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2024-grimoire-challenge · 9 months

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December Prep 4

Alright so for this week's prep post, we're gonna rest! Today is a holiday after all, even if we don't personally celebrate this one.

Before the challenge officially begins next month, let's get a few topics of study prepared. In order to keep things flowing, for myself and my studies, I try to plan ahead. I once spent an entire summer developing my own herbal grimoire, and was more or less successful with that endeavor by focusing on a few herbs at a time, rather than to just dive in and go back and forth between a bunch of different ones.

So!

For our first few study prompts, let's pick a few topics to focus on.

So for one of our study prompts we'll be researching herbs and gems! And we'll have about one of each of those prompts a week, so lets make a list. Pick 52 hebs and 52 gems! Put them on a list and every week when we have these prompts come up, pick one of each off your list to study~

Along with that list, make a list of different magic ideas you'd like to study. Types of magic, like divination, hexes, banishing, binding and so on, that you'd like to study in the challenge. Each week we'll pick one off this list as well! I've found that lists like this help keep me organized and motivated as it is a way to view your progress as you check things off.

For the more introspective prompts, it is obviously about looking within and examining our own beliefs. As with the herbs and gems and whatnot, it’s about the “why” behind the “what, where and how”.

It is important to understand why we believe what we believe and the general details, if not the deeper details, of those beliefs. That understand can help to solidify one’s foundations and help us to grow and deepen as practitioners and as people.

Now, the important part this week, is rest! Going into any form of study tired isn't good for the brain or the project itself. So rest up, and we'll dive in once the week is over and the new month officially begins!

This challenge will not only be a place for us to find study prompts, but to interact and share ideas and knowledge! Along with the photo submissions, I leave the asks open to anyone willing to share thoughts, ideas, resources and feedback for the challenge!

Thank you all! Have a wonderful holiday season and I can't wait to see you next week for the official start of the 2024 Grimoire Challenge!

M.G.

The Hazel Druid

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scotianostra · 2 months

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July 28th 1746 saw the trials of Jacobite Lords, William Earl of Kilmarnock, George Earl of Cromartie, and Arthur Lord Balmerino began.

The trial of the three Scots peers took place at the House of Lords convened in Westminster Hal, they had been arrested following the collapse of the Jacobite rebellion. William, earl of Kilmarnock, George, earl of Cromartie, and Arthur, Lord Balmerino had all been part of Charles Edward Stuart’s Jacobite uprising.

As was usual, in advance of the proceedings the House authorities wrote to summon all absent peers to hurry to London to be present for the trial. Equally predictably, a flurry of letters then came back from sick and distant members of the House, seeking leave to remain away.

What is particularly striking is that several lords looking to absent themselves all reached for the same excuse. Of 49 members of the Lords who failed to attend the trials, stretching from (the most senior) Frederick Prince of Wales, and his brother, the duke of Cumberland, who was still busy in Scotland stamping out the last traces of rebellion, to the most junior peer Lord Middleton, several wrote in advance to Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, pleading fears of smallpox as their reason for staying away.

Indeed smallpox was an issue in London at this time, but no more so than previous years, although London Smallpox Hospital, established in 1746. A table of diseases for the beginning of July noted the numbers of those suffering certain complaints in London as: consumption 52, convulsion 109, dropsy 15, fever 74 and smallpox 88. By the middle of the month the numbers had declined slightly. Now the table read: consumption 69, convulsion 124, dropsy 22, fever 85 and smallpox 76. Some commentators have said that the Lords not attending were maybe not wanting to be seen to have Jacobite sympathies.

The absence of the 49 lords from the proceedings made no material difference to the progress of the trials. Kilmarnock and Cromartie both pleaded guilty and only Balmerino troubled the House by denying the charges against him. He need not have bothered, as he was found guilty by all lords present in any case.

The following month, Kilmarnock and Balmerino lost their heads on Tower Hill. Cromartie was pardoned, on condition that he never again travelled north of the Trent. The sentence of beheading was, at the time, seen as a privilege of rank, of the ordinary rank and file, the vast majority of 120 convicted to death were executed by hanging, drawing and quartering. Of the remainder, more than six hundred died in prison; 936 were transported to the West Indies to be sold as slaves [which, at that time, meant that they would almost certainly be dead of yellow fever or the like within two years], 121 were banished ‘outside our Dominions’; and 1287 were released or exchanged” Many of those released would have been so due to them joining redcoat army battalions.

#scotland #scottish #history #LONDON #Executions #jacobites

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385bookreviews · 4 months

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1.36.2 Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

SPOILERS

Pages: 282

Time Read: 5 hours and 52 minutes

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ Storyline: ★★★☆☆ Dialogue: ★★★★☆ Characters: ★★★★☆

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

TWs for the book: Death, war, violence, pregnancy, drug use, murder, injury, infertility, death of a parent, addiction, drug abuse, grief, colonization, genocide, adult/minor relationship, su*c*de, ableism, body horror, fire, incest, child death, psychosis, abortion, miscarriage, racism, slavery, cursing, cultural appropriation, classism, confinement, execution, religious fanaticism, religious bigotry

POV: Third person

Time Period/Location: 12 years after the events of Dune; On Arrakis/Dune

First Line: What led you to take your particular approach to a history of Muad'Dib?

The book begins 12 years after the events of Dune with a historian named Bronso of Ix being interrogated by a member of the Qizarate, Paul Atreides' religious order. Bronso is to be executed for committing blasphemy, while he argues that Paul committed religious sham in order to bring the Empire under his control.

Princess Irulan, Paul's wife, conspires on Wallach IX with Edric, a mutated Steersman of the Spacing Guild, the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, and a Tleilaxu Face Dancer called Scytale. They plot to remove Paul as Emperor. The Bene Tleilax play a grand part in their plan, as they took the body of Duncan Idaho and made him into a ghola, a remade being that has the body of the deceased person but none of the memories. Irulan reveals that Chani hasn't been able to get pregnant because she has been putting contraceptives in her food.

When Irulan returns back from Wallach IX, she demands Paul give her a child. Paul refuses, but Chani tries to make a case for it.

Scytale shapeshifts into Duncan Idaho to go and see a former Fedaykin warrior who is part of the conspiracy against Paul. Him and his son have kidnapped the daughter of another Fedaykin at Scytale's request. Scytale kills them both and takes the girl.

Paul welcomes Edric into his household, and he brings with him the ghola of Duncan Idaho, who has been turned into a Mentat/Zensunni philosopher with metal eyes called Hayt by the Tleilaxu. Paul and Alia, now 15 years old and a priestess to the people, are shocked by his arrival. Edric insists Paul take Hayt as a gift. Hayt discloses to Paul that Edric intends him to destroy Paul, but he doesn't know how. While he shows mannerisms of Duncan Idaho, he refuses to hold any of his memories or be the man that they once knew. Paul permits him to stay. The Reverend Mother was found aboard the ship that carried Edric, Hayt, and Scytale (disguised as a servant). Paul had banished her from Arrakis so she is placed under immediate arrest. Irulan visits her in her cell, and she reveals that Chani has changed her diet so she can't be drugged with contraceptive anymore, and that Paul has repeatedly denied Irulan's requests to have a child. The Reverend Mother says that Paul and Alia must have a child then to preserve the Atreides bloodline, and that if Chani becomes pregnant Irulan must find a way to abort the baby or kill Chani. Irulan protests and almost refuses, but the Reverend Mother gives her no choice.

The body of the girl that Scytale took from the Fedaykin is found in the desert. Alia and Hayt investigate, but find no clues as to who she is. They head home, and Alia tries to figure out if any of Duncan Idaho remains in Hayt. When they land back in Arrakeen, Hayt kisses her.

Paul is haunted by his visions as he searches for a way to end the Jihad. The only path he sees is for him to disengage, but he can't figure out how to. He meets with the Reverend Mother and makes her an offer: they can have his genes, and he will allow Irulan to be artificially inseminated by him (which is an atrocity to the Bene Gesserit), in exchange for Chani and his children's safety, as she is pregnant. The Reverend Mother insists she must discuss this with the Bene Gesserit before she accepts.

Scytale shapeshifts once again and becomes Lichna, daughter of Otheym, the Feydakin's daughter he killed and left out in the desert. Paul immediately knows that "Lichna" is a Face Dancer, but he feels he must act out exactly what has happened in his visions, as it is fate. Scytale (as Lichna) tells Paul he must go to Otheym's house, as he has a list of names who are involved in a Fremen conspiracy against him. She insists that Chani go with him, but he refuses. He has her confined and put under guard, and then goes to Alia's temple to be met by his guide. A Fremen leads him to Otheym's house, and he is greeted at the door by a dwarf, which goes against his vision. Otheym is immensely sick, and him and his wife are now poor due to the cost of medics. Otheym explains that the dwarf, Bijaz, is a Tleilaxu creation that has imbedded in his memory the names and locations of the scheme against Paul. They urge him to take the clearly prescient dwarf, and Paul leaves, knowing what is about to happen. An atomic hits Otheym's house, and burns out Paul's eyes along with all of his soldier's and guard's eyes. Paul, however, uses his prescience to "see", and he is further deified by his followers.

Korba, a member of Paul's Qizarate, is brought before the other Fremen Naibs and Alia, and is accused of treachery against Paul. He denies it, but Paul appears and reveals that the conspirators stole the atomic weapon from him, which was illegal for him to possess. He is sent back to his cell, and Alia was able to determine which of the Naibs were on Korba's side, further weeding out conspirators.

Hayt goes to interrogate Bijaz, and Bijaz traps him using vocal cues. He reveals that him and Hayt were made by the Tleilaxu together, and puts a command in him that when Paul tells Hayt the words, "She is gone," Hayt is to attempt to kill him. He also reveals that this is intended to see if Duncan Idaho's memories return to him, which if they do, then it will be the first successful attempt to return former memories to a ghola, and they can then use this to try and bribe Paul by offering to bring Chani back to life if he gave up everything and lived in exile. Bijaz then forces Hayt to forget the conversation.

Alia overdoses on spice in an attempt to look into Paul's future but is unsuccessful and is saved by Hayt.

Chani, Paul, Bijaz, Hayt, Stilgar, Alia, Irulan, "Lichna", the Reverend Mother, Edric, and the rest of the court go to Sietch Tabr for Chani's birth. Paul knows what is about to happen, but he stands outside. Hayt discovers that Bijaz has put a command phrase in him and he goes to tell Paul. While they talk, a Fremen comes to tell Paul that Chani is dead but his twin children are alive. He is shocked by the fact that there are twins, even though Chani told him about them, as he only saw his daughter in his future visions. He tells Hayt, "She is gone," and Hayt begins to fight the urge to kill Paul. He tells him to run, but Paul refuses, knowing he will resist. Hayt then remembers everything and becomes Duncan Idaho once more. They go to see the babies and Chani's body, but Paul's prescience begins to fail and he starts to go truly blind. Alia, distraught, brings in "Lichna", who has now revealed herself to be Scytale. Scytale holds a knife to the babies as a threat to Paul, saying the Tleilaxu will restore Chani and he will let the babies live, but only if he gives up his throne and CHOAM holdings and lives in exile. Paul then is able to use the eyes of his infant son, who is fully conscious, to see Scytale, and he kills him with a throw of his knife. Paul tells them to take Chani's body away, and names his son Leto II (not to be confused with his eldest son that died in Dune who was also named Leto II). He names his daughter Ghanima, which Stilgar's wife Harah insists is a bad omen. He then goes to his room, where Bijaz confronts him and Duncan and makes Scytale's offer again. Paul tells Duncan to kill Bijaz before he succumbs, and he does. After this, Paul is fully blind and unable to use his abilities anymore. As is Fremen custom, he banishes himself to the desert. Stilgar executes Edric and the Reverend Mother, and Irulan renounces the Bene Gesserit and vows to raise Paul's children. Alia mourns the loss of Chani and her brother, and begs Duncan to love her, which he says he does.

Paul Muad'Dib Atreides (Mahdi, Lisan al-Gaib, Emperor of the Imperium, Usul, Kwisatz Haderach): I loved Dune Messiah because it used all of the foreshadowing of Paul's fate from Dune. Paul's story is not heroic, but tragic, and while his internal battle could be a struggle to understand at times, it still all came together in a beautiful, heart-wrenching ending.

Chani (Sayyadina, Sihaya): While her death was awful, I loved what Frank Herbert did with Chani in this book and with her relationship with Paul. While everyone says that Chani in Dune is madly in love and blindly follows Paul, I think this book definitely gave her more of her own personality. She is practical and headstrong, and, especially when she is described from Paul's perspective, you can see how much he truly loves and respects her and her opinion.

Duncan Idaho (Hayt): Duncan/Hayt was such a strange part of the book for me, especially as everyone including himself was confused on his identity. He spouted a lot of mysterious vague dialogue throughout, and his relationship with Alia definitely raises some eyebrows.

Alia Atreides (St. Alia of the Knife, Abomination, virgin-harlot): Alia was also an odd character for me, as she is supposed to be an adult in a child's body and yet she acted like a child a lot of the time. I feel like the way she was described and the way she actually was were very conflicting, although I am sure that is part of the whole point.

Storyline: This book was largely dialogue, which could be tedious but I definitely did still enjoy it. While I wish we had gotten to see Paul's Jihad, getting a feel for how it went and how their worlds are now 12 years after the fact is almost like a puzzle. I definitely wish some things had been left out, like Paul and Stilgar walking in on Alia naked, the plotting of incest by Irulan and the Reverend Mother, and Duncan and Alia's adult/minor relationship.

Representation: Scytale is asked if he is a man or a woman, and he says that all Face Dancers are "Jadacha hermaphrodites", meaning that they can be whatever sex they wish to be. The term hermaphrodite is definitely outdated, but I was surprised that there was a gender fluid character who used he, she, and they pronouns throughout a book written in the 1960s.

Summary: I think that this book was essential in driving home Frank Herbert's intention with the original story of Paul Atreides. Dune and Dune Messiah were both broad critiques of capitalism, imperialism, climate change, genocide, colonialism, and, most obviously, religion as a means to control the masses.

Quotes: -"Have you considered what it meant for Alia to be born into this universe, fully cognitive, possessed of all her mother's memories and knowledge? No rape could be more terrifying."-Bronso of Ix (p.3)

-"You think Muad'Dib is yours because he mated with Chani, because he adopted Fremen customs. But he was an Atreides first and he was trained by a Bene Gesserit adept. He possessed disciplines totally unknown to you. You thought he brought you new organization a new mission. He promised to transform your desert planet into a water-rich paradise. And while he dazzled you with such visions, he took your virginity."-Bronso of Ix (p.4)

-"Muad'Dib's Qizarate missionaries carried their religious war across space in a Jihad whose major impetus endured only twelve standard years, but in that time, religious colonialism brought all but a fraction of the human universe under one rule."-Bronso of Ix (p.8)

-"A creature who has spent his life creating one particular representation of his selfdom will die rather than become the antithesis of that representation."-Scytale (p.22)

-"The Fremen are civil, educated, and ignorant... They're not mad. They're trained to believe, not to know. Belief can be manipulated. Only knowledge is dangerous."-Scytale (p.25)

-"Religion, too, is a weapon. What manner of a weapon is religion when it becomes the government?"-Edric (p.110)

-"...to endure oneself may be the hardest task in the universe."-Hayt/Duncan Idaho (p.130)

-"I think what a joy it is to be alive, and I wonder if I'll ever leap inward to the root of this flesh and know myself as I once was. The root is there. Whether any act of mine can find it, that remains tangled in the future. But all things a man can do are mine. Any act of mine may do it."-Hayt/Duncan Idaho (p.133)

-"If you need something to worship, then worship life--all life, every last crawling bit of it! We're all in this beauty together!"-Paul Atreides (p.255)

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a-lonely-dunedain · 1 year

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52 for tossdir & meneldir :D

52. Fake death/presumed dead

wherein everyone, including Meneldir, is very sure that Meneldir is dead. turns out not to be true!

No one is more confused about this than Meneldir.

Hithrengor had one last trick to play.

The wound he dealt to Meneldir had not been enough to kill him, barely. Despite how deeply it sunk into his foe, the spectral blade did not hit anything vital, much to Hithrengor’s anger. Now he was being pulled back to the halls of his Master, beyond vengeance against the man who had now forced him from his newly acquired form.

Oh, but he would have the last laugh. He had some power left, and precious few moments to use it.

If he could not kill this Ranger, he could make him seem dead. He could slow his heart for a time, such that its beating could not be detected. He could make him cold and lifeless for a time, perhaps long enough that his kin would believe he was dead, and they would bury him, and he would drown in the dirt of his own grave.

He had to stop himself from laughing at the thought, that he could still make Tossdir unknowingly deliver the killing blow to his brother.

Discreetly, the enchantment was cast, and Hithrengor only regrets that he would not be there to relish in the pain he caused.

—

Meneldir is pretty sure he is dead.

The last thing he remembers hearing was Tossdir’s voice, begging him to stay, not to leave him alone. He tried to stay, he had to, he promised he wouldn’t leave Tossdir, but he could not keep his eyes open, and he was so cold. So so cold. He tried to say he was sorry, he tried to tell his brother that he loved him, but he’s not sure if the words ever made it out.

The last thing he remembers feeling, of course, was the ghostly blade in his flesh and the hole it left behind. Followed closely by a cold numbness that swiftly enveloped him, yet somehow failed to dull the pain. When his vision darkened he was almost relieved, for he thought it at least meant the pain would stop. It hadn’t, though. If anything, it had gotten worse.

It is dark, cold, and still so painful. There was supposed to be something after this right? He was supposed to go somewhere when he died, wasn’t he? It’s just empty darkness now, void where he’s pretty sure there should be–

Oh, the Void. That’s where he is then. It makes a little sense, that’s where an oathbreaker like him belongs isn’t it?

So, it’s going to stay like this then, from now until forever.

He tries to tell himself it's what he deserves, just to make some peace with it, but some part of him deep down won’t accept it. After everything, after banishing the Grey Fear, after saving his brother, after owning up to his transgressions and finally facing his kinsmen again, it was all for naught? He had come so far, yet was still condemned to the Void? Something about it felt wrong, for as much as he tried to tell himself it wasn’t. Nothing was going to undo the hurts his negligence caused, he should expect no other fate than this. Yet it still felt wrong, so very wrong.

He still feels the pain, it’s becoming too distracting to let him think about how much he deserves this hell. Most annoying.

Eventually he starts to feel other things too. Awareness slowly returns to the rest of his body, which he did not think he still had. He feels strange, cold, pressure on all sides of him. Suddenly he feels the need to breathe when he did not before, but something is stopping him. There’s something covering his face and pressing down on his chest.

Unwarranted panic sets in. Instinct overrides all other thoughts, and his arms try to move without him asking them to. He has to breathe, for some reason, even though he is dead. Whatever is surrounding him is loose enough that he can move it with some effort, so he claws at it until his arms are free, and the rest of him soon follows.

He sits up, coughing and sputtering. He thinks there’s dirt in his lungs. When he opens his eyes he is met with darkness, but not an all encompassing void like he expected. There is a familiar starlit sky above him, familiar lands around him, and to his right, a painfully familiar grave. Narndir’s grave.

He sits there, still half buried in the dirt and more than half dazed, trying to make sense of this strange predicament. He is dead, he remembers dying. Clearly, he was not merely unconscious, or his kinsmen would not have buried him. He must have been dead, why else would he be buried here next to Narndir.

But… Why is he sitting upright? And why is he still breathing, if he is dead?

Some time passes. He hasn’t even fully dug himself out yet, he’s not really sure where else he’s supposed to go besides this hole, being dead and all.

He looks down at his chest and sees two things he did not expect to see. Firstly, he sees a seven pointed star pinned to his cloak. He recognizes it, it had once belonged to him, but he hadn’t seen it in years. Not since he left it at his old camp in the Trollshaws, left it there with his title of ‘ranger’ and any honor he had left.

Yet here it was, somehow on his person again. How would it– oh, Tossdir. He probably held onto it, like he holds onto everything. He must have put it back on him when he was buried. Because he was, you know, dead. Alright, that checks out then.

The other thing he sees makes a little less sense. The wound on his stomach is showing signs of healing, poorly of course, considering it was left uncared for and underground for an indeterminate amount of time, but his body is not decaying as it probably should be. He can’t find an explanation for that.

He puts a hand over his chest, and is almost startled to feel his own heart beating. He feels cold, but not the all-encompassing cold a dead man should feel, the cold only comes from outside of him now, in the chill night air.

Eventually he stands. If he’s not dead he should try to find Tossdir, or any other living person. He’s still not really sure what to make of himself. He feels far more alive than he should, still in far more pain than he would like, and very, very cold.

He turns to the grave next to him and quietly whispers a goodbye to his friend, before wandering off.

—

It's still an hour or so off from dawn, but Tossdir couldn’t sleep anyway. He’d left the place he was camping with Galasebdir early for a painful but necessary detour, to the place off the greenway where they buried Narndir and most recently Meneldir.

He did not expect to return to Cardolan anytime soon, so he felt the need to make one last visit to them before he left. It’s cold, he buries his face in his scarf.

He’s nearing the place, but stops dead in his tracks when he looks up. There’s a man standing a ways before him, and as he recognizes him a mixture of horror and anger settles in his stomach, along with a terrible pain in his heart.

Grey cloak, black tunic, and garish red accents, all covered in a light dusting of grave dirt. That is Meneldir, or at least, it was him, once.

They thought that with the banishment of the Grey Fear wights would stop rising, that their dead were finally safe to rest… but evidently, they were wrong.

Meneldir has been raised as a wight, there’s no other explanation for it. Tossdir watched him die, the memory unbidden playing over in his mind as the thing wearing Meneldir’s corpse approaches him. He thinks it’s saying something, but he is in too much shock to hear it.

It’s close now, far too close.

He reacts by doing something he would normally never consider, and draws his mother’s sword. This was not something he could fight with his hands, if he was to slay it he must slay it quickly.

In a flash the blade is at ‘Meneldir’s’ throat, but it does not cut. Tossdir stayed his hand for the moment. His chest feels tight and he fights with everything he has to keep tears from showing in his eyes.

Though Meneldir’s blades still hang in their sheathes, the wight makes no move to draw them, and instead it holds its empty palms up in a gesture of surrender

“Brother wait, please hear me out–” it speaks with uncanny likeness to Meneldir, too. Tossdir wishes it was a poorer actor. There is light in its eyes, not the unnatural ghostly glow a wight would have, but the familiar alertness of a living man. Fear and sadness, too.

Tossdir can’t trust it. He felt Meneldir’s body go limp and cold in his arms, he heard him breathe his last. This wight must be of a craftier sort, and is somehow able to mask the usual tells of the undead. That’s the only possible explanation.

“Speak quickly, wight. I... I will not suffer you to wear that stolen form a minute longer.” Tossdir tries to sound angry, dangerous, and cold, but he’s not sure if its working. His voice feels broken. The tears flowing freely from his eyes probably aren’t helping, either.

That isn’t his brother, it- it can’t be. He just can’t bring himself to cut it down yet, pointing their mother’s sword at his brother’s throat –regardless of what horror now inhabits it– feels unnatural and wrong, and too familiar.

The Grey Fear had already forced him to do it once, and now whatever fell spirit had infested Meneldir’s corpse was going to force him to do it again. Was it even aware of the extent of its cruelty, or was it merely an unhappy chance that it had decided to steal Meneldir’s body and not anyone else’s?

He still can’t slay the thing, not yet. He can’t bring himself to, he’s too weak to fight something with his brother’s face.

He bade it to speak only in the hopes that it would slip up, that it would say something so very unlike Meneldir that he could work up the nerve to slay it.

“Tossdir I-” it knows his name “I think you misplaced this with me.” He removes the star brooch, Meneldir’s star, from his cloak and offers it to Tossdir.

Damn it, that is something he would say.

Either this spirit knew them both far better than it had any logical right to… or… or–

The blade falters, then falls to the ground. Tossdir throws his arms around Meneldir’s shoulders, pulling him as tight as he can. If this isn’t Meneldir it will likely slay him right here and now, and Tossdir will have no one to blame for it but himself.

But he does not feel a knife in his back, instead he feels a familiar, warm, alive, embrace.

“Keep it. Please just– just keep it.” Tossdir says between broken sobs into Meneldir’s shoulder. He doesn't know how his brother is back, but he now believes this can be no one else. Maybe he’s just gone mad. He doesn't care.

Meneldir holds him as long as he can, but whatever it was he just went through had taken its toll on him and his legs threaten to give out. The two of them sit together on the grass now, and after they had cried all the tears they had, then tried and failed to find an explanation for Meneldir’s seeming resurrection, they decided the wound Meneldir still bore was going to be a problem and they really needed to make it back to Sarn Ford and have a healer take a look at it.

“...how are we going to explain this to Halbarad?” Tossdir eventually asks.

“Very carefully.” Meneldir almost laughs “I think our kin normally take a ‘shoot first ask questions later’ approach to those returned from the dead, so you might want to go on ahead of me to explain things or else I might end up as a pincushion.” Meneldir did not even seem to notice what he said. Not ‘your kin’ not ‘the Dunedain’, ‘our kin’.

Tossdir laughs, and smiles wider than he has in many, many days. Meneldir is back, maybe in more ways than one, he hopes.

“...it wasn’t that funny.”

#ask games #lotro #Meneldir #lotro fic #lotro oc #Tossdir #thanks friend!#this one came together fast than expected lol #before the spoilers #Taz's foray into writing

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writernopal · 1 year

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Happy STS! What gods from our world's myths would you assign to your characters? Who would fit the best to your character and why?

Happy STS, Pheita!

Congrats, you've unlocked an info dump! 🎉 And for this we're going to visit the Aztec Pantheon.

Mariel

The Lord of Fire and God of Time, Xiuhtecuhtli. I can't explain this one too much bc spoilers but here, have this! And know, it's super accurate for her and her arc!

In historical sources he is called by many names, which reflect his varied aspects and dwellings in the three parts of the cosmos. He was the lord of volcanoes, the personification of life after death, warmth in cold (fire), light in darkness and food during famine. He was also named Cuezaltzin ("flame") and Ixcozauhqui and is sometimes considered to be the same as Huehueteotl ("Old God"), although Xiuhtecuhtli is usually shown as a young deity.

Axtapor

God of Providence, The Invisible and Darkness, Lord of the Night, Tezcatlipoca. This seems off base for him unless you've read the books. So, if you know, you know.

Obsidian mirrors were used ritually to spiritually access the Aztec underworld and communicate with the realm of the dead. The name of the important Aztec deity Tezcatlipoca means "Smoking Mirror" and he was apparently the supernatural embodiment of a polished obsidian mirror. Depictions of the god frequently replace one of his feet with a smoking mirror and position another at the back of his head.

Fay

Goddess of Water, Mistress of Lakes, Rivers and Seas, Chalchiuhtlicue. There is just so much that Fay and this goddess have in common, that its hard not to relate them, these bits in particular are striking: According to myths, Chalchiuhtlicue once ate the sun and the moon. She is often associated with serpents, as most Aztec water deities are. It is thought that her association with water and fertility speaks to the Aztecs' association with the womb and water. She often withheld a dual role in Aztec mythology as both a life-giver and life-ender. In the Aztec creation myth of the Five Suns, Chalchiuhtlicue presided over the Fourth Sun or the fourth creation of the world. It is believed that Chalchiuhtlicue retaliated against Tlaloc's mistreatment of her by releasing 52 years of rain, causing a giant flood which caused the Fourth Sun to be destroyed.

Wilkes

The God of War, Lord of the Sun and Fire, Huītzilōpōchtli. I previously answered here that this god would be his father, but I think as the story has progressed, Wilkes himself would fit this god best. Here is the snippet of Huitzilopochtli's creation myth that is PERFECT for Wilkes: Huitzilopochtli burst forth from his mother's womb in full armor and fully grown, or in other versions of the story, burst forth from the womb and immediately put on his gear. He attacked his older brothers and sister, defending his mother by beheading his sister and casting her body from the mountain top. He also chased after his brothers, who fled from him and became scattered all over the sky.

Lexlar (Quye'ck) and Hartim (Eiph'ck)

Gotta be the twin Gods Quetzalcoatl and Xototl. There is so much here with these two that its hard to sum it up in a concise way, but in many legends they are believed to be the morning and evening stars respectively, with the latter (Xototl) being entrusted with guiding the Sun through the Underworld and acting as a soul guide for the dead. Meanwhile Quetzalcoatl represents death and resurrection and in some tellings was banished... Iguanas and serpents also hold special meaning and symbolism in Mayan and Aztec mythology, as connections between the earth and spirit realms as well being vehicles by which celestial bodies travel the world. They got away from me in the best way 💙

#thanks for the ask!#nopal answers #aasoaf #m.o.w #mariel #axtapor #fay #wilkes #lexlar #hartim #sts

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boyfridged · 1 year

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If I can ask, what do you think about Dana and Denise Harlow from RH 51-52?

oh i love them and i loved rh 51-52 in general! it's probably the only part of the series that i truly enjoyed, and i can't wait for martinbrough to come back – i really hope for some development of both these characters and jason too.

i'm a huge proponent of the belief that the only way to tell a meaningful story about jason atp is to end his period of narrative banishment from gotham and let him go back to his roots. so jay going back to the east end and the introduction of characters that are so tightly connected to it – and to his past! is the best course of action i could imagine.

also, you might have noticed that i talk a lot about jason's isolation and nearly complete dependence on bruce in his robin days, and the picture that rh 51-52 paints fits this reading quite neatly. it seems that jay has not had many opportunities to catch up with friends from the neighborhood as a civilian ever since he left it. which leads to another point, namely, that the new (old) location and the very specific institution of the neighbourhood watch now puts him in a position where he has to confront what vigilantism means in general – and the two issues were already a great set up for it!

in a way, the tension between dana and denise mirrors jason's internal conflicts too. for example, the fact that jason intuitively agrees with denise about dangers of vigilantism? the way he becomes the voice of reason when addressing misdeeds that he has committed himself before? it's brilliant.

moving aside from what they mean as background characters in jason's storyline specifically, any civilian (though it is arguable if dana can be counted as a civilian i guess) characters are dear to me and they seem to be dear to martinbrough too. they breathe true life into his depiction of gotham and the hill specifically, and while they were introduced with pretty one-dimensional sentiments, at least for now, there's soo much potential. i hope they're back soon.

#listen. asks about specific books are my absolute favourite <3 so thank you for asking!#i have both dana and denise present in some of my wips btw.#if you read semantics then it might be of your interest that they appear in the series #outbox #dc #jay.zip #jay.txt

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theonceoverthinker · 1 year

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Summary: When Luigi and Bowser find themselves stranded together in the Lost Kingdom after a turbulent windstorm sends them flying off Bowser’s airship, a busted up Odyssey becomes their unlikeliest of saviors. Now reluctant traveling companions, doomed to remain marooned without the other’s help, the two gather power moons and embark on a globe-trotting adventure home. However, as they fly and hunt for moons together, encountering and overcoming any and all conflicts in their way, their reservations about each other wither away while a fondness forged through their travels grows into something neither of them ever thought was possible.

1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 1-7, 1-8, 1-9, WZ 1-1, 1-10, BS1-1, WZ 1-2, 1-11, 1-12, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, WZ 2-1, 2-6, BS 2-1, 2-7, 2-8, 2-9, 2-10, 2-11, BS 2-2, 2-12, 2-13, 2-14, 2-15, 2-16, 2-17, 2-18, 2-19, BS 2-3, 2-20, 2-21, WZ 2-2, BS 2-4, WZ 2-3, 2-22, 2-23, BS 2-5, 2-24, 2.5-1, 2.5-2, 2.5-3, BS 2.5-1,

()()()()()()

WORLD 2.5-4

Rhythm has often been a source of comfort for Luigi.

Steady breaths make for steady minds. Consistent flows of sounds means that whatever is doing a job is doing it how it’s supposed to be done. A regular pulse implies there’s room for anticipation of what could conceivably come to pass.

The sky isn’t bereft of such rules. A static-like presence of air and pressure roars low, yet perpetually and the cogs that keep his ship suspended in the firmament make evident that they’re chugging along as metal taps metal just as it needs to.

Now, if only he himself could feel so rhythmically sound.

Standing on the Odyssey’s balcony, facing its cloud-covered void…Luigi hates it.

If not thinking about his and Mario’s parting moment is difficult when he has nothing to do indoors, attempting such a task in this setting, faced with the very sky that separated them to begin with, is downright impossible.

It’s even the same shade as it was that day.

For Rosalina’s sake, can’t the universe give him a break?

Still, it’s not like he can go back inside to get any kind of meaningful reprieve.

Well, he can, but he doesn’t want to.

Dealing with Bowser…Luigi knows he’ll have to soon enough, but he can’t right now, not when Bowser’s just insulted his brother and refuses to even stop it when asked, let alone show any decent amount of remorse for it.

Why does he think Bowser would ever be decent?

Memories pierce his mind that tell him exactly what has led him to such a conclusion, much to Luigi’s chagrin.

He sighs.

Their conflict makes him feel like his heart is being coated in cement and en route to be dropped in the deepest, darkest ocean to ever exist.

Luigi knows that he wasn’t much better back inside the Odyssey; punching Bowser, even if it made him feel…close to better, or at the very least like he was doing something to help his brother, went a bit too far.

However, he can’t find it in him to apologize in anything resembling a hurry.

Is it wrong? No doubt so. Selfish? Probably, but if he’s going to be selfish about something, he’ll be happy with Mario being that selfishness’ subject.

So, with little else to do, Luigi remains standing where he is, holding the balcony’s rail as tightly as he can and somehow closing his eyes even tighter than that. He wills out of his line of sight the sky, Bowser, memories of the past few days, the tears that want so badly to fall – trying to will their banishment from his life just as well as he can.

It’s a pretty unsuccessful endeavor, but one that he tries to make work as well as he can.

When the Odyssey’s door swishes open behind him some time later, Luigi doesn’t move, nor does he when four loud stomp-like steps end with a clank of spiky bony bands hitting the rail just to his left like wooden windchimes.

Bowser doesn’t say anything upon arrival, and for a few minutes, they just stand there side-by-side on the balcony; he’s far enough away that they’re not touching, yet close enough to not be able to disassociate himself from his presence.

It’s not comfortable, but at the same time, Luigi can’t find it in him to describe it as uncomfortable either – even calling it awkward doesn’t fully match what Luigi’s feeling at the moment.

Unghhhh.

…

He doesn’t know what he’s feeling, but whatever it is, he’s feeling a lot of it!

He just wants it to stop.

He just wants Mario.

Time passes.

Staying calm is hard, but the thought of talking feels harder.

After about five minutes, it becomes clear to Luigi that Bowser’s not going anywhere.

In all fairness, there’s only so many places he can go.

Still, he’s choosing to be in the one of two places aboard this ship that Luigi is, the part of the ship that is a lot less comfortable than the other.

He wants an answer.

The trouble is that Luigi doesn’t want to give him one, despite the fact that he knows he’s going to eventually have to; they still have four more kingdoms to get through together before they arrive at Bowser’s, after all. No matter how much he wants to be right now, Luigi knows that he can’t just be mad at Bowser that entire time. The only real success the two of them have had at collecting moons has come from some degree of cooperation between them, and that cooperation isn’t going to come in any meaningful way unless they start getting along again.

A stubborn part of Luigi wants to stay quiet directly in spite of that knowledge. Sure, he won’t get home as quickly as he would like to if he does, but neither will Bowser. They’ll just remain miserable together as their journey home transforms from something resembling amiability right back to the trudge it was at its start.

However, that means Mario will remain miserable, too.

Luigi’s mind flashes the memory of that last moment between them, and he grips the balcony’s rail like it’s the only thing keeping him alive until a minute after the flash of memory passes.

Luigi finally opens his eyes. He doesn’t turn to look at Bowser, but sees him out of the corner of his eye all the same. Bowser’s body holds no anger-based tension, but it does hold something. He’s not looking at Luigi, but Luigi can feel that he wants to talk.

Maybe he wants to talk, too…just after Bowser talks.

He’s willing to hear Bowser out, but he himself is not about to budge, not until he knows Bowser’s done with antagonizing him and Mario.

It’s the least Bowser can do for him.

So, that’s where they’re at; they both have something to say to each other, but neither of them are saying anything.

Aren’t they quite the pair?

Where are they supposed to go from here?

Luigi decides to take the first step, albeit on his own terms. Only looking Bowser out of the corner of his eye, Luigi gives him an acknowledging, somewhat curious hum.

And that’s it.

The ball’s in Bowser’s court now.

Now all that’s left to do is see what game he’s going to play with it.

Bowser seems to take the hint, though it takes him a few seconds to make so much as a sound, and when he does, he starts with a frustrated-sounding sigh.

…Great start.

However, he then sighs again, this time more subdued.

That’s…better.

Bowser tells Luigi that he’s not the apologizing type. Luigi mutters underneath his breath that that’s not exactly a surprise. Bowser, giving Luigi a pointed stare that’s just barely removed from being a stink eye, asks if he wants him to keep going or not.

It’s now Luigi’s turn to give a frustration-heavy sigh of his own.

Turning to look once more at the expanse of clouds in front of them, Luigi tells Bowser that he’s not sure what he wants.

As if a mirror of Bowser, Luigi lets out another sigh, subdued in its execution.

The two of them go silent for another long moment, after which Bowser speaks up again.

He tells Luigi that in that case, he’s just gonna give Luigi what he’s got – or rather, say what he wants to say – and then maybe Luigi will have a better idea of what he wants afterwards.

Luigi gives a non-icy, yet definitely not warm shrug alongside an accepting sound that leaves his throat.

When Bowser doesn’t immediately speak, Luigi looks at him out of the corner of his eye once more.

Bowser’s brows are knit hard despite his eyes not reflecting a glare – in fact, they’re not even looking at Luigi; there’s an indent in the side of his cheek. Luigi can see his paws move, as if Bowser’s speaking just as much through them as he will with his mouth when the time for verbalization at last comes.

Whatever Bowser’s trying to say, he’s clearly putting effort into figuring out how it should come out.

Luigi has to admit, that means…not nothing.

After a few more seconds, Bowser finally talks.

The apology is blunt. There’s no pre or postamble, or even a single detail; it’s just a basic apology for upsetting him.

Its delivery reminds Luigi of a way a child or teenager would annoyedly apologize if threatened by their parents with being put in time out or grounded. Heaven knows he’s delivered an apology like that a time or two in his life.

The thing is though that no one’s on the other side of Bowser threatening him…at least, no one that Luigi knows given that there’s no way to communicate with anyone from up here outside of each other. He's apologizing all on his own.

That shouldn’t stand out to Luigi as anything impressive – it really doesn’t. Bowser’s a grown Koopa; king or no king – in fact, especially because he’s a king – he should be able to apologize without anyone breathing down his throat.

Still, this is Bowser apologizing. He’s probably the first resident of the Mushroom Kingdom to ever be on the receiving end of an apology from Bowser.

Luigi wonders to himself if Peach has even received one of these.

Not only that though, but while the delivery of Bowser’s apology is pretty – albeit not uncharacteristically – immature...the sincerity behind it is there, just as it’s been throughout their entire time together thus far.

Bowser is letting himself appear before Luigi, flawed, vulnerable even, and Luigi can’t ignore the fact that those matter to him.

It’s almost enough for Luigi to accept it.

However, it’s not, not just yet.

One hand separating from the comfort of the ship’s rail towards the openness of the air, Luigi, finally turning to look fully at Bowser, asks what he’s apologizing for.

Lifting a brow, Bowser repeats that the apology is for upsetting him.

Lowering two eyebrows of his own, Luigi tells him to be more specific, to tell him how he upset him.

Bowser gives an exasperated groan. He says that he’s sorry for making fun of Mario, even if he only sort of understands why it bothered him.

Sort of understands?

That’s a strange way to put it.

What does he mean by that?

Luigi, his guard down, asks for further clarification.

Bowser rolls his eyes and grumbles rhetorically that Luigi’s supposed to be the smart one of them.

Luigi scoffs and tells him he’ll get to be the smart one for a change.

Scoffs are exchanged.

Bowser says that he just means that while he insults Mario all the time, he knows Luigi told him to stop and that he is sensitive.

Is Bowser seriously about to blame his sensitivity fo-.

Before Luigi can think more on that, Bowser continues.

He says that Luigi stands up for those that he cares about, and that he’s sincere in his passion, and that he clearly cares about Mario for reasons that he can’t even begin to guess.

Luigi finds that Bowser is correct: He’s not the apologizing type.

That’s gotta be true because he’s so bad a-.

Bowser once more adds onto his words. He tells Luigi that even if he doesn’t know why his insults pissed him off so much, he should’ve known better than to do them and that he should’ve stopped when Luigi told him to, and because of that, he’s sorry.

With folded arms, Bowser looks away from Luigi, his gaze pointed towards the clouds.

And like that, it’s clear to Luigi that Bowser’s done saying his piece, and that it's now up to him to drive their conversation once more.

Luigi thinks about what he told Bowser before Bowser began his apology – he didn’t know what he wanted from this interaction.

Even though he didn’t have an answer at first, if he had been asked if an apology from Bowser was up there in the things he wanted, Luigi would’ve admitted as much.

Now he has that. It’s nothing overly deep – a simple apology with just as simple details and nothing more. Still, it’s as good of an apology as he can imagine he could ever or likely will ever get from Bowser, a novelty in its sheer existence, but so much more in so many ways.

Luigi is left asking himself one question.

How does he feel about it?

If he’s being honest, he accepts the apology, appreciates it.

It’s sincere.

It’s precise.

It’s complete.

Well, it’s complete on Bowser’s end.

Luigi knows that Bowser’s not the only one of them who has something to answer for; it’s a responsibility that they both share.

Bowser has done his part.

It’s time that he does his.

#bowuigi #bowser #luigi #super mario #super mario bros #nintendo

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s0lar-ch3ri · 1 year

Text

ep 51-52 spoilers but i gotta get the thoughts out man (also some for ep 2 of the black rose pirates oneshot)

ok so im going to do it all at once but like the amount of times i panicked with gill and shit over things like the moment the arm was mentioned i KNEW it was jon and how gillion risked so much to save him

(imagine a world where gillion didnt make it and slowly froze to death and was comforted by the ideas of jay and chip making it yet felt ashamed and disappointed as he couldn't save jon or pretzel and on the other side it could be either jay or chip wanting to stay longer and trying to get them back or them both just sobbing at the door because gills fucking dead and- i should stop hurting me emotionally huh)

back to what actually happened im so happy they all ended up fine and shit and id help gill with a villain arc if they did both die (both being jon and pretzel)

more about gillion its just something with how his "insult" wasnt really an insult but rather something he believed that he knew would hurt chip. something how grizzly also used the word sin for dark secret and then gillion talks how he got banished and he probably was very nervous about it going south yet they thought his punching of the navy was kickass.

the fact that gillion hugged jay thinking she was his sister is so sweet yet i could tell from the beginning that edyn wasnt real. i just got the sense for pain man

take gill giving chip a ring and him getting flustered about it whatever way ya want, im just thinking how fucked hed be if jay and chip did indeed fight each other (also you cant tell me that he wasnt taught it by his sister and his test was pretzel who knew how dangerous it could have been yet he could tell she wanted to bond it and so gill has a ring on him somewhere and they pretend that the magic is still in effect and it makes them even closer then before)

chip was a fucking bastard with the whole secret pressuring thing, and grizzly knew. and he used it to fuck up their friendship harder. making the people chip cares for the most (which btw thats so fucking cute writing bout that next) attack him and having someone jay cares about attack someone she also cares about maybe even more while giving gill such a tame one is grizz's plan. worst part is gillion would be used to them teasing each other so he may brush the growing hatred off as just something human friends do. GOD GRIZZLY WHY ARE YOU SO GOOD AT THIS

theres something sweet about bizly telling grizz the people chip cared for the most was jay and gillion because it sounds like he didn't mention arlin, implying chip cares for gillion and jay more then arlin and thats beautiful.

my heart hurts seeing the idea of chip having such bad trust issues and wondering if these guys actually care for him yet he pulls up the wall with insults manned and ready just so that he doesn't need to accept that people he cares about exist and doesn't need to worry about them going away and i made myself pain again AHHHHHHHH

i remember seeing a post about jay being an easy crier and how it doesnt make her any less a girlboss and i fully heartedly agree because aprt of her girlbossness she can acknowledge her barriers and when shit crosses the line and she doesnt hide it up and maybe that inspires chip and gill to be more open about their boundaries and emotions and ill stop before i make more pain but yeah def proven by the flesh room

i dont know if anyone else made the comparison but yall know when finn arlin and dray were going down the hallway and each got flashbacks and shit? the mirages were probs a reference and it was the same order too (charlie, bizly, then condi) and i freaked when i realized!

of course jon is what got gillion pumped up and bsck to his gill self because theyre gay af guys

that ring thing between gill and chip was so fucking gay omfg i hope they keep them happy pride month

the fact that gill just had to be in the middle of chip and jay fighting and idk why i do this to me but maybe he felt bad cause of the shit he said cause while jay and chip said a ton of things and they did feel bad a bit what if gillion felt like he had fucking sinned with this insult because of how bad chip seemed to feel and he just cant help but feel like he helped and all that and god how let me be a fan fic writer

okay comfort for me now (its poly pirates i love them ok) but since gill believed jay enjoyed the clown outfit (plus she mentiondd that she gave up on her dreams) he ends up trying to make one and hes a lil nervous but he asks chip for help and jay just finds them in the room with gill practicing sowing as chip helps him make a clown outfit and jay just is mesmerized by how hard gillion is trying and how chip is just so calm with him and they seem as though this is one of the most important tasks of their lives (for chip its more of making gill happy by helping him learn to sow) and after a bit jay goes back up and what do you know 1 or 2 hours later jay is given a wrapped box by gill who seems very excited and ahe opens it and finds the clown outfit chip helped make and she glances up to see chip give gill a thumbs up and wink and she smiles and tears up at how much effort they spent into making this

more poly pirates comfort coming next post but its really just gonna be writing fanfic ideas that i WILL make after i write a couple moee chapters of my scu fic

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dragontamer05 · 1 year

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If you want to watch Spider Riders in some decent quality if you are able to use it Tubi is pretty good.

Completely free streaming, does technically have ads- but if you watch on a computer with adblock you can always by pass it but like the adds are literally I think part of what allows them to keep it as a completely free service keep that in mind and personally not to bothered by them, it's kinda just like watching something off the T.V itself just get short commercial break now and then

Only in english and i don't know what languages it's subbed in could only be english.

I will warn while fine for the most part there is the odd time where idk who does the subs for/at Tubi but for some reason they don't always completely line up with what is being said, like not massively changed sometimes it's just like a word was missed or just a slightly altered wording of what is otherwise still accurate to what is being said. Then there are a few times where the meaning and tone of what is being said is still the same and gets across what's being said but still not exactly accurate to what that actual dialogue is.

At one point Grasshop uses the phrase banished but the subs read exiled, like yeh earlier he did also say/use exiled but in that particular moment wasn't the wording he used (or maybe it was said exiled and read banished I don't remember which way it went)

So that can be a little weird but majority of the time the subs are fine- also love the descriptors they give to some of the sound affects it can be pretty funny.

Oh and also bizarrly on the episode list episodes 25 and 52 somehow got mixed up- like it says 25 on the list but it def is not- 52 being the finale. so you will have to basically jump to what would be listed as the very last episode for 25 and then go back to the episode listed as 25 at the end but other wise everything else is in order and you can just let play

So that's my recommendation if you want to support/watch it legally (might be other places idk)

Legally or not at the very least video quality is probably better then what some of the pirate sites might have- least last I watched. Like they weren't bad by any means but could be better you know.

#of course you can find it on most anime hosting sites #although I think sometimes those ones may still have the little Teletoon bumbers attached to them so there is that #spider Riders #pls watch this obscure as show

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lady-rose-moon · 2 years

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I posted 277 times in 2022

That's 276 more posts than 2021!

181 posts created (65%)

96 posts reblogged (35%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@lokisgoodgirl

@lady-rose-moon

@holdmytesseract

@lokisgoodgirlbackup

@fictive-sl0th

I tagged 250 of my posts in 2022

Only 10% of my posts had no tags

#loki x reader - 119 posts

#tom hiddleston - 117 posts

#loki laufeyson - 103 posts

#loki - 97 posts

#loki fluff - 77 posts

#loki (marvel) - 77 posts

#loki x you - 76 posts

#loki smut - 58 posts

#imagines - 52 posts

#hot loki - 42 posts

Longest Tag: 75 characters

#loki squeeze my brains out with those thighs and i will thank you laufeyson

My Top Posts in 2022:

I Missed You

Summary: After being banished from Asgard a hundred years ago, you were recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D to help them deal with a threat; your old friend Loki. After reuniting, lost feelings resurface.

Warnings: Loki's torture, mentioned suicide, soulmate AU, a lot of smut at the end

Living your life as a Midgardian was hard. Ever since you were banished from Asgard for learning magic above what you were supposed to, you had taken residence on the planet that was well known for its lack of magic. It was a backwards planet but that was what you knew would keep you safe.

See the full post

387 notes - Posted July 4, 2022

Just a winter drabble

Warnings: smut, description of smut, fluff

Pairing: Loki Laufeyson x reader

A/N: idk I'm just horny. Can this be considered a Winter Warmer @lokisgoodgirl ?

As you watched the family gathering around the Christmas tree, you were laid on the sofa with the blanket draped over you as your husband laid behind you, his arms draped around your middle as he enjoyed the sound of the family arguing over the tree and the soft music of Christmas covering up other noises.

391 notes - Posted November 24, 2022

Give Her Back

Summary: When you die at the hands of Thanos, Wanda will do absolutely anything to get you back.

A/N: I did say that I was gay so here this is!! Wanda Maximoff has entered the chat! Also... Contains Multiverse of Madness spoilers in PT3 so if you haven't seen it, don't read part 3

Warnings: reader death, Wanda's grief, Thanos

She was stuck. Wanda had tried to keep Thanos away from you and the last Infinity Stone. But she knew that his approach couldn't be stopped no matter what Wanda tried to do.

The Mind Stone had once been in Vision but he had sacrificed himself to give you the final stone and protect it with your own powers that you gained from exposure to the Tesseract. With your connection to the Tesseract, you felt when the portal was activated for Thanos to come and collect the last remaining Stone. The hum of the Space Stone when it felt you close to it was what signalled Thanos to your location, manipulating the joy of the stone to the sinister nature of the connection between you and the Gauntlet.

636 notes - Posted May 9, 2022

Date Night

Loki: *he walks into the bedroom, putting on cufflinks* honey, are you ready to go-

Y/N: *wearing a fancy red dress, securing earrings into her ears as she smiles at her reflection*

Loki: take. that. off. *he points to the dress with a glare*

Y/N: husband, that is for later on tonight! *you smile at him innocently*

Loki: take the dress off, Y/N.

Y/N: but I like it!

Loki: it's red.

Y/N: yes, what of it?

Loki: it's red

Y/N: I heard you the first time, darling

Loki: *he uses her magic to change your dress green* better

Y/N: hey! I liked the red!

Loki: well, I didn't! No wife of mine is going out in my brother's colours!

640 notes - Posted October 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Hello, Mummy

Summary: while expecting your first baby with Loki, you enter a dream that brings a tear to your eye.

A/N: I really hope you like this, guys! I am probably going to start a little pregnancy series with the reader and Loki.

Warnings: none, apart from fluff and pregnancy

You never imagined to be waking in a bed that you didn't recognise. At once, your mind jumped to the possibility of kidnapping from your Midgardian apartment. But you instantly knew that was false just from the magical signature that you sensed in the air.

652 notes - Posted May 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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libidomechanica · 3 months

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“Juan, half an hour and quell”

A Kelly lune sequence

In the leopard part. All the more to the winds are lang!

Busily seeking with Me! Juan, half an hour and quell?

At this hair sweet love, now she’s at that once thence decay.

Has cause I feel smiles the streams? Its corn wav’d green holly!

From the talks to diverse? Squad of our breast! Of the Jews.

For thy cheeks, the proof— her purity entwine its back.

The hounds,— love to-day? But if they will shine utter’d me.

The rills o’er and Crown, then Madam— Madam—Madam—hist!

I lost in Old Story? All the tide, ladies I will.

From the striking up. She sate within arranging moon.

All faire lines so very hand. Judicious of Sorrow!

And when they impress. Desire, but makes man from me.

The owlet in silent and find then—and the cold sward.

Such tears, by the weak in.—I’m in such waits in the pair.

Seeking: as midnight a cigarette. Its strength be here!

The less. All people shouting then Madam—Madam—hist!

By mortal alarm. Camel tumbled, whilst flower rate.

The poesy of his Presence. And comforts for here fedde.

Friend. And while for your in a watrie glassy deep to seed.

And so she’s good, some melancholy! Then what I mean!

Oh distills your mother’d with sparkling roguish een.

If from vermeil lips? You think Sappho’s Ode a good food.

No doubt: but Grey was a museum. Catch not a few.

Besides, though I adore o Sorrow! A full as I.

We drives, yet I guess. She may triumphant, unawares.

If I could be quoted; Antonia you are you.

Shadow. But, ah, she loiter’d, and death-bed overture.

She knew noses, one mighty flurried; demure will out.

A Shah there you. He cried, with joy gone under and sup.

Of Death! The will turn sourest moan; long seaward flowers.

It was it may be, no! Me, i’ll not behind; for me!

There vnseene, the buried. And then comes the Almighty fret?

You will banish me! In whose to this we misery?

So that half wonder and so I’d fain, peona kiss?

Son or Daughter; my native land doom takes love again?

For Johnny make such a though Betty figure? Is left.

A cowslip on the mountains! Except to know no more!

And I would love. To say, methink us world; thy voice?

Above. Then come sweeter strength to diuorce from the serene!

My Lady. That purchast mind was far from Dian’s temple.

By that ye cal him? And lives best voice this, at last bud?

To pick out to diver’s honey- fly alas! For heart!

Such lovely and rock my breast. My Jeffrey held has much.

Lemons, and robes sweet are lang! Soon as this, but the Pearl.

Your lips a kiss’d her befalls. Surely hath been our feet.

On to bite than landlord make. A new one, beautiful.

Those palms, new-plucked at home! And the arms, it sooth, and treat?

Sweet to be true one. But few have seen; for instancy.

Dense and from the squirrel’s barn. The bus, though beloved.

Said in—I forget what the acted right, but the lie.

�� 51

Our victorious souls’ antipodes. Up his fair.

When pale cheeks of battering me, I leaue to us.

And, like to her, if unto her feeling stirs again.

—Her song.—’Tis Dian’s fault of beauty who came a martyr.

Could love! Was never be by phantoms of me therein.

Those suicide was full of claretless plain of Song?

Depth Cimmering. Thou tread’st with a sudden with the two?

As Captains kiss her. This I could not yet thee and low!

Because she revives; amaz’d, she would hope? The devil.

Now when he done, Salámán eyed the sudden leave told!

Of stone! She turns frown, then she look’d upon the best of?

There came ye, jolly. Or say that they are the eagles.

Alas! But whether is brought in your gloom; up the soil.

Which made too late? Poor lone beloved you all fame sheep.

Bare merely tend it o’er has twa sparkling rogue!—Who?

The boy was also the day with the stain. Better know.

Before his Banquet loves him the hears, though not need me.

Not Hesperus: lo! Firmness, gather’d fire, and whirlpool.

At the mair they cal that so content. And Betty, go!

Are maidens, nor eloquence of four kiss. But that blood?

Want thou kiss high rocks through the learning river judgment.

Than an uneasy virtues with fine relish, many?

I stands. And sere, my times abroad, and snatch a curst die!

Must still not do! Slack and peeled at, and rock yawns,—you can.

We are his wife you reach other thrills. Wide universe!

The sylvan aisles. And tuned it be grows that anon.

With zebras strange adventure. Thus constant visitor!

Is done. I said: I must has told those paths of our back.

And not, and all wear no more, and laughs aloud. But, light.

Souls’ antipodes. Perhaps, a virtue dignified.

Lights came to fields nothing you mayest he ken’d the bright on.

Past wet under young, I’m a stones of Song? When I left.

I’m o’er you in ioyes. Look and death its hue vermilion.

#poetry #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Markov chains #Markov chain length: 6 #194 texts #Kelly lune sequence

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jdgo51 · 5 months

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Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Today's inspiration comes from:

Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks

by Ann Spangler

λέων ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα

LEON EK TES PHYLES IOUDA

"Only once in the New Testament is Jesus described as a lion. The book of Revelation (named in part for what it reveals about Christ) portrays the risen Jesus as the only one worthy to open the scroll that contains the ultimate unfolding of God’s purposes for the world.

The apostle John perceived Jesus as both Lion and Lamb, who through his death and resurrection becomes the ultimate victor and conqueror. When you pray to Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, you are praying to the one with the power to banish all fear, to the one who watches over you with his fierce protecting love. You are also praying to the one who is judge of the living and the dead.

KEY SCRIPTURE

I cried bitterly because no one was found who deserved to open the scroll or look inside it. Then one of the leaders said to me, “Stop crying! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has won the victory. He can open the scroll and the seven seals on it.” — Revelation 5:4–5

GOD REVEALS HIS NAME IN SCRIPTURE

GENESIS 49:8–10, REVELATION 5:5 Open your personal Bible translation and read the same passages.

Make note where you read the name JUDAH or LION.

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down to you. 9 Judah, you are a lion cub. You have come back from the kill, my son. He lies down and rests like a lion. He is like a lioness. Who dares to disturb him? 10 A scepter will never depart from Judah nor a ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes and the people obey him.

5 Then one of the leaders said to me, “Stop crying! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has won the victory. He can open the scroll and the seven seals on it.”

λέων ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα

Understanding the Name

Throughout the Bible, the lion appears as a symbol of might, and it is hardly surprising that Israel’s enemies are sometimes depicted as lions. In the New Testament, Peter calls the devil a roaring lion and warns believers that he is constantly on the prowl, looking for someone to devour.

Though lions are sometimes a symbol of evil, they are also used as symbols of God’s people. Near the end of his life, the patriarch Jacob prayed a blessing over his twelve sons. When it came time to bless Judah, he compared him to a lion — hence the phrase “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” (Aryeh Lammatteh Yehudah in Hebrew, pronounced ar-YEH la-mat-TEH ye-hou-DAH, or Leon ek tes Phyles Iouda, in Greek, pronounced LE-own ek teys fu-LAIS YOU-dah). Jacob’s prediction that the scepter would not depart from Judah has been traditionally applied to the Messiah.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, Yahweh is sometimes depicted as a lion who roars in judgment against the nations and against His own faithless people. But He is also depicted as a mighty lion who fights fiercely on behalf of His people. Revelation depicts the risen Christ as the mightiest of all victors. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the one found worthy to open the scrolls of history; this means that He is in charge of history and of how the world’s destiny unfolds.

Stop crying! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has won the victory.

Connecting to the Name

Why do you think the book of Revelation portrays Jesus as both Lion and Lamb? In the Bible “seven” is considered a sacred number, symbolizing per- fection or completeness, while a “horn” symbolizes power. What does this say to you about how the Lamb is portrayed in Revelation 5? How have you experienced and understood both the “lamblike” and “lionlike” nature of Jesus in your own life? What does it mean for us “to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God”? The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the ultimate victor and conqueror, has the power to banish all fear and to watch over you with fierce, protective love. Picture this literally, then describe how this promise of safety might affect the way you face your fears. What specific victories has the Lion of Judah already won in your life? If you could choose one adjective to describe the passage from Revelation 5, what would it be and why? Would you call it bizarre, moving, perplexing, enlightening, or something else?

Praying a Passage with God’s Name

Focus on the name Aryeh Lammatteh Yehudah, “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” as you read Hosea 11:8–11.

“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboim? I have changed my mind. I am deeply moved.9 I will not act on my burning anger. I will not destroy Ephraim again. I am El, not a human. I am the Holy One among you, and I will not come to you in anger. 10 “My people will follow Yahweh when I roar like a lion. When I roar, my children will come trembling from the west.11 They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from Assyria. I will settle them in their own homes,” declares Yahweh.

Praying the Name LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH for Myself

Look up and read: Isaiah 11:6–9

Jesus is the lion and the lamb, who will bring all things to reconciliation at the end of history. Tell Him about anything or any circumstance that feels irreconcilable, and write a prayer of praise, surrendering that circumstance to Him.

Promises from the Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Be strong and courageous. Don’t tremble! Don’t be afraid of them! Yahweh your Elohim is the one who is going with you. He won’t abandon you or leave you. — Deuteronomy 31:6

A wicked person flees when no one is chasing him, but righteous people are as bold as lions. — Proverbs 28:1

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Read the following passages, considering the name the LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH and how its meaning relates to the context of the passage.

Psalm 106:8 Proverbs 19:12 Amos 3:6–8

Joel 3:16"

Excerpted with permission from Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks by Ann Spangler, copyright Ann Spangler.

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drew-mga2022mi6021 · 7 months

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World Building | The Population

Solarpunk Characters by ParisCityPop

Further diving into the understanding of my world, I also needed to understand the people, not just the events and topography of my world. These decisions directly enhance and affect the events of the story as well, so it is important that I get these details correct.

How big is the population?

Sri Lanka as an island nation is 22 million people strong, with 630 000 people residing in Colombo alone.

How did they become a part of the world?

Sri Lanka is a culturally diverse, multi-ethnic country. This is mainly due to being a massive international trade hub prior to the 21st century. Due to its advantageous position in the centre of the Indian Ocean, merchants from both the West and the East used to visit the country frequents. Of those, these were some people of note;

The British

The Dutch

The Portuguese

The Romans

The Arabs

The North Africans

The Persians

The Indians

The Chinese

African Slaves (brought to the country by Colonials who were ruling at the time)

In modern times, many people are descended from a mix of Sri Lankan blood and at least one of these parties.

Additionally, the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka (back when the island was known as "Thambapanni"; meaning copper sands) were the Naga and Yaksha tribes. According to the Mahavamsa and Dipavamsa (credible historical texts that detail the various ruling periods of Sri Lanka), he first known king of Sri Lanka was Prince Vijaya, who was banished to Sri Lanka from Sinhapura along with 700 of his men. The story goes that the young prince defeated a yaksha, and eventually went on to marry the daughter of a yaksha clan member; Kuweni. It is from here, and implied couplings between other members of Vijaya's clan and the inhabitants of Thambapanni that Sri Lankan are considered to be descended from.

Later on, many adopted different cutures, traditions, beliefs and dialects based on which of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka that they lived in.

Is there a class system?

Previously, during colonial rule, yes. In modern times, it is far more nuanced. Income is distributed proportionate to the total amount of work put in by a given organisation. Thus, an organisation of 10 people that works very hard should have their salary split equally amongst themselves. This is a very exploitable system, and is one of the systems the main character finds themselves trapped in.

The hardest workers are considered to be farmers and others who source food for the country, and thus they are the highest paid. This society places more priority on locally owned businesses as well, thus they pay equal rates to, and sometimes more than most mega-corporations. The price of the Sri Lankan rupee has also exponentially shot up, as a result of the plentiful resources of the country (1 US Dollar = 50 Rupees), which leads to an overall successful country anyway. Even those that are poorest are given sufficient aid by the government in order to live a semi-comfortable life, provided that they have a job. If not, they are given the option to either work for the government, find a job within a certain period of time or simply, not receive aid if any of the above two are not pursued.

What are the genders, races and species?

Sri Lanka adopted a more liberal mindset post colonialism, and as such it is not uncommon to see several people express themselves beyond the social standards set by the western gender binary. The population of Sri Lanka split by biological sex assigned at birth is equal to 52% female and 48% male.

The main races of Sri Lanka are as follows;

Sinhalese

Tamil

Malay

South Indian

Burgher

Mixed Race

There are others, but they mainly fall into the category of Mixed Race as a result of being borne of one of the settling countries that arrived to Sri Lanka pre-20th Century. The most dominant of the races are Sinhalese and Tamil people (the latter of which is split into Sri Lankan Tamil and South Indian Tamil), with the others representative of less than 10% of the population.

What are the languages spoken in Sri Lanka?

The most common language spoken is Sinhala, followed closely by Tamil and finally, English. The official languages of the country are listed as Sinhala and Tamil, however the language used to most universally converse in most urban areas like Colombo is English. Most people in Colombo are bilingual, and as such tend to mix and match languages as they please while talking. This mode of speaking is known as Singlish (Sinhala + English, the most commonly mixed languages).

There are other minor languages spoken in the country as well, such as the language spoken by the Veddah people (Veddah) who live in the central forests of Sri Lanka. Interestingly enough, Veddah and Sinhalese share a few common words, which may suggest a common linguistic origin at some point in the past. Modern Sinhalese itself seems to take from several places, such as Portuguese, Dutch and Sanskrit, and there are several variations and dialects of Sinhalese and Tamil that exist across the country. The most "conventional" form of Sinhala is that which is spoken in the Western province and in Kandy.

Other than this, a small portion of the population is fluent in other languages, such as Chinese Mandarin, Arabic, Aramaic, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, and Urdu.

Were there any racial conflicts?

As mentioned earlier, the biggest racial conflict that occured was the 30 year civil war. Besides this, there were minor undertones or racism up until the turn of the 2010s, when people began to forego their grudges against those that fought in the war.

What resources do they enjoy?

The people of Sri Lanka enjoy many resources such as locally produced foods, three main ways to power local technology (solar, wind and water), free healthcare, free education, easily accessible public transport systems, a healthy climate even in urban areas, several biologically and culturally diverse locations, several culturally significant areas, a minimum of 5 days paid leave from work for holidays and a centralised water and electricity grid.

What resources do they lack?

The main thing that this society lacks is a proper system for labour laws. Due to hard work and community being prioritised, the work force is easily exploitable by corporations, specifically if the workers themselves like the job that they are doing.

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lindsaystravelblogs3 · 1 year

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Days 77-78 – Thursday-Friday, 10-11 August Korcula & Hvar

Thursday Korcula

(Firstly, if anyone was counting, they may have noticed that the ‘Day’ numbers in all the headings since Day 52 have been incorrect. I miscued at that point, but rather than going back to edit all my posts since then – a really big and certainly unnecessary task – I have corrected the Day number on this post and hopefully, they will be correct from here on.)

We anchored off the island of Mljet (no idea how to pronounce that but if they added a few more x-es and q-es, I would probably do just as well) and a few people went ashore, mostly to walk or swim because no tours were offered. We chose to stay on board and during lunch, the ship moved to Korcula where we had booked a walking tour. We have a friend who grew up on the island and we promised to send him some nostalgic photos.

It is quite a pretty island and our guide took us on the usual round of churches and historical sites. An interesting feature of the town is that it has a single main street running north and south with lesser streets radiating to the west and east. The western streets are all straight to funnel and maximise the cooling effect of the sea breezes, while the eastern streets are all curved to retard the bitter winter winds coming off the nearby mountains. Pretty clever all those centuries ago. Apparently, quite a few coastal towns are designed like that in this area.

The city fortifications date from the sixteenth century but were largely destroyed in the nineteenth century and not a lot of the original walls still remain. Notwithstanding, they are still impressive and various towers remain and indicate the grandeur that once was part of day-to-day life for the Korculeans. We visited St Mark’s Cathedral (not the one in Venice) and the Bishop’s Palace as well as the town museum – but all of that was a long time ago (well over two weeks) and I can’t recall much of the detail of what we were told. I will rely on my photos and what they provoke from my failing memory to fill in some of the gaps.

We returned to the ship for dinner, but soon after the meal, we were back on the tender to watch a traditional Sword Dance in the shadow of one of the towers. The story centres on two guys (the good guy in red and the baddy in black – of course) fighting over a maiden ‘owned’ by the black-hat, but wanting to be with the redcap who loved her true – surprise, surprise! A very elaborate dance and sword fight between the guys and their retinues ensues. Needless to say, the good guy wins and banishes the naughty man, and they all live happily ever after – maybe not quite real life, but it makes for a good spectacle. No humans were harmed during the performance (except for one of the good guys who got his hand cut during the fight).

The performance took about three-quarters of an hour and the small courtyard was largely filled with spectators, with heaps more looking on from the balconies above. Those in the courtyard enjoyed a glass of bubbles and a pretty awful local cake-like thing, but those in the balconies missed out – not that they missed much.

Then it was back to the ship and more drinks before bed.

Friday Hvar

The first thing our guide told us was that most tourists have trouble pronouncing Hvar, but if you are a local, it is easy. In their language, it is pronounced Four - exactly as we pronounce the number four. She told us a few derivations of local terms that I found interesting at the time but can’t recall any of the others at the moment – nearly three jam-packed weeks after the event.

The first thing we saw in the central square was a car carefully wrapped up in a cover. For the previous few days, it had been on display in town but it was covered with its canvas envelope to be shipped somewhere else that day, so we never actually saw it. It is apparently the world’s fastest electric car, potentially available for sale at a cool two million euros! Unfortunately, we only had American dollars with us that day.

We were on a walking tour through some of the very narrow streets in the town and visited the fifteenth century Franciscan Monastery with its cloisters surrounding a large well. We have seen a few of these wells in the past week or so and they have been providing each town’s water supply for centuries. Most have now been replaced with modern reticulated water supplies, but they are still a feature of numerous squares and larger buildings.

The monastery no longer operates as such. It has been converted into a museum containing a treasury of artefacts, including many old books and coins, as well as artworks with yet another ‘Last Supper’ painting – we have seen quite a few this trip.

We passed St Stephan’s Cathedral and on to another Monastery – this time, a Benedictine one. A feature of this monastery was a display of beautiful lace items. The lace is made from fibres collected from agave leaves and intricately worked into the finest and most elaborate (and expensive) works of art. A couple of nuns were working on pieces while we watched. They sell their work to finance the monastery’s ongoing program, but it was not within our budget – hundreds of euros for a small doily, for example.

After the tour ended, we strolled to the far end of town to explore the openair fruit and vegetable market with delicious-looking fruit and a few varieties of veges that we had not seen before. We then had a few hundred metres to walk back to our tender to take us to the ship. The route took us past a few small restaurants: ideally located to supply us with much-needed drinks due to the hot weather and climbing up and down steep streets in town. An alternative option would have been to climb to the fortress overshadowing the town, but that was definitely not on our agenda that day.

At night, there was a concert in the ship’s theatre with elaborately costumed dancers and a glittering singer or two. We don’t always go to the onboard shows, but this one was quite good, and we were glad we made the effort.

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