#adding that this v much speculation

[larkspyrr]

ocean away

you are a fontainian noble with dreams of greater things than the cushy, monotonous existence of an aristocrat's wife. he is a criminal-turned-duke whose position is as precarious as it is vital to his goals. you both are pressured to marry — and you both have no interest in doing so.

a pretend attachment could solve all your problems and keep the wolves at bay. what could possibly go wrong?

read it on ao3 — my carrd — playlist

✎ PAIRING: wriothesley x fem!reader

✎ CONTENT: semi-canon compliant, pov alternating, fake dating, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, fluff, humor, + more to be added as i go

✎ WARNINGS: spoilers & speculation for 4.1+, mature content/themes, canon-typical violence, language

✎ WORD COUNT: 49k (and counting)

✎ STATUS: ongoing

A/N: this is lightly bridgerton inspired. as soon as i started learning about this guy i knew he was right up my alley (read: the woman was smitten), and then when doing a silly game with @pixelwisp, i got wrio + 'we could form an attachment' like. what was i supposed to do

-> see extended author's notes/tags on ao3

reblogs are appreciated!

INDEX:

chapter i — we could form an attachment

chapter ii — tell yourself it's easy

chapter iii — beat me up so i can fight for what i believe in

chapter iv — i'll use you as a focal point

chapter v — would i run off the world someday?

chapter vi — i have my freedom but i don't have much time

chapter vii — i see oceans in your soul

chapter viii — deeper than the truth

chapter ix — and all i can breathe is your life

chapter x — coming soon!

[phantomyre]

Analyzing Vincent's Chamber in Rebirth

Vincent's Chamber as seen in FF7 OG

Vincent's Chamber as seen in Crisis Core Reunion

Vincent's Chamber as seen in Dirge of Cerberus First off-- this is obviously highly speculative, and borderline obsessive, but anyone who knows Squeenix and has done any kind of deep-lore investigation with FF7, you'll know that they like to include a lot of details and symbolism. As such, I think we can glean a few things based on what we see within the 4 seconds of Vincent's reveal. For those who've played FF7 OG, you may immediately notice the 'dungeon' Vincent is meant to be locked in no longer resembles a prison-- but rather a study lounge. Cobwebs, skeletons, chains, etc are all absent. Not only that, it is furnished in such a way that implies someone still lives there. One of the first details we may notice is the ample books strewn about, both half-hazardly stacked around an antique luxury leather chair, and many more by a large bookshelf and others besides. One book in particular is laid open beside on a nearby coffee-table, indicating it was the most recent book of study. Notably, there is a porcelain mug beside the open book, presumably filled with alcohol as there are several liquor bottles nearby. The lantern placed in the center appears to belong to Cloud and Co as the room is already heavily lit by wall lights and candle-sticks. Likely Cloud and Cait ventured into the chamber on their own before the rest of them team showed up, Vincent being awakened by Cloud and Cait as they've fallen beside the coffin. And speaking of coffin...

Not only does Vincent have a Cerberus gun and phone, but now he has a custom Cerberus coffin as well. While we can speculate who might have decorated his coffin, Cerberus is symbolic for Vincent's mindset (Cerberus guards the gates of hell in Greek lore, meaning Vincent is associated to being the 'keeper of hell's gate' and how he has locked himself to his nightmares/past). The fact that now he has a custom coffin implies that it's no longer a temporary piece. Instead, it has become a part of him, if not permanently. Much like his Cerberus gun. Notice how it's also not dusty but very clean, plush on the inside, and even has a pillow of all things. Certainly doesn't look to be something a self-deprecating, self-loathing individual would sleep in. Moving on to the other parts of the room... One of the more interesting pieces of furniture in the room is the wood stove placed conveniently close to Vincent's coffin and the coffee table (no, that is not a TV). It looks as though Vincent has decided to forego suffering the chill of the damp cold basement, this time-- a stark contrast to the overall environment he had previously been placed in.

Once we get a better view of the other side of the room, the room is notably very warm in terms of color-tone, juxtaposed to the cold tones of the outside of the chambers. Might this be a type of metaphor for how Vincent appears cold on the outside yet is warm on the inside? What is also strange is that there appears to be yet another basement just outside of Vincent's chamber as it goes even deeper into the basement. This implies that Vincent is not locked in the deepest part of the basement as was once assumed. Once again, the room is clear of dust and otherwise looks fairly clean. Yet again implying someone has been active within the room. Looking towards the back, the doors are now double-doors as opposed to the single dungeon-style door. Last but not least-- Vincent himself is different. As seen in the image above, and as many have noted, Vincent's hair is no longer unkempt or barbed. As a matter of fact, it is similarly styled to Cloud's hair but more importantly, looks pretty soft for being asleep for almost 30 years. SE has progressively been adding barbs to Vincent's hair, but this time around, he is completely devoid of Chaos-aesthetics. His cloak is no longer torn in exaggerated forms, as well, though it still looks very worn on the hem. Some minor details are that his buckles have been rearranged as seen on his thigh and waist (thankgoodness they kept the tiny DoC waist and slutty hips). The buckles on his leather 'shirt' are all arranged on the front instead of off to the side. He also appears to have something on his left thigh, though it is extremely hard to tell. His gauntlet looks slightly altered and his sabatons look more functional in terms of movement, though keeping the overall iconic design. The biggest alteration of his attire are the grieves attached to his shins which look as though they will provide a lot more protection (and damage) while performing melee and close-range combat. Over-all, Vincent looks a lot more like a medieval knight than ever before.

CONCLUSION: What's all of this tell us, you might ask...? Of course it could all be merely over-analyzing. However, I think what is being presented to us is a visual representation of who this version of Vincent really is. It doesn't look like he has been merely sleeping in his coffin for the past 20-30 years and condemning himself to eternal torment. Unless the room is being regularly used by someone else, it appears as though Vincent actually been fairly active, albeit behind closed doors. Everything from the books, the wine, the layout, etc. all seems to indicate we may no longer be dealing with a Vincent who only wanted to seal himself away in his despair-- but rather someone who is actively searching for answers. The Vincent we meet in Rebirth may no longer be the ultra 'emo' character fans have always known him to be. Something has changed about Vincent. And with the way things are going in the Remake trilogy, I don't think anyone should be surprised at this point. Because if there's anyone outside of Sephiroth and Aerith (and now Red) who ought to have some knowledge of what's taking place-- it should be Vincent. Edit: One story-point I neglected to note--- if Vincent has indeed been delving into the archives of Shinra Manor, and by default the library, then we might expect him to have some working knowledge of Omega/Chaos, and the Protomateria already. This might be expected to an extent, given what we've already seen in Remake. And if anything else... it was just a fun silly fan-speculation.

[crismakesstuff]

im so excited for invincible s2b now that it has an official release date… and that release date is march 14th

Let me talk about why that has me worried for the future of the show

‼️also no hate to any other shows mentioned‼️

I want to start with these two images :

invincible compared to the boys and now hazbin hotel has BARELY gotten any offical advertising on this level. The boys also got ads in times square for the promotion of s3 and the spin-off gen v im pretty sure but I could be wrong.

Don’t get me wrong I am rly happy to see an animated show get promotion at that level and I think more streaming services should do the same but why is it that invincible, a show on its SECOND SEASON gets nothing? The official invincible accounts have to do most of the heavy lifting themselves with generating hype on their twt,insta and tiktok. People complain that the accounts often make “an announcement for the announcement” but they have too! They literally have no other option! It sucks to see invincible show signs of a show thats clearly being tampered with by executive fuckery that has led so many other animated shows to an early grave.

Also I NEED people to realize that invincible’s release schedule NOT THE FAULT OF THE CREW

I see people regularly being rude and borderline aggressive to crew members online (which ive seen happen in other fandoms too) but the amount of people that were bitching and whining about the hiatus saying things like “this is why we shouldn’t let animators have good working conditions” and people agreeing with those takes were INSANE. The crew have no control over when the show drops or not, that is a decision left up to executives.

Now why could this delay be happening ?

a little bit ago amazon made this announcement to its customers:

this very well lines up with what many people began to speculate online as to why invincible had such a weird release schedule for season 2. They release the first half and get people hooked on the first 4 episodes ending on a massive cliffhanger and then release the second half after ads are introduced in hopes of making more money bc ppl don’t want ads in the middle of their shows.

Even then many people (myself included) think that it would’ve ultimately been better for the sake of the shows own hype to just wait to release them in March back to back all 8 episodes. Because the midseason break just kneecapped the hype the show had built up so hard and now many people are reasonably frustrated.

Because there was no clarity on when the show would be back. Most people assumed it would be a month long break for the holidays which shows have done for a long time. And then fake leaks came out that the show would come back in early January, and then the invincible accounts were virtually silent, and people were saying the break was intentional for fans to (recover) for ep 4. It was all over the place

What should fans do going forward?

Best thing you can do is stream the show legally if you can! TALK about invincible, don’t let the hype die out. Get this shit on trending ! Boost any official posts online showing that there is still a demand for this show! If you can, buy merch! Read the comics legally ! LET AMAZON KNOW WE STILL CARE ABOUT THIS SHOW!

again no hate to the other shows here bc ive watched all of them! I just want invincible to get some of that love too because this show is so amazing and you can tell how much love the crew has put into it <3

[agendabymooner]

mastermind ! max v. x ofc (hearth sister!ofc) - tltl series

"i laid the groundwork, and then saw a wide smirk on your face."

summary: it was either sylvie ford was oblivious, or she actually knew that the result of her blind date was his doing and hadn't had the heart to express her admiration towards his effort. nevertheless, their first australian gp was successful in a way. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)

content warning: use of explicit language, actions of people who are "just friends" mentioned, max verstappen is a scheming bastard and i love him your honour

note: i didn't do anything today so here's an update :) check out my previous works! i don't have much reblogs so you can literally just scroll down the blog and binge read hehe. enjoy xx

masterlist

THE FAST LANE DAILY

SYLVIE FORD AND MAX VERSTAPPEN SPARK DATING RUMORS AS FORMULA ONE SEASON BEGINS IN AUSTRALIA, INTRODUCING MARINARA FORD-VERSTAPPEN

The 2017 Formula One season kicked off in Australia with a thrilling display of speed and skill on the track. However, it was not just the racing action that captured attention. Supermodel Sylvie Ford, Red Bull Racing's communication coordinator, made a striking entrance, accompanied by her adorable miniature schnauzer puppy, Marinara. Little did she know that this furry companion would become a catalyst for dating rumors involving her and Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen.

As Sylvie graciously signed autographs for eager fans, all eyes turned to her and Verstappen. In a surprising twist, Verstappen called out for Marinara, prompting Sylvie to clarify that the pup was "ours," hinting at a shared ownership between the two. This revelation immediately sparked speculation about a romantic relationship, despite their insistence that they are just friends.

Adding fuel to the fire, Sylvie and Verstappen currently reside together in England and share the responsibility of raising Marinara. The fact that they live under the same roof and have a puppy together has led many to believe that their connection runs deeper than friendship.

Their close bond was further highlighted when Sylvie recently featured in Architectural Digest's Open House, offering a glimpse into their shared English abode. The magazine feature showcased a harmonious blend of their personal belongings, indicating joint ownership and decision-making.

In an unexpected twist, Marinara, the adorable pup, has taken on a hyphenated surname, becoming Marinara Ford-Verstappen. This development has only intensified speculation about the true nature of Sylvie and Verstappen's relationship. While they continue to deny any romantic involvement, the addition of a shared surname for their beloved pet suggests a deeper commitment between the Formula One duo.

As the 2017 Formula One season unfolds, fans and media alike will closely monitor Sylvie Ford and Max Verstappen, both on and off the track, eagerly awaiting any further hints about the nature of their relationship. Whether they are just friends or something more, the undeniable chemistry and shared experiences between Sylvie, Verstappen, and their adorable pup Marinara Ford-Verstappen continue to captivate the imagination of Formula One enthusiasts worldwide.

AUSTRALIAN GP 2017

Arriving at the Albert Park Circuit for the first round of the season wasn’t an easy feat for everyone. The same could be said for dogs. 

If Sylvie was being honest, she didn’t know how Lewis had done it with Roscoe. Sylvie was equally as busy and she didn’t want to waste any time away from Marinara. 

Max had expressed the same opinion about the miniature schnauzer, practically begging Sylvie to take the puppy along on their work trips and leave the dog to him whenever she would be out for fashion weeks and photoshoot gigs. 

As much as Sylvie wanted to bite back, “Fat chances, Max Emilian” she thought that it was only fair they would do that. Why have a caretaker when they could just spend money on supplies they’d need to get for Marinara’s traveling needs? So they never left Marinara at Buckinghamshire — nor have they left her at Tilly's house or under their Maman’s care — and brought the little puppy along.

Sylvie was one of the most prominent figures of Red Bull that would continue to make her presence known in the paddock and the tracks for the rest of the year, and because of her fame and image in public — many F1 fans came to embrace her presence as Red Bull’s feisty communications coordinator and would often ask for her signature. Who was she to say no? 

Her walk towards the Red Bull area came to last longer than five minutes, signing and taking photos with fans who wanted to brag about meeting the supermodel on the rise. Some of them had even asked her about her plans with her schedule this year. She was answering the questions and in the process was signing a kid’s cap, the puppy tried to drag her away as Marinara whined. The dog wasn’t happy with being restrained by a leash. Too bad, Sylvie told herself, she had her leash and harness made with a navy fabric full of Red Bull logos all over it. She even had the “Verstappen 33” imprinted on the side, indicating that she was Max’s best girl others from Sylvie herself.

Turning away from the kid for a moment, Sylvie found Marinara’s tail wagging as her little voice barked and cried for the person she was looking at. People stared and Sylvie found her cheeks burning in shame.

“Come, Mari!” The Dutchman grinned at the puppy, his arms outstretched as he crouched down at the puppy's level - few feet away from Sylvie and Marinara as the puppy whined.

Sylvie didn’t like it when Max was around— Marinara favoured Max at times that all she could do as of this point was let go of the leash, watching as Marinara’s little legs ran towards Max. Sylvie’s eyes narrowed as Max picked up the schnauzer and began to praise the puppy, “Good girl, Marinara. Gooood girl~”

“Is that your puppy?” Sylvie turned back to the fans as she smiled at the question, the burning on her cheeks long gone as she nodded.

“Ours,” Sylvie rolled her eyes playfully, “I feel like she’s gonna become more like Max’s if he continues to steal her from me.” 

She didn’t notice how the word ours rolled off her tongue so smoothly and how perfectly it sounded to everyone who had been rooting for Max and Sylvie. But everyone heard it perfectly well, and they were all certain that the media would have a field day running this story.

Max had picked her up from the entrance and they both made their way to the Red Bull area, Max still holding Marinara in one hand as he beamed and chatted with his best friend about this morning. 

“Did she actually wake up at two?” Max’s eyes widened at the news, peering down at the puppy. 

“You have a bad habit of waking up in the middle of the night to do some random shit— she really takes after you, Max,” Sylvie shook her head. 

“You just said she woke up to go potty,” Max gasped at the insinuation that Sylvie made as she smirked. The Dutchman scowled, “I do not.” 

“Charles says otherwise—“

“Leclerc needs to stop telling you shit that didn’t happen,” Sylvie tried to bite back her laughter as Max ranted, “you and him are bad together, you know that?” 

“We made good rivals in the track for a reason, lad,” Sylvie’s hand made its way to Max as she patted his cheek, Max’s face turning red at the contact as she cluelessly grinned, “It’s always the rivals that share the same energy. Also— do you mind watching Nara tonight?” 

“What- why?” Max returned to his conscious state after hearing her request. She doesn’t go out after work and none of her sisters were here.

Sylvie shrugged mindlessly, “Russell George has a friend he wants me to meet after the race. Said he’s here watching the race but… I do not know, truthfully. The bloke probably just wants me to go on a blind date.”

Max’s face turned red once more. But not because he was flustered, but rather he was annoyed and confused by her statement. Something told him he was jealous though but it wasn’t as if he’d admit that. 

“Oh,” he muttered quietly, “I’ll watch her.” 

“Thanks,” Sylvie grinned, “I haven’t been on a date for a while now so hopefully the poor bloke understands that.” 

“He’d be stupid if he didn’t,” Max rolled his eyes, this time his attitude was directed at the faceless fool. “He’s here today, you said?” 

“Yeah, George said he’s at the Mercedes hospitality,” Sylvie said, indifference showed how little she cared or knew about the man, “I’m making a quick trip there later to introduce Lewis and the others to Mari. I couldn’t seem to care much about finding the guy— since we are working and all.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Max murmured, a smile threatening to spread on his lips as he felt like he won all over again. 

Max: Who are you setting Sylvie up with???

George: Why 😕

Max: What, can’t a guy just ask?

George: It’s one of our acquaintances who did karting once. Remember Jack Madison?

Max: Gotcha.

George: Please don’t do something stupid.

Max: You know it ;)

Max: Sylvie’s going on a blind date with some Jack Madison tonight after the race. I don’t know who he is and I’m pretty sure none of us does. He’s a guest in Mercedes. Just giving you a heads up. 

Toto: Okay, thank you Max.

Max swung the door open, shushing Marinara as the puppy barked at whoever was at the front door at eleven in the evening. Turning back to the person, his eyes widened a little at the sight of an exasperated Sylvie, the straps of her heels on her hand as she gave him an annoyed look.

“The fool wanted to see me more often,” Sylvie didn’t look too happy at the news and Max clearly wasn’t any better. The woman continued, “He said he should come by to the races— he wasn’t even that subtle about free paddock passes, Max. Can you believe that idiot?” 

“Oh yikes,” Max cringed, feeling a furry body walk past him as he watched Marinara get picked up by Sylvie. “Do you want to stay in my room?” 

“My room’s next door,” Sylvie told him with a frown, as if she was asking if he just said that loudly. 

“But Mari’s bed and things are already in here,” Max told her with his own challenging brows before he grabbed the heels off her hand and said, “it takes a lot of time to put them back and forth and the heels on your hand tells me you’ve been walking too much. So?” 

Sylvie peered over his shoulder, looking at the barely creased sheets of his double bed. Then she looked down at the dog bowls next to the kitchenette and the leash and collar resting at the couch. Yeah, she really didn’t want to clean that up now.

“I guess,” Sylvie sighed, walking past Max after he stepped aside. Max swiftly grabbed onto the strap of her purse before hanging it on the rack. Hearing the door shut close behind Max, she placed Marinara down on the floor and asked, “Do you have some clothes to spare?” 

“Yeah, I even brought your makeup remover- it's in the bathroom,” Max said as he reached for his suitcase, pulling out a jumper and some plaid pajama pants before tossing them towards Sylvie’s direction. “I got some spare toothbrush, if you need it.”

“You are god sent, Max Emilian,” Sylvie sighed in relief, giving him a half hug before she entered and locked herself in the bathroom.

Max chuckled at the comment, not even feeling his face burn as he turned back and exclaimed, “Tell me something I don’t know, Sylv!”

“I hate you!” She yelled back.

“I said something I don’t know, not something that’s a lie!” 

He wanted to pat himself in the back, feeling proud about telling Toto about her date tonight. Lewis had approached Max after the race to let him know that Toto had spoken to Jack Madison and as if he was testing the waters, had told the boy that Sylvie could get him any paddock passes should he ask for it— he just needed to persuade the woman.

Jack was quite foolish for believing the man. It was even more foolish of him to negotiate with her by saying that she’d most likely see him more if she gave him some passes. 

Sylvie wasn’t that desperate to be in a relationship, after all. So with her turning him down, Max could only smile at himself as he made his way back to his side of the bed. 

Meanwhile, behind the bathroom door stood Sylvie, smirking lightly. She only chuckled to herself, feeling a little better knowing that Max was behind all of those troubles that managed to get her out of the blind date fast. 

She just wouldn’t tell him that she knew. It was more amusing that way

[cyberwhumper]

………

Ringing. Darkness.

"Val!…. V….!"

A voice slowly comes into focus as he starts to regain his consciousness. The world seems to suddenly explode into a cacophony of noise and chaos.

"Valko! Can you hear me? Hold on!"

His stocky companion has been desperately attempting to stabilize his condition for what felt like hours. His damaged corneal display can only show a fraction of the critically compromised systems in his body that are struggling to keep him breathing and alive.

Having only heard wildly conflicting rumors and speculation over Watchtower's prototype weapon had lured him into a false sense of comfort. Yeah, sure, every corporate fuck is going to tout their latest product as state-of-the-art, as the all you need solution to whatever problems roaches like them have. He had heard it all before, a thousand times over.

He went in so confident that it was all just smoke and mirrors that when he finally realized they had walked straight into Dog's steel jaws it was too late to turn back: they had already graciously offered themselves for it to pick its teeth with.

His pained screaming is drowned out completely by the firefight and slaughter around them as he's pulled up to shoulder height. His leg bones are completely shattered and unable to move no matter how much he tries. Panic quickly sets in.

This is it. We're all dying here.

Tag list: @whumpsday // @demondamage //

If you’re interested in being added to the tag list, please let me know!

[adaru32]

Oct - Dec 2023 Devil May Cry News Updates: Peak of Combat, Teasers, Rumours, Etc.

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you all had a SSSmokin' SSSexy SSStylin' holiday. Here's hoping this year brings more Devil May Cry goodness. Here are the rest of 2023's news updates on what's happening with Devil May Cry.

1. Capcom is getting stingy about mods. b) So stingy in fact that they're taking down Youtube vids of mods in their games.

2. Gamescom interview about Peak of Combat. b) And more content from the game such as dev notes, gamepad support, new character reveals, official OSTs, and release date.

3. Another Devil May Cry expansion for the mobile game Teppen.

4. Devil May Cry V has sold over 7 million units.

5. A small glimpse on what's in store for the Netflix series.

6. Former Devil May Cry director Hideki Kamiya talks at the Archipel Caravan Festival in Tokyo about DMC1's development, with former Resident Evil director/producer Shinji Mikami (can't find the video, so this link will have to do).

7. Dante's and Nero's face models Adam Cowie and Karlo Baker tease us with a little future Devil May Cry news.

8. Rumours of Dante appearing in Fortnite anytime soon due to a loading screen speculation, and some infamous leaker.

My Thoughts On These Updates:

It's really too bad what Capcom thinks of mods. I get it when it comes to inappropriate eye candy and overpowering everything to make things easy, but they need to realize that mods aren't just about those. Mods are also a way of building a community of like-minded and talented individuals, and they should also think of mods as some form of resume if they're looking for more people to work on their team to make games.

2. It's really cool that the dev team of Peak of Combat got Casey Edwards and Victor Borba to be a part of their OST, and cool what other features are in the game. But it's really too bad on the direction the devs have gone on it. Ads are popping up on their profiles like weeds (especially outrageous ones), they're not very clear with their direction on the game (including their official release dates. I've lost count how many release dates they've had now), and they've pretty much stopped listening to feedback from the fans on what can be improved on it overall. Found a former mod member of the game talking about their negative experience on working with them.

3 and 4. That's cool that Teppen gets another Devil May Cry expansion, and how Devil May Cry V sold more copies.

5. So we've got our first glimpse of Lady, and a little more in the Netflix series. I still have my high curiosities and being cautiously optimistic on what's in store for it. Fingers crossed that it doesn't turn out like Castlevania did after season 1.

6. It's interesting how Kamiya and Mikami left their own companies, and the process of their career journey throughout the years. I wish them luck on their next endeavor.

7. So I guess we may or may not get a Devil May Cry 6 announcement anytime soon?

8. If it's true that Dante will be appearing in Fortnite, that would be cool. But sadly I'm not a Fortnite fan, and him being in the game won't convince me to play it. But I will have no problem seeing what he looks like and how he plays on Youtube.

[realcatalina]

More mystery with portraits of Hasburgs

These two paintings are located in different museums, but are believed to be once a part. Currently they are labelled currently as Philip of Austria and Margaret of Austria, 1483, by Master of Legend of Magdalene.

And it's kind of a problem. Because at least the boy doesn't look like early work of this artist at all! Not even remotely close.

So other artists have been suggested instead, and for example the girl's has been most recently labelled as by Pierre Coustain.

Which doesn't make any sense either. Because while this was court artist in Burgundy, he specialized in making coat of arms and flags, sculptures etc. Like we can speculate on Pierre Coustain's involvement in these portraits(figures by Pieter van Coninxloo):

But only about the coats of arms. This guy wasn't portraitist.

...And you know me, I am nitpicker. I my motto is:

Never trust period label...because often times they are added centuries later.

So of course I checked the labels. On first glance, they seem as very genuine. This form of letters was around in 15 and 16th century.

...So I needed some help reading it, but luckily on wikipedia it was in description of paintings.

Girl's:

Gedaen Int Jaer ons here 1483 tsinen v en Jaerre/FAT LAN M.IIII.C.IIII.XX ET TROIS QUE LORS AUOIT TROIS ANS ET TROIS MOIS)

This was created in 1483 and she is 3 years and 3 months old.

(Very specific...oddly so.)

Gedaen Int Jaer ons here 1483 tsinen v en Jaerre / Fat Lan m. III c. IIII xx. z trois ou ve. an de son eage.

Once again it says year 1483, but that Philip is 3 or 5 years old.

Like how does nobody question this? You cannot be specific to month with girl, and not know how old the boy was!

Unless the label is not original at all! And likely not even done in 15th century. Because at those days, labels weren't really popular. They took off mainly in 16th century. And given the amount of mistakes I doubt Margaret nor Philip were even alive when this occured.

Because have they been, somebody would take greater care in getting it correct!

(And, If the text is from much later it is damn well-made.)

So if text is untrust-worthy, the dating of 1483 is also untrust-worthy, and then we cannot even be sure it is Philip or Margaret!

And though the boy doesn't fit Master of Legend's early work, he damn sure looks very alike to his late work! (1510-1527)

But then these kids cannot be royals from Netherlands. This is not its fashion from 16th century. We have portraits of Philip's kids raised in Netherlands, we know what they wore.

And while, yes the girl's hat looks bit like 1460-1470s male hats worn in netherlands, girls didn't wore this I checked. And given Netherlands were already back then northern capital of painters. It's very unlikely it wouldn't appear in art of that time from that country.

So possibly these are foreign royalty. But whom?

Well, artist started working around 1480/1490 and stopped about 1527. (Assuming we have correct artist.)

And the boy wears order of golden fleece around his neck. And clearly he is not adult. List of knights of Order of Golden fleece is on wikipedia and it includes when people got it and their birth year.

So finding people who got it before age of 15 in corrrect timeframe wasn't that hard.

Six candidates:

Philip of Austria (who it is currently identified as)

Henry VIII

Charles V

Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor

Louis II, King of Bohemia and Hungary

Philibert of Chalon

But at age of 14 and 13, Henry VIII and Philibert are simply too old...to be depicted here. And Louis II's sister was older than he. And we know what Charles and his sisters raised in Netherlands wore.

Thus if not Philip and Margaret, the only other valiable option is Ferdinand and Catherine of Austria.

(if the list of candidates was complete...)

And it just so happens that if you put correct dimensions to these(in cm), and put them in order of birth, they don't look so weird...

Potentially this might have once been full set of siblings.

Done firstly around 1507(first four)

and rest after 1515, when Ferdinand became the member of the order.

...And if we compare what the girl wears with spanish fashion, then at least in examples from 1490s similiar hats were popular(not as much raised, but we always see them on adults. Maybe then the raise is not so high, and traluscent veils of this kind even much later(those are with cofia de tranzado)...this shape of neckline, also very popular in Spain at least around turn of the century.

In my research into iberian fashion, i didn't go that much into fashion after 1505(not in debt) and it's not ideal that I point to examples about 20 years prior to when I think it might be.

But it is a possibility, and would explain the resemblence.

...

However then we have to assume 2 more possibilities.

A) the list of knights of order of fleece was not complete...and we're missing candidates...and then once again, where does the fashion point us?...Spain in case of girl...

B) But what if the boy and girl don't belong together?

What if they just had same background(popular in Burgundian/Netherlandish court from 1450? to about 1507)

and same dimensions(by chance, or they were later cut to make them same dimensions)?

(C)what if both options? L)ist wasn't complete and boy and girl don't belong together?

Well, the boys who got orders of golden fleeces as kids were usually royalty, with whom Hasburgs had friendly relationship.

Only other option already not covered, would be either Christian II of Denmark-but he was made member in 1519-so he is on the list, as adult...

or John, Prince of Asturias and Girona. He married Margaret of Austria, in 1497 and died that same year. And Joanna married Philip of Austria in 1496.

We know Margaret's portraits were created in early to mid 1490s, likely to be sent to Spain, and probably Philip's also.

But what if Spanish send reply? And Hasburgs send their own painter, to paint Spanish royal children? That would also explain resemblence to Joanna's children. Because boy would have to be her brother, and girl Joanna herself.

Again, the boy seems to be later work of the master, but it was a workshop. It is possible one of its member simply became more prominent later in workshop's lifetime and it happened to be him who was sent to paint the boy.

And i cannot get further than this. Dendrology would be helpful here.

However as these portraits have year upon them, the institutions who own them think they have the correct date already. We can only hope they decide to test it anyway.

[crowfootwrites]

Devotion & Diplomacy - Part VI

REEEEE, I have been so ✨ s t o k e d ✨ to share this chapter, because I just love Emrys and Daro together so much. There's lots of Cardassian language in this chapter, so the translation guide can be found at the end! And of course, all credit goes to @cardassianlanguage and @tinsnip for their amazing work on Cardassian linguistics - for this chapter in particular, I heavily relied on their Kardasi/English dictionary to create Daro's names for Emrys, as well as @tinsnip's Speculative Cardassian Reproductive Xenobiology because, well, smut.

Tagging my usuals: @horta-in-charge, @starrynightgardens, @sleepycat82, @vreenak, and @deepspacedukat 😘

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Read on AO3

Warnings: NSFW, 18+ on this chapter, bois, 'cause it's almost all smut 😅: inter-species sex (sex involving Cardassian genitals), oral sex, vaginal fingering, PIV smut, unprotected sex; generally fluffy, sweet, sweet loving | Words: ~3,775

For a moment, Emrys fell through space, her mind whirling in the unknown as she waited for Daro to respond – but it was only the briefest moment before Daro was kissing her back, his hand slipping from her cheek into her hair as his other arm wrapped firmly around her. Emrys’ fingers trailed along the ridges and edges of his armor, deftly finding the soft fabric of his shirt beneath his chest plate and grasping on for dear life.

She couldn't help the little sigh that escaped her as Daro pulled back to brush his lips lightly over hers, the prominent ridge along his nose caressing her cheekbone as he placed a delicate kiss just below her ear. Emrys' head tipped back against the palm of his hand still wound in her hair, gazing at him with hooded eyes.

She couldn't recall the last time she felt this flustered, and the need to explore this with Daro tugged at her resolutely. Nervousness prickled like needles along her limbs.

"Is-," Emrys cleared her throat as her voice cracked, beginning again. "Is this something that you want?" 

Daro laughed quietly, the warmth of his breath fanning across the miniscule distance between them.

"I have wanted this since you attempted to intervene on my behalf with Chief O'Brien in that turbolift," he murmured. The ridges around his eyes furrowed slightly. "You have been so kind, so welcoming, from the very beginning. It is… not what we were taught to expect from the Federation." He paused, pressing his forehead gently to hers. "Spending time with you has been a most… enlightening experience."

Emrys felt the press of heat in her cheeks that usually heralded tears – it was the nicest thing anyone had said to her in a very long time. She slid a hand from Daro's side along his back beneath his chest plate, watching him shudder slightly as she did.

"I find myself very eager to continue this," he muttered, the hand tangled in her hair tightening just a bit. "But-," he added, and Emrys groaned.

He chuckled, pressing his lips against the crown of her head.

"You just told me you haven't eaten since breakfast, and I did invite you here for dinner, so I would be remiss if I did not feed you sooner rather than later."

He stepped back from her slowly, looking as though he'd never wanted to do anything less. Grasping one of her hands, he led her to the small kitchen table, and gestured for her to sit. 

"What can I get you to drink?" he asked as he stepped over to the replicator. The kitchen was truly tiny, with limited counter space that was already cluttered with fruit Emrys recognized as native to Cardassia, and a series of mismatched glass bottles full of colorful liquids.

"Kanar?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity. 

Daro looked at her in surprise. "You've had it before?"

Emrys shook her head. "When in Rome, though," she said with a shrug.

Daro looked confused and Emrys laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "If I'm going to try it for the first time, I'm happy to do so with you."

The glinn smiled to himself and replicated two glasses of kanar, handing her one before taking a sip of his own. He eyed her carefully as she took a sip, almost immediately sputtering as the alcohol burned in her throat.

Emrys was caught somewhere between coughing and laughter as her nostrils stung. She looked up to see Daro trying to hide his amusement.

"That is… potent," Emrys croaked.

"It takes some getting used to," he replied rather cheerfully.

He set his glass on the counter and began unbuckling his chest plate, revealing a soft brown undershirt as he pulled the armor over his head and moved to set it on the desk chair in the main room. 

Emrys allowed her eyes to follow him, biting her lip at the way his shirt fit comfortably across his shoulders, snug enough to show the ridges that ran the length of his neck and shoulders. 

"I just realized I've never seen you without your armor on," Emrys commented and Daro glanced at her in surprise.

"Do you find it strange?"

Emrys shook her head. "I find it… very appealing,” she said meaningfully, and bit her lip as a flush of cobalt blue colored his chufa and a pair of scales on his neck. 

He regarded her from his place beside his desk, eagerness and hunger rampaging in his stare. Heat pooled in Emrys’ belly as she held his gaze. She watched as Daro took a deep breath to center himself, loosening his shoulders and lifting his chin, breaking the intensity of the moment. 

A small smile played over his lips as he returned to the kitchen and stood before the replicator again. “As it so happens, Emrys, I am very much looking forward to seeing you out of uniform as well.” With his back to her, he couldn’t see her grin.

Eager to share some of his favorite foods with Emrys, Daro replicated them plates of sem'hal stew with yamok sauce and meat rolls. An undercurrent of flirtation ebbed between them, every word and glance shared colored with want.

Daro was enchanted by her delighted exclamations as she tried her food and the way her peals of laughter danced around him as he told her stories of his childhood. With a great clenching in his chest, he realized how much he wanted to always hear that sound in a home of his own, how fitting it felt to have a mate who enjoyed his company and found him charming. Not that she was his mate, he reminded himself sternly. He wasn't even certain how that would work, given the differences in their background and careers, and she might not even want that with him. But he found himself hoping anyway. 

Emrys found herself more comfortable than she had been in a very long time. She had no home of her own, so to speak, with a job that sent her across the Alpha Quadrant almost constantly. She could see friends, of course, as she had during her brief stay on the Enterprise, or by taking brief trips to space stations or Golana or Risa. Sometimes Earth if she was lucky. But she was never really home. Daro’s home, on the other hand, was cozy and pleasant, completely reflecting Daro himself.  

Emrys giggled behind her kanar glass as Daro explained why Gul Macet and his cousin, Gul Dukat, were on such poor terms with one another, something Emrys had been wondering since Macet had brushed off her question aboard the Enterprise.

When Daro rose to clear the table, Emrys put a hand on his forearm and stood. “Please, let me. You’ve been an excellent host, the least I can do is clear the dishes.”

Daro moved to protest, but Emrys was quicker, sweeping the plates up and moving them to the replicator to be recycled. As she turned back around, she found Daro leaning casually against the counter, studying her.

She raised an eyebrow playfully. “See something you like, Glinn?”

“Without question,” he replied seriously, offering his hand. She stepped toward him and placed her hand in his as he pulled her close. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as his hands slid down her sides, coming to rest on her hips. As her fingers slipped under the fabric of his shirt, caressing the smooth scales along his torso, Daro captured her mouth with his, a groan bubbling up in his throat. 

His tongue traced along the seam of her lips and Emrys welcomed him in, a pleased hum caught in her chest. She crowded him, pressing her body against his desperately, as though he could consume her entirely. Goosebumps prickled along the length of her arms at the thought. One of Daro’s hands surged upward to cradle her head, tilting it back languidly as his lips skated downward, quickly finding the places that sent shivers crawling up her spine. 

She gasped as Daro’s mouth worked at the sensitive spot just below her ear, her fingers pressing more urgently into his skin. Heat built between them, a fervor that Emrys knew could swallow her whole. Daro shifted slightly, one of his knees spreading Emrys' thighs. At the sound of her pleased sigh, his hands began an eager ascent, capturing the zipper of her uniform jacket and tugging it down until she could slip out of it. She let it fall to the floor, then slid her hands up Daro’s side, pushing his undershirt up to expose the stunning pattern of scales along his sides and across his chest. He tugged it quickly over his head, revealing the ridges that spanned his shoulders and trailed up the sides of his neck. He tossed the shirt away hurriedly, as though he couldn’t bear to be parted from her for long. 

Emrys dragged her fingers teasingly up his chest, circling the blue-tinged spoon formation there and pulling a heated moan from Daro as he pressed his forehead against hers. 

“I need to see you,” he begged, thumbing the hem of her undershirt. “Please, irc’lin, I want to see all of you.” 

Locked so closely against him, she felt the hard ridge of his length nudging insistently against her. Emrys couldn’t help the whimper that slipped between her lips as his thigh clenched, desire sparking to life fully between her legs. Practically ripping her shirt in her haste to get it off, she watched Daro’s eyes as they raked over her form. 

He swallowed hard, a cautious hand rising to cup her breast, his fingers tracing slowly over the delicate lace of her bra. As the pad of his thumb brushed over her nipple, she exhaled hard, her fingers grasping at the waistband of his pants. Her eyes met his, the hunger there new and intoxicating. Emrys was so used to the gentle, thoughtful Daro; and while those characteristics were the reason she was even in his home with her top off, and while those traits certainly remained in that moment, it was captivating to see him so overtaken by his desire – a twin to her own.

He tilted his head to the side, motioning toward the room with the open door beyond them, before cupping her face in his palms and pulling her in for another slow, deliberate kiss. He moved her easily, guiding them away from the kitchen counter and toward what Emrys assumed to be his bedroom, their lips breaking apart only to steal quick pants of air before diving into one another again.

Emrys gasped when the backs of her legs hit his bed, and he used their momentum to lower her slowly onto her back, watching her intently. He fumbled slightly with the fastening on her pants, refusing to take his eyes off her, in love with the way her flushed chest heaved on the bed before him. Admiring the way her dark hair spread around her head like the corona of the Cardassian sun. As he finally managed to unfasten her pants and began to slip them down the length of her pale legs, she propped herself up on her elbows, her hooded eyes home to a heady stare that made his Cho’Ch jump. He slipped his palms along her soft skin, leading the way with greedy kisses and nips, worrying her skin between his teeth as she groaned above him, squirming impatiently. 

He hesitated as his lips reached the apex of her thighs, breathing in her scent, and brushing his thumb lightly over the lace that covered her sex. She shuddered above him, her eyes closing in pleasure. Emboldened, he slipped the fabric to the side, allowing his fingers to skim delicately around her soaked folds. The vision of Emrys panting and whimpering atop his bed, at the execution of fingers he’d only just begun to use, sent a wave of possessiveness and adoration clamoring through him. In that moment, despite his desire to go slow and be tender with his fragile little Human, he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back. He would give anything to please her. He glanced up at her, a hint of worry in his gaze. 

“I’ve never done this with a Human woman before,” he murmured, massaging the flesh of her thighs even in his insecurity. With a soft smile, she leaned onto one elbow, her other hand stretched to caress his chufa. 

“I wouldn’t have guessed based on how you’re doing so far,” she breathed. “We can teach each other.”

She pushed herself into a seated position, with Daro still kneeling between her legs. She reached behind her back and with a quick flick of her wrist, pulled her bra off and tossed it to the floor. Daro groaned at the sight of her pale breasts, his Cho’Ch painfully hard in his pants. Hands still kneading at her thighs, he watched for her reaction as he took a pink nipple into his slick mouth. He teased and tested, letting it pebble against his tongue as Emrys’ head fell back and short pants slipped between her parted lips. While she was distracted, his fingers dipped below the waistband of her panties and worked them down her legs.

When he glanced back up at her, she was already looking at him, her eyes slightly unfocused, her cheeks flushed, her lips rosy and kiss-swollen. His gentle, stunning mate. His. 

It took her a moment to find her voice and when she spoke it was in a whisper - “H-human men usually use their fingers and their mouths to prepare women to take them…”

Raw hunger gleamed in his eyes as he gently pushed her back to recline against his sheets again, pressing a soft kiss to her sex before flicking his tongue between her folds, collecting the dampness gathered there. The taste of her had his Cho’Ch twitching again. Without stopping his exploration of her cunt, he used a hand to unfasten his pants, freeing his everted length and grasping at his irllun with a tight fist.

Daro noticed the way Emrys’ hips jerked whenever his tongue swept over a small bump near the top of her slit and focused his attention there, eager to hear more of the wanton sounds pouring from her mouth. He felt her tensing as he fixated on that spot, and responded by pressing a gentle finger below his tongue, pushing into the damp heat at her center slowly, testing and giving her time to voice any displeasure. None came, her hips lurching until he had to use his forearm to hold them in place. A chorus of yeses and groans of his name rushed around his head as he slid a second digit into her. As she climbed, she threaded her fingers into his hair, grinding her hips against him restlessly. Her taste and scent surrounded him and he buried his fingers deeper, curling them against a spongy spot inside her as he nipped lightly at that delicate bundle above her entrance. 

With a shameless cry of Daro’s name, Emrys crested over the edge, shuddering helplessly as aftershocks raked through her, even as she pushed Daro away gently. 

“Fuck,” she panted, draped limply across Daro’s bed. Turning her head just slightly to meet Daro’s eyes at the end of the bed, she caught the little smirk he wore and gave him a silent thumbs up before dropping her arm heavily on the bed and laughing breathlessly.

He lingered there, between her legs, even as he rose to his feet. Emrys bit her lip hungrily as his stiff length bobbed, emerging from a scaled slit, the tip of him curving upward to rest against another spoon formation surrounded by slate-colored scales. Emrys’ cunt clenched around nothing as Daro took himself in his hand, studying her greedily.

“Come here,” she urged, lifting an open palm toward him. “Please, I need to feel you.”

Daro exhaled hard before crawling over her on the bed, slipping his fingers between hers and gripping them tightly. His lips found hers again and she mewled at the taste of herself on his tongue. She slipped her free hand down to glide her fingers along his slippery length.

His mouth broke away from hers with a gasp as her warm, small hand caressed him. 

“What do you call this in Cardassian?” she whispered against his lips before shifting her attention to the ridges on his neck, specifically the ones she'd seen turn tinged blue earlier, kissing and licking and biting as he groaned fervently above her.

“Ch-Cho’ch,” he choked out, settling his knees before grabbing Emrys by her hips and tugging her closer, draping her thighs over the top of his own, keeping her spread for him. His Cho'Ch was perilously close to her glistening entrance.

Her fingers slid down his length before delicately circling the ring of small scales around the base. Daro shuddered above her, gasping as he dropped forward over her, planting his hands beside her shoulders. He let his head drop and his mouth took up residence beside her ear. As he alternated between grazing his lips along the curve of her ear and giving in to the moans that thrummed in his throat, Emrys’ fingers trailed past the top of his slit to caress the scaled spoon that rested just above it. Daro’s elbows buckled at her touch, growling hungrily.

Although there was delight to be found in Emrys’ leisurely exploration of him, Daro already missed the feeling of her grasping his length, of the steady massage of her fingertips on his irllun. It had been a… not insignificant amount of time since he’d last been sexually involved with anyone, and he was sure that these light, teasing touches would finish him well before he intended. Pulling himself upright, he grasped both of her soft, eager hands and pressed them into the bed above her head, capturing her lips with his as he did so. She whimpered beneath him, her hips rocking, her back arching to press her chest against his, determined to feel him on every part of her. 

She pulled back desperately for air, gasping the word “please” against his lips, and the sound of her begging so prettily dissolved whatever restraint he’d managed to hang on to. Fingers digging into the supple flesh of her hips, he buried himself into his mate’s soft heat in one long stroke, her plush walls enveloping his Cho’Ch like nothing he’d ever felt before. He waited for a moment, giving her a chance to adjust, watching as her lips parted in pleasure.

When she tangled her fingers in his hair, tipping her head back and baring her neck to him, he took it as a sign to move, drawing his hips back before hilting himself inside her again. The brush of her folds against his swollen irllun as he nudged himself deeper had him groaning against the delicate skin of her neck. His teeth grazed a spot below her jaw and as he did, a beautiful cry of his name tumbled from her lips. She clenched around him, rolling her hips to meet his as he sank into her again and again. 

Chasing the gasps that escaped her whenever he was fully seated, he stopped thrusting, instead grinding his hips against hers, building the friction between his irllun and that sensitive bundle of nerves he’d discovered earlier. She moaned shamelessly, her eyes glazing over as he pushed her toward her peak.

He was following right behind her, pleasure surging in every tensed muscle, every shift of his hips, every call of his name that left her lips. She tightened her grasp around his shoulders, pulling herself up to press her brow against his, rocking against him. He was surrounded by her – her scent, her arms, her soaked core – and the combination sent him barreling towards his peak.

“I-I’m close,” Emrys gasped against his lips, her hips grinding against his with more force now, desperation driving her every move.

“Yes,” Daro growled, wrapping an arm snugly around Emrys, pulling her closer against his chest. “Yes, e’zIra, come for me. You take me so well, my mate.”

Emrys flushed at the term, crying out as she came, galaxies bursting behind her eyelids. Her walls squeezed Daro so tightly he faltered for a moment, a grunt caught in his throat as he barrelled towards his own climax. His gaze met the heat in Emrys’ as his Cho’Ch throbbed. Her lips brushed against his ear, an overstimulated whine heralding her murmured, “make me yours, Daro.”

With a ragged moan, he hastily pressed Emrys onto her back in the sheets again, lurching forward to chase her lips and shield her beneath his broad chest. His hands stilled her hips with bruising force as he came, his length twitching as he spilled inside her. Mine, his mind told him dazedly. 

Emrys’ hands splayed across his lower back as he hovered over her and she placed a sweet kiss against his lips, one that made his heart stutter in his chest. She looked so open and content beneath him, a combination of emotions that could be difficult to find in others, given his career and lifestyle. 

Shifting his weight onto one of his forearms, he cupped her cheek with his other palm, studying her like she was the most precious mineral in the galaxy. “Irc’lin,” he uttered, pressing his chufa softly against her forehead. He took one last deep breath of her scent before he withdrew from her, resting back on his heels, watching his seed spill from her with a lingering greed. Emrys reached out for him as his own length began to retreat back into his ajan. 

“What does that mean?” she asked with a sleepy smile. “Irc’lin?” He moved into her embrace, stretching himself along her side and wrapping her in his arms. 

“It’s a bit of a… I believe Humans call them ‘pet names’? It would roughly translate to… ‘my dearest light’.” He seemed almost bashful as he said it, but Emrys’ eyes widened, the warmth in them brimming over.  

After a moment, she hummed, burrowing further into his grasp as he ran his fingers lightly up and down her side. “Perhaps I need to find a pet name for you,” she murmured. 

“I would like that,” he admitted, though he knew he’d be happy for her to just call him hers. “Though perhaps it can wait until you’re not falling asleep,” he whispered with a smile, peering down to find her eyes already closed.

Translations:

chufa (chuh-fah) - the spoon-shaped formation located on the forehead

irc'lin (eerrsh-leen) - loosely translating to “my dear light”

Cho’Ch (choh-ch) - literally, “spear”; a slang term for penis

irllun (eerl-luhn) - the ring of slightly raised micro-scaling near the base of the penis

e’zIra (ay-zī-rrah) - “love”

ajan (ah-zhan) - the genital slit

[rainbowroadonsteroids]

I have something of an idea of what the final Splatfest could be, and it's a central theme within Splatoon 3: the Anarchy Poisons.

The Anarchy Poisons are somewhat central within Splatoon 3, with the idols individual Splatfest themes referencing this. (Bird Mix, Snake Mix, and Boar Mix, respectively.)

The final Splatfest theme could end up being a "pick your poison" type of deal, where your choice will end up leading into the next game, whether drastic or not I'm unsure.

How this works is that the poisons are based off of the three poisons/unwanted roots of Buddhism, to which the rooster, snake, and pig (/bird, snake, and boar) are central symbols. And they represent three mental states: greed, hate, and delusion. Given there's already a theme of one idol going AWOL in the following game (the one who lost the previous game), this could lead into something interesting with the fourth installment.

I don't think it would be what we think though. Given this time it's be two losers and one winner, it may be something where the winner of the final fest becomes a bit too consumed by their own poison, so the two losing idols have to divise a plan to get through to their friend.

Though, then again knowing Nintendo they could pull something out of a hat, but I mainly say that it'll have to do with the three poisons because of context clues.

Previous final fests have had something to do with a hidden or implied theme within the game. With Splatoon, which Squid Sister did the population prefer? Who was more popular? Granted in Splatoon, it was the first game, and so they probably just picked the easiest of themes, but I feel like within the game there was always that question of who was more popular.

Splatoon 2, we understood the theme better as the game went on, and with the added addition of Octo Expansion. Pearl is a rich girl who's chaotic in nature, and seems to love the idea of new heights, new things happening. Marina, not so much. Because she's scared to lose someone she's so close to. Pearl if I'm not mistaken was the first person Marina met after she left her life within the Octarian army, so she likely feared the idea of things changing as a result. Thus, she wanted order to maintain her life as she grew to know it.

Now, back to the potential Splatoon 3 final fest. I'll say this too, it wouldn't be something like "Greed v Hatred v Delusion", the final fest would probably be something more like "Bird v Snake v Boar", which also represent the cultures they represent as idols. (Shiver being Eastern Asian/Japanese culture, Frye being Indian/Middle Eastern culture, and Big Man being Brazilian culture.) So, in all truth, it could be one theme shrouded as another, where in the next installment, the one or more of the idol poisons take over

Again, this is just speculation/theory, but I get the idea Nintendo may be sneaky with this final fest. And why not be sneaky with the theme right under people's noses?

[goodqueenaly]

Could Selwyn Tarth have been at Summerhall? If so wouldn’t that make him one of the only actual survivors ( at least of those taller than four foot)? This of course assumes that Selwyn survived Tarths encounter with the Golden Company.

The evidence is virtually nonexistent either way, but I tend to think Selwyn was not at Summerhall. The very little we know about Summerhall is that, according to Yandel, the tragedy left “very few witnesses alive”. If we already know of four confirmed or nearly guaranteed witnesses - Princess Rhaella (plus, technically, the newborn Rhaegar, although he couldn’t really be called a true witness) Prince Aerys, Prince Jaehaerys, and Princess Shaera - then I hesitate to keep adding to the list with known survivors, lest we get to a point where there are more speculated survivors than there are presumed victims.

On top of that, would Aegon V have seen young Selwyn of Tarth as a necessary addition to “the blood of the dragon gathered in one”? Again, we have no insight into his thinking here, but if our Egg started down the path of adding those who merely claimed Targaryen descent (especially those, as Selwyn likely was, who were separated by a generation or more from their Targaryen ancestor), he might have wondered when any given descendant ceases to be “the blood of the dragon”. Whatever place Selwyn might have had in the Targaryen succession (especially in the aftermath of the Tragedy of Summerhall), he might have not been seen in the preparations for it as close enough a Targaryen kinsman to be present for the gathering of “the blood of the dragon” with the specific intent of hatching dragon eggs.

Again, though, we simply have no idea. The most we can say is that it’s not a possibility GRRM has seemed interested in hinting or exploring (via Brienne’s memories of her father) up to this point. Indeed, Brienne has not at all mused upon her own descent from the Targaryens (which, admittedly, GRRM may only have fully decided upon by the time of TWOIAF), much less the impact of the royal dynasty on the history of the Tarths of the third century AC. Whether we get more on this point from Brienne in terms of Selwyn and the Targaryens now that we are post-TWOIAF, who’s to say. (I do have an amusing image in my mind, since you mention Tarth and the Golden Company, of Lord Selwyn at the court of Aegon VI, perhaps greeted as “cousin” by a king who may be (purportedly) Selwyn’s second cousin twice removed.)

[richmond-rex]

Do you think Edward IV would be satisfied with Henry VII?as son-in-law and successor

Hello! Sorry for taking so long to get to this ask! In part I've had little time to sit and write a reply, but this question is also quite difficult to answer because it's so speculative in nature. As a successor, Edward IV would've obviously liked one of his sons much better. I doubt he would've preferred his brother Richard to Henry, though, considering how he dealt with his other brother George when the latter was accused of conspiring against his and the Prince of Wales (later Edward V)'s life. Edward would not have hesitated in bringing about Richard's punishment either, and a king as his son-in-law with his daughter on the throne would, imo, be more amenable to him if we take in consideration the times he offered Elizabeth to the Nevilles and Prince Edward of Lancaster before his son Edward was born.

In matters of administration Henry VII followed his example and even improved on his innovations, so I think he would be rather satisfied with his policies — Edward IV like Henry VII by the end of his life, was also accused of avarice whilst strengthening the crown's revenues and authority. In the ideological and dynastical plan he would be for sure disappointed and/or vexed at the rehabilitation of Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou and the attainted Lancastrian lords. In his first parliament, Henry VII said the act against his uncle ('the most famous prince of blessed memory') was done 'against all righteousness, honour, nature, and duty', and that he was attainted 'contrary to due allegiance and all due order'. In the same vein, Edward IV attempted to put a stop to the cult of his rival, whilst Henry VII lent great support to the cult of Holy King Henry and even petitioned three popes to have his uncle canonised.

At the same time, Henry called Richard III's bigamy allegations against his brother 'false and malicious imaginations, against all good and true disposition', rescuing his reputation in that regard at least. Henry would only ever refer to his father-in-law in terms such 'our father, the most famous prince of blessed memory' and even when, like in the case of the restoration of Henry VI, he went against Edward's interests, Edward was not officially blamed. Some of Edward's actions, such as Henry VI's murder, were even pinned on his brother Richard instead. Edward's memory would be honoured in other ways as well, as when Henry continued Edward's foundation of a convent for the Greyfriars in Greenwich, the Yorkist roof bosses added to St George's chapel completed by Henry, or the Mortimer heir trappings given to Prince Arthur as Prince of Wales.

To sum up, it's difficult to say. Edward IV would probably not want to see his work against the Lancastrians — necessarily degraded so that his line could be safely boosted — undone. On the other hand, Edward would certainly not be satisfied with his brother on the throne given how he had hurt his children and slandered his own reputation in the process of usurpation. In that sense, Henry VII's ascension was more beneficial to his memory and the perpetuation of his direct descendants.

[foulfeast]

Hi! I'm Kani. I'm a graphic designer & a fine arts student. I blog about & organize my original character/world content here. Bunch of ramblings, speculation, going back and forth and goofing around.

A lot of my work is aimless worldbuilding & character development. Hopefully one day I'll find a a couple stories in that that I can turn into comics or such.

Main art blog: @kani-has-no-tattoos

N A V I G A T I O N

Note! World/character name takes you to a basic info post about them. The (tag) links to their tag.

HOMEBOUND (tag) || Miulu (TBA) | Preyer (TBA) | Kukla (TBA)

COMETS (tag) || Muco (tag) | Tempus Edax Rerum (tag) | Attilio (TBA)

MUCH MORE TO BE ADDED!

header & icon art Otto Marseus Van Schrieck paintings | brown dividers | mushroom dividers

[coquelicoq]

this post is brought to you by: la lettre c!

[previously: la lettre b]

i recently spent nearly a month reading the C section of this french dictionary. and by gum now you are going to hear about it!!

stats

percentage of dico taken up by C words: 10.6% (yeah you heard me. a tenth of this dictionary is just for the letter C. you've been warned)

percentage of dico read (as of the end of the C section): 23.5%

rate and duration: 3 pages/day for 27 days

total entries: 3449

rows added to my vocabulary spreadsheet: 708 😅

fun facts

more pages in this dico are devoted to words starting with C than with any other letter! which if you think about it makes sense. not only can a word-initial c be followed by any vowel, it can be followed by h, l, and r, plus the prefix con/com- is EXTREMELY generative…19 of the 81 pages are dedicated just to words that start with con or com (over a page of which are actually words that start with contre). i love that you get nearly 1/4 of the way through this dictionary before you even get to the 4th letter of the 26-letter alphabet.

as mentioned in the B post, there sure are a lot of slang words meaning "head" that start with c. you've got your caboche (hobnail). you've got your cafetière (coffeemaker). you've got your carafe (carafe) or your carafon (small carafe). you've got your chou (cabbage). you've got your ciboulot (diminutive of ciboule, which means head). you've got your citron (lemon). shockingly coco (coconut) is not slang for noggin to my knowledge…but it's not like there's a one-to-one mapping between "round things" and "things that are slang for noggin", or we wouldn't be in this situation with carafe, now would we?

speaking of noggins, there are also a lot of idioms meaning "to wrack one's brain" that were in the C section, either because the "wrack" word starts with a c or because the "brain" word does: se casser la tête (casser: break), se creuser le ciboulot/la cervelle/la tête/les méninges (creuser: dig).

page hogs

(entries taking up 1/6 of a page or more)

carte

ce

chaîne

charger

chien

compte

conseil

corde

corps

côté

couleur

coup

coupe

couper

courir

cours

croire

culture

i knew coup would be big, and i wasn't surprised by corps or cours, but damn there are a lot more chien idioms than i was expecting!

🤯 momence

i looked up the etymology of un casanier/une casanière (homebody) expecting it to be pretty straightforward given the spanish casa meaning house, but it actually came from an italian word meaning "moneylender"??? which was then influenced by the word that means house, but still. not sure i buy the logical leap made in the CNRTL entry for casanier that the "homebody" sense "s'explique prob[ablement] par le fait que les prêteurs italiens installés en France semblaient tenus à résider en un lieu précis, évolution favorisée par l'infl[uence] de case* « maison », fréquent au XVIe s". yeah but were italian moneylenders unique in liking to stay in one spot? i kinda doubt it…

chevronné(e): experienced, seasoned, highly qualified. one of my favorite things about this project is how much i am learning about etymology just because words from the same root whose meanings have since diverged still often occur near each other in the dictionary. chevronné comes right after chevron, which is a pattern in the shape of a V (or upside-down V). on a military uniform, chevrons indicate an officer's rank. so someone who is chevronné is someone who wears a lot of chevrons because they have a high rank, which generally indicates a lot of experience.

and if you're wondering why chevron means an inverted V shape, another meaning of chevron is "rafter", as in, the beams in a roof that slope to either side…forming an inverted V shape. and why is that beam called a chevron? well, we're getting into speculation now*, but chevron comes a few entries after chèvre, goat. according to this dictionary, chèvre is also another word for chevalet, which means "sawhorse" and comes from the word cheval (horse). now, chèvre and cheval, though they look similar in french, come from completely different latin roots. but goats and horses are both four-legged animals, and a sawhorse is, of course, a support structure made of two upside-down Vs that look like the two pairs of legs of a four-legged animal. so i'm not sure of the exact chain of causality here, but it does seem plausible that the inverted V came to be called a chevron because of its resemblance to a pair of legs? of some animal or another??

*(the CNRTL etymology entry for chevron claims that it comes from a latin word that meant both goat and chevron, capreolus, but i haven't been able to confirm for myself that capreolus meant chevron so am not taking that as gospel.)

couché(e) en chien de fusil: lying curled up in a ball/in the fetal position. the fun thing about this one is that there's this passage in les mis where gavroche notices that the pistol he's stolen from a shop window "n'avait pas de chien." this confused the hell out of me when i read it. the pistol didn't have a dog? why the fuck would the pistol have a dog??? eventually i managed to wrap my head around the idea that chien might mean something other than "dog" in the context of a pistol, and once my mind was opened to that revolutionary possibility it didn't take long to discover that the hammer of a gun is called a chien. so when i got to this entry in the dictionary, i was like yeah, yeah, le chien de fusil, we've all seen it. the problem is i still don't really get how that translates to the fetal position. they just don't seem that similar to me? so this one is a work in progress.

être à la colle: live together, be shacked up. (colle means glue.) i also like vivre en concubinage, which means the same thing. you can imagine my surprise when i got to concubinage and finally learned it does not mean "the state of having concubines" as i had been assuming. i would see it in like news articles about modern french people and be like "that doesn't seem right, but i don't know enough about french culture to dispute it."

somewhat relatedly, i don't think i had ever come across et consorts ("and company") in the wild before reaching its entry in the dictionary, which is good because i'm sure i would have grossly misinterpreted it as well. on balance i think english getting so much vocab from french does make learning french vocab much easier than it would be otherwise, but there are times when it would really help to be bringing to the table fewer preconceived notions about the meaning of words lol.

let's talk about compris(e). so service (non) compris (service (not) included (in the price of something)) is one of the phrases i learned back when i was a kid who didn't know any french, because i was going to france and it was in some guidebook or other. then y compris (including) caught my eye very early on in my french education because i didn't know what the y was doing in there and i probably latched onto it because it looked like spanish. (the french word y has a completely different meaning than the spanish word y, but i didn't know that at the time because i hadn't learned about adverbial pronouns yet, and learning "y compris" didn't help me figure it out because it seemed to make total sense for a phrase which means "including" to contain a word meaning "and". but i digress.) and of course i learned the verb comprendre (understand) in year 1 of french. but it was not until now, TWENTY YEARS LATER, that i put together that the compris in service compris and y compris is...THE PAST PARTICIPLE OF COMPRENDRE! HELLO!!! like i knew that compris is the pp of comprendre, but i never connected it with those other expressions! and the english word comprehend also has both "understand" and "include" senses (think lizzy saying "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman" in pride and prejudice), so all the pieces were there all along! truly i am surrounded by countless wonders just waiting to be discovered.

i am continuing to take note of verbs that no one ever told me take être as auxiliary. the first one since accourir is convenir de [qqch], but it seems to only take être in some circumstances and i'm not really clear on what they are…just in literature or when being formal? the jury is out. this one is less mindblowing than accourir because it does have venir right there in it, which doesn't mean that it obviously must take être, but i feel a little more primed to accept it. accourir was just a total shock. i'm still feeling the reverberations.

favorite words to pronounce

cessation [sesasjɔ̃]

champignonnière [ʃɑ̃piɲɔnjɛʀ]

cliquetis [klik(ə)ti]

clopin-clopant [klɔpɛ̃klɔpɑ̃]

cocotte [kɔkɔt]

coléoptère [kɔleɔptɛʀ]

compensation [kɔ̃pɑ̃sasjɔ̃]

consciencieusement [kɔ̃sjɑ̃sjøzəmɑ̃]

contentement [kɔ̃tɑ̃tmɑ̃]

coquelicot [kɔkliko]

cumulus [kymylys]

cyclique [siklik]

so the mouthfeel in the C section is simply exquisite. sometimes i just say "consciencieusement" out of nowhere because it soothes me. that said, possibly my least favorite word to pronounce in the entire french language (yes even more than procureur du roi) also starts with C: chirurgie. like damn. have mercy. also found myself struggling with condamner (apparently you don't pronounce the m and you don't nasalize the vowel before it. IS THIS EVEN FRENCH????), construire (dedicating my life to learning synonyms for every sense of this word so i never have to say it out loud), and coopérant (no, not the double o! please, i'll do anything!).

favorite words period

c'est le cadet de mes soucis: that's the least of my worries. cadet is also the word you would use to talk about a younger sibling, like ma sœur cadette, so that's the association i have with it. out of all my worries, this one is the baby. aww.

avoir le cafard: have the blues, feel depressed, be down in the dumps. un cafard is a cockroach btw. i'm gonna need my fellow anglophones to either learn this french expression or at the very least calque it into english because i use it all the time now. lads i got the roach today…yeah no i'm gonna have to reschedule, it's that damn roach…

c'est fort du café: that's a bit much, that's going too far, that's pushing it. the coffee is too damn strong! dial it back people!

the C section contains both cahin-caha (with difficulty) and clopin-clopant (with a limp, falteringly). i'm always a sucker for (quasi-)reduplication! and with these two in particular, i like the way that the sounds rock back and forth, like an aural representation of the action they would describe.

renvoyer/remettre [qqch] aux calendes grecques: postpone [sth] indefinitely. i was confused by this one because i looked up calendes and naturally it translates as calends, which as a former latin student i know to be the first day of the month (just as the ides is a specific day in the middle of the month) in the ancient roman calendar. but according to this random website whose trustworthiness i have not determined, that's precisely the point: to postpone something until the calends of the greeks is to never do it, because the greek calendar doesn't even HAVE a calends. makes me think of that episode of parks & rec when ron had like 90 meetings on the same day because april had been scheduling all his meetings for march 31st, thinking that march only has 30 days. damn, should have scheduled them all for the greek calends. the french could have told her that.

calter/caleter ([qqch]): shift [sth], move [sth]; scram, scat, leg it. i will just be scooping this up and squirreling it away in my hoard of ways to talk about getting the hell out of dodge, thank you…

faire un câlin is to hug…or to have sex!! why does french keep doing this to me. i just want some affection-related words that are not also sex slang, is that so much to ask??

callipyge: endowed with a nice butt. i am not making this up, it is a word and it is in this pocket french dictionary. would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for the meeting at which they decided to keep this one in. "callipyge? oh yeah that one's essential." done and dusted. (okay after i wrote this i did hear moira say "my callipygean ass" in an episode of schitt's creek i was rewatching, but i think that still proves my point, because moira.)

une cambuse: can't believe there's an entire word for "hovel" that victor hugo never used in les mis. monsieur come collect your word (that also means "ship's galley")!

un camembert: obviously there is a cheese called this but DID YOU KNOW it's also the word for pie chart?? that's so french omg.

faire la carpette: bend over backwards to please someone; lie on the floor. i love the double meaning: figuratively being a doormat or literally just being flat on the ground. oh carpet we're really in it now…

faire la carpe pâmée: feign unconsciousness. quick, they're looking this way! do the fainted carp!

so many great casse- compounds, including three that all mean snack (un casse-croûte (lit. break-crust), un casse-dalle, un casse-graine (lit. break-food)). there's a whole bunch of casse-[body part] compounds: un(e) casse-couilles (lit. break-balls) and un(e) casse-pieds (lit. break-feet) both mean pain in the ass, while un(e) casse-cou (break-neck) is a daredevil and un casse-tête (lit. break-head) is a brainteaser, a conundrum, or a club/mace. the adjective casse-gueule (lit. break-face) means risky, dangerous, tricky. i also checked my separate french slang dictionary (you can't expect me to have just ONE french dictionary, come on) because i thought it was weird that there was no casse-cul even though the word cul is like the number one word to put in french idioms, and guess what. un(e) casse-cul is ALSO a pain in the ass. i am feeling so smug about this extremely obvious deduction. eat yer heart out, hercule poirot!

ça passe ou ça casse: it's make or break. love me a pithy rhyming cliche! i hope they say this on french reality shows…i can totally imagine it in a dramatic announcer voiceover.

je me casse: i'm outta here. yes!! another one for the casual farewell arsenal!!!

être assis(e)/avoir le cul entre deux chaises: have a foot in each camp, be sitting on the fence, be caught in the middle. literally: be sitting ass between two chairs. just such a good image.

appuyer sur le champignon: step on the gas. why is the gas pedal a mushroom? heck if i know, but i am on board with it and ready to be charmed.

tenir la chandelle: be the third wheel. listen, it was probably really complicated to have sex back in the days of 1) complicated dress and 2) no electricity. maybe you need someone to illuminate all the tricky fastenings you're trying to undo…that's where the candle guy comes in.

passe ton chemin !: on your way/off with you! i am collecting soooo many ways to tell people to leave. if i could just go back twenty years to that one time i was in a phone booth in the south of france with a friend who was being harassed by an adult french man…i sure would be able to yell something at him in the right language this time. rick steves taught me how to propose to someone in marriage but not how to rebuff a creep. come on, rick! priorities!

être comme cul et chemise: be thick as thieves, be bosom buddies. literally, be like ass and shirt, which maybe didn't age super well, because these days most shirts don't even cover the ass 🙄 interestingly, i looked up "be in cahoots with [sb]" on wordreference to see if that was also a possible translation of this expression, and it turned up être en chemise avec [qqn]. which is maybe just a slightly less vulgar way of saying comme cul et chemise? i don't have a great sense for how rude of a word "cul" is considered to be, since as i mentioned previously it appears in approximately five hundred thousand french expressions.

just to throw another thing in the mix, être en cheville avec [qqn] ALSO means to be in cahoots with [sb]. maybe être en chemise avec is what happens when être comme cul et chemise and être en cheville avec have a baby?? (before reading this dictionary i only knew about the "ankle" sense of cheville, but apparently it's also like a dowel that you use when building stuff? so that's probably the sense that's being invoked in this expression.)

chiche (incidentally, pronounced just like "sheesh") is an interjection meaning "i dare you!" (it's also an adjective meaning stingy.) this section of the dictionary also has cap ou pas cap ? (cap: short for capable), which appears to mean the same thing. kids gotta have ways to taunt each other into doing dumb shit. it's a universal law, probably.

bête comme chou: dead simple, easy as pie, easy-peasy. literally, stupid as cabbage. it's so easy a cabbage could do/understand it, and cabbages aren't exactly known for their feats of intelligence or skill. remembering this one should be bête comme chou. (i wish i could leave it there but i did actually look up the etymology of bête comme chou and it seems to be more that chou was slang for ass, so calling someone bête comme chou was like calling them a dumbass, and then at some point the meaning shifted to refer to things a dumbass can't do or understand rather than the dumbass themselves. but "so easy a cabbage could do it" is easier to remember, so.)

faire chou blanc: come up short, come up empty-handed. i was reading this thinking, man, the french sure don't think much of the capabilities of cabbages, but i looked up the etymology of faire chou blanc and this actually comes from the berry dialect, where coup is pronounced chou. un c[h]oup blanc was a phrase used in the game of quilles (skittles, related to bowling) for when you fail to hit any pins whatsoever. so faire chou blanc is basically to throw a gutter ball!

ferme ton clapet !: shut your trap! jotting this down for my trip in time back to that one phone booth harasser guy 👀📝 he will rue the day i built a time machine and also the day i decided to read the entire french dictionary.

prendre ses cliques et ses claques: pack up and leave, take one's things and go. listen, i'm a simple guy. you put two words that sound almost the same right next to each other and i eat that shit right up. also, as established i have this weird obsession with learning as many ways as possible to talk about removing myself from situations. so welcome to the fold, my child. you may have clique-claqued your way out of wherever you were before, but you are home now. allow me to introduce you to all your new siblings.

des clous !: no way!, no chance! clous are nails. don't look at me, i don't get it either. i just think it's catchy.

le petit coin: bathroom. literally "the little corner". as far as euphemisms go, i much prefer this to "the little boys'/girls' room".

c'est le comble/c'est un comble: that takes the cake, well now i've heard it all, you couldn't make this up. le comble is the pinnacle of something, the most [thing] that [thing] can be. so it's like whew, there's no beating that! also it comes from the latin word cumulus btw.

comme tout: as anything, as can be. in other words, af.

en compote: aching, sore. as though your muscles have been pureed into jam i guess?

une contrepèterie: a spoonerism! this is when two sounds in a phrase are switched, changing the meaning of the phrase in a comical way ("the lord is a shoving leopard" for "the lord is a loving shepherd", for example). the french example given in the wikipedia article for spoonerisms is "femme folle à la messe et femme molle à la fesse" ("insane woman at mass, woman with flabby buttocks") from a novel by rabelais. (which is kind of giving me freak in the sheets lady in the streets vibes now that i think about it.)

convivial(e): convivial, friendly, congenial, of course, but also easy to use, user-friendly! i find this so charming. i am truly so easy to please.

sauter/passer du coq-à-l'âne: go off on a tangent, be all over the place. literally, jump from the rooster to the donkey. makes sense to me. you thought we were talking about the rooster? well, now we're talking about the donkey. try to keep up.

les coquelicots: period, menstruation, time of the month. un coquelicot is a poppy, but les coquelicots? watch out. i haven't confirmed this, but i'm choosing to believe it's because of the color. also, i love poppies, and i love the word coquelicot. if getting my stupid period gives me the opportunity to say this fun word, i'll take it.

corser [qqch]: spice [sth] up (figurative or literal); complicate [sth]; flavor [sth]. my first thought was "is corsican cuisine known for being spicy??" but the etymology of corser is actually from the word corps, meaning body. so, you're giving body to something. neat! there's also se corser (get complicated, thicken), as in la situation se corse (the plot thickens). oh yeah. now we're cookin'.

en tenir une couche: be a dumbass, not be playing with a full deck. une couche is a layer, so i'm thinking this is like not having much going on under the hood. what you see is what you get. there's nothing under the surface. nobody at home.

ma couille: dude, mate. i definitely need ways to say dude in french. couille means testicle btw, because of course it does. this is french we're talking about.

un coupe-coupe: machete. literally, a cut-cut. if only more french words were formed using this logic!! i could get used to this.

le crachin: drizzle. which also allows you to say the truly incredible phrase il y a du crachin (it's drizzling). (cracher is to spit.)

ça craint: that sucks; life sucks. craindre [qqch] is to be afraid of [sth], so i don't totally get the connection, but i say "that sucks" all the time, so it's nice to have a way to say it in french. actually, it would be better if things could just suck less. but that does seem more difficult than just learning some words.

avoir un (petit) creux: feel peckish. un creux is a hollow so this is giving me vibes like please sir 🥺 my tummy is a lil empty 🥺👉👈

le cuir: leather, but also apparently the word for making a liaison (aka pronouncing the letter on the end of a word because the following word starts with a vowel) when you're not supposed to. no idea what that has to do with leather, but i do find myself kind of charmed against my will to know that there's a specific word for this mistake i make all the time. i guess that means i'm not alone. OR they made up the word just for me 🥰 either way, a win imho.

avoir du cul: be damn lucky. okay the rest of these are cul idioms. i told you there were a lot, so i have just picked my very favorites.

avoir la tête dans le cul if translated literally would be more or less "have one's head up one's ass", mais attention because apparently in french it means be half-asleep, be dozy, feel like shit. so if someone says j'ai la tête dans le cul, they are probably not inviting you to join them in roasting them for being a dumbass. word to the wise.

en avoir plein/ras le cul (de [qqch]): be sick and tired (of [sth]), be fed up (with [sth]), have had it up to here (with [sth]). french truly is a beautiful language.

saving the best for last (but also, it just came last in the alphabet): et mon cul, c'est du poulet ?: yeah, right!, my ass! literally "and my ass, it's [made of] chicken?" i assume i don't have to explain why this brings me such joy.

next up…51 pages of Ds! (which i actually finished reading long ago and am now in the E's but shhhhh)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Bramhall

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

July 9, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUL 10, 2024

In this morning’s Talking Points Memo, David Kurtz observed that “much of political journalism is divorced from policy and the substance of politics.” It’s all about a horse race, he wrote, while complex questions, competing public interests, and the history of an issue get distilled to “whether it’s good or bad politically.”

Today, he noted, that horse-race coverage means that “[a]n election about whether the United States will continue its two and half century long experiment in representative democracy, where a convicted felon is running to return to the office he tried to seize through extralegal means, where the specter of a new form of fascism looms on the horizon is suddenly consumed by a political death watch for the only person at present standing between democracy and another Trump term in the White House.”

Yesterday, President Joe Biden tried to quell that political death watch by sending a letter to congressional Democrats stating that “despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump.” He noted that 14 million voters in the Democratic primary chose him, rather than a challenger, adding, “It was their decision to make. Not the press, not the pundits, not the big donors, not any selected group of individuals, no matter how well intentioned…. How can we stand for democracy in our nation if we ignore it in our own party?” 

In an apparent attempt to get beyond the horse-race politics Kurtz identified and to make clear the substance of this election, Biden explained: “We have an historic record of success to run on.” He cited his administration’s creation of more than 15 million jobs, leading to historic unemployment lows; revitalization of American manufacturing; expansion of affordable health care; rebuilding the country’s infrastructure; lowering the cost of prescription drugs; providing student debt relief; and making a historic investment in combating climate change.

That vision, Biden wrote, “soundly beats” that of Trump and the MAGA Republicans, who are “siding with the wealthy and big corporations,” while the Democrats are “siding with the working people of America.” Trump and his people want another $5 trillion in tax cuts for the rich, he noted, and they plan to cut Social Security and Medicare, as well as end the ability of the government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to bring drug prices into line with prices in other countries. “We are the ones lowering costs for families,” he wrote, “from health care to prescription drugs to student debt to housing. We are the ones protecting Social Security and Medicare. Everything they’re proposing raises costs for most Americans—except their tax cuts which will go to the rich.” 

He went on to note that the Democrats are “protecting the freedoms of Americans,” while Trump’s people are “taking them away.” He pointed to the right-wing attacks on abortion rights, IVF, contraception, and gay marriage. Biden reiterated that he will sign a law making Roe v. Wade the law of the land if the nation elects a Democratic House and Senate. Finally, he pointed out that Democrats are protecting the rule of law and democracy, while Trump is actively working to destroy both. Trump, he wrote, has proven himself “unfit ever to hold the office of President.” “My fellow Democrats,” Biden wrote, “we have the record, the vision, and the fundamental commitment to America’s freedoms and our Democracy to win.” 

Hours later, the New York Times joined the tabloid New York Post in noting that visitor logs showed that Dr. Kevin Cannard, an expert on Parkinson’s disease, visited the White House eight times between July 2023 and March 2024. After pressing White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for information beyond her statements that Biden is not being, and has not been, treated for Parkinson’s and that he sees a neurologist as part of his annual physical exams, a CBS News White House reporter accused Jean-Pierre of deliberately withholding information. Jean-Pierre pointed out that “personal attacks” are not appropriate from the press corps and that the press team does its best to give the information they have. She said she took offense at the reporter’s tone. 

Last night, White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor sent to Jean-Pierre a letter clarifying that the White House Medical Unit serves thousands of patients, many of whom are military personnel with neurological issues related to their service. Cannard was one of the team of specialists that annually examine the president. O’Connor’s office released the results of that examination in a letter dated February 28, he pointed out. It said, “An extremely detailed neurologic exam was again reassuring in that there were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or ascending lateral sclerosis, nor are there any signs of cervical myelopathy.” The president does have “peripheral neuropathy in both feet. No motor weakness was detected. He exhibits no tremor, either at rest or with activity.”

As media attention remains focused on Biden, a Supreme Court decision from last week that upends the modern American state and another that overturns the central concept of our democracy have disappeared from public discussion. In Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the court overruled the longstanding legal precedent establishing that courts should defer to a government agency’s reasonable interpretation of a law. Instead, it said, judges themselves will decide on the legality of an agency’s actions. 

In Public Notice, Lisa Needham noted that right-wing judges have already blocked Biden administration rules that protect overtime pay for workers, prohibit noncompete clauses for truckers, and prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. As right-wing plaintiffs launch suits challenging rules they dislike, she notes, we should expect to see many more federal judges “deploying junk science and personal opinions to get to their preferred conclusion while ignoring the expertise of agency employees.”

Loper Bright was a slashing blow at the federal regulations that make up the framework of today’s government, but it paled in comparison to the Supreme Court’s decision in Donald J. Trump v. United States. In that stunning decision, the six right-wing justices—three of whom Trump himself appointed—declared that a president is immune from prosecution for crimes committed as part of his “official duties.” 

This astonishing decision overturned the bedrock principle of the United States of America: that no one is above the law. But to be clear, the court did not give this power to Biden. Because it is not clear what official acts are—since no one has ever before made this distinction—it claimed for itself the right to decide what illegal behaviors are official acts and which are not. Since at least one of the justices (Samuel Alito) has flown flags demonstrating support for overthrowing Biden’s government and putting Trump back into office, and the wife of another (Clarence Thomas) worked with those trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, it seems likely that their decisions will reinforce Trump’s immunity alone. 

An extraordinary effort to use the courts to set up a Trump dictatorship appears largely to have been hidden under the horse race.

And now that this scaffolding is in place, Trump’s team has begun to try to make him look more moderate than he is. On July 5, Trump claimed not to know anything about the extremist Project 2025, which calls for an authoritarian leader to impose Christian nationalism on the United States, despite the fact that his own appointees wrote it, his own political action committee advertised it as his plan, and his name appears in it 312 times. 

Agenda 47, the official Trump campaign website, has offered more information about how he will wield the absolute power he now claims. As Judd Legum pointed out today in Popular Information, a key author of Project 2025, Christian nationalist Russell Vought, has advanced a plan for killing any aspects of government his people dislike, and Trump has adopted that plan, vowing to cancel agencies or laws he dislikes by refusing to spend money Congress appropriates. This is known as “impoundment,” and Congress made it illegal in 1974 after President Richard Nixon used it to try to bend the government to his will. Trump says the 1974 Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional because it interferes with the power of the presidency. He promised to use it to “crush the Deep State.” First on the chopping block will be the Department of Education.  

The effort to make Trump sound more moderate continued yesterday, when the Republican National Committee released the party’s 2024 platform, in which it tried to fudge the issue of abortion while leaving language that supported a national abortion ban. The New York Times published an article reinforcing the idea that Trump is moderating, reporting: “Following Trump’s Lead, Republicans Adopt Platform That Softens Stance on Abortion.” 

In the midst of this political coverage, a key story has been largely overlooked. Not only does the stock market continue to set record highs, but also, as Jim Tankersley of the New York Times reported, the so-called left-behind counties, distressed after the collapse of manufacturing in them, have “added jobs and new businesses at their fastest pace since Bill Clinton was president.” “That turnaround,” he notes, “has shocked experts.” More than 1,000 counties, mostly in the Southeast and Midwest, that grew at less than half the national rate in terms of both people and income from 2000 to 2016, have surged. From 2016 to 2019—mostly during Trump’s administration—those rural left-behind counties, which make up about 18% of the U.S. population, added 10,000 jobs. In 2023 alone, they added 104,000. 

Tankersley notes that Trump overwhelmingly won the support of voters in these counties, but their circumstances did not improve during his administration. Under Biden, they added jobs five times faster than they did under Trump. Still, voters there appear to continue to back Trump. 

Now that’s a story. Are they backing Trump because they care more about culture wars than their economic security? Or are they ill informed?

Meanwhile, Republicans in the House today passed the Refrigerator Freedom Act and the Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards (SUDS) Act, prohibiting the Secretary of Energy from prescribing or enforcing energy efficiency standards for residential refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers. 

After noting that the average monthly cost of operating a dishwasher is two to four dollars, and establishing that the people pushing this measure had no idea how much a dishwasher costs, Representative Katie Porter (D-CA) said: “This bill… Congress at its worst. A bunch of people who haven’t unloaded a dishwasher ever telling the American people what dishwashers they should or should not have.” 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[shsl-heck]

Pale Live Read Part 2. Lost for Words

Sorry this took a couple days, I got busy and then sick.

This girl is named Verona. So that's V presumably. Lady with the hidden face is back and not talking for some reason, but Veeona doesn't seem too freaked out. Is she who gave Verona the instructions for the awakening ritual?

Lucy doesn't seem like she'll be a good practitioner. So far in the phone call she's saying things without thinking about the consequences and that's a bad idea in this universe. 

Avery is taking a long time talking to a teacher. Is this a teacher's pet surrogate parental figure deal? Or are we entering teacher's crush territory?

The girls are speculating about if the hidden face lady actually has a horrifying face. My guess is no. I feel like that idea doesn't fit. Like to my mind if an Other has a messed up face that it doesn't show people most of the time, then it's probably going to reveal that face for added dramatic flair right as it claims a victim, or something similar. The ideas tying that kind of Other mean it would probably work better narratively for it to have something like a mask it could rip off to reveal its true face imo, and that matters to the spirits. Like, it's a very well established trope with a lot of flair so I feel like this lady would have been pushed in that direction if the girls were right. It seems to me more like the woman has no face. There's the "faceless" woman in Jacob's Bell but she just lacks facial features, I think this lady's face just straight up doesn't exist, and so, because there's no way to convey that, the spirits contrive to keep her facial area hidden. This was hard to describe and I'm kinda sick so idk how much sense I made while doing it, but based on my knowledge from Pact it's my current thought on this topic that probably doesn't matter very much.

Wow! I hate Verona's dad so much it's unreal. Thank your daughter, asshole! She did the chores he asked, and then he tells her to do more while complaining the cleaning chemicals she used give him a headache.

Oh my fucking God the bra strap comment? This man is not seeing heaven. That Verona is not beating the shit out of him is proof of her restraint. Her leaving the spaghetti out as this petty little thing is amazing too. I'm also a petty person and so I appreciate this representation.

Nevermind, she's thinking badly of  stoners and petty criminals. Also very funny for her to think of other people as idiots without a future when she's about to awaken. Like maybe Pact has biased me but becoming a practitioner does not seem like the best idea if you want to live a long successful happy life.

Okay the most unbelievable part of this so far is that a kid would struggle to get alcohol in a town like this. Ime it is absolutely not hard to get your hands on stuff to drink when you go to a public school in a dead end town. 

Wildbow has introduced a rating app kids are using in the story? This feels like a technomancy thing or some Other fishing for victims. 

It's the teacher crush thing God dammit. Wildbow I swear to all that us holy this better not be a huge plot point.

There are bloody small children in the woods. Are they related to the Carmine Beast? It made the moon bloody and was bleeding everywhere.

Charles is a real one. Like yeah it's kind of fucked up to Awaken a group of middleschoolers! Also he's forsworn but still showed up to a meeting of Others??? That seems like a frankly suicidal idea. 

I'm a big fan of the murder mystery idea but these girls have no idea what they're getting into. Something like that just disappearing almost makes me think of a demon similar to Urr. I doubt that's what it actually is since I don't think Wildbow would jump back into diabolism so early in the story.

Matthew used to be a practitioner it looks like. So he's like Crone Mara or maybe Blake. He seems pretty nice and so I of course distrust him and am guessing he's closer to the Crone Mara end of the spectrum.

The fact that they all made each other's masks, hats, and capes is a cute touch. I do worry that their power might be very fragile though. Doing the ritual not just clothed but in very specific clothes they don't normally wear, plus splitting power between the three? That feels like a recipe for disaster if they're ever forced to practice when taken by surprise. Again, maybe Pact has made me unnecessarily cynical but I don't believe for a second they'll be able to avoid a situation where they are separated and put on the back foot.

Avery's explanation of her mask and why she's doing this is very emotional. Wildbow's managed to make each of the girls' problems resonate in a way lots of media fails to do in general, but especially with characters who are teenage girls. Between this scene, Verona's home life, and the one where Lucy thinks about seeing her mother crying until she noticed she was watching, he's treated their lives and problems with a sense of dignity I really appreciate.

The Hungry Choir is the most suspicious (other than Matthew). The use of the word "choir" is concerning given its connotations with demons and angels. It's something called a ritual incarnate which I don't know much about, but assume is some kind of minor Incarnate defined by very strict rules about how and when it can act. They also didn't seem to bring anything?

Matthew was listed as a host in the notebook chapter which kind of makes sense, but he just said here he trained as a Heartless, so my guess about him being like Mara looks to be correct. He's hosting the darkness from Edith/The Girl By Candlelight, but he also says it was too large and unwieldy for him which seems contradictory. If the goal was just to keep Edith stable would it not make more sense to take her as his Familiar? There's more going on here, and I feel like this relationship is not healthy.

Charles getting forsworn is objectively a very funny way to screw up. Like taking a stand against for profit prisons while drunk then a guy cuts his foot on shattered glass? Incredible.

John and the Choir are candidates for replacing the Carmine Beast apparently. That gives the already suspicious Choir a motive, and they're strong so them getting rid of the Carmine Beast seems possible. It's almost too obvious though.

Also I have to say that having heard the name so much before I started reading I assumed the Carmine Beast would be the main character's patron for a large chunk of the story and that it'd play an almost motherly nurturing role until dying part way through.

John has come dangerously close to harming the girls. I know they said it being on instinct means it might not have broken the deal, but that argument feels flimsy. If one of the girls pressed the issue I'm pretty sure they could've got him forsworn if he'd actually harmed them. 

Avery using connections the way she is (even if it messed up her eye) feels like she's being set up to be an enchantress. 

Miss says the Choir has no motive but that seems naive. It's a ritual incarnate which apparently means someone made with the hope that it would accrue more power than it cost to make. Could it be the weapon instead of the killer? The person who made it might have wanted the Carmine gone to either take the role themself or have the Choir do it.

Verona's dad continues to be awful. Her thoughts on boys are a fascinating insight into how she thinks about the world, and honestly it's kind of relatable. Her wanting to become Other is a little scary, I can think of one example of a protagonist doing that and it uh didn't go well for him. Granted Verona probably plans to have more control over the process, but that's easier said than done.

The girls experimenting with the gifts is delightful but is going to give me hives. Like stop wasting power like that! You're going to need it. Still, their friendship is great and I love the dynamic.

Rip Gabe I guess. I don't have a ton to say about the ritual other than "yeah, that's fucked up." It targeting people with eating disorders, or drug addictions is another layer of awfulness I didn't expect though. We need to get some practitioners on this to figure out the rules and patterns and drain it of power. 

I really enjoyed this first arc! As it went on I found myself making notes less frequently because I just got so sucked into the story that it slipped my mind. The Hungry Choir is horrid even by this universe's standards. My only complaint is that it maybe felt a bit much? Like less grounded somehow than even the war for lordship in Pact or other later arcs where practitioners were really going all out. Granted as an apparently quite powerful Incarnate in its place of power it makes sense it would be able to do this kind of stuff. Also I don't trust any of these Others except maybe the Mare and that's a big maybe. If there’s something I missed or you want more thoughts on just let me know.

[authoreeknight]

I keep thinking about what we actually know about Andor. I've spent way too much time speculating about Kenari and I've decided Gilroy purposely left it vague. Even the "industrial accident" story is suspect. That was the official Imperial storyline for Jedha in Rogue One and authoritarian regimes aren't usually imaginative in their lies so I'm betting it's "Atrocity Coverup Story #1". Interesting that the prohibition on travel to Kenari seems strong enough that Maarva didn't want any hint of it in Cassian's paperwork.

We don't even know exactly how old he was when Maarva, Clem, and B2 took him off in their hauler. He looked to me like he was either in or on the edge of his tween years.

The first hard data comes at age 13, when in the aftermath of Clem's hanging he goes after some Stormtroopers. He's subdued, charged with insurrection, destruction of Imperial property, and assault on an Imperial soldier, and sentenced to 3 years in Sipo Youth Center, getting out when he's 16.

He goes "straight into the mud" on Mimban as a cook, according to Luthen, and within six months figures out he's playing Popular Front Battle Simulator on Hard Mode, where your fellow factions can betray you and there are no respawns. Who was he fighting for? No data, though he does call the Separatists "Sep" and he doesn't use abbreviations for any of the other factions, which means to me either he was used to fighting with them or against them, you tend to use verbal shorthand for words you use a lot. Anyway, he decamps in the manner of Pistol in Henry V, stealing home to Ferrix to steal, using the old wreck of a hauler to stash stuff.

At some point he ends up with Clem's Bryar-model blaster. Maarva was smart enough to hide it from him in the aftermath of Clem's death.

Now we don't know when he started up with Bix, either romantically or in the scheme to sell stolen equipment. But we know the stolen equipment bit only goes back two years at most, because that's when Salman Paak got his transmitter. The romantic element has even less for us to go on beyond that fact that it existed. One possibility is before Clem's death and Sipo, but at 12 or 13 it seems more like he'd be sneaking over that wall into her place so he could use her good game controller. I think it's a lot more likely that it was when he was back from Mimban. Say he's 16-19, a toughened teen more or less and pushing all Bix's "bad boy with a heart of gold" buttons and probably adding a few she didn't know she had. Rebel newly without a cause. Whatever it was the evidence is it was pretty intense for both of them. She gets emotional in Ep 7 when she tells him to leave Ferrix ("for good" is implied but I don't remember it being spoken, though "forget about me" sounds pretty damn permanent). At Bix's very lowest point in the hotel after being tortured her brain went to him showing up to rescue her.

*Sniff*

For Cassian's part, when he crept over her wall in Announcement, he was more than a little intrigued at the idea that Timm had suspicions. Then upon his return to Ferrix he's back over that wall straight away and as soon as he learns she's in Imperial hands his only priority is getting Bix out of there, to the point where he'll mostly ignore Maarva's funeral as that distraction gives him his best shot. Brasso has to go spelunking in that tunnel under the hotel to give him Maarva's final message. Once again, we're short on facts, but I think it's safe to say that Bix is the most important romantic relationship in his life up to this point in S1. He sure didn't look up Peezos 'n Green Revnog on Niamos.

To me, Cassian's still enough of a mensch to risk it all to rescue Bix even if there wasn't so much as a romantic ember still glowing.

We also still don't know who told Luthen about him. Bix said it wasn't her and I believe her. That leaves Salman Paak as the only Ferrix person we know for sure met Luthen (according to information from his interrogation). Maybe he gave Luthen a rundown on potentials and Luthen settled on Bix as the most valuable for his current needs while he did his own research into Cassian. But now we're in the speculation weeds again.

I think that's enough for one Saturday night. I'm going to try to cut down my obsessing to an hour or so a week from now on.