#Labyrinth Seals

[omegagraphite]

Demystifying Mechanical Seals: A Comprehensive Guide

Welcome to our blog, where we delve into the intricate world of mechanical seals. If you've ever wondered what exactly a mechanical seal is and how it functions, you've come to the right place. In this guide, we'll break down the basics, explore the importance of mechanical seals, and shed light on Omega Seals Company's role in this crucial industry.

What is a Mechanical Seal?

Let's start with the fundamentals. A mechanical seal is a device used to prevent fluid leakage between two mating surfaces in a mechanical system. These surfaces can be rotating or stationary, and the seal is typically installed in equipment such as pumps, compressors, and agitators where the containment of fluids is essential. Mechanical seals provide a higher level of sealing compared to traditional packing seals, offering greater efficiency and reliability.

How Do Mechanical Seals Work?

Understanding the workings of a mechanical seal is key to appreciating its significance. Essentially, a mechanical seal consists of two primary components: a rotating element (typically attached to a shaft) and a stationary element (housed within the equipment). These elements are held together under mechanical pressure to create a tight seal. The seal faces, usually made of materials like carbon, ceramic, or silicon carbide, come into contact to prevent fluid leakage. Additionally, a secondary sealing mechanism, such as an elastomer O-ring, provides further protection against leakage.

Importance of Mechanical Seals:

Mechanical seals play a critical role in various industries, including oil and gas, chemical processing, pharmaceuticals, and wastewater treatment. Their ability to withstand high pressures, temperatures, and corrosive environments makes them indispensable in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of equipment. By preventing leaks and contamination, mechanical seals help maintain product quality, minimize downtime, and enhance workplace safety.

Omega Seals Company: A Leading Provider of Seal Solutions

Based in India, with a presence in Mumbai, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, Omega Seals Company is a reputable manufacturer of a diverse range of seal equipment. With a commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, Omega Seals Company delivers reliable sealing solutions tailored to the specific needs of each industry. Whether its standard seals or custom-designed products, Omega Seals Company's expertise and experience make it a trusted partner for businesses worldwide.

Mechanical seals are essential components in various industrial applications, serving to prevent fluid leakage and ensure the efficient operation of equipment. Omega Seals Company stands out as a leading provider of high-quality seal solutions, catering to the needs of industries across the globe. With a focus on innovation and customer service, Omega Seals Company continues to uphold its reputation as a reliable partner in the field of sealing technology.

Contact us at: https://www.omegaseals.com/ | +91 9820045787 | info@omegaseals.com

[igwanasuchus]

an average pico day drawing BUT with a catch

every character sorted by year

virtual seal from club a seal (1999) by tom fulp

the negotiator from the provoker (2000) by seriousness

the cat from retarded animal babies (2003) by dave

adam android from the amazing adam android (2005) by hotdiggedydemon

leslie and brianne from wacky lesbian hour (2005) by keith stack

the trio from an awesome halloween (2006) by egoraptor

the orange from orange roulette (2012) by matzerath

the hero from labyrinth: sos (2014) by pestoforce, luis castanon & genclops

gappy from gappy (2019) by leviramirez

manon and cybermare from loveweb (2021) by shadok

octillery from octillery's misadventures (2021) by vidyabatter

pistol and knife from pistol for president (2021) by strobeinteractive

pengu from pengu saves christmas (2021) by stannco

ninjiro and jeniffer from moon's eye saga (2022) by metalsonic655

the cat from seven fridays cat (2022) by edusilvart, benedique & goruposstudios

gameen from using the (2023) by kingcrowned

[aviatrix-ash]

Today I learned:

Labyrinth seals.

I think these hilighters I have use the same method to keep the juice inside, pretty neat to see the same concept used on massive turbines applied to everyday objects :D

[laughableillusions]

Also looking at the blind Peddler!Jareth he fucking sucks at disguises like

There’s his fucking necklace right there

Very BLONDE hair and FAIR skin you have under that mask SIR

Not to mention your very HUMAN hands under BLACK LEATHER GLOVES

He’s like a fucking undercover cop trying to sell weed like you look at his shoes and it’s like “no thanks officer” dnkdskcndnfjdif

[beatriceportinari]

Kelpie Kyuubi

[the-tzimisce]

Instead of finding an apartment maybe I could simply be sealed within the tomb to achieve enlightenment or die

[svtskneecaps]

ayo shoutout to revali for being the champion whose ability i have used the least since obtaining

[millennium-madness]

Oh..

You mean Yami's real name, right..?

[Indeed.]

[poptartmochi]

ough.. unsure if I have solved the moral quandary I was facing w gioia and the krill or naurt..

[scentedinksandwhackedseals]

“the walls of my skull bend backwards and in like a labyrinth” is such a fuckin lyric

[elodieunderglass]

Horror isekai where Perceiving the Weird Eldritch Thing gets you catapulted into a nightmare labyrinth of puzzle-solving.

I.e Those Who Perceive The Hunt of the Goblin King Must Partake In The Labyrinth and Can Only Be Freed If They Complete It In One Day and One Night. By Fae Law. For Reasons.

But the definition of “perception” clearly needs to be updated because some normal guy simply films the Hunt of the Goblin King Behind Arby’s, and puts it on Facebook -

No, not instagram or TikTok, it’s important that it be Facebook -

Because the rules are pretty clear, “the rules are the rules” as is carved ominously in elvish runes above the grim gate, and the Contract is Sealed. and so therefore the guy and 25 of their most random real-life acquaintances must run the gauntlet together. It’s Some Guy, their immediate neighbors, their first partner’s mom, their friends from hobby Facebook groups (oh this poor guy and their hobbies; the elderly birdwatchers from Facebook and the young up-and-coming drag king community), their random teen kid niece, college friends, a dog who also watched the video, a couple consisting of a woman who is the guy’s Facebook friend and showed her husband the video, and the husband doesn’t even know Some Guy, so he’s in the labyrinth and absolutely furious about being forced to be involved, and they proceed to break up over the course of the puzzle.

It’s important that the narrative keeps trying to be a sexy dark horror isekai! but within this the comedic reality of Catherine, 52, the guy’s horse-riding instructor, being passionately involved in escape-room-style puzzle solving and grappling with minor goblins. They are in fact speedrunning the gauntlet.

The Goblin King finally has to say: all right, actually, I only really set all this up to fuck with one (1) guy at a time, thanks for your willingness to participate, but I think all 25 of you can consider the gauntlet fully run.

And the group would be quite hurt by that. The rules are the rules. We have a contract, actually. Let Catherine cook.

[jellybonbons]

Look at You

ೀ Leon Kennedy x fem!reader

Tags: 18+ (mdni), comfort fic, hurt/comfort, small age gap, mirror sex, pet names (sweetheart, my love, angel, princess), nipple play, fingering, double orgasm (reader), oral (m receiving), piv, unprotected sex, soft dom!Leon, playful banter.

W/C: 2.5k

A/N: can be read as a continuation of Look at Me or standalone (thinking about di & re6 leon while writing this but any ver of him works!)

Amidst the twilight's gentle embrace, Leon fills the tub with warm water for the both of you to cleanse away the grime and stains of the day. The bathroom is filled with the calming scent of lavender bath salts as they dissolve into the warm water, transforming the space into a fragrant haven. 

As he waits for the tub to fill with water, he slowly rises from his kneeling position, his joints creaking as he straightens. He leans lightly on the sides of the tub for support, a soft grunt escaping his lips as he eases the strain from his tired muscles.

“Sweetheart?”

He calls out for you, yet you remain unaware as you stand in front of the mirror. Negative thoughts swirl through your mind like a relentless storm. Your gaze fixes on your reflection, but your eyes hold a vacant, unfocused stare. 

Approaching you with a silent, practiced grace, he calls out your name once more, his years of training unintentionally guiding his steps deliberately and silently. Too lost in the labyrinth of your own thoughts, a startled gasp escapes your lips as he extends a gentle, reassuring hand to rest on your shoulder.

“You scared me,” you admit, placing a hand over your racing heart after his sudden appearance. Nervously, you begin to fumble with the necklace adorning your neck—a cherished gift from him, a heart-shaped locket engraved with both your initials and his.

“Sorry, my love; a force of habit.” Leon offers you a warm smile and tenderly envelops you in his muscular arms. With a soft and affectionate sigh, he nestles his face into the delicate curve of your neck. “Thoughts too loud tonight?” He murmurs against the nape of it, the soft sensation of your skin beneath his lips prompting a gentle nibble.

“Hmm," you respond, and your gaze rises to meet the reflection in the mirror, where his figure seems to envelop you completely. A warm smile spread across your face as you felt the depth of his affection and presence. The weight of your thoughts begins to lift, and a glimmer of solace breaks through the clouds of your troubled mind.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he whispers gently as his lips leave a trail of soft kisses along the nape of your neck, each one a sweet declaration of affection. His calloused hands slide down under your shirt, touching your hips in a way that is both tender and seductive. The sensation is a mix of relaxation and intimacy, as he moves his fingers in soothing, circular motions, melting away any lingering tensions.

God, he is perfect. 

“This is enough,” you say, shaking your head as you settle back into his embrace, your fingers tenderly tracing patterns over his hands.

“But you’re still tense. Let me help that for you,” he whispers. In truth, you weren’t tense at all; he simply craved a reason to be closer to you after the long day. You release a sigh of surrender. There's no use in resisting him; he's one stubborn man. "Alright, old man," you concede.

“Old man? I’m just a few years older than you,” he chuckles. 

“Still old; I heard your knees crack earlier,” you remark, rolling your eyes with a smile.

“Oh, you heard it alright, but when I called your name, you ignored me,” he teases, giving your cheek a playful pinch.

Your smile falters, guilt washing over you. “I didn’t mean to... I just zoned out,” you admit. He observes the not-so-subtle shift in your expression through the mirror and gently guides you to face him. Sensing your uneasiness, he cups your face, prompting you to look up at him. “I know, sweetheart. You don’t have to worry about it,” he reassures, sealing his words with a soft peck on your forehead.

His warm breath is fanning your lips as he comes in closer. “Can I kiss you?” His eyes remain fixed on yours, his voice lowering to a husky whisper. You nod, giving him your consent, and feel the tender touch of his lips meeting yours. 

His lips mould with yours, and he scoops you off your feet with effortless strength tinged with tenderness. Swiftly, he places you down on the sink countertop, allowing your ass to perch on the smooth surface. 

“You truly are a beauty.”

His eyes are filled with adoration as he gazes at you, utterly captivated by your beauty bathed in the soft, amber glow emanating from the mirror. This gentle radiance delicately highlights your features, creating a luminous aura surrounding you, making you even more captivating in his eyes.

“Really?” Your smile wavers, uncertainty flickering in your eyes as his compliment reaches your ears.

“Angel,” his voice holds a firm tone as he locks eyes with you. “I’ve seen the way guys look at you. Makes me a lucky man to be your boyfriend.” He gently cups your face and playfully squishes your cheeks together.

“Me? No way.” You protest and chuckle softly, feeling your cheeks puff under his gentle hold. Despite the affectionate gesture, another subtle tug of uncertainty lingers within you. You fidget slightly, caught between a desire to embrace his words and your own inner struggle with self-doubt.

“I guess I’ll just have to prove it to you.” With a mischievous smirk, he starts planting a trail of kisses along your neck; each kiss ignites a trail of goosebumps along your skin. His rough hands, filled with urgency, slip underneath the fabric of your shirt, eagerly exploring the warmth of your skin. He skillfully unclips your bra, allowing it to fall away as he gradually removes your shirt and necklace from the fabric without causing any twisting of the chain—ensuring you can keep wearing that precious piece of jewellery.

“So soft.”

Leon leans closer to your chest, his lips grazing against the sensitive skin of your breasts. His tongue flicks out and teasingly traces circles around your nipple, causing it to harden from his ministrations and the cold air from the bathroom. 

“Leon, off.” You give a subtle tug on his shirt, urging him to remove it.

“Anything for you, princess.” He chuckles softly and proceeds to remove his shirt, loosening his belt with a single smooth motion. “You’re so demanding sometimes, but that’s what I love about you.” He takes your nipple into his mouth again, sucking and nibbling on it while he pinches and teases the other with his fingers. The sensation made you arch your back, a soft moan escaping your lips.

A smug smirk plays on Leon’s lips, clearly pleased with the impact he's making on you. His hands roam your body, tracing the curves of your sides before settling on the waistband of your pants. With a smooth motion, he slides them off along with both your pants and underwear, cascading them down to the floor.

His fingers graze your sensitive folds, moving them up and down. Your breath hitch in your throat at his touch. “Leon,” you whine, your tone carrying a hint of playful warning. “Be patient, okay? I’ll give you what you want soon.” He tenderly places a gentle kiss on your forehead and continues to tease you. 

“Let me make you feel good first.” Leon runs his fingertips along your slick entrance, feeling the heat and wetness pool around them. He then delves his fingers deep, exploring every inch of your velvety walls. He knows where your sensitive spot is, like the back of his hand, increasing his pace as your body responds to his touch eagerly. 

Your uncontrollable moan echoes loudly, hands clenching the countertop as waves of pleasure wash over you. Leon watches you intently; his eyes fill with a hunger that matches your own. He knows you are close, so he adds a third finger in you while his thumb circles around your clit, applying the right amount of pressure and speed. 

He finally pushes you over the edge with a few more well-placed strokes. You cry out his name as your body convulses, pleasure radiating from your core and spreading throughout your body. While you’re coming down from your high, Leon draws his fingers out and licks off your juices from his fingers.

"You okay?" he whispers, his lips gently brushing against your forehead, his voice carrying a tender concern as he enfolds you into his embrace. “Yeah, just need a moment,” you murmur against his bare chest as you cosy up closer to him. “Take all the time you need,” he chuckles softly, running his fingers through your hair in a soothing gesture.

“Can I return the favour?” you ask, your eyes lifting to meet his with hopeful anticipation. “Sweetheart, you can do anything you want to me,” he smiles warmly as his eyes lock with yours. Without wasting any more time, you drop down to your knees, using your discarded pants as a cushion from the cold and hard tiles. 

Your hands reach for his loosened belt and undo it with a sense of urgency. Pulling his jeans down to his ankle, you release his hardened cock from its confines. You wrap your hand around him and stroke him slowly at first, locking eyes with him. Leon watches you intently and nods encouragingly for you to keep going.

His breath catches in his throat as you lean forward, your tongue darting out to lick the pre-cum off his tip. A low groan escapes him as your lips wrap tightly around his cock, and you begin to suck and bob your head, eager to please him.

“Fuck, angel. Your mouth feels so good.” He growls and sets his hand on your hair.

You let out a moan from his praise, and the vibrations from it sending shivers of pleasure through him. You begin to play with his balls as your tongue swirls around his cock, adding an extra layer of pleasure. His hips also begin to move, meeting the rhythm of your bobbing head, driving himself deeper into your mouth.

The wetness and warmth of your mouth, the way your tongue works like magic—Leon knows he’s not going to last long as he can feel the familiar tightening in his lower abdomen signalling his impending release. “Sweetheart, stop. I’m gonna cum,” he hisses, his voice filled with tenderness but also authority. However, that does not stop you as you continue to bob your head up and down.

He calls out your name with a warning tone and bites his lower lip. “I’m serious; I want to come in you.” Your long nails grip tightly on his firm thighs in response; the taste of him and the way he’s filling your mouth only fuel your desires. He growls from the sharp pain of your fingernails and gently tugs you off him by the hair, denying you the satisfaction of completing your task. “I told you to stop, didn’t I?” He smirks at you when he sees your eyes filled with lust and frustration. 

He lifts you to your feet and gently spins you around to face the mirror, your hand resting against the cold surface for support, and you can feel his throbbing cock pressing against your inner thigh. “Now, be a good girl and let me do all the work.” A deep, throaty chuckle escapes him as he leans closer, his lips grazing against your ear in a whispered breath.

You nod faintly and let out a sharp gasp as he thrusts into you. As you arch your back against him, he firmly grasps your hips, tightening his hold. His pace is relentless as he drives into you again and again. “Look at you. So pretty just for me,” he smirks, gently guiding your face upward to meet your own reflection in the mirror. 

You glance up, noticing your lips slightly swollen from sucking his cock, your eyelids drooping in blissful pleasure. You moan loudly at the sight of him thrusting from behind, the rhythmic motion causing your necklace to sway against your chest with each movement he makes. Leon relishes the sight through the mirror too; with each thrust, he can feel your walls tightening around him—you are close.

You arch your body over the cool surface, which quivers in response to your trembling waves of ecstasy. “No, no, no, sweetheart. I want you to watch yourself while I fuck you,” he carefully guides your jaw back up, his voice husky with desire. You whimper softly, parting your eyes behind your lowered lids. The sound of skin slapping against skin mingles with the heady scents of sweat, sex, and the lingering lavender bath salts, heightening the intensity in the air.

As the climax draws near, a final thrust of his cock and your fervent grinding against him brings you to a powerful release. Your body shudders with ecstasy as you come. Sensing your release, he can't contain himself any longer, his own euphoria crashing over him as he cums in you. 

Leon’s chest rises and falls with exertion as he pulls out of you, his cock glistening with a mixture of your cum and his. He watches as you lean against the cool surface, your breaths ragged and heavy from the aftermath. “Just breathe in and out slowly. I’m right here,” he whispers, trailing tender kisses along your exposed back. 

You chuckle softly, finding amusement in how delicately he’s caring for you after fucking your guts like an animal in heat. Pausing his kisses upon hearing your chuckle, he questions, “What is so funny?” Propping yourself up on one elbow, hand cradling your head, you tease, “Oh, nothing, old man,” playfully rolling your eyes at him.

“Call me 'old man' again, and I might just toss you into that icy bath," he quips with a playful threat in his tone.

“Old man,” you retort, a wide grin lighting up your face.

“Ah, you’re in for it now,” a mischievous grin spreads across his face as he swiftly lifts you. Caught off guard, you squeal at his sudden movement as he carefully tosses you into the cold water. “Leon!” you pout, pushing your wet hair away from your face in mock annoyance.

Leon laughs so intensely that he doubles over, clutching his stomach, unable to contain the joy bubbling out of him. His laughter echoes the bathroom, shoulders shaking with each joyous outburst, as he finds himself hunched over, thoroughly amused by your expression.

Growing a tad annoyed by his laughter, you grab him and pull him into the large bathtub. His laughter abruptly stops, replaced by a stunned expression on his face. "Payback," you say, flashing him a smug smile.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, princess. You win," he chuckles, offering your lips a light peck as a peace offering.

“You’re lucky; you’re cute,” you respond, returning the kiss. 

“Hmph, so now I’m cute,” he snorts, breaking away from the kiss.

"Get up, let's hop into a warm shower together. Can’t risk my girl catching a cold," he says, playfully rolling his eyes while still smiling. He rises to his feet and extends his hand towards you.

You gaze at him, your eyes twinkling mischievously. "Carry me," you request with a playful pout, gesturing towards your slightly sore backside because of him. "Alright," he chuckles, effortlessly scooping you up and heading towards the shower, well aware that he'll need to indulge your eagerness later to scrub him with the cherry blossom body scrub you've been so excited to use on him for days.

[starryeyed-seer]

What Lurks Within: 99 whispers and what they might mean

The 6th Coil of the Labirynth of Tigers is full of Mystery but some of the most intriguing are found in the rare occurrence of the sealed door. Investigating it reveals one of 99 texts depending on random chance. They're a mix of everything, from deep lore to literature references to invitations to join a monstrous polycule.

Below the cut, I'm going to look at all of them and some thoughts as to what they might mean.

Spoilers for everything.

I've sorted them by topic, aproximately, so we're starting with the coil and moving out from there.

---

The Story of The Sixth and Seventh Coil

A lot are clearly snippets from the love affair of the seventh coil, and the tiger keeper too. These get a shoutout for being unabashedly Pretty Horny in a perfectly monstrous, sensual way. Congrats whoever wrote those.

Once a tiger prince and a finger king fell in love, the tiger welcomed the fingerking to live inside him and they became a new entity, the Seventh Coil. Everything about the union was forbidden, and they were locked away out of fear in the Sixth Coil.

"—two kings apart and a king together and it is only right and proper that you kneel—"

The Tiger Prince+The Fingerking are both kings, of a sort. As the shared body of the Coil, they are still a king. Being in their presence causes an inclination to kneel.

"—amusing that they thought this a prison, and not a sanctuary—"

The Labirynth might be a prison, but it is also a safe place they may be together considering their union is Very Illegal. As much as the Coil is trapped, they are together (and not fully cut off from the outside world either)

"—presence is a joy at last, after time-outside-of-time spent with a recusant court—"

"—it would have been better if they knelt of their own free wills—"

The tributes sent into the Coil exist as the 'court', and seem lost in a dream-like haze, which the liminal Is and Not nature of the Sixth Coil causes.

"—o lover, I see thee only in mirrors—"

"—the labyrinth has been so very cruel to you, dearest—"

The Tiger Keeper encountered the Coil in dreams, and fell in love. Seeing one's lover only in mirrors also can refer to the Prince/FK affair.

"—Consort dearest, your eyes will fill with scales—"

Being possessed by a fingerking changes one's eyes, but this also reminds me of eyeless skulls: the change of the nadir, where skulls will grow plating to cover the eyes entirely from enough exposure. Considering the links between light and sight, I do wonder if this is related: your vision of the world will change forever, away from that of regular vision (and the way Judgements prefer you to see the world?)

"—your devotions reached us on the dreaming airs, so sweet upon our tongue—"

"—rest among my coils. You have travelled far to be here—"

"—show me your paws; let me test thine sharpness—"

"—claws of silver and eyes afire—"

"—and of your pelt I shall make my bed—"

—pierce me, run me through, let my blood wash over your fur—

"—sip my venom; let me into your vein—"

"—and in these knots what limbs are bound—"

"—do you shiver as I bind you?—"

"—tighter and tighter until your bones collapse—"

"—and with this knot, I take thee—"

"—nothing to fear but each other—"

"—of banded fur and speckled bands—"

"—for a tiger to change his stripes—"

"—do you love what you have become?—"

"—are you sated?—"

"—there exist no two hearts that cannot be joined—"

Do I need to say anything about these.

Parabola and Dreamin'

Parabola is the home of Fingerkings, and where Tigers conduct their sacred war against them to keep the waking world safe, a duty they were raised up for by Stone herself.

—those cold seas beyond the edges of Parabola, where dreams die—

Parabola seems to be only part of the 'Is-Not', or an aspect of it. For example, Irem isn't what Is, but isn't Is-Not either. I'm not sure what this means: perhaps a link to the Slow River.

—the weeping pus of dead dreams—

—the dense dreams of the extinguished—

There's a lot of focus on dead/th dreams, and I have a theory on that I'll get to. Let's just enjoy how many there are.

—the extinguished dreams of the one they drowned—

Oh this is easy, that's Mr E------ (violently silenced by the Masters)

 —the black dreams of flukes, the icy dreams of catankeri—

Many flukes are on a whole bitterly angry about the deal they made with the Bazaar long ago. While rubbery men, their creations, dream of the Sea of Spines, Lorn-Flukes (the pissiest ones) are probably in darker dreams. Cantankeri are from Sunless Skies, in the High Wilderness, very grumpy isopods creatures which attack anything they dislike (most things)

—the faceless dreams of Snuffers—

Snuffers were long ago exiled from the Garden after the first Snuffer, the Thief-of-Faces, stole diamonds from Stone's womb and created Mt. Nomad as a 'weapon to serve its hate'. We don't really know a ton about what went on here. The Thief-of-Faces made the Snuffers in the Garden, but seems to have come from outside it. What is it? What does it want? Unknown. Hate. Snuffers are shapeshifters who can remove people's faces and wear them, so their dreams being faceless is likely because they lack a 'true face'. Faces/lacking is a reoccurring theme in FL tied to identity, with one of the things the Sapphir'd King requires before consuming souls in SSkies being the removal of one's Face and Name.

—if the Sun has a skin, does the Moon—

The Parabolan sun is called The Skin Of The Sun, it was made during the second city and is a glass bulb of iron, glass, and Cosmogone light. The Moon in Parabola resembles a sleeping cat, but we know little else of it. It's never been called 'the skin of the moon'.

—the brass from which their sun was forged—

The Skin of the Sun was forged, but it's never been called brass. Brass is devil associated, you could also call the orange-ish colour of Cosmogone 'brassy', but this is an odd reference.

I FORGOT ABOUT THE SUN THE SUN THE SUN THESUNTHESUNTHESUNTHESUN---

(thanks to @barnabusbarnabus for noting the dawn machine is made of brass!!)

—our caught kin in their galleries and prisons—

'Serpent Galleries' are a way of containing FKs. In stone, I think, I'm not 100% on the specifics but it's certainly a way of trapping them.

—and what blood seeps from their Boil—

The Boil of Calamities is a notable Fingerking who guards the Dome of Scales and the Parabolan Sun, AKA The Skin of The Sun. I'm not sure about it bleeding.

—to knot, to boil, to conjoin, to grow, to blister— 

Fingerkings have a tendency to join together into Congregations, many FKs becoming one complicated knot-entity. The 7th Coil is knotted like this in a way.

It's notable how often this is a reoccuring theme in FL: rats have rat-kings, spiders have spider-councils, there's a lot of creatures out there who present power through unionizing into some form of joined/hiveminded entity.

—the sourceless source of the Writhing River—

The Writhing River is in Parabola, and made of snakes. (There's non-fingerking snakes in Parabola, FK may be more the 'royalty' of sneks). You travel to the source in becoming a Silverer, where you find a rock one snake at a time emerges from, silver trees, and cosmogone sap you made your glasses from.

—can tell you why the Hanging Mountains despise the Smoking Sea—

Places in Parabola, I couldn't tell you why they hate each other though.

—a banner of shed skin—

Parabola is dominated by war, banners and snakeskin, pretty straight forward.

—a hollow shell for hollow kin—

Hard to say exactly. FK can't exist in reality without a vessel, and part of their history with devils is the fact devils are hollow.

—seven marches for seven cats, along the borders of dreaming—

Stone gave cats (and tigers) a mission to protect humanity from FK and the Is-Not, watching over the borders of dreaming. Seven is the number. 7 cats specifically occurs in the dreams you get after drinking Hesperidean Cider, in the 'dreams of the Garden'

The woman stands, her work done. Seven holes in the rich, springy soil. Seven neat mounds. All seven together The woman whistles, and cats slink out of the trees. They play, tumble and purr. Seven cats. The woman is overjoyed. She embraces you. She starts gathering the cats, near the holes.

—she who gave them the spear—

—our spear went slither-slice—

—not come to bring a sword, but a spear—

Spears come up in two places, both might be related: There's the spear the cats have, which was 'liberated from the Sleeping King'. it's used in Light Fingers to crack the Skin of the Sun and is a sacred relic to them.

There's also "a sky-spear" which Might Be A Thunderbolt. I'll get to the Storm connection later but I'm mentioning it now.

Kings and reality and unreality

—Parabola, and the hypocrisies of its creation—

Oh boy!!! LET'S GO! you know how crazy I am about Judgement lore.

Parabola being a 'hypocrisy' is expressed a lot. With Judgements dictating existence and deciding what Is, they're responsible for the line of what Is-Not, and likely the reason Fingerkings aren't allowed to exist.

—admitted unreality so they would not have to fix reality—

So. In ruling reality, the Judgements may have exiled things which didn't belong in their vision of what Is, and created the idea of What Isn't as a way to deal with that. Parabola may be then a dumping ground, or aftereffect of how Judgements prune reality to suit their ideal, hidden away by Being Illegal so others won't realize the reality they control is innately flawed.

—the place where they bury their mistakes—

The Neath has been referred to as something like this a lot. The 'their' may again be Judgements, and Parabola could be where mistakes are buried.

—no king has ever made a law without wishing for exceptions—

Judgements are Kings. They present as infallible gods, but they aren't. They're definitely hypocrites.

—none live by their own rules. It is not only the Mountain's parent who sins—

An accusation that (likely) Judgements do not follow the rules they enforce on others. With that in mind, 'the mountain's parent' is almost certainly the Sun, Sol, rather than the other parent of the Bazaar. The Bazaar is a sinner, but the Sun is the one who still acts as a proper Judgement while having had a secret affair and hiding his daughter in the basement.

—the forsaken products of furtive experiments—

Similar to 'burying their mistakes'. The Neath has been referred to as the Sun's experiment, it's a hiding place of illegal Shames, it's not a far reach to suggest this might be talking about the Neath. It also may be the case Parabola is like this for Judgements.

—what Law forbids, and what dark abides—

The stars have strict laws, but you can get away with a lot in the dark.

—they war as they play, toying, feinting—

Part of other clues around the Sixth Coil is the suggestion the war between FKs and Tigers is a false one or unnecessary one. They're in an ancient, endless war serving ancient forces and grudges... but why must it be this way?

—of dream, they made a cage—

Calling the 'they' here to be Judgements. Parabola is a cage for the Is-Not. Dreams are a prison for what can never be.

—and shapes are dreams before they are born—

But where do dreams come from? What does this mean?

—the burning dreams of wayward words—

—the words afire and the words excised—

—sulphurous and thought-executing fires—

The Correspondance is a language of fire, and the language of reality-defining Judgements. There's three references here to words being forbidden, exiled, violently stopped.

There's been plenty of assumptions and guessing going on throughout this, but here's my big swing:

Thoughts, dreams, words which cannot be by Judgement law are what make up Parabola. Fingerkings themselves may be some aspect of those exiled ideas, or born of them. I keep thinking about the name Fingerkings and the fact Judgements are also kings.

Could they be at all, y'know... the fingers... of Kings...?

Stars burn without end, creating eternal light and in most cases eternal day. Do stars sleep? I doubt it. Do stars dream? Not in sleep.

Do you think stars might want things which cannot be? As much as they shape and dictate reality, they obey the law of each other (to some degree, what with the hypocrisy). What happens then, to daydreams? To forbidden desires? Perhaps those things are burned before they can be born, exiled to unreality before they corrupt the Is.

—a cracked and broken Curve—

Reality, the Is, is called the Curve. It's called this extremely rarely, with my first immediate source being one of the endings of SMEN. It makes sense though: if reality is a Curve, than the reflection is another Curve, forming a Parabola. It's not been called cracked and broken before, but especially with SSkies there's an idea of the cosmos failing and dying. The stars are dying. They can't keep this idea of reality together like they used to, no matter how hard they pretend.

I have another thought on FKs and Judgements, but it involves

Storm!?

—eldest brother, eater-of-aeons—

Storm is an Aeginae, a cosmic dragon which consumes time. He's dead. There's another aeginae in the Neath, but I doubt we're talking about Nook here. Dragons are 'mercenaries' of the stars, and specifically are said to have an 'ancient pact' with them, which is different to how most being who serve Judgements are referred to.

Eldest brother is not something I believe has ever been connected to Storm before though.

—the thunder speaks not to us, my love—

—the mouths of thunderheads—

—the invisible worm, that flies in the night in the howling storm—

The fact there's so many of these connected to Storm really interests me. Especially since I'm about to add a few more. Storm being dead makes him 'invisible', one could say, and language-wise there is very little separating Worm from Wyrm. In fact, you can extend that out a bit: Dragon=Wyrm=Worm=Serpent=Snake.

Aeginae have a shared mother, the Burrower Below, who is said to gnaw at the roots of the world, something which invokes Níðhöggr, a dragon/serpent from Norse mythology. Storm is connected to Norse motifs in other ways, like the urchin Valkyrie.

The use of 'eldest brother' above also means we can tie some of the whispers that refer to siblings and family potentially to Storm:

—pale and wriggling imitations of he who hatched first—

—a thousand thousand siblings— 

—do you see me, siblings? Do you hear— 

The latter is the Coil calling out to FKs, but the link between 'siblings' 'eldest brother' and 'he who hatched first' seems like... something. Especially when you consider what dragons do, which is eat time.

—a thing that eats is a useful thing, if its hungers can be directed—

In Firmament, at one point there's a bit of an illegal timeline hanging around, and it is consumed by Storm. Beyond eating time as a concept, dragon's role may be to eat forbidden timelines. What pact do the Aeginae have with the Stars? Perhaps it's a mutual one: the dragons eat and exile all timelines the stars do not approve of, leaving one Is, and dragons in turn get lots of tasty treats.

Perhaps then Fingerkings are related to this. Born of eaten timeline which can never be, meaning they can never be. Related to dragons, but never allowed to be them. Maybe up close an Aeginae is just a billion tightly wound serpents. They do have enough eyes for it.

Other Lore Bits

—clocks, maps, glass, breath, hearts—

Treacheries!! These are ways the Neath isn't quite Right, the way existence can be a bit unreliable. Basically. The treachery of maps is why distance and location are unreliable or inconsistent. The one of clocks is why you can do an action which the story says takes 3 weeks but still have it be Auguest 22nd at the end of it. There's said to be seven of them, and 'hearts' is new to the list.

—all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well—

This is a common phrase that appears all across FL in a variety of ways. The Bazaar is often linked to it but so is everyone else. It's from Julian of Norwich

—Salt spoke to us before he left, but we do not remember—

Omg hiiii Salt!! The notion Salt spoke to the Seventh Coil is a mysterious one. How, when, and why did he stop by? Who's to say. After, he exited east out of the universe

—when the Nadir touched the Zenith—

The Nadir is the place of forgetting, full of irrigo, and part of what hides the Neath from Judgements so well. The Zenith is on the roof. I'd bet it's a place of remembering, but we haven't seen it yet. It's full of scribes. When they touched would be before the Neath was carved out of the earth.

—the cleaving-places where gravity is shorn—

Gravity is surprisingly consistent in the Neath, for being a rather lawless place. There's some idea of messing with and changing it using red science. The use of 'cleaving-places' calls to mind the roof to me, and the idea of the Nadir/Zenith once touching.

—needles to bind, bones to fold, glue to keep—

Very evocative of the Librarians in the Stacks, part of Firmament. There's much to the idea of people, timelines, realities as books, so there may be something to 'bind' and 'keep' here: laying down exactly what Is and Isn't by the process of archiving and defining it. Perhaps

—amalgamy that begat the Hound of Heaven—

Not totally sure still what happens when you 'Breed' monsters in the Labirynth, but this is how the Hound of Heaven is made: a snake that sniffs out devils. the amalgamy here is the act of creating a weird hybrid offspring, and similar to the creation of the 7th coil in that way.

—no mouth—

oh hey no-king :) This is a phrase related to the Discordance.

—from the First, a bronze mirror—

—from the Second, a dream of sunlight—

—from the Third, the taste of blood—

—from the Fourth, iron bars—

—from the Fifth, a craving of feathers—

The bronze mirror means 'the first mirrors' aka the entrance to Parabola. We didn't have perfect glass mirrors for a long time historically.

The dream of sunlight is the creation of the Parabolan Sun.

The third city is notable for being when the god-eaters and Mr Eaten occurred, though that's less Parabola related.

The fourth city was marked with a lot of conflict with Parabola. I'm assuming this is connected to that somehow.

I don't know what the craving of feathers means. I immediately think of flight, the desire to ascend, icarus, but how that links specifically to London and Parabola I'm not sure.

—pay with a little of the Will-Be rendered into the Might-Have-Been—

This is from if you take a certain Terrible Deal in Irem. Irem is 'will be',. 'What might have been' could be Parabola, could be the Stacks, could be something else.

—a lie, of course. But all lies can be made true, in time—

The division between true and false comes up often. What is true? Who decides it? A king can lie and that lie can become reality.

Literary references

Shoutout to house-of-mirrors for pointing out most of these. I. don't know my Old Proper English Literary references very well </3

—in that sleep of death, what dreams may come—

Hamlet. The dreams of the dead can be visited with Cardinal's Honey, or black honey, though those dreams seem to be unique to the honey rather than 'the dreams of people who are dead'.

—to break one's staff; bury one's book—

The Tempest. Very evocative of giving up power and leaving it behind, as it is in the original context.

—blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage—

King Leer. Also about storms and raging, like a certain dragon we know!

—vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts—

King Leer again, from the same scene. Few notable words to FL here: thunderbolts for Storm, but also courier relating to the Bazaar. (I doubt in this case courier means the bazaar though, just pointing out)

—shall I compare thee to a moonlit night—

Sonnet 18, originally is 'summer's day'. Moonlight represents possibility and dreams.

—but a walking shadow—

Macbeth.

—you have but slumbered here—

Midsummer night's dream. Link obvious.

—did he who made the Lamb make thee—

The Tyger, by Willaim Blake. Poem was referenced with the reoccurring dreams had during the Estival. Lamb like this usually means Jesus, it in full context of the poem is a line like 'did god who made the goodness of the lamb also make the ferociousness of the tiger? why?'. The poem also has a line of 'When the stars threw down their spears' which might be relevant to the several mentions of spears already covered.

EDIT:

"—of banded fur and speckled bands—"

Sherlock Holmes short story!

—the invisible worm, that flies in the night in the howling storm—

The Sick Rose by William Blake!

Other dregs

—what you think is a labyrinth may be a maze—

A labyrinth is traditionally actually a singular winding path, where a maze has branching paths and dead ends. Is the labyrinth of tigers a maze after all, with wrong ways? Or perhaps reality is not a singular winding path but one with many branches, constantly being sheared off...

(lost it when this hint came out because the labyrinth/maze idea of reality and judgements is something I'd just written into the latest chapter of my suncrab fanfic lol)

—see your heat, little mouse—

The 7th Coil is talking to us directly here as we search the coil.

—the heart is the heart is the heart— 

Also the name of the play the bohemians put on during the Estival! Hearts are important. There's a lot of em out there.

—yes yes yes yes yes—

Similar to the want want want want want want text you get for Temptation's presence within the coil.

—animal that you are, little more than squirming fluid—

Probably just the Coil watching us.

—writhing in the shadow they cast—

Hard to extrapolate much specific meaning here beyond the fact the FKs exist in the shadow of reality (and the Neath does too). The use of 'they' in this has often been suggestive of Judgements, so yeah: light is needed to cast a shadow, a shadow is a place without light, certain things writhe and live there

—those things which preceded them—

I try not to be stuck with my head in the stars but also another case where I think you could read the 'them' here to be Judgements. But it's been put here in the dregs because it's another very vague one that could mean anything.

With the idea of Judgements as unjust-kings who claim to be truly divine but are as fallible as their subjects, you have the idea of what there was before Judgements. Was there a before? If the Judgements truly aren't all-gods who have always dictated reality, then there must have been. Probably.

—and I shall not climb upon the scaffold they have made for me—

A very evocative phrase I can't confidently sort!

I think it could be related to the rejection of power and the way of kings: both the Tiger Prince and the Fingerking who became the 7th coil rejected their elevated places to commit the sin of love and chose each other. 'I will not stand up there above all, though they say it is My Place'

---

Anyway! These have been my many thoughts. I'm sure I'm missing stuff or a bit off or anything else... Please, feel free to talk about it with me! I want to know people's thoughts. I've held a torch for the Storm/Dragons/Snakes link for a while so seeing a bunch of hints that back me up was really exciting, but I also know I can be a bit blinded by how open to interpretation a lot of FL lore is. I see that crab everywhere....

[medievalandfantasymelee]

We are now just a few days away from the end of the submission period for the Hot Medieval and Fantasy Men Melee, and our Entrants stand numbered at 250!!!

Submissions will close on the 27th of June, so if you have a hot medieval/medieval fantasy guy (or multiple of them) you'd like to see compete, send them in!

Here is a list of our Noble and Worthy Contenders so far.

If your man isn't here, that means he has not been submitted.

The Contenders

So Far…

Adhemar, Count of Anjou [Rufus Sewell], A Knight's Tale (2001)

Prince Aemond Targaryen [Ewan Mitchell], House of the Dragon (2022-)

Alessandro Farnese [Diarmuid Noyes], Borgia: Faith and Fear (2011-2014)

King Alfred the Great [David Dawson], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan [Antonio Banderas], The 13th Warrior (1999)

Antonius Block [Max von Sydow], The Seventh Seal (1957)

Aragorn, Son of Arathorn [Viggo Mortensen], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

King Arthur Pendragon [Alexandre Astier], Kaamelott (2004-2009)

King Arthur Pendragon [Bradley James], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Athelstan [George Blagden], Vikings (2013-2020)

Ash Williams [Bruce Campbell], Army of Darkness (1992)

Brian de Bois-Guilbert [Ciaran Hinds], Ivanhoe (1997)

 Brother Cadfael [Derek Jacobi], Cadfael (1994-1998)

Carlos I [Álvaro Cervantes], Carlos Rey Emperador (2015-2016)

Prince Caspian [Ben Barnes], The Chronicles of Narnia (2010)

Cesare Borgia [Mark Ryder], Borgia: Faith and Fear (2011-2014)

Cesare Borgia [Francois Arnaud], The Borgias (2011-2013)

Prince Chauncley [Daniel Radcliffe], Miracle Workers: The Dark Ages (2020)

Prince Daemon Targaryen [Matt Smith], House of the Dragon (2022-)

Khal Drogo [Jason Momoa], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Lord Eddard Stark [Sean Bean], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Edgin [Chris Pine], Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023)

Éomer, Son of Éomund [Karl Urban], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Étienne de Navarre [Rutger Hauer], Ladyhawke (1985)

Faramir, Son of Denethor [David Wenham], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Finan [Mark Rowley], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Sir Galahad [Michael Palin], Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Galavant [Joshua Sasse], Galavant (2015-2016)

Gawain [Dev Patel], The Green Knight (2021)

Geralt z Rivii [Michał Żebrowski], The Witcher (2002)

Geralt of Rivia [Henry Cavill], The Witcher (2019-)

Sir Guy of Gisborne [Basil Rathbone], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Sir Guy of Gisborne [Richard Armitage], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Prince Hamlet [Laurence Olivier], Hamlet (1948)

Hubert Hawkins [Danny Kaye], The Court Jester (1955)

King Henry II Plantagenet [Peter O’Toole], The Lion in Winter (1968)

King Henry V Plantagenet [Tom Hiddleston], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)

Prince Henry [Dougray Scott], Ever After (1998)

Hugh Beringar [Sean Pertwee], Cadfael (1994-1998)

Inigo Montoya [Mandy Patinkin], The Princess Bride (1987)

Jareth [David Bowie], the Goblin King, Labyrinth (1986)

Jaskier [Joey Batey], The Witcher (2019-)

Prince John Plantagenet [Claude Rains], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Lancelot [Santiago Cabrera], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Legolas Greenleaf [Orlando Bloom], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Madmartigan [Val Kilmer], Willow (1988)

King Mark of Cornwall [Rufus Sewell], Tristan and Isolde (2006)

Mikoláš Kozlík [František Velecký], Marketa Lazarová (1967)

Merlin [Colin Morgan], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Niccolo Machiavelli [Thibaut Evrard], Borgia: Faith and Fear (2011-2014)

Prince Oberyn Martell [Pedro Pascal], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Peregrin “Pippin” Took [Billy Boyd], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Pero Tovar [Pedro Pascal], The Great Wall (2016)

Ragnar Lothbrook [Travis Fimmel], Vikings (2013-2020)

Ravenhurst [Basil Rathbone], The Court Jester (1955)

Richard Cypher [Craig Horner], Legend of the Seeker (2008-2010)

King Richard [Timothy Omundson], Galavant (2015-2016)

Richard III Plantagenet [Aneurin Barnard], The White Queen (2013)

Robin Hood [Errol Flynn], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Robin Hood [Michael Praed], Robin of Sherwood (1984)

Robin Hood [Cary Elwes], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Robin Hood [Tom Riley], Doctor Who: “The Robot of Sherwood” (2014)

Rodrigo Borgia [Jeremy Irons], The Borgias (2011-2013)

Rollo [Clive Standen], Vikings (2013-2020)

Samwise Gamgee [Sean Astin], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Sandor Clegane [Rory McCann], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Sid [Luke Youngblood], Galavant (2015-2016)

Sihtric Kjartansson [Arnas Fedaravicius], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Thorin Oakenshield [Richard Armitage], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Tom Builder [Rufus Sewell], The Pillars of the Earth (2010)

Mr. Tumnus [James McAvoy], The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Vlad III Dracula [Luke Evans], Dracula Untold (2014)

Westley [Cary Elwes], The Princess Bride (1987)

William Thatcher [Heath Ledger], A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Will Scarlet O’Hara [Matthew Porretta], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Will Scarlett [Patrick Knowles], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Will Scarlett [Christian Slater], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

[wormboyfriendcentralstation]

heathcliff: i killed cathy...... im a horrible person in every timeline. my revenge killed her. my remorse literally broke through timelines.

catherine who got back at heathcliff by stealing a house to remodel into the Magic Cocaine Labyrinth after draining the financial assets of england's least tragically ill victorian man, making carmen contact her copyright lawyers by sealing her ambiguously dead body into a glass tank while her brain powers a building, and potentially hiring the Mueseumafia of Modern Art because if she pays them with cash she doesnt have to report her Green-Energy-Human-Tank Powered Hydrogen Bomb Basement Factory's earnings to the IRS or whatever the city uses: 'tis what you get for trying to boyfail without your girlboss, methinks 😇😇😇😇😇