#anyway you won't find any of this in his footnotes

[queer-ragnelle]

Hi! I really want to read the vulgate cycle but I have a hard time staying focused when reading it. Are there any sections of the vulgate that are not as important to the understanding or able to skip? Thank you so much for making all these stories accessible and thanks for your reply :))

Hello my friend! This is a great question and one I get a lot. The Vulgate Cycle is long and daunting, but I can help you navigate it!

Firstly, here is the full Vulgate Cycle PDF collection for everyone to read. Secondly, I'll summarize what you can do, and elaborate below a cut.

TL;DR

If reading a PDF, use CTRL+F to find your favorite character's name/stories.

If reading a physical copy, utilize the index (located at the very end of the Post Vulgate) to find them.

Discover chapters of interest from the summary page (also located at the very end of the Post Vulgate).

Skip The History of the Holy Grail and begin with The Story of Merlin or Lancelot I.

Now, let's break down the ways you can navigate the Vulgate Cycle step by step.

CTRL+F

This option will certainly be less effective if your favorite character is a prominent one such as Lancelot or Gawain as they appear a million times. However, if you want to learn more about someone else, say, the Lady of the Lake, you can search her up and find every instance of her appearance. Like so.

Index

In the very back of the final book of the Post Vulgate, there's an Index listing every named character [Ex: Gawain], location [Ex: Orkney Isles], entity [Ex: Holy Spirit], animal [Ex: Gringalet the horse], and language [Ex: Hebrew] mentioned in the entirety of the Vulgate Cycle. There you'll find a list of which book/chapter/page they appear in. Here are all the mentions of Gawain's horse in The Book of Merlin.

Chapter Summaries

Each book of the Vulgate Cycle has a Table of Contents with the chapter numbers and long, descriptive titles. That alone may give you an indication of what you want to read. However, at the back of the Post Vulgate, right before the Index, there's a list of every chapter in the Vulgate Cycle with a summary of events. That will give you more detail and may help you decide if you want to read in full.

Skip

If it sucks, hit da bricks. The beauty of the Vulgate Cycle is that you don't need The History of the Grail or The Book of Merlin to understand what comes later. I enjoy them because History gives a ton of background to the religious themes the Grail Quest will eventually explore and sets up all the motifs way in advance and Merlin has the Orkney Bros as well as Yvain and Sagramore as kids which is fun. But the fact is you can begin with Lancelot I and you won't be lost. Lancelot I was written first, Merlin is a prequel, so it's optional, and the motifs of the Grail Quest are going to be heavy handed when you get there anyway without the added stuff from History. That's hundreds of pages you can skip if you want to! Norris J. Lacy, the head editor, and his translation team did a phenomenal job with footnotes throughout, so if a character off-handedly refers back to something, you can rely on them to leave a little note at the bottom for you to refresh your memory with. It'll even give you a chapter/page number if you want to refer back yourself. Here's a footnote referring to Agravaine's unnamed amie [his ladylove] who helped wing woman her sister to romance Gawain. That was 4 chapters prior to this moment.

So there are plenty of ways to navigate the Vulgate Cycle and make it more digestible. That being said, it's translated so beautifully by Lacy and his team, that it reads like a modern novel. I have no doubt that once you get started, you'll become invested, and find it much easier to work through than you first thought. It's long-winded and character dense but it's fun. I do hope you're able to read it and understand why I love it so much! Thanks for this ask and I hope this helps. Have a great day!

[elizmanderson]

2024 wrap-up, part 1

part two | part three | part four

[ABBA voice] here we go again, my my—

anyway, now that I've put that song in your head, let's look back at my year

writing

book stuff

as you may know, my second book, The Keeper of Lonely Spirits, releases in March 2025! so I spent much of this year editing, then editing some more, then line editing, then copy editing, then going over pass pages, then over more pass pages... the process never ends (until it's too late to make changes)

(artist: Xuan Loc Xuan)

if you find any typos in the final book come March, instead of being annoyed about them, you should recognize their determination and give them an award for MVT (most valuable typo) and a kiss on their lil typewritten forehead. because they made it not only through my own fifty six thousand rereads, but also through my agent, my editor, my copy editor, and my proofreader, and I think almost every single one of those people went through the book at least twice

anyway, The Keeper of Lonely Spirits is a cozy fantasy about an old man cursed with immortality who hunts ghosts rather than making mortal friends who will die one day. when the residents of an Ohio town beset by a vengeful spirit adopt him as their own, he must decide: leave to protect his heart, or stay to save their lives?

link to StoryGraph listing

link to signed preorders through my local indie

link to unsigned preorders through the publisher

I also received my first ever trade reviews, one of which was a starred review from Library Journal! trade reviews can convince booksellers and libraries to purchase the book, especially if positive, especially if starred. they look good on a book's resume

read the reviews here:

link to Library Journal review

link to Publishers Weekly review

short stories

because I was so busy with novel stuff, I only wrote one short story this year. part of one short story. back at the start of January.

you know what happened? I let it sit for a few days for reasons I no longer remember, and when I came back I couldn't remember quite where I was going with it a l a s

anyway it's a queer Cinderella-inspired short, and I'd love to magically figure out a direction for it afresh so I can finish it in 2025

in-progress stuff

...we still won't talk about how revising last year's cozy mystery is going, but in my defense (a) I've been on deadline for other things and (b) just nine chapters in I had already strayed so far from my scene list that I had to rethink the whole book, whoops

mostly, I've been working on the second book that this publisher bought, which has resulted in a very terrible first draft full of so many footnotes and brackets that I would almost call it a zero draft, except I can't bring myself to use that term*

(*for myself. y'all use it as much as you like, if you like it)

literally it was 79,000 words, 6,000 words of which were footnotes-to-self so as not to ruin my fancy WIP aesthetic (Blackadder and Perpetua ftw) with comments

anyway, then there was a marginally less terrible second draft, which is what my editor got (a respectable 98,000 words with zero footnotes and almost zero brackets)

THEN I was supposed to take a break and not think about the book again until my editor read it and got back to me...but instead I immediately wrote a brand new synopsis, sent it to her like "seriously you don't even have to read the version I already sent you bc it's gonna look so different," and then a couple weeks later whoops turned around started rewriting the whole story

which isn't going great bc I really DO need a break, I can TELL I need a break, but unfortunately when it comes to writing my brain is like "NO BREAK. ONLY WRITE >:[" which is Not Good. but I am trying to let myself casually poke at it instead of going hard and getting it done fast enough to send to my editor before she can even read the version she has lolol, so that's something

no-context spoilers for this WIP:

(tried finding the original post but could not, so screenshot from the internet it is)

that's it for part one! part two to follow is here! link to part two

[mythserene]

LEWISOHN: Let's crowdsource this bastard.

Check a footnote.

Whether you heroically tear straight into him like @wingsoverlagos or you find one thing like @delightfullyatomicfest did, it matters! What I hoped for and imagined from the beginning was some sort of crowdsourced work. There is too much for any one person, and one of the biggest problems with Beatles' sources is that they're not all equally easy to get to for everyone. And although this has become personal for me, it is an objectively huge problem for all Beatles fans and scholars that the man who has collectively been called the Beatles historian has—and I cannot say this clearly enough—BEEN JUST MAKING SHIT UP.

He literally ends ‘Tune In’ with a fabricated line that he sources to John Lennon. (!!!)

(Which I might not have realized for ages—if ever—if not for this @wingsoverlagos post)

Lewisohn has no shame.

And while it may seem like we are screaming into the void right now, I will tell you that we are not. I fear jinxing anything so I won't say more now, but our work is not in vain. People are paying attention. How can they help but pay attention? It's too shocking a betrayal. Too great a breach of trust. It has become overwhelming and impossible to ignore, and it has happened so quickly. Just by a few people taking the time to do the work.

And what is obvious now is that if you take a piece of source material that's referenced and go through it you will find butchered and fabricated quotes. And whether you do it that way or just check a footnote that interests you PLEASE TELL ME what you find! 🙏🏻

I am trying to gather all this up in one place. An ammo dump, if you will. If you want credit, tell me how you want to be credited, linked to, and any combination thereof. (I don't like taking credit for things I don't find, anyway.) But either shoot me a message or @ me or all of the above so we can collect all together and it can have the cumulative effect it deserves. (I will respond, but sometimes I am gone for a few days at a time, and occasionally for up to a week. I always come back, though.) #crowdsourcelewisohn

I have also set up an email for collecting funky footnotes: exactwords.lewisohn@gmail.com (At this point I'm only checking this once a week.)

If you look, you almost certainly will find.

If you have any Beatle magazines or Pete Best's book, "Beatle!" you could be a superhero. (One chapter of Best's book is available online, but I haven't been able to find the rest.) Or if you have any less-available source material I am urging you—begging you—to jump in and check some footnotes. With Lewisohn as bold as he is in the easily searchable things just imagine the license he's taking in the rest. But whether hard to find or commonplace, check a source. It adds up and it kind of feels good to uncover some bullshit.

For your edification and motivation I am adding a clip — lightly edited to take out some Lewisohn devolutions (so here's the queued up link) — of Mark Lewisohn bragging and basking in the praise of being called a historian who should be ranked alongside the great LBJ biographer Robert Caro, of him saying that the Beatles should appreciate anyone writing a biography of this high a standard about them, and a momentary lapse into deep resentment that they don't appreciate him. And then he gives his little speech about the Beatles being about “truth with a capital ‘T’” and how he is writing a biography to match that truth.

“Truth” is a word Mark Lewisohn needs to keep out of his mouth. If you feel like he should be struck by lightening for uttering it, that is exactly what I am talking about.

We are that lightening.

Honestly, what AKOM started is so awesome. It gave this an outlet. (And I still go back and listen for both source material and motivation.)

It's sickening to listen to this now. Sickening because Lewisohn has been making us all his dupes for far too long. We have been his marks, and there's almost nothing I hate more than being conned.

[lokasreads]

February 2025 Wrap-Up and Standout Books

I wasn't quite able to finish Schroeder in time for Caturday Reviews, so here's a monthly wrap-up instead. Look out for the Schroeder review next week (•̀ᴗ•́ )و

I'm a little baffled at how much I read last month, but I know I won't be able to keep up that pace now that I'm focusing on more in-depth reviews. Below, I'll give brief reviews of my highest-rated books of the month (4.5 stars and above) as well as two other standouts.

Highest Rated

★ᯓ 5 Stars ᯓ★

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (Storygraph | Goodreads) This is one of my most adored books of all time. North Korea is one of my favorite topics of discussion, so obviously this book was on my TBR for a long while. Even if you normally struggle with nonfiction, this book is highly engaging and never dry. Other than certain real-life events that were difficult to stomach - especially the chapters about the famine - I couldn't put this down and will always highly recommend it.

★ᯓ 4.75 Stars ᯓ★

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (Storygraph | Goodreads) Set in Bardugo's highly-popular Grishaverse, this is the second and final book of the Six of Crows duology. Bardugo writes characters with a depth and ease I can only envy, and I am painfully, painfully attached to all six of the Crows. Shadow and Bone, the first book of Bardugo's to establish the Grishaverse, is waiting for me on my Libby shelf, and I cannot wait to dig in.

★ᯓ 4.5 Stars ᯓ★

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry (Storygraph | Goodreads) As a pagan, this is another book that has been on my TBR for quite some time. Though very much not written with modern paganism in mind, I can't fault the author for that, and Fry's ever-irreverent voice is no less present here than in any of his other works. His retelling of the Greek myths was incredibly entertaining and hard to put down. Really, my only fault with the book was the somewhat excessive use of meaningless footnotes that could've been inserted into the main text, but other readers might not mind that as much as I did. The next book in the series, Heroes, is ready and waiting in my Kobo library and will be featured soon.

Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks (Storygraph | Goodreads) As I hoped when checking this out from the library, this book helped me process the death of my father last September. I can't speak for your enjoyment of the book if you haven't experienced loss, but since if you have - and at some point, all of us have - you will find this book achingly poignant. Brooks writes about the loss of her beloved husband of several decades, bouncing back and forth between the time of the loss in 2019 and her later visit to Flinders Island in Australia to give herself the time to grieve she wasn't allowed in 2019. I had a complicated-at-best relationship with my father and didn't expect to relate to Brooks' experience as much as I did - but maybe death and loss really are one of the few things we all have in common, throughout different times, continents, and even relationships themselves. I will add here that the only thing that kept this book from a 5 star rating was the way the author handled animal death at the end of the book. If you want to know more about that before picking up the book yourself, I detail it in the spoilered section of my review on Storygraph here.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (Storygraph | Goodreads) I adored this book. I don't often read literary fiction, so it was a bit of a challenge for me, but the book was so short that I devoured it anyway. It seems like the kind of book you can read and reread and discover new things every time. The unnamed protagonists stole my heart, cut it up into little pieces, and ate it raw (as Khaw's haunting version of a mermaid is like to do). I'm reading The Last Unicorn aloud with some friends right now and couldn't help but notice the similar themes of mythical creatures losing their mythical attributes and becoming more human the more time they spend in the human world. But that's where the similarities end, as Khaw writes horrifically gory scenes with a deft, poetic hand. If you enjoy horror at all, I beg you to give this book a try.

Other Standouts

The Dark Rise series by C.S. Pacat (Dark Rise, Dark Heir) I rated these relatively low (4.0 and 3.75 stars respectively) because of the writing style, which often felt very juvenile, rushed, and unrefined. The first half of both books also dragged on quite a bit, and I almost DNF'd Dark Rise except for my partner's recommendation to keep reading. And I am grateful to him for that, because now, I am woefully in love with every one of the characters in these books, and enjoy the setting, plot, and themes immensely. I cannot wait for the third and final book in the series to be announced, so Pacat can continue stomping all over my heart and my boys.

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

I am working on the next hellstromism part. Specifically, her reaction to the scene where he accepts her offer & his words therein.

However! Before that! I have... Something ridiculously saccharine! I already sent it in before, but I've no clue if you got it, so here it is!

This one isn't so much about ELady as it is for any love interest (particularly a Hylian one as I feel like it'd come as a shock, though how much of one, I am uncertain). Specifically for TP & WW as they are in situations where it appears to them that his people are extinct besides himself.

Anyway, what if a darling were to notice the slightly forlorn light that would shine in his eyes whenever he's thinking of the Gerudo or whenever they're mentioned & quietly takes the initiative to go & obtain information about his people. Not simply from the more distant perspectives of Hyrulean scholars or historians of the Great Sea, but from the perspective of the old cultural anthropologists (especially those who went out of their ways to be respectful & interact with the Gerudo on a personal level), the scant few written records that remained in Hyrule/on the Great Sea that had been written by them, & subtly asking him about them, at which point, his paramore would transcribe everything he said in regards to them into ink. All the myths, legends, folktales, ect. All bound in one mythicon (a book containing such things), along with lovingly, painstakingly inscribed mythographs (depictions of said stories).

A number of which appeared to be replicas of actual Gerudo illustrations or artwork, while others, if not for Ganondorf's personal experience having seen true Gerudo illustrations, he might've truly believed them to be genuine traditional Gerudo artwork. (Though, his darling made sure to indicate that the art they had little reference for & had to figure out themselves was noted as such in the footnotes.) More so, they appeared to use the genuine Gerudàn art as inspiration in an attempt to fill in the gaps that were missing. In this way, the illustrations were a very faithful attempt at honoring, preserving, &, in some cases (though unknown by his lover), expanding upon his people’s artistic legacy.

The obvious effort there was truly, almost unfathomably astounding.

Regardless, the art was very obviously an attempt to pay homage to his people's artistic styles. (Homage; the specific definition used here being "a physical demonstration of respect & honor via imitating what they knew of the Gerudo's artistic styles in a way that was obviously meant to be faithful even if they fell a bit short in some places.")

Finally, on their 5th anniversary, she gifts him with the… honestly ridiculously large, in her arms, book.

It was… strange & surprising to see such familiar imagery on the cover of such a new book. And as he opened it, the sound & smell of its newness & the care that went into its creation struck him. With the turn of each page, he beheld more of his people’s stories & legends. And, he grew steadily assured that even the language & characters used were that of his tribe. There were definite mistakes, but it… He… It must have taken… Years… How? When did she start this project?? When did she find the time??? She couldn’ have begun on it any later than… Possibly, a month after they met!!

It… it was the only way that he could think that she could create it in such a time. Did… was this what she’d been doing whenever they weren’t together?? Did she rest at all??? He’d noticed that she’d been growing steadily more tired over time. Even now, the bags under her eyes were very deep & dark. (I expect this grown-ass man to be in absolute tears by the end of this.)

He suddenly came across his favorite bedtime story as a child, hand covering his mouth at the sight.

Darling: “I know it isn't enough. Know that it won't bring them back. I… I wish that I could do more. That I could undo what's been done. To you & to them. Wish that I could fix it for you, but I'm afraid that this is all that I am able to do… I’m sorry…" (Note: The sorry here is one of "sympathy," which is defined in this instance as, "feeling empathy for the misfortunes, losses, grief, or sorrows of others. Those whom one, specifically, views as either their equal or, in rare cases, their better." The better part does not apply here, but that part is irrelevant. The point is, she... sorry, they did this because they care about him & hate that he feels this way.)

"I-I have plans to do something similar with a book containing all the recipes you mentioned &, when I'm done with that, a clothing & accessories book. I’ll call it…��

She makes a cheesy grin & spreads her hands as if to present something remarkable, “The fashionomicon!” Before deflating a bit, mumbling that she could probably think of another name if he wanted, & continuing to speak.

“B-but that one will take a very long time because there really isn't much that I could find on my own, so I'm probably going to need your help with it. Sorry for that. But I've also made a lot of progress on the Gerudàn lexicon, but it’s also an entire language, so it’s unlikely that it’ll ever be truly done &...”

She trailed off, blushing in embarrassment as she scratched her head in frustration at the realization that she had been rambling again. “S-sorry. This all sounded much more put together in my head…”

How do they react? What are they thinking? What are they feeling in regards to the amount of work & dedication she put into this? What do they say?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how touched are they? With 1 being 🙂 & 10 being 😭 & a few of the general feelings between being 😊, ☺️, 😳, & 🥹.

How shocked is he? Like, 🤨, 😯, 😮, 😲, or 🫨?

And, how much does he want to gather her up into his arms & kiss her all over her face? (😘, 🥰, 😍, or just outright dokidoki?)

Does he silently think to himself, "I....am going to marry this woman..."

If I could get a scene, that would be fabulous, but if not, that's cool.

Also, take your time. This is no demand. It is a (hopefully polite) request, please.

(Note: These ones will be especially touching coming from a somewhat forgetful lover as it will showcase just how hard she likely worked to remember everything he told her. I'm thinking about Jill Pole in “Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair.” She tended to have difficulty remembering things herself, so the effort that she put into remembering Aslan's words to her, showed how seriously she took the situation.)

One more thing, I'm being silly about this. It doesn't need to use the emojis. I'm just using them as examples & being a dork while I'm at it.

(I may have auto used "she" by mistake despite saying it's for whatever Darling... My bad?)

GAH ITS SO FUCKIN CUTE. THE EFFORT HIS LOVE GOES THROUGH FOR HIM? FHA. GHA. NAYH. MY HEART CANT TAKE IT. SO CUTE.

Demise snuck in again. I locked the door, and the demon just fuckin walked through the brick wall. Prick. (affectionate)

************************************************************************

This is so beautiful and touching! Let’s explore how the different Ganondorfs and Demise would react to receiving such a labor of love, seeing how their beloved went to great lengths to honor and preserve the legacy of the Gerudo people. I’ll go through each one, give you their emotional reactions, and include a little scene for each.

Wind Waker Ganondorf (Wake)

Emotion: 🥹 (9/10 touched)

Shock: 😲

Desire to hold her and kiss her: 🥰

Thoughts on marriage: “She understands me in a way I never thought possible. How did I ever find her?”

Scene:

Wake stared at the mythicon in stunned silence, running his fingers across the cover as if it were a relic of the past—a piece of home he thought lost forever. His hands trembled slightly as he turned the pages, feeling the weight of every word, every painstakingly crafted piece of art. For a long moment, he said nothing. The only sound was the rustle of pages and his steady, controlled breathing, though the emotion in his chest threatened to break that calm.

When he reached the bedtime story from his childhood, his breath hitched. His eyes misted over, and his voice, usually strong and commanding, was barely a whisper. “How… did you know?” He closed the book, staring into the distance for a moment. “I thought they were gone,” he murmured, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

His lover’s voice broke the silence. “I wish I could do more…”

He turned to her, unable to contain the surge of emotion anymore. With a tenderness he rarely showed, he gathered her into his arms, holding her so tightly it was as though he feared losing her, too. “You’ve given me more than I could ever ask for,” he said, his voice thick. “This… this is everything.” He kissed her softly, reverently, unable to find any other way to express the depth of his gratitude. The weight of years of loss and loneliness seemed to lift, just a little. I’m going to marry her, he thought, his heart full of something he hadn’t felt in a very long time—hope.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf (Bandit)

Emotion: 😳 (7/10 touched)

Shock: 😮

Desire to hold her and kiss her: 😘

Thoughts on marriage: “She’s more than I deserve. I need to keep her by my side, always.”

Scene:

Bandit flipped through the pages, his usual stoic expression faltering as he took in the sheer effort that had gone into recreating the myths and legends of his people. His brows furrowed, not in anger, but in bewilderment. How had she done this? How had she known?

“I… don’t understand.” His voice was gruff, his confusion evident. “Why did you do this?”

She fidgeted, suddenly nervous. “I just wanted to… honor your people. To give you something back. I—”

Before she could finish, he silenced her with a sudden, fierce kiss. It wasn’t soft, but it wasn’t harsh either—just a raw, almost desperate need to communicate the feelings he couldn’t put into words. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers. “You’re mine,” he said, voice low and possessive, though not without affection. “And I’ll never let you go.”

Twilight Princess Ganondorf (Noctis)

Emotion: �� (10/10 touched)

Shock: 🫨

Desire to hold her and kiss her: 😍

Thoughts on marriage: “This is the woman I will walk through eternity with.”

Scene:

Noctis sat in stunned silence, the massive book resting in his lap. He traced the illustrations with a reverence he rarely showed. His people’s art… their stories. The memories of his childhood, long buried beneath years of conquest and war, suddenly came rushing back.

“You did this?” His voice was barely more than a whisper, his golden eyes wide with disbelief.

She nodded, biting her lip nervously. “I just… wanted to give you something. A piece of your past. Of your people.”

He stared at her, the intensity of his gaze overwhelming. For the first time in what felt like centuries, tears welled up in his eyes, though they didn’t fall. “You’ve given me something I thought I’d lost forever,” he said, voice thick with emotion. He pulled her into his arms, holding her so close it was as if he was afraid she would disappear. “I’ll never be able to repay you for this,” he whispered into her hair. I’m going to marry this woman, he thought, already planning the future he never thought he could have.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf (Hedone/Carnage)

Emotion: 😊 (8/10 touched)

Shock: 😯

Desire to hold her and kiss her: 😘

Thoughts on marriage: “She’s mine, and I will treasure her for the rest of my life.”

Scene:

Hedone grinned as he flipped through the pages, clearly impressed by the detail and care that had gone into the book. “You went through all this trouble just for me?” he asked, though there was no teasing in his voice—just genuine appreciation. “You have outdone yourself.”

She blushed, unsure of how to respond to his praise. “I just… I wanted to give you something that meant something. I know how much your people mean to you.”

He pulled her onto his lap, his grin turning softer as he gazed at her. “You’ve given me more than you realize,” he murmured, brushing a thumb across her cheek. “You’ve honored them. And me.” He kissed her deeply, possessively, his arms wrapped around her tightly. “You’re mine,” he whispered against her lips. “Forever.”

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf (Vendettis)

Emotion: ☺️ (9/10 touched)

Shock: 😮

Desire to hold her and kiss her: 😍

Thoughts on marriage: “She’s the only one who understands me. I will never let her go.”

Scene:

Vendettis ran his fingers over the cover of the book, his expression unreadable. But the way his hand shook slightly as he turned the pages betrayed the depth of his emotions. He read in silence, absorbing every word, every piece of art, as though it were a lifeline to his past.

When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse. “You did all this for me?”

She nodded, her voice small. “I just wanted to… give you something that would make you feel connected to them again.”

He closed the book gently, pulling her into his arms without a word. His embrace was tight, almost desperate, and when he finally spoke, it was barely more than a whisper. “You’ve given me something priceless,” he murmured. I’m going to marry her, he thought, already planning how he would make her his queen.

Demise

Emotion: 😳 (6/10 touched)

Shock: 🤨

Desire to hold her and kiss her: 😘

Thoughts on marriage: “She’s… mine.”

Scene:

Demise wasn’t a man prone to sentimentality, but even he couldn’t help but be impressed by the sheer effort and care that had gone into the book. “You did this?” he asked, his deep voice gruff.

She nodded, unsure how he would react. “I just wanted to give you something that would honor your people.”

He grunted, flipping through the pages with a strange sort of reverence. “You’ve done well,” he said, though there was an undertone of surprise in his voice. He pulled her close, kissing her fiercely, as though claiming her all over again. “You’re mine,” he growled against her lips, his voice possessive. And in his mind, he made a silent vow—I will never let her go.

Each Ganondorf and Demise is deeply moved in their own way, and they all feel the weight of this incredible gesture of love. For many of them, this act cements their bond with their lover, and each one, in his heart, decides that this is the person they will spend the rest of their lives with.

[azfellandco]

God is neither good nor evil but rather is operating so far outside the bounds of what we consider conventional morality that the question becomes meaningless. Just as it doesn't make sense to ascribe morals to a person based on what they write about fictional characters, so too does God's role as the narrator (storyteller, writer, whatever) of Good Omens abstract them from the same stage the characters operate upon.

Supporting evidence: these two quotes from the book

God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any other player (footnote: ie, everybody) to being involved in an abscure and complex version of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won't tell you the rules and who smiles all the time. [emphasis mine]

and

Maybe it's all part of a great big ineffable plan. All of it. You, me, him, everthing. Some great big test to see if what you've built all works properly, eh? You start thinking: it can't be a great cosmic game of chess, it has to be just very complicated solitaire. And don't bother to answer. If we could understand, we wouldn't be us. [emphasis mine]

I remember reading a meta post very soon after s2 dropped but which I now cannot find again that was analyzing a poem, and the middle stanza of the three was about how God created humanity in their image to alleivate loneliness and then found that doing so just emphasized their aloneness. If anybody knows the post I am talking about (looking at you, @queerfables, as I think it was on your blog) I would love to read it again. But anyway yeah. God can't be good or evil in the way we understand it and the characters understand it. They're alien.

If you want to talk about a possible real god in the real world that's a whole other kettle of fish.

I think Crowley would find comfort in knowing that the real Ineffable plan is being written by a human who genuinely loves him a lot

[j-august]

Well, our "very small and early party" last night [at Lady Sefton's] was quite as agreeable as ever; but I must be permitted to observe that, considering the rigid virtue of Lady Sefton and the profound darkness in which her daughters of from 30 to 40 are brought up as to even the existence of vice, the party was as little calculated to protract the delusion of these innocents as any collection to be made in London could well be. There were Mrs. F--- L--- and Lord Chesterfield, who came together and sat all night; Lady E--- and the Pole or Prussian or Austrian -- whichever he is --- whom they call "Cadland" because he beat The Colonel (Anson). Anything so impudent as she, or so barefaced about the whole thing, I never beheld; Princess Esterhazy and Lady ---, Lady --- and [Lord] Palmerston -- in short, by far the most notorious and profligate women in London.

Thomas Creevey to Miss Ord, 10 Mar 1829 (Thomas Creevey’s Papers, 1793-1838, ed. John Gore).

Notes:

1. Mrs Fox Lane

2. Lady Ellenborough, nee Jane Digby (please see Mary S. Lovell (1998). A Scandalous Life: A Biography of Jane Digby. Fourth Estate)

3. Cadland (horse) beat The Colonel (horse ditto) at the Derby in 1828. Meanwhile Prince Felix Ludwig Johann Friedrich zu Schwarzenberg (Austrian aristocrat) beat Colonel George Anson (a terrible boyfriend) in a different race. Later he turned the nickname “cad” into a pejorative by declining to marry Jane after her (first) divorce.

4. Lady ---, and Lady ---: ? please advise.

[elvisabutler]

could you do headcannons for austin x presley!reader?

i can! i was really nervous/fussing about these so i'll probably only do this one set ( we'll see, because don't i always say that ). thank you for the request and i hope you like it! tw: brief mention of death that goes along with the presleys.

so consider that you're probably a little shorter than your siblings. a fact that brings your grandmother and your mother delight but brings you zero delight because you're elvis presley's grandkid and he was tall, riley is 5'7" and benjamin was almost six feet and harper and finley look like they'll be riley clones in height at least. to have you take after your mom and grandmother? that's just rude genetics.

you take after your mom vs your dad which means you take after elvis. it's really apparent when your hair isn't its natural dirty dirty blond.

when austin meets you it's by accident, one of those slam into each other with coffee or food situations because you really shouldn't be on set but you promised everyone you'd go check on how things were going because maybe it's easier for you since you live in australia or generally somehow it's easier for you to detangle yourself from stuff so you can swing by.

you like how the movie is going and honestly seeing austin on stage during one of the concert scenes reminds you of the stories your grandmother and mother would tell you about elvis.

do you find him attractive in his costume? mildly which horrifies you because he is dressed up as your grandfather.

the point is, you two run into each other literally and you're covered in food because of course most it spills on you and austin is mortified.

"you're- goddamn- i'm so sorry i didn't even see you there." "the hat hid me that well?" "no, i just- i'm in my head on set a lot." "you mean you're in my grandfather's head." "not- all the time."

not right that second anyway, because all his thoughts are purely austin robert butler's. all his thoughts are revolving around your lips and how they look so soft and jesus is this how people felt about his lips? or how your eyes are the sort of hue he thought was reserved for fantasy characters. in short you look like something out of a greek myth in the best of ways.

but he knows that you are off limits for so many reasons that he doesn't voice any of these things and chooses to instead just offer to get you another plate of food or another coffee because "it's my fault you lost it in the first place."

you think it's the most gentlemanly thing anyone has ever done for you.

so you wait by his trailer like a weirdo toward the end of shooting for the day. looking every bit like you're descended from elvis presley, all charm and all look that can ensnare even the most chaste of minds.

"i want you t' go out to dinner with me." "excuse me?" "you're gonna go out t' dinner with me." "is that a-" "threat? no, oh my god do you think i'm the type to-" "no? i don't know, i just met you, i don't know you beyond tabloid stories and being a footnote to-" "grandpa." "exactly." "let's change that."

the date is pretty successful and you give him a peck on the cheek and stretch your arm out to ruffle his hair like he doesn't have a few good inches on you.

austin does not want to date you except he totally does. it's a problem until he texts you about a month after that first date asking if this is some weird daddy issues thing or some bullshit because he needs to know. needs to have both of you lay his cards on the table.

"what." "i am literally dressed as your grandfather for most of my days and the first time you met me i had prosthetics on." "austin, i like you, but you're not my grandfather. you're a little prettier. no daddy issues, just me liking the cute guy who eventually is going to have blonde hair again and won't be crooning hits i've heard a million times over." "there's a 24 hour diner near the set, meet me there tonight?" "k."

you start dating after that night but don't tell anyone because it's new and your family- your mom is still dealing with the fallout from your brother's death and you're not about to do that to them. so you keep it secret.

consider maybe the tabloids find out or someone sends it to deuxmoi. when that happens you both almost break up because this is going to be a mess that will distract from the film and you both want to give it a fair shot. you don't and it takes a good deal of pr spinning but you two are fine until filming is done and the movie is out.

consider if they don't you two just happily date until you introduce him to your family at the graceland premiere not just as austin butler, the guy who did wonderfully playing elvis, but your boyfriend, the one you really really like and i know it's weird but come on you guys he's cute. he'll fit right in.

your mom loves him because of the movie and because he makes you happy. as it turns out, he's pretty good son in law material, if you're considering that. she'll still call him a second son regardless of what happens.

you make your debut at cannes after his 12 minute standing ovation.

there's some bad press about it but you both write it off. after all, it's not like you're both not used to it at this point. and you wouldn't be a person who kept the presley name instead of taking your dad's without being attached to a little trouble.

before he leaves to film masters of air or maybe before he heads out to shoot dune he gets the pair of you matching necklaces.

"you know i can afford my own necklace, austin." "yeah perk of a presley i know, but let a butler get you this."

it's a necklace that's similar to your grandfather's tcb logo with the lightning bolt. but instead of tcb it has your initials and his initials surrounding the bolt.

if you two get married in the future you make him do something similar for your engagement and wedding ring.

what? you're a presley, you're the one who takes after him in the flashiness/style the most. so sue you for wanting the proper bling bling.

he does. because what a presley wants? a presley gets.

[mlembug]

I find these translator notes pretty fascinating. (the context is that this is a fansub for the anime made for for cult recruitment purposes by Aum Shinrikyo, the cult responsible for 1995 sarin attack on Tokyo subway)

I'd say the combination of casual explaining the translation choices given the subject matter, but also mention of quieting questioning the inconsistencies through "10 precepts" and guilt-tripping you into your good behaviour which is similar to a certain other religion.

(id is very long so I'm also putting it under the "Keep reading" line here, in addition to putting it directly on an image)

YouTube comment by "Garlic Goblin Ziusudra"

This fansub project left me gasping. No, not in admiration before Shoko Asahara, I won't start to frequent Aleph's meditation circle, don't fret! But because it was mentally taxing. It was my most ambitious solo project to date… I juggled with complex Buddhist concepts along the way. Also, I felt as if the stampede of a Brahma bull rammed into me with unbridled idiocy. I needed a long sleep to recover from all that, I tell you. Now, I'll write footnotes around the project I think you may need to know:

1) I covered this project purely because of its entertainment value. Besides, I think Aum Shinrikyo is a poorly known cult, and I sincerely hope my translation shed light on what they were about. Being well informed is power. 2) trying to keep a straight face, I translated the script in a manner I think an authentic disciple would, full of misguided admiration. Since the cultists regarded Asahara like a god, his pronouns all start with a capital letter. 3) the kanji of "spirit force" roughly translates "transcendental human power". Spirit force isn't a fully accurate translation, but sticking with it shorten the sentences considerably… Shoko Asahara basically baited you into the cult, thinking you could become like a super hero from Marvel after passing meditation stages. 3) I interchangeably translated そんし (尊師), as "our guru" "our leader" and "the Holy One". Funnily enough, そんし is the way you pronounce Sun Tzu's name in Japanese. If you misinterpret, it comes as if the adepts have an unhealthy admiration for the Art of War 😂 4) note the Abrahamic component of the cult with the 10 precepts. Aren't they a formidable tool of peer pressure, used by a guru to quell any dissent? I am sure Asahara used these vague commandments more than once to quiet those questioning the inconsistencies in his teachings or attitude. Anyway, the long lasting members end to be the most efficiently brainwashed ones, gurus know how to weed out the obdurate people from the ones they desire. 5) Imagine believing that transgressing precepts gets you to reincarnate in the three lower paths of Reincarnation. You would be terrified to stand against the bullcrap of Asahara, wouldn't you? "Chouetsu Sekai" tells you in substance that obeying the guru will either reward you with blessedness or doom you to a next life of suffering hell. Very efficient tool of manipulation, am I right? 6) Vajratissa wasn't an original character created for this OAV. He genuinely existed, like Kalu Rinpoche. It was the holy name of Tomomasa Nakagawa, a senior member. He was a physician with a legitimate background, acting as a scientific arm of the cult, much like fellow death row mates Masami Tsuchiya and the veterinarian Seiichi Endo. I ignore what exact parts he had in conceiving the chemical weapons, but he had a clear interest in the topic. During his time in the death row, he even wrote a paper about the VX nerve agent and accused Kim Jong Un of recuperating Aum Shinrikyo's stock to kill Kim Jong Nam! Nakagawa was one of the few members expressing remorse for the sarin gas attack and the death of Sakamoto family. He didn't deny responsibility and fully accepted his hanging. He is definitely a more complex and intriguing figure than the guru. 7) I know, I know, the last part is particularly disgusting. It is a thing to enroll consenting adults, but another to indoctrinate children like that Noriko. By the way, the mother is Shoko Asahara's spouse and Noriko his daughter. I am not exactly certain whether Uma Parvati is Asahara's wife holy name or the narrators refers to the Hindu goddess (the spouse of Shiva). I'd lean towards the first option.

[medkitting]

ahh, since i'm taking a trip to half-price books i really can't get my hopes up in terms of looking for anything, but if i had to pray for some lucky finds i'd definitely go for:

Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre

Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov

A vintage cover of The Master and Margarita. yea i already have a copy but the covers are all so funny. My favorite is this print edition where Behemoth is just. being himself

Anyways i don't think I'll find any of the above but i might actually cry if i do. Especially the last one, I'd display it stood up so the cover can be seen to all

Also just general cheaper copies of classics like dorian grey, frankenstein etc

just. book

also if you want book recs.. . eehehheAHAHAHAHAEVILAUGGAUUGUHUAHHAHA!!!!! I HAVE A GREAT MANY!!

i more focus on classics/modern classics, which are known to be lengthy but i promise there's some great ones which you can read even if you haven't picked up anything other than required reading for the past 3 or so years.

The Stranger by Albert Camus is definitely one of my top three books, and at about 120 pages you can read it in one sitting. It's pretty psychological but in no way gory or disturbing. Very philosophical too, with some political undertones. It's a great intro to Camus' work, and even if you don't pick up everything all at once you'll feel the impact long after you first read it. Warning for murder and some slightly xenophobic treatment towards middle eastern people, as it's set in French-colonized Algeria where Camus spent most of his life.

Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky is a lot harder, but definitely worth it. I will say to take your time on any Dostoevsky novel, because if you rush through it like I did you won't feel the whole effect. Also very psychological and philosophical. Plenty of 1800's political references that nobody understands, and lots of ponderings. Do be warned that there's also murder in this one, and quite a bit of anti-semitism.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, as mentioned above, is a wild ride. If you're looking for more recent literature that's lengthier, choose this one. A bit slow at parts (The Pontius Pilate & Jesus bits were not by favorite but I recognize their importance) but otherwise absolutely wild. If you want a talking cat to tear someone's head off then pop it back on and pack the poor guy to a mental institution, this is it. A bit violent and raunchy at times, but that just makes it better. There's a lot of political implications as it is a satire on life in the USSR so make sure to get a version with footnotes.

1984 by George Orwell is a bit different from all these, firstly because it's American and secondly because it's dystopian. This riveting read was banned in parts of the US for being too communist and in the USSR for being too capitalist. Fantastic commentary on several flaws in several different governments. May be a bit sexist at times, but a large part of this was from the way the main character speaks and thinks, which I personally felt was a choice by Orwell to show the mc's true lack of interest in the girl. Not giving away too much, though!!! Pretty easy read but PLEASE pay attention to it because i dont like peoples readings of it online theyre so bad

wowza i dragged that out a lot bjt at least now you have a comprehensive list of books i recommend 👍👍 I also recommend Dostoevsky's Demons but I think it's best to read his other work first because theres a Lot of political things in it

Hi hi hi jackie how arr you? :D 💖💖💖💖💕💕💖

HI SAMI!!!!!!! Im going BOOK SHOPPING this weekend which is fantastic. how are you,,,,,,,,,,,, love the new theme btw

[rnisa]

What would be it like dating light yagami after he becames Kira?

Hmm...interesting probably. Content warning for abusive relationship. For the sake of my response not being a total bummer, let me answer this assuming 1)you and Light were dating before Kira, and 2)he was serious about you, you weren't just someone he was dating to pass the time. For fun let's just say he really, truly loves you.

Taking that into account, I'm sure that you would have noticed the changes within him. Suddenly he's more energetic, secretive, and...focused. On things other than you.

Overall, things won't go well. But the relationship would suffer a very slow, very steady decline.

A lot of mental manipulation. He keeps you because he knows he can control you. There's a lot of push and pull - he pushes you away, gaslights you, you feel like you're going crazy and then once he feels you slipping, he'll do a 180 to pull you back. You might think whatever he was dealing with that caused him to act so cruel was temporary, and he'd "gotten over it" because now he's "back to how he used to be."

The relationship is a rollercoaster and nothing but mindfuckery on your part. If you find the strength within you to leave - he'd be happy IF he no longer loved you. If he did though, expect him to keep tabs on you. Any man you're with? Dead. Any girlfriend you hang out with a little too much? Dead.

Basically, if he can't have you he is going to make your life a living hell by attacking you where it hurts most - your loved ones.

You'd come back to him eventually anyways.

He'd see to it that this happens.

If you aren't the one to get up and walk away from the relationship, Light would simply continue to do what he does. Break you down, isolate you, keep you by his side... depending on you, and if he thought he could get away with it, he might reveal he's Kira. If only to further manipulate you to help him.

If you become a threat or a serious liability and a few years into his corruption with the notebook, don't think for a second he won't consider killing you.

Footnote that this, in fantasy is perfectly okay - normal even - but this is not a relationship to be romanticized. That's not why I'm writing this. Do not misinterpret my fan works as reality or romanticizing something awful...

[ladyleonster]

“ I don't know you very well. ” It's a genuine admission, perhaps a shameful one given their relationship as mother and son, but it is one that he cannot deny and has failed to deny for some time. There are many people who tell him about Ethlyn, but it is never quite a full picture.

With the exception of Selfina and Sara's anecdotes, the image of Ethlyn they leave behind for him is more a footnote than a woman. She is always there in tandem with her husband in those stories, and whilst one may call it a song of love, it leaves Leif in the dark. It tells him more of the man his father was than it ever even hints at his mother's character.

Even the famed story of her pearl tiara says nothing of how she felt about it. Did she like it? Does she keep it with her still now? It was never found within Leonster Palace once he returned. Did it sink into the sands of Aed?

He hasn't seen her wear it since they've met, but then again, there's little time they've spent together too. Perhaps if he had spent more time, he would get the chance to see it, but even then, it's still a gift from his father. To look for it is to search for him, and to instead give her anything like it is to act as if he could replace him.

He cannot overwrite the past nor can he rely on it. All he can rely on is what little he knows now, what he's learned from his own two eyes.

“ But you should be able to find a use for this. Even if you can't, you can sell it. I don't know if it'll get you much though. ”

And so he hands her a pair of riding gloves. There's no frills to it, in neither the gloves themselves nor the packaging, but he's not the type of prince who gives dreamy gifts to princesses. He presents them as they are, presents himself as he is, to the woman he knows so far as she is too.

To others, she is Quan's wife, Leonster's princess, Chalphy's daughter… a noblewoman in all parts. But to Leif, she is a woman who worries for him, who goes on missions, and will ride into battle if need be.

Every good rider needs something for their hands, he reasons. He knows that from his own callouses, from seeing them on Finn's and Nanna's hands too…

“ Using them as a spare works. Or giving them to someone else. You never know what another person needs or what will turn them towards you, after all. ”

That ought to be a truth then for Ethlyn too, or any other rider she might meet later in her life. If she continues to live, she will continue to meet others. That is the idea, anyway.

For now, Leif treats her as living, because even if the stories say she ought to be nothing more than a ghost, what she shows up to him now, as she is, is someone very real, someone with a beating heart, and someone who still has life left to live.

She doesn't really know him either. He's not very good at talking about himself but maybe she isn't either. She could make excuses for them. It isn't like there is some sort of manual for bonding with your child when they're only a handful of years younger than you are. No one would blame them for how strange their relationship is.

She blames herself. She knows the blame lies solely on her shoulders.

He continues and holds out a pair of riding gloves. They're plain, simple, practical. They aren't the fine, kid leather pair with Leonster's coat of arms embroidered in silk thread that Quan had given her once. They aren't carefully designed to match her wardrobe. She could probably walk into any shop in the village and find something similar.

But that hardly matters. Ethlyn wastes no time in trying them on and smiles as she flexes her hands inside them. These gloves are a gift from her son. They might be simple to someone who might happen to watch the scene unfold, but she knows what they really are. Her son's love and her son's protection.

He keeps rambling. She can tell he's nervous. He worries she won't like them. She smiles and sets her now gloved hands on each of his shoulders. "Leif, hush, they're perfect. I love them. You said you don't know me that well but i can tell that you do. Better than you think, at least. If you're not terribly busy today, maybe you would join me for a ride? I can't wait to try them out!"