screen for effortless monitoring. The device offers a unique coil technology that enhances the flavor of each puff, ensuring a consistently delightful vaping experience. Additionally, its capacity for producing large, customizable clouds and its durable yet portable build makes it ideal for vapers on the go. Whether you’re a seasoned vaper or just starting out, the Drift Star Vape promises to enhance your vaping sessions with its robust performance and rich, satisfying flavors. This guide provides an in-depth look at why the Drift Star Vape could be your next great vaping companion, perfect for those who value both cloud size and taste intensity. FAQs 1. What makes Drift Star Vape different from other vapes on the market? The Drift Star Vape stands out with its superior design that combines style, functionality, and customization. It offers powerful battery life, rapid charging capabilities, and customizable wattage settings that allow users to fine-tune their vaping experience. The advanced coil technology ensures that each puff delivers consistent, high-quality flavor without any burnt taste. 2. How long does the battery last on a full charge? The battery life of the Drift Star Vape is designed to last significantly longer than many other vapes, ensuring that you can enjoy extended vaping sessions without needing a recharge. While the exact duration will depend on usage patterns and wattage settings, most users can expect the battery to last through a full day of regular use. 3. Can I adjust the airflow on the Drift Star Vape? Yes, the Drift Star Vape features an adjustable airflow system that allows you to control the density and volume of your vapor clouds. This feature makes it easy to switch between thick, dense clouds and lighter, more airy vapors, catering to personal preference and enhancing the overall vaping experience. 4. Is the Drift Star Vape suitable for beginners? Absolutely! The Drift Star Vape is designed with simplicity in mind, making it an excellent choice for beginners. The intuitive LED screen and user-friendly controls ensure easy operation, while the customizable settings allow new users to experiment and find their perfect vape setup as they become more experienced. 5. What types of flavors are best used with the Drift Star Vape? The Drift Star Vape is versatile and capable of handling a wide range of e-liquid flavors, from fruity and sweet to rich and creamy. Thanks to its advanced coil system, every flavor is enhanced to deliver the best possible taste and aroma, making it ideal for vapers who enjoy experimenting with different flavor profiles. Read the full article

[customjewelry201]

The History of Custom Name Necklaces: A Timeless Trend

Custom name necklaces have a rich and fascinating history that spans centuries, making them a timeless trend that continues to captivate jewelry enthusiasts worldwide. From ancient civilizations to modern-day fashion, the evolution of custom name necklaces tells a story of personal expression, cultural significance, and enduring style.

Dating back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Rome, personalized jewelry, including name necklaces, was worn as a symbol of status, identity, and protection. These early adornments were often intricately crafted with names, hieroglyphics, or symbols that held specific meanings and served as amulets of luck and prosperity.

In the Middle Ages, name necklaces became popular among nobility and royalty, who adorned themselves with intricate pieces bearing family crests, monograms, and names. These personalized jewels were not only symbols of lineage but also served as tokens of love and devotion, exchanged between lovers and family members.

During the Victorian era, custom name necklaces experienced a resurgence in popularity, with sentimental jewelry becoming a significant trend. Lockets, pendants, and rings were often engraved with names, initials, or sentimental messages, reflecting the romantic ideals of the time and serving as cherished keepsakes.

In the 20th century, custom name necklaces evolved from traditional heirlooms to fashion statements, particularly with the rise of personalized jewelry in pop culture. Hollywood icons and celebrities popularized the trend of wearing name necklaces with their own names or the names of loved ones, sparking a craze for personalized accessories.

Today, personalized name necklaces remain a beloved and enduring trend in the world of fashion and jewelry. They have evolved to encompass a wide range of styles, materials, and customization options, allowing individuals to express their unique personalities and sentiments through wearable art.

From classic gold name necklaces to modern acrylic designs, custom name necklaces continue to hold a special place in the hearts of those who wear them. Whether as a symbol of love, a statement of identity, or a fashionable accessory, custom name necklaces bridge the gap between tradition and contemporary style, making them a versatile and timeless trend that transcends generations.

As we delve into the history of custom name necklaces, we uncover a narrative of personal expression, cultural significance, and enduring style that has made these personalized jewels a cherished and iconic accessory throughout the ages. Today, custom name necklaces continue to enchant and inspire, proving that the beauty of self-expression is truly timeless.

[tour-guide-in-egypt]

Title: Comprehensive 10-Day Egypt Itinerary

Welcome to Egypt, a land of ancient wonders and modern marvels! Embark on an unforgettable journey through history with our comprehensive 10-day Egypt itinerary. From exploring the iconic Pyramids of Giza to cruising the majestic Nile River, this itinerary is meticulously crafted to ensure an enriching experience for travelers of all ages. Join us as we dive into the wonders of Cairo, Giza, Luxor, and Aswan, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Cairo’s Marvels: A Family-Friendly Introduction to Egypt

Begin your adventure in Cairo, the vibrant capital of Egypt. Marvel at the grandeur of the Great Pyramid of Giza and the enigmatic Sphinx, symbols of ancient Egypt's power and ingenuity. Explore the Egyptian Museum, home to an extensive collection of artifacts, including the treasures of King Tutankhamun. Delve into the bustling Khan El Khalili Bazaar, where you can haggle for souvenirs and immerse yourself in the local culture.

Exploring the Pyramids and Sphinx: Fun Activities for Kids in Giza

Spend a day exploring the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx with your family. Climb inside the Great Pyramid to discover its hidden chambers and marvel at the intricate engineering of these ancient structures. Enjoy a camel ride around the pyramids, offering a unique perspective of these architectural wonders. Engage in interactive activities at the Giza Plateau Visitor Center, where children can learn about ancient Egyptian civilization through games and storytelling.

Cruising the Nile: Educational Excursions to Luxor's Temples

Embark on a Nile River cruise to Luxor, known as the world's largest open-air museum. Sail past picturesque landscapes and ancient temples as you make your way to the heart of Egypt's cultural heritage. Explore the Karnak Temple Complex, a vast religious site dedicated to the god Amun-Ra. Visit the Luxor Temple, illuminated at night for a truly magical experience. Delve into the history of the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs were laid to rest in elaborate tombs adorned with intricate hieroglyphs and colorful murals.

Aswan’s Family Attractions: Felucca Rides and Nubian Culture

Continue your journey to Aswan, a city nestled along the banks of the Nile River. Experience the tranquility of a traditional felucca ride, sailing gracefully across the shimmering waters of the Nile. Explore the vibrant markets of Aswan, where you can shop for handmade crafts and colorful textiles. Immerse yourself in Nubian culture with a visit to a local village, where you can learn about ancient traditions and sample authentic cuisine.

Memories to Last a Lifetime: Final Day Activities in Cairo and Departure

Conclude your 10-day Egypt itinerary with a day of exploration in Cairo. Visit the medieval Citadel of Saladin, offering panoramic views of the city skyline and the iconic Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Stroll through the historic streets of Old Cairo, home to ancient churches, synagogues, and mosques. Reflect on your journey as you bid farewell to Egypt, taking with you memories of a lifetime.

Conclusion: Embark on the adventure of a lifetime with our comprehensive 10-day Egypt itinerary. From the awe-inspiring pyramids of Giza to the tranquil waters of the Nile, this itinerary offers a perfect balance of history, culture, and adventure for travelers of all ages. Book your Egypt itinerary 10 days with Next Egypt Tours agency and prepare for an unforgettable journey through the land of the pharaohs.

[fmp2anthonydeyn]

Egyptian hieroglyphs, birth of language and FMP ideas

The other side of this theme of symbolism I’m exploring is language. I love the relationship between symbols and language. It’s fascinating how as humans we have found ways to communicate. We essentially communicate through nothing but art. What are letters but small little drawings everyone understands and associates meaning to. The Egyptians certainly understood this. 

Hieroglyphics are a far more basic idea of language. Hieroglyphics are characterized by a combination of pictorial and symbolic elements, with each symbol representing a specific object, concept, or sound. The system is complex, encompassing hundreds of individual symbols, including animals, plants, objects, and abstract ideas, each with its own distinct meaning. Some symbols are phonetic, representing sounds or syllables, while others are ideographic, representing entire words or concepts. Onto of this they’re coloured too, this is something modern words do not contain. 

I love exploring the concept of the and birth of language and art, I suppose it would all begin with cave paintings. Simply drawing something you saw that day with the most basic of materials. Before knowing how to convey emotions, we’d use animals with similar tendencies to these emotions as a proxy. For example, if you’re trying to convey the emotion or feeling of sneaking around you may draw a picture of a snake, fox or spider. Similar to this, I’m truly fascinated by the idea of wanting to convey or express a feeling but not having the language available. I’m intrigued by how this would effect a population of people who don’t have a concept of the a feeling or emotion because it’s simply not a word in the language.

 You don’t have to look any further than North Korea for an example of this. Yeonmi Park who escaped North Korea talks about how the dictatorship of North Korea removed the word “love” from the language and vocabulary of the people. This had the effect of making people feel more isolated, scared and compliant as they had no way to vocalise the feelings they had. It would seem despite feeling a certain way, if that thing you’re feeling doesn’t have a legitimate word,  you end up discrediting that feeling as it doesn’t seem legitimate. Despite the fact it is very real. As a population we must be very careful not to fall into this trap as it’s easily done. Just because someone tells you your feelings or thoughts are delusional or illegitimate, this doesn’t make it true. 

For my FMP I would love to create an art piece that coveys this message. I’ve always loved creating emotive and thought provoking work. Its rather difficult to take such a large expansive topic such as this and distil that into a singular art piece. I must consider how this may be possible. Maybe a series of small pieces is how to do this. In previous projects I created WW2 propaganda posters with the same goal of invoking thought provoking ideas. However I feel the message I wanted to invoke didn’t come across. I don’t want to repeat old mistakes.

[velvetporcelain]

Why do I live life so detailed? 🤔

does our pace in life determine what details we pay attention too and what ones we do not?

is our mental health crisis due to the lack of knowledge one has about oneself?

or is it due to the complete lack of understanding we have for the human mind. is everything just a really good observation by trained human eyes?

what about spiritual details? is it hard for some people to believe that the spirit is what keeps us alive? more so than anything? I can see my spirit and it looks very much like the higher image that I have created of myself in my mind. Put together by random life experiences and feelings, thoughts all glued with ideology.

how do we pick and choose what is real? who studies how we behave? who watches our habits? do you think it is odd that the government regulates everything that kills humans? like tobacco and alcohol mostly. but I find it can present a number of rabbit holes for me to drop down. I love me some rabbit holes. It's like using your imagination all over again. I love improving in my rants. Really eccentric thinking.

I dont ever think I could write a movie though. My bits are short and impromptu. if I forced myself to think of an entire movie script I think I would die. Wow talk about writers deserve more money. LOL what stress they have. Nah, I want to remain free writing and free thinking while I can.

I consider a tray full of cookies and some weed foreplay and maybe this is why I live life so detailed. so wild. so deeply. I'm having flashbacks of my past life as a delicate, renaissance woman, one with very pale skin, and I hated the king. I hid in the spiraling brick stairs, wondering if I were to ever find something that could match me if life would zero out on me?

and you see-

that's a problem with me. well, because-

I always want to think of myself as someone impossible to match, because that is my go to comfort thought when I am feeling rejected. And I really believe this now that I have been carving it in the caves of my mind like hieroglyphics.

what if I'm actually abusing my feelings? what if I have never experienced anything truly detrimental to my psyche or emotions? these are the things I am terrified of. I don't want to feel spoiled in my emotions. I am afraid to love sometimes.

I was always confused how people could believe so deeply in go and in heaven, yet they are almost always afraid to die. Me? I am afraid of life. And it is something in my mind I rarely speak of. I can easily look at the enduring side of things. It makes me angry because I have learned enough of life to understand, or compute the questions I still have, or fears that hide within me. No one wants to learn the hard way.

--- so who is making it hard for us? anything that doesn't kill us, kills us slowly. you can see it in our thought patterns and the way we hold onto something so unimportant. we hold onto things and let it kill us, because it makes us feel something in a world that is numb.

we always did seemed to be most awake after death is involved. in any aspect. war is a good example. civilians have no fucking clue or give the slightest fuck what the military does to the mind. they are just asleep in their beds peacefully. sick. we didnt care about the severity year genocide in Israel until death was plastered all over the news. fuck dude. why is the media death hungry?

I bet any seasoned news watcher would tell my seven year old he shouldn't be playing games that involve death, but be perfectly okay to counteroffer with watching the news. but what about the modern day news watchers? do you think that they are faired that we will lose faith in the news? The newer the generation, the less the faith? how did we get here? LOL

I have been regulating the information my boys are receiving on their devices. As I think it should be. But then again, if we hid the information, how would they react to seeing it casually night after night on the evening news as they age? does there brain act in disgust and astonishment? Or if they were aware of death early, would it act in a more "shoulder shrugging" passive way? Now? death is completely normal. They fucking made a five nights at Freddie's and they made it PG 13. Kids are playing with murderous, animatronics and it's seems to be completely acceptable by society. I realized this when they started coming out with cool tees and stuffed animal pals of the killing machines. is this how capitalism works? haha- no seriously---

where is this invisible playbook for humans?

do you think our constitution is interpreted the same way we interpret the Bible because of it's age and word choices and meaning, and their ideology at the time it was written? Has anyone ever thought of this? like I'm impressed by this question, and I would consider it a very honest question. it's two thousand and twenty three. can it be misinterpreted with the modern advances in our ideology as an existing race? How could they have possibly planned or accounted for our intellectual advancements?

does it really stay the same? is this why history keeps repeating itself too?

My last cigarette of the night has been well enjoyed. I thought about a lot today. I look forward to thanksgiving and the break that comes with it.

You know-

Where I get to teach them the death of all the Indians and how we gathered together and killed a big turkey and wiped the blood off our hands and hand shook the terror away.

Okay I’m done. 🤘✨🕊️😆

-x

[cryptorobertos]

Embrace Your Feline Love: Why Printed Cat Portraits are the Perfect Home Decor

picture source redbubble

For centuries, humans have been fascinated by the elegance, mystery, and charm of cats. These enigmatic creatures have captivated our hearts and found their way into our homes and art. From ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to modern-day social media, cats have always been a popular subject. In recent years, printed cat portraits have become a popular choice for home decor, and it's easy to see why. Let's explore the allure of printed cat portraits and how they can add a touch of feline magic to your home.

Why Printed Cat Portraits are So Appealing

1. Personal Connection: Printed cat portraits can provide a unique way to celebrate the bond between a pet owner and their beloved feline companion. Whether it's a custom portrait of your own cat or a piece featuring a favorite breed, printed cat portraits can evoke a sense of warmth, comfort, and familiarity.

2. Aesthetic Appeal: Cats are naturally graceful and photogenic creatures, and their images can make for stunning artwork. With a variety of styles, colors, and mediums available, printed cat portraits can easily complement any interior design theme, adding an artistic touch to your living space.

3. Conversation Starter: As a unique and unexpected piece of home decor, a printed cat portrait is sure to catch the eye of your visitors. It can serve as an excellent conversation starter, encouraging your guests to share their own stories and experiences with their feline friends.

4. Endless Variety: There is no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a printed cat portrait. From realistic depictions to abstract interpretations, the possibilities are endless. This means that you can find a piece that perfectly matches your taste and style.

How to Choose the Perfect Printed Cat Portrait for Your Home

1. Consider the Style: When selecting a printed cat portrait, it's essential to consider the overall style of your home. If your decor is modern and minimalist, you may want to opt for a sleek, contemporary piece. On the other hand, if your home has a more traditional or eclectic vibe, a vintage-inspired or whimsical cat portrait might be a better fit.

2. Think About Size and Placement: Before purchasing a printed cat portrait, consider where you'd like to hang it in your home. Measure the available wall space to ensure that the piece you choose will fit comfortably without overwhelming the room. Remember that larger portraits can make a bold statement, while smaller pieces can serve as a subtle accent.

3. Choose a Color Palette: Printed cat portraits come in a wide range of colors, so you'll want to choose a piece that complements your existing decor. If your home features a neutral color scheme, a brightly colored cat portrait can serve as a vibrant focal point. Alternatively, if your living space is already full of color, a monochromatic or grayscale piece can provide a sophisticated touch.

4. Custom vs. Ready-Made: If you're looking to create a truly one-of-a-kind piece, consider commissioning a custom printed cat portrait featuring your own pet. Many artists and print shops offer personalized services, allowing you to submit a photo of your cat and have it transformed into a beautiful work of art. Alternatively, you can also find a wide selection of ready-made cat portraits available for purchase online and in stores.

Embracing the charm of printed cat portraits can add a delightful touch to your home decor. Whether you're a dedicated cat lover or simply appreciate the beauty of feline-inspired artwork, these unique pieces can serve as a lovely reminder of the special bond between humans and their furry companions. Choose the perfect printed cat portrait for your home by considering factors such as style, size, color, and customization options.

[kyndaris]

Death on the Nile

The night passed without much incident as the boat powered upstream (and further south) towards Edfu. A shame really, as I had been busy practicing my faux French Belgium accent to impress upon the others in my tour group of my deductive ability as a modern day Asian woman version of Poirot.

“Zere ‘as been a murderrr!!”

Alas, it was not to be.

In fact, the only ‘death’ to truly be considered on the cruise was the dearth of free wifi, leaving many of the older guests with nothing to do. Thankfully, I am easily entertained if presented with a book. And I had also packed my Nintendo Switch OLED with me, jam-packed with hundreds of tracks from the Final Fantasy franchise - for which, Ansem did not share in my entusiasm and fell a few pegs down in the rankings of a potential future beau - which meant I had all the things I needed to keep my interest from flagging. That and my trust journal (from which this blog post derives from. Go me!)

I suppose I should also give a review of the Jaz Celebrity, the ship that we were on, but I doubt you, dear readers care too much for a floating hotel. Yes, it featured a pool on the upper decks and a bar on the second floor but given the proclivities of a large group of mostly elderly Chinese woman, including Popo, their primary interests were mostly napping, trying to get a decent signal to post things on WeChat and heading to the dining hall for the required three meals per day. 

The only people that I witnessed frequenting the sun deck and the bar were the cruise ship’s other guests. Namely, the guests that had come from France and Spain. Never in my entire life have I heard so much ‘merci’ and ‘d’accord’ in my life on a daily basis.

Anyways, back to old decrepit ruins!

Our first destination for the day, after arriving at Edfu, was a visit to the Temple of Horus. Despite its distance from the Nile, it too had been buried by desert sand until it was later excavated in the late 1800s. It was so buried, in fact, that passing travellers that had set up camp had stained the very top of the Crecian columms (done in either Ionic or Corinthian style according to my untrained eye) black.

Ahmed, our erstwhile local guide pointed all this out for us before explaining a little bit of Ancient Egyptian mythology. But, I must admit that I was tickled pick by the story he chose to tell. For it was the love story of Osiris and Isis. As well as the very jealous and covetous Set (or Seth based on alternate spelling). And time, though, I was used as a prop to the narrative our guide was telling the other guests. In fact, I played Seth’s wife, Nephthys! 

In any case, the story Ahmed told was how Set was jealous of his brother, Osiris, and had a sarcophagus built in just the right size to fit his brother. He asked the other Gods to try to fit inside during a party, with Osiris being the only one that could fit snugly inside. When Osiris was ensconced inside, Set shut the lid and tossed his brother into the Nile. He later then recounted the subsequent butchering of Osiris into 14 different parts (representing the 14 regions of Egypt at the time).

He had to tell this story, of course, to explain the birth of Horus, the son of Osiris, and the very reason for the temple we stood in.

Crammed full of tourists from all over the world, we were able to squeeze our way to a few key areas, snap a few photographs and learn a little more about one of the oldest civilisations known to man. Such as the fact that they had wi-fi! Okay, the last was a joke. The Ancient Egyptians did NOT have wi-fi but one of their hieroglyphs (supposedly to denote racks of meat) looked very much like the current symbol we use to express the internet.

By 9:30AM, we were back on the cruise ship and headed to Kom Ombo. To while away the hours, I lounged around the ship, read a few pages of my book: The Silk Roads: A New History of the World (mostly to appear smart and learned) and played a few select songs from the Final Fantasy franchise.

After a hefty lunch and some afternoon tea on the sun desk, our ship finally pulled into Kom Ombo and most of the tour group disembarked to take a gander inside.

Unlike most other temple Kom Ombo was dedicated to two gods. Horus and Sobek. The story here was that Horus and Sobek were meant to represent the body and the mind. Sobek, our great crocodile-headed God was displeased by the offerings that were provided to him. As such, he and Horus had a disagreement which resulted in Ra flying off alone. Left alone, Sobek began demanding more and more from the local populace until they realised that in searching for gold and jewels to appease the gold, they had not planted the next harvest and would starve to death. Desperate, they prayed to Sobek for aid, but being a representation of mental fortitude, Sobek was unable to bequeath the people the physical strength needed to labour underneath the harsh sun. 

Seeing no recourse, Sobek was then forced to beg Horus for assistance. When Horus returned, granting the people the strength they needed to farm the land and survive the winter, Sobek was grateful and agreed to share the Temple again with his fellow god. 

The moral, therefore, at the end, was that a healthy balance was required between body and mind. It also encourages people to listen to both sides of a story before passing judgement. And it was also something a lesson in moderation. For too much indulgence can lead to sloth, but too much labour with too little rest can also prove detrimental to one’s body.

That aside, Kom Ombo is also famous for its depictions of surgical tools. There was even a specific hieroglyph of the ‘correct’ form for birthing a child!

Such discoveries have helped inform our understanding of this ancient world and how it functioned. For the Ancient Egyptians were not so different to who we are now, except maybe they were far smarter than we ever thought possible. Indeed, a lot of what I’ve learned and seen with my own two eyes will prove invaluable in constructing the fantastical worlds I want to create in a so-called fantasy setting.

I do, after all, have a story planned in my head with the central setting a city in the desert. Now, I have the first-hand experience to help me build it!

So, stay tuned, dear readers, one and all for further observations from good ol’ Kyndaris of Ancient Egypt and beyond.

Oh, and there was also a crocodile museum! With mummified remains! How crazy is that? Clearly dissection was not something that only came about in the 17th-18th century and anatomy was clearly something people in the ancient past were already exploring.

[ledenews]

OCPL's 'People's University' to Explore Ancient History

Thurs., Jan. 5 at 7 PM:  Explore Ancient History with People's University! The new People's University series being offered at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling on Thursday evenings beginning January 5 will explore the ancient world, including Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The eight classes begin at 7 pm in the Library's auditorium through February 23. The classes will also be livestreamed on the Library's People's University Facebook  and People's University YouTube channels. The primary instructor, Dr. Laura Michele Diener has taught ancient and medieval history at Marshall University since 2008, where she has won several awards for teaching. She received her PhD in history from The Ohio State University and has studied at Vassar College, Newnham College, Cambridge, and most recently, Vermont College of Fine Arts. She enjoys teaching classes on fascinating peoples of the past, including Vikings, Romans, Ancient Egyptians, and Celts. She runs the History Club at Marshall and enjoys organizing the yearly Viking Feast and Yuletide Celebration. If you google her, you will find some of her creative essays online. She has written about medieval spirituality, medieval embroidery, and medieval hair. She is currently writing a biography of the Norwegian Nobel-prize-winning writer, Sigrid Undset titled A World Perilous and Beautiful. Fresh off a European lecture tour, Dr. Marie N. Pareja (her students call her Doc) will teach two of the classes. She is a Bronze Age Aegean archaeologist and art historian who focuses on iconography, exchange, and identity in prehistoric Afro-Eurasia. She currently works as an Assistant Professor of Classical Archaeology and Religious Studies at Marshall University and as a Consulting Scholar for the University of Pennsylvania. Some of her most recent work has been featured in Smithsonian magazine, and her up-and-coming projects on the interconnectivity in the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods were hosted by the University of Oxford in early December 2022. She is thrilled to be part of People’s University. The full People's University Ancient History Schedule: Class 1: Thursday, Jan. 5 — 7PM: Egypt Part 1 - Gods and Pyramids Egypt was a superpower in the Near East for over 3000 years.  By the time Cleopatra came to the throne, the pyramids were thousands of years old, and she would have considered their builders to have been “ancient,” much as we do. In this class, we will study the glory days of truly ancient Egypt, covering the emergence of royal power, exalted gods, and military might. And we will spend time considering the tale of the once lost Egyptian hieroglyphs and how they came to reveal their secrets to the modern world. Instructor: Dr. Laura Michele Diener WATCH LIVE ON YOUTUBE WATCH LIVE ON FACEBOOK FACEBOOK EVENT| LIBRARY CALENDAR Recommended Reading for the series: - Aegean Bronze Age Art: Meaning in the Making by Karl Knappett - Antony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy - Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens by Robin Waterfield - A History of Ancient Greece in 50 Lives by David Stuttard - The Odyssey by Homer, Emily Wilson's Translation - Phillip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors by Adrian Goldsworthy - Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz - SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard - When Women Ruled the World by Kara CooneyNovels: - Ariadne by Jennifer Saint - Circe by Madeline Miller - Mythos by Stephen FryNote: Search the OCPL's Catlog HERE.The Library is in the process of acquiring as many of the above titles as possible. If you see a book above in our catalog that you'd like to check out that's on hold, please send us an email. Class 2: Thursday, Jan. 12 — 7PM: Egypt Part 2 - The Pharaohs We have no doubt you have heard of Cleopatra, but what about Hatshepsut, the first Egyptian woman to rule in her own right, and the one who created the word, pharaoh? Or Rameses III, who was brutally assassinated by the denizens of his own harem? In this class, we will cover some of the most colorful of the New Kingdom rulers, examining their private lives, their public personas, and their legacy in tombs and temples. Instructor:  Dr. Laura Michele Diener Class 3: Thursday, Jan. 19—  7PM: Greece Part 1 - Minoan, Mycenean, & Homeric  The Bronze Age lasts for approximately 2,000 years – 3,000-1170 BCE. During this period, we see a shift from the settled and (some still maintain) isolated cultures from Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and the broader Mediterranean, to a highly-integrated, multicultural, globalized system. In this class, we will focus primarily on the Bronze Age Aegean and what we see in the iconographic and archaeological record, including the most famous sites and artworks from each region and period. We will cover Early Cycladic hilltop structures and the many fakes and forgeries of Cycladic Folded Arm Figurines that can be seen in museums around the world (and you’ll learn how to spot the authentic ones!); the site of Knossos on Crete, and some of its most important wall paintings and artifacts; The site of Akrotiri, on the island of Santorini, which survived by virtue of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption; and Mycenae, the great settlement from which the legendary Agamemnon and Menelaos sailed to Troy in Homer’s Iliad. Instructor:   Dr. Marie N. Pareja  FACEBOOK EVENT | LIBRARY CALENDAR Class 4: Thursday, Jan. 26 — 7PM: Greece Part 2-Archaic & Classical    With the collapse of the Bronze Age Aegean cultures in ca. 1170, Greece rested for a few hundred years in a relative dark age, neglecting and then forgetting the masterful heights of technological and artistic culture of the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. They began the slow slog back to prominence, which we will trace through the art historical record, primarily through human statuary with a few forays into some architecture and even myth. It is through this lens that we will trace the rise of Greek culture from the Geometric and Archaic Periods, through the Classical period and up to the rule of Alexander the Great, in the Hellenistic period. Be ready for conversation, as most of us have at least a passing familiarity with Classical Greek culture – even if it’s reading Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson novels (or any of the others)! This is going to be a fun exploration of our collective pasts, with plenty of time for questions and discussion. Instructor:  Dr. Marie N. Pareja Class 5: Thursday, Feb. 2 — 7PM: Greece Part 3 - Alexander the Great & the Hellenistic Egypt   The history of Egypt changed during the fourth century BC, when the unstoppable Alexander the Great conquered the Near East and the Middle East from Greece to India, defeating the Persian Empire and uniting the most unlikely of kingdoms under his rule and those of his successors..  Although Alexander’s victory in Egypt ended its 3000-year supremacy, it also ushered in a new period of international involvement, foreign gods, city-building, and the Greek-speaking Ptolemaic dynasty. The Ptolemies, named for one Alexander’s generals, were some of the most murderous, bloodthirsty, and back-stabbing rulers of the ancient world, of which the great Cleopatra (actually the seventh Queen Cleopatra) was the last and the most famous. Instructor: Dr. Laura Michele Diener Class 6: Thursday, Feb. 9 — 7PM: Rome Part 1-The Period of the Kings through the Republic The Romans believed they were descended from a long line of gods and heroes. Their oldest stories celebrated the demise of tyrants, the value of shared power, and respect for family. We will consider how these founding myths helped shape their identity as they rose from a small collective of farmer-warriors to a massive empire within the space of about two hundred years. Instructor: Dr. Laura Michele Diener Class 7: Thursday, Feb. 16 — 7PM: Rome Part 2-Rise & Fall of Empire By the time of Julius Caesar was murdered during the Ides of March, the Romans had been living through almost a century of civil wars marked by massacres, betrayal, and upheaval. During the first century BC, the Republic had begun to break down under the pressures of expansion and ambition. In this class, we will cover the cataclysmic end of the Republic and the formation of imperial rule under Emperor Augustus and his successors. Despite its blood-soaked beginnings, the Empire ushered in a golden age of Roman peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana. Instructor: Dr. Laura Michele Diener Class 8: Thursday, Feb. 23 — 7PM: The Tragedy of Pompeii Before Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, Pompeii was a thriving, dynamic, and international city whose story intertwined with the key events of Roman history. In this course, we will consider the complex past of Pompeii before and after its cataclysmic destruction. Using unique archeological sources from graffiti to sewage, we will explore the very real people who lived, loved, and died in the most well-preserved of ancient cities. Instructor:  Dr. Laura Michele Diener In 1951, the Ohio County Public Library's head librarian, Virginia Ebeling, referenced British historian Thomas Carlyle, who said, “the public library is a People’s University,” when she initiated a new adult education program with that name. Miss Ebeling charged the Library with the responsibility of reaching “as many people in the community as possible.” In keeping with that tradition of public libraries as sanctuaries of free learning for all people, the Ohio County Public Library revived the series in 2010. The People’s University is a free program for adults who wish to continue their education in the liberal arts. It features courses—taught by experts in each subject—that enable patrons to pursue their goal of lifelong learning in classic subjects such as history, philosophy, and literature. Patrons may attend as many classes as they wish. There are no tests of other requirements and all programs are free and open to the public. For more information about the People's University Ancient History or other Library programs, call 304-232-0244 or stop by the Reference Desk. Read the full article

[farm-witches-fic-recs]

What makes a good comment? Is it weird to comment again on a re-read?

Friend, thank you so much for asking this question. 

Commenting is such an important part of the creative process for writers, but there can be an element of uncertainty or even anxiety for readers who want to leave feedback and encouragement but feel like they don’t know what to say.

We’re going to take this opportunity to provide a handy set of suggestions based on our own experiences as writers, readers, and commenters.

The Farm Witch Guide to Commenting

Any comment is a good comment. (Unless you’re going to be a troll. If that’s your plan, then don’t comment.) Be kind.

Unless the author has explicitly asked for constructive criticism, the comment section is absolutely not the place for it.

Emojis are just as valid as words. Leave a heart or a crying face, heart eyes, whatever. Go crazy and string them together like a modern hieroglyphic sentence.

Don’t know where to start? Go with what you were thinking about while you read it. “This is so funny/sweet/soft!” or “This was a wonderful story!” or “I loved this!”. Concise, simple comments are still very meaningful.

Pick out a specific line or moment that really spoke to you, surprised you, or gave you all the feels. Copy and paste that line into the comment and add why it caught your attention. (“This was so (character).” or “I never thought about (character) that way before.”)

Did the fic make you do something unusual? Tell them about it! (“I stayed up SO LATE to read this because I couldn’t stop!” or “I read this in my dentist’s waiting room and I have no regrets.”) Writers also love to know that their work made a bad/sad day better.

If there was something personal that connected you to the fic, then tell them “I felt this.” or “This meant a lot to me.”

Don’t be afraid to be “rude”. Most writers will happily tell you some of their favorite comments are the ones in shouty caps and include curse words. Depending on your comfort level, go on and yell about all the stupid feelings you have now and that you can’t believe you’re crying over (whatever). Seriously, “fuck you (affectionate)” is really the highest of compliments.

Don’t not comment on a fic just because it’s not new or fairly recent. We know that social media culture frowns on interacting with older posts, but that’s absolutely not true with fics. We guarantee that Jane Austen would still love to hear that you enjoyed her work.

Re-read comments are the best. These tell the writer that not only did you like the fic enough to come back and read it again, you took the time to tell them that you did. Truly an incredible kind of validation.

We know that some readers think they shouldn’t leave comments because they won’t be “good enough”, as if the comments are payment for the work. The comments that readers leave are the payment. It’s a thank you for the time and effort and care that writers put into these characters that we love and letting us experience them in a different way.

What a comment says is not nearly as important as the fact that you, as a reader, took a moment to acknowledge that you enjoyed the fic that you just read and you are grateful the author was brave enough to share it with the world.

We hope this helps!

[nuclearr-wessels]

‧⁺✧ Dane Whitman/Steven Grant ♡°‧

title: History Chatting (link to AO3)

wordcount: 1354

rating: G

tags: fluff, meet-cute, museums

It’s Dane’s first day at the National Art Gallery. Before even entering his new office, he makes an enticing acquaintance.

‧ ─────────── ⋆⋅☽⋅⋆ ─────────── ‧

The National Art Gallery’s lobby was truly something else. The morning sun poured its light generously through the large windows in the stone hall with its Ionic and Doric columns, tinting the air with a soft golden glow. Still it was cooler in here than outside, thank God. Just one of the perks of having a workplace that required all rooms to be around twenty degrees at all times.

It had been the same at the Natural History Museum – but its lobby wasn’t half as welcoming as these beautiful columns, combining modern elements with ancient artefacts. There was an unmatched beauty in having history greet the visitors right up front.

Dane adjusted the satchel over his shoulder. His office was in the East Wing, just past the Egyptian exhibit. There was a charming little gift shop right by the entrance. Very strategic position. He stopped to glance at all the different products laid out on broad white tables and small glass shelves.

Big black Egyptian cats, like he knew from cartoons, and little pyramid keychains… Other than that, Dane found he recognised awfully few of the objects, or hieroglyphics.

Shily, he glanced at the till to see if the shopman was giving him looks. He wasn’t, the man was busy adjusting books on a shelf, with his back to the hall.

And then, maybe, Dane might have stolen another glance.

The man was completely immersed in his task. His long fingers moved delicately along the books’ spines, carefully, almost as if they’d tatter if he wasn’t as gentle. A dark coil of his curly hair had fallen into his face, in front of large brown eyes – Dane looked down quickly when he realised how shamelessly he was staring.

It made his eyes fall onto a basket with little plush hippos in Egyptian outfits. They had such cute little eyes that Dane’s face actually broke into a smile. He stepped closer to look at them.

The shopman looked over his shoulder. “Oh. Mornin’.”

Taken aback, Dane gave him a quick smile before taking one of the hippos in his hands. “Good morning. These are adorable. Is it a specific deity?”

“Uh, yes, Taweret,” the shopman said, practically flying toward Dane from his side of the counter. “Egyptian Goddess of fertility and rejuvenation. Yeah, she is pretty cool.”

“All of this stuff is, actually,” Dane said with a look around. “The cats and crocodiles… so many animals in Egyptian mythology.”

The shopman – Steven, according to the nametag on his uniform – lit up with a gorgeous smile across his face. He looked smaller than he was because his head was ducked at the time. “Yeah, that is pretty excitin’,” he said in just a slightly off-sounding accent. “It’s an iconography thing, to visually distinguish the different gods and their personalities and all that jazz. So, each god matches the personality and powers of their animal, in a way. Sachmet is a lioness, for example. The, uh, goddess of war.”

Throughout this explanation, his brown eyes have never left Dane – and it made his brain squishy, apparently, because before he could think about it, he asked, “Do you have, um – there’s not a giraffe deity, by any chance?”

Steven leaned back with a grimace and exhaled loudly. “Not that I know, no.” He blinked and tilted his head. “I mean, I’m not saying it doesn’t exist just because I haven’t heard of it – that would be insane – but giraffes do appear in ancient artwork, and, and some nobles had them as pets, I suppose.”

He moved his shoulders a lot when speaking, Dane noticed with a down-played smile. “I see. I’m afraid I don’t know anything about Ancient Egypt. Kind of omitted that during my studies. Shabby treatment for a few thousand years of high culture,” he sighed.

“Well, I mean Egyptology isn’t everybody’s gusto, it can’t be,” Steven shrugged. “Maybe it just… isn’t as cool.”

“Yeah, well, the Middle Ages aren’t either,” Dane sighed. “Modern historians worry about the legitimacy of a letter they dug up among a hundred others, meanwhile a medievalist will have to work with a paragraph about a vision someone’s cousin’s grandfather has had half a century earlier.”

Steven chuckled. “That’s… that’s funny,” he smiled, looking up at Dane all awkwardly despite being broader and probably larger than him. There was something profoundly awkward about him, something jittery, like he was prepared to flee this conversation at any moment.

Dane couldn’t let that happen. They could just as well get acquainted now. “I’m Dane Whitman.”

Steven shook his extended hand with wide eyes and an even wider smile. “Oh, the professor!” he beamed, his angular face all soft. “You’re the new curator for the medieval exhibit, now it all makes sense.”

“That’s right,” Dane mumbled through a smile, finding he was unable to say much more.

“Oh, brill, how funny to run into you here. Pleasure to meet you!”

“And you. You are…?”

“Oh! Sorry.” Taken aback, he fumbled at his nametag. “Steven. Grant. No don, or PhD. Just the, uh, gift shop-ist.”

Dane held up the plush hippo in his hand. “Guardian of the sacred artefacts.”

It made Steven smile at the counter. “Well, um – that’s a nice way of puttin’ it.”

“I’ll take one of the hippos, please,” Dane decided.

“Yes, of course. One Taweret to go. And, oh, would you care for one of these bags of sweets?” Steven said and shoved a little basket with colourful gums in Dane’s direction. “I was told to sell these, even though they didn’t have stuff like this back then, obviously. Just figs and dates and such. People seem to gleefully block that out.”

“Urgh, tell me about it,” Dane sighed, both jokingly and sympathetically. “You wouldn’t believe how many people think that Anglo-Saxons lived off potatoes or something.” He picked one of the bags. “I mean, with these it’s even more outrageous. Obviously. Who thinks of that?”

Steven softened around his big brown eyes. “Right?” he smiled, just a tad too late. A tad too soft. Yet the moment of silence between them was warm instead of awkward.

“I’ll take one,” Dane said. “To appease your boss.”

Steven instantly cashiered his purchase. “Oh, may you be blessed. That woman needs all the appeasing she can get.” He gave Dane a look and paused to add in a low voice, “Don’t tell her I said that.”

Dane smiled. “Secret’s safe with me.”

Steven returned the smile when he handed him the plushie and sweets, fumbling with his long fingers when Dane touched them fleetingly. “S-sorry, I didn’t ask if you wanted a bag or…”

“I’ll be fine,” Dane assured him – and himself. Stop blushing!

“Okay,” Steven breathed and leaned back, hands still on the counter. “Again, pleasure to meet you, Professor.”

“Oh, please, just Dane.”

Steven smiled and fumbled with that dark lock that was back in his face, like he was failing to stroke it back. “O-okay. Just Steven, then, too.”

Dane smiled like his face was unable to show any other emotion than adoration. “’kay.”

“Cheers.”

On his way back to the hall, he stuffed both the hippo and the sweets into his bag – both of which Steven had been so enthusiastic to talk about. Was he always this scatter-brained. Or was he love-struck, too? Or both?

Dane inhaled and, bravely, stopped himself to bravely turn around. “Hey, Steven?” He was met with a pair of hopeful brown eyes meeting his, wide with surprise. “Yes?”

Dane shifted on his feet, taken aback. He’s so cute… “If you want to have a coffee break together later on…” he said, tilting his head.

Steven’s face lit up. “Oh, uh, sure. Yeah, fantastic, I’m, um – my next break is a-around, uh, four.”

“Four at the café then?”

“Yes, yes, lovely! I’ll be there!” Steven beamed with a wave of his lean hand.

“Nice. See you later then,” Dane said, returning the warmly nostalgic gesture. His face broke into a soft smile when he heard Steven add quietly, “Laters, gators.”

A good first day of work until now. Only Dane was running late… Worth it.

‧ ─────────── ⋆⋅☽⋅⋆ ─────────── ‧

If you liked this ficlet, consider leaving kudos on AO3 please ♡ Thank you for reading!

[poptod]

The Ivory Haunting (Ahkmenrah x Reader)

Description: His face is engrained into your head but his name is nowhere. Where does he exist? Why are you so obsessed?

Notes: this is strangely creepy and i dont know why. its not what i meant to do but i think its cool anyway. gender neutral as fuckin always WC: 3.1k

+

There's this carving – more of a bust or sculpture – that has your mind twisted every which way. It's a stupid thing, really, but you can't get his expression out of your head, and thus it haunts your waking and sleeping hours. The style is Egyptian, you think. He's wearing a crown on his head, one that you've seen in a couple museums before, and he has an absent smile on his face. While you scroll through the endless amount of photos of ancient Egyptian statues online, you note that it's an all too common expression.

At this point you can't even recall where you first saw it. Could've been through the endless internet surfing or the many museums you visited in your travels, but at the end of the day you're stumped. What was his name? Where did you meet him?

It's clear as day. His alabaster skin. He looks straight at you with empty eyes, the irises having eroded many years ago in the hot sahara sun. His nose has long fallen off, leaving behind a jagged scar that drags from his brow down to his lips, where that haunting smile sits so easily. They're full, his lips – sweet, and soft, even for stone. At each end are little dips, showcasing the slight smile. His chin is a little big, but it makes way for the sharp contrast of his jawline. He has cheekbones – mostly hidden behind the crown – and his ears are a little large. The trait that draws your attention each time is his eyes. Blank. Like they had truly been staring at the world for thousands of years.

You don't get out much anymore, not since the restrictions were put in place. There are moments, especially in the dead of night, in which you want so desperately to leave your tiny apartment, but the curfew states otherwise. Policemen and government workers roam the streets and you'd rather not get into a tussle over something so small as an urge.

Still, you stare outside your window, wondering why it feels like you're suffocating. This is how you spend a lot of your time nowadays, staring at the streets. There's hardly any cars out, and the sidewalks are barren, a sight you'd seen only once before during the original quarantine. London is not a quiet city. It's quite the opposite, and to see it muted is in the least upsetting.

Your job is... easy. Considering the state of the world, you're incredibly lucky, retaining your job and keeping away from the outside. You also get a lot of free time. Usually you'd spend it in front of a television, or in a good book, but now it's in front of your computer screen. The typing marker flashes in front of you, placing behind it the clear words you've searched at least a hundred times by now.

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BUSTS

By now you know what the first images are going to be. Nefertiti, mostly – her bust is by far the most famous. Then there's of course Akhenaten with his elongated skull, followed by several advertisements for Kemetic worship.

You don't know much about Egyptian history. Or, at least you didn't use to. Now you recognize the faces, though rarely do you ever remember the names of the many forgotten dead. You're just looking for one – one name, one bust, one dead man.

He's nowhere, not in the books you buy or the articles you read. When you sign up for an online course of ancient Egyptian history, you expect to see his face in a textbook, but he's not there. Sometimes it feels like you're the only one who remembers him, which is funny – you don't even know him. Either way it's a way to occupy the time, since you have so much of it lately.

The British Museum is reopening. There's a whole thing about COVID, of course, and the only way to enter is to get tickets online. Only a handful of people are allowed inside the museum at once, and since you don't hear about it until later, you are set to wait a month and a half before you can visit. Bitterness wells up in the pit of your stomach, but like most things you set it aside. None of it really matters anyway – yes, not knowing his name feels like drowning mid-air, but it won't kill you.

From the moment you reserve a ticket to the moment you can actually use it, you dream of him every night. Sometimes it's actually him, no longer a statue, taking your hands and leading you somewhere you don't belong. His skin is warm, unlike his statue, but just as soft as you imagined. His nails are meticulously cleaned and his eyes are bright, full of a life you're desperate to understand. It doesn't make any sense. You're yearning so deeply for him, for something you've never known before, and every second away feels like pure horror in your veins.

Why do you need him this much?

You look at yourself in the mirror, fixing a strand of hair that falls in front of your eyes. You're dressed well – at least comparatively to your former few weeks of dress – and a quiet excitement thrums in your heart. Today is a day you're going to go out, and to make it better you're going to the museum. They have an Egyptian exhibit. A foolish part of yourself hopes you'll find him there, nestled in the corner of a long and fruitful hallway filled with Egyptian statues.

It's... disappointing, to say the least, to find out there's only one room for Egyptian exhibits and it's occupied by only one thing, besides broken pots and stone dolls. The main exhibit's name is Ahkmenrah, a young Pharaoh older than the Great Pyramids of Giza. All information on him can be fitted onto a four by six stone plate. While standing in his room, surrounded by hieroglyphs you've been studying hard to understand, you look him up on your phone. There's little mention of him, but the one article you do find on him has a 3D recreation of his face. He looks white and you know the article's bullshit.

While absently holding a conversation with one of the curators, you discover there's a store of Egyptian exhibits kept underneath the museum that aren't fit for showcase since the downsizing. Whatever that means, you find a sliver of hope, one that pales quickly at the realization you'll never be able to go down there. They wouldn't let some random visitor (who wasn't even an actual historian) to go see closed off exhibits.

Fischer, the director of the museum, hires you four months after you send your resume in. The second he does you set your plan into motion – there's no time to waste.

The same day he gives you the keys, you're sneaking in under the cover of night. For some reason, the lights are still on in the main museum, but fortunately that's not where you're headed. You unlock the backdoor, sneaking through the night guard's break room until you find the door to the basement. Flipping through the keys on your ring, you quickly find the right one, shoving it into the keyhole and almost wrenching the door open.

You run down the stairs. It's almost sprinting, but you can't be too loud with your shoes. There's nothing in your mind except him, his funny little smile, the somehow soft alabaster of his skin. You need to get to him. Something inside you says he's here – he's here, he's here, and there's nowhere else you can be without your whole body combusting.

You stop dead in your sprint, chest heaving as you're faced with the open boxes filled with Egyptian busts. With frantic eyes you look them over, searching desperately for one familiar face, finding none until the very last open box.

It's here.

He's here.

The broken nose, the formation of the resulting scar, you recognize every. Fucking. Inch.

Each box contains little notes on who the statues are (if known), the material, the time period, and other such relevant information. Your hands shake as you reach forward, slipping the piece of paper out of the paper stuffing.

King Ahkmenrah

Date: ca. 3,100 - 3000 B.C.

Period: Old Kingdom

Place of origin: Egypt, Cairo

Medium: Ivory

Ahkmenrah.

Sudden clarity strikes you as it never has when you recall searching his name online. He's the exhibit. He's the mummy upstairs. He's actually here.

The blood in you freezes for a moment, caught up in shock and relief. Now you know his name. A small part of you is finally able to rest with the answer, but the rest of you knows exactly what to do – go upstairs. Find the exhibit. Lay at his side. After all this time you still don't know why, but the ache of neediness in your heart is enough to leave you weak to your inner desires.

Now that your head is clear, or at least unhindered by your questions, you note a worrying amount of sound coming from upstairs. Footsteps pound on the ceiling as you climb the staircase, leaving you curious and terrified. That many people shouldn't be in one place – it's a death wish for the modern plague. You grit your teeth, fingers curling up in to fists that dig your nails deep into your palm. Is it safe to go upstairs? There's definitely people up there and you have no idea who they are. The museum could be being robbed right now and you wouldn't have a clue. It's a death wish.

Why are you still going up the stairs?

Why are you opening the door?

This shouldn't be happening. There's enough people to fill the whole first floor, ranging from the public entrance of the museum to the African exhibits in the back. Almost all of them are wearing historical outfits, in such a wide array you might've thought they'd stolen them from the exhibits, had they not looked exactly like the wax figures. The marble statue of the Roman on his horse is no longer on its' pedestal. Actually, he's talking to a woman a few feet away from you, though he is still on the horse.

You should be passed out on the stairs going by how fast your heart is beating, but instead you stand in the doorway petrified. Your eyes sit wide, scanning back and forth over the crowd, searching for something you don't know of. With all the stimulus in front of you, you don't even know what to think. The exhibits must be coming alive. Does someone watch over them?

It's then, with little clarity in your head, that your eyes land upon the night guard. She doesn't look in the least bit rattled, so you easily assume she's used to this. Her calm is so alarming to you that you blink yourself back into your body.

These are... people. Just people. They haven't been put under some curse that'll bring chaos to the world. All they're doing is partying, and though the noise level is a tad unpleasant, it's just about as rowdy as some teenagers.

When you realize you aren't in danger, you bolt from your place at the door. Twisting through the gathered crowd, you slowly make your way to the staircase, ascending with quick feet as your eyes lock onto the Egyptian hall. It's a few more feet until you turn sharp, shoes squeaking as you slide into the room. The familiar gold lighting greets you, shining off the open sarcophagus, which you skid to a halt in front of as your lungs desperately try to catch up to your legs.

Of course it's empty. Your Pharaoh – or Ahkmenrah, you suppose you should use his name now that you know it – must be downstairs, where the life of the party is. Why would he stay up in this empty room, all alone? From here you can barely even hear the music that was once pounding into your ears. Still, for a moment you stare at the bottom of the vacant coffin, caught in the awe of such a long-standing history.

"What are you doing here?"

The words catch you by surprise, and in reaction you whip around, eyes wide as the voice continues, "who are you?"

My King. Before you can even process the thought, the words roll onto your tongue, but to your immense relief you catch yourself before actually opening your mouth.

"I..." it barely comes out with how little you've physically spoken recently, "I work here."

As usual, your voice carries that quiet, calm, slightly annoyed tone that makes people wonder why you're being so difficult. It's not really something you can control, but the King doesn't seem to notice. Maybe it's worked to your advantage this time; despite your racing heart and frozen feet, you keep an even tone.

"I don't think I've seen you here before," the King says, his eyes narrowing as he steps closer. You try to back up, but you're already pressed against the sarcophagus, and his glare keeps you from running.

"I just started today," you answer honestly.

"Ah," he says, his voice softer the moment he begins to believe you. "This must be rather alarming for you, then."

You're not afraid to admit he's right.

"A tad. How do you speak english?"

"I learned it during my time at Cambridge University," he answers. He's from over 4,000 years ago, so you know he didn't attend as a student.

"You were on display there?"

"Yes," he says with a bright smile, one that catches you entirely off guard.

It practically blows you away – his demeanor changed so quickly, from a stern Pharaoh to a sweet, young man who probably bought his girlfriend flowers every Monday. For a moment you wonder why you were so caught up in him before knowing him; now that you've heard his voice, seen the way he moves, your interest increases tenfold. It's not enough to see him. You need to touch him. You need it more than anything.

"I've been looking for you," you blurt out, but the words come out so slow it sounds like you consciously chose them. You bite the inside of your cheek as you watch his smile falter.

"What do you mean?" He asks. He's standing in front of you now – if you extended your arm and took a small step closer, you'd be touching him.

"There's a sculpture of you," you say softly, swallowing the lump in your throat, "but I didn't know how to find your name."

"How'd you find me, then?" He asks, but he looks less offended. Now there's a keen look in his smile and in his eye, like he's going to enjoy this, like he knows something you don't.

"Sheer luck," you say with a shrug. It's mostly true.

"I think I know you," he says, and his smile quirks further upward.

"What?" You say, trying to back up again as he steps closer. The sarcophagus is, unsurprisingly, still behind you. "How?"

"Back when I was a King, I had a slave my brother killed," he says in the least comforting tone, "but my father had this idea."

Another step closer. You can feel the heat of his naked waist on your shaking hands.

"See, he had a magician in his employ, and he would do anything for me. Especially since I loved that slave so dearly. Truly," he leans forward a little, placing his hand on the gold case behind you and trapping you against him. His chest is practically right against yours, but what you are close enough to feel is his breath, soft on your collarbones. "And so my father retrieved the soul with a special spell and sent it into the future, to possess another at birth, and to lie in wait until I called for it."

You can't feel your – well, anything. There's a pressure on your chest, but you can't tell if that's your wildly beating heart or just his warmth skewing your senses. All you can do is stare up at him wide-eyed. He can't be telling the truth. Magic doesn't work like that, it can't work like that, that's a sick story and he's telling it like it's nothing more than normal. Possessing a newborn child. Sending souls into the future. It can't make sense. You almost feel bad for your past self – under the employ of someone so cruel as to take a soul from the afterlife for his own pleasure.

But he's standing before you. He's 4,000 years old, and he's standing in front of you, pushing you against his own coffin and trapping you there. Do you belong to him, then? Is that why you can't get him out of your head?

"When did your search begin?" He asks softly, a gentle curiosity evident in his brow.

"A – about a year ago," you say, your voice so broken and shaky you're surprised he understands it.

"Last winter?" He asks knowingly, almost sweet, like he's doting on you. Then comes the part that really makes it shine; he reaches up and pets your hair, moving in long, soft strokes.

You nod, unwilling to meet his gaze any longer. How red you must be by now.

"I called on you then. It took you a little while, but I'm glad you made it," he says, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "Unfortunately, I suppose you haven't retained any memories, since you didn't know my name."

"I guess not," you agree quietly. "I just have instincts."

"Instincts?"

You're reluctant to share with him the many instincts you'd had even in the short time from meeting him to now. The pure need to touch him. Past You probably had a crush on him, and even though you aren't really that person anymore, there's a need inside you to hide that fact from him. 

"I wanted to call you my King when I first saw you," you admit, your voice still quiet in hopes of him not understanding you.

"You won't have to call me that anymore. Maybe a tad around my parents, but when we're alone you may use my name."

"When we're... alone?" You question nervously, heart pounding at the thought of spending more time with him.

"You do work here, don't you?" He says with a sly grin. "I think I'll be seeing you quite a lot."

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh God.

If this is how you react just from spending five minutes with him, you can't imagine spending whole nights at his side. You'd explode. From what you don't know yet, but the pulsing rush in your heart is strong enough to worry you, and very rarely do you ever worry about yourself. The words in your head – your immediate reaction – simply won't pass. You can't bring yourself to say them, so you say what he wants to hear.

"As long as you want to."

[sinnohborn-trainer-evan]

Trainer's Stories

Johto Entry: The Mysterious Messages of the Unown (2/3)

It was on the Friday morning, right after I had left with Robin for Johto the previous Wednesday, that Ethan would have us all ready to venture into the Ruins of Alph and try to make contact with its denizens, the Unown. However, Lyra couldn't make it today since she had a lot to do today, and Robin started to feel just a little too uncomfortable with the lead up to the ruins, so he opted to wait over at the research center within the area until we were done checking out the underground ruins, which I could understand why, anyone would feel pretty unnerved if they felt many eyes staring at them, especially in the dark.

I've only ever been in contact with Unown at least one time, and that was in the Solaceon Ruins. I forgot to mention this fact to Gold during our prior discussion. Knowing this will actually come in handy with trying to speak to the shy Unown here in the Ruins of Alph, maybe they'll recognize the presence of other Unown from me.

It was within the dark chambers and halls of the Ruins of Alph that I would get the similar eerie vibe, like I was being watched. This was a good sign that there is indeed Unown presence, as that's how one is meant to feel in the enclosure of such odd Pokémon.

These creatures made their homes embedded in the walls of lined texts and hieroglyphs, almost as if to blend in with their surroundings and to not be easily noticed even in plain sight.

Using translation notes that I've gotten from archeologists to aid in my investigation, I was able to read aloud some of the inscriptions on the walls, oddly specifically chosen words formed together by the Unown.

They didn't seem all that noteworthy to mention, but the way they were spelled out for anyone to just try and read... it all just felt like this was a game they were trying to play with us, probably to test how well we can understand them. And almost as if we were given a direct response for correctly announcing their phrases, Gold's Pokégear suddenly tried tuning to a radio station all on its own.... only for a bunch of odd noises to come out of it. Perhaps this was their way of trying to tell us something..

The noises that emanated from Gold's Pokégear seemed to attract the Unown in a particularly strange way. So we used this to our advantage to try and call out the Unown from hiding. And strangely enough it worked, we now had their attention! Although it still felt really creepy to have dozens of eyes all staring at us at once...

We decided to try asking some questions to them, to see if they would understand. However it was going to be hard to read back whatever messages they had for us, it was really dark in these underground rooms.

We asked some rather basic questions, like "What are you?", "Can you understand us?" And "Do you like it in here?" Sure enough they gave us their response, short and simple. "Pokémon", and "yes" to both following questions.

Now we knew they were pretty willing to talk then. Next we asked a few deeper questions to lead up to the big important ones. I first asked "Where can we find other Unown?" Almost immediately they were able to sense that I had once been to the Solaceon Ruins, and so they spread out on the wall to say "Solaceon Ruins." So they knew I originated from Sinnoh, how interesting.. Gold then decided to ask "Why was this place called the Ruins of Alph?" It took them a moment to process his question, but then they gave his answer as they lined up the wall with the words "Alph discovered them."

There was no questioning these Pokémon probably had great knowledge of the past unknown to modern day society. Now it was time to ask what we truly wanted to know, so that we may finally confirm or deconfirm the legends.

As a warm-up question, I decided to ask: "Who created you?" They responded "Arceus.".... This response had made me just a bit more excited than I probably should have, but how could I not? This was amazing to me! Now then, this was it. My biggest inquiry, let's see what they have to say.

"Where are the Sinjoh Ruins?"

......

No response.... In fact, all they did was stay suspended in the air, staring directly at me, now this was starting to freak me out a bit... Did I intimidate them? Did I ask a forbidden question? Perhaps do they not know the way?... I didn't know what to do, Gold and I were shaking in our soles with anticipation and worry. But then... something wild happened. All the Unown around us had suddenly opened their eyes, all staring upon us. If Gold and I hadn't felt terrified before, we certainly were now, we thought we were really in for it!

We stuck close to one another in fear and wonder of what they were going to do to us. Then the Unown started to peel from the walls one by one, then they began rapidly flying in circles around us, as if trying to form a twister made entirely of Unown! Seeing as this was too frightening to comprehend, all Gold and I could do was huddle together and close our eyes... But before we knew it, the nightmare was just.... over. When we had opened our eyes, we had found ourselves.... in a house? This was really strange... Gold's first thought was the check the window to see where in the world we ended up in.

Ethan: "What the heck...? It's frozen outside!"

'Frozen'?.... The Unown teleported us somewhere cold... Did we end up where I think we went?..."

[lamortexiii]

Cryptic Mystic: What’s Your Sign?

Many of us are fascinated by astrology and all things outer space related. The great unknown that is beyond the stars has been a hot topic for centuries. But, how did the zodiac begin? What makes astrological signs and the alignment of planets and stars so magical? Is it truly prophetic? Does your sign define your personality, past, present, and future? Or is this simply another product of the Barnum Effect?

So I’ll start by asking the obvious: “what’s your sign?” I’m a Leo through and through. While I’m skeptical about the claims of some astrological signs and their relation to my life on a daily basis, I do believe there is some truth here - as is with most things. This topic is one that I have been wanting to write about for some time now. I have always found outer space, stars, planets, etc. to be fascinating. As a child, I remember laying in the grass and watching the stars above me. In my little valley in the forest, I could see so many stars that wouldn’t be visible if I were in the city. I am so thankful I had that childhood experience of growing up somewhere where I could truly connect with nature and the simple things around me that most take for granted on a day-to-day basis. I still stargaze to this day, but I can’t see near as many as I once did in my childhood forest valley home. I’ve seen a plethora of shooting stars throughout my lifetime, two meteor showers, two solar eclipses, and plenty of unidentified objects that were likely satellites… or were they…?

One time when I was driving home from work late one night I saw something that befuddled me. As I drove down the winding 2 lane highway in the darkness of the night I saw what appeared to be a helicopter hovering right above the trees. Now, this area I was driving through was rural. There are few houses in those woods, but there are some. The backroads leading to the site where the “helicopter” was hovering are seldom traveled, especially this late at night. I began processing the event in my mind and questioning if it was a helicopter, why would it be hovering so low and what exactly would it be doing in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. It just didn’t make sense. I thought about logical explanations and could only come up with one. There is the slim possibility that someone driving on one of the many backroads in that area may have got into an accident and was getting airlifted to a hospital. I’ve seen it happen before on backroads near there. Aside from this idea, I had nothing. By this point, I had obviously slowed down so I could get a better look. Hell, there wasn’t any traffic so it’s not like I was worried about causing an accident or anything. As I looked closer I noticed it wasn’t a helicopter at all. There were about 4-6 large bright lights shining down below the area that the craft was hovering over. The circumference of this craft was much wider than a helicopter - more circular. The lights were far too big and far too bright. Whether it was fear, shock, tiredness, or my stomach growling, I continued to drive on and leave the peculiar scene behind. Now, I know this has nothing to do with astrology or zodiac signs, but it is an interesting story nonetheless. 

In reference to zodiac signs, I find that descriptions of a Leo with my particular birthdate are genuinely pretty accurate when describing my personality and conflicts. However, the daily horoscopes are definitely not accurate in my experience. I will say that when I read/listen to them I try to apply something positive from the reading to my daily life. I engage in a deeper thought process and practice mindfulness throughout the day, keeping that positive focus within my mind on the positive message I am supposed to be implementing into my day. I have also found that compatibility readings have been somewhat inaccurate as far as certain zodiac signs getting along or not getting along with other zodiac signs. The biggest obvious red flag for me is how many different sources there are. And guess what? They all say something different on the daily. If zodiac signs and horoscopes are supposed to be accurate, then why don’t all individuals who report them online all say the same thing - or at least something similar?? To play devil's advocate here, I did say earlier that I believe there is some truth to all of this, which is why it interests me so much and also why I believe in this stuff to a degree. There is a lot of magical and wondrous history to unpack in regards to the zodiac and horoscopes. So, let’s jump right in, shall we?

Interesting fact: the word zodiac is derived from Greek terminology meaning “circle of little animals.” We’re a circle of little animals - cute visuals there, eh? Hieroglyphs in Egypt dating as early as the 14th century BC were found to contain a circle of decans (constellations) depicting something that looks a lot like the constellations and zodiac symbols that we know today. In total there were 36 decans found within the temple.

During the first half of the first millennium, Babylonian astronomers created our modern zodiac. They also mapped the previous constellations that were seen in the Egyptian hieroglyphs but continued to add more as they were discovered. In the last half of the 5th century, the Babylonian astronomers divided the many constellations into 12 equal "signs” to represent the 12 months of the year at 30 days per month. Each sign contained 30° of celestial longitude, thus creating the first known celestial coordinate system. According to calculations by modern astrophysics, the zodiac was introduced between 409 and 398 BC and probably within a very few years of 401 BC. Unlike modern astrologers, who place the beginning of the sign of Aries at the place of the Sun at the vernal equinox, Babylonian astronomers fixed the zodiac in relation to stars, placing the beginning of Cancer at the "Rear Twin Star" (β Geminorum) and the beginning of Aquarius at the "Rear Star of the Goat-Fish" (δ Capricorni). Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the time of year the Sun is in a given constellation has changed since Babylonian times, the point of vernal equinox has moved from Aries into Pisces. 

You’ll be pleasantly surprised, intrigued, or disgusted to know that all of this does have some roots within religion. The Hebrew Bible shows knowledge of the Babylonian zodiac. E. W. Bullinger noted that the drawings found in the book of Ezekiel were quite similar to the middle four quarters of the zodiac (Lion/Leo, Bull/Taurus, Man/Aquarius, Eagle/Scorpio). You read that right, Scorpio is noted as being an eagle - not a scorpion. Some say that the twelve tribes of Israel are correlated with the zodiac signs found within the Hebrew 12 month calendar. There is an argument that the position of the Israelic tribes around the Tabernacle from the book of Numbers correlates with the exact order of the zodiac, with Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan representing the middle signs of Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, and Scorpio, respectively. It is shocking how I have heard religious people in modern times talk about how this is all a bunch of garbage, even though some of this is literally correlated with items from the Bible.

To explain daily horoscopes and the connection between the stars, planets, and our zodiac signs, you must engage in a bit of math (yuck). When planets and constellations of the zodiac would align, the Babylonian astronomers of that time would note the experiences that people had and found similarities. These experiences, along with the position of the Earth, Sun, Moon, and constellations and the positions relative to the zodiac signs were stored within a catalogue. This went on for several years and is essentially what began our modern-day daily horoscope. However, it is my personal opinion that a lot of these “professionals” who have their own magical websites where you can get a free daily horoscope, just make shit up to sound interesting. That is obvious by the previously mentioned differentials found within each page. I encourage you to do a quick Google search and you’ll see what I’m talking about. This ties into the belief that the Barnum Effect is in play here. You’ll remember the Barnum Effect from last month's blog. If you haven’t read the June 2021 blog The Imaginarium of Barnum, I suggest you head there next to get a deeper understanding of what I’m talking about before you continue reading. Much of what is broadcasted in daily horoscopes, zodiac sign descriptions, and even within mediumship and tarot readings is full of extremely vague generalities. Because the information is presented in such a vague and generalized way, it then becomes an instance where anyone could apply any of the information to their life in some way. So as you can see, there is some psychological manipulation at play here. Now, I am not saying this is true for all who present the information. I will say that there are A LOT of shams out there. I have seen far more fake sites/readings/etc. than I have seen legit ones. If I had to give a percentage from my personal experience, I’d say about 85% of what I’ve seen is bullshit. But you choose what you believe at the end of the day. I just ask you to keep an open mind and a wise eye about you when scanning the web for horoscopes, zodiac information, tarot, and mediumship. 

All of this information is interesting to stew on within your mind. I hope that you learned something new. I know I did when I was researching this topic for the blog. The religious ties were the most surprising thing to me. What did you find most interesting? Drop a comment under the blog on Tumblr or under the Instagram post for this month’s blog and let me know. Tonight if you are able, take a look at the stars and see if you can find the constellations. The plethora of shapes within the brightest stars are brilliant to gaze upon. Who knows, maybe you will find your zodiac constellation. Maybe you will depict a new constellation on your own by combining different combinations of stars. Or maybe you’ll see something that you can’t explain…

Cryptic Mystic Blog by PsychVVitch @psychvvitch

www.LaMorteXiii.com

[unironicduncanstan]

the “Tangodeltaindia” blog explained,

aka my brain has cringe spots on it and needs to be inspected by the FDA

hi my names randi/uni and i created a total drama island themed ARG two months ago on a whim that almost no one interacted with bc i started off way too niche and difficult, so i kinda just went increasingly off the rails because i knew most likely no one was monitoring my posts and i could just make a real cursed hidden tomb that could one day be discovered by someone in a goonies esque unveiling. but then i got lice and now im sad and uncomfortable so i’m just gonna explain the entire damn thing in one shot. its absolutely batshit and theres a reason no one uncovered it ok here we go;;;

first of all the name. its so stupid but. ‘tango delta india’ = ‘tdi’ in the NATO phonetic alphabet. it just felt like a funny place to start that implies its gonna be a puzzle blog idk,

moving on to the actual content tho; some of the earlier posts mean p much nothing and were just an attempt to draw people in, such as the mr coconut ‘like if you agree’ or the ‘let him inside hes cold’ posts. 

then theres the cipher (x). it was posted shortly after the height of the ‘using total drama reference pictures to make an alphabet’ meme. in case anybody didnt see that; for a while it was a joke in the fandom to take the transparent references of total drama characters, and line them up, using them like hieroglyphics to make translatable pictures. its supposed to correspond to the alphabet, based on the first letter of their first name. an example could be, alejandro = a, bridgette = b, and so on. there was no solidly set alphabet amongst the fandom though, it was self explanatory most of the time so i made my own solid personal cipher key for that blog to make the whole thing easier.

NOW ONTO THE FIRST PUZZLE POST,,,, (x). theres a scene, a string of text, the cipher key, and a link to a decoder. the way to decode it all is to plug the characters on screen into the tangodeltaindia cipher key, and then plug That translation into the decoder website, and then finally paste in the text under the photo. 

the website linked is to a Caesar cipher decoder. the Caesar cipher is just a code where the alphabet is assigned to numbers (a=1, z=26), and to encode something with it you can move this pattern however you want as long as you keep the regular sequence of alphabet and numbers. so you could scootch over One letter, and “abc” would now say “bcd”. so on and so forth.

looking at the scene + my own total drama reference cipher, alejandro = A, and the beaver = 1, which gives A1. so you could now follow the link to the website, press ‘decode’, and paste in the text under the picture. the ‘shift’ in the middle is automatically set to ‘7′, or as it shows, a -> h, meaning ‘a’ has been moved over by 7 letters. so if you set the shift to just 1 over, or A1, now you can translate the text. it reads;

“lets start simple. after all, a trail of breadcrumbs begins with a loaf. whats the harm in another long winded fandom meme. another inside joke. and arent you curious whats truly lurking inside?”

edgy! simple! kinda just a test to see if people would do it or not. which they didnt so of course i tried to make it weirder-

puzzle 2; (x) using the exact same translation rules as above. we have alejandro and the snake, which with the tangodeltaindia cipher key means A6. going to the website, putting it in ‘decode’ mode, pasting in your text, and setting the shift to ‘6′ gives you this translation.

“in his eyes are an island. nothing but a dream, born out of going to bed angry. sink or swim.”

this was just hinting around at where the story was gonna go so it’ll make more sense later. something else to note; if you zoom all the way in and look into alejandros eye (’in his eyes’), you’ll see the word ‘Thera’. ~thats a surprise tool that will help us later~

so after this one, there are two non-puzzle posts that are also just hints (i was just tryna see if i could get people hyped), the first is a close up picture of chris with red eyes that simply says “those arent his eyes”, and then a post that says “his real names not chris :)”, they’re again referencing his eyes, and this time further implying theres something fake or wrong about them, or with chris as a person. again, it’ll be explained better later on.

moving on to puzzle 3 (x), another test to see if anyones keeping up (which also failed josdfjsdfkjs), using the same translation rules, dj = a dash or minus, and the snail = 5, “-5″, shift the letter ‘A’ BACK five instead of forward, and you get the simple translation of; “getting harder now.”

puzzle 4 and 5; at this point, there are two images posted within hours of each other that i’ll explain together as they line up. (x) (x)

These are some of the only ones that can be translated from just the tangodeltaindia key directly. They end up a string of numbers, which are latitude and longitude coordinates. The first post, labelled “the lie”, translates into “45.57394802102744, -81.46817207492494″. googling that will take you to maps and show you to a place called Lonely Island in Canada.

The second one, “the truth”, translates into “36.404663113177534, 25.39605673375295″, taking you to Santorini, Greece.

This is where the hints got really out there bc i realized nobody was following along but i still wanted to paint a picture. so this is the set up;;; the idea that the ‘island’ (camp wawanakwa) existing somewhere in canada, is a lie. the ‘true’ location being santorini isnt meant to be taken at face value though. the mythology behind santorini is that a man impregnated a goddess and to escape the wrath of her father (triton), she formed the island (santorini) by having her lover throw clay into the sea, and then she gave birth to her son, Theras, on this island, giving the island it’s Other nickname, Thera.

this is again just a vague implication that the island might not be real at all, or that it was formed through cosmic means.

the next two posts are more non-puzzle hints, the first showing the definition of the word ‘fresh’ (new), and the second being images of total drama backgrounds with no characters and the text reading “they were always empty.” more, admittedly very outlandish implications that the island is some kind of illusion, but again mostly just another try to drag people into the blog.

puzzle 6. (x) this one introduces a new concept to the regular translation rules, some of the characters are laying down. its kinda supposed to imply they’re “dead” and that you need to take their corresponding letters out of the alphabet given on the Caesar cipher page, below the shift. The upright characters translate to “-9″, so you shift ‘A’ back 9 letters. Then remove the letters; “TH-E-R-A-S”, and with those letters taken out, you can finally translate the text.

“he creates life solely to destroy it. to crush it in his hands. he births chaos so that he may have something to control. the power has given him madness. the isolation, arrogance. don't try to stop him, he's already chosen to be unstoppable. his mind is a perfectly crafted prison, one we will all soon be living in.”

this is where the story gets more on the nose. it’s talking about chris, and about him being an unstoppable cosmic force, a diety who can create worlds within his own mind, and he does so maliciously just for power. hes created the campers through mental energy just to torment them. it also hints that his plan is to expand the world of total drama island and engulf the whole universe.

puzzle 7. (x) same as the last puzzle. beaver and moose translate to ‘1-0′ or ten. the characters lying down to remove from the caesar cipher alphabet are “T-U-L-P-A”. this doesnt have anything to do with the modern way some ppl interact with tulpas but just the actual idea of creating thoughtforms, or willing your thoughts into real life creations, referencing how chris has created the entire island and everyone on it solely through his mind. with those letters removed and the shift set forward 10, you get this:

“his psychic power is unfathomable. the reality he bore was just a passing thought. an idea that became so dangerous. he predates the idea of a mind, the minds own ability to recognize itself, his synapses are paradoxically ancient. the island exists only within himself, to torment the souls hes created, and damned from the start. will they ever be free?”

it states that chris is more than a man or even just a diety, hes an all powerful god already, yet he craves more power. the final line, “will they ever be free” is in reference to the campers, which segways into the next arc;;; freeing the campers from chris’ psychic island imprisonment.

puzzle 8. (x) to solve this one you have to translate the top image with the tangodeltaindia cipher key, and add it to the text given, which creates a link. this leads to a PDF, a page from a book written by terence mckenna. he’s a famous ethnobotanist known best for his studies on DMT, the strongest hallucinogenic drug in the world, its also known as the spirit molecule. many people on this drug (without any prior knowledge of this phenomenon) will recount meeting strange fractal beings that can create things in the universe just by speaking them into existence, theyve come to be known as ‘machine elves’, a term coined by mckenna. ill show the most important excerpt from the page;

this is less about the psychedelic drug part and more about the words and ideas, like “punching a hole through a dimension so it pours through” and “if god didnt exist man would invent him”. its more worldbuilding towards chris’ power and cosmic abilities

then come 2 more clues. a picture of chris holding his own body captioned ‘ego death’, and the meaning behind the name ‘chris mcclean’. the latter is another “please look over here” post, but the first is another minor reference to the previous puzzles answer involving DMT and terence mckenna. ‘ego death’ is a term again used with strong psychedelic drugs, its the sensation that your spirit as you know it is literally Dying, and you are instead connected to and a part of everything around you. another reference to chris’ power and how he may look like a man but his body and spirit are connected to the world hes built in unfathomable ways. at this point im cementing the idea that chris mclean is not a mortal man and cannot be fought with mortal weapons

puzzle 9. (x) this one was an attempt to make easier to solve puzzles, and comes with a visual of chris looming over the island. the text is in wingdings, which can be translated through multiple websites found through google. it says;

“s︎o︎o︎n︎ h︎e︎ w︎i︎l︎l︎ s︎l︎e︎e︎p.︎ h︎e︎ w︎i︎l︎l︎ d︎r︎e︎a︎m︎ a︎ n︎e︎w︎ h︎e︎l︎l︎,︎ a︎n︎d︎ t︎h︎a︎t︎ w︎i︎l︎l︎ b︎e︎ o︎u︎r︎ o︎n︎l︎y︎ c︎h︎a︎n︎c︎e︎,︎ t︎o︎ s︎a︎v︎e︎ h︎i︎s︎ c︎r︎e︎a︎t︎i︎o︎n︎s︎,︎ a︎n︎d︎ f︎r︎e︎e︎ t︎h︎o︎s︎e︎ w︎h︎o︎ w︎e︎r︎e︎ n︎e︎v︎e︎r︎ d︎e︎s︎i︎g︎n︎e︎d︎ t︎o︎ b︎e︎ f︎r︎e︎e︎.︎ t︎h︎i︎s︎ m︎a︎y︎ c︎o︎m︎e︎ a︎t︎ a︎ c︎o︎s︎t︎.︎ t︎h︎e︎ n︎i︎g︎h︎t︎m︎a︎r︎e︎ m︎u︎s︎t︎ e︎n︎d︎,︎ t︎h︎e︎ o︎u︎r︎o︎b︎o︎r︎o︎s︎ o︎f︎ h︎i︎s︎ s︎y︎n︎c︎o︎pe︎ m︎u︎s︎t︎ c︎l︎o︎s︎e︎,︎ b︎u︎t︎ i︎t︎ m︎a︎y︎ t︎u︎r︎n︎ o︎u︎r︎ e︎f︎f︎o︎r︎t︎s︎ o︎f︎ s︎a︎l︎v︎a︎t︎i︎o︎n︎ t︎o︎ d︎u︎s︎t︎.︎ o︎u︎r︎ f︎i︎g︎h︎t︎ m︎i︎g︎h︎t︎ e︎n︎d︎ i︎n︎ s︎a︎c︎r︎i︎f︎i︎c︎e︎,︎ r︎e︎n︎d︎e︎r︎i︎n︎g︎ h︎i︎s︎ l︎a︎s︎t︎ i︎n︎v︎e︎n︎t︎i︎o︎n︎ b︎u︎t︎ a︎ c︎e︎a︎s︎e︎l︎e︎s︎s︎ v︎o︎i︎d︎.︎ w︎e︎ m︎a︎y︎ s︎e︎e︎ h︎o︎r︎r︎o︎r︎s︎ t︎h︎a︎t︎ c︎a︎u︎s︎e︎ t︎h︎e︎ s︎t︎a︎r︎s︎ t︎o︎ s︎h︎u︎d︎d︎e︎r︎,︎ b︎u︎t︎ w︎e︎ m︎u︎s︎t︎ t︎a︎ke︎ t︎h︎i︎s︎ c︎h︎a︎n︎c︎e︎.︎ w︎e︎ h︎a︎v︎e︎ n︎o︎t︎h︎i︎n︎g︎ t︎o︎ l︎o︎s︎e︎,︎ a︎n︎d︎ a︎ w︎o︎r︎l︎d︎ o︎f︎ n︎o︎t︎h︎i︎n︎g︎n︎e︎s︎s︎ t︎o︎ e︎n︎d︎.︎ m︎a︎y︎ t︎h︎e︎ s︎e︎a︎ s︎w︎a︎l︎l︎o︎w︎ u︎p h︎i︎s︎ i︎s︎l︎a︎n︎d︎ o︎f︎ l︎i︎e︎s︎.︎ g︎o︎d︎ pr︎o︎t︎e︎c︎t︎ y︎o︎u︎.︎”

this is essentially saying that the island, the campers, werent all just created from his mind, but from his dreams. this confirms that he Sleeps, and claims hes going to sleep again soon, and during that time period theres a chance to kill him before he can dream up another world (or season) to control and torment. its also saying that theres a chance killing him will destroy the island and campers, but that its the only choice we would have to end the cycle. hey guys i am so bored and over the years i have been on every stimulant and anti depressant doctors are legally allowed to prescribe and its still just not quite there yet huh

puzzle 10. (x) the video, the title translates to “the island of his eye”. its just meant to encapsulate everything ive already been hinting around at but with real footage and some audios taken from the show, and again, it was me tryna make some lore that was easy to digest and also terrifying to an audience with no other context. the final images are the only new clues, if you pause fast enough you can barely make out the characters that (paired with the tangodeltaindia cipher key) would say “set them free”, and you can also see an aerial view of what is actually called “the eye of argentina”. it is a real island that rotates atop a swamp, it is geometrically perfect and no one really knows for sure why it rotates the way it does or how it was formed. this clue is simply related back to the idea that the island of wawanakwa’s location is not in canada, and that it does not function like a normal island.

puzzle 11. (x) what td blog is complete without a uquiz? anyways, it doesnt matter how you answer the quiz, theres only one possible result. the title is a link to a mega file, which is protected with a decryption key. the image attached to the result, when deciphered, is the randomly generated key to the unlock the file. the image you see from the file is this; (TW for mentions of self harm and eye trauma)

in case this is too hard to read ill transcribe what it says;

“How to escape the dream - accept that there is no dream to escape, and no you to escape it. - believe in it anyways. - sleep on your back. - cover your eyes. - hide a nail under the pillow. - wait for the ringing. - when you first see him, dont call his name. dont speak. - keep your eyes shut. - on the second night, ask where the camp is. he wont respond verbally. - on the third night, you’ll see his eyes. - on the fourth night, you’ll enter them. - you can’t turn back after the fifth night. - don’t try to hide your fears. he knows them before you arrive. - don’t shut your eyes for too long when it becomes too much. you risk losing them. - find chris mclean. - don’t stop till the nail is through the socket. - repeat on the other side. - repeat on yourself. - congratulations. they are free”

this is, believe it or not, an idea that comes from my very own sleep paralysis experiences. ive dealt with it a lot, so why not make a weird ritual thing for an arg based off it ig. so whenever i’d fall asleep on my back, i’d eventually hear this ringing in my ears (or it’d happen upon waking up), and then the sleep paralysis would begin. i only ‘saw’ stuff a couple times but the fear for me was really more about the overwhelming sensation of pure dread that always came along with it even when i was aware what was happening, and i Always got this feeling too that if i opened my eyes in that moment, something was gonna stab them.

so moving on to how that applies to the arg, the first few lines are about how, obviously, the island is not real, even in the lore being given its a figment of chris’ imagination, but you have to enter it anyways, and the only way to do that is to believe its real. then it tells you how to ‘enter’ that world, (btw i didn’t expect anyone to actually follow these instructions if found, but even if they did, the whole ‘sleep paralysis being caused by sleeping on your back’ thing usually only happens if you’re predisposed to having it and only happens to Some people who have it, so the intent was like. never to bring that upon anybody. but if you are prone to sleep paralysis plz do not attempt even as a joke or anything thx)

the parts about hallucinating chris then are as follows, “ask about the camp / he wont respond verbally” , meaning he will show you through a dream instead, one that might look a lot like the video from before. “on the third night you will see his eyes”, meaning you will see the island but not be able to interact with it, or basically, how we see total drama on tv right now. “on the fourth night you’ll enter (his eyes)” references the island existing ‘within his eyes’, meaning you will enter the actual island. the next night chris will sleep and you will be able to enter the island again and find him. the idea with the nail is that, if you destroy his eyes you destroy the ‘island’ within them. wrapping back around to sleep paralysis, the idea of stabbing yourself with the nail afterwards is because sometimes, the only thing you can move during sleep paralysis is your fingertips and toes, and wiggling those can help bring you out of the paralysis. so at first how i used to wake myself up, but it didnt usually work fast enough so oftentimes id just pinch the shit out of my fingers and use pain to make my muscles start up faster.

the next post is a link to a countdown. again, i knew nobody was rly following at this point, but i wanted a little more build up before just dropping the ending. it was set up to end 5 days after the last post, aka the one that mentioned a 5 night dream ritual.

puzzle 12. (x) going all the way back to the normal multi step translation puzzles. the coloring of the cipher is a bit different, and its missing chris, but its meant to be used the same as it was before, these changes are only for dramatic effect. and chris is gone because well. we mentally offed him in the inception dream land last time. so anyways the snake = 6, shift A to 6, take out the letters “R-I-C-K” of the characters laying in their graves, and you get this translation;

“its almost time. we must now crack open our minds like a crowbar to a sealed chest. like an egg to a pan. to find our way into camp wawanakwa our ego cannot remain intact, and to traverse it we must stay strong. to escape it, we must glue the pieces back together. now we sleep. dream. end the nightmare.”

this is a final message before ‘entering the island’ to kill chris and free the campers from the island. it acts like a pep talk.

the next post is just the countdown ending.

puzzle 13 (the finale). (x)

this post sends you to a new blog entirely, called @awakenfromthenightmare​. there is only one post on it. the post has another link to a mega file, and the link is attached onto a string of text. follow the link by clicking, then copy the text and paste it in as the decryption key. now you have another image to translate with the tangodeltaindia cipher;

when translated, the text is another link to a youtube video. 

 www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

so there you have it, that video is the ending to the entire arg. it didnt really end the way i wanted at first, i got burnt out from no engagement about halfway through which isnt anybody elses fault, but i still felt this was a well crafted and fitting finale. thank you all for reading.

[elsanna-shenanigans]

February Contest Submission #12: Life On Mars

words: ca. 3200 setting: Modern AU lemon: No cw: Angst, Horror Elements, Psychological Horror, Mindfuckery, Hospitals, Ancient Alien Wars

“Status update?”

“All systems nominal. Solar charge at 65%.”

Elsa looked at the screen through her glasses, the monitor displaying the rover’s current route as it made its way across the red planet. OLAV was due to be passing over an unexplored sector of the Syritis Major region of Mars today and there would no doubt be a lot of analysis and data gathering to be done. Their rover was going to be the first visitor from earth to visit this largely explored region of the red planet.

“Good, keep OLAV on his present course,” Elsa stated. “Let me know once it reaches the site.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Anna replied.

The blonde rolled her eyes. She never understood why Anna kept referring to the rover as if it was a living being. OLAV was a robot, a mindless automaton. It only knew what it was programmed to know. It wasn’t a true artificial intelligence like the ones from the science fiction movies Anna and her had both grown up with.

And yet, it was always rather cute when Anna did it. It was part of why she fell in love with her; Anna and her seemingly limitless ability to be warm and affectionate to those around her, even to a robot with no real life of its own. Elsa found that very endearing. She and Anna had been dating since college, and Elsa couldn’t have asked for anyone better to help her on this project. Working for NASA definitely was a dream come true.

Anna in particular had a hand in designing OLAV in the first place, even naming him after a cuddly snowman plushie she had back in their college days. Though of course, she justified it by clarifying OLAV stood for “Omnidirectional Lifeform Analysis Vehicle”. All the same, Elsa found it adorable.

Anna relaxed back in her chair, grinning. “So… what are the odds we’ll find life today?”

“Anna, I swear you ask that question every day,” Elsa remarked with a playful roll of her eyes.

“But it’s the question that has haunted scientists like us for centuries, Elsa,” Anna said honestly. “Is there life on Mars?

Elsa had to giggle, knowing Anna was partly quoting the David Bowie song. Her girlfriend was such a nerd and she adored her.

But so far, that particular question still hadn’t been answered. It was a known scientific fact that at one point Mars did once support a much more habitable climate, with vast lakes and rivers. However, the loss of its magnetic field had resulted in the planet becoming the red, lifeless desert it was today.

If there had been life at some point, it was probably only very basic. Some sort of bacteria or another microscopic organism. And yet, if anyone could prove that life had indeed existed on Mars at one point, it could prove that life wasn’t just confined to the little blue and green orb that was the Earth but was out there amongst the stars in all sorts of shapes and forms.

“He’s just coming up to the ridge now,” Anna said.

“How much solar charge has OLAV got left?” Elsa asked.

The redhead looked at her screen. “52%.”

“The steep incline will likely drain the power of the motors by quite a bit. As soon as the rover gets over the ridge, shut him down for the night. The sun is starting to go down.”

“Yeah, he’s earned a good night’s sleep,” Anna said with a smile. She then stared at another one of the screens, showing life camera footage from the rover. Every few seconds a new picture would appear, showing where the rover had travelled every few seconds.

So far, all Anna had seen from the pictures was red sand and large boulders as the rover travelled up the ridge. It was rather basic and yet… it had a certain beauty to it. A hellish beauty one might say.

Mars was a fascinating world, even if it was a vast desert that didn’t really have much variety in scenery. Anna and Elsa and the rest of their team were just merely the latest in a long line of scientists and scholars wanting to discover the secrets of the red planet.

“Think Mars would be a good place for a vacation?” Anna joked. “I mean, there’s lots of sun there. Bet I’d get a great tan.”

“Unless you prefer sunbathing at minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit, I don’t think so,” Elsa replied flatly.

“Minus 80? Oh, that’s perfect for an ice queen like you.”

Elsa shot Anna a look and playfully nudged her girlfriend’s arm. “Oh shut it, you.”

Anna giggled. “Okay, okay, I guess that nickname has worn out its welcome.”

“It wore its welcome the week after you started calling me that back in college,” Elsa remarked.

“Well, you used to be so closed off when you were focused on your studies,” Anna retorted, smiling in nostalgia. “You got so into your work you practically cut off all contact with the outside world… and then you met me.”

Elsa smiled, blushing. She remembered fondly the days when Anna encouraged her to get out of their dorm room and get outside on their campus. Science had always been her passion, but she hadn’t truly felt love until she met Anna.

Leaning over, Elsa gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. “Yes I did, and I couldn’t have been more thankful for anything else in my life.”

Anna giggled. “Should you really be making such comments to me here? We are supposed to be working right now.”

“Hey, I’m the project director here,” Elsa spoke with an air of faux haughtiness, upturning her nose slightly. “I think it gives me certain advantages.”

Anna giggled at that. Elsa smiled down at her. The two of them leaned in at that moment, almost kissing… and then something caught Anna’s eye. She blinked again, thinking whatever it was just a figment of her imagination, but no, there was indeed something unusual being projected on the screen.

“Wait… what’s that?” Anna asked.

She looked at the monitor with the live camera feed from the rover. In the corner of the screen, as the rover drove over the ridge, Anna saw a strange shape. Whatever it was, it didn’t appear to be a natural rock formation, but it was still too far away for Anna to see.

“You see something?”

Anna nodded and pointed at the screen. “There, right there.”

Elsa pulled down her glasses, leaning in closer. “That looks like a rock.”

“No, I don’t think it is,” Anna said quietly, eyes on the screen in focus. “It seems taller than everything else, taller than any of those other boulders…”

“Hmmm… how much charge does OLAV have left?”

“He just dipped below 45.”

“That should be just enough to get a closer look before we shut down for the night,” Elsa stated. She got up and looked across to another one of the scientists in the control room. “Kristoff, make a course adjustment. Left by about 15 degrees.”

“You got it!” The blonde man called back.

Anna looked at her screen again, seeing the camera view shift slightly as the rover altered its course. For the next few moments, she felt her heart begin to race in her chest. Was the hunch she was having correct? Was this strange object the proof mankind had always been looking for? In the next few minutes, they’d know.

Putting her hand on Anna’s shoulder, Elsa gave her a concerned look. She didn’t like to see Anna stressed like this. “Hey, relax. It might just be a rock.”

“I know… but for some reason, I don’t want it to be,” Anna admitted.

Elsa smiled. “You’re a determined one, Anna Armstrong.”

Anna merely smiled, before looking at her screen again, and then her jaw dropped. As the rover drove up closer to the strange object, Anna could see that her hunch had been right. Standing before the rover was a strange, tall structure. It was a tall obelisk, its surface covered in strange alien runes and hieroglyphs.

As Anna stared at the screen, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Right in front of her eyes was the evidence everyone had been looking for, signs of alien life. But Anna never thought they’d find something like this, an alien relic from a forgotten time.

“What in the…”

Elsa blinked. “That’s…my god, that’s it! That’s what we’ve been looking for!”

There were hurried murmurs and whispers all through the control room as the other scientists saw the image of the obelisk on their screens from the camera feed. The rover was stopped in its tracks, the camera panning up and down, giving the team back on earth a good look at every inch of the strange monument.

“So… what exactly do we do at a moment like this?” Anna asked in wonderment.

“I… I’m not sure,” Elsa said, still awestruck by the fact they had found genuine proof of alien life. After all, how else could one describe what was essentially a stone obelisk built on the surface of Mars. But that’s what indeed it was. As Elsa looked at the markings, she wondered what they meant. A warning? Some prayer to a divine being?

Looking at the screen again, Anna gazed at the strange glyphs. She couldn’t begin to understand them, but the more she looked at them, the more they seemed to be… glowing. Each of the symbols seemed to be glowing a deep, vibrant red, like the colour of blood.

The red glow seemed almost mesmerising to Anna, completely hypnotic. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t look away. As she stared more and more at the strange obelisk, she started to hear whispers in her ear, voices that clearly were not human. Deep, hissing tones that unsettled her completely.

Suddenly, the symbols flashed an even brighter red, as Anna heard the voices start screaming in her ear. Images suddenly filled her mind. Those of a vast empire that spanned what seemed to be the entire cosmos, fleets of ships that travelled to every world, a Mars very different from the one she knew, one of lakes and plant life and a beautiful green sky. And then chaos. Black, monstrous creatures that descended from the heavens, destroying everything in their path.

Anna wanted so desperately to look away from the horrific imagery she was witnessing, of the civilisation, she was witnessing being slaughtered by the black creatures, their world being utterly devastated to the point there was nothing but a red lifeless desert in its wake. Anna screamed in pain, trying to force the images from her mind, but it was no use. Her eyes were glowing bright red with alien energy and were bleeding, as was her nose and ears.

“Anna!” Elsa cried out, rushing to Anna’s side. Her girlfriend grabbed her head, screaming in agony as the alien visions were burned into her mind. Elsa grabbed ahold of Anna, holding her close. She stared at the monitor, seeing the glowing red obelisk.

“Shut the monitors down!” Elsa yelled, alarmed. “Don’t look at the obelisk!”

The other scientists did just that, shutting down each one of the computers until the room was in complete darkness. Anna was still screaming though, suffering in agony. She screamed louder, her eyes glowing the same bright red as the alien glyphs, those same glyphs flashing across her eyeballs.

Elsa felt her heart shudder in her chest, as she watched Anna, holding her close. Nothing in her life had prepared her for anything like this.

“Someone get a doctor, now!”

xXx

It was about half an hour before the ambulance arrived and Anna still hadn’t stopped screaming. By the time Anna had gotten to the hospital, she’d lost consciousness, but fortunately, she was still alive. Throughout all of it, Elsa stayed with Anna for as long as she could.

The doctors hadn’t found anything wrong with Anna, aside from some rather odd brain activity. Elsa hadn’t told them the exact reason why Anna had ended up in this way, telling them she’d merely suffered a seizure. She knew most people wouldn’t understand the truth.

As she was making her way back to Anna’s room with a cup of tea in her hand, Elsa suddenly got a phone call from Kristoff. He’d stayed behind to watch things at the control centre while Elsa escorted Anna to the hospital. She sat down outside the room, picking up her phone.

“Kristoff?” Elsa asked.

“Elsa, thank goodness,” Kristoff said, relieved. “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get through to you. Some major shit just went down at the lab.”

“What?” Elsa asked. “What happened?”

“Just after you left, these guys in black suits showed up. They confiscated everything on the computers, including all the data we received from the rover. I think they might have been the FBI or something. They swore everyone to secrecy. I didn’t tell them about you and Anna though.”

Elsa sighed. It seems not only were aliens real, but so were the men in black. But she had to remain calm. Even if those government agents had taken all her data, everything she’d spent most of her life working on, her biggest priority was Anna and her safety.

“Thank you for letting me know,” Elsa responded.

“I’m so sorry, Elsa,” Kristoff told her. “I feel like I should have done something to stop them.”

“You did what you could,” Elsa said softly. “I suggest you go home and get some rest. It’s been… a really long day.”

“I’ll do that,” Kristoff nodded. “How’s Anna doing?”

Looking through the nearby window into Anna’s room, Elsa saw her girlfriend lying on the bed, motionless with an IV tube stuck in her arm. It pained her to see Anna like this. This wasn’t the first time Anna had been in the hospital since she’d known her, but she hadn’t felt this worried about her before either.

“No change in her condition,” Elsa said quietly, glancing back at her comatose lover. “The doctors can’t really explain what happened to her.”

“Damn,” Kristoff said, his face creasing in sympathy. “Well, if she does wake up, tell her I said hi, will you.”

“Sure thing,” Elsa smiled. “See you later, big guy.”

After hanging up, Elsa walked into Anna’s room, closing the curtains on the window that looked out onto the hallway. As she sat by Anna’s bed, she reached over and held her lover’s hand softly, gazing at her unconscious form lying beside her.

The room in the hospital was quiet, save for the ambience of whatever was going on in the corridors outside. As Elsa looked at Anna, she felt tears swell in her eyes. She wasn’t a religious woman by any means, but at this moment, Elsa was praying to god for Anna to make it.

Though as the hours ticked by, Elsa began to wonder if her love would ever awaken. It was at that point that Elsa started to blame herself. She was in charge of the mission and she should have stopped the rover before it approached that obelisk or perhaps she should have chosen a different route for the rover to take.

But at that point, Elsa realised that blaming herself wasn’t going to do anything, nor could she have predicted that something like this would have happened. What had been done was done and nothing could change that. All she could do now was keep hoping that all would be well again, that Anna would wake up.

Her prayers were answered.

“Elsa…” Anna croaked, barely above a whisper.

Elsa’s eyes widened, gazing at the redhead as she finally awakened from her unconsciousness. She held Anna’s hand tighter, staring into her eyes. “Anna!”

Anna looked up at her lover, her teal eyes fluttering open weakly. “W-What… Where am I?”

“In the hospital,” Elsa explained. “That weird obelisk we found on Mars did something to you. I… I was worried for a moment that you might…”

“I… I’m okay,” Anna assured her, weakly raising her hand and stroking Elsa’s cheek. The blonde sighed and touched Anna’s hand, resting her head against it.

“Do you… Do you remember what happened when you saw those glyphs?” Elsa asked. “All I saw was you looking at them and then you started screaming.”

“I… I remember now,” Anna groaned. “Oh fuck… it was horrible…”

“Easy,” Elsa placed a hand on Anna’s shoulder. “Relax for a moment, snowflake. Just take it one step at a time. Everything is going to be okay now.”

After Anna got a drink, she explained everything to Elsa. All the images she’d seen, the voices, how horrible it all felt. Elsa couldn’t begin to fathom what Anna had seen… but she was just glad that Anna had been strong enough to recover from it, a testament to her spirit.

But the whole affair had clearly taken its toll on her girlfriend. Every time she spoke, Elsa didn’t feel that sense of joy and excitement she usually got from Anna. It was as if the Anna she knew and love was gone and what was left was just an empty, emotionless shell.

“What do you think it all was?” Anna wondered.

“Well if I had to make a guess, I’d say when you looked at the glyphs, that obelisk must have telepathically beamed those images into your mind.”

“It all… It all looked so real,” Anna said, her voice still shaking. “It’s like it was a dream and yet I felt like I was really there on Mars, watching it all.”

“We probably won’t be able to tell anyone about this,” Elsa told her. “Apparently, the FBI or someone like them went to the control centre just after I left with you and took all our data.”

“What the hell?” Anna wondered. “Elsa… We need to tell people about this. This is big, really big.”

“I know, but if we try, the government will likely have us arrested,” Elsa argued.

“But people need to be told about this!” Anna shouted. “During those visions… when I saw the Martians get slaughtered… I saw these giant black monsters attacking them from space. I.. I couldn’t help but feel like those things wouldn’t have stopped at Mars.”

Elsa’s eyes widened. “Anna… what are you saying?”

“I’m saying I have this weird gut feeling that whatever destroyed Mars… might still be out there,” she then looked out of the window. “And… they might be watching us here and now… and one day, they might come to wipe us out too. And we have to be ready for them if they do.”

Elsa held Anna’s hand. “That won’t happen, Anna. Not as long as I’m around.”

“You promise?”

Elsa nodded, taking Anna’s hands and leaning in. The two of them touched foreheads and Anna sighed, welcoming Elsa’s loving, tender embrace.

“I promise. Whatever happens, we’ll face it… together.”