#ultimate powerful emperor aesthetic

[dungeonman]

A boy is never just "going to the store". He is running, running from all the footballs he never caught, all the stocks he never bought

[cloudshuffle]

Hi, d for the request can I please have yandere Royal Jade x thief reader?

gem in the rough. yan!jade

nobility au

Her grace, the elegant, classy, duchess Jade, also has a penchant for being frightening.

So terrifying is she that it's said she can make grown men wet themselves at a single glance (this is untrue, on accounts that it was only one man who she caused to wet himself, and there were many other factors involved in his pants-wetting, so he says. I think it’s more amusing to leave it down to the duchess.)

Yet all rumours sprout from a seed of truth. Jade is a formidable individual, demoness or not, and it’d do anyone good not to cross her. She near monopolises the flow of jewels in and out of our borders, and as far as it’s been recorded, none of her ventures have ever failed. She’s wealthy. Some even say she’s more powerful than the emperor himself.

The duchess has an eye for valuable things; things that would pay her back tenfold, if invested in the right way. Despite her cutthroat methods, I know merchants who would kill to be in partnership with her - provided they get an audience with her first. Duchess Jade is a very difficult person to get a hold of.

Speaking of valuable things. I suppose it’s dangerous for a thief to keep a diary, yet here we are. I’ve been feeling rather… lonely and sentimental recently, something about how there might be no one to remember me by. Anyway. It’s been said that the duchess has in her possession something called the Dragon’s Eye - an exquisite, rare, lovely jewel that would buy me not only my freedom out of these borders, but also a life beyond them. I have someone who’s willing to pay.

I do intend to acquire it for myself.

I’ve been watching the duchess’ estate for a period of time now, and I’m quite confident I’ll be able to slip in easily tonight. After that, well, let’s just hope the plans to the castle are up to date. If they aren’t, this will be my first and last entry, which is amusing in a way.

Though aren’t my best heists always the ones less planned?

In confidence, (Name).

I have to admit, the duchess herself isn’t the only frightening thing about her estate.

Security is nearly watertight, and I nearly got mauled at least thrice tonight. But humans are ultimately foolish creatures, and I managed to trick the guards at the outer walls into thinking their mutts were acting up at a squirrel. Still, I thought my heart would jump out of my throat.

The guards in the corridors? Less perceptive than the maids. Those twittery ladies never miss the slightest bit of gossip to pass around. I slipped into a uniform, hinted that the stable boy had his eye on the duchess, and slipped out quickly as they begun speculating on what might happen. He does have quite the looks. Shame he might be fired soon.

And finally I was close enough to slither into her jeweller’s vault, right underneath the guard’s feet. Or the carpet under them. It was a tight, unpleasant squeeze, but what’s playing pretend as a snake compared to my future on the line?

Rumour had it that Jade’s vault was manned by a host of the continent’s best lapidarists, all chained to their desks and made to slave away to produce only the best jewels for her. That rumour always seemed a little silly to me. Didn’t people work best when they were well-fed and happy? But there were no lapidarists. In fact, there wasn’t a single soul in that chamber, not even a guard.

The carpeted floor ate up all sound, and the gems sparkled silently in clear cases. I probably could have stolen the cushions they rested on and fetched a small fortune - the workmanship and the gold embroidery spoke enough.

But I was here on a mission. And though I usually turn away at the sign that something might go awry, maybe it was the temptation of my reward, or maybe it was the sight of the jewel that drove me on.

Fiery red and deepest purple laced with the richest gold. Lovely didn’t even begin to describe such a jewel. Though an eye for aesthetics didn’t come with the job, I think even a blind man could simply feel its beauty radiating from it.

The gold in the middle did somewhat resemble an eye. And I took it with gloved hands and slipped it into a velvet pouch.

Leaving was easy. The compound was designed to keep people out rather than in, and I made it back to my temporary quarters without fuss. I deposited the jewel safely (even I’m not foolish enough to note down where it is), and satisfied at having a job well done, decided to treat myself to a drink at the bar downstairs.

There was a lovely lady at the bar with a presence about her. She looked normal enough with a nondescript cloak and brown hair (save the covering across the lower half of her face), but she didn’t feel normal, and so all the other patrons were giving her a wide berth, even raging drunk. I was in no mood to contend with rowdy, stinking men, so I took up the empty seat next to her.

“Good evening,” she said to me, and I had to sigh. Conversation really wasn’t on my agenda for the day, but she must have misunderstood. “Long day?”

“Sure,” I replied. “Just got home from work.”

“So late!” she exclaimed. “You must be working very hard.”

I shrugged. “I suppose I do.”

Conversation died down, and she left shortly after that. She did tell me she was looking forward to seeing me again.

I wonder what she meant.

Yours unsurely, (Name).

With much difficulty, I’ve finally managed to make contact with the buyer! Pardon the excitement, but we’ve arranged for a meeting at the docks tonight, where they’ve already arranged passage for me. I asked why they weren’t worried about me running off with the jewel, and they said that I likely didn’t want to keep it in my possession any longer.

Which is… true. It’s hard to find a buyer for such a high profile object, but harder still to keep it around me. I’ve been checking on it every day, and I’ve noticed that I feel… somewhat queasy around it. Like it’s a drain on my energy.

Hey, I didn’t survive this long without being at least a little superstitious.

That aside, it was discovered that the jewel went missing sometime in the night that I stole it. Though it’s an important item, the upper echelons seem more interested in covering up the theft than issuing a public notice. I suppose I understand. How would it look if not even the nobility had safe, secure homes?

Regardless, as long as it doesn't harm me, I suppose the jewel and I can coexist for a day longer. And I'll let the stone keep its secrets. It’s not much longer before it’ll be off my hands.

Looking forward to the future, (Name).

I’m writing this entry by candlelight, still sweaty and breathless from escaping from that place.

I made my way to the docks once the sun set. The Eye was heavy in my pocket, but in some way, I felt like the weight of my future was finally in my hands.

I was feeling unusually optimistic. And I’ve learnt, thankfully, that that’s when things go wrong.

Like any respectable thief might, I concealed myself amongst the many crates and boxes waiting quietly to be brought inland the next day. Making the first appearance is always foolish. My boat, supposedly, bobbed quietly on the water with not a soul in sight. Not unusual - the sailors would all be inland at the moment, causing ruckus at the taverns. But it didn’t help to reassure me any better.

Shortly after, a trio of horses and riders come down the docks. Not the most discreet way to get somewhere, and definitely not the level of caution I would expect from someone about to attain the Dragon’s Eye. I knew I was right to be suspicious.

The lady in the middle got off first - I knew she was a lady despite the cloak because she rode side-saddle. Also another unusual detail in this day and age. The other two men at her side moved with a familiarity that I didn’t like; the kind that reminded me of trained soldiers and patrolling troops. They didn’t stir up particularly happy memories. When one of them moved, I caught a glimpse of sheathed blade under his cloak.

Two soldiers. And a noble lady.

I knew this, because Duchess Jade lifted the hood off her face in one smooth motion, her pink curls tumbling out like a cascade of silk.

I bit back a gasp. Because seeing the duchess up close, I recognised her too - the same lady who’d just sat next to me at the inn bar. No matter how she’d changed her hair, using magic or otherwise, it was definitely still her, aura and all.

“My dear master thief.” Her voice rang out, clear and full of authority. I knew immediately that confrontation wasn’t an option. “I know you’re hiding somewhere. You’ve done such a wonderful job, attaining the Dragon’s Eye. Do show yourself so I can present you with your reward.”

From under her cloak, she pulled out a drawstring bag, large and heavy with coin. Jade shook the bag as if to prove its contents, then retrieved papers and slipped those inside too.

“More credit, and legitimate papers for your safe passge.” She patted the bag. “This offer won’t last forever, master thief. Or should I call you, (Name)?”

By the time she finished her sentence, I was already gone.

I pick up this entry, once again by candlelight, once again fleeing.

The duchess knew where I was staying, which gave me valuable time to pack what little I had and sneak onto a transport cart. Once out of the city, I hopped off and hitched a more legitimate ride with another cart. Not that I trusted these people not to rat me out, but there was no way I was stopping any of these men in the dark without giving them a fright.

I’m on my way towards the border. The Eye is still heavy in my pocket, sitting quietly like an obedient child. I hadn’t known what to do with it, and figured it might be better to carry it with me, in case I needed to barter for something valuable. Like a life.

This journal will have to take backseat for now. I get the feeling I need to jump carts soon.

(Name).

[honestlyboringperson]

This alliance dissolved faster than sugar in hot water. (Persona 5 AU)

Also I know Bigb and Lizzie have similar outfits and themes and Ren is more red than Pearl, who’s codename is literally just another word for “red”. Eh, oh well.

Southlanders

Team B.E.S.T.

The Scottage + Gem

Magic Mountain + Cub

More under the cut!

Lizzie - “Flora” - The Tower Arcana - Carabosse/Persephone

Once the leader of a sorority and with sky-high academics, Lizzie has since fallen from grace after allegations of foul play were revealed. Even if Lizzie didn’t commit such actions, the label stuck and she has since been outcasted from the student body and now spends her days in the shadows, taking care of quite a few stray cats. Despite these setbacks, she still retains her gleam of authority and tries to help lead the phantom thieves, using some of her old connections & IOUs from her days as an honour student. She’s in an active and loving relationship with a certain former delinquent.

Within the metaverse, Lizzie uses Carabosse. Carabosse is more well known as “Maleficent” or the thirteenth fairy from sleeping beauty. As revenge for not being invited to a party, she curses the newborn princess to prick her finger and die, which another fairy changes to simply falling asleep after pricking her finger. I wanted to combine the two aesthetics and themes Lizzie finds herself in; cutesy fairy and supervillain mastermind.

Her Ultimate persona is Persephone. Persephone is the wife of Hades, and queen of the underworld and goddess of spring. Persephone is often equated and conflated with Despoina, who’s real name isn’t revealed to anyone but those who initiate her mysteries. She is noted to be so terrifying, one must never utter her by name out loud unless they want to catch her attention. This is heavily contrasted by the later interpretations of Persephone as a simple spring goddess.

Ren - “King” - The Emperor Arcana - Arthur/Fenrir

Ren is a prodigy actor at a local theatre, with his acting skills being matched by no one in the theatre. He specializes in dramatic characters with flowery speech and theatrical monologues, to the point whenever he’s in the metaverse, he LARPs as an Evil King. He helps hook the Phantom Thieves up with a weapons expert, who for some reason wears a goat mask 24/7. Upbeat and Loud, he and Skizz helps keep morale high in the phantom thieves. He’s very close with Martyn, despite Martyn insisting he’s just using them as pawns. Whether or not this is true or not is yet to be determined.

His persona is Arthur, namely King Arthur. He is a famed king, known for his sword Excalibur and his large entourage of knights. His story lives on through media, be it through simple books to as grand as whole stage plays. He is often portrayed as a well meaning king who defends the land from both human and supernatural threats. Although his legend has changed throughout history, his story is one bedecked by both tragedy and grandeur.

His Ultimate Persona is Fenrir, a key figure in Ragnarok and killer of Odin. A child of Loki, he and his siblings were foretold to bring the end of the universe and in Odin’s attempt to escape this prophecy, he ends up giving them the power and motives needed to enact the tragedy. In Fenrir’s case, he was brought up the wolf in their home where only Tyr had the courage to approach him to give him food, which sparked a friendship between the two. However, due to his rapid growth everyday the gods made three leg cuffs and had Tyr helped trick Fenrir into putting the cuffs on. When he realizes the trick, he bites Tyr’s hand off. In Ragnarok,he breaks free of his chains and swallow Odin whole, killing him.

BigB - “Spectre” - The Temperance Arcana - Winchester/Eshu

A velvet room attendant who is currently abandoning his duties as an Attendant in the first place. Since the new velvet room manifested, he has since been shirking his duties to explore the outside world, never really returning to the Velvet Room. He still speaks in a somewhat strange manner but is polite and charismatic, making him well liked by the people around him. He initially joins the Phantom Thieves to keep Watch of Grian, as he is aware of his true nature, but eventually finds more reasons he desires to stay. He is especially gifted with persuasive speech and helps come up with alibis for the Phantom Thieves whenever they get into shady business. He has an odd habit of exiting rooms through doors that weren’t originally there.

His persona is Winchester, both the person and the mansion. Sarah Winchester was the wife of the inventor of the Winchester rifle. After she was widowed, she was told she would be haunted by those whose lives were stolen by the rifle her husband created. In order to prevent the ghosts from harming her as well as to possibly contact the ghosts of her lost loved ones, she turned her farmhouse into a strange, maze like mansion with doors and windows that lead to nowhere, stairs that end in ceilings, trapdoors, and barred windows.

His Ultimate Persona is Eshu or Èṣù, a Yoruba Orisha who specializes in divination and acts as a messenger between heaven and earth. He was known to have tricked Ifa out of his secrets of divination, and another where he frees Ifa from his imprisonment within a palm tree and casts him as a founder of the Ifa religion.

[hoodieschaoticreviews]

What type of roles do each of the deadly sins have? (By roles i mean job applications just to be clear)

OH BOY HERE WE GO

Ok so note this part is where shit is a little fucky because I’m trying to iron out the sins but I have NOTES

Lucifer

Lulu is essentially the overseer of hell and the ultimate judge of things, usually you do NOT want to be presented before Lucifer because it means you fucked up so badly that not even Minos wants to judge you. This is added with their ringleader aesthetic and more trickster way of performing magic, they are the ultimate power in hell and will let you know.

Leviathan

Being the secondary power of hell, the original prisoner of the place and one who can navigate the abyss. Leviathan dips her toes in a lot of things but she’s mostly the head of weaponry and magic, as her body is essentially covered in knives. Because of this she’s the knife thrower or more finesse performer.

Mammon

Being literally named Money, he’s the economy. He runs banks, treasuries and entertainment in hell. If you see commercials in hell, it’s because of mammon. He’s mostly the buffoonery in circus (clowns, jesters, mimes), and thus he has a soft spot for clowns and jesters.

He also creates Homunculi, which takes the form of weirdly sentient robots or flesh golemns that follow orders.

Belphagor

The sleepy genius is the head of hospitals and technology, she’s the reason why there’s smart phones in hell. Granted she often has to update hell to human’s standards and gets some things wrong, which is why the internet is fucking horrendous half the time in hell… but like that’s a torture for sinners so win win? She’s also the contortionist and gymnast, considering she was born before the invention of wheel chairs she knows how to move herself around without her chair.

Beelzebub

The gluttony demon is the head of food, nothing too thrilling. Farms, food factories, and party houses where people can indulge as much as they like on empty calories and empty serotonin. Beelzebub is the acrobat and trapeze artist and often hosts parties in hell, mostly to keep the peace among the sins and try to bridge gaps.

Iblis

The Strong man of the circus and the head of transportation, he mostly oversees trains and gates and such and works with leviathan to keep gates of hell regulated. He and his wife Babel are also the creators of the species of imps, thus imps are considered a bit more revered in wrath. His ring also has fight pits and mines for coal to run the trains so yeah.

Asmodeus (spoken as one person as the job is considered for one person)

The animal tamer and breeder of hell, his job is simple. He makes potions, breed demons, make new types of demons, run the nightclubs and bars, and oversee the more feral type of demons. He also oversees political marriages, although he finds marriage dumb as hell. He’s also the one who oversees succubi, one of the only species of demon who commonly still go to earth without being summoned.

Belial

Since she’s Lucifer’s kid and the future ringmaster, her parent has made her the carnival barker of sorts. She runs limbo with Minos and Charon, overseeing souls and sorting them while also overseeing demon contracts with mortals and even making deals herself. She’s the sin that everyone considers the weakest one, since she’s the sin of betrayal and she happens to be less eager to murder than the others. But don’t let that fool you, she is still feared in hell… just not AS much.

Overall they are all rulers with their own set of retainers, armies and such.

Hell they are more akin to emperors while right under them are often 3 kings who do things to keep their stations running. Example being asmodeus has a king who can turn off the fertility of people whenever.

[lacunasbalustrade]

Rouga Aragami, Tasuku Ryuenji, Kyoya Gaen, Shosetsu Kirisame and Zanya Kisaragi. (1st three)

character aesthetic requests for @fandomfan-102

happens to coincide with Tasuku Ryuenji’s birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY TASUKU!!! you’re 7 this year and starting schooling!

Rouga Aragami: and let your heart be staid

drown in oxygen.

practical thoughts in the body of art. the expressiveness and forgiving nature of oil paint, allowing for layering and holding despite the weathering of time. cascading answers, thoughts that provoke lashing out, ruinous laughter. you think the sun will break you with the way it hurts to watch it, and turn away to let yourself breathe. warts and all. you are not worldly, even when you wear the oxfords of a worldly man, and you scream in defiance at the roaring waterfalls and endless roads.

plain, a plain man, with your plain desires and easy ambitions. steady pacing.

quietly simmering hatred. awe at the things that are to come, and a sarcasm set in irony’s rod that comes off as arrogance. you taste like forbidden cream and three sugar cubes in your hot coffee, your hand steady as it hovers above the paper to prevent yourself from smearing pencil lines. passionate protests. unbeliever in dignity. oh, you are only very lonely, and one breath taken into lungs by the saline sea. come, half-to-heart, and believe.

speak in the tongues of an old people. i dry you out under the constant pressure of gravity, and you gain taste under the airy, endlessly cold world.

Tasuku Ryuenji: calling from afar

falling fast.

make yourself constrained and constructed. golem of endless gems and earth, earth, so much damned dirt and nothing to show for it. you’re more than desperate, you believe, to be thawed and see the spring, find the clouds parting hungry open to summon the sky back like your second skin. bubbling fish stock over softening coils of white noodles. a little more, just a little more, only a little more. why can’t you simply forget your place, for a second, and…bloom, like a wildfire? like flames licking up the air and if only you would

inhale, but you never let yourself.

frustration. a lily needs to bloom. you can store the soul in the bulb, but you of all people weren’t born to gift your predators with the heart you thrust into your work like it encompasses you. save some of that love for yourself. it is your desire to prove yourself which ultimately reveals your true insecurities. sweep the ashes into the hearth, abandon your work, and run.

release your white knuckles. i throw open the doors of your enclosure which had bottled you up like a miniature ship, and you learn confidence through the process of running your hands over a hot stove.

Kyoya Gaen: ah, if only [days of beauty]

in no hurry, magpies make nests on riveting heights.

find your way by lofty stars, the standards you chase are Midas golden. you have theorized and stylized your subsequent ideals (yes, yes, yes) but the first thing you do is shape yourself to fit the reality of emptiness. you have no hope at all, despite soaring high, you don’t trust, despite hungering. and in the solemnity of night, you find yourself so drawn to people grounded with the stain of their beliefs and the ugly taste of blood. i know you. you want to be less beautiful and more loved. the way you stretch out your legs carelessly, impetuously, as a child would, speaks to how instinctively you need to be unworn again.

new clothes for an emperor.

could you, maybe, just let yourself roll around in grass on a desolate hill? where no one expects anything of you? you’re crumbling inside like flaky mud and it’s unsightly. you’re a dungbeetle rolling up waste in an attempt to make another babel but it won’t help you come to terms with the frigidity of your bed. stop building cults to pretend that you are holy. power will not fix your problems.

walk into the sea and be torn from your rootedness by the riptide. flower stuck in the shadow, be brought dizzyingly, by fervent hope, into the dawn.

[cina-full-moon-xanadium]

Kamen Rider BLACK RX, then. Where do I start?

Well... it doesn’t quite live up to the image of it I’d created in my head. And it definitely doesn’t live up to its predecessor. But... I think it’s a show doomed both by its reputation, and its status as a sequel to a show that really should not have had a sequel; and that if you can get past that - and certainly, not something everyone will be up to - I think it’s a show with a lot of its own merits.

Some of this is made easier by a lack of direct references to Black. There are the two Shadow Moon episodes, of course; and then the insanity-inducing scenario of using Whale Kaijin’s cave to give RX’s magic supercar a heart. But much of what fuels RX’s greatest heights is how it treats Kotaro as someone who has been a hero, a Kamen Rider before and is now finding a life beyond that - and thankfully, despite the actor, I found it easy enough to buy into that without the specificity of it being a Black sequel. Like, it’s a good Kamen Rider sequel show as long as you ignore it’s a sequel to Black? ... I’m probably not selling this very well, but trust me when I say that after a bit it’s something I found easy enough to slip into. The way Kotaro has found a family with the Saharas which isn’t the most solid family but it’s one that ultimately loves each other and him; the way he’s got a job now that he’s able to enjoy; the way he’s slowly meeting people and making friends. It’s all... it’s all very charming, and quite heartwarming.

The Crisis Empire, the invading alien force of reject Sentai villains and the hottest robot ever made; also ends up being a bit more interesting than it seems at first, even if it’s something subtle you sort of have to learn to look for. They have the usual power-grabs and personal interests at heart, with Bosgun especially going against orders for glory more often than not; but General Jark is... a very fascinating commander the further in you go. When faced with Colonel Dasmader in the latter half of the show picking apart his team’s efforts, he is fiercely defensive of not just his own position and reputation but also his subordinates; for seemingly no personal gain. Many many times he ends up flagrantly lying to and going against the supreme Emperor he’s supposed to be subservient to just to save the skin of his captains; at one point straight up killing Dasmader (he gets better) for Maribaron. It’s all of that combined with a more subtle dynamic of the captains getting along strangely well outside of their backstabbing that gives an endearing family angle to the group -- if only they were wise enough to realise just how important they are to each other.

There’s a lot of absolute nonsense, too, mind -- this is the first Kamen Rider series to REALLY have merchandising push its way into the show seemingly after Road Sector’s success last season; with all sorts of forms and weapons and vehicles thrown into RX’s arsenal. Thankfully I think most of it is handled quite well, with only the Rideron feeling truly superflouous -- the rest is in service of RX’s form changing which is used heavily since their debut till the last episode, serving not just to make fights more interesting but working their way into story beats as well. Robo Rider and Bio Rider are just straight up AWESOME designs at that; with aesthetics and colour schemes that Kamen Rider hadn’t delved into much before and a debut that speaks a fair bit to Kotaro’s character. Whoops, got a bit positive there; more negatives -- the Shadow Moon episodes are straight up bad, the last episode introduces a hamfisted environmental message which would be nice if it weren’t for completely contradicting the entire point of the Crisis Empire as an enemy and everything we’d learned about the Demon World and its people before; the Acrobatter being a revived Battle Hopper is something that seems nice at first but turns out to be very pointless, and also Gatezone didn’t get NEARLY enough screentime any time Gatezone isn’t on the screen you should be thinking “where is Gatezone” I want to be staring at his metal chest any chance I get

So! There are a fair few negatives to the show, but overall I think it’s got more than enough positives to balance it out. I don’t think it’s one of the greatest Showa Rider seasons or anything, but I had a great time here and I think if you’re willing to accept it on its own merit you’ll find something to like as well. It’s a pretty solid showing for Kamen Rider and certainly not the worst way the Showa Era could have ended.

[discet]

I like your Swap Caleb concept! I guess my idea was more "direct" in it's approach then yours. What I had in mind is that Caleb ends up setting himself up as Emperor, manufacturing some supposed human invasion/terror attacks to rally power around himself.

I think in contrast to Philip, Caleb's Boiling Isles is paradoxically a lot less rigidly dogmatic with it's equivalent of Coven System and such, but at the same time it's much more militaristic, with a more competent Emperor's Coven enforcing his rule. I'm imagining that the BI what have a vaguely dieselpunk-ish vibe to it.

Caleb's or "Emperor Obron" ultimate plan is to launch an invasion of Earth after siphoning off (some) magical power from the general population in The Day of Convergence to make himself godlike and ensure victory.

Thanks! I think its a bit rough around the edges but I did like it.

For yours I think there's a lot of fun potential. Love the idea of a more diesalpunk vibe to things (Im a huge sucker for punk aesthetics). The idea of Luz having to deal with a much more baseline hostile society has some potential.

I have some constructive feedback, but since that was not asked for I'm gonna hold off on it and wish you luck on developing your AU :)

[elan-the-emperor]

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[top10bharat]

Elan The Emperor Sector 106 Gurgaon

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Prime Location Advantage

Sector 106, Gurgaon is emerging fast as a prime hub for real estate development. Being positioned just off the Dwarka Expressway, Elan The Emperor will boast easy connectivity to the major hubs that include:

Indira Gandhi International Airport (just a few miles away)

Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, which gives easy access to Delhi and NCR

New Metro Stations and solid road infrastructure

The place receives a high footfall of residents from neighboring upscale residential complexes and corporate hubs, attracting lots of retail and business activities to it.

Key Features of Elan The Emperor

Architectural Excellence: This picture-friendly vision, with the world-class architects being its brain-child, exudes a phenomenal balance of aesthetics and efficiency.

Retail Hubs: Delivers flexible and expansive forms of retail to host global Premium Brands as well as Organizations.

Recreation Precinct: Well-equipped and multi-screen Multiplex and Entertainment options make a wholesome package for patrons. 

Fine Dining & Cafes: Good restaurants and cafes provide an excellent ambience wherein one meets his friends on leisure and also dole out business and networking.

Infrastructure: High-speed elevators, 24*7 power backup, and secured systems shall ensure effortless movement of tenants and visitors.

Good quantity of Parking: An ample smartly designed parking area shall cater to shoppers as well as employee parking.

Why Invest in Elan The Emperor?

The investment in Elan The Emperor would surely give a good return since:

High ROI Potential: Considering the rising commercial landscape of Gurgaon, the project can promise a significant return on investment.

Reputed Developer: Elan Group has a reputation for delivering good quality projects on time that ensures trust and reliability.

Dividing Neighborhood: This area is near luxury residential societies and corporate offices. Thereby, there will be a regular flow of foot traffic along with a solid client base.

Premium Brand Association: The project houses upscale domestic and international brands, thus bringing high-end market value.

Sustainable and Green Development

Elan The Emperor is a conceptual structure that keeps sustainability in mind. All the building materials and energy-efficient systems to recycle water are used so that everything is done in such a way that it minimizes environmental impacts. This green development enhances the appeal of the project while aligning with the values of eco-conscious businesses and customers.

Conclusion

Elan The Emperor Sector 106 Gurgaon, is a commercial venture that talks for itself. This is because this location is an epitome of luxury retail, entertainment, and business. Whether you are a brand looking forward to an expansion or an investor looking to invest big for maximum returns, this project will help you attain the maximum possible returns on value and opportunities.

Visit Elan The Emperor today and take your business to another level of glory.

Don't hesitate to alter or develop this content as per your needs or preferences!

[alt-ctrl]

The Elegance of Simple Architecture: Timeless Design

In a world where excess often reigns supreme, there's a quiet revolution taking place in the realm of architecture. It whispers rather than shouts, speaks volumes through silence, and proves that sometimes, the most profound statements are made with the fewest words. Welcome to the counterintuitive world of minimalist architecture, where less isn't just more – it's everything.

Stripping Down to Build Up

Imagine, if you will, a building that's more birthday suit than ball gown. That's minimalist architecture for you – naked ambition in its purest form. It's the architectural equivalent of a zen master, achieving enlightenment by shedding worldly possessions. But don't be fooled by its apparent simplicity; like a haiku, every element in minimalist design carries the weight of a thousand ornate decorations.

The Naked Truth of Minimalism

Minimalist architecture isn't just about looking good in its birthday suit; it's about feeling good too. It's the Marie Kondo of the building world, asking of every beam and window, "Does this spark joy?" If not, out it goes. The result? Spaces that are as emotionally decluttered as they are physically uncluttered.

Take the Farnsworth House, for instance. Mies van der Rohe's glass masterpiece is so transparent, it's practically invisible. It's the architectural equivalent of the Emperor's New Clothes, except in this case, the emperor is proudly nude and everybody can see the beauty of it.

Sustainability: The Greenest Threads

Now, here's where things get really interesting. What if I told you that by wearing less, buildings could actually do more for the environment? It's the paradox at the heart of minimalist architecture's sustainability credentials.

Less Is More (Environmentally Friendly)

By using fewer materials, minimalist buildings are like the heavyweight champions of the lightweight division. They pack a punch without the excess baggage. It's like going on a diet, but instead of shedding pounds, these buildings are shedding carbon emissions.

Consider the Zero House by Specht Architects. This lean, green, sustainable machine is so eco-friendly, it could make even Captain Planet blush. With its solar panels and rainwater collection system, it's not just off the grid – it's creating its own grid. It's the architectural equivalent of growing your own vegetables, except in this case, you're growing your own energy.

The Aesthetics of Absence

Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room – or rather, the absence of elephants in the room. Minimalist architecture isn't just easy on the environment; it's easy on the eyes too. It's visual comfort food for the soul, a palate cleanser in a world of architectural gluttons.

The Art of Nothing

Tadao Ando's Church of the Light in Japan is a prime example of this. It's so bare, it makes a monk's cell look like a luxury suite. But in that bareness lies its power. The interplay of light and shadow creates a spiritual experience so profound, it could make an atheist consider conversion. It's proof that sometimes, the most powerful presence is absence itself.

Questioning Our Architectural Assumptions

As we stand at the crossroads of architectural excess and minimalist restraint, we must ask ourselves: Do we really need all the bells and whistles? Is more always more, or can less truly be more?

Perhaps the real question is not what we can add to our buildings, but what we can take away. In stripping our structures down to their essence, we might just discover the true nature of architecture – and ourselves.

The Final Paradox

In conclusion, minimalist architecture presents us with the ultimate paradox: by reducing our buildings to their bare essentials, we actually enhance their impact. It's a philosophy that challenges us to rethink our relationship with space, with the environment, and with beauty itself.

So the next time you encounter a building that seems almost empty, remember: it might just be full of possibilities. After all, in the world of minimalist architecture, nothing is everything.

If you’ve enjoyed this article please consider sharing it or buy me a Coffee

[talenlee]

Vox Maxima Gallery 2: The Kraivh Empire

The world is broken; wounded, and one in seven in the entire empire expunged. A billion are missing and amongst them were workers, guards, scholars — and those missing people have left a wound across the entire world. Thankfully, the strong leadership, the head of the Kraivh Assembly, have been able to hold the institutions of the world strong in this great, yawning disappearance.

The armies of the Kraivh defend the borders. The Osteotheruges pick through the graves and memorials, trying to find the truth that has been lost. And even Emperor Kraivh, The Eternal Undying himself has assigned his closest blood to the quest of solving the great question, beginning the quest meant to solve that mystery, and in the process, bring back a satisfactory answer to be spoken in in the Vox Maxima.

Vox Maxima is a custom magic set created by Talen Lee. It’s composed of 187 cards, with 71 commons, 60 uncommons, 41 rares, and 15 mythic rares. Vox Decima is a custom Magic: The Gathering set, with at least one card spoiled a day, on Cohost, Kind.Social, and the r/custommagic subreddit.

WOTC Employees: This post in full presents unsolicited custom Magic: The Gathering card designs, which I understand current employee practices forbid you from looking at unsolicited. You shouldn’t be here!

And now, the gallery of cards:

The Empire being what it is, is organised and regulated, and every source of power and authority within it owns some of that Imperial Blood to it; important figures like Rudel III, Gywnn XI, and Aszyt’s Rebuttal stand on the borders of the Empire, opposing those factions that seek to encroach on the stability the empire offers. In the empire, the use of skeleton servants has successfully met the needs of the missing billion people, and also means that most citizens that aren’t necromancers don’t need to care about the works or will of the military at all. This is a necropolity, a space where the ruling power is directly fed into the necromancers who control access to life and death. People are healed, even from death, and cared for by the great machinery of the Empire. Even the dead can contribute to the Empire, where bones are valued, and the Emperor (be he loved) stands at the head offering everyone stability in this time of strange missing memories. Nobody remembers him taking power, but the empire is there and with his immense responsibility upon him, he has dedicatd effort to ensuring everyone has

These cards represent (mostly) the cards relevant to the Kraivh Assembly, the church worshipping the Necromantic god-emperor Kraivh, who holds the world together despite the loss of a billion lives. He is the Vox Maxima, and they speak with his voice. The Assembly is its top echelon – the necromancers (osteotheurges) that the world leans on. It’s notable how the aesthetics of necromancer valued here; skeletons are treated as proper and clean forms of necromancy, but zombies? You won’t find a zombie in the Kraivh Assembly. No, that’s untidy.

What these cards are trying to present, in world building and mechanical terms, is the idea of a massive, ponderous, institutionally supported empire. There are people who operate within that empire, there are individuals who are given power, but also that power is represented as being dynastic, and interconnected, and ultimately hierarchal. The Kraivh faction in its core is composed of a sense of religious order (white), a sense of emotional need to survive (red), and a willingness to do anything to survive (black). Ultimately, the entire Empire is built like a Platonic philosopher-king perspective; the empire is the artwork of a powerful individual, driven and focused on expressing himself, in the form of his empire, where art and poetry and infrastructure and contribution are all highly valued. Still, the emperor’s ego is overwhelming. There are parts of the Empire that are guarded by and respond to things that he specifically thinks of as his against his ego. Which makes sense, I mean he’s a god-emperor of a skeleton army.

This also introduces a card that’s going to be part of a cycle, with Cazas II. She is one of a small number of cards in the set with no flavour text, and whose card is meant to represent a character who exists in this world, is okay with her place in it, but in the course of the story learns about some event, something that was kept hidden, represented by engaging with the saga. This is a card made for commander, with the ability to be played or replayed as conveniently. In Cazas II’s case, she is a member of the ‘core group’ that works together to pursue the story with Niamh, along with her other sisters, and Cazas is the one who, in the course of the story learns about the event known as the Greatest Sin.

The Greatest Sin, as it might not surprise you, was a mass human casualty event in which the Emperor used for some purpose that related to the empire. But of course, knowing about this, finding the proof of this, is not necessarily the same thing as working out what it means, or how she’d react because of it. And it’s important, Cazas is a white character who has a red-black strain to her – so she may be accepting of the greater good that the Emperor follows, or using the religion of the Emperor as her guidance here.

Some specific card notes:

Cruel Trade is an engine card inspired by Malevolent Awakening. I like when there’s an uncommon engine card,

I do think that some cards like Cleansing Exchange can be printed at common. I don’t like staple removal being rare, so I tried to design a version that could be non-disruptive for common environments.

The wording on battlefield post feels, to me, hard to parse – the vibe is that you can get a creature and an equipment, if their total mana value together is 3.

I only just now realise that there’s multiple instances of simple treasure hate. Weird.

Rudel III is our second Eminence character. This is a really specific idea, the notion of what can a suicide aggro deck look like in commander? The aim was to make a character whose whole thing was to make it so that this card wasn’t just an automatic combo option, and so, the deck he fuels has to be able to win the game through making all other players lose. The wording is specific: ‘you can’t win the game’ means ‘you win the game’ effects don’t work. You still win the game if you’re the only player left – other players can still lose.

‘Cremains’ is a real word, it’s the term used for the leftover ash and bone fragments from when a body is burned.

Kraivh IV represents the challenge with naming and name length. She even has had to have her counter type changed just to make the name shorter!

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[utilitycaster]

In the Locked Tomb series, the villain of the first book ends up being Cytherea, Lyctor of the Seventh House. She, like most lyctors, epitomizes her house. The Seventh House serves to celebrate the beauty found in death and decay: "They draw out moments of beauty, preserving people, places, and times in amber for later dissection and delectation."[1] Cytherea is herself nigh-immortal, as a lyctor, and also eternally dying of a terminal illness. Her plan is to eliminate the heirs of the houses to prevent there ever being other lyctors, destroy the Emperor (and Empire), and in doing so, be destroyed herself.

She succeeds only in her final goal. The Seventh House's predilection for those preserved-amber moments is its undoing, as its heir is slaughtered by its lyctor, and its lyctor driven to seek death because of her unending pain, but unable to do even that with peace and dignity, as ending her life means ending what remains of her cavalier, who, by the nature of the lyctor process, must be an eternal sacrifice.

Given the author's background in fandom (particularly fanfiction) and internet culture[2][3] and the many references to that both textually and metatextually within the series, it is not out of line to assume that the Empire, constructed in-universe in our near future and stagnated for ten thousand years at the start of the series contains commentary for, among many other things, fandom itself. The plight of Cytherea explores the fallacies inherent in a number of common trends in fanon.

Cytherea explores, as do all the original lyctors, the trope of lifespan angst. In Harrow the Ninth, we learn that the requirement of cavalier sacrifice is a profound source of guilt for the necromancers who experience it, even millennia later. It is then revealed that the sacrifice was always avoidable. By the end of Nona the Ninth, only one "imperfect" lyctor remains of the seven there have been, and she is newly ascended within the past few months, underscoring the unsustainable nature of this trope.

Cytherea, and the Seventh House's philosophy, can also be interpreted as a critique of "woobification", of angst for the sake of angst, and of the prioritization of the aesthetic with no consideration of consequence. It is precisely Cytherea's combination of incredible power and endless pain without respite that destabilizes her utterly. The preservation of that which is by its nature ephemeral is itself her destruction - and deconstruction. The attempt to create something from a mortal being that must simultaneously embody fleeting beauty, saintly tragedy, and near godlike power, and which must exist in this state, as a public figure, for eternity, ultimately becomes, not once, but twice, a vehicle through which corruption, failure, and ruin enters what was meant to be a sanctuary.

In the Critical Role fandom, the ultimately impossible ideals imposed upon Cytherea which lead to her downfall are reflected in the similarly impossible expectations some fans have regarding the characters played by the women of the cast (and, in extreme cases, those women themselves), most notably those of Marisha Ray. In this essay I will

Rocket, Stubby the. "Find Your Necromancy Family Among the Houses of Gideon The Ninth". Tor.com. Written Sep 20 2019, Accessed Dec 9 2022.

Grady, Constance. "How Gideon the Ninth author Tamsyn Muir queers the space opera". Vox.com. Written Feb 5 2021, Accessed Dec 9 2022.

Clements, Mikaela. "The Butch Lesbian Sci-Fi Aesthetic: A Conversation With Tamsyn Muir". Los Angeles Review of Books. Written Oct 1 2020, Accessed Dec 9 2022.

[sepublic]

The Cursed Golden Motif?

Random pretentious thought based on another person’s observation, but you know how Eda lost her golden ring? What if this ring, alongside one of her golden eyes and the coloration of her gem... This loss of gold in her color palate is meant to further distance her thematically from Belos, who also has a golden palate and motif, of which his nephew is clearly replicating?

Especially with the parallels on both being cursed and magical mentors to their own powerless witches... Not to mention the possibility that Eda is a Wittebane descendant as well! Maybe Eda, in her initial isolation and self-loathing from the curse, could’ve been like Belos...

Choosing not to communicate with others. Distancing herself, hating herself over the curse. Of course Eda is a foil in that she blames herself for the curse and isolates, whilst Belos seems to use it as a scapegoat to be as horrible as he damn well pleases.

But with the idea of history repeating with the Clawthorne Sisters, only to be averted at the last second- Maybe Eda’s loss of golden motif is reflective of that? Because both times when Eda has lost that gold in her color scheme, first the ring and then the eye and gem...

It’s the result of a kind gesture from either sister that serves to bridge the gap between them; With Lilith sharing the curse being a final connecting point, symbolically reciprocating how Eda sacrificed her ring?

So perhaps Gold in this show is a color associated with the corruption of Belos... Whom as Philip Wittebane, presumably had very little of that color scheme. Not to mention how Belos’ most corrupted and closest relative, Hunter, was for a while dehumanized as the Golden Guard, masked and concealed beneath his armor.

But when he loses that mask and armor, Hunter is given the opportunity to be humanized, to reach out to Luz and Lil Rascal, and learn- And he also has some major, if subtle, growth in Eclipse Lake, where he’s wearing a typical covenscout uniform and has even less gold in his outfit than his casual wear!

The Emperor’s Coven invokes Belos in its golden sigil and triangles, and Gold is basically reserved as a sign of power for Belos and his closest nephew. It highlights wealth and power, and divinity- As well as a cold metal, a gilded aesthetic that when scratched away reveals an ugly interior beneath...

And despite its luster, Gold is soft- It’s weak and malleable, which could suggest that the Emperor’s Coven is not as resolute as it claims to be, but I might be getting pretentious here- Belos IS rather soft and goopy. Especially since Gold is an earthen element, which connects to Belos and HIS earthen motif, while Eda and the Clawthornes are skybound birds...

Gold is incredibly heavy and would weigh one down, so less of it means Eda is metaphorically freeing herself, same with Hunter? It’s like a casket and restraining weight for Belos and Hunter, too... And Belos being earthen, and also Philip, would contrast him with his brother- Who had a bird palisman, and presumably married into the free-spirited Clawthornes.

So that’s create a dualism and foil between Philip and his brother, as well as Belos and the Clawthornes, his nephew, etc. Hunter does get more a bird motif himself as his mobility and ties/dependence to Belos for magic is cut- So perhaps there’s some Two Birds of a Feather symbolism going on?

First between the grounded Philip and his free-spirited brother... And then later, as I speculated before, with Lilith and Eda- Only for Lilith to join her sister in flying off? And now poor isolated Belos, tying others to him, ends up pushing them away instead in a self-fulfilling prophecy, not unlike Luz and Vee, or more literally like Camila; As his own nephew, his own attempt at a better brother, a brother but things went right this time, inevitably flies away.

I could be looking too deeply into it, but who knows? I do love myself a good motif and symbolism here...! And I guess another takeaway from this is that in an AU where Eda takes Belos’ role, she would actually embrace the Golden aesthetic even MORE- Which kind of fits with Eda’s love for shiny things as an owl, her hoarding of trash that could symbolically be likened to a dragon, as well as her appreciation for coin and thievery!

And again, the idea of Belos covering himself up in golden armor to isolate, to put up a glorious facade that is ultimately weak and won’t actually protect him, just weigh Belos down... And how he’s going to armor himself up even more, and include Hunter on this? Hoo knows...

(Insert some Greek symbolism or AU about Midas, who turned everything he touched into gold after wishing for it, only to regret this cursed gold touch when his own daughter was transformed. Which, Belos-Philip gives me alchemist vibes, the latter looks very Isaac Newton too! Water reversed the gold touch and there’s boiling rain, as well as regular rain that Belos dreams of returning to...)

[peskygirl13]

The Owl House Characters in Twisted Wonderland Dorms

I was bored and procrastinating on my other works while watching The Owl House, so I made this.

In summary, this is what NRC dorms I think TOH characters would be in and why.

Luz

Luz would be in Ramshackle since she technically can’t use magic. She’d totally teach glyphs to Yuu, who would defiantly appreciate any assistance they can get dealing with the Overblots. Luz would also totally react to the Ramshackle ghosts the same way Yuuken did.

I also think that she’d dote over Grim the same way she dotes on King, making King jealous and ultimately decide to stay with her in Ramshackle.

Eda

I was torn between two dorms for Eda, Pomefiore and Savannaclaw, but I ultimately decided that she’d be a better fit in Savannaclaw due to her energy, power, and owl beast/harpy form.

She totally competes in magishift, with or without her magic, and I also feel like she’d teach the boys Grudgeby (idk if I'm spelling that right, but whatever). She also comes up with schemes ideas to help Savannaclaw with their matches. While I don’t think she’d approve of hurting anyone (that didn’t deserve it), she’d defiantly be impressed with Leona’s ‘stampede Malleus’ scheme.

I also whole heartedly believe she’d get along great with Jack, Ruggie, and Leona since she radiates ‘mom’ energy. 

I also feel like Leona would get annoyed by King for some reason and that Eda would have a friendly rivalry with Vargas.

Amity

I feel like Amity would be in Pomefiore or Diasomnia. I feel like Pomefiore would be a better fit because of her strive for perfection. 

She’s getting better, but her personality in early season one was snooty before her transition to the current Amity we know and love and when comparing it to the dialogue of the mobs in the game, I feel like that’d she’d fit in with Pomefiore. And she still strives for perfection and positive feedback (mostly from Luz, whose opinion she cares most for), which reminds me of Vil. 

If Amity hadn’t gotten the help she needed and instead saw Luz as an obstacle, like how Vil sees Negie, she could’ve very well had a breakdown like Vil’s when he overbloted.

Also, her purple and moon aesthetic fits in with the dorm.

Willow

I think that Willow would be in Heartslabyul because of her plant magic and her dedication.

She has a good heart, but she also has no problem crushing anyone who’s in her way or that’ll hurt her friends, which I think would fit in with Heartslabyul. She’d also probably see a lot of similarities between Amity and Riddle, so she’d defiantly try to help him out.

I don’t think she’d approve of painting the roses red, so I think that she’d simply make some grow specifically for the Unbirthday parties or it’s also possible that she could create color changing roses.

She also probably helps care for the Botanical Garden, which makes her run into Leona a lot. I think he’d remind her of Bosha and because of this, I seriously doubt that she’d take any attitude from him.

Gus

Gus was kind of hard to place. I think he’d Scarabia.

Gus is obviously incredibly smart, having skipped a couple grades, and he’s always willing to learn more about something he’s interested in. 

He’s also creative and resourceful with his magic (see season two, episode five of The Owl House).

I also think he’d fit in with Ignihyde.

Lilith

Like Amity, for Lilith I’d either go with Diasmonia or Pomefiore.

Like Amity, Lilith strives for perfection, committing bad things just to do it (ex: cursing Eda, continuously trying to bring her to Emperor Belos, using Luz to get to Eda, etc.) like Vil did, however she’s severely misunderstood, much like Malleus. Plus, she’d defiantly try and get into what was considered the ‘best dorm.’

Idk why, but I think between the two she’d be better in Diasomnia.

Spoilers for season two under the cut if you haven’t seen it yet.

Golden Guard/Hunter

Like Luz, Hunter would be in Ramshackle since he technically can’t use magic. I think he’d be upset about joining the ‘reject dorm’ at first, but eventually grow to like it. 

Since the Dorm Leader is a magicless human that instead relies on a monster, I think he’d appreciate or admire Yuu overtime. Especially when he sees how they live without magic in a world that seems to run on it, something that he struggles with.

I also think that with Yuu’s help, he’d learn how to work with his Palisman since they have some experience with Grim.

[city-of-ladies]

I posted 114 times in 2021

104 posts created (91%)

10 posts reblogged (9%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.1 posts.

I added 585 tags in 2021

#warrior women - 106 posts

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#history - 102 posts

#badass women - 62 posts

#historyblr - 46 posts

#historyedit - 37 posts

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#aesthetic - 25 posts

Longest Tag: 49 characters

#alberte-barbe d'ernécourt dame de saint-baslemont

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Lydia Litvyak - The white rose of Stalingrad

Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak (1921-1943) was fittingly born on August 18, the Soviet Air Fleet Day or Aviation Day. She made her first solo flight at 15 and was training as a flight instructor by the age of 17. 

In 1937, her father was accused of having committed crimes against the Communist Party and arrested. She never saw him again. Unlike her brother, Lydia refused to change her name. 

When World War II began, Lidya had already trained 45 pilots at the Kirov Flying Club in Moscow. The USSR’s Airplane magazine praised her for having carried out a record number of training flights in a single day (over 8 hours in flight). Lydia wanted to join the war effort, but her appeal was rejected. 

However, things changed when Marina Raskova was allowed to create female aviation regiments. Lydia joined her recruits. She was friendly and curious toward the others. She first refused to have her hair cut, but had to give up due to Marina’s insistence. Lydia was full of enthusiasm, she wrote her mother that she was “thirsting for battle”. 

In September 1942, she and some of her female comrades were moved to an entirely male regiment. They stood their ground and quickly adapted. It was during this month that Lydia was deployed in battle for the first time. She shot down two enemy planes during the fight and thus became the first woman in the world to shoot down an enemy combat aircraft on her own. 

Story has it that a renowned German ace she had shot down was captured, and asked to meet the person who defeated him. When he saw Lydia, he couldn’t believe it was first. Lydia, however, used hand movements to reconstruct their duel and he was forced to admit the truth. Impressed, he offered her his wristwatch, but she refused.

Nicknamed the “White rose of Stalingrad”, Lydia flew with a bouquet of flowers stuck on her dashboard. A white lily was painted on her plane. To become an ace, a pilot had to shoot down five aircrafts. Lydia shot down 11 enemy planes by herself within a year and added a “shared kill” to her performance. She was granted the status of “free hunter”, meaning that she could go searching for enemy aircraft or ground forces on her own initiative.

See the full post

384 notes • Posted 2021-09-26 08:22:18 GMT

#4

Nakano Takeko - The swan song of samurai warrior women

In 1868, Japan was facing drastic political changes. The arrival of American ships in 1853 forced a country who had been closed to foreigners for the last two centuries to open. This led a to movement of distrust toward the Tokugawa shogunate  and culminated in the restoration of the emperor’s power.

Some clans and domains didn’t accept this situation and stayed loyal to the shogunate. Such was the case with the Matsudaira of Aizu. In autumn 1868,  Aizu came under attack by the imperial troops. Aizu was a conservative domain, its warriors strictly followed the samurai traditions. The women were trained with the naginata and to knew how to use a dagger for ritual suicide or self-defense. 

When the imperial troops arrived, some women decided to commit suicide, taking with them their children or elderly relatives to avoid being a burden for the defenders or fearing capture. A woman named Kawahara Asako beheaded her daughter and stepmother before taking her naginata to fight against the invaders. She survived her first sortie and was ultimately forced to withdraw to the castle.

Other women decided to fight, and one of them was Nakano Takeko (1847-1868). Takeko was 22 when the battle began. The daughter of an Aizu councilor, she excelled in martial arts, poetry and calligraphy. On October 8, the alarm bell rang as the enemy managed to enter the town. Takeko immediately joined, with her mother, Kôko, and her 16 years old sister Masako (also sometimes called Yûko), a group made of men and women to fight the intruders.

The defenders, however, decided to close the castle gates and the three women found themselves blocked outside. They decided to join the outpost were the Aizu soldiers were stationed and were joined on the way by other women. Each of them had decided to cut their hair like a male samurai. They wore a white headband and a hakama. They had two swords at their belts and were armed with a naginata.

Between 20 and 30 women ultimately joined was later called the joshigun or “women’s unit”. Takeko went to the leader of a squad of Aizu soldiers and asked to be allowed to fight. He refused at first, arguing that if the enemy saw women among the Aizu soldiers, they would think that the domain was on the verge of defeat. Takeko then threatened to commit suicide if she wasn't allowed to fight. She and the other women were placed under commander Furuya who ultimately accepted their demand.

The next day, the Aizu forces and the joshigun, attacked the imperial troops at Yanagi bridge, hoping to break through and go back to the castle. The women were unafraid, even if they had to charge at men equipped with firearms. When the enemies saw that they were women, they gave at first the order to capture them alive. 

Takeko killed 5 or 6 men with her naginata, but was shot in the head and/or in the heart and died. Her younger sister didn’t want Takeko’s head to be taken by the enemy as a trophy. She thus tried to cut it, but couldn’t do it and asked an Aizu soldier for help. Masako managed to bring her sister’s head to Hokkai-ji temple where it was buried.

On October 13, the surviving women arrived to the castle with Hirata Kochô as their leader. They kept fighting and force some of them participated in the defense as sharpshooters. 

Masako was among the members of the joshigun who survived the castle’s fall. She went afterward went to Hakkodate, Hokkaido. 

Today, Takeko’s naginata is kept at Hokkai-ji. A statue as been erected in her honor in the town of Aizu. Each year, young women play the role of the jôshigun at the Aizu festival.

Takeko’s death poem, that she had tied to her naginata, was: 

“I would not dare to count myself among all the famous warriors - even though I share the same brave heart”.

She was among the last samurai warrior women. Women took arms during the 1877 Satsuma rebellion to prevent the samurai status’ and privileges from being abolished, but to no avail.

Here’s the link to my Ko-Fi if you want to support me.

Sources: 

Shiba Gorô, Remembering Aizu: the testament of Shiba Gorô

“Samurai warrior queens” documentary 

Wright Diana E., “Female combatants and Japan’s Meiji restauration: the case of Aizu “

Yamakawa Kikue, Women of the Mito domain

497 notes • Posted 2021-07-28 06:24:52 GMT

#3

Yamamoto Yaeko - Heroic defender of Aizu

If you want to read about another heroine of this battle, you can check out my article on Nakano Takeko.

In autumn 1868 the domain of Aizu, Japan, was under attack by the imperial troops. Women within the castle actively took part in the defense. 

They prepared ammunition, cooked meals, nursed the wounded, but also risked their lives in extinguishing the fires and rushed to cover the enemy canon balls with wet mats before they exploded. Young girls also collected the enemy ammunition for the defenders to reuse it. A 60 years old woman went out of the castle to retrieve food, but encountered an enemy soldier on the way. She stabbed him with her dagger and safely went back to the castle. A female bodyguard unit also protected Matsudaira Teruhime, the lord’s sister.

Some of them also fought. A contemporary witness depicts them as ready to don their white kimono and fight naginata  in hand. An observer also said that they shared all the men’s burden, took on watches and shouldered a rifle if needed.

Among them was Yamamoto Yaeko (1845-1932), who distinguished herself through her leadership and her skills with firearms, though she wasn’t the only woman to use  them in the defense. She was the daughter of an artillery instructor and her brother Kakuma had taught her to use firearms. She was particularly competent, being able to use recent models like the Spencer rifle and had also learned to fight with a naginata. 

On October 8, Yaeko began to take part in night sorties. She had asked another female defender, Takagi Tokio, to cut her hair short like a male samurai. Armed with her Spencer rifle, she was dressed like a man and had two swords at her belt. She also commanded the men in charge of one of the cannons and didn’t abandon her post, even as cannon balls rained on the castle.

In spite of this fierce resistance, Aizu surrender on November 5, 1868. In an ultimate gesture of defiance, Teruhime ordered the women to clean the whole castle in order to humiliate the enemy as soon as they would set a foot in it and to show that the Aizu spirit was still unbroken. 

When the castle fell, Yaeko was made prisoner with the men. After being freed, she divorced from her first husband went to Kyoto to find her brother Kakuma. There, she met and married Nijima Jô, converted to Christianity and helped him to found Doshisha university. She later became a nurse for the Red Cross and served as such during the Russo-Japanese war in 1905. Another woman who fought in Aizu’s defense, Yamakawa Futaba, also became a promoter of women’s education.

See the full post

534 notes • Posted 2021-08-01 09:51:38 GMT

#2

“As long as you focus on one historical figure, or one cluster of women, or on one historical period, it is easy to believe any individual woman warrior was indeed an exception who stood outside the norm of her time—created by a national crisis or an anomaly of inheritance—and who consequently stands outside the norm of history as a whole. One of John Keegan’s “insignificant exceptions.” There is, after all, only one Joan of Arc. The number of women who enlisted disguised as men in any given war is statistically insignificant. The circumstances that led women to fight at the siege of Sparta or Tenochtitlan or Leningrad were desperate. And so on.

Looking at women warriors in isolation, it is also easy to accept the way in which the accomplishments (or even existence) of a specific woman warrior are dismissed. That Telesilla or Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer or Artemisia II didn’t do what the sources claim she did. That an unknown man stood behind Matilda of Tuscany pulling the military strings. That Fu Hao played no more than a symbolic role on the battlefield. That Mawiyya or Kit Cavanagh didn’t exist. That any ancient remains buried with a sword are male. That the women who stood on the ramparts and fought back don’t count as warriors because if they were soldiers (and therefore men) the fact that they stepped forward to fire a cannon or picked up a rifle wouldn’t be worth remarking on. Looking at women warriors in isolation, it doesn’t matter that Katherine of Aragon successfully defended England against invasion because everyone knows the important part of her story is Henry Tudor’s inability to father a son. You can overlook the fact that Alexander the Great or Edward the Elder of England had a sister who led troops into battle. When you step back and look at women warriors across the boundaries of geography and historical period, larger patterns appear—parallels not only between the stories of the women themselves but in the ways their stories are told and not told. Some times, places, and social structures are more accepting of women warriors than others. (As a general rule, horse-based cultures, honor cultures, and tribal societies do a better job with the concept than large empires or regular armies—with the extraordinary exception of China.) The accomplishments of women are questioned, undercut, and ignored by scholars in consistent ways across periods. There are unexpected linkages between women, particularly between mothers and daughters—looked at in the context of Cynane, Matilda of Tuscany, Katherine of Aragon, and Amina of Zazzau, the legend that the Trung sisters learned the arts of war from their mother seems a lot more possible.

But the main thing that struck me when I looked at women warriors across cultures rather than in isolation is how many examples there are and how lightly they sit on our collective awareness. I began with hundreds of examples. I ended with thousands. (...) 

Exceptions within the context of their time and place? Yes. Exceptions over the scope of human history? Not so much. Insignificant? Hell, no!”

Women warriors: an unexpected history, Pamela D. Toler 

1362 notes • Posted 2021-11-22 16:15:26 GMT

#1

Pretty Nose - Arapaho war chief

Pretty Nose (b.1851-d.c.1952) was a war chief of the Arapaho people. Her red, black and white beaded cuffs signaled her rank. She distinguished herself by fighting at the Battle of The Little Bighorn in 1876 where the Arapaho, Lakota and Northern Cheyenne defeated the U.S. army.

The above photography was taken at Fort Keogh in 1878. Pretty Nose lived for the rest of her life at a reservation. She was still alive in 1952 and saw her grandson, Mark Soldier Wolf, come back from the Korean War in 1952. By a clear spring morning, Soldier Wolf was reunited with his 101-year-old grandmother. Pretty Nose wore a buckskin dress with elk teeth and her cuffs.

When she saw him, Pretty Nose began to sing a war song. As her grandson later recalled: “It was really something when she sang that song. It didn’t sadden me, just put more strength into me and I wished I could have just stayed there with that song.”(Click here if you want to listen to the song sung by her grandson).

Warrior women of the Little Bighorn:

-Buffalo Calf Road Woman

-Susie Shot-In-the-Eye 

-Minnie Hollow Wood

-Moving Robe Woman

References:

Ahtone Tristan, “The story of Soldier Wolf”

Hall Alan R., A Man Called Plenty Horses, The Last Warrior of the Great Plains War

1373 notes • Posted 2021-09-15 06:21:29 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[mangolon]

Rating Phase 1 Heisei Final Forms

Yusuke Godai’s Ultimate Kuuga

It gives me a really angry feeling, but the black with gold accents really sells it to me. A bit similar to Amazing Mighty, but you can still see how it can destroy the world. 7/10 Shoichi Tsugami’s Shining Agito

A bit similar to Burning Agito, but it does look like an evolution of Agito. The spikes on the head are a bit silly to me, and I wish they kept a bit more of the initial design, but still fun. 7/10 Shinji Kido’s Ryuki Survive

Honestly, I prefer Knight Survive, but it still does the job well. The added armor and additional gold on the helmet really emphasizes how Shinji is the best of the Riders. He’s going to try to save everyone, and he’s going to survive as well. I mean, he didn’t, but you get the idea. 10/10 Takumi Inui’s Faiz Blaster Form

He just turned red. Not that creative. Still, I like the Faiz aesthetic. 2/10 Kazuma Kenzaki’s Blade King Form

It really enhances the base Blade, and I like all the Undead symbols all over him. The gold really gives a regal look as well. But what really gets me is its role in the story, how he just spammed it over and over again, all to save Hajime. 10/10 Hitoshi Hidaka’s Armed Hibiki

Hibiki Kurenai but they did it well. I like the armor and the black upper visor where they eyes would be. The additional horns and the plating on the legs are free serotonin. 8/10 Souji Tendo’s Hyper Kabuto

The bulkier look really gives a look of strength, but the larger horns look more like a whale imo. Keeps the initial look, but stands out on its own. 7/10 Ryotaro Nogami’s Den-O Liner Form

I love the sound the DenLiner makes when it goes through him to make this form. I especially appreciate the small horns on the side to represent the other Taros. It would be cool if the face switched during which Taro’s power he was using, but whatever. The eyes on the chest and the spoiler on the head is weird, but forgiveable. 8/10 Wataru Kurenai’s Emperor Kiva

I feel like the cape could be longer, and there’s a bit too much gold for me. It just...hurts to look at. The helmet’s cool though. 4/10 Tsukasa Kadoya’s Decade Complete

The cards on the chest is a bit overt, and whenever I’m looking at the transformation sequence, I end up having to watch it a few more times because ‘”what the hell just happened”. Still, very streamlined, gets the job done. 6/10