#aigle writes

[aiglesperch]

Writing Prompt #1 - Outside the Window

Photo by Matteo Catanese on Unsplash

It rains down the pale-wood window.

Mist hits the city as raindrops descend down into the tar-laden road, brick tiles, washes down the concrete of the nearby wall, bounces off the feathers of a dove gliding down the snow-hued sky to perch on a high-raise office building's railings, its companions lying in wait for the rains to subside so that they can fly in search of food and shelter.

A murder of crows flock down the branches of the tree nearby.

One among them croaks at the nearby biker clad in rainsuit before realising that its attempts are futile and that the man won't be deterred by a mere bird, and flies up to meet its brothers and caw en masse. The biker hits a dog, who yelps and reaches to bite the man.

He mutters a colourful amount of swears before taking his bike down the highway road, ignoring the animal.

The rain drips down the asphalt sheets, which serve as roofs, of the flower shop down the street. The middle-aged woman, clad in a colourful saree and sporting a cluster of marigolds and jasmine tied at the back of her bun, looks at the skies exasperated, wishing the temporary nuisance to end.

Her flowers are tucked in plastic bags, pink and the usual pale ones. However, it is wise to say that they should be sold soon, lest they wilt.

Her gaze now strikes the peeling posters stuck on the dilapidated wall and a coffee-shop nearby, recognisable by the milk vessel and the ladle the burly shopkeeper holds to pour the boiling decaf into a tumbler, to which he adds the hot milk and sugar, and pours it tumbler-to-vattai and likewise. This, he serves to his patron and turns to listen to the news channel served from YouTube via his phone.

A man drags from the cigarette he's holding and lets out smoke, a matching combination to the fog the rain brings forth. He chats with the nearby man in an intimidating fashion.

His next customer is a man descending from a bike. Rain has washed off the blood from his front wheel. He too orders a warm glass of coffee and a packet of chips for his son as he handles his phone against his ear.

He sips and looks at the torrential downpour, listening to a 60's film's music along with the shopkeeper.

He then gets on his bike and without even sparing the men a glance thunders down the rickety road.

[the-lunar-library]

Working hard on the next book and progress is being made!

As for the inside, my fingers are crossed that I've just finished the second-to-last edit. I want to go through one more time, with the idea that after that, it'll be set in stone. The thing is -- editing is a really hard thing to let go of. If you're not worried about typos (and they are fiends), then there's always the feeling that you could rewrite just a bit more and make it a bit more perfect. Just some rearranging of this plot point, just some more dialogue here, just this new scene. That's not too hard, right?

But the thing is -- after a point, it is too hard. It absolutely is. I edited and reedited Papom so many times right before it was published. And it became exhausting.

Here's the thing: If you lack an editing team at your disposal, professionals who are trained and being paid for this, and a publishing house backing you, you (or I) have to let go of this idea of perfectionism.

This book? I began brainstorming ideas for it in 2008. I began writing it in 2013. I love the book, but it has always been frustrating and elusive. I edited it repeatedly through the 2010s and eventually reached a point where I couldn't look at it anymore. I actually kind of hated it by then. I put it aside and let myself focus on different things. For about three years.

When I came back to it in 2020, I could enjoy it again. Finally! That felt really good. It got some new edits, then got put aside, and then this year was picked up again.

What I'm saying is -- I very much want to be through with this book. And that's fine. It's fine to want to be done even though I know I could do more with it.

It can never be perfect, because no book is perfect. No book is perfect.

As for the outside of the book, I have the rough layout of the front, back, and binding figured out, though none of it is yet in its final form. And, as you can see, I've been experimenting with fonts. I think I've got that just about figured out now. Once the final edit is done and I have my exact page count, I'll be able to figure out the scales of the images and get all of that finalized.

And after that? Well, we might just have another book on our hands.

[mythawolf]

Remember my assassin’s creed Tudor era post? I decided to make an OC. Tbh I’m more pleased with the ‘hoodless’ image than the rest of it lol. I did spend all day on this on IbispaintX though so be nice.

She’s a bit of a WIP. I’ll post an updated and more detailed character sheet sometime.

Name: Alice Aigle

Gender: Female

Age: 17-22

Time period: Mid to late Elizabethan England

Occupation: Master Assassin (by default), Lady-in-waiting.

Affiliation: Assassin Brotherhood (English branch).

Personality: Jittery, over-cautious and nervous when it comes to Assassin missions when she first starts out (grows more confident as time goes on), and also has an acid wit and sarcasm not unlike that of Edmund Blackadder. Despite this she is kind towards her friends and allies. Has a tendency to overthink things.

Quote: “I send you a message two months ago to fortify your defences, and here you are, snoozing while your blooming servants and useless guards help Templars carry off your valuables! I suppose you don’t want me to assist by giving your jewels a kick! Well?”

Likes: Peace and quiet, science, teaching, cards, books, painting, cats, blanket burritos.

Dislikes: Loud noises, itchy sensations, London’s part of the river Thames, William Shakespeare’s plays.

Backstory: A descendant of one of Henry VIII’s illegitimate children, Alice’s mother was the grandmaster of the English Brotherhood and even helped put Elizabeth 1 on the throne. Being minor nobility, she grew up in a country house near a village, where the family enjoyed an unusual relationship with the villagers - one of friendship.

However, spies in the Brotherhood lured the Chapter to an ambush at the pretence of discovering a Templar plot to conquer Europe and with the help of several other Templars, massacred the lot of them. Alice’s mother escaped, but was soon hunted down and shot with a Templar crossbow bolt. As she lay dying in Alice’s arms, she told her to look in the chest in her room. After the funeral, Alice looked and found:

-An ‘if you’re reading this, I’m dead’ letter from her mother.

-A book on the Assassin Brotherhood.

-A hidden blade with a hidden pistol (which she broke by mistake).

Thrust into this new life and feeling like she had to rebuild it for the good of the people of England, Alice cobbled together a makeshift Assassin outfit shortly before getting a letter from the Queen - she had been given a job offer as a Lady-in-waiting (which, to those who don’t know, was a paid friend to a rich Lady - particularly Queens). This was done partly because they were related, partly because she felt sorry for the girl, and partly to keep an eye on her, as she had had a somewhat complex relationship with Alice’s mother.

To summarise, at this time of writing the canon is that she’s-teaching herself assassin skills, managing Lady-in-waiting duties, and trying to fight the Templar order all by herself! No pressure, then!

[averycanadianfilm]

AveryCanadianFilm: Tshi Nebre is writing a new song

Setting: A small island in British Columbia.

Tshi: {gives a sheet of paper to Aigle}

Aigle: {Takes a pen and starts crossing out words, then hands the paper back to Tshi}

Tshi: {looks puzzled} Why did you do that!?

Aigle: You can't use those words.

Tshi: What!? They're lyrics not a NSF grant proposal!

Aigle: Still, it's the reality of the current geopolitical turmoil.

Tshi: That's south of the border, we're Canadians.

Aigle: Yes, and we're frightened.

Tshi: Oh.

[ixyt]

Aigle Castle is like a toy, as if you were a giant 100 meters tall, in calming, relaxing, side-by-side iXYt 3D video for VR. For details please visit syla.top/by-angels-eyes/. iXYt 3D is a method of writing 3D videos for VR (or more precisely TR, transferred reality - more natural looking than common "plastic" VR, but never seen by the naked eye). ixyt.info is a worldwide affiche-map-calendar and our information partner.

[blccdingout]

——— BASICS ! ♡

NICKNAME : ava !!

PRONOUNS : she/her

ZODIAC SIGN : scorpio

TAKEN OR SINGLE : taken !!

——— THREE FACTS ! ♡

i'm a nationally ranked speaker in competitive speech! professional yapper

my girlfriend lives on the other side of the world (ocean is a HATER)

i have an absurd number of songs memorized, its like the only thing that sticks in my brain

——— EXPERIENCE ! ♡

i have been in and out of the tumblr rp community since like, 2015. around the time of the first descendants movie dropped. i usually write on multis, but occasionally i get hella muse for one little guy and create a single. (like kara right now, but i've also had singles for jackie taylor, allyson deville, wednesday addams, stella aigle, and peter parker at one time or another.)

——— MUSE PREFERENCE ! ♡

oh man, it varies. usually tragic doomed by the narrative girlies get me

——— FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT ! ♡

FLUFF : yes please! love some cute fluffy threads, especially when we've established a dynamic

ANGST : LITERALLY ALWAYS

SMUT : questionable. yes, if it fits the muse and i feel comfortable with the dynamic. it's really a wild card

PLOT / MEMES : memes always, 100% they're the easiest way to start interactions! plotting also yes, but i tend to be fairly skittish and anxious about reaching out first.

𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢: stole from @pcterpan

𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐: you !!

[teecupangel]

From @thedragonqueen1998

Well, Aquila was the name of a boat before you named Aquila the eagle, but i don't think of a boat whenever i read about the bird. ^^ And tbh, would Altaïr accept any other name if he can't have his original name? XD

Based on my tags:

#if i am going to write this #i ain't naming robert de sable altaïr as aquila anymore #you guys will agree that the name will just remind you #of aquila from #ac fic: eagle of alamut #right? XD

That’s true. I was thinking of naming him Aigle which is French for eagle but that seems on the nose or maybe Egle which is Middle English for eagle. Maybe ‘Earn’ or ‘Arn’ which is Old English ‘earn’ for eagle. But let's be honest, Altaïr would rather be called ‘Lord’ or ‘Grand Master’ than be called ‘Robert’ XD

Thinking about AltDes and Desmond showing up Gold in his vision - gold means important, not necessarily good. Targets show up in gold so if Desmond caught Al Mualim's attention and he sent Altair after him he'd be expecting him to be gold, so what if he shows up another colour? Like white for safety, or blue for ally, with gold lining? Desmond has killed, but never innocents, and most of the time if he kills someone it's cause they're trying to kill him, so what if he shows up as an innocent in Eagle Vision, so Altair has to figure out why Al Mualim would send him after an innocent man. Bonus if this involves either Richards bastard brother!Desmond or Scholar!Desmond. Also, I wanna see the drunk history episode talking about Richard's brother Desmond lol.

I always hc that Desmond’s gold is special in a sense that it’s brighter than any other gold Altaïr has ever seen (not like flashbang bright but like the lightbulb equivalent of white gold) but I also like to add in wisps of blue in his form to show that, even if they haven’t met, Desmond is already an ally.

So yeah, it’s that mix of blue that would always make Altaïr pause, regardless of what Desmond’s ‘occupation’ is. How this would work on either Scholar!Desmond or BastardPrince!Desmond:

Desmond as a Scholar and Erotica Novelist

The blue wisps of Desmond’s form would be strange and would make Altaïr cautious.

At this point, Altaïr isn’t doing the information gathering himself as that’s a novice’s job so his cautious approach would be more because he’s thinking maybe the novices made a mistake or something.

He would observe Desmond first by staying near him.

It would be curiosity that propels Altaïr to observe him. To know why he shows as both important and an ally to Altaïr’s eyes.

But it would be his growing feelings for Desmond that makes him stay. That will end with him screwing up the Templars’ plans and maybe even the whole plot of Altaïr’s Chronicles because he wishes to remain by Desmond’s side.

You know how Altaïr was willing to give up everything and run away with Adha for a chance to be happy? Well, in this scenario, Altaïr is pretty much willing to give up being an Assassin to be a simple scholar with Desmond.

The only thing that stopped him was Desmond who knows that Altaïr is needed by the Brotherhood so that it could evolve and be better.

In the end, Altaïr takes on the mantle of mentor because of Desmond’s words and Desmond ends up being the head scholar of the main library in Masyaf. The letters Shaun and the others recover are letters Altaïr and Desmond send to one another whenever Altaïr leaves Masyaf.

Desmond as the Illegitimate Brother of King Richard:

In this scenario, Altaïr would be ordered to kill Desmond after he already failed in Jerusalem (in this case, we’re going for old!Altaïr has been reborn as Robert to make this more complicated) and got Kadar and Malik captured.

Altaïr would know Desmond as the one who told ‘Robert’ to let Kadar and Malik go (old!Altaïr wanted to keep them so they would be safe while he plans on how to kill Al Mualim) and Kadar would insist that he’s a good man while Malik would say something like “He saved us but we must not let our guards down. For all we know, this could be simply a part of a more complicated plans to destroy us.”

Altaïr would stalk Desmond because the information he received from informants would all point that he’s a good person and they would all be befuddled by Al Mualim would wish for his death when it would be more beneficial for them if they were to assassinate King Richards and have Desmond take the throne instead.

At some point, Altaïr would start stalking Desmond even closer and… he’ll develop feelings for him from afar. He would see his kindness and the way he acts around people and he would understand why Desmond had wisps of blue in his golden form. He was important, yes, but those wisps of blue meant that he wasn’t an enemy. If anything, he could be the best ally the Brotherhood could ever gain.

Then he would see Desmond with ‘Robert’ and would see those private smiles only reserved for ‘Robert’ and he’d grow jealous of their growing relationship.

At some point, Altaïr would stop hiding and just… start visiting Desmond while he’s alone. Short conversations that would soon turn to Desmond asking him to stay for tea.

Altaïr would fall in love with him because Desmond treats him different. He doesn’t know it’s because he is special to Desmond, has been from the very beginning.

So when Desmond is shipped back to England to become the regent while King Richards stays, Altaïr doesn’t think. He joins them back.

At that point, Altaïr’s priorities have shifted to Desmond completely because of how Desmond makes him feel.

And this is a plot where Altaïr would throw away his future as an Assassin to be with Desmond, even if it is to simply be his shadow.

Then Maria tells Desmond to just announce that he’s in love with two men and everything snowballed from there and…

Well…

Altaïr and ‘Robert’ don’t necessary like one another but they’re willing to share Desmond if that makes him happy.

……… Desmond just wanted to retire from all of these political-royalty bullshit.

(I can make fake screenshots if you want? Which cohost would you like to get drunk for this one? XD)

[solhcir-a]

do you guys ever think about how growing up, stella played the role of her mother's therapist (as most eldest/only daughters do) consistently? heard about every insecurity, every fight, every way her father fucked up? (she loves him, hes trying, but hes never there. lunas semi present in her life. more than radius, at least.) about the fact that as much as she idolized her father....if she had to choose between them in the divorce, she would've chosen luna.

except she doesn't get that choice. because when the divorce is finalized, luna takes off. distances herself from radius, from the castle, from the memories. and from stella.

because i think about it quite often, actually.

[northernmariette]

Happy birthday, Marshal Macdonald!

Yes, I’m a day early. Tomorrow will be a difficult day, and I don’t trust this post not to disappear - again - if I put into “drafts”.

One preliminary note about Jacques-Étienne Macdonald (1765-1840): He might have been of Scottish origin, but he spelled his name as the Frenchman he was, with both d’s lower case. So it’s Macdonald, not MacDonald.

This is what Jean Tulard writes about him:

Ce fils d'un Ecossais jacobite réfugié en France entra en 1784 à la légion irlandaise. Il fit une brillante carrière militaire grâce à la Révolution: il est déjà général de division en 1794 puis gouverneur des Etats romains en 1798. Sa défaite devant Souvarov à la Trébie ne compromet pas on avenir jusqu'en Brumaire. Il n'a jamais servi sous Bonaparte qui s'en méfie et l'envoie comme ambassadeur au Danemark. De retour en France, Macdonald se fait le défenseur du général Moreau en 1804. La disgrâce est éclatante. 

Pourtant Napoléon ne peut le tenir écarté trop longtemps : il manque de généraux d'expérience. Le 2 août 1809, il envoie Macdonald assister Eugène de Beauharnais à l'armée d'Italie. Il écrit à Eugène : " Cet officier a des talentset du nerf mais je ne me fie pas à ses opinions politiques, Cependant les choses sont bien changées. Je suppose qu'il vous servira de tous ses moyens et qu'il voudra gagner le grade où ses talents et ses anciens services l'appellent. "

A Wagram, Macdonald joue un rôle décisif en enfonçant le centre de l'ennemi. Il y gagne un bâton de maréchal le 12 juillet 1809, la plaque de Grand Aigle le 14 août et le titre de duc de Tarente. Napoléon l'embrassa sur le champ de bataille. Attendri, Macdonald s'écria qu'il lui " vouait désormais une fidélité sincère. "

Il fait de son mieux en Espagne comme commandant de l'armée de Catalogne, puis en Russie, avant d'être battu en 1813 à Katzbach.

Fidèle à sa promesse sur le champ de bataille de Wagram, il fut le dernier des maréchaux à se rallier au gouvernement provisoire et à Louis XVIII, mais il eut l'élégance de rester fidèle au roi pendant les Cent-Jours

Il avait épousé la veuve de Joubert et laissa d'intéressants mémoires sur la campagne de 1809.

This son of a Scottish Jacobite who had taken refuge in France enlisted in the Irish legion in 1784. He made a brilliant military career thanks to the Revolution: he was already a divisional general in 1794, then governor of the Roman States in 1798. His defeat by Suvarov at the Trebbia did not jeopardise his future until Brumaire. He never served under Bonaparte, who distrusted him and had him sent as ambassador to Denmark. Back in France, Macdonald championed General Moreau in 1804. The result was his utter disgrace.

Yet Napoleon could not keep him at bay for too long: he needed experienced generals. On 2 August 1809, he sent Macdonald to assist Eugène de Beauharnais with the army of Italy. He wrote to Eugène: "This officer has talent and energy, but I do not trust his political views. However, matters are quite different now. I imagine that he will serve you to the utmost of his abilities, and that he will seek to obtain the rank to which his talents and his former services entitle him."

At Wagram, Macdonald played a decisive role when he broke through the enemy's centre. He won his Marshal's baton on 12 July 1809, the plaque of Grand Eagle [of the Légion d'honneur] on 14 August of the same year, as well as the title of Duke of Taranto. Napoleon embraced him on the battlefield. Moved by this gesture, Macdonald exclaimed that he was henceforth "devoted to him in sincere loyalty."

He did his best in Spain as commander of the Army of Catalonia, then in Russia, but was defeated in 1813 at Katzbach.

True to his pledge on the battlefield of Wagram, he was the last of the Marshals to rally to the provisional government and to Louis XVIII, but he had the grace to remain loyal to the King during the Hundred Days.

He had married Joubert's widow. He left interesting memoirs about the 1809 campaign.

Jean Tulard, Dictionnaire amoureux de Napoléon. Plon, 2012, pp. 357-358

That is rather concise. As far as I know, no biography of Macdonald has been published.

A few notes here: 

I think Tulard is wrong about Macdonald being sent to Eugène in August 1809. To my recollection, this happened before the battle of Wagram. 

Macdonald was the only one of the Marshals to acquire his “marshmallow stick�� on the battlefield.

As for Macdonald marrying Joubert’s widow, that is true enough; however, Macdonald married not once but three times, and was widowed all three times. All his wives died while still in their twenties. One of them, the last I believe, was the sister of Montholon, the St. Helena courtier and memoirist.

[the-lunar-library]

One of the interesting things about self-publishing is that it's taught me to pay much more attention to the design choices of books -- covers, fonts, layout -- in a way I hadn't understood as a reader.

Right now, I'm working on formatting my upcoming, still not officially announced book, and I'm very much in the stage where I'm thinking about the reader's visual experience. With The Price and Prey of Magic (or Papom for short), I wanted the pages to be crisp with an easy visual flow, so I went with a larger font (most books are between 10 and 12) with generous space between the lines. And I think the format looks great -- it's very relaxing, easy on the eyes. However, it did turn my fairly mid-length fantasy book into a 400+ page book.

This new book is a bit longer, and this time I'm hoping to minimize the page count -- but without sacrificing readability. I've paid a lot of attention to what choices other books have made to see what could be useful to me. Does this or that size font make the book look a little juvenile? How many words can we squeeze on the page before it starts to look like your grandpa's sci-fi paperback from the 1970s? How small should/can the margins be? Let's try adjusting the tab settings...

I learned a lot with Papom, and I've learned stuff in the year since then, and so far I think it's going well.

But then there's also the cover design to think about. I've talked a little about this so far, and I'm coming nicely along as far as making it colorful and intricate and hand-drawn. I think it'll be really beautiful when it's all together.

But the hardest part is definitely the cover font. It needs to fit the "mood" of the book and the artwork, but it can't overwhelm the image. It's got to be easy to read at a glance, but it can't look lifeless and unconsidered.

(And all of the fonts have got to be legal to use. A not-fun fact many writers don't know? Times New Roman is not public domain.)

I'm not yet sure about these cover fonts here -- might use them, might not -- I definitely need to experiment more and get a better feel for what doesn't work before I have a clearer idea of what I want.

I really like doing the cover stuff, but unfortunately there's never a point where a helpful fairy perches on your screen to tell you congratulations, you've done everything the best it could be, this is perfect.

[solhcir]

CHARACTER   OUTLINE .

FULL NAME : Stella Aigle

TITLE(S) : heir to the Aigle fortune and her father’s company

NICKNAME(S) :  stell, stells, starshine, princess

╳ FLAWS.

moody | short-tempered | emotionally unstable | whiny | controlling | conceited | possessive | paranoid | liar | impatient | cowardly | bitter | selfish | power-hungry | greedy | lazy | judgmental | forgetful | impulsive | spiteful | stubborn | sadistic | petty | unlucky | absent-minded | abusive | addict | aggressive | childish | callous | clingy | delusional | cocky | competitive | corrupt | cynical | cruel | depressed | deranged | egotistical | envious | insecure | insensitive | lustful | delinquent | guilt complex | reclusive | reckless | nervous | oversensitive

♔ STRENGTHS.

honest | trustworthy | thoughtful | caring | brave | patient | selfless | ambitious | tolerant | lucky | intelligent | confident | focused | humble | generous | merciful | observant | wise | clever | charming | cheerful | optimistic | decisive | adaptive | calm | protective | proud | diligent | considerate | compassionate | good sportsmanship | friendly | empathetic | passionate | reliable | resourceful | sensible | sincere | witty | funny

🖌 SKILLS & HOBBIES.

art | acting | astronomy | animals | archery | sports | belly dancing | bird watching | blacksmithing | boating | calligraphy | camping | candle making | casino gambling | ceramics | racing | chess | music | cooking | crochet | weaving | exercise | swordplay | fishing | gardening | ghost hunting | ice skating | magic | engineering | building | inventing | designing | leather-working | martial arts | meditation | origami | parkour | people watching | swimming | puppetry | pyrotechnics | quilting | reading | collecting | shopping | socializing | storytelling | writing | traveling | singing

tagged by stolen from: @batcowmaster tagging: you!

[aimee-maroux]

This week's #MythologyMonday theme is health and healing. The most powerful Greek god of healing is Apollon. He sends sudden death and disease but he also helps both gods and men heal from wounds and illness. Several of Apollon's epithets characterise him as a healer.

The epithet Apollon Akestôr, Apollon the Healer, the Doctor, appears in "Andromache" by Euripides.

The Athenians worshipped Apollon Alexikakos, Apollon the averter of evil, bc he was believed to have stopped the plague which raged at Athens in the time of the Peloponnesian war.

Apollon Epikourios, Apollon the helper, was worshipped at Bassae in Arcadia because he once delivered the country from a pestilence.

Apollon Loimios is Apollon the deliverer from plague.

Apollon Paian, Paiêôn or Paiôn, Apollon the healing, is the physician of the Olympian gods. The epithet Paian was later inherited by Asklepios, the god who had the power of healing.

Apollon Oulios, Apollon of sound health, can grant you good health and Apollon Akesios, Apollon of Healing, will cure you when you are sick. But Apollon also shares his gifts with his children:

Chiron (or Kheiron) was a son of Kronos, best known as the mentor of countless Greek heroes. Apollon raised him as his foster son and taught the young centaur the art of medicine, herbs, music, archery, hunting, gymnastics and prophecy. Chiron invented medicine and surgery.

Chiron mentored his foster brother Asklepios, a mortal son of Apollon: "In one stride Apollon was there, and seized the babe [Asklepios] from the dead maid [Koronis]. Then he took the child to Chiron, that he teach him to be a healer for mankind of all their maladies and ills."

And Chiron "nursed gentle Asklepios, that craftsman of new health for weary limbs and banisher of pain, the godlike healer of mortal sickness." "The centaur was delighted with that child of heavenly stock, his honourable charge."

Asklepios went on to surpass his mentor, restoring the dead to life. Zeus feared that men might learn the art of medicine from Asklepios and help each other out, so he hit him with a thunderbolt. Apollon in grief and rage slew the Kyklopes who designed his father's thunderbolts.

As punishment, Apollon was given in servitude to Admetos, the King of Thessaly. But seeing his son's pain, Zeus brought Asklepios back from the realm of Hades and made him an immortal god, the patron of all doctors and the god of medicine. He was soon worshipped all over Greece.

Asklepios got married to Epione, goddess of the soothing of pain. Together they have five children, the Asklepiades: Hygeia (Good Health), Panakeia (Cure-All), Iaso (Healing), Aigle (Radiance), and Akeso (Curing).

Papa Apollon and foster brother Chiron are so happy for him!

If you enjoyed this thread and/or are in search of fun entertainment, consider joining my Patreon where you'll find sexy mythology fiction (18+) and edutaining non-fiction. I also host live writings where you get to tell me what to write and live comment cheesy mythology (or historical) movies with you.

Join my Patreon here, if you want 🙂

[awhilesince]

Thursday, 23 August 1827 (travel journals)

7

1 55/60

Rain all last night, and rainy morning till between 9’ and 10 – fair when we started – Breakfast from 8 1/4 to 9 1/2 –

off from Bex at 9 50/60 – very comfortable Inn, but not cheap – generally full of English – Lady Ross and her daughter there for a fortnight while the rest of of her party went to the Great St. Bernard – Bex a nice little town – good church – hedges on each side the road of sloe, hazel, and sometimes quickweed, etc

at 10 10/60 wood bridge over little stream – 10 1/4 first appearance of the tints of autumn – valley wider – fertile – mountains well wooded – clouds along them – vines, walnuts, Indian corn, etc etc

at 11, Aigle, quite a ville – 2 churches – castle – pretty large town – narrow streets – no good houses – just a the end of the town, cross wooden bridge over stream –

at 11 40/60 picturesque village – at 12 neat little village –

at 12 55/60 1st peep at the lake (of Geneva) –

Lake Geneva, CC BY-SA 3.0

at 12 20/60 stop at Villeneuve to bait the horses– goodish church of pretty good little town – off at 1 20/60 – the lake too Extensive for me, and the mountains on the south side too low –

Castle of Chillon, CC BY-SA 4.0

at 1 40/60 stop at the castle of Chillon, now used by the government as a powder magazine, and a guard mounted – one family living there – very respectable people – the woman shewed us all she could – the prison, oubliette (3 stories deep – into which those were let down destined to die of hunger) one or 2 of the galleries, one or 2 of the rooms (the great hall – kitchen now occupied by this family) and the court in which some of the prisoners were allowed to walk – the prison 45 by 20 of my common paces – the broadeth of the 1st 6 paces of length equally divided (since in the Swiss power) into entrance and a dungeon (right) – lofty – 8 columns supporting 7 moderately pointed arches down the middle of the prison – BYRON cut with a penknife by Lord B– [Byron] himself, on the 3rd column on entering – the prieure Bonnivard chained to the next, or 4th column – perhaps about 18 feet high to the Top of the vaulting – the prison partly cut out of the Sandstone rock – spacious, and light enough, and airy – quite a paradise compared with the cells of the inquisition at Venice –

40 minutes at the castle, and off at 2 20/60 – very pretty drive along the lake – the back-look upon the castle, and Villeneuve, and its lofty steeple, and the dark, high mountains stretching thence close along the lake towards Meillerie, fine –

after passing the pretty little village of Vernet, very soon alighted at the still prettier village of Clarens so celebrated by Rousseau, and when Lord Byron passed 2 or 3 nights – inquired for the house to which his lordship had taken such a fancy – stumbled upon the very spot – a nut-brown, respectable farmer’s wife of about 60 was proud to tell us how she had entertained his lordship and his friend (some foreign baron) – they were caught in a storm on the lake – his lordship would insist upon it, the house must be an auberge, and would go there – the old woman made all comfortable and his lordship was so pleased, said he would go again, and did afterwards go for 2 nights – she said he had paid her well (for the 1st night) – I had the curiosity to ask what he gave her – a Napoleon – we were all taken with the place – the woman said she had cried like a child, when her brother (who has a very nice house close by – rebuilt on the spot on which stood Rousseau’s house) brought her the paper containing the account of his death – he was so good – had une telle manière – never saw anyone who had such a manner – there, said she, is the little sofa on which he sat writing the night he came in from the storm – there had been a young lady to look at his bed, and she had kissed it 20 times – mylady (Lady B– [Byron]) too had been there, but unluckily the old woman (she looks strong and hale and active) was from home – had taken the key of the room with her and Lady B– [Byron] could not see it – the husband a respectable looking farmer – they have a nice little apartment upstairs (au 2nd) for 9 or 10 napoleons a year, now let to an old couple – went up to see it – the old lady, 80, skipped, and danced, and shewed us all her perfect set of teeth, and chatted away delighted to find Mrs and Miss B– [Barlow] were from Paris where she (Swiss) had made money as femme de charge in high French families – was there during the revolution – 55 minutes with these good people who brought us cake (Swiss gauffers, Excellent etc) and offered wine, or anything they had, and did not get off till 3 40/60 having 1st taken the address of Lord B–‘s [Byron’s] friend Françoise Paoli, née Muzigny, Clarens près de Montreux, a pretty looking little town that we had passed at a little distance up the hill, to the right.

Tour de Piel a good village – alight at the 3 crowns at Veveay at 4 1/2 – got out Miss MacL–‘s [Maclean’s] letter (brought with me from England) and went with to Mrs Falconet Faviholme (pronounced Farum), 3 doors below the Inn – not at home – left a line or 2 in pencil to say how glad I should be to see her for a few moments –

Mrs and Miss B– [Barlow] and I then took a little saunter – to the post-office, and the handsome cornmarket supported on Tuscan columns in the grande place, and came in at 6 10/60 –

sat down to dinner at the table d’hote at 6 1/2 – Mrs F– [Falconet] F– [Faviholme] and her sister came immediately – went up and received them in my bedroom where they sat with me chatting for an hour – promised to go to them for a little after dinner if I could – Mrs F– [Falconet] F–[ Faviholme] reminded me a little of Miss MacL– [Maclean] she is Tall, and thin, delicate looking, quiet, and ladylike, and seems a nice woman – ditto but in a less degree her sister –

then went down to Dinner – people are so long here at the Table d’hôte, I had time enough to get all I wanted and make a good dinner and left the table with the rest at 8 1/4 – then immediately went to the Falconets – 5 brothers, so each for distinction adds the name of his wife to his own, and thus my friends friend is madame F– F[alconet] F– [Faviholme] chatted – drank tea, and sat with them till 9 40/60 – Mr Falconet Faviholme apparently an amiable good sort of man – a Swiss gentleman, I suppose, in manners – but not a thorough bred English man – yet very civil and attentive, and walked back with me – very fine day – not much sun, and Mrs and Miss thought it cold –

reference number: SH:7/ML/TR/2/0012, SH:7/ML/TR/2/0013

[ixyt]

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[i-am-just-a-kiddo]

2020 year in a review

thanks for tagging me @vishcount, eventhough you probably know all of these answers already. i don’t know if i am gonna do the other one, let’s see.  tagging @the-cloud-whisperer, @sassyassassy, @intyalote as usual, if you have fun with this!  I really tried to rank these amongst the top five, which was a personal challenge for me, so don’t take these rankings too seriously.  my answers below the cut cause there is a novel incoming:

Top 5 Movies you saw this year

I don’t watch many movies in general, though I have seen quite a handful this year actually? I might have forgotten half of it already tbh

Moonlit Winter (2019) -I have been waiting to find this movie online for ages, so I was incredibly happy when I finally found it at the beginning of this year. It’s wonderful, heartbreaking and raw - about the relationship between mother and daughter, about lost queer love between the mother and her friend, about life in general. I cried buckets.

Parasite (2019) -do I have to say anything? I don’t think so, this movie defined many this year right? 

The King and the Clown (2005) -pleasantly surprised by this one, it made me cry and sad and it’s not a happy gay story but it still touched me so much. also the production is amazing

Mulan (2009) -I rewatched this movie this year after hearing about the chaos that was Mulan 2020, and it still gets me; I don’t know what it is, but it might be the last part of the movie that always hits me like a train and I am back to thinking about  it

Inside The Girls (2014) -not actually a good movie with a horrible name, but certainly interesting and had some potential?? I am listing it because I had a lot of fun watching it with my dear friend vish and it was fun sharing our opinions on that, but I don’t actually recommend it that much (unless of course you wanna see Cheng Yi and Yin Zheng in a movie together being assholes)

Top 5 TV shows you watched this year

I probably watched around 20 shows this year so picking this was hard somehow? I feel like I forgot some gems but I guess these are the ones that stood out to me

Nirvana In Fire (2015) -by far the best show I’ve seen in a long time. The plot, the characters, the production - it really blew me away. I can’t recommend it enough because I still cry about it. 

Winter Begonia (2020) -Funny how I am listing this here so high considering the split opinions I have about this show but damnit, in the end it won me over. It was truly something else wow.

The Stranded (Netflix 2019)  -Another surprise, but I just remembered this little show and it was so good? I really hope we will get a second season because I loved the first one and it was way too short. Also the production of this is so stunning, as well as the interesting set of characters.

Original Sin (2018) -This was a gem I discovered in the latter part of the year, mainly because of Yin Zheng, but when I watched it, it hit my mood perfectly. A crime show that has a beautiful atmosphere and is focused on characters. It has its faults and if you watch it for the cases and the plot, it’s not the most outstanding show but damnit, I watched it twice and loved it. 

YYY: The Series (2020) -Amongst all these BL shows out there, this is my personal gem. It’s a wild ride of crack and sweetness, so enter at your own risk. let me just say I did not expect to bawl my eyes out at this tiny cracky show. 

Top 5 songs of 2020

it really sucks having to choose only five songs but here I go from the huge amount of stuff I have listened to

Black Swan by BTS -this is pure art. in every way, it caters to my taste. I have nothing else to say except that it owns my soul. the visuals, the atmosphere, the music, the lyrics, the performance. it hits all marks and hurts me on a personal level.

Strange (feat. RM) by Agust D  -this mixtape saved me and choosing my fave song from this was difficult but I guess I have to name this iconic collab. The lyrics of this are truly....something else. if you have time, please go check them out, as well as the entire mixtape.

Pain by Vaundy -I have been very obsessed with this song and this singer, he has my heart.

Rien à prouver by Yseult -again, I am just obsessed with this song and her voice, Yseult truly is a goddess to me at this point 

Zombie by Day6  -perfectly captures my mind, my life and my state this year.

Top 5 books you read in 2020   I have only read two novels this year, everything else was either university stuff or poetry, so this is what I am mostly listing here.

Gyeongju. The Capital of Golden Silla by Sarah Milledge Nelson -I used this as my main source for one of my fics I wrote this year and it was perfect. I spent an intense week of only researching for this topic and had a blast; especially this book was a blessing because it gave a good overview of what life back then could have been like.

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater -one of the novels I read this year and I’ve been waiting for this for ages. Like the other books from TRC, I bingeread it on one day and adored it. Am excited for the rest of the trilogy and this new adventure!

Beyond The First Emperor’s Mausoleum: New Perspectives On Qin Art, edited by Liu Yang  -I read this for one of my lectures and I thought it had very interesting essays, namely Archaeological Finds of the Maijiayuan Cemetery and Qin’s Interaction with Steppe Cultures by Wang Hui; and Qin Cosmography and the First Cosmic Capital - Xianyang by David W. Pankenier. 

The Mongol Empire. Betweem Myth and Reality by Denise Aigle -another one I read for lectures and it was a good overview to the broad topic that is the Mongol Empire. 

Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong -I adore Vuong’s writing style so I hope to read more of his work. This is a beautiful, raw and honest work and I hope many more will read his book and the stories he has to tell. 

+ Bonus: Affinity by Sarah Waters - wlw set in 19th century London; very dark and spooky and very fun to read if you like this sort of atmosphere (as I do).

5 positive things that happened in 2020

i managed to write and create a lot during the first half of this year, which i will treasure greatly. recently i have been struggling a lot - maybe it’s getting back on track now, but i guess i am still proud of all i managed to write/draw/other wise create this year.

amazing new flatmates joined our collective so i feel happy that we have this pleasant dynamic going on currently 

i acquired some new housplants which have made me very happy this year, eventhough i struggle a little bit to keep them completely happy. am truly trying my best

i started taking medications for my depression, anxiety and social phobia in autumn and i think it was for the best. i still struggle from time to time but i truly feel a difference and i am glad this worked out mostly smoothly for me

in september we went on a short holiday in on the countryside and on the last night we all went outside to sit on the pier by a small pond. i will never forget this moment because after what felt like ages, i saw a crystal clear night sky. i haven’t seen so many stars in years and i could even see their reflections on the water, it was so magical and breathtaking. i think it was the one moment that still stands out from everything else. i just wish to return there, on my own, and just lie down for hours

anyway, if you have read through this rambling, i wish you a very happy new year and hope things will get better!! 

[synteis]

2.1.12-La garde

This chapter ones with another of Hugo's very long sentences. One of the major differences between a reader today and one at the time is that the audience that Hugo was writing for was deeply familiar with Waterloo as a battle. As this sentence illustrates, this is the part that he expects everyone to know, how the battle ended. Before this he's spent chapters on the "messy middle", the sections where things could have gone differently which lay the seeds for everything which happened. In many ways this long sentence reminds me of how quickly (relatively) Hugo wraps the book up once the messy middle is over.

I love the description of the sun showing through the clouds at the end of the battle. Is it heavy handed? Yes. But I love it anyways.

Le ciel avait été couvert toute la journée. Tout à coup, en ce moment-là même, il était huit heures du soir, les nuages de l'horizon s'écartèrent et laissèrent passer, à travers les ormes de la route de Nivelles, la grande rougeur sinistre du soleil qui se couchait. On l'avait vu se lever à Austerlitz.

Austrelitz had been Napoleon's victory which had given him so much power in Europe and brought an end to the War of the Third Coalition. Although it happened after Napoleon's coronation, this is showing us that Napoleon's day, his domination over Europe has officially ended.

The change from "vive l'empereur" to "sauve-qui-peu" really says it all. The imperial guard refuses to retreat even as it becomes clear that they have lost and continuing advancing, killing themselves in the process. It’s characterized as deeply heroic but given all we know, it just seems like a waste of good men. As @everyonewasabird points out, the Napoleon that we’ve met doesn’t deserve their loyalty.

Ney's attempted death by combat goes less well, in spite of his wishes and although he's in rough shape he remains alive. His paragraph recalls Javert at the barricade but also as @fremedon points out, Marius.

 Ney, éperdu, grand de toute la hauteur de la mort acceptée, s'offrait à tous les coups dans cette tourmente. Il eut là son cinquième cheval tué sous lui. En sueur, la flamme aux yeux, l'écume aux lèvres, l'uniforme déboutonné, une de ses épaulettes à demi coupée par le coup de sabre d'un horse-guard, sa plaque de grand-aigle bosselée par une balle, sanglant, fangeux, magnifique, une épée cassée à la main, il disait: Venez voir comment meurt un maréchal de France sur le champ de bataille! Mais en vain; il ne mourut pas. Il était hagard et indigné. Il jetait à Drouet d'Erlon cette question: Est-ce que tu ne te fais pas tuer, toi? Il criait au milieu de toute cette artillerie écrasant une poignée d'hommes:—Il n'y a donc rien pour moi! Oh! je voudrais que tous ces boulets anglais m'entrassent dans le ventre! Tu étais réservé à des balles françaises, infortuné!