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drcpanda12 · 1 year ago

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Amrapali, also known as "Ambaplika," "Ambapali," or "Amra," was a renowned royal courtesan of the republic of Vaishali in ancient India in approximately 500 BC. Vaishali was situated in modern-day Bihar. She became an arahant through practicing the Buddha's teachings. She is referred to in ancient Pali texts and Buddhist traditions gama sutras, especially in relation to the Buddha staying at her mango grove, Ambapali vana, which she eventually bequeathed to his order and where he delivered the renowned Ambapalika Sutra. Around 1500 years ago, the Buddhist Jataka Tales, where Amrapali's narrative first appeared. She was known for her beauty, intelligence, and skill in various arts, such as dancing, music, and poetry. According to legends, Amrapali was born from a mango tree and was later found by a group of royal courtiers who raised her as their own daughter. As she grew up, her extraordinary beauty and talents caught the attention of King Bimbisara of Magadha, who invited her to perform in his court. She soon became famous as the most beautiful and accomplished courtesan in the land. Amrapali's life took an unexpected turn when she met the Buddha, who visited Vaishali during his travels. She was deeply moved by his teachings and became his follower, eventually renouncing her former life and becoming a Buddhist nun. Her story has since become a symbol of the transformative power of spiritual awakening and the possibility of redemption for even the most worldly and indulgent individuals. The Early Life of Amrapali: Legend and History Amrapali was born to Mahanama and an unidentified mother between 600 and 500 BCE. Her name's variations come from the combination of the Sanskrit words amra, which means mango, and pallawa, which means fresh leaves or sprouts. She is supposed to have been born at the base of a mango tree in one of Vaishali's royal gardens, giving rise to her name. Amrapali was unusually lovely and ethereal even as a little girl. According to legend, a feudal ruler by the name of Mahanaman was so seduced by the beauty of the young Amrapali that he left his realm and relocated to Ambara village, a small hamlet in Vaishali that is now in Muzaffarpur. The Licchavi tribe, one of the eight Khattiya (Sanskrit Kshatriya) tribes that had joined together to form the Vajjian confederacy, had Vaishali as its capital city. An electoral college made up of princes and nobility from the Kshatriya clans chose the king. It was normal for the most stunning women in the country to dedicate themselves to the pleasure of many men rather than marrying one. Amrapali developed into a lady of exceptional grace and charm who was skilled in a variety of artistic mediums. Amrapali was dancing in the city when Manudev, the king of Vaishali, noticed her and devised a plan to "own" her. On the day of their wedding, he killed Amrapali's childhood sweetheart and prospective husband, Pushpakumar, and then issued a public statement announcing Amrapali as the "wife" of Vaishali, or the Nagarvadhu. Also, she received the Vaishali Janpad Kalayani title, which was granted to the kingdom's most attractive and talented female for seven years. Although Amrapali had the freedom to pick her lovers, the aforementioned norm prohibited her from committing to a single guy. Amrapali was made a Nagarvadhu and afterward elevated to the rank of Rajanartiki, or court dancer. Amrapali's brilliance and beauty drew in so many men that Vaishali's glory during this time is frequently credited to her notoriety. Amrapali's treasure grew significantly larger than the treasuries of certain kings, and admission to her performance cost fifty Karshapanas per night. Amrapali and the Kings: Her Role in Politics and Diplomacy The ruler of the rival neighboring country of Magadha, Bimbisara, heard tales of her beauty. After attacking Vaishali, he fled to Amrapali's home. Bimbisara played music well. Amrapali and Bimbisara soon started dating. When

Amrapali discovered his true identity, she commanded Bimbisara to depart and end his conflict. Bimbisara, who was in love, complied with her request. He was viewed as a coward by the residents of Vaishali as a result of this incident. He later had a son named Vimala Kondanna through Amrapali. Due to a conflict with his brothers, Ajatashatru, Bimbisara's son via Queen Chellana, subsequently attacked Vaishali. When Amrapali was locked up, he destroyed the entire Vaishali because he was so affected by her beauty. Only his beloved Amrapali survived the massacre; however, when she witnessed the state of her motherland, she lost her love for him. Meeting the Buddha: Amrapali's Spiritual Transformation According to Buddhist accounts, Amrapali had the chance to feed the Buddha during his final visit to Vaishali, just before he passed away. Amrapali heard him preach in a nearby grove, and she was so moved by it that she extended an invitation for dinner at her home. Some traditions claim that the Buddha himself sought refuge in her mango gardens and was visited by Amrapali, who first offered him an invitation after making reverence to him. He gave his silent approval to her request. The Vaishali royal lords were returning from inviting the Buddha to join them for dinner when their chariots clashed. They reprimand her, calling her a "mango-woman," and ask the disreputable woman to move aside so that her superiors can pass. She then makes the announcement that the Buddha would be having dinner at her home. The princes were furious and made her a monetary offer in exchange for the right to welcome the Buddha, but she declines. Buddha declines them as well because he has already made a commitment to Amrapali. Buddha noted her attractiveness and warned his followers to practice mindfulness around her lest they fall in love with her. Amrapali welcomed the Buddha and her entourage to her opulent home, which had been decorated especially for the event. Given the wealth she commanded, it was no less than the palace of any king. After the supper, she gave the Buddha and his followers her entire estate, including the groves where she had held several discourses on mindfulness. She soon gave up her role as a courtesan, embraced Buddhism, and continued to actively serve the Buddhist order. She devoted her entire life to helping the underprivileged and the homeless. Vimala Kondanna, Amrapali's son, grew up to become a Buddhist monk. The Controversies and Debates Surrounding Amrapali's Story The Amrapali tale is important for comprehending courtesan attitudes in the present. Even though she achieved great fame as a gifted artist, the royal princes of Vaishali berated her by referring to her as a "ganika," which had negative overtones. Buddha, in contrast to them, did not harbor any animosity toward her. He dined at her house and agreed to use her forest as a Buddhist temple. This is frequently used as an illustration of his impartial treatment of women. Moreover, Amrapali's potential partnership with Bimbisara has only been preserved orally and has not been included in the Pali canon of Buddhism. This is due to the fact that Bimbisara was a famous royal Buddhist patron, and his connections to Amrapali may reflect poorly on him. The canonical reference of Amrapali also places a lot of emphasis on the last years of her life, when she became a Buddhist. Amrapali's early life and her relationship with Bimbisara, however, are mentioned in chronicles of Chinese visitors who traveled to India in pursuit of Buddhist texts. The Chinese Recension of the Buddhist Tripitaka contains the latter. Since that this story was composed in the Mahayana tradition, it was not necessary to portray Bimbisara favorably. Their relationship is accentuated as a result. The Forgotten Heroine of Ancient India Amrapali, whose beauty had created and torn apart entire kingdoms, was allegedly born 2,500 years ago in a mango orchard in Vaishali.

When Amrapali was a little girl, a nobleman by the name of Mahanaman from Vaishali, now a district on the banks of the River Ganga, had seen her exceptional beauty. Mahanaman left his kingdom and relocated to Ambara village, a small hamlet in Vaishali, allured by the beauty of Amrapali. According to historians, Amrapali was named the "most beautiful" girl when she was 11 years old and went on to be named nagarvadhu and Vaishali Janpad Kalayani. According to the laws of Vaishali democracy, Amrapali quickly assumed the role of court dancer after receiving the title of nagarvadhu. Lord Buddha, as well as the renowned Chinese travelers Fahayana and Huen Sang, have observed Amrapali's magnetic beauty and aesthetic sense.

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knewtoday · 1 year ago

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thegoldensanctuary · 1 year ago

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As for the courtiers themselves, many had toilet seats in their apartments either inside multi-purpose cabinets or inside a cabinet dedicated to that very purpose, those cabinets were referred as cabinet de la chaise, abbreviated in blueprints as chaise.

Here the apartment of the Duke of Bouillon, in yellow toilet rooms :

Archives Nationales (abbreviated from now on as AN) O1/1070

Here the Toilet rooms in the apartment of the Field Marshall of Bellisle :

AN O1/1070

Here the toilet room in the Apartment of the Duke of Cossé :

AN O1/1071

Here the toilet room in the apartment of Mr Rouillé :

AN O/1070

Here the toilet room in an unidentified apartment of the Northern Wing :

AN O1/1763 B

Here the toilet rooms in various apartments of the southern wing :

AN O1/1070

Here the toilet rooms of two unidentified apartments :

AN O1/1769

Here the toilets room in a blueprint of the apartments of the count and countess of Gramont and of a Field Marshall :

AN O1/1771

Here the toilets rooms in the apartments of Madam of Châteauroux and of Madam of Lauraguais :

AN O1/1773

The toilet rooms in the apartment of the duchess of Chartres :

AN V.A./XXVII

I didn't have someone claiming that only royalty at Versailles were allowed any access to toilet facilities, and everyone else had to walk around with miniature chamber pots strapped to their butt under their dress (men were apparently outta luck!) on my "Versailles myth" bingo card, and yet here we are.

Anyone that knows Ben Franklin was at Versailles knows that man would have written home immediately wbout how the women at Versailles walk around with teeny-weeny chamber pots strapped to their bodies underneath their dresses.

Abigail Adams, too, for that matter. Just for different reasons...

#18th century #history #palace of versailles

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sagaofstardustmkg · 2 years ago

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snapdragon

[ ♪♪♪ ]

Here’s a fun fact.

One we’ve been keeping from you, darling reader, all game.

The bullet that X fires into the head of the faerie queen, shattering what remains of her aged and chipped stone mask, is made of coldest —

“Iron.”

All her mouths whisper it together (ironironironIRONiron) as she takes one stumbling step forward. All her sticky sundew tendrils curl in on themselves reflexively, so unfamiliar with pain that they cannot immediately identify the feeling burning-freezing through their xylem. And the smoking hole in her head stays open, the bullet-singed leaves black at the edges.

And then —

“YOU.”

A momentary break in the thee-ing and thou-ing. Her blossoms are still whispering (IRONIRONIRON), increasingly incensed.

New eyes open on the back of her head, ringing the gunshot hole. Her limbs shift direction. If she were a human, she’d have to turn around to face Mari; without the burden of organs, muscles or a skeleton, she needs only to will it.

Her branches extend, sprouting new blossoms. The flytrap mouths open and close.

“Didst thou think one shot of the matchlock would see us bested?”

Chittering laughter. Not all of it comes from the body of the queen. A significant amount, in fact, comes from the yard-waste that Mari made of her courtiers.

It’s moving.

“Or that thy base sorcery could ever stay the rightful lords of this Earth? The first practitioners of the art thy flesh-trapped, age-rotted kin shame with every uttered spell?”

The twigs and leaves and vines are threading together. Dionaea’s form remains distinct; her courtiers, however, are being pulled into the center of some tangled mass whose shape is unidentifiable.

“We can sense thy taste for violence, brute. But thou possesseth no true talent for it. Inelegant bloodstocking. Clay-brained varlet.”

The queen’s tendrils lash out fast and sharp at Mari, forcing her to either continue dodging or be caught and pressed down onto her knees.

The interwoven mass of her courtiers lifts its vast form off the ground. A dozen thorn-tipped, many-jointed limbs slam down onto Juneau’s stone — one, landing on the long dining table, crushes the thing to splinters.

You would say it resembles a dragon, maybe. As much as it resembles anything. Few dragons have quite so many extremities or feature so many flowers.

And —

Christ. Just like its mother, the thing is absolutely boiling with eyes. They rove, scanning the room; the thing skitters sideways up a wall and turns its head toward X.

We can call it the Snapdragon, if you like.

There is not quite a mouth, because plants don’t eat like people do. But there is a pitcherlike place inside it and an enzyme inside the pitcher that would digest its prey over the course of many painful hours. Some of its petals peel back to show this place.

There is a smile in the queen’s voice.

(Although the gunshot wound closes with a whisper of leaves, its damaged blossoms regrown twice as thick, there is something black beginning to spread through her petals and leaves.)

“Kneel, and we may permit thee live long enough to witness the work of its inventors.”

#endgame #trial #submission

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entrapdaknation · 3 years ago

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Conquerors Should Use the Metro

I couldn’t help myself. After participating in this Twitter thread, I threw together a drabble about what would happen if the Horde tried to conquer Earth, starting with Washington D.C.

I need to be stopped.

=========================

TRANSCRIPT. AIR DATE 8/26/20XX.

ANNOUNCER: This is an ABC News special report.

ANCHOR: Good afternoon. I'm Lance D'Abcesse, reporting from ABC News headquarters. A situation is developing in central Washington D.C., where a man and a troop of autonomous military robots are wreaking havoc on a Georgetown neighborhood.

[Scene: Arial drone footage of a Georgetown residential neighborhood, where police are crouching behind their vehicles, pointing weapons at a dozen Horde battle bots. The bots proceed to ignite empty cars and recycling bins with laser fire.]

ANCHOR: According to law enforcement, around 12:45 p.m. Eastern, a belligerent man arrived in this quiet Georgetown neighborhood, accompanied by a dozen military robots. Eyewitnesses report that the man kicked in the doors of several white houses and demanded an audience with "Earth leaders" to negotiate "the planet's surrender". The man was described as roughly seven feet tall with blue hair and red eyes, wearing armor and a skull mask. His skin appears to be dyed blue, leading police to speculate that he may be a disgrunted Dallas Cowboys fan. The man is also armed with what appears to be an arm-mounted T-shirt canon.

[Scene: Hordak stands at the threshold of a white residential home. After vaporizing the door with a shot from his laser canon, he saunters into the house. Several seconds later, Hordak runs out of the house, shielding his head with his free arm as an old woman smacks him with a broom.]

ANCHOR: FBI intelligence officials intercepted the following electronic communication between the man and an accomplice.

"Any luck finding the leaders, Hordak?"

"No. I've stormed ten white houses searching for Earth's sovereigns, but all I've uncovered are elders, housewives, and children. These Earth commoners have battered me with brooms, thrown appliances at my head, and berated me for interrupting their video games."

"The planet's rulers have to be around here somewhere!"

"Clearly, this "Bai-Din" and his courtiers are too cowardly to face me on the battlefield!"

"Hordak, honey, let's regroup. Just take the Blue Line or the Orange Line to the Smithsonian Metro Station."

"I am NOT navigating that subterranean labyrinth again. The city's underground tunnels are more confusing than Crypto Castle. I will go on foot."

"Okay, but the Metro's quicker. Listen, I've secured all the Smithsonian museums with EKS bots. The visitors thought they were some kind of science exhibit! They loved them! I'll be waiting for you at the National Air and Space Museum. There's so much science here! They have a space suit testing android! We need to build a science museum in the Fright Zone when we get--Emily, don't knock over that display!"

ANCHOR: Another developing story is taking place in Washington D.C. at the National Air and Space Museum. An unidentified woman entered the building with five military robots and began climbing on exhibits. Visitors were evacuated by museum staff, and security guards were chased by robots when they attempted to remove the woman. ABC News correspondent Anita Beere was granted access to the museum.

[Scene: Entrapta sits on top the Lunar Module LM-2 as a journalist points a microphone at her.]

ENTRAPTA: So after Hordak conquered Etheria and we figured out how to get Etheria out of Despondos, he thought that conquering the nearest neighbor would make an even better impression on Horde Prime. We were supposed to meet up with the rest of our troops, but they insisted on driving here in tanks and skiffs. I told them to use the Metro! Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio got lost somewhere near Logan Circle. Last I heard, Catra and Scorpia wound up in Baltimore, somehow.

BEERE: Once the Horde conquers Earth, what does Hordak plan to do with the planet?

ENTRAPTA: That's the thing. The Horde doesn't really do anything with the places it conquers. He'll probably slap some bat-symbols on everything and call it a day.

BEERE: Witnesses claim that you brought a toddler inside with you. Is it wise to bring a small child along for a war campaign?

ENTRAPTA: Imp? Oh, he won't cause too much mayhem.

[Imp flies through the air and lands on the module next to Entrapta. Imp opens his mouth, and a recording of a woman flows from his lips: "Mr. President, the situation in Georgetown has devolved into--OH GOD A DEMON BABY!"]

BEERE: How does the Horde plan to conquer a planet of almost 8 billion people with a handful of troops and robots?

ENTRATPA: Ei...eight...billion...people?

BEERE: That's right. Earth's population is 7.8 billion people.

[Entrapta's hair twitches. Her eye twitches. She stares blankly at the journalist, then extracts a recorder from her overalls pocket.]

ENTRAPTA: Log entry 1094. Earth has almost 8 billion people. Our earlier intelligence reports were...in error. I'm going to need to build more robots.

ANCHOR: ABC News will closely monitor both situations in Washington. In other news, thirteen people were injured in the Inner Harbor district of Baltimore, Maryland. Witnesses at Phillips Seafood claim that a woman in a cat costume became argumentative when the restaurant ran out of blue crabs. A brawl ensued with other patrons after the woman reportedly asked, "Why do you [EXPLETIVE] people put Old Bay on everything?" and "Why are you idiots obsessed with ravens?" The woman was last seen fleeing toward Harborplace in a hovercraft with a woman dressed as a steamed crab.

#hordak #entrapta #imp #spop #shera #fan fiction #Old Bay is the best seasoning on Earth #entrapdak

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ask-de-writer · 3 years ago

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THE PRICE OF AMBER : Part 5 of 23

This takes place shortly after MASTER SARGENT (RET.) WARRIN’S HEARTHWARMING

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

THE PRICE OF AMBER

Part 5 of 23

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

29012 words

New to the story? Read from the beginning HERE

Inspired by a bit of silliness shared with

@frostlass-and-the-gang

//////////////

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Celestia spoke from her Throne, “As welcome as your news is, We of the Thrones do wonder why you left your command to bring it to Us in person. Would not reports by Magic Net have sufficed?”

“I would have thought so, your Highnesses, but I had to follow the orders issued to me by Canterlot's General Command. I have here my orders and the rail pass that was sent with them by the courier.” She produced an order flimsy and a rail pass that she gave to Princess Luna. “Since it was delivered by courier, I demanded and got this delivery receipt.” She gave another paper to Princess Luna.

Princess Luna peeled her lips back in a snarl as she read the documents. Rigidly controlled, she gave the lot to Celestia. She too went near rigid with rage. She quietly gave the documents and some whispered comments to one of the courtiers grouped close to her throne.

They turned as one to face Arianne and stated, “Good Corbiestep, we do not doubt you and so far as we can tell, you have done no wrong. We are having certain aspects of your summons to come here verified. If you would be so good, get behind the large Magic Net mirror where you will be out of sight until we ask you to come forth to give testimony.”

Shortly the herald announced, “A representative of the Royal Intelligence Service wishes to approach the Thrones of Equestria with information and two prisoners guarded by five of the Royal Guard.”

Up in the balcony, Dawn Fire's eyebrows almost rose to his forelock! He recognized the two prisoners. They were the Generals Nullit and Neighsmith who had earlier been confined to Canterlot for trying to hijack Countess Arianne's campaign.

The unidentified RIS official gave a folder to Princess Celestia. He silently retired to a small group by her throne. Celestia opened the folder and gave the contents careful scrutiny before passing it to Luna.

Luna also examined the folder with care. Looking up, she stated, “General Nullit, General Neighsmith, the evidence presently before Us compels the opening of a trial under the Royal Wing. The charge against you both is Treason against the Realm of Equestria.

“We will present the evidence that you face and truly do hope that you can explain your actions to our satisfaction. If you cannot do that, the least penalty under the Law will be the loss of all titles, honors, ranks, duties and twenty years at hard labor. The worst penalty will be the loss of all titles, honors, ranks, duties and the Traitor's Drop.

“Do you understand what the charge is and what the penalties are?”

General Neighsmith replied in a haughty voice, “We do understand the charge and the possible penalties. What we do not understand is why such a charge has been brought against us. Simply examine our General Staff files. We have done nothing wrong.”

Sighing, Princess Luna replied, “We have examined your files and they appear to be in order. APPEAR being the critical word.

“I shall now lay our case before you and this Court. Four days past, you and General Nullit jointly had drawn up an Order to Appear. In violation of Law and Procedure, you had the scribe prepare only a single original, with no copies made for the files. You personally, General Neighsmith, took possession of the single copy.

“We have been given that copy and located the scribe. He gave the RIS the information that I have just presented.

“General Nullit went to the Canterlot Central Rail Depot and purchased with cash a one way civilian rail pass from the County Corbiestep Terminal to the Canterlot Central Depot. We have the rail pass and traced the circumstances of its purchase.

“General Neighsmith then got a pegasus courier for the purpose of flying to Corbiestep with a sealed envelope containing the improper Order to Appear and the rail pass. The courier was given orders jointly by you both to deliver the envelope to Countess Arianne between two and three hours after her troops started to move through Corbiestep Pass. This he did. Due to the confusion of the night attack it was actually delivered about four AM.

“The courier was intercepted on his return flight by an agent of the RIS. He gave the Royal Intelligence Service his evidence and a copy of the delivery receipt. These We received by Magic Net mirror.

“Countess Arianne did not use the rail pass, which would have taken her two and a half days, simply to get here. She arrived at nine thirty five AM this morning. Besides giving Us a war situation briefing, she gave to us the Order to Appear, the rail pass and her copy of the delivery receipt.”

Luna paused and gave her evidence folder to the generals. “This is the evidence given to the Crowns of Equestria. It demonstrates a plot to derail Equestria's offensive against Prance by removing Countess Arianne from active command for the five days that her round trip by rail would have taken.

“We are fortunate that Countess Arianne chose a far faster means of transport than you anticipated. Her arrival here by those means in only five hours exposed your plot which could have cost Us hundreds or thousands of good troops and given Prance the excuse to invade Us again.

“Please show Us in what particulars We are mistaken.”

General Neighsmith gestured to the situation report mirror and snorted, “That whole campaign is a monstrosity. I saw in the Crier that she has taken three camps and an arms depot.

“That battle must still be raging, since Prance had a large army in those camps. The plan showed on that Magic Net mirror is hopelessly optimistic. All of those bridges will have to be taken one by one by a hard fought infantry campaign. That will take at least two to three MONTHS. All of those agricultural valleys will have to be taken by a scortched earth campaign to deny their supplies to the enemy.

“You are looking at a six month hard fought campaign to pacify the area. It will need tens of thousands of troops to hold it secure.”

Celestia, sitting on her throne, nodded. “I see, General. Your assessment of the campaign to come leads me to call Our next witness.

“Will the Ambassador from Prance please approach the Thrones? We understand that We cannot compel you to make any answer and that what you tell Us is purely voluntary.

“Please tell this Court Under the Royal Wing of Equestria, is that a map of the campaign to come or is it a current situation report?”

He took a deep breath while deciding what to say. “Your Highnesses, as you know, you have been courteously allowing me private Magic Net communication with my government. That map was an accurate situation report as of 9:00 AM. It is now 11:30. In those two and a half hours, we have lost the agricultural region of the Courser River, with its three towns and a military base with arms depot.”

His magic picked up the pointer and added the lost area to the growing wedge of occupied territory. He added, “Curiously, we have had no reports of looting or the destruction of any civilian properties at this time.”

“Thank you, Ambassador. We appreciate your good honor. That must have been difficult to present to this, the Royal Court of a presently hostile nation.”

Luna regarded the two generals askance and ordered, “Countess Arianne, We of the Thrones wish to hear your reasons for not striking at the fields, vinyards, orchards and other agricultural assets that Our experienced generals have said should be destroyed.”

Arianne stepped out of concealment and bowed to the Thrones. “If my campaign were fought as they described, that would be needful.

“As I am moving my troops and striking forces very swiftly, the capture of the crops is a valuable tool to insure that the populace will give us the least opposition.

“If I finish the pacification of the region from the Sunset Mountains to the Grey Flow River as planned, those supplies will feed our army and the local populace as well.

“Depending on how peace negotiations go, any of several outcomes are planned. If Prance does not sue for peace in a timely fashion, we will buy our supplies from the local farms and cooperatives at a great savings over shipping them from Equestria. Because of purchasing rather than seizing, we will gain the best favor from the populace.

“If Prance does sue for peace in a timely fashion, we will allow their buyers to bid on the crops in fair competition with our buyers. Prance will be allowed to ship what they buy to their markets. Again, the populace of the region will be best served and thereby offer us minimal opposition.

“In any case, I will require a sixty kilometer military free zone on the west side of the Sunset Mountains. The land will remain Prance's. They will be allowed taxation, civil police and local governance. Military units will be barred on pain of instant and unwarned attack.”

General Nulit chuckled, “Talking about PEACE already? Got no stomach for a REAL war?”

TO BE CONTINUED

<==PREVIOUS ~~ NEXT==>

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#THE PRICE OF AMBER #Part 5 of 23 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer

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pandimensionalemporium · 3 months ago

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Part 1: The room was quiet. Night had long since fallen. It lay thick in the corners. The floor was grey with moon shadows. Nothing stirred. She was still awake.

Something crept outside. It crept without moving. She heard no sound, saw no figure. Still she knew it was there. It snuffed about the window, seeking. Was there a chip in her defences? The slightest crack to seep through? It would find it. Like dark water, it pressed against her. She felt it, cold and inexorable. Her cottage wouldn't hold. It was no fortress. She was no general, had no army. She would falter before daybreak.

Part 2: The magic was gathering and there was nothing they could do but be swept along by it; ambassador and scholar and courtier and him, all tumbled out of their stately procession into a shoulder-to-shoulder trot, squeezed into the portal's current, tumbled by it, until space lost meaning - he was never sure afterwards, but for a few moments he felt himself walking on the sky with the whole vast depth of stars beneath his feet - and they were in a liminal nothing-place filled with a great rushing on all sides; the worlds were drawing themselves apart, torrents of unidentifiable matter gushing in opposite directions like water foaming off a rising river gate; soon, soon the worlds would be separated and the whatever-it-was that wasn't water would swirl and surge and smash back against this intangible barrier, and whether or not it withstood the onslaught both sides would be forever changed by the backwash - for better or for worse - but for now all they could do was surrender to the current dragging them back and back to their own world, and leave the consequences of their actions to take care of themselves, for they were too small, the forces around them too big, and there was nothing more to be done.

I've owned Ursula K. Le Guin's 'Steering the Craft' for years, and have finally gotten around to doing some of the exercises from it! So I thought I'd share my efforts with you 🐲

#my writing #writing exercises #feel free to join in!#tag me if you write your own response!#writers on tumblr #writing community #fantasy

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mia-japanese-korean · 4 years ago

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Noblemen Viewing the Nunobiki Waterfall, Episode 87 of the Tales of Ise, Tawaraya Sōtatsu, first half 17th century, Minneapolis Institute of Art: Japanese and Korean Art

Unsigned Tawaraya Sōtatsu, one of the founders of the Rinpa School during the early 17th century, was inspired by literary themes and painting styles from Japan's classical past. This album leaf illustrates a scene from the Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari) written around 950 recounting the life and loves of an unidentified gentleman, but probably loosely based on the courtier Ariwara Narihira (825-880). Thirty-seven leaves of this particular album by Sōtatsu and his studio are known. This leaf is the first of two that illustrate episode 87 in which a group of noblemen visit Nunobiki Waterfall, near present-day Kobe. One of the gentlemen, lamenting his low position at court, composed the inscribed poem by an unknown calligrapher: Which, I wonder, is higher- This waterfall or the fall of my tears As I wait in vain, Hoping today or tomorrow To rise in the world. (trans. Helen Craig McCullough) Sōtatsu portrayed the 10th century court nobles in a traditional manner using fine, even lines and stylized faces. He updated his composition, however, by using a technique known as tarashikomi, in which darker pigments are applied over still-wet lighter colors, resulting in softly mottled, abstract landscape forms. Size: 9 7/16 × 8 1/4 in. (23.97 × 20.96 cm) (image) 52 1/4 × 15 7/8 in. (132.72 × 40.32 cm) (mount) 17 3/4 × 1 in. (45.09 × 2.54 cm) (object part, bottom roller) Medium: Ink and color on paper

https://collections.artsmia.org/art/8567/

#artsmia #tawarayasōtatsu #museumarchive #minneapolisinstituteofart

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sw5w · 1 year ago

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The Daimyo of Mos Espa

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace 00:58:12

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infinitelytheheartexpands · 3 years ago

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Traversing the Verdi Canon #17: Rigoletto

Production: La Scala 1994, mostly chosen because a) Renato Bruson, b) Roberto Alagna, c) Riccardo Muti, and d) I’ve never seen this production. after watching it, I can say that both musically and production-wise, it’s excellent. I also love that there’s no applause in between numbers because then you get a sense of just how well this score flows.

Synopsis: a classic.

Mantua, the 1500s. the Duke of Mantua (tenor) is throwing one of his crazy parties where he tries to fuck as many women as possible--currently, he has his eye on the married Countess of Ceprano (mezzo) and on an unidentified woman he’s seen in church--when Count Monterone (baritone) storms in, severely PO’d on account of the Duke...having his way with his daughter. the Duke’s jester Rigoletto (baritone) does as he is supposed to and mocks the old man, who furiously curses both Rigoletto and the Duke. Rigoletto, who himself is a dad, is more than a bit perturbed by this. after the party, on his way home, Rigoletto runs into Sparafucile (bass), an assassin who offers his services to Rigoletto, who declines. he gets home and enter his daughter Gilda (soprano)! they talk for a while about a lot of things and then when Rigoletto leaves again, she confides in her maid Giovanna (mezzo) that she’s in love with a young gentleman she saw at church, because church is the only place she’s allowed to go. enter the young gentleman...aka the Duke. yeah. ew. gross. he bribes Giovanna to go away while he sweet-talks Gilda and claims to be a poor student named Gualtier Maldé. he leaves and all the Duke’s courtiers come in with a masked Rigoletto, whom they tell that they are going to abduct the Countess of Ceprano. however, they instead make him unknowingly assist in the kidnapping of his own daughter, and Rigoletto doesn’t realize the truth until he hears Gilda’s screams. DESPAIR.

meanwhile, the Duke is concerned because he believes that Gilda has gone missing but then he learns she’s actually in the palace so he goes “I’M GONNA FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK” and...yeah. Rigoletto storms in and demands that his daughter be returned to him immediately, to which the courtiers are like “uh...well we thought she was your mistress this is awkward lol”. eventually, Gilda and Rigoletto reunite and she tells him about how she fell for the Duke and how he raped her (let’s call a spade a spade). he swears revenge, she begs him to be forgiving.

that night, Rigoletto hires Sparafucile to murder the Duke. he takes Gilda to Sparafucile’s house, where Sparafucile’s sister Maddalena (contralto) is luring in the Duke. the Duke sings That Iconic Aria Everyone Takes Out Of Context For Commercials. Rigoletto and Gilda listen in as the Duke macks on Maddalena. Rigoletto tells Gilda that he has some business to take care of; in the meantime she needs to dress as a boy and head for Verona. she leaves, he finishes the hitjob details. a storm hits. Maddalena is completely head over heels for the Duke and begs Sparafucile to spare him. eventually, they agree that if someone else comes to their establishment by midnight, they will kill that person instead. Gilda overhears this and offers herself in order to spare the Duke she still loves and prevent her father’s revenge. she is stabbed several times, thrown into a sack, and left for Rigoletto. Rigoletto returns and is about to throw the sack into the river when he hears the Duke singing That Iconic Aria again. confused, he opens the sack...only to find that his vengeance plan has gone wrong in the worst way possible and that Monterone’s curse has had its effect on him. annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd Gilda dies (and Rigoletto probably does soon after). the end!

Experience: this is one of the first Verdi operas I ever watched/listened to way back in 2015. I haven’t come back to it as often as I probably should, but I do adore it.

Thoughts: sometimes, absolutely everything just works together and fits so right. Rigoletto is one of those times.

the way the music and the drama fits together is absolute perfection. the banal party music, the brooding, frightening darkness of Mantua’s underworld, the sparkling sunshine and gentleness that Gilda brings with her entrance into the drama. the pathos, the anger, the thrill of the storm. it’s dramatic, it’s glorious for singers, it’s incredibly tuneful, it’s marvelously orchestrated. the perfectly chilling use of motifs, the delicate balance between old forms and continuous music-drama, everything just hits absolutely on the mark. this sort of perfect unity is absolutely the continuation of what Verdi had been finely crafting in Luisa Miller and Stiffelio, and it’s simply glorious.

for the third opera in a row, we have a story of an outsider struggling with their place in the world and the injustice of the social rules and dictates of their time and place; however, this story is darker, and more consistently darker, than those of either Luisa Miller or Stiffelio, while still dealing with many of the same themes: class struggle, familial ties versus romantic ones, the place of women in society, the conflict between revenge and forgiveness. however, it has its own spin on all these, plus some aspects that had never before been seen on the opera stage: what other opera from before this has a disabled protagonist who is mistreated and mocked on account of his disability? to me, Rigoletto isn’t a villain and I wish people would stop saying he was: he’s a man who’s been mistreated his whole life, has one person he loves in the world, and he’ll do anything to protect her...however, it doesn’t work and events spiral out of his control until he ends up indirectly responsible for the death of the one person he loves. yes, it may partly be his fault, but a) it was not his intention and b) had everything gone according to plan, the Duke would have been the one in the sack. Gilda, meanwhile, is innocent and young and sheltered, yes, but she’s inquisitive and strong and principled and she chooses her own fate in the end--she’s not a pansy; she’s a complicated heroine! and the other characters perfectly capture all the darkness that this world has within it that tears these two apart.

I mean, what can I say but it’s a great masterpiece??? can I lie? can I underestimate it? no I cannot.

#opera #opera tag #Rigoletto #Traversing the Verdi Canon #Verdi #Giuseppe Verdi

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faeshq · 4 years ago

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as the night of the winter solstice begins to draw to a close and faes and humans alike eat, drink, and exchange gifts, some tentative string of peace remains in the balance and, for just this one night, there is no threat of war looming with the break of dawn. a week’s worth of small alliances and playing courtier seem to have swung in most court’s favors, one way or another, even if they don’t realize it, all culminating into this night of joy and partying and freedom.

and when morning comes, when all the faes and humans of the courts gathered, in what might’ve been a throne room, once upon a time, waiting for the familiar tang of magic alerting them of the wards being lifted, there is peace. but when the magic begins to swirl around them, the only warning before its usage, there is a low murmuring that rose amongst the crowd, dissent and annoyance at still being trapped under the mountains spell.

minutes pass, voices rising, a clamor of shuffling bodies. and then there was an earth - shattering scream.

so busy was everyone anticipating the lifting of the wards that the magic swirling around them hadn’t been questioned, hadn’t been thought twice about, but instead of the wards lifting, the magic that had filled the room had left three dead bodies on the dais on the far end of the room. even from a distance, it was clear that the two fae and one human had deadly ash daggers buried deep into their chests.

a new clamor arose, tinged with anger and panic as many fought to the dais to attempt to put names to faces, to identify their fallen companions. the first, a young high fae male native to the spring court, serene even in death. the second, a human male that none could seem to identify, the most battered of them all, seemed to have put up the biggest fight. and the third, a slight, female peregryn of the dawn court, wings littered with holes certainly caused by ash arrows.

and when the wards lifted on a whisper of wind, everyone began to winnow away with fear and renewed anger in their gazes, fingers set to point at anyone who dared look their way for a moment too long. no one took notice of the lone figure lost in shadows, wicked grin disappearing just as swiftly as they did.

ooc information.

fae that are able to winnow or fly are free to return to their courts immediately while those that can’t or don’t wish to, are free to travel to only the courts adjacent to the middle ( either dawn or winter court ) for the time being. humans cannot winnow and therefore must pick one or the other.

as no one claimed the human male, his body has become a ward of spring court and returned with them until the humans can cross over into their lands again.

if you wish to mention the deceased characters in a thread, in order of mention, the names of the fae are terren and aline. the human, unidentified, has no name. and if you’d like for your character to have a connection with any of them, message the main & we’ll work something out !

you can now begin letter correspondence threads ! obviously these make the most sense for anyone not in your characters court or travel party & can be a great way to facilitate the newfound tensions and teetering alliances.

if you have any questions, just let us know !

#body image tw #death tw #faepd

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bm-asian-art · 4 years ago

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Courtiers' Escapades, Page from an Unidentified Narrative Series, ca. 1670, Brooklyn Museum: Asian Art

Size: sheet: 8 5/8 x 11 3/4 in. (21.9 x 29.8 cm) Medium: Opaque watercolors on paper

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/127092

#asianart #museumarchive #brooklynmuseum

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harvard-art-museums-sculpture · 4 years ago

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Courtier, Unidentified Artist, c. 1770, HAM: Sculpture

Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Pflueger Size: 16.2 cm (6 3/8 in.) Medium: Hard-paste porcelain, polychrome enamel decoration, and gilding

https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/222841

#harvardartmuseums #museumarchive

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eurydice-thefool · 4 years ago

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MY TIME HAS COME! I'm here to ask ^^ for both chicks 5, 11, 18, 19 and 20. ;3

Sorry this ended up so long lmao but THANK YOU @another-blue-blog

Apprentice Asks

5. What are some of your apprentice’s minor and major fears? What’s the best way to comfort them when afraid?

Eurydice is most afraid of what she’ll leave behind when she dies. She’s not afraid of death, but she is afraid that all she’ll leave behind is her loved ones in pain. She’s especially afraid of disappearing– leaving people with questions and fears is the worst possible scenario. She wants to believe that she’ll leave the world a little better than she found it. That she didn’t leave people wanting. As for minor fears, she’s afraid of getting stuck in a tight passageway or cave, afraid of falling into deep snow and not being able to move. And bunnies freak her out. They’re fluffy little mammals but their expressions are so hard to read?? They have beady little bird eyes and it throws her off??? The fluff to eye ratio is all off. The best way to comfort her when she’s afraid is to be there. Let her know that you’ll face it together. If she’s insecure, don’t start listing her accomplishments, she’ll feel like she forced it out of you; let her know that you still want her. Hold her close in the dark, squeeze her hand before you take the next step together.

Mila is most afraid of failure, afraid of shame, and especially afraid of being a burden to someone she loves. She’s terrified to ask for help– she knows it’s not rational, that she would happily help any of her friends, but the dissonance doesn’t shake her anxiety away. She’s somewhat scared of storms, but especially if she can hear waves crashing and wind throwing things around. She’s well aware of how strong the elements can be if you’re not careful. If she’s sleeping alone, unidentified sounds scare her too– scratches out the window, creaking floorboards, bumps in the walls. The best way to comfort her when she’s anxious is to distract her. Ask her to help with something, or to play a game with her, or ask if you can play with her hair. The reassurance that she’s enough to be with you is shown, rather than just told. When it comes to bumps in the night, she’ll freak out the more you freak out. She’ll trust her partner’s judgement and feel safer knowing she’s not facing it alone. If you can’t stay, leave her with an animal companion, that’s just as good. If a dog with better hearing, or a nervous raven, or an excitable cat, or a magical snake doesn’t feel the need to investigate, it’s probably nothing.

11. How does your apprentice act when meeting new people? Are they outgoing, shy, awkward, aloof? Do they like being the center of attention?

It depends on where you meet Eurydice. If the meeting is expected– a costumer coming into the shop while it’s open, a planned brunch with some visiting relative, an introduction to the courtiers– then she’ll be more collected. She chooses her words carefully and keeps a neutral position until she can read the situation more. A meeting in the streets will be much more awkward. When she’s buying supplies or running an errand she gets in a zone and assumes everyone else is focusing on their jobs too, you’ll catch her off guard. She’ll be more cheerful when greeting you then; she wants you to know that, while it was unexpected, she’s not upset. She’ll be clumsier with her words, stopping herself and correcting her sentences out loud.

With Mila, it doesn’t so much as depend on the situation as it does her timeline. Post-resurrection pre-story, she’s much quieter. If you’re not in the mood for holding up most of the conversation until you break through her shell, it’s gonna be awkward. It’s not that she doesn’t like you, she’s just in a new situation, has been since she woke up in Asra’s arms. She does want to get to know you, but she’s unlikely to talk about herself for a while, not ‘til she’s sure she’s not going to annoy or overwhelm you. Pre-death or post-story, she’s much more confident. Just as good as a listener, but not as quiet, and much more earnest with her smiles.

18. How does your apprentice feel about Consul Valerius?

Eurydice thinks he’s a closed-minded snob, she’s not a fan.

Mila doesn’t mind him as much as Eurydice does. She has more faith that she could reason with him above the other courtiers (sans Volta). He’s the most human of the courtiers; he can be a petty, judgemental bitch, but hey, he’s only human.

19. Is there a song or songs that you associate with your apprentice?

YES. I have playlists for both of them on spotify, but if I was only to pick one or two– for Eurydice: “Wake Up” by Excision Sullivan King & Rafscrap’s cover of “Jekyll & Hyde” which i can’t believe I didnt mention all the way back during Apprentice April w the playlist asks for Mila: “Grand Escape” by RADWIMPS & “To Feel Alive” by IAMEVE Here are links to the spotify playlists if y’all want: Eurydice | Mila

20. Is your apprentice friends with any other fan apprentices?

I’m not as interactive as I’d like to be but yes there are mutuals’ apprentices that I think they’d be friends with!

The would absolutely get along with your Odette and Violet @blues-disasters I would love to do something where they interact more

Obviously they’d hang out with my sibling @arcana-callipso ‘s Callipso and Eris.

Eurydice still has a hopeless crush on @arcanecadenza‘s Cadenza

I think they’d get along with Emrys @theroyalmage Mila thinks the spikes on his jacket are rad af

I adore Cordelia @siren-of-vesuvia she’s such an interesting character and I’d love to see the chemistry between her and my girls

Would like to interact more with @theriverwashesaway I like Finch a lot

and @arcanaproserpina i see you and you picked a kickass name for your apprentice i wanna know more

and if you’ve been following/mutuals w me and i didnt mention you here its not cause i dont like you these are just the people that came to mind, i’d love to interact with your apprentice(s) too. I’m literally here for the apprentices it’s so much fun

#apprentice asks #eurydice carolina #mila the selkie #another blue blog #this one got so long that tumblr automatically decided to make it a 'keep reading' post #well at least i know im not filling up ur dashes w one long-ass post aha #but yeah thank you!!

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