#Uri encounter

[graveys-art-blog]

The violinist makes an entrance!

[sunflowersand-bees]

Just thinking about how, in the book, Stan is the one to cut everyone's hands. Stan is the one who makes them promise.

Thinking about how Stan is the only one who broke his promise.

Thinking about how, in the book, Stan is the glue of the group. He holds them all together.

Thinking about how Stan couldn't hold himself together.

Thinking about how, in the book, Stan was the reason they all returned to Derry. Mike might've made the call, but their memories of Stan and the promise made them return.

Thinking about how Stan was the only one who didn't return.

[lilbdenclips]

Imagine being a big panic fan, meeting Brendon, and being so bad with faces you don't realize it's probably him until a while after you've parted... (I included the panic at the disco they drew earlier in the stream so you know what they're referencing.) There's another clip from a different stream where she explains that they had a hard time finding someone who would do this part of the scavenger hunt (person already wearing a Hawaiian shirt, saying today in nerd history on camera) for her team but B gladly did 😊

[witherydithery]

Some things they omitted from the re anime (so far), from memory:

Torso seeing Toru's binder

Haise's breakdown after his encounter with Nishiki

The Christmas party

Hanbe hanging out with the squad

Saiko's backstory

Shirazu asking Haise what will happen if Haise gets his memory back

Haise playing with Saiko's hair

Kanae wanting to express their femininity (in a flashback)

Matsumae training with Mirumo

Touka visiting Shinohara at the hospital

Toru being on his period while the Auction Raid is accusing (iirc)

What happened after Shirazu died and Kaneki became Black Reaper Kaneki

Anything about Black Reaper Kaneki

Urie's attachment to Toru

Kaneki's plan

Kaneki's breakdown

Context for the Rushima attack

The starts of most of the fights (and sometimes the whole fights?) at Rushima

Toru's kidnapping and the whole thing with Torso

Toru's backstory

Toru intending on killing Mado

When Haise was imprisoned (flashback)

Most of where the Arima squad went to help the Anteiku squad

Arima squad finding Kaneki with Arima's corpse

Kaneki reciting poetry to Arima's corpse

Banjo trying to heal Mado

Details of Kanki's visit with Ogura

Karaoke

They really just...force the audience to guess what's happening at any given moment, huh. And get rid of emotional moments while they're at it.

[aziraphales-library]

this is going to sound slightly stupid i’m begging you to bear with me

you know those fanfics from like 2013, the rpf’s that (usually) were about musicians like harry styles or brenden urie?

they’d go something along the lines of, ‘not-like-other-girls’ sitting in the crowd of a concert her friend dragged her out to, but she just doesn’t care about the music it’s so not her thing so she reads a book during the concert (cue the groans). then the lead singer sees her and is totally taken by her uniqueness and calls her out from the stage or asks to see her after the show yada yada.

anyway, i saw some fan art of rockstar!crowley and normie!aziraphale, and i thought it’d be fun to see if there’s anything similar to those kinds of rpf’s but instead for crowley and aziraphale!

We have a #famous crowley tag you can check out. Here are some fics in which Crowley is famous and Aziraphale is not...

A rockstar's love by The_boxhead (G)

Crowley had a lot of problems finding someone to have a relationship with as the famous rockstar that he is. But that day when he entered that coffee shop and saw that blond haired man behind the counter, he didn’t want more than to get to know that beautiful angel with that cute smile.

Star Crossed by AppleSeeds (T)

When Crowley, the lead singer of wildly successful rock band The Sixth Circle, agrees to take part in a radio show discussion feature, the last thing he expects is to come away from it completely smitten with a man who must be the world's most adorable magician. Crowley's uncharacteristic behaviour towards Aziraphale during the show doesn't go unnoticed by the listeners, with speculation soon running rife online. Only one thing for it - Crowley just needs to engineer an opportunity to see Aziraphale again. All in the name of generating publicity, of course.

Never Too Late by AppleSeeds (T)

It's been thirty-five years since the height of Aziraphale's enormous crush on rockstar Anthony Crowley, but when he sees that Anthony is still performing, Aziraphale feels he owes it to his younger self not to pass up the opportunity to finally hear him sing live. The last thing he expects is for Anthony to actually approach him once the concert is over, extending an invitation that surpasses every fantasy Aziraphale harboured about him as a young man and resulting in the most memorable night of his life.

The Only One I Still Know How to See by Furuba_Fangirl (E)

Aziraphale has been an admirer of Anthony J. Crowley for years. However, the gap between audience member and stage actor begins to thin when they are given the chance to officially meet.

Soho by Lurlur (E)

Aziraphale lives a quiet kind of life, running a quiet specialist bookshop in one of the liveliest districts of London. He's content with his lot, happy with his friends, tolerant of his probably-human housemate, living vicariously through the gossip pages. One day, a chance encounter with Anthony Crowley, lead singer of wildly successful rock band The Demons, threatens to turn his whole world upside down.

Find the Light by klikandtuna (E)

I saw a collection of gifs on tumblr combining David Tennant as a rock star and Michael Sheen as a school headmaster (see the notes of Chapter 1 for a link to the post!) and someone said that it ought to be a fic, sooooo I've made it a fic. Here's a heapin' helping of rock-star Crowley and headmaster Aziraphale! Now with shiny new cover art, also by me!

Win a Date With Anthony J. Crowley! by Caedmon (E)

Crowley is a world-famous rock star who sells out arenas. His name is synonymous with 'rock-n-roll', and he thrives on the spotlight. When he agrees to raffle off a date with himself for charity, he's expecting to meet an overzealous fan that wants to wear his skin and very well might try to roofie him. What he's not expecting is to be instantly attracted to the quiet man with the unusual name who shows up for the date at the Ritz... and he's certainly not expecting for Aziraphale to have no clue who he is...

- Mod D

[lilydalexf]

🌲👽 X-Files Survival/Wilderness Fic Recs

Here are some very good X-Files survival or wilderness fics. Because @thatsaprettycoolposter and @pookie-mulder asked! This list does not include post-colonization fics, which are also all survival fics of a sort. Enjoy!

Alligator Moon by jordan big monster in swamp attacks FBI agents

Antidote by Rachel Howard and Karen Rasch Strange doings in a tiny western town bring Mulder and Scully out to investigate. Once there, they uncover a deadly experiment that may cost both of them their lives.

Backtracking by Kel and Scetti What do Charlie Scully, the Alien Bounty Hunter, and Jesse "the Body" Ventura all have in common? Last April you could have found all three of them in Minnesota.

By the Wind Grieved by Karen Rasch Months have passed and Mulder is back. But things are not as they once were. He doesn’t know who he is or what Scully and he are to each other. Together they must reclaim the past before their enemies take away their future.

A Cabin in the Woods by @leiascully Mulder and Scully, on the run, stay for a while in a cabin in the mountains in Montana. A series of interlacing vignettes.

a cabin in the woods by @monikafilefan Being stuck in this rustic cabin, clearly left to age among the wilderness had Scully feeling wild herself, and it felt as if their bodies danced to an ancient song among the elements.

Camping by Amperage and Livengoo Fox Mulder and Dana Scully have survived abductions, serial killers, mutants and aliens but the Partner Cooperation Program Wilderness Encounter may finally do them in. After poison ivy and catfish, who wouldn’t long for a nice, safe killer mutant?

A Change of Seasons by Jo-Ann Lassiter A search for a mythical beast in the woods of Pennsylvania takes an alarming turn for the worse when Mulder's minor in ury escalates into a life-threatening disease.

Changing Tides by QofMush Who says change is all bad?

Circumnavigation by Suzanne Schramm Sometimes you don't know where you're going until you get there.

Coming Back by Karen Rasch Mulder gets a call from Mrs. Scully, who fears for Dana's safety. Following her instructions, he tracks his partner to a cabin in the mountains where he finds that she does indeed need his help. Memories of her time away have come back with a vengeance. (Sequel: The Calm After The Storm)

Dark Water by Suzanne Schramm Prehistoric insects. Mothmen. Now it’s a publicity-shy tribe of murderers. Just another nice trip to the forest with Mulder.

Falling Snow by Snark Mulder, Scully and a mysterious woman from Mulder's past crash in the snowy landscape of the Colorado winter.

Frozen by @dashakay The end of a case, and a stay in a log cabin during a blizzard, lead Scully to take the biggest risk of her life.

Last Chance Falls by @slippinmickeys A man. A women. A forest. A hit squad. An adventure.

The Lost by Wintersong Mulder and Scully are trapped in the remote wilderness and the art of surviving was not what they expected.

Old Growth Forest by Andrea Mulder and Scully investigate the disappearances of homeless people in Madison, Wisconsin and seemingly end up suffering the same fate.

A Path of Salt by Analise Mulder ditches Scully yet again to help an old friend in the Park Service. But Scully has never been one to sit and wait.

Tam Lin by Pequod When your local young men disappear, only to turn up dead a year later, sometimes it helps to have friends in high places. Myth and murder combine in a remote Scottish village, and Mulder and Scully investigate. The Fairy Queen is out to revenge the loss of her most prized knight, Tam Lin. Mulder believes but Scully’s not so sure, until Mulder takes a walk in the woods.

Tempest by Missy Pennington Mulder and Scully survive a plane crash to find themselves injured and stranded in the Appalachian wilderness. (Sequels: Distance, Wild Places, and Escape Me Never)

Untitled by @o6666666 Prompt: Mulder takes Scully camping and they make love for the second time ever under the stars.

Waiting in Motion by mountainphile After leaving the hot spring (in "Miraculous Manifestation"), Scully and Mulder take an unexpected detour on the way home. Dark secrets emerge when they seek shelter in a raging storm...and an intriguing X-file rears its head... (Sequel: Signs of Life)

Way Through the Woods by Pellinor and Rebecca Rusnak Three months ago, someone noticed something unusual about Scully. Now, in a desperate attempt to stave off the inevitable, Mulder has disappeared, and Scully’s only chance of finding him include an unlikely ally and an untrustworthy informant. As they make their way through the woods, can Mulder and Scully find each other, or is the future lost?

[nuri148]

My Take on Levi's Age

I originally wrote this as a rb addition to another post. I've been meaning to make it a stand alone post since then, and with all the talk about Levi's age since the publication of bad boy, here it is, finally.

If you ask me, Levi could not have been more that 4-5 years old at the time Kenny found him around 829.

Why?

He's severely malnourished, probably spent several days cloistered in the room with Kuchel with nothing to eat. So my guess is that, though he was old enough to speak and understand Kuchel was dead (even if he could not quite grasp the bigger concept of Death), he was too young to go out and procure himself and his mum some food, be it by stealing or begging. And for that, he's need to be very young.

I lived in Greater Buenos Aires more than half of my life (the infamous "conurbano"), and I've seen lots of very small kids, 4-5 years old, begging like pros for either change or food. It's unfortunately very common in impoverished areas. And I wasn't even in the bad ones. So, in that aspect, the Underground wouldn't be different from our villas or Brazil's favelas.

Kuchel was a prostitute. She wouldn't want Levi to witness her at work. It is fair to think that as soon as he was old enough to cross the street she'd let him roam and go play with other kids while mummy's busy. There, he'd quickly learn how to come by a piece of moldy bread to stave hunger.

So in order to just sit starving by his mother instead of going out looking for help, Levi must have been young enough that his mum could still keep him under wraps; too young to know his way about the Underground's streets, too much of a rookie in terms of using his charm or his cunning to get a bit of food.

Uri Reiss inherited the Founding Titan in 829. BUT, nowhere does it say that Kenny's encounter with Uri happens right after the latter became a titan. So Kenny might have joined Uri up to a couple of years after 829 (not many, as Rod Reiss still looks young in that flashback).

So Kenny finds Levi between 829 and 831; And Levi is 4-5 then, meaning he was born, at earliest, in 823 (considering his b-day is only one week before the year's end, that'd make him 5 in for most of 829) and latest in 825 (same if Kenny found him in 831). That makes him 10-12 years older than Eren and company. , ~20 when he joins the SC, ~26 during seasons 1-3, ~30 after the time skip, and ~33 in the epilogue.

"But Yams said he was thirty-somethiiiing!"

TLDR: I wouldn't consider canon some spur-of-the-moment answer given by Yams in a panel where he's probably tired, nervous, and doesn't have his timeline handy.

Allow me to speak here as a writer: the whims of your imagination often don't align with the logic of what needs to go on the page. So it is perfectly possible to imagine your character in a way that is inconsistent with your timeline. You see them with short hair and summer clothes fixing lunch in their sunny kitchen in a scene and, when they move to the dining room you see them with hair 4 inches longer and serving supper as a snowstorm rages outside. When you write it, you're going to have to pick up one, and go back to your notes often for continuity after, bc your brain keeps forever placing the kitchen in sunny summer and the living room in a winter night. Oh, and they're both simultaneously on the ground and the second floor. Escher pictures make more sense.

The story of AoT spans many years, so we don't know which year Levi is the default Levi in Yams' brain. It could even be the Levi from the time skip, or from a future after the last chapter that only exists in his imagination. Also, Yams has bungled up numbers before so, personally, I don't trust him much in that department.

In any case, Math is a hard science, so if Kenny found Levi with 4-5 years in 829, he can't be 30+ in 850. 5+21=26. No matter what Yams says.

Additional notes:

The original post. With additions. I recommend reading the quoted twitter thread.

Another, recent twitter thread on Levi's age

A lengthy post by an actual psychologist providing scientific foundation for Levi's age when Kenny finds him.

I saw yet another post on Levi's age recently, but I can't find the link rn and I have to make lunch. if/when I find it, I'll add it (and others I may come across)

[toodelusionalforreality]

Azriel x OC | Chapter 5

Relic

Both his brothers are mated. Both his brothers are happily in love. But after five centuries of rejection, Azriel doesn’t hope for such luxury in his life. When he meets the bar owner who is too mysterious even for the spymaster to decipher, his intrigue turns into more. Lines between mystery and secret blur. The more he gets closer to her, the more his instincts warn him to stay away.

Word count: ~4.6k Warning: None [not enough editing/formatting]

A/N: This is an experimental piece of work. I'm testing a writing style, so feedback is welcome. Going to pretend to be some big shot writer and dedicate this chapter to the ones who encouraged me to keep writing. And my favourite reader (you know who you are, hopefully).

Previous Chapter: Shadow

The doorknob twisted under his fingers and Azriel gritted his teeth at the soft click. Mercifully, the door made no more sound. Darkness and quiet awaited him on the other side, while a haunting aura loomed behind him in the hallway under the fading sunlight. The hag was nowhere to be found.

Everyone except Ayla had known who he was, yet something changed after that day.

The last time he walked into the bar, Raya glared from across the room stopping him in his steps. She and Uri exchanged hissed whispers before the server led him out to the streets. He croaked out a “We’re closing soon anyway” with an apologetic smile and shut the rusty door in his face.

And, the hag—gone were the expectant eyes and the grateful smile when Azriel returned the next night. Instead, he faced a creature twice as large as him with knitting needles in one hand and jagged talons out in the other. 

Nonetheless, it warmed his heart and calmed his mind that Ayla was cared for.

Grumbled curses seeped through the wall on his side. His shadows wound tight around him. Clapping his wings close, Azriel wedged through the gap and shut the door carefully, praying it didn’t alert the hag.

A second passed and another. Then, sweet silence embraced him.

‘We’re closed.’

Azriel whirled around.

The room seemed to stretch far and long in the darkness with thick curtains shielding the windows. Stacks of wooden trays, empty glasses, and filled crystal decanters piled on the counter. Behind it, Ayla reached on her toes and placed a bottle on the shelf. A lone lantern burned a muted golden above the bar illuminating her.

‘I really need a drink,’ he uttered the first words that came to his mind, cursing himself for the senseless fool he was.

Her hand went rigid. Ayla stilled, and time and space froze with her. If not for the wisps of hair fluttering with her every breath, Azriel would have believed so.

None of their previous encounters ended on a good note. After the last time, he needed to clarify himself. If his mate deemed him vile, Azriel preferred she hated him from close. But in her silence, it struck him. She could be the one behind her friends’ defence, commanding them to keep him away.

‘Lock the door.’ She said a moment later, adding another bottle to the display. ‘I don’t want anyone else to believe we’re open yet.’

Resisting a smile, Azriel tested the knob again. He and her, alone in the empty bar—dreams truly did come true.

Once he settled across from her, Ayla faced him. She looked at him, unblinking. 

Azriel waited. So did she. He fumbled into his pockets and his fingers caught in the leather. His heart sank. He remembered stuffing a pouch with gold marks explicitly to bribe the hag if needed.  

Ayla laughed, the sound echoing through the air, chasing away every thought from his mind. She had blessed him with her smiles before. But this, it was beautiful—more so than her melodies, like the chime of a willow.

‘I was expecting your order.’ Her shoulders shook as she picked a glass from the pile. ‘Spare your money. The bar is still closed, remember?’

Heat crept up his neck. Though Azriel smiled, he ducked his head low. His shadows swayed on his shoulders as if laughing along with her. Traitors.

Ayla pulled a decanter from under the counter, simpler than the ones above, and poured a mouthful for him.

Azriel took the first sip and her eyes never left his face. 

A thick sweetness coated his mouth, the aftertaste lingering on his tongue. A drink was surely an excuse for his cause, but he expected a real one in a bar. He almost said so when his throat tightened. His vision clouded. Bitterness exploded along the back of his tongue before morphing into a burn that settled in his throat, and an undignified cough escaped his lips.

Amusement sparked in Ayla’s eyes. ‘I can find you something light if you’d like.’

‘It’s fine.’ Azriel cleared his throat. His voice was hoarse when he got the words out. ‘I didn’t expect. . .that. What is it?’

‘Poison. Didn’t your instincts warn you?’

His shadows danced along his back and wings, but they were quiet and calm. Azriel studied her blank face as he took a subtle sniff. It smelled quite like her—a jumble of spices and sweetness. 

Ayla laughed again. ‘I’m not daft to kill you in my own bar. It’s something Raya and Uri have been experimenting with.’

‘So it could be poison.’ Azriel smiled and tested another sip. It tasted easy this time. When she paused to fill his glass, he gave her a nod.

Her eyes fixated on his shoulders. ‘And for your companions?’

The wavering darkness stilled.

One ever wondered what they did for him or could do for them. In five centuries, no one asked what they wanted. His shadows that sensed the insensible and expected the unexpected, skidded down his back as though her question had rendered them awed. Their whispers quieted, and in that eerie void, Azriel seemed to hear a word echo back to him. Far, far away. Ayla.

‘Nothing.’ He dropped his gaze to the drink, smiling. It only served right that his companions suffered his agony too.

Leaving the liquor beside him, Ayla tended to her shelf. 

It was a cold, cruel world outside. A woman who hurt her and promised worse lurked beyond that room. A court wanted to whisk her away for a reason he knew nothing of. But Ayla had no worry. She drifted back and forth, shuffling the bottles in an innate pattern only she saw until the colours bled and blended into a seamless artwork, a mosaic of reds and browns and amber in the faelight.

How could she be so carefree with her life in danger?

She preferred the lonely, Uri had said. Even with Azriel mere feet away, she was alone, in her own world—getting her bar ready for the evening, and he was content watching her.

Cradling a bottle against her chest, Ayla leaned back against the counter.

If he set his glass down and reached a little, Azriel could trail a finger down the arch of her spine, feel the smooth curve of her waist under his palm. A little lower, her shirt crinkled, right above the swell of her— He tore his eyes away and cleared his throat.

‘You don’t have to act tough,’ she said. ‘No one shall know the big bad shadowsinger can’t drink. It will be our secret.’

Azriel looked up. Ayla moved down the bar, away from him, towards the unattended pile. A teasing smile tugged at her lips. And her face lacked the hatred he believed she felt for him.

Had he been wrong? The times he met with her, she was polite—ignoring her threat—and she talked without hesitance.

‘You were gone for a long time. Where were you?’

‘Shouldn’t you know that already?’ Ayla wiped the glasses, the rings on her bracelet clinking with her every move, and stacked them on the tray one by one.

‘I’m a spy,’ mumbled Azriel, ‘not a stalker.’

She chuckled, so light it was almost a breath. ‘Don’t the lines blur for you?’

Always a quick question thrown his way to draw the attention from her. Azriel was used to rudeness, anger, and even snark. But Ayla, she was something else. Her words were a weapon, sharp and precise, and always found their mark.

Shadows gathered over his shoulder, coiling and threading into dark ribbons, inching towards her. Ayla glanced at them and a smile curled her lips. With that, she shattered his resolve.

‘Drink with me,’ said Azriel.

Her hands froze and the smile faded. She peered at him.

‘Drink with me, Ayla.’ He said again, only gentler.

For a breath, she didn’t move, only assessing him. Then she abandoned the trays, glasses and bottles, and walked back to where he sat. 

Snagging the drink from between his fingers, she took a sip. Her brows pulled together as she pressed the back of her fingers to her lips and gasped. Azriel grinned.

‘Gods, that’s horrible.’ The veins along her neck strained as she swallowed again. ‘They should not be making that.’

‘A bar owner who can’t handle a drink. It’ll be our secret.’ Azriel poured another glass.

‘Ah, so it begins. Is this how you interrogate your suspects? Get them drunk?’ Ayla crossed her arms on the bar. It brought her closer to him.

Azriel nodded. ‘Right after a meal of their choosing.’

‘Sure, sure. We don’t want to lose them to exhaustion. And when does the screaming begin?’

There were two kinds of women—ones who idolised him and ones who feared him. Neither cared who he was underneath his mask of Night Court’s Torturer. And they definitely did not joke about it. 

Azriel chuckled under his breath.

Ayla drank again. ‘It’s still not my secret to share if that’s why you’re here.’

‘Not the part where you’re involved. That’s yours to tell.’

Her eyes didn’t waver. She observed him as though she could stir through his thoughts and pull them apart until she took what she wanted. 

After a long minute, she muttered, ‘I’m starting to see why you’re a spymaster.’ She tucked a fist under her chin. ‘I’ll tell you what. You find out where Hamra is and I’ll give you—’

‘She just passed the borders of Winter. If she moves west in the next two days, she’s heading to Autumn.’ 

Ayla blinked twice. Her lips parted and closed. She shook her head and slowly, a smile made its way onto her face. ‘Not a stalker,’ she mumbled, brushing the loose strands away from her eyes. ‘I met her five years ago.’

Azriel brought the glass to his lips and hid his smirk behind it.

‘I had to stop at an inn on my way back from a trip. I never do because they are always loud and crowded. That place was no exception.’ Her brows furrowed, yet her smile remained. She stared at the wood between them, ‘I almost left until I saw her. She was cursing at three men who were trying to hold her down and she was soaked in blood. I couldn’t tell whose it was. But she was fighting back. And those who wished to help were afraid of her.’

‘You helped her.’

Ayla nodded once. ‘Not right away. I wasn’t sure if she was innocent. But, she was cornered and outmanned. One of them even had a rope to tie her down like a beast. It didn’t matter though. The next minute, she was waggling a knife at them. Almost took an eye out of one.’ She laughed, shaking her head. More hair spilt from her knot. ‘I still don’t know where she got it from. After I had her cleaned and fed, she offered me gold for my horse and promised to let me ride him if I offered her protection.’

Azriel grinned. He expected nothing less from the spitfire of a child. ‘Who was she running from?’

‘Her sire.’ Ayla hesitated for a beat, then sighed. ‘Hamra is a half-nymph. When she came of age, many coveted her for her beauty and suitors poured in from every court. Her sire is a lowly lord. After he married a high fae to keep his bloodline pure, her mother hid her birth from him. But news of her existence spread when she bore more resemblance to him than her mother. Since Hamra carries his blood and passes as a fae, like any arrogant male, he claims to the right to decide who she weds and beds to further his lordly dreams.’

Different courts, different times, but the same tale.

Anger coiled in Azriel’s gut. Hamra was a mere child. Almost as old as when Mor endured the same or Gwyn.

‘Who’s her father?’

‘I’ve spoken more than I promised.’

‘And the woman, is she here on his orders?’

Ayla stole the drink from him and took a long sip.

‘Tell me the child is safe to travel alone.’

She lifted her chin, her eyes scrutinising him. The glass hung from her fingers by the rim. ‘And why do you care?’

Azriel didn’t know what trick she was playing. How could one not care? The sight of Mor’s naked body, bloody and bruised, on the ground still haunted him. He couldn’t condemn another to the same fate. ‘Shouldn’t we when her life is in danger?’

Ayla sipped again. Another minute of silence passed before she smiled. ‘You’re kind.’

The words felt wrong even from her lips. If she knew his true intentions, that the fae had been a pawn to get closer to her, she wouldn’t feel the same.

Azriel looked away, ‘It’s not what people say about me.’

‘Maybe you’re listening to the wrong people.’

Her gaze was heavy on him. The urge to hide gnawed at his chest. But they were alone and his shadows had their own will around her. They peeled away leaving him exposed, bare and whole. 

Aware of the little time he had before they were interrupted, Azriel took the drink from her. ‘Is that why you refuse to work for lords? For her safety?’

‘I don’t find them reliable.’ She shrugged, ‘Most are entitled and self-aggrandising.’

‘Rhys isn’t like them.’ At the least, not after one knew him.

Ayla clicked her tongue. ‘Your High Lord must pay you well if you endorse him while drunk.’

Azriel chuckled. He itched to defend his brother and convince her that he wasn’t as evil as she believed him to be. But he wanted to stay with her more. 

‘Why the bar?’ He asked instead. Her brows furrowed. ‘You make weapons and yet, own a bar.’

‘I liked the house.’ Azriel must have failed to mask his confusion because she added, ‘It’s in the middle of the city. I have a view of Sidra and the mountains from my balcony. And on solstices, I can see every celebration. The lights, the decorations, the music. For months, I tried to negotiate with the owner. But he wouldn’t sell it without the bar.’ She sighed, waving a hand between them. ‘You would know if you saw my house.’

His heart lurched at those words she uttered so nonchalantly.

‘Tell me this,’ she leaned forward on her arms. ‘Doesn’t it contradict your purpose if you declare yourself a spymaster?’

Azriel grinned. Of course, his mate would be bold enough to ridicule him. ‘I have others working for me. And everyone expects a shadowsinger to spy. There’s no point hiding it.’

Ayla rolled her eyes. ‘Excuses. Admit that you’re terrible at your job.’

’You don’t even know what I can do.’

‘You couldn’t find out where I was.’

‘But I found Hamra.’

‘She probably spotted you. Your shadows aren’t as subtle as they should be.’ She took the drink from him. The warmth of her skin grazed his fingers.

Darkness swarmed and writhed over his shoulders at the insult. A low chuckle escaped his lips. ‘Why the singing?’

Ayla frowned at the sudden shift. ‘You seem to be very curious about my life. Are you sure this isn’t an interrogation?’

‘You’re not screaming yet,’ teased Azriel.

She drew a breath and the corner of her lips twitched. ‘Among my people, women are supposed to be pretty things who do pretty things.’

Azriel waited for more. But she answered with silence.

Sire. Her people. Your High Lord. Her choice of words was strange for a commoner in the north, or even a lady. But she carried no markers of the southern courts. Even when she spoke of Hamra, she refrained from naming a place.

From the way she talked of her people, only two places came to his mind. 

Azriel knew the chances were slim but, for someone whose every word was calculated, she was bound to correct him rather than reveal the truth herself. ‘Autumn?’

Ayla grinned, ‘Do I look like I’m from Autumn?’

Hewn City then. Azriel hid his smirk by taking a sip. ‘I didn’t know making swords was a craft fit for a lady.’

‘Spoken like a true man.’ She exacted her vengeance by snatching the glass from him. Her gaze lingered on his hands as she drank and his fingers twitched on their own. 

He clenched his fists and turned away. He couldn’t bear that look from her—like he was that weak, helpless boy who cried for help, someone reduced to his past and ghosts.

‘We all have scars, shadowsinger.’ Her voice carried a note of tenderness. ‘You bear yours on your skin.’

When Azriel turned back, she was peering at his fists unfazed. She didn’t flinch away with disgust or cower when he caught her inspecting them. 

Ayla opened her palms to him. ‘May I?’

The last time she touched his skin, Azriel was too lost in her to notice. This, he wasn’t prepared for, nor could he forget.

‘You can refuse me,’ she said. Her hands rested on the counter between them as a sign of reassurance that the choice was truly his. 

Many had desired what Ayla asked of him. Even Mor at one time after she learnt the truth from Rhys. But it was Azriel who always chose who and when he touched, never the other way around. The only person he ever let feel his hands was his mother once the bandages were removed.

Slowly, he offered his hand to her. At the graze of her fingertips on his knuckles, he sucked in a sharp breath.

Ayla held his gaze, waiting, allowing him the chance to kill her curiosity. When Azriel didn’t resist, she comforted him with a smile before lowering her eyes. 

For a long time, she only observed, taking in every ugly ridge and wrinkle on his skin. She held his hand in both of hers, her fingers barely touching him. Her thumbs weaved through his digits and stroked his palm, eliciting a jolt through his spine with each traversed path.

We all have scars.

What scars did she possess? Were they a reminder on her skin like his? That thought alone birthed a hunger in him to inflict pain onto the world. 

How could anyone wish to hurt her? A woman whose eyes beheld compassion instead of pity for a cursed soul like him? The one who cradled his marred hand as a sacred relic deserving of her utmost care? The one whose face softened with a kind smile as she marked every inch of his scars with her smooth touch?

‘I wish,’ Ayla breathed, ‘they had treated you better.’

Azriel realised it then. Why Mother burdened him with a loveless life for five centuries. Why Mor didn’t accept him. Why Elain was never meant to be his. 

So he could belong to Ayla. And he would endure the heartache again for eternity if Mother promised him one lifetime with her.

Her fingers stilled, hovering over his palm. ‘Did they pay for this?’

Ayla’s face was that of an ardent believer of forgiveness—warmth radiating from her every time a smile adorned her lips. She cared for Raya and Uri. She protected a child endangering herself. She sheltered a homeless hag.

But Azriel had also witnessed her choke a male defending a fae. 

Which one was he—one worthy of her generosity or her wrath? 

Was he the same innocent boy deserving of justice after the blood he spilt with his own hands? Or was he a sinner for how he punished his half-brothers? What would appease the woman in front of him cradling his hand with a gentleness that rivalled a mother’s touch—that they were forgiven and shown the path of kindness, or they were ripped to shreds by his own tortured hands like they deserved?

No, the word inched closer to the tip of his tongue, ready to satiate his mate with a simple lie. One to keep her from running away from him. ‘Yes.’

The corner of her lips curled up, ever so delicately, and she murmured. ‘Good.’ 

When a frown etched between her brows, he knew her next question well. He grappled at everything he learned of her to lead her elsewhere. 

‘Can I see your dagger?’ She asked softly. 

Azriel almost laughed. One minute, his heart ached with the weight of his past, and the next, with joy and need.

Her back arched over the counter and she leaned low. She narrowed her eyes, prodding at his palm and pinching his fingertips. ‘Do you need special hilts? For your hands, the grip on them should be interesting.’

Oh, Azriel would prove his grip all right.

His shadows buzzed by his ears sensing his insidious thoughts. 

‘Maybe next time,’ he said, easing his hand out of her grip. What an idiot he was denying her the very thing he craved—her skin against his.

Her brow raised but she smiled. ‘Planning ahead, are we?’

It was neither a threat nor a refusal.

Refilling the glass, Azriel nodded at her wrist. ‘Did you make that?’

Ayla glanced at her bracelet before emptying their drink. ‘Orvin did. Leather and innovation are his specialities. I’m better with traditional weaponry.’ She poured another glass and Azriel grabbed it before she could. ‘I don’t carry weapons, so he made it for my travels.’

So close, the rings appeared more silver than gold but lacked the lustre of either. ‘What is it made of?’

‘It’s something I’m working on.’ Ayla threaded her third and fourth fingers through the rings and pulled, slowly revealing the cords. A trilling echoed in the air as they strummed from the strain. ‘See,’ she looked up at him, her eyes bright and eager. ‘It’s malleable under tension. It may not look like it, but it’s tougher than steel.’

She flexed her fingers and the rings whizzed back to the bracelet in a blink. Her smile widened.

Azriel set the glass down and reached for her wrist. Then, he stopped. When he turned to her, she nodded twice, extending her arm towards him. 

His fingers were thicker than hers. The rings barely slipped past his nails. The heat from her skin still warmed the metal. 

Ayla leaned close and Azriel held his breath. She curled his fingers, trapping the rings between his knuckles.

‘They are meant to be a little loose to manoeuvre them.’ She pointed at his half-closed fist, ‘You can’t get proper control if they’re snug. There’s also the danger of breaking your fingers during a fight.’

Azriel nodded and tested a little tug. His fingers trembled at the tension as though the cords fought back against him. Both times Ayla used it, she did so with an impressive ease that almost shamed his Illyrian strength.

She traced her fingers along the width of the bracelet. ‘Here’s where the tethers go. It remembers its form and reverts to it once you let go.’ Then she frowned, ‘But it’s not perfect yet. Leather gets worn out soon. We’re trying to replace it with metal but the slide and friction are hard to get around.’

Words tumbled out of her lips about metals and temperatures and mechanics. The more she talked, the further she edged towards him.

Azriel narrowed his eyes.

A smoky tendril teetered over her shoulder, one to the other. It coiled and wove itself with the loose ends of her hair, curving along her jaw carefully to not touch her skin. And as the rogue shadow nudged against her collar, swaying too close to her ear, he gritted his teeth. 

Ayla looked up at his silence.

Azriel nodded, bringing his gaze back to her face. Or did she ask him something?

He stared at his hand, the rings still in his grasp. He coiled the cord around his fist like she did on that first night. She was right—he could tolerate the strain better. He tugged and her hand slipped on the table, almost knocking the glass off. She caught it before the liquor spilt on him.

‘Hey,’ she laughed—sweet and soothing. His shadows sighed at the sound. ‘Careful!’ 

Azriel released the rings, letting go of the tether, letting go of her.

But Ayla didn’t move back. She drank, smiling. 

Lights hit the crystals on the shelf right and their glow echoed around her like a gentle halo—turning her into the ethereal being she was. Her eyes sparkled with mirth and her cheeks flushed warm. She licked the remnants of the liquor from her bottom lip as she emptied the bottle and nudged the drink towards him.

Azriel willed himself to breathe. Placing his finger on the rim, he turned the glass around. When he brought it to his lips, his tongue darted out to gather the wetness still stuck to it, where her lips had been not a moment ago. He took a long sip, savouring every drop of the burning nectar she offered.

Ayla stared at him—his parted lips, the column of his throat as he swallowed. Her inhaled breath stuck in her throat. As Azriel set the glass down, her eyes followed it before they flashed to his. 

Far, his mind screamed, too fucking far. 

But Azriel noticed the slight twitch of her lips before her gaze flicked to his side. A thread of shadow curled around his ear. 

A lock clicked beyond the wall. Ayla looked over her shoulder at the closed office door, sinking her teeth into her lip.

Raya, his shadows announced.

‘That’s my bartender,’ her voice took on a lower note, more melodious than ever. She swallowed a breath and turned to him. ‘We’ll be opening soon.’

Azriel waited. 

Ayla didn’t move.

He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to him, pressing his lips to hers. 

Metal clanked and scratched against the wood as her fingers splayed on the counter. When her lips moved with his, Azriel buried his other hand into her hair—her beautiful, silkened hair. 

He swept his tongue against her lips, wide and hungry. Honeyed sweetness from their drink lingered on them, and beneath it, he tasted her. A shiver raked through him, every nerve in his body awakening at her kiss. When she gasped, he stole the little breath from between her lips. She didn’t resist. 

Gods, not once did she resist.

Azriel kissed her. 

He kissed her with every piece of his heart. He kissed her for the centuries he waited for her. He kissed her for the moments wasted between them, and the moments he would miss until next time.

Here.

Feet stomped close on the other side of the door.

Azriel pulled away, dropping his hands.

The door opened.

‘People generally rest in their bed,’ groaned Raya entering the room. Her mouth fell open when she spotted him, her wide eyes darting between him and Ayla.

Azriel only watched his mate. Her hair, ruined by his hands. Her cheeks aglow golden with a flush. Her lips pursed—wet, swollen, and all the more inviting.

But the light in her eyes, the playfulness, faded.

He stumbled back from the stool. 

‘Thanks for the drink.’

And he left without looking back.

[salvadorbonaparte]

Broaden Your Horizons 2024

A Non-Fiction Rec List by Salvadorbonaparte

Books

Adventures in Yiddishland: Postvernacular Language and Culture - Jeffrey Shandler

A Good Man in Evil Times: The Heroic Story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes -- The Man Who Saved the Lives of Countless Refugess in World War II - Jose-Alain Fralon, Peter Graham (trans.)

Brief Answers to the Big Questions - Stephen Hawking

Erebus: The Story of a Ship - Michael Palin

Every Word Is A Bird We Teach To Sing: Encounters with the Mysteries and Meanings of Language - Daniel Tammet

Federico Garcia Lorca: A Life - Ian Gibson

Getting to Yes: Negotiating an agreement without giving in - Roger Fisher, William Ury

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban - Malala Yousafzai

Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition - Paul Watson

Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny - Amartya Sen

If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating - Alan Alda

Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism

Iwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science

Lingo: A Language Spotter's Guide to Europe - Gaston Dorren, Alison Edwards (trans.)

Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film - Harry M. Benshoff

One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rainforest - Wade Davis

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour - Kate Fox

What's Your Pronoun? Beyond He and She - Dennis Baron

Documentaries

Bowling for Columbine

Break It All: The History of Rock in Latin America

ReMastered: Tricky Dick and the Man in Black

She's Beautiful When She's Angry

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

Podcasts

Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda

Freaks and Psychos: The Disability in Horror Podcast

Lingthusiasm

Ologies with Alie Ward

Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia

The Sewers of Paris

[lostcauses-noregrets]

not late to the fandom, just really not updated. last time I was on the ackerman bond between Levi x Erwin was canonically proven, but I have seen people in the tags and some other comments say it was disproven later on. would you mind explaining to me what the hell happened? thank you very much for your existence in this eruri fandom <3 you are doing the titan's lord works!

Awww thank you dear <3  

Okay not so short summary…

The bond between the Ackermans and their lieges was first mentioned by Isayama in the Answers Guidebook which was published in 2016, the same week as chapter 84, Midnight Sun (boy was that a head fuck). In the book Isayama said: 

Isayama With the heroes of American comics, conflicts dealing with the situation “with great power, comes great responsibility” have been depicted. In Levi’s case, if he had no power, he would probably have been an ordinary person with no responsibilities but, as a consequence of having power, that he became a person excessively burdened with responsibility. Kenny talked about “everyone… was a slave to something…”, when he put the question to Levi “what is yours!?”, Levi himself too perceived it. That he himself too was a slave in regard to his own strength. The sense of duty that “I must become a hero”. …the same thing can be said of Mikasa too but…, for the Ackerman family, in the service of their master, there are many people who are able to manifest their power to its maximum. —Eh!? (surprise) About that, isn’t this information that hasn’t been talked about in the original story!! Certainly for Mikasa it’s Eren, for Kenny it’s Uri that is the lord/master-like existence… Isayama In Levi’s case, it’s Erwin. As the existence who surpasses him, he has acknowledged Erwin or how should I put it. That is the Ackerman lineage or rather, the instinctive part probably.

This became known as the “Ackerbond”, though that is a term that was made up by the fandom.  There is no explicit mention of the bond in the manga until chapter 112 when Eren tells Mikasa that she is a slave to her Ackerman instincts, who is compelled to follow her host’s orders without question. (Cue lots of hand wringing about the “abusive” nature of the Ackerbond.)

However later in chapter 130, in an extended flashback, Zeke tells Eren that there is no such thing as Ackermans having “ingrained behaviour” or “compelled instinct” to protect their “host”, and that the real reason that Mikasa shows him so much kindness and affection is that she loves him. 

For once, Zeke is right, as this ties in exactly with what Isayama went on to say about the Ackermans in the Answers book:

— Regarding Mikasa and Levi’s Ackerman family mystery, we’re also receiving more clarity! Can we say that Mikasa, Levi, Kenny are all part of the same Ackerman bloodline? Isayama: They are all part of the same Ackerman bloodline. However, their reasons for protecting their respective counterparts don’t have anything to do with the bloodline itself - it’s just their nature (laughs). Within the story, Mikasa and Levi almost have the guardian/knight-like roles, right? That’s because they encountered the existence of a “boss”-like individual, and the desire to work for that person is very in line with their personalities.

So there you have it.  The so-called Ackerbond isn’t mysterious blood magic that forces Ackermans to obey their host, however it is in their nature to devote their strength to an individual they choose, whose “existence surpasses them”.  Put in broad terms, Eren “surpasses” Mikasa because he gives her courage, safety, family, all things she has lost when they first meet.  Uri surpasses Kenny because he has unlimited power and compassion and sees the good in everyone.  And Erwin surpasses Levi because he has a cause to fight for, one that Levi can dedicate his strength to.  I once read someone describing the relationship between the Ackermans and their significant others as a particularly selfless form of love and a deep seated desire to protect, which seems to hit the nail right on the head. 

If you want more info about the Ackerbond I have many posts here: Ackermans Master Post and Ackerbond / Ackerbonds, and @tsuki-no-ura has helpfully provided a translation of the relevant passages of the Answers book here: Answers Guidebook Interview about Levi and Erwin.

[All translations by @fuku-shuu​ (x),  @ningen-suki​ (x) and @tsuki-no-ura (x).]

[blackblooms]

Irredeamable developpement retrospective Final part: Irredeamable Well, thats it. The one game in this series that you actually get to play, but even this project encountered quite a few changes as it went. So lets get into some of it.

Early in development, irredeamable was meant to be more of a metroidvania, where you'd explore interconnected levels with several routes, including some that would bring you back to the hub or allow you to visit later levels early.

This is especially visible with grimwood breach which was originally intended as the first level. Part of why it ended up feeling much more twisted and disjointed than other areas was that its rooms were constantly moved around in development as i tried to make a linear level out of them.

What eventually cemented the current form of the game was a change of approach as i began working on the shaded coast and focused on making a linear sequence of rooms rather than a complex maze. (you may also notice that the two levels ended up switching position in the hub)

From that point onward, i worked under the philosophy "focus on the game you have, not the one you want" I continued to make slow but steady progress, occasionally having to make concessions about my plans to make the project more achievable.

During the project, i worked with this hand little thing, a chart of all the areas i had planned (their state of progress being indicated by the saturation of the color)

Here you can see an older version of the chart, and all the side paths that were planned and ended up being cut. Originally, the postgame was meant to be much bigger than it ended up being. Each level had an extra-side route within the world's bowels, ending with a boss rematch. These included an underwater ship graveyard, a forbidden grove, A scrapyard full of undead machines leading to an abandoned factory, rotten tunnels and roots under the forest, an ancient tomb where you`d find the spirits of fallen heroes, and a secret vault where old secrets were preserved. These would all eventually lead to the watchmaker citadel/eye of the watchmaker, a final gauntlet inside of the space station that the "gods" of this land operated from. From all of this, only the foundations remain a single expensive postgame level that ends with a dedicated boss rematch zone. (there is a bit of a secret to anyone who visits this area before finishing the game, but i won't spoil what you`ll find)

Aniway, don`t mind this picture, just needed something to make a cut for this next section about miscellaneous locations and characters that were cut.

First was the original backstory of lady, where she was a giant crystal bird monster and mount evermore was what remained of her body after being slain. The final level back then would have been "house of glass" a journey through lady`s old body where she would ultimately be confronted by the lady of the lake who was once planned as the game final boss

meanwhile the original boss of Mount Evermore (known back then as worlds edge) was the silent sage. An ancient suhagins that had managed to survive all the resets by hiding from the watchmakers within the world`s foundation. He was also completely optional and would just give you lady soul piece without a fight. Much of his role in the story was given to the pilgrim, leaving him as a mere lost memory. If threathened, he would have fought by hiding and launching attacks from the shadows of the background. (there was a vague theme that each boss represented a moral flaw and he was cowardice)

This one won't be too complicated. Violet used to be from New Eden Upper District but was made into a witch to fit better into the areas she is found in.

Krogues/Uris used to fly like the forgotten due to being based on the fairies from the fountain. Their design had to be changed as they became more grounded.

There used to be an arch-witch enemy planned, but she was ultimately scrapped and her grenade-slinging moveset and general aesthetic were instead given to the Uri Chieftain.

The Steam Knight got through a lot of story changes in development. First, he was meant to be Ironwood's son, then it was made into merely a robot that the old man controlled during the first fight. There was plan that the knight would free itself and grow sentient to justify the later fight, but i eventually opted to give control of the robot to another character instead.

Originally, Kingsly was supposed to be donkeyskin father, but while his story was about accepting that his actions had irreparably destroyed his daughter's life and that he would never be forgiven, it ended up feeling a bit wrong to give him a redemption arc when his daughter got a more mixed and ambiguous conclusion. That storyline ended up being used for Faith's father instead and Kingsly was replaced by his aloof son, a much more sympathetic character. Speaking of the boy, there were originally plans for him to become a witch at the end of the questline, but those were dropped as there wast really any justification for it. I also pondered on wether to make him a transwoman since the area story has a big focus on gender and some of the witches, especially his sister and megan, do end up coming off as kind of terfy, but i eventually decided that these were not really the circumstances to explore it. I wouldn't mind if some headcanon that he did go through that character growth after the story through. Anyway, that should be all for now. It was really nice to share all the discarded ideas that couldn`t make their way into the game. So to finish thing off, here some pictures of all the enemies and areas that did end up making it into the game.

Well, i hope you all enjoyed this retrospective. Now i`ll get back to procrastinating. To be continued: whenever i actually get done with the next game.

[thomasmartinnutt]

Chance Encounters #009

https://www.mixcloud.com/thomasmartinnutt/chance-encounters-009/

Experimental Audio Research, Delia Derbyshire & Barry Bermange, KRM & KMRU, Valentina Magaletti, Henri Chopin, Philip Whalen, Jasmine Wood, Yan Jun, John Cage, Actress, Bob Cobbing & Henri Chopin, Rhodri Davies, Ian William Craig & Daniel Lentz, Luc Ferrari, Oval, Walter Marchetti, KMRU & Aho Ssan, Kali Malone (feat. Anima Brass), Hauschka, Jackson Mac-Low & Anne Tardos, Annea Lockwood, Will Gregory Moog Ensemble (feat. BBC National Orchestra Of Wales), Zhu Wenbo, Atrium Carceri, Kate Carr, Uri Katzenstein

[eretzyisrael]

Following Hamas's criminal invasion of southern Israel, brave men and women have stepped up to defend their homeland, with dozens sacrificing their lives in the process; These are their names

Yoav Zitun, Ilana Curiel, Elisha Ben Kimon, Meir Turgeman, Israel Moskvitz, Roni Green Shaulov|Updated:10:13

Related Topi

More than 700 Israelis were murdered on the first day of the war against Hamas. So far, only a few dozen names have been released.

Reports emerged on Saturday of the death of Nahal Brigade Commander Col. Jonathan Steinberg among numerous others. He was killed in clashes with a terrorist near Kerem Shalom. On Sunday morning, the names of an additional 25 fallen soldiers were reported.

Nahal Brigade Commander Col. Jonathan Steinberg

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Steinberg, 42, from Shomria, was en route to a clash site where his soldiers were engaged with terrorists. He encountered a terrorist on his way there and was killed during a firefight near Kerem Shalom.

The names of the fallen IDF soldiers that have been released are as follows: Sst. Roi Weiser, 21, from Efrat, a Golani soldier; Sst. Adir Geori, 20, from Jerusalem, a Sayeret Matkal commando; Cpl. Ariel Eliyahu, 19, from Mitzpe Yericho, a 7th Armored Brigade soldier; Sst. Guy Simchi, 20, from Gedera, a Paratrooper; Cpl. Shira Shochat, 19, from Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, a Unit 414 soldier; Sgt. Maj. Aharon Parash, 36, from Ofakim, a Technology and Maintenance Corps inspector; and Lt. Shilo Cohen, 24, from Sderot, a Shaldag soldier.

Maj. Amir Sakuri, 31, from Jerusalem, a Sayeret Matkal commando; Warrant Officer Ido Rosenthal, 45, from Ben Shemen, a Shaldag soldier; Maj. Ariel Ben Moshe, 27, from Kiryat Bialik, a commander in Sayeret Matkal; Cpl. Danit Cohen, 19, from Sderot, a soldier in Southern Command; Sst. Or Mizrachi, 21, from Petah Tikva, a Nahal soldier; Cpl. Amit Gueta, 21, from Rehovot, a Maglan soldier.

Earlier, the names of the following fallen were cleared for publication: Col. Roi Yosef Levy, 44, from Shavei Tzion, commander of the Multidimensional Unit, also known as the “Ghost” Unit; Lt. Col. Yonatan Tzur, 33, from Kedumim, the commander of the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion, Maj. Avraham Hovlashvili, 26, from Ashdod, an officer in Caracal; Sgt. Itay-El Marciano, 20, from Shoham, a Paratrooper; Pvt. Ofir Davidian, 18, from Patish, a logistics soldier in the Home Front Command; Cpt. Tal Grushka, 25, from Kfar Saba, a Nahal officer; Cpt. Arye Shlomo Tsering, 27, from Raanana, a K-9 Unit officer. Sst. Ilay Gamzu, 20, from Ashdod, a Paratrooper; Sst. Ohad Cohen, 20, from Idan, a Shaldag soldier.

Cpl. Itamar Ayash, 19, from Kiryat Gat, served in the Southern District of the Home Front Command; Maj. Ido Yehoshua, 27, from Yavne, commander of the training platoon at the Special Air Forces School. Cpl. Uri Locker, 19, from Pardes Hana Karkur, a Golani solider; Maj (Res.) Omri Michaeli, 35, from Nes Ziona, a Duvdevan soldier; Maj. Vitali Skipkevich, 21, from Ariel, an Egoz soldier. Lt. Shoham Tomer, 23, from Srigim, company commander in the 934th Reconnaissance Battalion; Lt. Itai Maor, 23, from Rosh Ha'Ain, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade's 51st Battalion; Lt. Rom Shlomi, 23, from Moshav Ganot, reconnaissance platoon commander in the Shaldag Unit. Cpl. Yaron Zohar, 19, from Kiryat Ata, a Golani soldier.

Cpt. Adir Aboudi, 23, from Modi'in, a commander in the Home Front Command; Cpt. Yotam Ben Bassat, 24, from Bat Hefer, a commander in the Multidimensional Unit; Sgt. Ofir Tzioni, 21, from Yokneam Illit, a commander in the Home Front Command; 2nd Lt. Adar Ben Simon, 20, from Neve Ziv, a commander in the Home Front Command; Sgt. Or Asto, 21, from Be'er Sheva, a logistics NCO in Golani.

Fallen IDF soldiers and officers from the Swords of Iron War

(Photo: Israel Police, IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Sgt. Eden Alon Levi, 19, from Nirit, a commander in the Home Front Command; Sst. Yuval Ben Yaakov, 21, from Kfar Menahem, a solider in the 7th Armored Brigade; Cpl. Guy Bazak, 19, from Givatayim, a Golani soldier; Pvt. Nerya Aharon Nagari, 18, from Talmon, a Home Front Command soldier; Pvt. Naama Boni, 19, from Afula, a soldier in the 7th Armored Brigade; Lt. Iftah Yavetz, 23, from Ramat Hasharon, a commander in Maglan.

Lt. Col. Sahar Mahlouf, 36, from Modi'in, the commander of the 481st Signal Battalion; Sgt. Ofek Rosenthal, 20, from Kfar Menahem, a Maglan soldier; 2nd Lt. Yanai Kaminka, 20, from Tzur Hadassah, a commander in the Home Front Command; Lt. Or Moses, 22, from Ashdod, a commander in the Home Front Command; Sst. Omri Niv Feirstein, 20, a Home Front Command soldier; Cpl. Dvir Lisha, 21, from Nitzan, a Golani soldier.

Sgt. Ido Harush, from Mitzpe Ramon, a soldier in the 7th Armored Brigade; Sgt. Menashe Yoav Maliev, 19, from Kiryat Ono, an officer in the 7th Armored Brigade; Cpl. Netanel Yang, 20, from Tel Aviv, a Golani soldier; Maj. Chen Buchris, 26, from Ashdod, the deputy commander Maglan; Lt. Or Yosef Ran, 29, from Itamar, a commander in Duvdevan; Cpl. Adi Gurman, 19, from Hogla, a Unit 414 soldier; Sfc. Amir Fisher, 22, from Tel Aviv, a Duvdevan soldier; Lt. (Res.) Ido Edri, 24, from Givaton, an infantry officer.

Raz Tzioni, father of Sst. Ofir Tzioni, said, "We spoke to him for the last time Friday evening, he said that everything is fine with him. On Saturday when we realized what happened, I sent him a message 'Write that everything is fine...,' but he didn't respond. In the evening, the army representatives came to inform us."

Fallen police officers

After a day of intense combat, where Israel Police officers, Border Patrol soldiers and commandos valiantly stood at the forefront of battles against the enemy, the Israel Police solemnly announces the death of 30 of its members. The following are their names:

Chief Superintendent Ge-ar Davidov, commander of the Rahat station; Chief Superintendent Itzhak Shvili, commander of the Segev Shalom station; Superintendent Martin Kuzmickas, commander in the coordination of enforcement operations unit; Chief Inspector Shlomo Moshe Al, officer in the Yamam counter-terror unit; Superintendent Nisim Lugasi, deputy commander of a Magav unit; Superintendent Amin Ohonadov, squad commander in the Yoav unit; Inspector Andrei Poshivi, town station patrol officer; Inspector Alexei Shamkov, officer in the Yamam counter-terror unit; Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Meir Abragil, Sderot station investigation coordinator; Sergeant Major Chen Nahmias, sniper in the Yamam counter-terror unit.

Sergeant Major Roman Gendel, instructor in the Lotar counter-terror unit; Sergeant Major Yehuda Kedar, non-commisioned officer Border Police officer at the Eshkol Ein Habsor station; Sergeant Major Roni Abuharon, detective at the Rahat station; Sergeant Major Adir Shlomo, head of logistics at the Sderot station; Sergeant Major Igal Iluz, bomb sapper; First Sergeant Bar Sivan, fighter in the Yamam counter-terror unit; First Sergeant Alon Barad, investigator at the Rahat station; First Sergeant Alexey Borodovsky, Negev Yasam patrol unit; First Sergeant Vitaly Karsik, forensics department crime scene investigator, Tel Aviv District; First Sergeant Alik Poznyakov, detective in the Magen unit.

First Sergeant Melik Karim, investigator at the Be'er Sheva station; First Sergeant Yoram Eliyahu Cohen, fighter in the Yamam counter-terror unit; Staff Sergeant Major Dror Elton, sapper in the Yamam counter-terror unit; Staff Sergeant Yaakov Shlomo Krasninski, fighter in the undercover police unit; Staff Sergeant Major Elior Yifrach, detective; Sgt. First Class Avi Buzaglo, detective at the Rahat station; Sgt. First Class Michael Lizmi, detective at the Be'er Sheva station; Sgt. First Class Shai El Knafo, town patrol in police’s Southern District; Staff Sergeant Alyona Astapenko, town patrol at the Ofakim station; Corporal Ravit Hanna Asayag, Border Police officer in police’s Southern District.

The harrowing details from the incident near Moshav Re'im, where Hamas terrorists raided an open-air rave, are gradually coming to light. So far, the identified victims from the event include Tzur Saidi, Omri Ram and Aviad Halevi.

List of names of the deceased from Netiv HaAsara

Shortly before midnight on Saturday, the names of 15 victims in Netiv HaAsara, a town of less than a thousand people near the Gaza border, were cleared for publication: brothers Amit and Yigal Wax, Oren Stern, Shlomi and his wife Ayelet Molcho, Hevik Segal, Gil Ta'aseh, Adi Baharev, Tal Keren, Ruthi and Aryeh Akuni and their daughter Or, Nurit Berger, Marina Almagor and Danny Vobek.

Vobek, a resident of Netiv HaAsara, had been a volunteer with the ZAKA divers unit for many years. The organization said that "he took part in dozens of rescue missions, dedicated to saving lives and honoring the deceased. During the brutal attack on Netiv HaAsara, Vobek courageously defended his home and friends, ultimately losing his life in the battle against armed terrorists. ZAKA volunteers, alongside the entire nation of Israel, mourn his loss, share in the pain, and extend condolences to his family and loved ones."

Talia Marcelle, from Kiryat Arba, was murdered in the surprise attack on Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha near the Gaza border. A few years ago, Marcelle relocated from the Talia farm in the Hebron hills to Kiryat Arba. She was fatally shot on the kibbutz where she was celebrating the holiday.

Dolev and Odeya Swissa and their two daughters

Dolev and Odeya Swissa were murdered in their hometown of Sderot. They leave behind two young daughters, ages 3 and 7. Dolev, who was shot by terrorists, was found dead Saturday night. A search was conducted throughout the night for his wife Odeya, who was considered missing until her body was discovered in the morning. "We don't know how the girls were saved," said Rehovot Deputy Mayor Zohar Blum, who is married to Dolev's sister. "We woke up to a dark morning."

Blum added, "Following the heart-wrenching news of Dolev's murder and a sleepless night, we have now learned that Odeya, his beloved wife whom we searched for hours, was also mercilessly murdered by the assassins. This young couple's lives were tragically cut short in the war, simply because of their location near the Gaza Strip and the startling ease with which the terrorists invaded their home. A remarkable couple, they leave behind two young, now orphaned, daughters. My heart aches for my wife and her family in Sderot.

Aharon Haimov, a 25-year-old senior paramedic and ambulance driver with Magen David Adom (MDA) from Ofakim, was fatally shot on Saturday morning en route to treat the wounded in his hometown. He is survived by his wife and two children. Haimov began his career with Magen David Adom as a post-high school volunteer before joining the organization in a professional capacity.

Magen David Adom senior medic and ambulance driver Aharon Haimov, 25, of Ofakim was killed on his way to treat injured

“He was a person who put the good of others and the value of life ahead of everything else — including today, on this tragic morning,” said MDA Director-General Eli Bin.

Israel Fire and Rescue Services announced that Kiryat Gat Fire Station Commander Battalion Chief Shalom Tzaban and Senior Firefighter Yevgeny Galsky were also slain in the attack. Tsaban, 60, a father of two, joined the fire brigade in 1992 and was posthumously promoted to fire deputy chief. Galsky, 34, served in the Netivot fire station. He was promoted posthumously to the rank of sergeant firefighter.

Israel Fire and Rescue Services Commissioner Eyal Caspi extended his condolences to the families and commended the firefighters and commanders who were working tirelessly in numerous locations throughout the conflict zone.

Israel Fire and Rescue Services announcement of the death of Shalom Tzaban (right) and Yevgeny Galsky

The fire brigade on Sunday morning announced the death of Sergeant Major Firefighter Eric Yehuda Marciano, 50, who joined the fire brigade in 1996 and served as a team leader at the Kiryat Gat Fire Station. He is survived by his wife and three children.

His daughter Coral said: "He went on duty, and probably because of the pressure, he forgot his bag at home. I wrote to him, 'Dad, you forgot your bag.' At 7:05am, he told me he would come back to get it and at 7:20 he no longer answered me, he had already encountered the terrorists. Numerous trucks loaded with armed terrorists entered the area. He fought the terrorists and managed to save a child. I knew my father was dead before we were informed; someone saw him dead and sent me a picture. My father is a hero. He was my whole world. He was a father who always put us first, and himself second, placing everyone before him."

Head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, Ofir Libstein, was killed in the terrorist attack on the Gaza border town

(Photo: Contact)

The head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, Ofir Libstein, was killed during fighting with Hamas terrorists Saturday morning. “Ofir was killed when he went to defend a town during the terrorist attack,” the council said.

Israel Amichai Vitzan and Moshe Yedidya Raziel (Rosenberg) were killed in Kerem Shalom. They were both residents of the West Bank settlement of Psagot.

Nine people, including a number of children, were killed when rockets struck their communities in the northern Negev, which do not have shelters, according to local authorities.

In Arara, Yazan Zakaria Abu Jama was killed when a rocket landed near his home. In Alba’at, brothers Malek Ibrahim Alkra’an, 14, and Jawad Ibrahim Alkra’an, 15, were killed in a direct strike. Alba’at cousins Amin Akal Alkra’an, 11, and Mahmoud Diab Alkra’an, 12, were also killed. Faiza Abu Sabaakh, 57, and her granddaughter May Zuheir Abu Sabaakh, 13, were also killed in Alba’at.

On Monday morning the IDF released the names of a further 16 fatalities among its force.

Lt. Col. Eli Ginsburg, 42, a commander of the Naval Commando 13 unit, from Dovrat; Private Lior Levy, 19, an operations commander in the Home Front Command, from Dimona; Corporal Adir Tahar, 19, a soldier in the Golani brigade, from Jerusalem; Staff Srg. Uriel Moshe, 21,from the Golani brigade, a resident of Rechasim; Major Peleg Salem, 30, from Netanya; Corporal Amit Tzur, 19, a fighter in the Golan Brigade from Eliachin; Corporal Elai Bar Sade, 19, a fighter in the Golani brigade, from Ramat Gan; Lt. Itai Cohen, 22, a commander in the Engineering Corps' Yahalom special unit, from Rehovot; Sgt. Ben Rubinstein, 20, from the Lotar anti-terror unit, from Hod Hasharon; Srg. Yaron Uri Shai, 21, from the Nahal elite unit, from Kadima-Tzuran; Srg.(Res.) Roi Nagri, 28, from the Lotar anti-terror school, from Tel Aviv; Staff Srg. Itamar Bruchim, 21, paratrooper and commander in the officers' school, from Ashdod; Lt. Nitai Amar, 22, Engineering Corps, from Ma'alumim; 2nd Lt. Yonatan Gutin, special forces, from Modi'in; Staff Sgt. Tashgr Tekah, 21, Golani Brigade, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Naveh Eliezer Lacks from the Matkal special forces unit, from Lod

First published: 00:25, 10.08.23

[lilbdenclips]

Not a video clip but... He's such a sweet baby boy (even at 35. How is he 35 and still looking so boyish. The stubble ain't fooling anyone as to your babyface) 😍

Lucky April!

[sailorspica]

while kenny is officially very losely inspired by trevor phillips my mind instictively associates him more with characters like betty grof or ,especially, pearl from SU ("Everything I ever did, I did for her. Now she's gone, but I'm still here. Sometimes, I wonder if she can see me through your eyes.")

what characters slash things in general do you associate with the guy?

i was able to restrict this to three and god they get successively worse

ASOIAF's whole deconstruction of knighthood, in which the kingsguard is quite homosocial to begin with (vow of chastity/taking no wife) BUT i mainly mean davos seaworth, not kingsguard but a married, landed knight. hand mutilation old man yaoi meet cute? come on. uri does a lot less than than stannis, but the proportion of adoration to each king's actual rule is just. "king stannis is my god. he made me and blessed me with his trust." but flip stannis and davos' individual personalities/moral qualms/emotional constipation to get kenuri

two walton goggins characters, but mostly boyd crowder from justified. a quirk of this being recession-era cable and goggins' and the writers' hangups about portraying a sincere neo-nazi (as he is in the source material), boyd does less of a 180 than he's retconned to "jk, i only did all that for the prison clout/manpower." completely opposite end of the ideological spectrum, i defend kenny's body count as a net good for class warfare even though he did not care!!! not even about the ackermans!! and then i'm delusional and also project cooper howard/the ghoul from fallout on amazon

macheath from the threepenny opera, libretto elisabeth hauptmann and bertolt brecht. i was so thrown for a loop first encountering the name "kenny the ripper," not for jack the ripper who idgaf about but the penny dreadful, victorian tone of kenny's urban legend. mac is a yapper and hypocrite and genuinely monstrous criminal who nonetheless gets cool class-conscious lines shoehorned in the final scene before his would-be execution: "What’s a jemmy compared with a share certificate? What’s breaking into a bank compared with founding a bank? What’s murdering a man compared with employing a man?" his deepest relationship is not with his new wife or chorus of ex-girlfriends but his best friend from the army. the song introducing him is a runaway jazz/swing standard: lotte lenya in the original german, louis armstrong, nick cave (kind of bad but that's my man)

some others i've said more lightly: this political trajectory, toji fushiguro and implicitly the grand tradition of shounen deadbeats, the irishman. i also think if he stans any k-pop group it's red velvet

[nopecho]

Some sheets I prepared for a DOL roleplay I'm organizing with a friend! It's steampunk themed, it's got trauma, it's got drama, I'm working very hard on it :> Can't wait to start writing it with my friend! ANyway, some basic info on the LIs!

Arden- the isolated

Basically my own personal take on Kylar in this universe. However, instead of bein a gross little freak, he actually has some charisma to him. Yes he's a yandere, but not the desperate type. He's more likely to silently plan to kill all his love rivals, rather than kidnap you. he will eventually if pushed over the brink, though. § He has a creepy, yet misterious aura about him. Maybe it's his big, amber eyes that scare people away. He's softspoken, but will infodump you about his passion project. people call his stories creepy. He's into writing and dolls. Will make sure you cum every time you have sex.

Codium- the merman

A merman bound to the sea. In this steampunk universe, industrialization massively impacted the environment, including the sea. it's scattered with oil and garbage. His first encounter is him trying to drown you, thinking you're polluting the waters. Once he realizes his mistake, he'll apologize profusely and be actually rather kind and sweet. If you get in trouble in the sea, with high enough love he'll come rescue you. During sex, he'll note how different you feel from his people. Will praise you endlessly, and try his best to make you cum (may not be very good at it, but he tries.)

Gear- the robot

A mischievious little street rat. He lives off of stealing stuff from the dumpsters, fixing it and selling it at overpriced rates. He's desperate to make money to help his creator, Vicky. she disapproves of his criminal life, but she can't do much about it- they need money. Despite his bratty attitude, he cares deeply for those he considers friends. That's why he isn't afraid to turn to a life of crime. He is a dirty boy, he's into all kinds of nasty shit. Is not afraid to get his hands dirty , in any occasion. He's a horny little freak. he WILL have his sexytimes with you. Even if nonconsensual, he'll always help you cum after sex.

Jamie- the orphan

It ain't a DOL universe without an orphan somewhere. He's an aspiting inventor, and is quite creative. He may need some help to pay off Bailey, he barely manages to make enough money to pay rent every week. he often has to skip lunch to save on money. His favourite inventions are small, yet useful household items. He invented a machine that warms up bread just right. Unfortunately, not many people are interested in these kinds of things. He's sweet and caring, but also naive. Has a secret dirty side to him. loves to be degraded for the useless aborted kid he is, depending on PC to pay off his debt. Doesn't care if you cum or not, if he's done he's done.

Uri Gabriel (or Uriel)- the banished

a fallen angel banished from heaven for loving someone other than God. his greatest sin was to love his partner. He fell from grace because they told on him to repent. Uriel fell, and swore to never fall in love again. He is cold and distant, intentionally pushing you away if you get too close. The only reason he even bothers interacting with you, is because you save him from the church during your first meeting. He's dominating, he's course and rough, swears a lot during sex. You're his cocksleeve, at best. unless he actually starts developing feelings... he will become more sweet once he admits his love for you. doesn't care if you cum during sex. you're his toy, at best. why would he care?