#You are a geniis

[queenelizabeth1st]

since john is just soo blond if he were to have a deep cut anywhere on that noggin that shit would dye his hair red

You are so right. I can see it now—in the middle of a battle or a fight, he gets hit in the head and starts bleeding and the rest of the team just starts FREAKING out because their boy looks like he’s being dyed red and bleeding out.

[sga-mcshep-4ever]

"How many of you are there?" "Counting all the Athosians on the mainland, you might get a couple of hundred, which leaves a very large, empty city. Right now, we're living in one section, because we don't have the power to spread out more than that. What do you think so far?" "I think it's wondrous…but ultimately, the decision is up to Athar. You're not a believer, are you?" "Look, Chaya…I respect that you believe. Look, I can't talk to Athar; I can only talk to you, so let me ask you this: what if the shoe was on the other foot? What if your people were in trouble and we could help you? Would you just take no for an answer?" "It must have been very hard to live your entire life under the shadow of the Wraith." "Don't misunderstand me. Teyla and her people have known the Wraith forever, but when I say we're new, I mean we just got here. We're from another galaxy. A planet called Earth." "Earth?" "It's very far away. You know those clusters of stars you see in the night sky? Some of them are called galaxies, and they're even further away from you than the stars. Earth is in one of those galaxies." "You came through the Stargate." "That's right." "And can you not simply return?" "Well, not simply. We knew going into it that it was probably going to be a one-way trip, but we thought what we would find here would be worth the risk." "And is it?" "So far. Ask me again when the Wraith show up."

[upthewitchypunx]

Want to attend the Viridis Genii Symposium but the price just makes it out of reach for you? Did you know they offer scholarships? They do! Sign up for a scholarship!

[imaginepostingonmain]

until we get actual canonical proof stamped and sealed by uhhh me that FLINCH is in fact NOT a lame teenage boy i'm going to consider my design for him 100% real and true

[ulircursed]

It would be foolish to assume that every blond person is related, but the blond man stalking around with a pigeon on his shoulder does remind her of someone in a way Miranda can't quite place.

He doesn't look a thing like Nanna or Diarmuid, so he's probably not a Nordion. A relative of Fergus, perhaps? No, the shade isn't quite right. It's entirely possible that he isn't related to anyone, of course, but she can't shake the feeling that she knows his features from somewhere. But where?

But who?

It is only after staring at him across the floor for quite a while that she comes to a haunting realization of who he reminds her of.

"You," Miranda says. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Patty, would you? She has been" —a pregnant pause to search for how to word it diplomatically— "very... friendly to me. She recently spent time with me on my birthday."

She unclasps her crystal pendant to hand it over.

"Here. As my thanks."

Andrei almost startles when the young woman mentions Patricia by name. It is more difficult to differentiate between different accents in the Fódlan tongue, but she does sound like she could be of Jugdral, as well.

(If she had been part of the Chalphy heir's army as his niece had, then it would be easier, for all three of them, if he does not make his identity fully clear.)

"I am charmed to meet a friend of hers," he says neutrally, "And I hope your birthday was most enjoyable in her company."

Taking the crystal from her hand with a nod, Andrei pauses slightly, before unpinning his own and offering it in return.

It is an exchange, after all, and besides...

Perhaps the fact that Patricia is surrounded by friends is something that he is grateful for, as well.

[rubadubdub3nunsinatub]

if the Genii have a million fans then I am one of them if the Genii have ten fans then I am one of them if the Genii have only one fan then that is me if the Genii has no fans then that means I am no longer on earth if the world is against the Genii then I am against the world

[soldiersgirl]

SMOKE BREAK .ᐟ

summary ⭑ ben had been struggling, but finally he and the boys got somewhat of a win. that meant celebrating and finally letting a little joy into his life. cw ⭑ joint!reader x soldier boy. mentions of fighting, blood, death. mentions of sex and herogasm. mentions of the boys (butcher, hughie, annie, m.m) & homelander & oc supe (genii). mentions of ben's trauma and daddy issues. mentions of drugs (weed). swearing. yelling. word count ⭑ 1,974 words

a punch. a grunt. the sound of a man falling to his knees. soldier boy was ruthless, as always. working his way through the violent crowd with ease, like a boxer gliding and weaving through the oncoming onslaught of jabs and hooks. butcher and annie were handing out their punches like candy on halloween to keep the pissed-off supes at bay whilst hughie and m.m tried their best to subdue with halothane bombs. ben's eyes flickered between them all and felt a minuscule shiver go down his spine as the scene in front of him unfolded. herogasm turned out to be more bloody than soldier boy remembered it.

and it only grew bloodier by the minute as more and more casualties fell in the heat of the battle. it wasn't as simple as good versus bad, it never had been. it was about bad versus worse and ben was ready to end it once and for all. to finally lay down homelander and take his righteous place as america's hero. the way it was supposed to be and always should have been.

like the good and loyal soldier ben is, he punched, pushed and stabbed anyone who dared stand in his way to homelander. he was ready for this to end, here and now. the way homelander made a mockery of supes made ben sick to his stomach. every time he stole a glance at the blonde false god, his blood boiled and his indispensable rage took over. it's all going according to butcher's plan. yells of frustration and unfiltered rage sliced overtook the previous moans and groans of pleasure that had filled the tnt twins sex-infested apartment.

as ben let his soldier instincts take over, the swing of his shield and slash of his trusted knife is second-nature to him. despite the gore and guts, he almost feels at home amongst the chaos. now only one thing stood between ben and john, one last supe to take down before ben could taste victory. they circled and stalked each other like ravenous predators, each twitch and flinch analysed, waiting for the right moment to strike. genii's power was almost as unpredictable as ben; his ability to gain wishes at random had become infamous. one touch and any wish you had could be granted, but you never knew which or when it would happen. it either ended in success or catastrophe whenever genii was around and ben was adamant to ensure that he didn't get his hands on anyone. until he did.

in the heat of the moment, homelander had lifted and thrown butcher into soldier boy making him stumble and lose his step. his trusted tin case, carrying his long-time lucky joint, fell out from in between his chest and enforced chest plate making ben scramble after it. he was saving it as a celebration and he wasn't gonna let it go now after all this time. genii charged ahead and seized the rare opportunity of ben's loss of control and grabbed soldier boy roughly by the jaw, while ben grasped his tin case like his life depended on it.

"get fuckin' off me, you dick!" ben growled as they scuffled and threw fists, but it was too late for ben. genii's eyes rolled into the back of his head and stood completely frozen as ben started to convulse and fell into an unconscious state. his case slipping from his fingers as darkness took over and the last he heard was the desperate yelling from the boys.

the boys had carried ben's heavy, unconscious body into butcher's trusty cadillac as he slowly came back to reality. he immediately started swinging, his body still in fight or flight mode.

"easy, lad!" butcher yelled as he pinned ben's arms back whilst he thrashed and yelled.

"let me at him! i'm gonna fucking kill him!" ben breathed harshly through his nose, his chest heaving as his eyes glided over the boys in front of him, their expressions unreadable. he slowly started to surrender and laid back against the leather seats, closing his eyes and silently beating himself up. the others sat themselves in the car as butcher explained how "technically" it was a success as they managed to make homelander bleed; a rare occurrence. ben only scoffed and sighed in the backseat at each of butcher's words. until annie, mostly begrudgingly, slides something into ben's unsuspecting hands; his tin case. his eyes shot up but they never meet hers as she glances out the window and acts like nothing happened. ben feels a smile flicker across his lips as he looks down and caresses his precious case that had been with him through thick and thin, more than anyone else.

his thumb followed along the curves and indents that decorated the battered tin case – an old altoids mint case that his father had given him as a child. his father hadn't given him much, but he knew ben's weakness for mints and would occasionally gift him one or two, when he was in the mood. he silently admired the scratches that ran along its sides, a sign of the love and use that ben had gotten out of it. this case was the last gift he had gotten from his father before he turned his back on him. it's all he had left of what he once called a family. a sickening, unfamiliar feeling washed over ben and he was sure it was going to swallow him whole.

trashing his apartment didn't ease the pain like ben had hoped for. he knew butcher was right, it has been the closest they had come to winning. to taking down homelander. but they weren't close enough. ben sat amongst his self-made chaos and gazed at his beloved case once again, opening and closing the lid. finding comfort in the whine of the hinges and the nostalgic aroma of his favourite weed blend rolled into his lucky joint.

he sprawled out onto the bed with a loud sigh going over his faults, his mistakes, trying to figure out how he could get better and finally take down the blonde menace. he took out the joint and held it in his hand, feeling the weight and admiring the curve of it. the only thing that could bring him comfort, that could silence his father's loud criticisms that constantly haunts him. he laid the lucky joint on his rolling tray that had it's permanent spot next to ben's pillow, planning on smoking it in the morning to finally bring him the luck he needed. he laid there, staring aimlessly at the ceiling, wishing he could rely on someone rather than something. maybe this would all be easier if he did, but that's something he guesses he will never know as he finally rolls over and falls into a deep hibernation.

until an arm slings itself around his waist. his eyes snap open. his breathing stops. the usual silence in his cluttered space was disturbed by a second slow, rhythmic breathing. ben dives forward and grabs the knife hidden under his bedside table and shoots up out of the bed, knife at the ready to defend himself.

"what the fuck?! how the fuck did you get in here..? what.. the fuck is going on?!" ben yells, bombarding you with questions as his eyes glide over your slumbering form as you slowly start to sit up and rub your eyes; any lack of surprise on your end. you sleepily gaze up at him, realisation sets in and you lock up. every muscle and nerve stiff, a moment of peace, before reality sets in.

"oh my god... oh my god, oh fuck... no, what?" you mumble to yourself as you slowly roll and test out all your limbs and appendages, touching your face and body in disbelief, the duvet covering your exposed body. you wiggle your hands and toes and can't stop a soft giggle from escaping as you gaze around in amazement, despite the current state of ben's apartment. you stretched, traced the soft features of your face and grabbed at your own cheeks.

"hey!" ben's commanding voice slices through the tranquility of the moment. your eyes finally rest on his shivering form, the adrenaline pumping through him like a raging river after a storm.

"it's so nice to see something other than the inside of that tin case you've been keeping me in." you softly state.

"what? what?" ben yells, brandishing the knife. "you crazy bitch, i.." his limbs go limp for a second as his usual stoic mask falters. "what the fuck did you say?"

"you kept me prisoner in that thing for ages. i was wondering when you were finally going to let me out. see the world." you give him a soft smile as you point around his room. ben was sure he had been drugged, even poisoned. this could not be fucking happening. "the way i got thrown around yesterday inside during that fight you guys get in, i have such a headache." you groan. the knife clatters across ben's floor as he drops it and studies you closely.

"have you been fuckin' following me?" he seethes. "how fuckin' long, huh? were you at fuckin' herogasm and decided to stalk me here?" ben starts on a tirade but you quickly shut up him with comforting hushes and shaking of the head.

"i would never hurt you and you know that. i was made to help you. you made me to help you." you say with the warmth he would usually feel with his mouth wrapped around you and inhaling deeply into his trained lungs.

it all clicked.

genii. his wish. his stupid, fuckin' pussy-ass wish to not be alone. and there you are.

ben's disbelief morphed into a state of utter rage. he leapt forward, grabbed you harshly by the shoulders and shook you, but all you could do was laugh.

"this ain't no fucking comedy club! did butcher put you up to this?"

"ben!" you manage to yell through your laughter. "it's me. i only know you! i mean, i've heard the others' voices but you're the only one i could ever recognise." you tentatively reach out and caress his face before he flinches and grimaces.

"alright, alright. if you really fuckin' are who i think you are and not some psycho stalker, then you gotta tell me somethin'. prove it." he hisses into your face.

"i know you better than you know yourself, ben. i know and i've felt your deep sadness. i hear your mumblings, when you think no one else is listening." you tried to tread carefully, knowing his explosive temper all too well. "you always keep me right above your heart, between you and your chest armour. i hear your scattered heartbeat whenever you start to think about your dad."

"enough." his voice barely above a whisper.

"i know you lose yourself in whatever you can find. i've felt your sobs and strained breathing when you're finally alone, as you sit and stare at my confinement. wondering why you were never enough. if you'll ever be enough."

"shut the fuck up!" he shook you one final time before throwing his head back in sheer agitation. "don't... fuckin' say another word." he mumbles.

"i've always listened. and i always will. i want to help you, that's why you made me, didn't you?" your voice light like a feather, a contrast against the simmering tension in the room.

"are you tryin' to tell me.. fuck, that you're my lucky joint?" he sits back onto the balls of his feet, all the rage dispersing at the honesty in your voice.

"i think i prefer joi." you confirm with a toothy smile, leaving ben dumbfounded. how the fuck was he going to explain this mess to the boys?

a/n: meet mine and gabriela's (@h8aaz) child!!!! we are so in love with her and hope u guys are too <3 this was so much fun to write and i actually love this concept more than i could've anticipated! joi's masterlist , millie's masterlist , gabriela's masterlist -`♡´- tag list: @bluemerakis @legalmente-loca @faiszt @vmiina @emeraldcrs @briiverse @figthoughts @sl33pylilbunny @jasvtsc @silverwoodlynx @kayleighwinchester @bejeweledinterludes @yooyieu @nperoconelcositoarriba @lanasgirlfr @velvetdandeli0n @iluvdeanwinchester @cowboysandcigarettes @daylighted @valjy @dulcescorderitas @mostlymarvelgirl @syrma-sensei @rositaslabyrinth @blossomingorchids @deansbbyx @mads-ackles @lunaleah (comment or inbox me to be added)

[moonchild-in-blue]

Show Me How To Dance Forever info dump

Alright, I'm joining the research team side of tumblr and going through every element of the website / new information. A lot of what's here has been posted by others, so this is more of a compilation of things and me thinking out loud.

The Code - D O U O S V A V V M

The Shugborough Inscription is a sequence of letters – O U O S V A V V, between the letters D M on a lower plane – carved on the 18th-century Shepherd's Monument in the grounds of Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire, England, below a mirror image of Nicolas Poussin's painting the Shepherds of Arcadia (...) [about the relief] On the tomb is carved the Latin text Et in arcadia ego ("I am also in Arcadia" or "I am, even in Arcadia") The letters on the second line, D M, were commonly used on Roman tombs to stand for Dis Manibus, meaning "dedicated to the shades". (from wikipedia page)

I'm not gonna go into much detail about the whole Holy Grail thing, bevause you've all probably read this article by now. I do wanna point point out the obvious Arcadia = Eden connection:

Arcadia (Greek: Αρκαδία) refers to a vision of pastoralism and harmony with nature. The term is derived from the Greek province of the same name which dates to antiquity; the province's mountainous topography and sparse population of pastoralists later caused the word Arcadia to develop into a poetic byword for an idyllic vision of unspoiled wilderness. Arcadia is a poetic term associated with bountiful natural splendor and harmony. The 'Garden' is often inhabited by shepherds. The concept also figures in Renaissance mythology. Although commonly thought of as being in line with Utopian ideals, Arcadia differs from that tradition in that it is more often specifically regarded as unattainable. Furthermore, it is seen as a lost, Edenic form of life, contrasting to the progressive nature of Utopian desires. Greek mythology and the poetry of Theocritus inspired the Roman poet Virgil to write his Eclogues, a series of poems with references to Arcadia as the home of Pan, pipes and singing. (from wikipedia page)

And to point put what the shades in "dis manibus" mean:

In ancient Roman religion, the Manes (/ˈmeɪniːz/, Latin: mānēs, Classical Latin: [ˈmaː.neːs̠]) or Di Manes are chthonic deities sometimes thought to represent souls of deceased loved ones. They were associated with the Lares, Lemures, Genii, and Di Penates as deities (di) that pertained to domestic, local, and personal cult. They belonged broadly to the category of di inferi, "those who dwell below", the undifferentiated collective of divine dead. (from wikipedia page)

POINTING OUT that the Lares are viewed as guardians (sacred guardians if you will -> see Chokehold (I come as a blade, a sacred guardian) and the TOG poem (I am the teeth of God).

The Divide / The Choices

SPEAKING OF the TOG poem, the first email that prompts the choice of house reads "Behold, a Divide", which is very similar to " I am the line between" verse of the poem.

We are presented with two images (which I will get into it later) - House Veridian (crossed swords) and Feathered Host (a feather)

House Veridian: The House Must Endure Feathered Host: The Cycle Must Be Broken

House Veridian

Veridian is probably a reference to the colour viridian, given the symbol is green. Interestingly enough, this pigment is a "hydrated chromium(III) oxide", os an HEXAGONAL SHAPE (the same shape of the images we see on the email. ALSO. OMG YOU GUYSSSS LOOK:

It is antiferromagnetic up to 307 K, the Néel temperature

What's that you ask? WELL:

In materials that exhibit antiferromagnetism, the magnetic moments of atoms or molecules, usually related to the spins of electrons, align in a regular pattern with neighboring spins (on different sublattices) pointing in opposite directions.

THIS IS BLOODSPORT AND ALKALINE ALL OVER AGAIN, I'M GONNA THROW UP. VESSEL YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARD NERD. MORE:

Chromium(III) oxide is amphoteric AKA In chemistry, an amphoteric compound (from Greek amphoteros 'both') is a molecule or ion that can react both as an acid and as a base

BITCH.

It is also used to polish BLADES! SWORDS! HMMMM!!!!!

If we think of The House as A Vessel for a god (which is basically what they are, mortal houses of worship), we can definitely see it as "I, the guardian, the fighter, the blade, must endure" . See Chokehold and Higher especially for this.

Feathered Host

I think the connection with thw TNDNBTG/ Euclid is pretty obvious. The constant imagery of angels and heaven in his lyrics, the "cycle" that is completed and repeated with those two songs. The cycle is broken, but it loops again.

You live with angels vs your wings won't find you heaven. You are the garden vs I will go back to Eden. You are far away where I can't reach you vs I will bring down heaven myself for you. Gods vs mortals vs angels. Beginning and End. Like F. Ocean said, "it's a loop. the other side of a loop it's a loop".

I think both of these choices are a very clear representation of the story that has been presented in the trilogy, but even more so in TMBTE. The dichotomy between continuing to fight, to spill blood, to be a hones and well polished tool, and the realisation of the enormity of the violence that persists. The desire for peace, the longing for simpler, more innocent times, for Eden, for Arcadia. A utopia that may only exist in dreams, long forgotten. The fields of elation now barren and sealed off.

Euclid marks the moment of breach, where there's finally a clear thread of hope. The break of the bough, the killing of the self, of the ego. But even then, there is still some attachment for the past weaved between the frayed ends. It's still the autumns leaves, do you remember me? And the final callback to TNDNBTG, the loop. An everlasting ouroboros, the venomous serpent biting its own tail, Even and The Tempter one and the same.

I find it interesting how the double-swords can mean so much. In tarot, it represents an impasse, a stalemate (the card is a blindfolded woman - see the Rain guardian - under the moon holding the two swords). It's used as a battlefield marker. In chemistry, double daggers are used to indicate the Transition State of a chemical reaction. Much to think about.

Show Me How To Dance Forever

Right so, I already made a half-assed post about the Nothing Lasts Forever to Show Me How To Dance Forever pipeline, but I'm keeping it here anyways. They have mentioned dance many times before, in the WH cover, in Aqua Regia and Ascensionism, in the interludes (where they say something about dancing with life and death both if I'm not mistaken).

Now, Aqua Regia makes a reference to Dark Signs . I'm done dancing to alarm bells // (...) I could see dark signs, alarm bells in your eyes. AND, Dark Signs has one of my most favourite lyrics, which goes: I might bend and break to my basic needs to be loved and close to somebody. WHICH WE CAN CONNECT to I Wanna Dance With Somebody (who loves me).

Which poses the question: WHAT are we dancing to? Are we giving in yet again to the need for love, and reveling in what it is a flawed and broken cadence of pleasure and pain alike? Or are we asking to be shown how to dance instead of fight, how to turn despair into tenderness. How to live this new life, a new beginning? Are we forever doomed to waltz with Death, to balance fire in the earth, or are sailing away to new ports, leaving funeral pyres behind towards a new shore, to Arcadia? MANY SUCH QUESTIONS!

The Black Flamingo

I don't know dawg. Is he Vessel? Black and tall and elegant and kinda weird?? Ridiculous wingspan??? Jk. I know some people have already talked about it, and it's potentially connected to the TOG novel (which I haven't read yet), so I'll leave that to you.

I might be missing some things but this is what I have for now. My brain hurts lmao.

[bubba-buff]

AHH THANK YOU SO SORRY I GOT CONFUSED THANK YOU FOR THE CLOSE UP AND BACKGROUND COLOR CHANGE 😭🙏 may all ur art turn out exactly how u want it to and ur charger work perfectly.

BEAR SUMMONS IS SO CCOOL- WHATS THE STORY?!? AHHH I LOVE BEARS!!! TELL ME EVERYTHING (demand)/j

smells like rosemary is such a cute detail <3

is this a safe space for naruto oc’s

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Hi :)) do you have any advice on writing stories about Celtic mythology? Ive been trying to use Wikipedia to learn more about it but I find the format of it isn’t very digestible for me and I end up not understanding it well

Writing Notes: Celtic Mythology

The ancient Celtic pantheon consisted of over 400 gods and goddesses who represented everything from rivers to warfare.

With perhaps the exception of Lugh, the Celtic gods were not universally worshipped across Iron Age Europe but were very often limited to only several regions or a specific area.

Another difficulty in examining the Celtic pantheon is the paucity of written records produced by the Celts themselves; quite often a god (deivos/deiva) is named in only a single surviving inscription.

To further complicate our lack of knowledge, the Celts often gave all-embracing powers and attributes to their gods which means that they can rarely be easily categorised.

Celtic votive inscriptions from the Roman period often name a Celtic god with a Roman equivalent noted alongside, a practice known as the interpretatio romana. The following are a few major deities or those with multiple or significant inscriptions.

Andarta - a Celtic goddess whose name may derive from the Celtic word for the bear animal.

Borvo (also Bormo) - a god whose name likely derives from the Celtic word meaning 'to boil' and so indicates his frequent association with natural hot springs.

The Dagda - an Irish-Celtic god whose name is usually preceded by the definite article. His name likely means 'the good god', probably in the sense of being 'many-skilled'. His common attributes are a great club, which can both kill and bring the dead back to life, and a giant cauldron that can produce an inexhaustible quantity of food, especially porridge.

Danu (also Dana) - a Celtic mother-goddess who gives her name, which means 'stream' or 'the waters of heaven' to various places and the River Danube.

Genii Cucullati - mysterious Celtic divinities which are not given a name but appear in groups or alone and wear hooded cloaks in art. Depictions typically have them near a single better-known god and holding either an egg or a scroll.

Nemetona - a goddess whose name derives from the Celtic term for a sacred grove of trees (nemeton). Votive inscriptions naming the goddess survive from both England and Germany, some of which indicate she is the partner of Mars. The goddess had temples dedicated to her at Klein-Winternheim and Trier, both in eastern Germany.

Suleviae - this is a group of Celtic sister goddesses who were venerated in Britain, Germany, and Rome (where there were many Celtic mercenaries). The trio was most likely seen as protective figures and associated with regeneration.

Read the full list here. More Celtic mythology concepts and themes:

Albion - Ancient Celts referred to Britain—not including Ireland—as Albion and only later as Britannia. The Romans connected Albion through their word albus, meaning “white,” with the white cliffs of Dover. Geoffrey of Monmouth reported that the Celts believed a certain Albion who ruled the island was a giant fathered by a god of the sea. Others believe the island was named for a princess who came to the island with fifty women who in their former home had killed their husbands.

Belenus - Also known in Celtic Ireland and Britain by various names—Bel, Belinos, Beli, Bile—Belenus is a god of Celtic Gaul whom Julius Caesar compared to the Greco-Roman Apollo as a solar god of light and reason. He carries a solar disk on the chariot that he presumably uses to travel daily across the sky. His British name is the source for Billingsgate in London. Fires in honor of the god were lit for Celtic festivals of Beltaine (“Bel’s Fires”) on May 1.

Cernunnos - A horned Celtic god of Gaul (modern France) and parts of the British Isles, Cernunnos was a god offertility, like the Italian goddess *Ceres. He carries a club and is lord of the animals. Perhaps because of his association with planting and seeds, he was associated with the underworld. The Romans linked him to Mercury, who led souls to the underworld, and to Apollo, as he provided light for the dead in their graves. Sometimes he is equated with Dispater and the Irish Dagda.

Decapitation - An important theme in Celtic mythology in general and Irish and Welsh mythology in particular. The story of Bricriu’s Feast is a decapitation myth, as is the Welsh story of Bran. The theme influenced the Arthurian myths and the medieval English romances such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Earlier decapitation stories are found in the Bible—including the tales of David and Goliath, Judith and Holofernes, and Salome and John the Baptist. There is also decapitation in the Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa, and in the Mesopotamian myth of Gilgamesh and Humbaba. The decapitation theme—especially when associated with a “green man” such as Gawain’s Green Knight, the Aztec Corn King, or many Native North American Corn Mothers—may well have its roots in sacrificial rituals of fertility. Heads that have been cut away from the body, as in the case of Bran’s head, continue to function and talk in Celtic mythology, suggesting a belief in the head’s being the seat of the soul as well as of power and fertility.

Dis Pater - In the Gaulish, that is, continental Celtic mythology, Dis Pater was the Roman name provided by Julius Caesar for a god claimed by the Gauls as their father god, or ultimate progenitor. The name given by Caesar suggests that the Romans saw a connection between this deity and the otherworld or underworld. As, literally, “underworld father,” Dis Pater is naturally associated in Caesar’s mind with the Roman Pluto. The Irish cognates would probably be the Dagda, the father god of the Tuatha De Danaan, and Donn, the god of the dead.

Druids - The priestly class in early Celtic societies, especially continental Celts. They were judges and seers with great moral authority, who ranked above all other classes. As such, they were the equivalent of their Indo-European brothers, the Indian brahmans. The Romans in Gaul developed myths about the druids such as the one suggesting that they practiced human ‘sacrifice. The Irish filidh may be said to have somewhat diminished druidic standing. The great Celtic bards Taliesen and Amairgen had druidic qualities and authority.

Epona - It was primarily the continental Celts who revered Epona, the horse goddess. She was naturally adopted as a favorite by the Roman cavalry and was celebrated at an annual Roman festival. Epona has certain earth goddess aspects, such as her strong association with fertility, sexuality, and water. In Welsh mythology, Epona appears to have had a cognate in the fertility-warrior goddess Rhiannon, who rode about Wales on a white horse dispensing gifts, in the traditional great goddess manner, from her bag or womb bundle.

Irish mythology

Lugus - His name, referring to brightness, indicates that the continental Celtic god Lugus, whom Julius Caesar equated with the Roman Mercury, was a cognate of the Irish Lugh and the Welsh Lleu. Lugus was a god of the arts.

Maponos - Son of the continental Celtic mother goddess Matrona, has a Welsh cognate in Mabon, as Matrona has one in Modron. Maponos was the divine child— the puer aeternus—of Celtic mythology.

Matrona - In the continental Celtic tradition, Matrona, whose counterpart in Welsh mythology was Modron, was the mother goddess whose son was the divine child Maponos (Welsh Mabon).

Nehalenia - A Germanic and possibly continental Celtic sea goddess who protected voyagers.

Taranis - (Taranus) was compared by Julius Caesar to the Roman god Jupiter. Taranis was the thunder and storm god of the continental Celts of Gaul. He was an aspect of the typically Indo-European triad of Esus, Taranis, and Teutates.

Arthurian Mythology

Annwn - (Caer Feddwid) is a name for the Welsh Otherworld, where a magic cauldron exists. In a medieval Arthurian tale, Preiddeu Annwn (The Spoils of Annwn), Arthur and his knights go to Annwn to obtain the cauldron, which, as indicated by the possession of the Cauldron of Plenty by the Dagda, the father god of the Irish Tuatha De Danaan, was a symbol of sacred kingship. Arthur and the few of his men that remained return empty-handed. The tale is seen as a prototype for the story of the Holy Grail.

Camelot - The castle and primary dwelling place of King Arthur, the seat of the fellowship known as the Round Table. It was at Camelot that the Holy Grail appeared to the knights of the Round Table. Many places in England to this day claim to be the site of the legendary castle. Camelot was first mentioned by Chretien de Troyes in his twelfth-century work Lancelot. Supposedly Camelot was destroyed after Arthur’s death. During the early stylish and optimistic years of the American presidency of John F. Kennedy, it became customary to speak of Kennedy and his followers in the White House, and of the administration as a whole, as “Camelot.”

Chretien de Troyes - A French poet of the 12th century C.E., Chretien wrote metrical romances about the ‘Welsh-British ‘hero ‘King Arthur and his knights of the ‘Round Table. Most famously, he wrote Perceval or the Story of the Grail, about ‘Percival (Parsifal) and the ‘quest for the ‘Holy Grail; and Lancelot, or the Knight of the Cart.

Fisher King - In the Arthurian story, the Fisher King is a somewhat ambiguous figure who is encountered in various conflicting versions by hero-knights of the Round Table— particularly Percival—during the quest for the Holy Grail. The King is in some sense wounded, a fact that affects the fertility of the land he rules. Some say that the King—Pelles, Parian, or Pellam—was guardian of the Grail but that he had sinned and was thus unable to speak when the Grail appeared before him. The King can be cured of his wounds or his speechlessness only when certain questions are asked of him. But when Sir Percival comes to the Fisher King’s castle and the Grail passes by him in procession, he fails to ask any questions about it, and the King remains under the terrible spell.

Galahad - Originally Gwalchafed in Welsh, Sir Galahad was a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table in medieval Arthurian sagas. His story had strong heroic mono- mythic elements. Galahad was the son of Sir Lancelot and the Lady Elaine, whom Lancelot had been tricked by a potion into thinking was his beloved Guinevere. Galahad was brought up by a nun and then knighted by his father and taken to Arthur’s court. He was, above all, pure, and it was this quality that made it possible for him, of all knights, to succeed in the quest for the Holy Grail. Galahad appears in Arthurian lore in a thirteenth-century French cycle of romances. La queste del saint graal (“The Quest for the Holy Grail”). In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le morte d’Arthur, Galahad achieves apotheosis; he is taken up to Heaven.

Guinevere - In the Arthurian romances, including those of Chretien de Troyes, the Welsh historian Geoffrey of Monmouth, and Sir Thomas Malory, Guinevere (Welsh Gwenhwyfar) is the wife of King Arthur and the beloved of Sir Lancelot. There are conflicting tales of Guinevere’s origins. Some traditions hold that she was the daughter of Leodegan, who gave the Round Table to Arthur when the latter married his daughter. Her love for Lancelot led to the disruption of Camelot and the fellowship of the knights of the Round Table, and eventually to Arthur’s death. Some say she married Mordred after Arthur’s death. More often it is said that she retired to a nunnery.

Holy Grail - or Sangreale in Old French, was an important quest object in the Arthurian tradition, particularly connected with Percival, as in the Perceval of Chretien de Troyes (c. 1185) and the slightly later Parfval of Wolfram von Eschenbach. Whatever the original source of the legends of the Grail, Christianity associated it with one of the vessels used by Jesus at the Last Supper.

King Arthur - Legendary British king who appears in a cycle of medieval romances (known as the Matter of Britain) as the sovereign of a knightly fellowship of the Round Table. It is not certain how these legends originated or whether the figure of Arthur was based on a historical person. The legend possibly originated either in Wales or in those parts of northern Britain inhabited by Brythonic-speaking Celts.

Lancelot - The son of King Ban of Benwick or Brittany, Sir Lancelot, or Lancelot of the Lake—so called because he was raised by Vivienne, the mysterious Lady of the Lake, who stole him at birth—was one of the noblest knights of King Arthur’s Round Table. But his love affair with Arthur’s queen, Guinevere, would lead to the downfall of Camelot and the fellowship of knights. Sir Galahad was Lancelot’s son by the Lady Elaine, who tricked him into thinking she was Guinevere and so made love with him. Galahad would succeed in the quest for the Holy Grail where his father had failed. Lancelot rescued Guinevere when she was about to be burned at the stake for adultery. When Guinevere and Lancelot fled to Brittany, Arthur followed them and his illegitimate son or nephew, Mordred, usurped his throne. This led to a war in which both Mordred and Arthur were killed. When Guinevere retired to a nunnery, Lancelot, too, took religious vows. The Lancelot story is found in the works of Chretien de Troyes and Sir Thomas Malory.

Mabinogion - The “Welsh Mabinogion is found in two fourteenth-century manuscripts, the White Book of Rhydderch and the Red Book of Hergest. The collection, based on oral narratives, probably took literary form between the mid-eleventh to the early twelfth centuries.

Malory - Sir Thomas Malory is the fifteenth-century English author of Le Morte d’Arthur, an important compilation of Arthurian material. He is said to have created his great prose work while in prison.

Merlin - Probably has an antecedent in the legendary Scottish and/or Irish mad prophet Myrddin (Merddin). The Welsh historian Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his twelfth-century History of the Kings of Britain, established Merlin’s position as the motivating wizard in the Arthurian legend. It was Merlin who helped arrange for the liaison between Uther and Igraine that would lead to the conception and birth of King Arthur. After Arthur’s birth Merlin took the child to one Hector, this in keeping with the monomythic heroic divine child’s being raised by a menial or commoner. It was Merlin who arranged for the ceremony through which Arthur would prove himself to be the king by removing a sword from a rock. There are many versions of Merlin’s life. It was said by some that he was conceived as a result of the union between a sleeping nun and a demon. In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, based on many earlier sources—many of them specifically about Merlin—the magician falls in love with an enchantress, Nimue (perhaps the Lady of the Lake), a femme fatale who imprisons him under a rock.

Welsh Mythology

Has come to us from various sources, all much more directly affected and distorted by time and non-Celtic elements than is the case in the much more isolated Ireland.

There are the two Latin texts especially concerned with the Arthurian legends—the early-ninth-century Historia Brittonum by Nennius and the twelfth-century Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth—and there are, of course, oral sources, including, traditionally, poems questionably attributed to the semi-mythic sixth-century poet-prophet Taliesin, whose Irish equivalent was Amairgen, the poet-warrior.

But Welsh mythology, including the remnants of a pre-Christian Welsh pantheon, is more essentially contained in the “four branches” of a collection of eleven medieval tales known in modern times as the Mabinogion {Mabinogi) and in the various traditions associated with King Arthur.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Hi, consuming a lot of media on the topic would be important for your story. These are just a few excerpts from the sources I was able to find, which you can go through in the links above (+ the other references the authors mentioned). Find the right balance between your research and the direction you want your own story to go. Hope this helps with your writing!

[stormsthatrage]

Have a dialogue snippet from the Lies to Send You Home AU (where Urahara tricks Ichigo into seeking out the Shiba family). This is during the second part, after Aizen is dead, Ichigo has told Kaien about a good chunk of the future, and Kaien is coming to the horrendous realization that Urahara would actually be an excellent addition to the family.

_____________________________________________

“Oh, gods,” Kaien says, despairing, as the universe’s greatest jape yet becomes clear to him. Urahara is a genius among genii, an intelligence the likes of which Soul Society will not see twice. But at the end of the day, in a plot twist Kaien could have really done without — “You’re as stupid as Ichigo.”

Urahara sets his brush down and leans back. Kaien finally finds himself holding the attention of the captain. It does not feel like a victory. Urahara’s face moves into an unsettling smile, his eyes blank and the corners of his mouth stretched just slightly too wide. It is the movement of a monster mimicking something it does not understand but has seen others do; a predator camouflaging itself to get close to prey.

Kaien considers how much practice Urahara must have in controlling his facial expressions and body language, and wonders how any of them ever fell for it, the psychopath-facade of his. If Urahara actually were what he pretended to be, no one but Captain Shihouin would have been able to pick up on it - he certainty wouldn’t have been showing his true colors so blatantly.

(A thought for later, Kaien thinks. Why does someone destroy their own reputation? Certainly not for selfish reasons.)

“My, my, Lord Shiba, such harsh words for your cousin.” Urahara’s voice is plainly mocking. “Could it be that the Shiba’s newest pride and joy is as bad at kido as the rumors say?” He tilts his head, smiling still.

Two weeks ago, Kaien would have bought that Urahara was trying to rile him up, embarrass him, and make him angry — and all for the game of it, too.

But Ichigo gave away more than he thinks he did, when telling Kaien of the future. And that precious knowledge has taught Kaien to look harder, peer deeper, when dealing with the Captain of the 12th.

And so Kaien sees, now, plain as day, that Urahara is taking the opportunity to test Kaien, trying to suss out if the Shiba clan is as nice as their reputation would have people believe they are.

Kaien gets it, he really does, especially considering which clan Urahara grew up in the tender care of.

Kaien wonders how long Urahara has worried about this, if Ichigo is being treated right behind closed doors - if the Shiba have been cruel to Ichigo for his lack of talent in the bloodline kido, or for the way he so obviously wasn’t raised a noble, or for one of the other thousand things the Shihouin clan would have made Ichigo’s life a living hell for.

Urahara’s eyes are intent, studying Kaien’s every minute movement. Kaien wonders what would have happened to him if the words had struck a nerve, if he had given any indication that he was embarrassed by Ichigo. Violent food poisoning, at least.

(It does not escape Kaien’s notice that when Urahara missed the affection in Kaien’s complaint — they’ll have to work on that, Urahara will be eaten alive by the clan kids if he doesn’t learn how to tease — Urahara only came to the defense of Ichigo, completely ignoring that Kaien’s comment was mostly aimed at himself.

Exactly the same type of stupid as Ichigo. Fuck.)

[imarson404]

Maybe a hot take but I PERSONALLY don’t buy into the whole ‘Wammy’s house was a child detective puppy farm’ idea. Mainly because we aren’t told nearly enough about Wammy’s house outside of that one scene with near and Mello (thanks ohba and obata 😐) but also because a lot the stuff that we do see doesnt really give me that impression? Strictly speaking with the main anime/manga you have the existence of Matt and Linda right off the bat. Matt first of all because hes said to be the 3rd best at Wammy’s house, 3rd in line it be L , and yet hes fine to just… say nah, I don’t feel like it? He never really seems all that pressed tbh imo. And as for Linda, we know that she’s an exceptionally talented artist who is in multiple galleries across England, and Wammy’s appears to have facilitated that. She wasn’t grabbed off the streets as an orphan and forced to become a child detective. It doesn’t seem like any of them were. What Matt and Linda seem to show us is that none of them were ever forced to be detectives or the next L or whatever, it was just an option. (Once again, from my perspective in the animanga purely) The core of Mello’s very personality is to be competitive, of course he went for it. Near was exceptionally smart and good at puzzles in the same way that L was. In the one scene taking place at Wammy’s in the anime, it’s clear that Roger really didn’t want them to do this alone. He tried to hold back from telling them that L didn’t pick (cough cough because he knew Mello’s inferiority complex would lead him to believe that meant he had lost) and tried to convince them to work to whether before Mello stormed off alone. Not downplaying the fact that a 14 year old was able to storm off alone but the fact is that we DONT KNOW what happened after that. Theres so much context that we don’t know. Discussing other canons, the L files tells us outright that L WASNT FORCED TO BE A CHILD SLAVE DETECTIVE BY WATARI THE MOMENT HE WAS BROUGHT IN. He just solved puzzled and went on his computer until he was 14, at which point he found ‘something more interesting than any puzzle he’d ever solved’ and moved on to crimes. Again, not to take away from the dubious ethics of a 14 year old solving crimes but it isnt like Watari sat his 8 year old ass in front of a dead body and told him to figure it out. And the (dubiously canon adjacent?) LCtW also suggests that Wammy’s house was a place that facilitated genii of all types, not just the crime solving ones, for example the biochemist (i think) K. Now facing LABB. I can absolutely see why people look to this as definitive proof that Wammy’s house is evil, especially with what Mello talks about regarding ‘Watari wanting backups’ and A’s suicide. Those are both valid points which are very bad. My issue here is just that whats written in LABB doesnt always match up with other canons (theres also the whole issue of Mello being a potentially unreliable narrator but that’s an entirely different matter). For example, it claims that ‘when Wammy’s house was first founded Watari was experimenting with making new L’s’ which doesnt line up with L being taken to Wammy’s house in the manga and anime and basically every other canon, where Wammy’s precedes L. Even Dn 13, which takes LABB as canon in its timeline, also includes the L files which shows baby L being taken to Wammy’s and eventually discovering detective work. overall it’s all about weighing one canon against the over and making your on conclusions, and I prefer to believe in the canons which suggest that while it was flawed, Wammy’s house was not an actively evil child detective factory with an evil overlord running it. now, everything I’ve just said is MY PERSPECTIVE. I’m not bashing anyone for believing any which way, I really don’t care. I just felt like explaining my point of view on my blog (because I like compiling evidence and putting forwards an argument bc I find it fun. Yes I did like debates in class how could you tell

[bonzos-number-1-fan]

TMAGP 32 Thoughts: Spirit of Place

It's a nice simple one this time around but it's a evocatively written statement with some really strong imagery and Also, I'll be honest, I think I've forgotten how I write these things so this might be a break in the usual format. We'll see how it goes.

Spoilers for TMA, and TMAGP episode 32 below the cut.

I really like when Gwen gets to be not a total ass to people. She tries really hard to get some respect and will likely never get any but she's still got a heart underneath it all. It's not the biggest heart but it's something.

A pretty light case all in all. Maybe not tonally, but in terms of content and the context of the content I feel this one is pretty easy going. I think this one could've done with a bit of editing to cut down on so much of the preamble. I don't personally think so much robot-y introduction does it any favours and could see a version of this story that had snappier framing. Usually when they do these sorts of historically set ones I feel the need to add some greater context to them but for this I think it mostly stands on its own. I would think most people would understand this is about the English city of Liverpool its founding and it's history with the slave trade, through to the industrial revolution, the war, and now modern day and how that changed it as a location. Everything discussed is explicit, and there isn't a lot to add to it, outside of its mention of exultations/dancers. Those dancers would be the Calderstones, which are remnants of a megalithic tomb. At some point they were moved and then permanently affixed in place with concrete. Liverpool is also somewhat famously founded with just 7 streets which is what the following description of "six becoming seven" is talking about. Otherwise, yes, Liverpool was deeply entrenched with England's slave trade, got bombed to shit during the war, and is now one of the largest cities in the country.

I do think the personification of the city is interesting though. At least in terms of genii locorum. A genius loci is a simply the spirit of a place, the terminology is from classical Roman religions, but the concept of a place being more than it's construction isn't unique to it. There have been a number of other religious and spiritual beliefs that have a similar concept in them. Similarly, this idea of a place having a spirit is also not unique to this case alone and is something TMAGP has returned to a few times. This is a very overt example of a personality but places like the Millennium Dome, or Forton Service Station have had similar sorts of concepts around them. Roman philosophy and religion is a often very foundational to alchemic philosophy too and while it might be hard to say exactly how relevant all of these things will be there is a lot of connective tissue here at least.

All in all, a solid case with some really strong writing.

Celia: We still don’t even know what it is [bzzt] or whether it’s still a danger. [bzzt]

Ah, mysterious lie-detecting static, how I've missed you so.

Alice: Sorry, I know this isn’t your fault I’m just…

Poor, Alice. She just doesn't know that it's all Celia's fault in about every way it could be. That's gonna suck to find out.

It's really nice that Colin has returned to us. We shouldn't take offense as his new form and should be grateful he's here at all. I'm sure this won't in anyway become a problem in the future so just be glad he's in the office more.

They both react as the hand is schlorped back into the computer.

Get schlorped, bozo

Luke not getting forgotten about is nice too.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Incident/CAT#R#DPHW Master Sheet and Terminology Sheet

DPHW Theory: 1475 is interesting. It tracks really well IMO as Here's statement is obviously about their helplessness primarily. It's also about their own pain, and coupled with the general strangeness and the compulsive aspects 1475 is a good fit. However, it's also basically a throwaway filing and so can't really be relied upon to be accurate.

CAT# Theory: 2 is a fun one. Because it would line up with the Person/Place/Object theory, but also with sulphurous soul, the anima, a things emotions and wants if we're talking my initial Tria Prima idea. Which I might return to with the greater context of what is and isn't junk data the Q&A brought up. Again though, it could be junk.

R# Theory: C does happen to line up very well with my idea as this is incredibly either to brush off as mere mental health issues. But, throwaway etc.

Header talk: Building (angry) -/- N/A. I love it. I mean, it's obviously and painfully a bad fit but it is fun.

[upthewitchypunx]

The lectures for the 2025 Viridis Genii Symposium have been announced!

✨️2025 marks 10 years! ✨️

Join us for our DECENNIAL ANNIVERSARY RETREAT hosting lectures & hands-on workshops about the ethnobotany of plant magic, and so much more!

✨️We are excited to celebrate 10 years as a Community in Occult Herbalism!

We are over the moon thrilled to announce to you the lineup for our decennial event!

Corinne Boyer - LECTURE: The Flora of the Witches’ Ointment- A History of Origins

J.M. Hamade - LECTURE: Al-Ayn Al-Kohl : The Jinn, Blackened Botanicals, and the Evil Eye

James Dotson - LECTURE: Occult Aromatherapy

Jeremy Bechelli - LECTURE: Fields of Maleficium: The Impact of Witchcraft on Land and Crops in Historical Agrarian Societies

Katarina Pejovic - LECTURE: Where The Night-Children Dwell: Vampires in South-Eastern European Herbal Magic

Jesse Hathaway Diaz -LECTURE: On the Very Viscous: In Defense of the Material and Immaterial Magical Oil

Kim Schwenk - LECTURE: The Earth is my Shoes, and Heaven is my Hat: Plant Magic of the Pennsylvania Dutch

Melissa Madara - LECTURE: Adversarial Animism: Compelling Magic in Botanical Charms

Sian Sibley- LECTURE: A Mechanical Flower Does Not Smell as Sweet

[blazeysgc]

☆ Can we first discuss how the Wraith are much more interesting villians then the Goa'uld? The wraith are not just some pure evil beyings, which works fine in my opinion is sg1 but it gets tiring after like the 5th season. And don't get me started about the Ori eh...

Just a little note, i find the Goa'uld aesthetic more pretty but it is not an "alien" nor interesting as the Wraith

☆ The wraith are such complex race. They were created by the antients (this wasn't in the show but in the books) as some kind of an messed up experiment. No wonder the wraith were fighting for their downfall. I WOULD be too. And then are forced to feed on humans because they have no other way of surviving. Making humans see them as monsters.

☆ More about the Atlantis Legacy books...the wraith are a huge part of the world building. They explain much in depth how wraith society works.

For example: the wraith worship their queens. Not just as their leader but almost in this primal way. That the Queens are their protectors, their source of life, the female wraith talk down to the male wraith such as "a pity you are not as cleaver as you are beautiful". It also seems that many "gender roles" are flipped here. Such as the male wraith perpousfuly making sure they look "presentable" to their queen. Even other males calling eachother pretty. Also it might have been implied that male x male relationships are common.

☆ Random notes: it is stated in the books that Todd (his real wraith name is Guide) was the prisoner of the Genii for 17 years. He has an daughter and an grandson which he had been separated from because of his time with the Genii.

In the book Todd literally said: "I would not kill Sheppard just to save my own life"

Which seems...you know. Not a thing one would say about just anyone. And the are other moments in the show and the books that make me think that the writters actually wanted to make them a thing. Or show that at least Todd DID have feelings for Sheppard. Altho there is one part SPECIFICALY that makes it seem that Sheppard have feelings for Todd as well. But maybe doesn't realise it might be romantic. But I'll make a post just about that for sure.

Blazey out (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

[sga-mcshep-4ever]

"Major Sheppard. I'm afraid the Lieutenant has had to step away for a moment." "Who's that?" "It can't be." "It sounds like…" "Kolya?" "Surprised?" "You're alive." "As far as I can tell. Did you actually think a single bullet to the shoulder would kill me? I always thought you were smarter than that." "What'd you do to Ford?" "He's fine." "Then what do you want?" "The same as you, Major—the lost treasure of the Quindosim." "What possible use could that be to you?" "The Daganians have informed us that this ZPM, whatever it may be, is an object of great power. And great power is of use to all people, especially the Genii." "Sanir." "They offered us a great reward, Allina. They agreed to let us keep the treasure if we just—" "They offered us a great reward, Allina. They agreed to let us keep the treasure if we just—" "Perhaps…but I prefer hearing that from a Genii scientist."