#Chief Editor of The Ancient Times

[theancienttimesnews]

Mr. Hussain Owais Sabir, received an unexpected honor from Governor C P Radhakrishnan

The Chief Editor of The Ancient Times, Mr. Hussain Owais Sabir, received an unexpected honor from Governor CP Radhakrishnan. At an official meeting held at the Governor’s residence, Governor of Jharkhand C. P. Radhakrishnan and Hussain Owais Sabir

[huramuna]

beware the sapphire peak - chapter 1.

aemond targaryen x wife reader x alys rivers a period piece, set in 1902.

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you're a young, american lady who is an aspiring author. you are wooed by a mysterious and charming savant from england. swept off your feet, you're whisked away to his family's ancient estate, Dragonstone Hall. but with all stories, secrets are hiding around every corner, and your suitor is no different. a crimson peak inspired mini series. (this will likely be about 3 parts)

@huramuna-fics - follow & turn on notifications for just my fic postings!

content: smut, angst, gaslighting, unhealthy relationships, manipulation, alys in her girlboss gatekeep gaslight era, no use of y/n, afab reader, pre-established alysmond, this isn't going where you think it is (it might be), infidelity-ish, polyamory

to death we dance - salem's heir • the flower duet - sabine devieilhe & marianne crebassa

“You were nearly late, miss,” one of the butlers murmured in your ear. “The music’s just started.” 

“There is a quote about being fashionably late, isn’t there?” you mused, taking his gloved hand as he helped you up the steps. 

It was a banquet for your father’s business, a celebration of having struck gold (oil) and turning a huge profit. Or, in your words, an excuse for the high and mighty to get plastered and dance the night away. Your fist clenched upon the train of your dress– a lovely evening gown in eggshell white, with hand embroidered lilacs and lavender petals on it, spindling up your bodice like a trellis. Your usually somewhat unruly hair was tamed into a braided and pinned up-do, with an expensive broach poked into the bun of hair in the shape of a falling wisteria branch. 

Your father was the first to greet you, peeling away from the gaggle of portly oil barons. He kissed your cheek. “You look lovely tonight, my dear. A vision in purple, I must say.”

You smiled back at him. “Yes, well, you all but wringed my arm to get me to attend– and you shall hold up your end of the bargain… right?” you hummed softly, batting your eyelashes. 

He let out a small sigh, nodding. “I will send your manuscript to the publisher– the editor in chief is here tonight, if you’d care to mingle. Amongst… many other eligible bachelors, I might add.” 

Your father had spent the better part of the last three years gently trying to pair you up with a suitor for marriage. He was a patient man, as he had droned on about so many times before, but his patience was waning. You were twenty-one years old, and apparently, that was a ghastly sight– to be twenty-one and unmarried with no promising prospects. 

Of course, you couldn’t care less. You were more focused on finishing your manuscript in that time– you had a knack for writing and reveled in works of fiction that tended to lean to the darker sides of things. It had finally reached a point you were somewhat happy with, and had convinced your father to chat up his well connected colleagues so you may be able to send the first draft to a publisher.

The price for that, however, was to entertain suitors. At a gala. Dressed and primped like a Thanksgiving turkey. It was all so dreary to you– the ladies stared at you and whispered, citing you as the dreary one. 

Breaking away from your father with a tiny smile, you began to mingle– as well as you could, anyhow. You were awkward and a bit sheltered and it showed. However, once you said who your father was, dollar signs would flash in the eyes of the men you were speaking with, and they would push forward in the conversation. You weren’t ugly by any means and could become a good wife to some young entrepreneur– but you didn’t want that.

You were about fed up with it all three hours later, your nails clinking against the glass of champagne you were nursing for the better part of thirty minutes. Your look of slight annoyance managed to stave off any other wanton suitors– until another man approached you. You had exchanged some glances with him during the night, but you didn’t recognize him. He was tall, exceedingly taller than any of the other men there. His blonde hair, so pale it was almost white in hue, was cinched at the nape of his neck in a clean ponytail, falling between his shoulder blades. He was in a custom-fitted three piece black and green suit– you could tell from how perfectly it was hugging him, in all the right places.

A familiar heat came to your cheeks as you watched him saunter over to you with an intent in his pale blue eyes– eye? One of them, you noted as he came closer, was slightly off-color from the other and moved a bit slower. Likely fake, you thought. The light casted over the planes of his face, chiseled as it was, illuminating the slightly raised, puckered skin near the fake eye in a distinctual scar. He looked just like the perfect inspiration for a protagonist in one of your novels– or mayhaps an antagonist. He seemed to skim the line between the two in appearance alone.

Curious.

“My lady,” he greeted as he finally broke the air of silence between you, his arms placed behind him in a very calculated manner. “Are you enjoying yourself this evening?” he asked then, a brow perked. His accent wasn’t American– that you knew for certain– likely something European. 

“As much as I can, sir,” you responded coolly, despite being caught slightly off guard by his sudden and overwhelming presence– a dark cloud in a perfectly tailored suit. “I hope that the…” you cleared your throat, trying to sound a little more confident than you likely were. “The… event is to your liking.” you mustered a smile, diverting your gaze to your champagne, hoping there may be the secrets to being a good conversationalist somewhere within the bubbles.

He chuckled, the sound low and husky. It caused a shiver to go up your spine. “The event is well and fine, my lady. Are you… the proprietor of the gala tonight? I wouldn’t expect a beautiful thing such as yourself to plan something like this.”

You glanced up at him beneath fettered lashes. He was complimenting you and insulting the party at the same time. “No– I am not. I’d never choose such… dreary musicians for an event like this. They’re playing for a wake rather than a party– that would be my father’s doing.” you slipped it into the conversation, that this was your father’s party, trying to gauge if this handsome stranger was after what all of the others were.

Surprisingly, his expression, smooth and cool with the barest hint of a smile perking at his naturally upturned lips, didn’t change. “Dreary,” he repeated, “Melancholic, gloomy, monotonous, vapid– all good words to describe the state of affairs.”

“You have quite the expansive vocabulary, Mister…” your voice trailed off, an inadvertent way to ask for his name.

“Targaryen– Aemond Targaryen. And you?” he reached his hand out to shake yours – how incredibly formal– as you returned your own name with a wide-eyed stare.

“Targaryen. As in… the ancient bloodline? Descended from dragons, close to royalty, Dragonstone estate Targaryen?” you asked, mouth slightly agape. From what you knew of them, they were as close to the height of English royalty, real royalty, as there was in the current year, 1902. Their wealth alone, minus all of the titles, made your father’s look like a pissant trust fund. 

“The very same. You’re familiar with my family?”

“Ehm– familiar, more so I’ve heard of you all. Your family’s name comes up quite often in my father’s social circles. And I am quite nosy.”

“And what do you think?”

“About… your family? Mr. Targaryen–” 

“Call me Aemond.”

“Aemond– I don’t really know much besides the height of your prestige– and your family’s estate, Dragonstone. My father brought me back some photographs of it from his trips over the pond. It’s quite beautiful.”

“Your father brought you pictures of our home?”

“N-not just yours! I collect photographs of old estates, mostly ones from Europe. I like to use them for inspiration for my… stories. I’m a writer– a novice, mostly.”

“A writer? Have you published anything I might know?” 

“Oh, God no–” you laughed, covering your face slightly with your hand. “I’ve not yet been published. I actually sent my manuscript to… or will be sending one to a publisher soon. Hopefully.”

“What do you like to write?” he asked then, leaning a bit closer to you as if he was actually enjoying conversing with you. “Romance? Children’s fables?” he teased softly, his one eye gleaming. He was quite handsome, you thought.

“I like horror– mysteries, gothic fiction. I’m quite enamored with the… macabre and weird,” you admit. “I hope that doesn’t frighten you.” 

Aemond grinned, his teeth shining, canines pronounced against his thin lips. “Oh, yes, it does frighten me. But, all good horror stories should frighten their readers, yes? I expect you’re a fan of Vampyre? Perhaps Dracula?” 

“Both are good. My favorite, however, is Frankenstein. Mary Shelley is a genius. The Castle of Otranto is also wonderful and the pioneer of the genre. I remember trying to read it when I was younger and being scared of the dark hallways at night. Later on in life, those dark hallways enthused me enough to write about them– hence my… fascination with old houses.”

“Old homes certainly do have their fair share of secrets, don’t they?” he paused, straightening his lapel slightly before leaning back in towards you. “And do you believe what they say? That Mary’s husband wrote it and published it under her name?”

Your brows knit together in slight irritation. “Of course not. Why would he need to do such a thing? I hope you don’t mind me saying, but men already have enough advantages as is– publishing under a woman’s name instead might be considered a disadvantage.”

“Will you be publishing under your own name?” 

You blinked, taking a sip from your champagne. It was something you considered and went back and forth upon. “I haven’t decided. I have a pseudonym ready just in case.”

“Do tell– so I know what name to look for on the shelves within a year.” 

God, was he ever charming– and without even trying, really. He was well-spoken with a voice that was soft and almost whispery. It made butterflies bubble in the pit of your stomach– now that was a feeling you weren’t familiar with. “Dorian Gray.”

“Cheeky woman.” he mused. “Fancy a dance, Miss Gray?”

“... I suppose I could be swayed.”

–

Your dance together, to say the least, was a success– it started month’s worth of courting after. Aemond took you on the most splendid nights out, wining and dining you like you were a gorgeous, interesting debutante. It was exhilarating to say the least and made you feel… truly wanted– especially since his family was exceedingly wealthy, your father’s wealth couldn’t have attracted him. 

He took you to the theater, out to wondrous restaurants, and bought you various gifts like jewelry, writing supplies and outfits to wear when you went out.

It all felt very much like a dream to you– something beyond your usual, weary routine that had hardly ever changed since your mother died when you were eight years old. You’d recused into yourself then, the dark hallways that scared you so fiercely just before her death now seemed welcoming. You thrived in the dark, like a moth. 

But now, you felt something more akin to a butterfly, bathing in the sun’s light. 

It wasn’t a great surprise when Aemond asked your father for his blessing to marry you. Your father, who had harped you for years to get married, was suddenly apprehensive. 

He pulled you aside, arm around you. “Do you like this boy, dear?”

“Y-yes, father– very much so.”

“I’ll be honest, sweetheart. I’m not exactly keen on letting my only daughter go off with… some man–” 

“He isn’t just some man, father! He’s a Targ–” 

“Don’t interrupt,” he chastised firmly. “I’ve had my people look into his family further– it’s a whole mess, issues with succession, backstabbing, incest, the whole nine yards,” he took a measured breath. “But I’ve heard nothing but good things about… Aemond. But… you’d be so far away. You’d be off living in the annals of England, a whole boat’s ride away.”

“This is what you wanted, father! For me to marry, for me to be happy! This is the happiest I’ve been in… so long. You must see that?”

The creases in your father’s forehead relaxed as he regarded you for a long moment, before turning to Aemond, who was waiting patiently off to the side. He let go of your shoulder and walked to your beau, staring at him sternly. “Will you treat her right? Give her everything she deserves and more?”

Aemond perked up slightly, rubbing the side of his forefinger with his thumb in a seemingly nervous gesture. “Of course, sir. I’ll give her everything I have and more. She will be regarded as a Lady– the Lady Targaryen of Dragonstone Hall, and she wouldn’t be treated with any less respect than a Lady deserves.”

Your father’s gaze narrowed, taking it all into careful thought. “... very well. You have my blessing, son. But, one whiff of even a tear from her eye on your account, and your nads are forfeit. I may not be as well-off as your family, but I’ve got a lot of friends in a lot of places.”

– 

The marriage was a quick affair, as your father, and now Aemond, knew you had no patience for pomp and frills. Aemond gave you a beautiful ring with an absolutely gigantic sapphire inlaid in the center, citing it as a family heirloom from centuries past. Your father saw you off onto the boat, bawling his eyes out. You’d never seen your father cry– not once. 

As husband and wife, you both agreed to wait to celebrate your wedding night until you arrived in England at his family’s estate to your marital bed.

The trip overall was a little under a week’s time upon a luxurious liner, where you both enjoyed champagne and each other’s company. You craved your husband, and he craved you in the same, but you each wished to keep your agreement intact. But it was increasingly hard, as you held one another close each night and his need for you was clearly pressed to your lower back.

Dragonstone Hall was a few hours' carriage ride north of the port and was nestled upon a high-ridged cliff. It was as gorgeous as the pictures had depicted, even moreso. It was ancient, imposing against the skyline and mingling to the clouds, where sea birds and ravens alike swirled above the towering watch towers that were supported by stone walls with vines grasping to them like lifelines. 

It was gorgeous, gothic and most definitely haunted– a perfect place for a woman of horror such as yourself. 

Aemond helped you out of the carriage, a hand placed upon your waist as he guided you beyond the gates. Your eyes were wide with wonder, taking in the scenery like a breath of fresh air. Tears threatened to spill over suddenly, as you were just overwhelmed with everything going on. You were married to someone you loved, who loved you– and were the Lady Targaryen of Dragonstone Hall. 

“Something wrong, my love?” Aemond whispered into your ear, his lips tickling your lobe.

“N-no– I’m just… very happy.”

He wiped the tears away with the pad of his thumb, clearing your vision. You glanced up at one of the windows on the third story of the castle. Someone was staring back at you.

A lady. Her hair was red, her skin almost translucent. 

You must’ve been imagining it, surely. Looking to another window, another visage appeared.

Another– this time with dirty blonde hair, her blue eyes ghastly and bloodshot. She was practically see through. 

You pressed closer to Aemond, blinking profusely– it must’ve been the exhaustion from the nights on the boat catching up to you. Once you rubbed your eyes, you looked back; the figures were gone. 

As you approached the main door of the estate, another face caught your eye. 

Another woman– with dark hair and sullen, emerald eyes. They pierced through you like two heavy jewels, making goosebumps prickle atop your arms. She wasn’t ghastly or undeathly like the other two, and when you rubbed your eyes, she was still there.

She was still there, very much a living person in the flesh, with flowing blood and a beating heart. And she was beautiful.

[blueiscoool]

17th-Century Pirate 'Corsair' Shipwreck Discovered off Morocco

Wreck-hunters have discovered the remains of a small 17th-century pirate ship, known as a Barbary corsair, in deep water between Spain and Morocco.

The wreck is "the first Algiers corsair found in the Barbary heartland," maritime archaeologist Sean Kingsley, the editor-in-chief of Wreckwatch magazine and a researcher on the find, told Live Science.

The vessel was heavily armed and may have been heading to the Spanish coast to capture and enslave people when it sank, its discoverers said.

But it was carrying a cargo of pots and pans made in the North African city of Algiers, probably so that it could masquerade as a trading vessel.

Florida-based company Odyssey Marine Exploration (OME) located the shipwreck in 2005 during a search for the remains of the 80-gun English warship HMS Sussex, which was lost in the area in 1694.

"As so often happens in searching for a specific shipwreck we found a lot of sites never seen before," Greg Stemm, the founder of OME and the expedition leader, saide in an email.

The 2005 expedition also found the wrecks of ancient Roman and Phoenician ships in the area, Stemm said.

News of the corsair wreck is only being released now, in a new article by Stemm in Wreckwatch, after extensive historical research.

Dread pirates

The Barbary corsair pirates were predominantly Muslims who began operating in the 15th century out of Algiers, which was then part of the Ottoman empire.

Much of the western coastline of North Africa, from modern-day Morocco to Libya, was known as the "Barbary Coast" at the time — a name derived from the Berber people who lived there; and its pirates were a major threat for more than 200 years, preying on ships and conducting slave raids along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe.

The people captured in the slave raids were held for ransom or sold into the North African slave trade that operated in some Muslim countries until the early 20th century.

But the piratical activities of the Barbary corsairs came to an end in the early 19th century, when the pirates were defeated in the Barbary Wars by the United States, Sweden and the Norman Kingdom of Sicily in southern Italy.

Sunken ship

The corsair wreck lies on the seafloor in the Strait of Gibraltar, at a depth of about 2,700 feet (830 meters).

The ship was about 45 feet (14 m) long, and research indicates it was a tartane — a small ship with triangular lateen sails on two masts that could also be propelled by oars.

Tartanes were used by Barbary pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries, in part because they were often mistaken for fishing vessels, meaning other ships wouldn't suspect pirates were onboard, Kingsley said.

"I've seen tartanes described as 'low-level pirate ships,' which I like,” Kingsley said.

The wreck hunters explored the sunken corsair using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which revealed the vessel was armed with four large cannons, 10 swivel guns and many muskets for its crew of about 20 pirates.

"The wreck neatly fits the profile of a Barbary corsair in location and character," Kingsley said. "The seas around the Straits of Gibraltar were the pirates' favorite hunting grounds, where a third of all corsair prizes were taken."

Stemm added that the wrecked ship was also equipped with a very rare "spyglass" — an early type of telescope that was revolutionary at the time and had probably been captured from a European ship.

Other artifacts of the wreck support the notion this was a pirate ship laden with stolen goods.

"Throw into the sunken mix a collection of glass liquor bottles made in Belgium or Germany, and tea bowls made in Ottoman Turkey, and the wreck looks highly suspicious," he said. "This was no normal North African coastal trader."

By Tom Metcalfe.

[guspartenza]

THE SUPERWOMAN FROM KRYPTON, FANART+FANFIC INTRODUCTION

art by https://www.deviantart.com/gabrielrb91

What would you think about an alternate universe with a female-Clark as Superwoman in the golden age?

Is the only main change in the classic canon together with her love interest, is not Earth-11, let's say is Eart-19...meet Clara Kent/Superwoman!

It's 1948, in Metropolis!

Up in the sky! Look! It's a bird? It's a plane? No! It's Superwoman!

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, this amazing stranger from the planet Krypton, The Woman of Steel: Superwoman!

Empowered with X-ray vision, possessing remarkable physical strength, Superwoman fights a never-ending battle for love, truth, and justice, disguised as a mild-mannered newspaper reporter, Clara Kent!

In a world plagued by the Cold War and mistrust, can Superwoman bring peace to the world while fighting for love, truth, justice, and the American way? Can she finally find a happy life with Louis Lane, the love of her life? Can she defeat Lex Luthor and the terrible ancient evil he is about to awaken?

You can download full free illustrated fanfic in pdf here! SUPERWOMAN FROM KRYPTON-FREE ILLUSTRATED FANFIC by lordmallory on DeviantArt or here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XPh48B9_giTgDpnBXjRP-4Z4ksUU-WzR/view?usp=drive_link

Art by https://www.deviantart.com/letoart

KALA-EL/CLARA JOSEPHINE KENT/SUPERWOMAN

BORN: Krypton, a moon in a distant galaxy. Formally 28/02/1918, SMALLVILLE, KANSAS

PROFESSION: ASSISTANT REPORTER

YEAR: 1948

PLACE: METROPOLIS (METROPOLIS COUNTY, NEW YORK)

art by https://www.deviantart.com/wagemagegames

-Farmgirl, born Kansas 1918. No sisters nor brothers.

-Nicest girl in the office but very unfunny.

-Disappears without reason very often.

-Lives alone in a little flat and has a golden retriever dog called Krypto.

-Daddy issues. Her father didn't let her pursue a career as ballet dancer or swimmer (he didn't want her to take advantage of her powers) and died when she was 18.

-Former nurse during the war in the Pacific Ocean and in the Philippines.

-Loves children and dogs

-Tomboyish trails. Not quite elegant.

-Music-Hall fan, Katherine Hepburn and James Stewart fan

-Favorite books: Scarlet Pimpernel adventures, Jane Austen, Upton Sinclair and Virginia Wolf, somewhat eclectic.

-Amateur writer of children's stories, with characters such as DeeDog and the Komfy Dragon.

-She greatly admires her boss, Perry Weiss. A 1940s very liberal Republican style journalist, chief editor of the Daily Planet. She despises her deputy boss Cat Grant.

-Ambiguous relationship with her other boss Louis Lane. Clara has a good friendship with Louis and hides that she is very much in love with him. At the same time, she competes a lot with Mr. Lane and is annoyed by his political ideas and his paternalism.

-Strange friendship with young millionaire Bruce Wayne, something that is very surprising for the people in the Daily Planet newsroom.

-Always good scoops but never appears in the front line and too stubborn and independent to grow fast in the newspaper.

-Progressive quaker like her fathers.

-Civil rights supporter.

-Dislikes General McArthur, dislikes even more Lex Luthor

-Loves Eleanor Roosevelt but also Governor Dewey.

-Hates guns

-Supports unions, splits ticket between Metropolis Liberal Party and the two main parties. Politicians must be kind.

art by https://www.tumblr.com/bobbinalong

SUPERHEROINE LIFE

-Superpowers: Flight, Super-Strength, Super-Speed, X-Ray Vision, Heat Vision, Enhanced Vision, Super-Hearing, Super-Breath, Freeze-Breath, High Invulnerability, Super-Stamina

-Can fly to a Mach 100 speed.

-Acts as Superwoman since October 1945.

-Defeated Zod invasion in July1946.

-Initial bad relationship with Batman but now close friends and allies. Together with Flash they conform the Justice League.

-Didn't act as Superwoman during the World War II because she was afraid of her powers. After the discovery of the Holocaust and the atomic bombs she decided to step in and showed herself to the world on autumn 1945.

-Worst enemy: Lex Luthor, heir of Nikola Tesla, rocket engineer & CEO of TELCORP (Tesla-Luthor Co.)

-Deeply in love with Louis Lane, who strongly rejects the superheroine.

-She hides her supersuit and cape under her normal clothes. The material is extraordinarily thin, flexible and resistant, and very easy to wear under normal clothing. Whenever someone needs Superwoman, she just needs to find an inconspicuous place, rip her shirt, unfold her cape and fly away at full speed.

-Widely admired.

art by https://www.deviantart.com/bluerollerball

art by Gabriel Larragan (Ko-Fi)

FAMILY & ORIGINS

The El family & Krypton

Krypton was a decadent civilization located on a moon near a large gaseous planet in the Orion belt, next to a green sun. In the past they had visited Earth and other planets expanding civilization, but their penchant for slavery, war, resource extraction and violence caused many of these projects to fail. Even in 10,500 BC the Kryptonians almost caused the terraforming of the Earth, melting the poles and destroying Atlantis and other civilizations, causing among other things the end of the Ice Age. Nearly 99% of humanity perished during that Kryptonian attack.

Over the centuries the Kryptonians lost the fuel necessary to travel across space and ended up confined to their planet, dedicated to warfare, genetic engineering-creating clones whose organs they needed to extend their lives-to pleasure and to exploiting the subsoil of their planet. The Kryptonians also established a dictatorship with a caste system based on genetic engineering and prohibited natural reproduction.

Jor-El and Lara were a couple of scientists critical of the system and supporters of the abolition of the caste system. They also fought against genetic engineering, violent repression, and the permanent destruction of the ecosystem. After a series of terrible earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and gas outbursts, it became clear that Krypton's core was collapsing, due to the energetic drilling and magnetic energy used in Krypton's industry. The Planet was doomed but the ruling caste ignored it. Jor-El and Lara had a daughter, Kala-El in a natural way against all the rules of Krypton. Lara managed to manufacture a small ship capable of making a space jump to save her daughter from the end of Krypton. General Zod stole her design and managed to build a larger fleet of ships but Jor-El managed to sabotage them and send the fleet to the Phantom Zone, a black hole near Krypton.

Lara decided to send Kala to Earth, confident that the culture of this planet was much more hopeful and kinder, and less prone to the mistakes of Krypton than other distant inhabited planets closer to them. Jor-El preferred to send her to New Genesis, another distant inhabited planet, because there Kala would receive less radiation and develop less extraordinary abilities that would allow her to live a normal life, but eventually Lara convinced him. During her journey to Earth and her growing period under a yellow sun, Kala would develop wonderful powers and could live a long life in the service of mankind, rehabilitating Krypton's legacy.

Within hours of Kala's birth, she was placed in the small ship, accompanied by the robot guide Kelex, whose memory was imprinted with the consciousness of Jor-El and Lara, as well as nearly all of Krypton's cultural heritage. They included several Kryptonian artifacts inside, such as a nearly indestructible ceremonial female ancestral caped suit with the crest of the House of El on its chest.

The ship was launched just hours before Krypton's demise and travelled through space for thirty years...

art by https://www.tumblr.com/bobbinalong

Joe&Martha Kent, Kansas life

Joe and Martha Kent were a Quaker farming couple whose farm was struck by the pod carrying Kala-El the 28th of February of 1918. Although owners of substantial property they were a very humble, cooperative, austere, devout, and civil rights-minded people. Martha Kent was a descendant of Kansas abolitionist guerrilla fighter John Brown. They both raised Clara very lovingly and unwilling to ask too many questions about the baby's origin. Clara was a very sickly child as her body did not adapt to the Earth. She was an affectionate and obedient girl and devoured books. The Kent family were avowed supporters of the New Deal and Joe Kent was a member of the local farmers union.

With puberty Clara developed very fast, and her superpowers began to appear. She soon began to excel in swimming and ballet, while still questioning her origins, but Joe forbade her to pursue a professional career to prevent her from taking advantage of her powers, and moreover he forbade her to use her superpowers to help others, fearful of humanity's reaction and wary of savior messiahs in the era of interwar dictators.

Clara rebelled against her father but eventually gave in, fearful of her own abilities and understanding her parents' position. During these years, Clara didn't fit in very well, but she had two best friends, Pete Ross, with whom she was secretly in love, and Lana Lang. Pete didn't know about her superpowers, but Lana did. In 1936 Joe Kent died of a heart attack, devastating her daughter. Clara was unable to go to college after her father's death and worked as a teacher and nurse's aide in Smallville. Her engagement to Pete Ross, her teenage sweetheart failed in 1939 when she revealed her powers to Pete and he panicked, although he later promised to keep the secret. In those times of sadness, Kelex, the Kryptonian robot, was activated, explaining to Clara her true origins, which filled her with confusion.

Between 1939 and 1941 Clara lived in Canada and Alaska searching for the Fortress of Solitude, a strange place Kelex was pointing, but with the outbreak of World War II she decided to enlist as a nurse in the Pacific, refusing to use her powers except to help the wounded, fearing to cause more harm than good. In late 1944, the hospital ship on which he was traveling, the USS Shuster, was torpedoed by the Japanese. Clara jumped into the water and managed to keep the ship afloat with her super strength until she managed to beach it. No one understood how miraculously the ship had stayed afloat and even levitated. The incident was kept secret. Clara got a permit to return home and she revisited Alaska where she found the Fortress of Solitude with the help of Kelex. There she was able to better understand her origins and began to train her superpowers.

After learning about the Holocaust first and the atomic bombs later, Clara decided to become Superwoman and help others with her superpowers dressed in the ceremonial Kryptonian costume of her ancestors. Her mother Martha supported her decision. She relocated to Metropolis, where in September 1945 she was hired as an assistant reporter by Major Louis Lane, who had just returned from Europe.

art by LuisF47 - Hobbyist, Digital Artist | DeviantArt

On October 1, 1945, Superwoman unveiled herself to the world and caused a huge sensation. The world was changed forever. Superwoman introduced herself to the newly formed United Nations, explaining her origins and her desire to help others and to stay out of political conflicts except to protect civilians.

Clara Kent began her double life as a journalist and as Superwoman. In July 1946, she defeated the invasion of General Zod and the survivors of Krypton. She also had to face other enemies such as the Intergang - an alliance of all organized crime in Metropolis and Gotham, Atomic Skull - an ex-Nazi agent with terrifying technology, Lex Luthor who began to develop his hatred and paranoia towards the superheroine, and his creations such as Metallo.

art by https://www.deviantart.com/xtophe

DAILY PLANET CHARACTERS

Perry Weiss, a major shareholder and editor in chief of the Daily Planet. Born in Odessa in 1886. Jewish immigrant from humble origins who became a skilled journalist and founded the Daily Planet as a tool of the liberal wing of the Metropolis Republican Party to unseat the city bosses of the time. Still a staunch liberal, he supported Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, is an ally of Mayor LaGuardia. He won the Pulitzer Prize in the 1920s for defending the innocence of Sacco and Vanzetti. Friend and ally of Louis Lane's father. He is very demanding with his employees but is very fond of Clara. He admires and defends Superwoman despite Louis Lane's distrust. Best friend of Cat Grant.

Cat Grant, Co-chair of Perry Weiss, Pulitzer winner, closeted lesbian, and Ayn Rand Fan. Born 1901, she comes from a fine family of Metropolis Knickerbockers. She is like Louis the least liberal element of the newspaper. To protect herself she married a very old friend of her father who helped her lead a double life. For twenty years she lived with a painter named Margaret Ivy. Considered the best writer of the Daily Planet, in addition to being a journalist she has published two novels. Very elegant and popular in intellectual circles. She is tremendously authoritarian. She mistreats Clara a lot because she does not respect her authority and because of her different political ideas, but as Clara grows as a journalist and Cat Grant suspects that she is Superwoman, she will protect her and push her forward without Clara knowing it. Best friend of Perry Weiss

Jimmy Olsen and Lucy Weiss, best friends of Clara.

Jimmy is a junior urban photographer. He comes from a town in Massachusetts. He is 7 years younger than Clara. He is a party animal, friendly, generous, and somewhat naive. Yet he is a skilled photographer who has been able to capture the worst of the night and day of Metropolis. Miraculously he always gets the best pictures of Superwoman (Clara helps him a little). Very democratic and complains about working for a newspaper that is too conservative for his taste. Adores Clara whom he treats as his big sister. It doesn't even cross his mind that she is Superwoman. Jimmy thinks that Louis is a snob and a bigot.

Lucy is a senior political photographer and the only woman on photo reporting on the Daily Planet who works outside the fashion department. She is the eldest daughter of Perry Weiss. She is an intrepid photojournalist who gets overseas passes and has been to several military conflicts. A loyal friend of Clara, and a very serious and professional woman. She is suspicious of Clara's double identity but would never say anything. She is the same age as Clara and a lover of jazz and the more alternative circuits of Metropolis.

art by https://www.deviantart.com/milkydraws8/gallery

art by https://www.artstation.com/pabloalcalde

LOUIS LANE, SUPERWOMAN'S WEAKNESS?

NAME: LOUIS LANE

BORN: 08/02/1912, METROPOLIS (NEW YORK)

PROFESSION: SENIOR REPORTER

YEAR: 1948

PLACE: METROPOLIS (NYC)

art by https://www.deviantart.com/rickcelis/gallery

-Rich family, born in 1912, first of 6 brothers.

-Caustic, cynical, ironic but somewhat kind.

-Commanding.

-Lives in Park Avenue with his 6-year-old daughter and his rich unfaithful wife, fashion reporter Pat Lane (neé Kelly). Very unhappy marriage.

-Major rank during the war in the US army. He also worked with the OSS.

-Elegant, sportsman, plays violin.

-Teaches music lessons in an orphan house in secret.

-Not that snobbish nor Wasp, new rich family traits.

-Arkham University alumni.

-Classic music and literature lover.

-Heavy drinker.

-Does not enjoy journalism, thinking of quitting to politics or teaching literature.

-Jewish father (Lane surname is a change from Lantzman), Irish catholic mother, raised catholic and religious, but not extremely orthodox.

-His father is a self-made tycoon who started as democrat in the Tammany Hall and then switched to republican. Close ally of Mayor LaGuardia.

-Fought in the European theater during World War II.

-Conservative republican opposed to his father liberal republican views, loves McArthur, who he thinks should be the next President.

-In the past he had a good opinion of Lex Luthor. He saw him as an innovator and freedom fighter, but his opinion changed when Luthor kidnapped him to set a trap for Superwoman.

-Perry Weiss favorite reporter.

-Won the Pulitzer Prize in 1941, for his articles about the first defeat of the Intergang.

-First person to interview Superwoman.

-Very nice and paternalistic to Clara. Louis pushes Clara's career forward despite Cat Grant's opposition. He is also secretly in love with Clara. Although he rejects Superwoman and suspects she is the same person as Clara, he deludes himself and rejects these suspicions.

-Tired of New Deal Politics, anticommunist.

-"a brilliant and kind man" for most of the Daily Planet staff, a "terrible asshole" for many others like Jimmy Olsen.

-Strongly rejects Superwoman and other heroes.

-Sometimes Clara really hates him.

-Famous line "Neither reds nor capes".

-He lives a bizarre love triangle with Clara Kent and Superwoman. Although he publicly rejects the superheroine, he also desires her and he and Superwoman have had moments of passion, which Louis feels guilty about because he is married and because of his religion. On the other hand, he is in love with Clara Kent as much as he rejects the figure of Superwoman. He deludes himself about the identity of both. A bit James Stewart in Vertigo, which destabilizes and infuriates Clara.

art by https://www.deviantart.com/guinnessyde

art by https://akiko02.carrd.co/

CURRENT AND PAST ENEMIES

Lex Luthor

Rocket engineer, CEO of TELCORP and Heir of Nikola Tesla. A Brilliant scientist who defines himself as a "radical humanist"...but in the early 30s supported closely fascism to stop "imperialism" and "usury" but later changed his mind and move closer to the USSR to fight "predatory western capitalism". Publicly, he is a tycoon and scientist loyal to the United States and works closely with the government. The world's greatest philanthropist. Loving father and husband. Hates Superwoman to death and believes she spells the end of humanity. Paranoid and ruthless but convinced that he does everything for the greater good.

art by https://www.deviantart.com/gus-art

General Zod & Faora

Political dissidents like the El on Krypton on the other hand believed that Krypton's only salvation lay in emigrating and invading, terraforming, and exterminating other planets. They almost succeeded in a coup d'état but after their failure they and their henchmen tried to flee by space jumping their ships, Jor-El managed to sabotage the launch and send them to the Phantom Zone. Over the years they managed to escape and arrived on Earth in 1946, shortly after Clara showed herself to the world as Superwoman. They tried to exterminate all humanity, but Superwoman and the armies of Earth managed to defeat them. Their invasion caused 5,000 human casualties but could have caused complete extermination. The experience was traumatic for Clara because she had to send Zod and Faora back to the Phantom Zone where they would surely die. Zod, Faora and their henchmen had not yet developed the full powers of a yellow sun like Earth's and so several of them were killed by human bombs and missiles. Their remains were stored by Russians and Americans. Superwoman managed to expel all Kryptonian technology and weaponry into space so that humans would not use it for warfare.

Doomsday

A truly near-indestructible abomination.

Perhaps from Krypton's past? Perhaps created by mistake by human scientists?

art by https://www.deviantart.com/fernando-damasio & https://www.deviantart.com/kristherion

The Toyman

Winslow Schott, former entrepreneur, and inventor of the 1920s toy business who was ruined in the Great Depression by banks and various betrayals. After a crime spree he was imprisoned in 1933 but escaped from prison recently completely crazed and ready to take revenge on the whole city using his inventions.

Brainiac "The Eternal Traveller"

An android resulting from the abhorrent merger of a famous astronaut and artificial intelligence, which was used by the first civilization of Krypton to collect information from other worlds. It is more than 100,000 years old. With the passage of time, he revealed against the Kryptonians, became evil and phobic to any form of life that he considered imperfect or inferior. It caused the destruction of many cultures. He wanders through space visiting planets and analyzing life forms. He probably has no enthusiasm for humans, much less for a descendant of the House of El.

art by https://www.instagram.com/estefaniaart_/

art by https://www.deviantart.com/midnightowl07

art by https://www.deviantart.com/artsandar

art by https://akiko02.carrd.co/

art by https://www.deviantart.com/son-neko

art by https://www.deviantart.com/dommnics

You can download full free illustrated fanfic in pdf here! SUPERWOMAN FROM KRYPTON-FREE ILLUSTRATED FANFIC by lordmallory on DeviantArt or here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XPh48B9_giTgDpnBXjRP-4Z4ksUU-WzR/view?usp=drive_link

[accio-victuuri]

from this article by China Daily about Xiao Zhan’s drama WDB. 🤍

"The integrity, kindness and sense of justice that define Xiao Chunsheng harmonize seamlessly with Xiao Zhan's simplicity and sincerity. Moreover, in terms of appearance, Xiao Zhan's stature and posture perfectly suit the role,"

TV series taps into nostalgia of bygone era and the sense of optimism that captivated China's youth in 30 years.

As winter descends, the frozen Shichahai ice rink becomes a stage for young individuals gliding carefree across its surface. The profound contrast between the frigid ice and the passionate fervor of the young skaters creates a captivating tableau.

The youthfulness of this cohort finds its genesis in Shichahai, where their emotions and destinies will become intricately woven together. Over the next three decades, their fates will undergo a continuous metamorphosis, mirroring the relentless changing of the times.

This is the narrative that unfolds in the domestically produced drama The Youth Memories, a 38-episode television series that was broadcast on both China Central Television and Tencent Video this year.

Directed by Fu Ning and starring Xiao Zhan, Li Qin, Liu Ruilin, Cao Feiran, Zhao Xin and Cui Hang, the drama is set in Beijing in the 1970s and tells the story of a group of young people who grow up, pursue their dreams, and struggle during the early period of reform and opening-up.

This series has captivated attention since its casting and production to its on-air debut. The conscientious craftsmanship of the production team, evident in details like costumes and props, coupled with the dedicated performances of the group of young actors, has resulted in the show achieving both impressive viewership ratings and positive acclaim.

Yang Chenghu, a professor from Beijing Normal University, comments that the series not only provides a snapshot of a bygone era, but also preserves a love story etched deep within the memories of an older generation.

Through its vibrant portrayal of ambitious and dynamic young characters, it gives play to the anthem of youth, conveying profound reflections on the spirit of the times and the essence of life, Yang says.

Zhou Xiaoxiao, chief editor of the drama, says her goal is for the show to resonate with the memories of older generations, while simultaneously helping the younger generation comprehend an era where warmth and challenges coexisted.

"This isn't a documentary series, so it's impractical to comprehensively delve into every historical nuance. Nevertheless, the destinies and fluctuations of the characters undoubtedly stand as the era's most compelling testimony," she says.

"The Youth Memories serves as a poignant bridge in this regard. The personal growth that Xiao Chunsheng and his cohort of young individuals undergo throughout their journey resonates with the evolving times, encapsulating a condensed path of life."

Director Fu Ning has crafted numerous TV series that unfold in the heart of Beijing. Raised in the Beijing hutong, Fu maintained a profound connection to the core narrative and the atmospheric backdrop of the depicted era in this drama.

With a stringent approach, he ensured authenticity in shaping the essence of the story and the period ambiance, striving to present a genuine portrayal of 1970s Beijing through his lens.

Yang Xiaopei, general producer of the TV series, has served as the executive producer for several renowned dramas including Legend of Fuyao, Ancient Love Poetry and Who Rules The World. The Youth Memories marks her debut in the realm of realistic historical dramas.

According to Yang Xiaopei, this drama delves into discussions on themes such as love, friendship, dreams and faith through a youthful lens, with its creative exploration that touches upon every facet of characters' lives.

"I think the drama has the capacity to resonate with audiences across different age groups," Yang Xiaopei says.

As per Yang Xiaopei's explanation, the crew meticulously studied the daily habits of individuals living in Beijing during that period to capture authentic details in props, including practices like winter cabbage storage, burning coal balls, and the presence of street vendors selling sugarcoated hawthorn.

In terms of costume design, items like batwing sleeves, bell-bottom pants, scarves and headbands authentically recreate the ambiance of that era.

To recreate the Shichahai ice rink of the 1970s, the team crafted detailed blueprints, and ultimately enclosed an area exceeding 10,000 square meters.

Yang Xiaopei highlights the involvement of over 100 members from skating clubs who served as extras. As the machines operated, they glided naturally, infusing the entire scene with a profound sense of authenticity.

This was not just a leisurely pursuit or hobby but a genuine reflection of the lifestyle of Beijing residents during that era, she says.

Young actors' ambitions

The series unfolds over a span of 30 years, requiring each key actor to navigate three decades of character development. The main cast delivers a compelling performance that leaves the audience thoroughly satisfied.

During casting, Yang Xiaopei emphasized her willingness to provide opportunities for young actors, but she steadfastly avoided relying solely on popularity. She placed greater importance on the suitability of the role and the actor's genuine passion for the character.

Xiao Chunsheng's character is played by actor Xiao Zhan. Yang believes that Xiao Zhan shares commonalities with the role in both image and character.

"They both exude optimism, sincerity, uprightness and the courage to confront challenges. When combined with Xiao Zhan's profound understanding and portrayal of the character, he can be deemed the ideal choice to bring Xiao Chunsheng to life," Yang Xiaopei says.

"The integrity, kindness and sense of justice that define Xiao Chunsheng harmonize seamlessly with Xiao Zhan's simplicity and sincerity. Moreover, in terms of appearance, Xiao Zhan's stature and posture perfectly suit the role," Yang Xiaopei comments, adding that Xiao Zhan even sought out a teacher to learn the Beijing dialect.

Zhou acknowledges the outstanding performances delivered by the entire main cast. "Li Qin's portrayal of Tong Xiaomei also stands out. She is an exceptionally thoughtful actor, meticulously considering whether each plot point aligns with Tong's character, and whether it is within her capabilities to portray them." Zhou says.

"Of course, this extends to Liu Ruilin, Cao Feiran and the other young actors who, to my pleasant surprise, shone brightly. Everyone surpassed expectations, delivering performances that were truly exceptional."

Cao, 28, portrays the character of He Hongling, who shares numerous emotional scenes with Xiao Chunsheng in the drama.

Reflecting on the filming experience, Cao mentions that Xiao Zhan, with his extensive acting background, often provided valuable assistance on set. "If I did something well, he would point it out, enhancing my confidence in the process of shaping the character," she notes.

As both Cao and Xiao Zhan fully embraced their respective roles, spontaneous dialogue between them became a common occurrence on set.

Cao perceives He as a radiant, goal-driven individual with ambitions. However, influenced by her family background and the era's milieu, He is also a complex, self-interested individual living in the present, Cao adds.

In preparation for her role, Cao learned the violin and how to ice skate before joining the production. Additionally, she sought insights into the emotional experiences of individuals from that era by consulting her parents. "My parents mentioned that emotions during that time were relatively straightforward and pure."

Cui Hang, 34, delivers a compelling performance as Chen Hongjun, the close companion of Xiao Chunsheng. Successfully overcoming the challenges of the college entrance exams, Chen gains admission to university, and eventually becomes ensnared in the tumultuous currents of power, while ultimately landing in prison.

Before delving into this role, Cui took the time to thoroughly understand the character, charting the logical progression of changes in Chen's journey.

Throughout the series, Chen's glasses change three times, with each pair symbolizing a significant shift in identity, status and mindset.

From glasses mended with tape, to the pair gifted by Ye Fang so he could focus on preparing for the college entrance exams, to the gold-rimmed glasses worn after ascending in rank. Cui explains that the prop was chosen to signify changes in his character's social standing and mindset.

In the final office scene, Cui devised a meaningful gesture. He meticulously straightens the national emblem on his cap, wipes it clean, and then places the hat on the table, simultaneously removing his glasses.

"This is a farewell to his mistakes of the past," Cui explains.

Spanning 30 years, Chen's narrative presented a unique challenge for Cui, marking his first portrayal of a character with such a broad age range. Despite the inherent challenges, Cui found the experience immensely gratifying.

"The set design instantly transported us to an era half a century ago as soon as we arrived. The props, hats, scarves — everything belonged to that specific period. As actors, it was effortless to immerse ourselves in our roles," Cui says.

In the series, the character of Ye, Chen's wife in the drama, is brought to life by Beijing native Zhao Xin, who was profoundly captivated by Ye's personality when delving into the character's background.

"I find this girl incredibly intriguing. In that era, how could there be such an intelligent and clearheaded young lady? She is remarkably perceptive and forthright," Zhao says.

Ye earned the endearing nickname "prophet" from the audience, due to the character's accurate prediction of the reinstatement of the college entrance exam. Zhao believes that Ye's popularity is attributed to the fact that contemporary young women exhibit a strong sense of independence, and they can connect with Ye on a personal level.

"I've learned valuable lessons from the character. She possesses a profound pursuit of ideals and approaches situations with a highly rational mindset," she says.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb:

The author of sales sensation If We Were Villains returns with a story about a ragtag group of night shift workers who meet in the local cemetery to unearth the secrets lurking in an open grave. Every night, in the college’s ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story.

One dark October evening in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn’t there before. A fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom?

Before they go their separate ways, the gravedigger returns. As they trail him through the night, they realize he may be the key to a string of strange happenings around town that have made headlines for the last few weeks—and that they may be closer to the mystery than they thought.

Atmospheric and eerie, with the ensemble cast her fans love and a delightfully familiar academic backdrop, Graveyard Shift is a modern Gothic tale in If We Were Villains author M. L. Rio’s inimitable style.

Review:

Set over 24 hours one group of night shift workers investigates the mystery of a freshly dug grave filled with dead rats. Five people who all work at night meet at a local cemetery only this time they find that there is an open grave where there shouldn't be one and dead rats.... who dug it and who is it meant for? This was such a fun atmospheric read that I would absolutely recommend for spooky season, especially during the night! It's a fast read that has you immerse yourself in this little mystery and the mysterious individuals that you meet. I have always been a fan of M.L. Rio's writing style and this one was just a fun novella to read. It's got a spooky atmosphere, a unique mystery, and just makes you want to grab a cup of coffee and maybe take a midnight stroll to your local cemetery.

Release Date: September 24,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Flatiron Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[saintzoey]

▸ saintzoey

Hello, writeblr! My name is Zoey, I'm in my early thirties, and I'm a butch lesbian (she/they). I'm also a college student, audhd, a gamer — and an aspiring author of high-heat speculative and contemporary sapphic romance.

My goal is to one day publish, either traditionally or not. I'm also looking into serializing some of my fiction, possibly through patreon or substack. And I'm always on the lookout for more writerblr friend and more indie fiction to read!

Please note that while this blog itself is not necessarily 18+, some of my fiction will be.

▸ links

twitter | wattpad | spotify

▸ works in progress

Untitled (the high fantasy one)

The heir of the dragon queen, Rianyn has been raised from birth to rule. She knows her duty, accepts it, and is eagerly waiting for the day when it is time to challenge her mother for the throne. When her mother arranges her marriage to the a princess from the neighboring human kingdom, her plans are derailed by the one thing she never planned for.

Princess Genevieve always knew she would marry a prince and rule by his side. But she never expected that her prince would be a dragon — or that he would turn out to be a she. The brutal life in the dragon court is nothing like she planned for, and her new spouse is distant, save when she visits Genevieve's bedchamber at night.

Until Genevieve is threatened, and Rianyn saves her life.

Bespoke Love (the contemporary romance one)

Charlotte "Charlie" Bellamy has wanted to be a photographer for her entire life. She dreams of wild adventures on safari, or exploring ancient ruins, or Pulitzer Prize-winning war photos. Instead, she's up to her neck in student debt without a job. So she does something she promised herself she would never do.

Fashion Photography.

Charlie is hired at Femme Couture Magazine, taking photos of models in avant-garde fashion. She doesn't fit in there, and it isn't just her attitude that marks her as an outsider. Charlie is curvy — a lot curvier than the models and executives that surround her every day. Not to mention her butch style and attitude.

But she soon rises in the magazine after she gains the attention of the editor-in-chief, Andromeda Ilsley, with her portfolio. Andromeda is everything Charlie isn't, beautiful, fashionable, elegant, and always in charge. She can't help but admire her, despite her foreboding reputation.

As Charlie finds herself drawn deeper into the world of high fashion and further into Andromeda's orbit, she is startled to find herself falling for the editor. But could a woman like Andromeda ever come to love someone like Charlie?

[blogparanormalexpresso2stuff]

Call to Action For A Retraction: Lies in the Journal of Astronomy in Culture

Another Open Letter, this time to the Journal of Astronomy in Culture, formerly the Archaeoastronomy Journal. It contains some issues. Cut n paste the letter below the this address:

gvaldana@chicst.ucsb.edu

BE POLITE!

August 6, 2024

Professor Geraldo Aldana

Editor in Chief

Journal of Astronomy in Culture

Unsourced Claims In Archaeoastronomy Journal Vol XXII

Dear Professor Aldana,

I am writing to inform you of an issue I assume you are unaware of, namely the unsourced claims made by Professor John Hoopes in his article ‘Book Review - The End of Time: The Maya Mystery of 2012 and 2012: Science and Prophecy of the Ancient Maya’ which was presented in Vol XXII of your journal, which was released in 2011. On page 143, the following statement is made:

“The ‘2012 phenomenon’ makes much more sense in the context of astrology than astronomy, as becomes clear from the influence of Dane Rudhyar on New Age prophet and guru Jose’ Arguelles and on John Major Jenkins (who once worked as a professional astrologer).”

In the same column Hoopes wrote:

“His (Rudhyar’s) book ‘The Planetaization of Consciousness helped inspire the first Whole Earth Festival while ‘The Sun is Also a Star’ provided intellectual underpinnings for claims by Arguelles (for whom Rudhyar was a personal mentor) and Jenkins about Ancient Maya concerns with the movements of the sun relative to the Milky Way galaxy.”

Jenkins challenged the idea his work was informed by Rudhyar, and the statement that Jenkins once worked as a professional astrologer. Jenkins wrote to the then editor in chief, Doctor John Carlson, explaining these statements are incorrect, unsupported, and should be retracted. In Jenkins’ words:

“I am not a professional astrologer, never have been and never tried to work as one. An early book of mine ‘Tzolkin’ criticized pop/casual astrology. Hoopes’s intent to defame is evident in the (false) identification of me as a professional astrologer…”

To be clear, there is no question John Major Jenkins’ conclusions on the 2012 phenomenon did in fact qualify as astrology. However, his work on a ‘galactic alignment’ as he called it is based on precession of the equinoxes, an astronomical phenomenon, and is then interpreted through the lens of astrology. This is a subtle, but important distinction. I am sure you do not need informed of the origins of astronomy, and how painstaking observations mingled freely with outlandish cosmological concepts. Jenkins’ work on the astronomy, was astronomy. Hoopes failing to account for the difference in the observations and the cosmology is perhaps excusable, it is reasonable Hoopes applied too ‘broad a brush’ when covering Jenkins’ writings. However, the claim Jenkins worked as a professional astrologer is one that allows for no speculation, this is a factual claim. One that presumably could be supported with evidence. It is not, and it has been challenged. To this day, the claim Jenkins worked as a professional astrologer is unsourced, and remains in print. Jenkins made certain to complain loudly of this before he passed away, and many are aware of this issue.

That is where I hope you will have more wisdom than your predecessor. Please retract the unsupported claims, in particular the claims Jenkins worked as a professional astrologer. In the current social environment, there is no question the trustworthiness of science is more heavily questioned than it has been in decades, perhaps even a few centuries. Many reasons for this could be posited, but one thing is clear: Known falsehoods left in print is one of the most damning things to the public image of a scientist, field of study, or journal. It ‘proves’ the entity in question is untrustworthy. With this in mind, I put it to you there is nothing to be gained by erroneously claiming John Major Jenkins once worked as a professional astrologer, and so much to lose. That statement could be retracted without retracting the article Hoopes wrote, protecting the integrity of the Journal of Astronomy in Culture without ‘losing face’. As a matter of fact, I do believe this could help create a better image. The willingness to admit an error is, after all, an admirable quality. One heavily associated with the scientific method.

Thank you for taking the time to read and consider these words.

[jeannereames]

Hello Dr. Reames! Thank you so much for all the great answers here on tumblr! If you don’t mind sharing, could you tell us what other historical periods/figures you like, outside your area of specialty? Those that you don’t work with, but like to read about

There are several other ancient figures who intrigue me, but those are still in my wheelhouse. Ergo, I’ll focus on a couple of people/eras that are not in the ancient (Eurasian) world.

First, and this is a personal (family) interest: Mihshihkinaáhkwa, or Little Turtle. His name actually means ‘Painted Terrapin’ but apparently the French can’t handle complexity. He’s the best American Indian general you’ve never heard of before.

He was war chief (eteesiah) and civil chief (akima) of the Myaamia (Miami) Indians, architect of St. Clair’s Defeat/Battle of the Wabashiki, the biggest loss (proportionally) the US army ever suffered (anywhere). Later, he agreed to peace with the US, as he didn’t think the nation could continue to block American expansion west. Americans were a bit like Rome: just kept coming back, even if you beat them the first time.

Later, he refused to support Tecumseh’s war, in part because of the Treaty of Greenville, but he didn’t trust their British allies or Tecumseh’s brother, The Prophet—but also (quite possibly) for ego reasons. He wasn’t in charge. Ha. It’s an interesting “What if?” to me—what if the Great Lakes tribes had all united to form a blockade, instead of breaking down into old factions? My mother’s family (Brouillettes and Richardvilles) are related (collaterally) to Mihshihkinaáhkwa via his sister.

I’m also fascinated by two ancient American groups. One is Teotihuacan (same area the Aztecs and Toltecs would control later). The other is Cohokia, on the Illinois side of the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, where St. Louis is today (on the Missouri side). Cahokia is absolutely fascinating. I teach both these cultures (along with the Maya, Snake Town and the SW cultures) in World History, so I know a little about them. I’ve been to Cahokia several times (it’s North America’s “Rome,” in terms of size and scope of trade control), and when it collapsed, at least some of the people in the area stayed and united with the Myaamia and Illiniwek peoples arriving later from the Ohio River Valley area. One of the tribes of the Illiniwek was, in fact, called the Cahokia. (Illiniwek are cousins to the Myaamia. Illinois is derived from Illiniwe.)

I also enjoy the history of some cities, such as New Orleans, Savannah—and Omaha, for that matter. When I moved here, I had no idea what an interesting history this place had.

Last, one of my very first attempts to write historical fiction, back when I was in high school and editor of the literary magazine there, involved the Marquis de Lafayette. It was a very cheesy, quasi-self-insert about a girl who wanted to fight in the Revolution, so disguised herself as a boy. She wound up an attaché to Lafayette. I don’t even remember now how it ended (probably in a love story), but I’d researched him for a school project, then wrote the story. It won first prize! But you have to understand the competition—a bunch of other high school kids. LOL

I haven’t studied Lafayette since, but admit I got a kick out of it when he popped up in the musical, Hamilton.

[princetonuniversitypress]

Live longer by living better, says Seneca

According to a myth referred to by Aeschylus in his play Prometheus Bound, at the beginning of time human beings had foreknowledge of when they would die. Among the gifts that Prometheus gave to humankind, along with fire and all the technologies that spring from it, was obliviousness to that knowledge. Knowing one’s expiration date, in the god’s view, prevented one from undertaking anything meaningful. That terminus was always lurking and shadowing one’s every move.  Anticipation of the end would induce a kind of paralysis.

The absence of such knowledge however leads to a failing of a different kind, as Seneca observes in his essay On the Shortness of Life. Because we can’t truly conceive of an endpoint to life, we give to our time far less value than we should, squandering it on useless pursuits or frivolities. We behave like the author or journalist who hasn’t been given a deadline and who puts off starting a writing task year after year (I speak from experience here). If our editor suddenly calls for the piece, or if death suddenly looms (not to compare book editors with the grim reaper), we are struck with remorse for the time that has passed us by. If we’d realized early on that our lifespans are short, in calendar terms, we might have lengthened them considerably, by using every moment to the fullest and giving to time the value it deserves.

Readers of Seneca, a Roman Stoic philosopher who also served as chief minister to emperor Nero, will not be surprised that the nearness of death plays such a large role in this essay’s treatment of time. For Seneca, death was the great, overriding truth about life, a subject explored in many passages of his ethical treatises (the crucial ones are collected in my first contribution to Princeton’s Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series, How to Die). All of life, as Seneca saw it, is really a journey toward death; we say of terminal patients “they’re dying,” but really that sentence applies just as well to newborn babies or youths in their prime. Cottidie morimur, Seneca wrote on two different occasions: “We are dying every day.” And that perspective led him toward a deeper, more urgent understanding of time than most of us can lay claim to.

[artmakerproductions]

Muppet The Lost World - My Ideas For An Adaptation

A muppet adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyale’s novel, The Lost World would be awesome to me as both a paleo fan and Muppet fan.

Illustrations of the events in the book as reference point for the story: https://chasmosaurs.blogspot.com/2015/07/vintage-dinosaur-art-lost-world-ladybird.html

For that concept I’d say reuse elements from the cancelled ‘The Natural History Project’: https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/The_Natural_History_Project, and possibly the classic show, Dinosaurs. Extra points if they were to 1) use dinosaurs that were actually native to South America in the late Cretaceous period as the ones that make an appearance in the story. Maybe have a few less popular/well known ones thrown in? 2) it’d be great if they get real creative and colourful with the designs based on the new waves of paleo art, discoveries and mindset of the present. Heck, I wouldn’t be against a blend of a retro vibe to it, say, the 80s - 2000’s? I mean, for example, take a loot at these.

Not at all your typical bland and dull colours. https://mobile.twitter.com/delgadosaurus/status/1336366307545993216

As well as the newer stuff too: https://mobile.twitter.com/serpenillus/status/796060690347859968, I mean, does that NOT look like a muppet Jim Henson Co. would make? More of their art too: https://mobile.twitter.com/SerpenIllus

The opening number has an eerie sort of vibe w/ a heavy mysterious aura. Sung by people and animals that live down at the bottom of the plateau/in the area. Telling of the strange noises and shapes they faintly see up there through the mist and fog. Going something like this:

“🎶 All those who go, up on that plateau; death is their fate as such ancient dangers await; a land unchanged and secrets untold from the time of old; great adventures unfurled in this mysterious Lost World. 🎶”.

Now for the casting, I say Miss Piggy as Professor Challenger. In the novel the man is brash, loud and a boxer type. That’s exactly who she is and easily fit into the role.... other than the detail of his great dislike of the press. Piggy is all for showing off. As a change to the story, maybe have it that her dislike of the press is because they printed an image on the news of herself when she had a bad hair day and has since resented them. Or that the laughter, doubt and disbelief of her recent South American expedition has left her extremely jilted and humiliated. Among the crowd are Statler and Waldorf who heckle her. Though deep down she craves for that attention again, but without a good amount of proof and witnesses to back up her claims it seems fruitless. As well as the reputation of her temperament scaring off potential joiners of her travels.

As for Kermit’s role, I’d cast him as Summerlee, a doubter and estranged colleague of Challenger. A rift formed and they split.

Other muppets on the trip would be Gonzo, an publisher/editor-in-chief of the Daily Gazette (re-named Gonzotte). He doesn’t like the stuffiness of the office so he goes to see Challenger to try and get a scoop on her recent expedition to South America, which is clouded with controversy as her claims are unbelievable. Another employee, Edward Malone (the only human for the journey) tags along seeking a dangerous assignment to impress the woman he loves, who wishes for a brave man. At the plateau, as a joke/gag for Gonzo is his sudden interest in one of the feathered dromeosaurs, say a Archaeopteryx or a Microraptor (or other). Be his equivalent to a man having the hots for a cave woman.

Sam Eagle is there as Lord John Roxton.

For their meal that gets stolen by the flying reptile, a pterosaur, it‘d be the same one they bring back to London at the end. Here they meet the little pterosaur when they make it up to the plateau recognizing them as the one that took their meal. They decide to stick around with the group and is later convinced to return to London with them. Promising of stardom and fame. Eventually though, she starts to get homesick and not really liking their cage, so the group, Summerlee, Gonzo and Edward and after some convincing, Challenger too, release her and she flies off. To return to her home, The Lost World.

As a nod to the first film adaptation in 1925, the bad guy is a large sauropod, Goliath. He is a bully to the other dinosaurs and prehistoric animals on the plateau, both herbivore and carnivore alike, because of his great size. It intimidating all the predators and makes them thinks twice about putting him on their menu list. Going as far as to claim that the lost world as his and his alone. He doesn’t like the intruders one bit and the guns they brought as it shifts the tides on his power and reign over everyone on the plateau. His demise is his own great size and mass as he falls to their death as the edge crumbles beneath his feet.

Now, this is about all I got on the matter for the time being. Feel free to critique this and what-not. I’m thinking that later on I’ll make some fan art to illustrate this idea of mine. Probably make changes too in later drafts. Later!

[kudosmyhero]

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye (Phase 02) #4: Life After the Big Bang

Read Date: September 27, 2022 Cover Date: April 2012 ● Writer: James Roberts ● Art: Alex Milne ● Colorist: Josh Burcham ● Letterer: Shawn Lee ● Editor: John Barber ●

Synopsis: At the Autobot medical facility of Delphi on the planet Messatine, First Aid has begun to write a journal chronicling what he believes will be the last days of the outpost. After granting asylum to two Militant Monoform Movement-aligned Genericons with a branched spark on the run from the Decepticon Justice Division, Delphi has been beset by a terrible plague…a plague that sees its victims cry themselves to death…

Celebrations, meanwhile, are underway aboard the Lost Light, as Autobots gather in Swerve's newly opened bar to celebrate finding themselves on the map. Ratchet and Swerve talk privately about a strange occurrence the previous night; both former subscribers to Fisitron's "Wreckers: Declassified" datalogs, the pair have just received a new datalog, which should be impossible, given that the author is dead. Although appearing to be only a string of random numbers, Ratchet recognized the data as medical statistics from Delphi, which reveal a bizarre trend: a constantly escalating death rate that has seen precisely half the outpost's patients die every month. Realizing that someone is trying to send him a message and that they are currently close to Messatine, Ratchet gathers up Drift and Pipes for an excursion to the facility, hoping that it is nothing, and—with his own irreplaceable hands growing increasingly worn out—that he will be able to appoint its commanding officer Pharma as new chief medical officer of the Lost Light in his place.

As this goes on, Ultra Magnus brings the news to Rodimus that Tailgate has decided he wants to be a Decepticon. With Magnus growing increasingly frustrated over his inability to enforce wartime laws in peacetime, Rodimus decides to have Rewind give Tailgate a supercompressed history lesson, projecting the key moments of the war directly into his mind. Horrified by what he has seen, Tailgate realizes the foolishness of his choice, and immediately goes to take out his frustrations on Cyclonus, whom he believes gave him a twisted view of history to make him look a fool. Unfortunately, he makes the mistake of punching Cyclonus on the arm, provoking violent retribution from the ancient Cybertronian, who silently smashes him to the ground, kicks him, and leaves.

On Messatine, Ratchet's team arrives at Delphi, discovering its main door marked with a gigantic red X. Pipes—over-impulsive due to the fact that this is his first time on another planet—smashes the door down before Ratchet can explain that the symbol warns of plague, and the little Autobot suddenly finds himself knee-deep in corpses, and in the path of a shambling, infected robot. Drift leaps to the rescue, slicing the plague carrier to pieces, at which point First Aid arrives to explain that, following a mysterious "big bang" five days prior, the facility has been infected by the Red Rust virus which liquefies its victims optics-first. Detailing their suspicion that the plague is the result of a chemical warfare bomb detonated by the D.J.D., First Aid leads them to ward manager Ambulon, who suspects that Delphi's medics have been uniquely resistant to the infection, and further explains that long-term patients are likewise unaffected. First Aid requests Ratchet's input on a new process he has developed, using a healthy spark to jump-start an ailing one, that he hopes to use on one of the outpost's prominent coma patients, but Ratchet is more concerned with consulting with Pharma.

Pharma, unfortunately, was inside the facility's quarantine room when the big bang occurred, and has been automatically sealed inside and unable to communicate through its thick glass. As everyone is regarding his predicament, Pharma burns a message into his own hand, warning the assembled Autobots that, behind them, Pipes has succumbed to the plague. Drift keeps Pipes busy while Ratchet hacks the quarantine room lock and frees Pharma, but the Autobot samurai is splattered with some of Pipe's liquefied innards and he too falls prey to the Red Rust. Ratchet and Ambulon rush to do what they can as Pharma runs off to the holding cells, claiming that he has figured out what has happened, only to be greeted by the two Genericons, freed by parties unknown via a remote override. The two Decepticons corner the Autobots in the emergency ward, preparing to end them, but First Aid pipes up: he has gone ahead with his experimental process using his own spark, and successfully revived a very angry, fighting-mad Fortress Maximus!

(https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Life_After_the_Big_Bang)

Fan Art: First Aid by Kriegswaffle

Accompanying Podcast: ● Married with Comics: Rod Pod - episode 04

[strangelovc]

Birthday: February 25th, 1960 Blood Status: pureblood Gender & Pronouns: Non binary, he/they Occupation: chief editor, publisher and owner of The Quibbler Sided with: The Order (loosely, unwilling to fully participate, willing to provide safe housing and pro-order rhetoric in the quibbler)

GROWING UP People were often surprised that the Lovegoods were a pure blooded family, seeing as they had no affiliation with other wizarding families of the same caliber. Xenophilius’ parents had immigrated from Sweden in their early 20’s and made little effort to acquaint themselves with anyone, or explain their migration to England. Even Xenophilius, who wasn’t particularly curious to begin with, only got a vague explanation about an Årsgång gone awry, and how it would be a poor idea to reach out to any relatives. This hardly concerned him, however- as Xenophilius was happy to ingrain himself in the forest surrounding his family’s home.  The Lovegoods only breached into wizarding society when they had to, when the homestead couldn’t provide what they needed- which didn’t happen often. Xenophilius’ parents instilled in him a resilience and endurance to use what he had as often as he could, before ever seeking outside resources. The Lovegoods prided themselves on this, and often held disdain for popular wizarding culture. Even at Hogwarts, Xenophilius spent much of his time lost in books or outside, wandering through the campus grounds. Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures were subjects that Xenophilius excelled at, though he’d often get into rhetorical disputes with the professors over educational nuances. Sometimes they just didn’t appreciate the lore that came with these magical creatures and plants, how they were connected to stories, and how those stories could be used to unlock deeper value in their study. 

START OF THE WAR The Lovegood’s home felt separate from the rest of the world, untouchable. It was something Xenophilius cherished. At school, the ugly realities of politics were in his face, unavoidable save for the books and nature he could turn to. But at home there were birds, running creeks, the swaying of trees, and silence. If Hogwarts wasn’t such a fantastic resource, Xenophilius sometimes wished he could have been homeschooled. He was too headstrong to not get into debates, and he couldn’t stop himself from feeling emotional when people said untrue things. In response, Xenophilius applied to write for the school paper. The outlet was very much needed, as long letters home could only satisfy him so much- his parents agreed with him on every issue, it was his peers that needed an education, a reality check.  Xenophilius continued to do well in school, too. Although his teachers grew increasingly combative with some of his ideas, he always achieved good grades. Divination and Ancient Runes became favorite subjects along with Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, and he utilized all of these interests when hosting his surprisingly small Magical Folklore club. But there was something else that kept Xenophilius at Hogwarts too: Pandora Rosier. By his third year, he must have said her name to himself a thousand times. When she entered their common room, or his dreams, or a class, it felt like someone had cast lumos maxima over his eyes. His affection for her was blinding, reverent, wholly consuming. Even his favorite fairy tales could not help Xenophilius find adequate words for how much he adored watching her choose what to eat, and how her face rose and fell as she read like she was talking to a person, how she walked, how she put up her hair- and when she spoke to him? It was the only time Xenophilius’s mind wasn’t somewhere else- the forests, his stories, his ideas. In her, he found a world wider and more brilliant than he’d ever been clever enough to imagine on his own. 

PRESENT TIME There was a war, but Xenophilius had worked hard to make that feel very, very far away. For all of his theories and notions, Xenophilius knew he’d never be able to explain his fortune. As if Tyche had reached down, he felt graced, luck-touched. His wife, his partner, his Pandora was spun from pure gold, and given him a daughter- the only thing in the world that could have matched his wife’s brilliance. Luna. The most perfect, beloved creature Xenophilius could ever know. His entire being was in service to them, their safety and well being. The house was a mirror of his parents. They’d found their own forest, they had made their own homestead, far far away from the goings on of the rest of the world. And Xenophilius wouldn’t have had it any other way. His mornings, days and nights were filled with two people so perfect they felt like personifications of fairy tales themselves. His Psyche and his Selene. The Quibbler was satisfactory, fulfilling work and ever inspiring to him. He just had to make sure that he held it all together.   

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Thunderbrush 3

Go To The Principal's Office

A conwoman disguised as a noble and the delegation of university students studying her have arrived in the jungle city of Thunderbrush, ruled by ancient dryads and organized crime. Will they manage to stay uninvolved in shady conspiracies? (No.)

Story so far | Session log index | Previous session

Last time, the party got tricked(?) into giving an interview to the editor of a local newspaper, and- after a complex dance of half-truths and intimidation- retired to a dorm room provided to them by Thunderbrush Metropolitan University, the school Blacksky is partnering with to investigate the bracer. But they've got a little work ahead of them before they can hit the hay...

When they got to the dorm, they found Orluthe in wolf form, practicing some sort of anger-management exercise. (Oyobi peaces out to go have some sort of wild college party.) At the top of this session, Saelhen rolls to give him a hand with that- she's quite good at being very precisely annoying, in a way that gives the ALPHA DOOMHOUND some good practice with keeping his temper under control.

Somewhere in the middle of this, though, they get a knock on the door. Someone tells them that the Chief Student Advisor is requesting an audience with them. They yank this person's chain a bit with knock-knock jokes, but eventually assent to meeting with whoever this is. The person on the other side of the door... walks away.

A semitransparent gnarled old woman made of wood and draped in layers and layers of shawls emerges from a circle of black smoke that forms on the floor, not bothering with the door. She's here to tell her new guests about the "student contributions program"!

The cost, of course, is exactly what Looseleaf anticipates- permission to leech their life energy in their sleep. She makes a fruiting branch grow out of the wooden wall, carrying berries and leaves that she uses to make a sort of ink stamp for marking a magic sigil on a willing participant.

Looseleaf decides to take the fall for the party here and get marked first, using spirit magic on herself to observe the effect in progress and make sure there's no nasty surprises hiding in it. She rolls very well, so...

What this does is- normally, a person's mana changes unpredictably in their sleep and throughout the day, and you can't really make significant changes to it- you've got what you've got, and you need to be good at spellsmithing to update your existing spells to work with your new mana every morning. What the ghost dryad does here- the sigil, as it happens, is mere obfuscation, not doing any real spell effect. Instead, she's somehow twisting the structure of Looseleaf's mana directly, installing a backdoor she can use to draw on her like a battery. Very concerning! Do they trust her enough to let her do that?

The dryad introduces herself as Evelyn, the chief student advisor. She's sort of omnipresent inside the campus's main building, which is literally, her. It's carved into her stump. Anywhere inside, if you call her name, she's passively listening and can manifest. Her attention is in limited supply, though, so it's not like she's always watching- she just always could be watching. Spooky.

Orluthe volunteers to get this exclusive special access, for some reason- and Saelhen, who turns it down for herself, has an idea. After Evelyn leaves, she inspects Looseleaf's hand, and copies down the fresh sigil, so she can forge it later, if she wants to try and get some of that access without paying the price.

Afterwards, Looseleaf and Saelhen go outside to the park bench- Saelhen took some hits in the fight earlier, and... remember this?

Ever since then, her legs had been weirdly cold, in a way which wasn't doing any damage but was sort of spooky. I'd been bringing it up in passing, and now is when Saelhen finally opts to have that looked at. Looseleaf fires up the spirit magic and takes a gander.

Too bad! It's alarming!

They hurriedly kill the damn things and store their corpses in an airtight jar, just in case.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Looseleaf, dear, when I was last invisible, I felt a curious… coldness, when I walked." Looseleaf: "WE NEED TO GET YOU A SUIT OF ARMOR." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "It appears I may have been wading through, well." Saelhen sighs. "Invisible nightmare swamps." Looseleaf: "NOT LETTING YOU GO BACK THERE WITHOUT A FUCKING SUIT OF ARMOR." "What would you have done if I hadn't checked you out with soul healing??" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Fallen over, eventually." Saelhen is looking a bit wan.

(Notably, they absolutely do not get her a suit of armor. She just continues using that thing and getting attacked by various Horrible Shit that almost kills her and leaning on Looseleaf to get healed. It's great.)

Then Looseleaf tries to telepathically contact Oyobi to check on her, and, uh. Oyobi forgot she had one of Looseleaf's telepathy coins on her. Apparently she's doing something at a wild college party during which it is extremely surprising and distressing to be unexpectedly telepathically contacted by your roommate! She asks Looseleaf to please shut up and stop expositing on the day's events and get out of her head! Aaaaaa!

...It's probably nothing.

The next morning, the party plus one sleepy and disheveled Oyobi get together and head to the headmaster's office, where they were supposed to report in days ago before they got sidetracked with blood feuds and dragon murders and vampire resorts and amateur lawyering. They ask Evelyn for directions, and get them, along with a set of student keys for the locks on the campus gates. Evelyn goes to notify the Headmaster of their arrival in advance.

They eventually reach the headmaster's office, which is a cramped little place overflowing with stacks of papers and shelves full of documents.

Headmaster Grizzly Goodcrest is very tired. He seems kind of confused about what's going on, and scatterbrained in the extreme. The party produce their letters of introduction from Provost Hamori of Blacksky University, and he... mumbles past some pleasantries before handing the conversation off to the other person in the tiny room with him.

Goodcrest toddles off to some sort of meeting he's late for, and the giant wasp introduces herself. Zzaiya is a student from the Artificing department, specializing in divine artifacts, and she's been authorized to assist and requisition resources for the research project surrounding the bracer.

Remember John Human? The Deathseeker guy with the horrific dead-eyed human mask that looked like it had a wasp head underneath it? They sure did!

Zzaiya seems kind of taken aback by the lack of a formal research plan, but Looseleaf hits her stride and gives a comprehensive briefing. She'd like to have Zzaiya's department take a look at the bracer using any magical diagnostic tools they have available, before trying to contact Tonnera and experiment directly with whatever the arrow is pointing at. They don't want to blindly stumble into more infinite cityfuck bats! But they'll need to contact Tonnera eventually, and might need her help with that.

Looseleaf asks for more information on the city's ruler, Tonnera. Zzaiya describes her as... curious, easily sold on fancy and exciting things, but concerned about image. She's wary of TMU's research proposals ever since something called the "shadowfog" happened, but can be convinced, if the party's willing to do something for her in exchange. It'll be a tough sell, though, since if what happened in Oyashio happens again, it'll make her look real bad.

Zzaiya suggests, if they want to contact her, they can just... do that, flag her down and say hi. They're surprised by this- surely the ruler of the city is busy? But Zzaiya explains- Tonnera is huge. Dryads aren't just spirits bound to trees- they literally are the trees, and her size means she's got a larger and more distributed brain. She does a ton of parallel processing with different instances of herself, holding tons of conversations simultaneously and not always being on the same page as herself. Freakishly good multitasker, but comes off as weirdly spacey and loses her train of thought a lot what with how many conversations she's simultaneously juggling.

Zzaiya's attention turns to the bracer.

She doesn't recognize the symbol, which is weird, because this is her area of expertise and she's catalogued loads of symbols. What does the bracer do, exactly?

They explain- and something concerns Zzaiya. It opened up a pit under Yoshimimoto Plaza? She's not sure that's possible- but she can't answer for sure without checking some geological surveys she ordered from the Temple of Andra in Oyashio. She'll need to visit the post office, though...

This reminds the party- they have that! They agreed to carry the mail from Oyashio to Thunderbrush in exchange for giraffes! Vayen gets out the mailbag and hands it to Looseleaf, which should maybe have raised some alarm bells because Vayen never does anything helpful. As Looseleaf opens it up to look for the geological surveys, everyone freezes in horror, except Vayen who wears a self-satisfied smirk.

The mail, you see, is a sacred institution. You don't just open someone else's mail! That's a high crime under Ecumene of Understanding law! Mail fraud is serious business!

Benedict (GM): Vayen looks very pleased with himself. Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Thank you, Sir Vayen." "Your concern for Madam Looseleaf's welfare is appreciated." Looseleaf: "Thanks for the heads up, Vayen," Looseleaf says. "If it weren't for you I'd be in huge trouble now." Benedict (GM): "I didn't think you'd open it," Vayen says, entirely unconvincingly.

Everyone else agrees to overlook this, though, since Looseleaf comes from a remote village and didn't know. Vayen is slightly disappointed.

Their next steps are to a) head to the post office to deliver the mail and get that geological survey, and b) get some literal lab rats from the Zoology department to experiment on with the bracer. They opt to do a) first, and head off-campus to deal with the mail.

Next time: a newspaper! The hallowed halls of the Mail! And less-reckless-than-usual magical experimentation!

[mariacallous]

Russian state propaganda network RT has suspended Anton Krasovsky, the broadcasting director for its Russian-language service, after he called for Russian-speaking Ukrainian children who oppose Russia to be “drowned” and “burned” in one of his broadcasts. RT Editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan reported the suspension on Telegram on October 24, calling Krasovsky’s comments “wild and disgusting.”

Perhaps Anton will explain what kind of temporary insanity caused [the comments] and why they came out of his mouth. It’s hard to believe that Krasovsky sincerely believed that children should be drowned. At this time, I’m suspending our partnership, since neither I nor the rest of the RT team can allow even the thought of someone who works with us sharing that kind of lunacy. I’m bewildered — what else can I say? To the children of Ukraine, as well as the children of the Donbas, and all other children: I want this all to end as soon as possible, and I want them to be able to live peacefully and study — in the language they consider to be their native one.

Anton Krasovsky called for children to be “drowned” on October 20 on his show Antonyms during an interview with writer Sergey Lukyanenko. During the conversation, Lukyanenko described how when he was a child in the 1980s, he went to Ukraine, where he heard children say that “Ukraine is occupied by Russkies.” He stressed that “these were absolutely Russian, Russian-speaking kids.” Krasovsky responded as follows:

Those children should have been straight-up drowned in the Tysyna, right where the duck swims (Editor's note: This is reference to a Ukrainian folk song). Straight-up drowned, those children. Drowned! Right in the Tysyna. This isn’t your method; you’re cultured people, you fantasy writers. This is our method. As soon as they say, ‘The Russkies have occupied [Ukraine],’ throw them into a river with a violent, raging current.

Lukyanenko responded by saying that in ancient Rus, “branches were traditionally used” to punish people, to which Krasovsky said that the children could have been burned: “Just stuff them in a spruce house and burn it.”

After the episode was posted online, Krasovsky wrote on Telegram that he had had a “wonderful livestream with Sergey Lukyanenko,” though he later deleted the post.

After Simonyan’s statement, Krasovsky apologized to her as well as to everyone who “flipped out” and considered his statement “wild, unthinkable, and egregious.” The apology appeared on his Telegram channel at about 3:00 am on October 24 (two hours after Simonyan’s report that Krasovsky had been suspended). “Listen, I’m truly embarrassed that I somehow didn’t see the boundary. About children. But it happens like this: you’re in the middle of a broadcast, and you get carried away. And you can’t stop,” Krasovsky wrote. “I hope you’ll forgive me.” He didn’t respond to Meduza’s request for comment.

Russian Federal Investigative Committee Head Alexander Bastrykin has ordered a “report on the situation that arose on the television network’s broadcast.” The committee’s statement said that a social media user requested that the authorities look into Anton Krasovsky’s statements.

The Ukrainian government has called for a global ban of RT. The U.S., Canada, and the EU stopped broadcasting the network on television after Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine.

Anton Krasovsky started doing work for RT in 2019 and became an official employee in 2020. Initially, Krasovsky made propaganda movies for the network. In October 2020, RT made him a producer and the head of production for a “new YouTube show in Russian.” He went on to become the head of RT Russia, the outlet’s Russian-language service (RT originally targeted only Western audiences). Sources previously told Meduza that RT Russia’s editorial office was created “under Krasovsky.” Soon after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, on February 28, the EU imposed sanctions against Krasovsky and a number of other Russian propagandists.

[mistypurplespark]

Chapter 32: Rushing to Aid

Chapter 32.1: Rushing to Aid

“Draghimout!Throwcoldwateronhim!Tiehimonapillarfortwo sichen!”

Translator(s): Elestrea

Editor(s): juurensha

The messenger was trembling all over with cold, and once he entered the golden tent, he knelt down on one knee, speaking in a clear Xiongnu language:

“The Four Seas and the prairies are all the Great Chanyu’s land, and all of the people under the sky are all the Great Chanyu’s people. We, the Akeles, highly praise the Great Chanyu’s martial prowess, the leader of the Chi Le Covenant, the master beyond the Great Wall, the Greatest Warrior. My tribe seeks your assistance; please save my whole tribe from a matter of life and death.”

As he spoke, the messenger respectfully presented a black wooden box. Four gemstone rings were neatly placed inside it: blue-green, red, yellow- ocher, and jade-green, all glittered in brilliance.

As soon as Xiang Shu saw this, he knew the other had an urgent request. He was only wearing a fur robe, yet it didn’t decrease his king’s demeanor. He said in a deep voice: “Take it back. As long as it’s within my power, I will help you.”

The messenger took a deep breath, saying: “It’s the medical supply. Something happened all of a sudden...”

Chen Xing first noticed the four rings, then he recalled the scrolls he had read in his master’s place. He suddenly remembered a magical artifact —— a set of imperial seal rings in four colors; the description of those four rings seemed to match with these. It was rumored that the rings were sealed by the four powers of earth, fire, ice, and wind. It was made by a Sogdian named Sassan. In the Silk Road, during the Han Dynasty, it was brought

back by Zhang Qian. Afterward, it went back and forth among people and eventually disappeared. Nowadays, the spiritual qi in heaven and earth was gone, and there was no way to inspect it.

“Did you hear him?” Xiang Shu said.

Chen Xing came back to his senses, saying: “What?”

Xiang Shu translated the words, saying that the wife of the Akele tribe’s chief was having a difficult birth, just at the time they were on their way south to Chi Le Chuan. Although Xarusgol River was already frozen, it still had a thin layer of ice, which made it hard to cross the river. The snowstorm hindered them further, trapping the tribe inside a world of ice and snow.

Because the consort was pregnant, it slowed down the speed of the whole tribe going south to get through the winter, delaying their arrival to Chi Le Chuan.

The Akeles were arrogant and fierce and didn’t want to blend with the rest of the Ancient Chi Le Covenant, only coming during the winter. Even then, they only chose a place and seldom had dealings with the Tieles, Xiongnus, Rourans, and the other Hus. When autumn came and spring went, they left, never leaving the people in the ancient covenant any good impression of them. Even more so when three years ago, they and the Rouran were fighting over some water plants and waged a war over it, resulting in a deep insoluble blood feud.

“Are you going or not?” Xiang Shu asked, “Che Luofeng, this is the best chance to put your blood feud to an end.”

Che Luofeng suddenly laughed angrily, he gave a burst of crazy laughter.

“Did I hear that right ba? Shulü Kong!” Sure enough, Che Luofeng opened his mouth and spoke: “What has the Akeles ever done for the Ancient Covenant? They disappeared when the war started! It’s already too late to come and ask for Great Chanyu’s help now! To exterminate the entire tribe, heaven’s eyes truly have been opened! Now when things have become like this, they take one box filled with broken jewelry and come over, wanting to abandon the past!”

Xiang Shu’s face immediately became sullen. Chen Xing immediately tried to mediate, saying: “I will go along with the messenger to have a look.”

It was a big taboo for Che Luofeng to oppose the Great Chanyu in public, but taking into consideration that they were Andas, Xiang Shu quickly dispelled his anger and asked Chen Xing: “Will you deliver the baby?”

Chen Xing naturally would, but he was afraid of provoking Che Luofeng and Xiang Shu into another quarrel, so he had no alternative but to say: “I will try my best ba, in any case, I was also going to find the Akeles to ask for directions, remember?”

Xiang Shu: “Send an order, convene each division to get some carriages and horses ready. They’re going to set off to help the Akeles to cross the river.”

Chen Xing tidied up his medicine box, and when he was about to leave, Che Luofeng blocked the path in front of the tent, saying: “Whoever wishes to help them, is an enemy to me! Unless Hulunbuir dries up and Mt. Helan collapses, the resentment between the Rourans and the Akeles will never be solved!”

Xiang Shu eventually got up and slowly stepped forward. Chen Xing said: “I am a doctor, it is only right for me to save people. Your resentment, you can settle it on your own at a later date, I have nothing to do with it... Che Luofeng, if you really wish to take revenge, why not challenge the Akele? This is merely a pregnant woman...”

“Make way,” Xiang Shu calmly interrupted Chen Xing’s words and said in a lowered voice to Che Luofeng.

“Shulü Kong,” Che Luofeng said, “Are you serious? Do you really want to protect this Han...”

His words not yet finished, Xiang Shu already raised his hand. Chen Xing didn’t even see him doing it, but Che Luofeng received a heavy slap on his face!

That slap wasn’t clear and loud, but rather muffled. Xiang Shu only used less than one-tenth of his power. Che Luofeng immediately got hit, his head

knocked against the tent’s pole, and all of the men simultaneously shouted! Chen Xing: “...”

Chen Xing knew that Xiang Shu was truly angry right now and hurriedly said: “Don’t be angry, if you have something to say, just say it.”

“Drag him out!” Xiang Shu shouted, “Throw cold water on him! Tie him on a pillar for two sichen!”

At once, some subordinates came and escorted Che Luofeng out. Chen Xing hurriedly motioned to the Akele messenger: “Let’s go, otherwise later the Rourans will come back and trouble you again.”

The messenger flipped over and mounted his horse alongside Chen Xing. When they were just about to leave the valley, Xiang Shu appeared, riding a horse and following them.

“Xiang Shu!” Chen Xing turned his head.

Xiang Shu whipped his horse so he rode side by side with the messenger, then said to him: “You go with the carriage team.”

The messenger nodded. Chen Xing had doubts across his whole face, but Xiang Shu simply reached out his hand and dragged him over. Chen Xing, with a burst of strength, jumped onto the back of Xiang Shu’s horse and the two horses separated. Xiang Shu, with Chen Xing on his back, steered the horse and plunged into a world filled with wind and snow.

“Is he alright?” Chen Xing couldn’t help looking back.

“It’ll calm him down,” Xiang Shu said while looking at the wind and snow.

Chen Xing hugged Xiang Shu’s waist and with him, they both galloped through the snow which had covered everything. He once again sneezed.

Xiang Shu slowed down the horse, but Chen Xing said: “I have recovered! Just a little weak!”

“Are there many Han people like you?” Xiang Shu said.

Chen Xing inexplicably said, ”What? I’ve said it before! Other people are not as weak as me, don’t you see a lot of Hans?”

Xiang Shu replied: “I don’t know many Hans.” Chen Xing: “???”

“I said, the Han people’s characters, are they all like you?” Xiang Shu spoke, “Are they the type that even when being bullied so much, still rarely get upset?”

Chen Xing: “This is called being educated and reasonable! Gentle and cultured! Screw you! What do you mean ‘easy to bully’!"

Xiang Shu: “Cold? Sit in the front?”

Chen Xing: “Isn’t it colder in the front?! You just want me to keep you out of the wind ba!"

Xiang Shu made Chen Xing sat in front of him, opened his fur coat, then wrapped him in it. Chen Xing was leaning on Xiang Shu’s chest, and instead of feeling cold, Xiang Shu’s body temperature was actually very warm, truly resembling the fire in the furnace in the night of the winter, which made him sleepy. There was also a very faint scent of the snowdrop bush from the western region lingering on his body.

“Jia!” Xiang Shu encouraged the horse to pick up the pace. As they galloped across the snowfield, Chen Xing yawned, hugged Xiang Shu’s waist, then once again fell asleep. At this time, he almost forgot that Xiang Shu was the Great Chanyu of the Chi Le Covenant. Half-asleep and half- awake, he only remembered that Xiang Shu was the man he had been waiting for and seeking for a very long time, his Protector Martial God.

It was as if he had also been waiting for Chen Xing for a lifetime, that he was born for him. They would light up the Heart Lamp to illuminate the dusky night of Saibei and ride the wind towards the ends of the Divine Land.

Xarusgol riverside; Amidst the boundless wind and snow, Xiang Shu left the horse on the bank. He woke Chen Xing, lay down his shield, then told

him to step and wait on it.

Chen Xing was confused, his eyes still bleary from sleep. He turned around to ask: “What?”

“The horse can’t get through, the ice is too thin!” Xiang Shu answered. Chen Xing: “???”

Xiang Shu first walked away before dashing back towards Chen Xing. He leaped into the air and hugged him from behind. With the help of that leaping force, he took him into a slide.

With a 'crash' sound, the two men on the shield launched forward into the river, making Chen Xing scream in astonishment. Xiang Shu was as fast as lightning, the efforts he used was just right, and behind them, the layer of ice split in the direction of their slide before shattering into smaller pieces one by one, but the two men were still safe and sound. The ice-water of the Xarusgol rose into the sky, and a violent wind blew over. At that moment, Chen Xing seemed to hear some kind of sound coming from the bottom of his heart.

In a blink of an eye, Xiang Shu had successfully marched through the riverbank. Chen Xing turned his head, and the torrential water of the river rose once again, completely swallowing the already-scattered ice.

“You have too many guts!” Chen Xing said, “What if we fell?”

Xiang Shu conveniently put the shield back on his back, then pulled Chen Xing along to walk through the snow. Chen Xing suddenly felt clear- headed, seeing that Xiang Shu wielded an exceptional qinggong, and the more he thought about it, the more afraid he became.

“Why are you so chatty?” Xiang Shu impatiently said.

From a not-too-distant place, a group of made-up tents could be seen. Finally, they had arrived at the Akeles’ camps. Someone saw Xiang Shu and immediately blew the horn. The tribe’s king was currently anxiously waiting, so he quickly commanded a group of warriors to check it out. Seeing it was Xiang Shu, they, at once, shouted in succession.

Translator's Comment:

I’m officially blacklisting Che Loufeng

Chapter 32.2: Rushing to Aid

“Excuse me for a while, Consort, I'm going to violate my propriety.”

Translator(s): Elestrea

Editor(s): juurensha

A quarter of an hour later, Xiang Shu was drinking milk tea and chatting with King Akele in the Akele's royal tent.

Chen Xing washed his hand with shaojiu, intending to go into another small tent to deliver the consort's baby. King Akele was a robust, tall, and sturdy man close to fifty. He looked fierce but was still very courteous towards Xiang Shu.

Chen Xing looked at the consort and discovered that the situation was already a bit dire. After one day and one night, he was afraid the mother and child would not be able to survive. He hurriedly went back to look for a pellet that could strengthen the heart.

“In case she isn't able to support it,” Chen Xing said, “I will protect the Consort.”

Xiang Shu said a few words to King Akele, they both nodded, and he translated: “Save the Consort.”

Xiang Shu put down his teacup, wanting to help, but Chen Xing made him stay behind to look after King Akele who on the surface appeared as if nothing had happened, yet his trembling hands betrayed him.

The Consort's complexion was deadly pale, and several tribeswomen were helping at her side. Giving birth on the prairie was truly like living on the edge, very dangerous if compared to the Hans who were in the South.

Chen Xing gave the Akele's consort medicine and performed some acupuncture on her. Soon enough, her complexion was restored, and she looked carefully at Chen Xing, saying: “You... you are...”

“I am the Great Chanyu's friend.” Chen Xing held her hand then said, “You can speak Han language? Consort, try to push hard.”

“Xiang... Xiang Yuyan's child, in... where?” The Consort said wearily, “Is he here, too?”

“Xiang what Yan?” Chen Xing suddenly realized something, a hypothesis forming on his head, Xiang Shu's mother?! A Han? As expected, Xiang Shu does look like a Han!

“You two know each other?” Chen Xing was flabbergasted.

“You... are also a Han,” the Consort held Chen Xing's hand, “what's your name?”

Chen Xing was about to say some words, but then he suddenly came back to his senses, he hurriedly said: “Now is not the time for idle gossip! Concentrate on giving birth first, we can talk again after that... Consort, come on, exert yourself!”

The Consort, her hair all disheveled, used all her strength and screamed loudly: “AAAH——”

“Excuse me for a while, Consort, I'm going to violate my propriety.”

Saying so, Chen Xing condensed the Heart Lamp and pressed it on the Consort's heart acupoint. The bright light shone and protected her heart acupoint, and once again, he began to perform acupuncture on her. Chen Xing used every means that he had.

Exactly half a sichen later, all the tribeswomen cried out in joy. Chen Xing asked: “Did it work? What did they say?”

“Head... the head came out,” Xiang Shu translated from outside the tent.

Chen Xing: “The outside is cold, you go back and drink tea. Consort, keep trying! You're going to make it!”

Outside, a large crowd had surrounded the tent. In this freezing weather, Chen Xing was sweating all over, changing needles, putting needles in, feeding medicine to the consort, and stimulating her last bit of willpower, until the cry of an infant finally resonated. Chen Xing felt as if a great weight had been lifted from him and nearly collapsed right away.

Another quarter of an hour later, Cheng Xing made 'glug', 'glug', 'glug' sounds as he poured more than half a pot of milk tea down his throat in the Akele's royal tent, gasping for breath. King Akele and the Consort's maternal uncle household personally came over to express their thanks. Chen Xing wanted to return the gifts, but Xiang Shu waved his hand, indicating that he should not be too modest.

“If something given by the Xiongnus is returned, it will be considered humiliating,” Xiang Shu said.

Chen Xing had no alternative but to accept them. It was snowing heavier and heavier outside, and they would have to at least wait until tomorrow to be able to cross the river back to Chi Le Chuan. King Akele cleaned up a warm tent, arranged it properly, set up a charcoal fire, and let the two men go ahead and sleep. After one night, the outside had almost developed into a snowstorm, the sky dark and the earth black, and it was impossible to distinguish between day and night. Xiang Shu took Chen Xing to the Akele's royal tent to drink tea, eat roasted meat, and chat.

The Xiongnu language spoken by the Akeles was way older than the language spoken by the rest of the Hus in Chi Le Chuan. The syllables used a lot of ancient sounds, and even Xiang Shu sometimes didn't understand it. In Chen Xing's ears, they were similar to crows' rattling, and it made his head spun.

The Consort came out hugging the baby, whose eyes hadn't opened yet, and showed it to the crowd. Chen Xing cheerfully smiled, touched the baby's clenched fist, saying: "It's a little prince."

King Akele, ever since the death of his firstborn, had been heirless for so many years. Now that the consort was nearly 50, she had given birth to another one, and he was deeply moved. He asked Xiang Shu to name his child. Xiang Shu didn't decline and gave the child the name "Nadoro",

which, in the ancient Xiongnu language, meant "the ocean under the mountain".

Chen Xing signaled with his eyes, wanting to ask King Akele about the matter of the map. Xiang Shu nodded and took out the parchment.

"You brought it with you?" Chen Xing felt slightly moved. He recalled that Xiang Shu, when they had first departed, had indeed been a little behind him, so it should be because he had to get the map.

Xiang Shu said a lot of words to King Akele and showed him the map. King Akele was skeptical; he looked over it carefully for a moment before ordering his men to look for someone.

“He said he didn't know, but some old hunters in the tribe might know something,” Xiang Shu explained.

Chen Xing's heart was perturbed; he could only pray, hoping that there were clues.

Inside the tent, the only thing that could be heard was the crackling sound of the furnace fire. The Consort handed over the baby to the wet nurse, smiling as she said: “Is Chen Xing a relative from your maternal uncle's side?”

“What?” Xiang Shu was stunned, saying: “No, he's the one I met in the Central Plains... A friend.”

Chen Xing nodded then concentrated on drinking his tea. The Consort then said: “Then, did you find any of your mother's family?”

“No,” Xiang Shu answered, “there was much chaos because of the war, I'm not planning to look for them. My father had also been trying to find them all these years to no avail.”

Chen Xing didn't dare to interrupt, but Xiang Shu seemed to know what he was thinking and said, “My mother is a Han.”

Chen Xing nodded his head, and the Consort said once again: “In the blink of an eye, 20 years had passed.”

Xiang Shu huffed, a little lost in thought, glanced at Chen Xing, and ended up meeting his eyes. Chen Xing's heart was doubtful, and he was a little restless. Xiang Shu conveniently said: “It's fine. The fact that my mother is a Han is not a shameful matter.”

The Consort laughed and said: “He didn't know? You can clearly see it by his looks.”

Chen Xing had asked Xiang Shu before, but had nearly got beaten up for his troubles. As a result, he had been afraid to ask again. Xiang Shu only said in a light manner: "After my mother died, my father was full of sorrow, making the clansmen refrain from mentioning my mother. As time passed, the Ancient Covenant started to think that I also didn't like anyone mentioning it, so no one dared to talk about it."

“Shulü Kong's mother,” the Consort said, “was indeed quite beautiful, very beautiful.”

Chen Xing said: “You can just look from her son's appearance to know that fact.”

Xiang Shu spoke casually, “Hence, my Han name follows my mother's surname, and now I'm telling you.”

Chen Xing thought for a moment, then said: “In the future, if you have a chance, you can go south to try and find your maternal uncle's family, I remember there is a large and influential family with the surname 'Xiang' among the Hans...”

“Xiang Yu,” Xiang Shu spoke casually.

Chen Xing nodded, saying, “Yes, he's a famous person in Pengcheng. After the large scale migration to the South, most of the Central Plains' scholars moved to Kuaiji, I can't say for sure, but you can try asking around Kuaiji.”

Xiang Shu indifferently said, “We'll see.”

The Consort said: “When Yuyan was still alive, she said she still had one Han friend, her foster elder brother, whose name I have sadly forgotten.

Maybe you can try tracking this man down to find out more. Maybe he's still in the world of the living?”

Xiang Shu: ”?”

Xiang Shu was a little at loss, so the Consort said: “I remember that year, it was on the edge of Lake Barkol.”

“When did she go to Barkol Lake?” Xiang Shu asked.

“22 years ago, before you were born.” The Consort said, “The first time I saw her, she was walking all the way north. She said she was looking for someone, a man.”

Xiang Shu said, “She came to Chi Le Chuan 20 years ago, that's what my father had said when he was still alive.”

The Consort didn't want to argue, smiling as she said, “Then, I must've remembered it wrong.”

“Where is Barkol Lake?” Chen Xing was baffled after listening to everything.

The Consort spoke: “Further to the north from here, in the place where we graze during summer.”

Xiang Shu interrupted: “2 years before giving birth to me, she had already been outside the Great Wall?”

The Consort tried hard to remember, but it was still unclear. Chen Xing asked, “What's wrong? Is it inconsistent with what you remember?”

Xiang Shu frowned and said, “My dad told me that the year he met her, she was being pursued by her enemies and fainted in the prairie outside the Great Wall. When my dad went hunting, he unintentionally saved her. From then on. she settled in Chi Le Chuan, and two years later, she gave birth to me.”

Chen Xing was a little curious about her enemies, but in the end, it all happened in Xiang Shu's past. Since the other person didn't mention it, it

was no good to ask and dig up the matter after all. So, it was once again quiet in the Akele's royal tent, until the men ordered by King Akele came in, bringing two old hunters. First, they bowed in courtesy to Xiang Shu, saying “Great Chanyu”. They got up to read the parchment, then said some words.

The Consort began translating: “There is indeed such a place; they asked the Great Chanyu how does he know about it.”

With a strong archaic accent, Xiang Shu said not to waste their efforts to ask. Chen Xing was immediately full of joy and spoke: “Where is it?”

Thus, the two old hunters began to spread out another parchment, drawing the route to the place. The Consort said, “They said, this is a cursed place, and mountain ghosts often show up. 10 years ago, they had entered it once to hunt...”

“Mountain ghosts?” Chen Xing was astonished, “What is a mountain ghost?”

Chen Xing had only heard of 'mountain demons', which, in ancient texts, had never been recorded down as 'mountain ghosts'. A mountain demon had an appearance of a one-legged creature with a child's face and was a supernatural being that lived deep in the mountains, but they had also gone extinct a long time ago.

“The deads,” the Consort said, “are buried in the mountains. If they don't rot after some years, they will become mountain ghosts.”

Chen Xing: “!!!”

Xiang Shu: “...”

Chen Xing and Xiang Shu looked at each other and thought: Aren't those drought fiends?!

“Go on,” Xiang Shu commanded.

Once the two men finished drawing the map, they built on and backed up each other's stories. The Xiongnu's legend about the place named “Carosha”

was indeed true, but they didn't know from what period it originated from. It was rumored that in some ancient era, when there were still no written records, a dragon god fell in the north, turned into three smaller mountains, and the blood flowing out of the dragon formed a big water body.

It was once a sacred mountain where the Xiongnu had buried their dead warriors. Over time, the decomposed dragon god's body formed the marsh gas that gradually revived those corpses, and those who accidentally broke into the mountain would forever unable to leave the place.

Chen Xing thought that each tribe had many such legends, and since the main purpose of them was to dissuade people from recklessly disturbing the burial grounds, the legends were spread even more mystifyingly. They ought to be drought fiends, and they shouldn't be there of all places. Running all the way there to make a pile of drought fiends, with the cold weather and the frozen ground that could easily turn them into ice sculptures, where they could only stay motionless and could even get buried in the avalanche, who had enough free time to do such a troublesome thing?

Xiang Shu then said: “The mountain ghost you saw, what does it look like?”

The two old hunters vividly described it, but neither of them had actually seen the mountain ghost's true face. Chen Xing breathed a sigh of relief, but then, he noticed that the Consort and King Akele had been exchanging looks, and he felt something was a little off.

Xiang Shu nodded and thanked the two of them, then handed the map to Chen Xing.

“Tomorrow, when the Xarusgol River has completely frozen, the Tiele and Xiongnu tribes will be able to cross the river, escorting you until you reach Chi Le Chuan.” Xiang Shu told King Akele, “The location for the camp has already been chosen; it is the same location as last year.”

King Akele thanked him once again, then Chen Xing suddenly asked: “About the mountain ghosts, is there anything else you know?”

Maybe it was purely based on his intuition, but Chen Xing couldn't help but ask this question because he persistently felt that perhaps there was some matter that King Akele and the Consort were afraid of.

The Consort shook her head, her expression a little stupefied.

King Akele diverged from the topic, saying something to Xiang Shu. Xiang Shu also noticed, but he didn't push for more and just nodded.

That night, the entire tribe began to tidy up their things and prepare to cross the river the next day. Chen Xing returned to his tent. The day was indeed very cold, and this was just the beginning of winter. If there were no Yin Mountains to shield them from the wind, this group of people would likely survive no more than two months with how ruthless the cold in Xarusgol riverside was.

Chen Xing's whole body felt cold, and he trembled slightly. Xiang Shu lightly said, “With this constitution of yours, you still want to go north. The North is even colder.”

Chen Xing said, “I've been very idle these days, just have to wait until I recovered a little.”

Xiang Shu opened his quilt slightly, saying: “Come and sleep here.”

Chen Xing couldn't ask for more, he was shivering all over his body. He held his quilt, wrapped himself in it, went to Xiang Shu's quilt, and wormed his way into it, thinking: Che Luofeng once tried to get into your quilt, only to have you kick him out, but you unexpectedly treat me nicely?

“Is the Consort hiding something? I think King Akele also seems to know something.”

“Matters that other people don't want to say, you mustn't recklessly mention them.”

Chen Xing replied: “You've been quite calm and good-tempered these days, and you haven't been mean to me.”

Xiang Shu: “I'm not crazy. If you speak nicely, why should I be mean to you?”

Chen Xing warmed up a lot as soon as they lay down together, his whole person coming back to life. The two men were covered by the same quilt, so the space felt awfully small, and since their faces were nearly stuck together, it made Chen Xing's face actually go red. Without waiting for him to say it, Xiang Shu turned to lie flat on his back, so they would not end up being too close. In the end, he bent one knee inside his quilt, slightly moved against the blanket.

Chen Xing's heart suddenly leaped, and for a moment, his heart churned with confusion and ambiguity. He recalled that day under the tree, the words he had said to Tuoba Yan... I don't think I like Xiang Shu ba. No, no... Chen Xing forced the idea out of his mind.

Maybe, a sense of dependency towards the Protector? Ever since Chen Xing had become aware he had to find a Protector, he had brimmed with indescribable expectations for that person whose name and origin was unknown to him. Every time he was near him, that expectation seemed to have morphed into reality.

Chen Xing kept tossing and turning, he couldn't sleep well, and his heart was in a mess. From the corner of his eyes, he suddenly discovered that Xiang Shu seemed to be looking at him, so he turned sideways, wanting to say something.

Translator's Comment:

Xiang Shu’s mother is a Han and his father a Hu, NOW WE KNOW WHY HE’S SO GORGEOUS! And Chen Xing, did you just admit something there?

Anyway, my copy of Dinghai Vol. 1 had arrived in xiin’s place a couple of days ago and I’M STILL HAPPY! I GOT CX’S NIGHT LAMP GUYS!

And… we made a Feitian-dedicated Discord server, if anyone wants to join here’s the link.