#because I'm Welsh and it's an insult to us

[animanightmate]

You can stop trying to find the best Kate Middleton joke, because it's here:

Source here.

[that-ari-blogger]

An Interesting Character

Usually, when character is brought up in discussion, it is in reference to the people. If you think of the characters of The Owl House for example, you probably think of Luz, Eda, Bellos, Hunter, and Principal Bump.

But, by pure mechanics, a character is just a force at work in a story. One with personality, and agency, sure, but it's just a force.

This means that, if you squint a little, the Boiling Isles itself is a character, and the Wild Magic is an extension of that. It certainly gets treated like a character by the story, especially in Adventures In Elements.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Before I start, let me give one attempt to argue with the pedants. By definition, a character is a person. So, hear me out, the Boiling Isles is literally the body of a titan, who actively talks to Luz later on in the series. That is my justification.

So... why is wild magic a thing?

I'm not asking for an in-universe answer, because that is multifaceted and not really the point. I'm asking why the writers decided to include this idea, and what effect it has on the story?

The phrase "magic is..." is used four times in this episode. Once by Eda, and thrice in quick succession by Luz. And it is worth taking a look at these statements.

"I know my lessons seem weird, but this is what wild magic is all about! Making a connection with nature. The earliest witches understood that. Human witches need to understand it, too. You wanna learn a second spell? ... Then you have to learn from the island."

There is a lot going on with Eda's guidance. First up is the small detail about the tense. The earliest witches knew that magic is about nature, implying now it is different. But mainly, this is an explanation of the nitty gritty of The Owl House's magic system. It's about two things, nature and connection. And I want to delve into that a little bit.

There is something fascinating about Bellos and his roots in witch-hunting. Because that was specifically defined by an opposition to things, rather than any actual views of its own.

Malleus Maleficarum, the book that kicked off the witch-hunts is a fascinating read, as long as you understand what it is that you are reading and don't use it as a set of instructions. Internet Archive has a translated version by Prof. Christopher S. Mackay, complete with commentary from latter authors that I highly recommend.

This single book caused a ton of harm to people, and you can examine it from almost any angle you like. The original was written by a terrible person with terrible intentions, and I also recommend Overly Sarcastic Productions' video on Werewolves for more information on that section of history.

What I want to focus on is the vernacular. References "devils" about 400 times and namedrops "witches" with similar regularity. The word "demon" comes up over 1000 times, and the word "pagan" comes up about 40 times. Specifically in reference to "pagan nations" which is about as racist as it sounds, as well as a ton of using the word as a catch all insult ("x type of person is worse than a pagan", etc. etc.). I don't want to get into the theology and history of this word, because it's a complicated minefield. But in this context, specifically around Europe in this time period, it means just about all regional faiths and mythologies. Celtic, Norse, Germanic, and several others.

Fun fact about me, I am Welsh, which means is that I have a connection to Welsh mythology, and so my analysis of wild magic is through that lens. If you have an understanding of other similar cultures, let me know, I'm fascinated to learn how that affects the reading of the Owl House.

Now, Modern Druidism is a living religion that I am not well versed in and want to treat with the respect befitting any living faith. So, I am sticking to what I know about the history and mythology and trying to make the differentiation between those two and Modern Druidism clear.

So, Druids in Celtic mythology are religious leaders, and peacekeepers. But what is possibly the most famous thing about them is their connection to nature. And here is where the analysis of The Owl House comes into play. Because the Owl House takes great care to associate magic with the natural, and Bellos with the unnatural.

"It means magic is a gift from the island. It means magic is everywhere. Magic is everywhere!"

Bellos creates artificial magic through his artificial staff and the destruction of the Palismen to fuel his life. Hunter wields an artificial staff, and in Adventures In Elements, Amity trains with an artificial training wand, which is linked to Bellos through the coven system.

But you would think that Luz's runes would also count as artificial. So what gives?

This episode shows them as part of nature more than the more refined spell circles. Luz's magic is that connection to the island in its purest, rawest form, and as I have said before, Luz's greatest strength is her ability to connect.

The dynamic between Wild Magic and Coven Magic isn't a dynamic between the artificial and the natural, it's a dynamic between empathy and utilitarianism. Wild Magic borrows, or is gifted, Coven magic takes and uses for its own ends. They are similar concepts, but it's in the minutia that the meaning comes out.

Final Thoughts

There is one final thing that Wild Magic reminds me of, and its off on a limb a bit. I currently live in Australia, and while Aboriginal spirituality is varied and complex and not my story to tell, I have been gifted this piece of advice that I would like to share: Humans don't own the land, we are a part of it, just as the trees and the beasts and the storms and the fires. Humans are mere custodians, our duty is to watch over and protect, and to connect.

I thought that was relevant.

I am away next week, but I'll be back in the new year with some analysis of The First Day, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[ingravinoveritas]

So for those who haven't seen, AL posted a new Insta story earlier today featuring video of Michael. I subsequently saw this post in the tags and felt like I needed to write something about it:

What obviously stood out and angered me about this was the "chunky Welsh salt-and-pepper boyfriend" in the caption. This seems to be the latest in a line of recent instances of people commenting on Michael's weight/fat-shaming him. The difference in this case, however, is that the post above is directly tied to AL's Insta story. Here is a screenshot of the story, for those who haven't seen it (the full video is linked above):

And what stood out to me here is AL's caption of "Can't take him anywhere," followed by the "You're welcome" (suggesting that we are all supposed to fall over ourselves to thank her for posting video of Michael). Given that the video shows him playing with Lyra in a toy store, this would have been a perfect opportunity for Anna to write a caption about Michael being a great dad, or how much he adores his daughter.

Instead, however, the caption/video is all about Anna, and once again plays up the disingenuous "long-suffering partner of a bumbling man" schtick, which is what many of her Insta stories about Michael have been recently. So when you look at the Tumblr post above, you start to get a feeling for the vibe that her posts/stories are putting out. That if it's okay for AL to make comments about his appearance (as we know she has done for the last several years), then others feel no compunction about doing it, too.

There are plenty of ways to interpret all this, but to me, and especially looking at everything cumulatively, none of this speaks highly to the state of their relationship. The "can't take him anywhere" is another example of AL using an Insta story to insult Michael, to convey that--despite the fact that he is literally very sweetly playing with their daughter--she is embarrassed to be seen with him. When you look at the Tumblr post next to AL's Insta story, you can tell what people are picking up on, which means that these posts and stories are not bringing out the best in her, him, or their relationship.

Again, this is all my own opinion and thoughts, but I think it bears repeating that if someone made a Tumblr post like the one above about Anna, or commented on her weight gain/loss, people would be losing their minds. I'm tired of comments like those and hers getting a free pass because Michael is a man. I'm tired of her making him out to be a ridiculous buffoon who she "has to put up with." And I'm really tired of her thinking his fans don't or won't care as long as she provides new content. Because even though this might just be me, I'd rather have no new content of Michael at all than content where his own girlfriend is repeatedly putting him down...

[ranticore]

curious about pronunciations of things- ik there are at least 2 language spoken (the phocid language with clicks and the languages the harpies speak that seems to be somewhat more universal), but i'm curious a.) if there are any other languages spoken on siren and b.) how the consonant "w" is pronounced? is it a "uu"/"wuu" sound/similar in any way to the pronunciation of the welsh "w"? are there differences in regional dialects between longwings/shortwings/etc? sorry this is so in depth,

Ooh good questions

a) Many different languages are spoken on Siren but there are three broad categories. There's spoken languages or "air" languages, all of which have a common root in English. There's click languages which are used underwater and produced using mixed tongue clicks and long, song-like vocals, these obviously can't have a root in English so they are less mutually intelligible than the air languages, with a few distinct families. And then there's sign languages used by zeta & anyone else who might need to use sign (deaf, mute etc). Zeta do not have tongues so they cannot vocalise the way most others can.

b) I haven't defined 'w' for Spire language but I do know that in pelagic spiral speech (a click language from the south-west) a written 'v' produces a 'waa' sound and there's no 'w', however this is just my own way of writing the words and i haven't worked or thought much about writing systems and alphabets.

c) Every language can be spoken by every type of person (with the sole exception discussed above). Even a shortwing can use & interpret click languages underwater (though in the absence of echolocating whiskers they might struggle with some intricacies). There's no such thing as a longwing dialect or the like because language is cultural and culture is based on geography. Everyone in that area speaks the language; most settlements are very mixed. I'm actively trying to avoid the common fantasy trope of like "elf language", the language spoken by elves (which elves? where? all of them??). I find it offers a very flattened and mistaken conception of what culture actually is.

Some language random facts: dry bowl language uses repeated sounds and syllables (names like pem-pem, kattakati, byin-byan). These are supposed to evoke bouncing and leaping actions, the language sounds very rhythmic spoken aloud

Misunderstandings of the spire's honourific chain system can lead to unintentional insults elsewhere in the world so people with spire names like qedi-var and kemi-anz will just introduce themselves as qedi or kemi to foreigners and go without suffixes in other languages

An air language is considered a very private, intimate way for pelagic people to talk with their loved ones. This is because murmuring some words into the other person's ear means that nosy eavesdroppers are unlikely to overhear. By comparison, if you say anything in a click language underwater, it can be heard hundreds of feet away and by everyone else in that radius. This inherent lack of privacy is hardbaked into many pelagic cultures, and in huarva's home village south of the spiral, air languages are strongly romanticised.

[thestrangestperson]

TINY WEE PSA

Hi! Are you trying to write some British people? Here are some random thoughts about exaggerated Britishness (With heavy chat about Scotland because I know Scotland the best):

"I'm going to the store!" Store is not a popular word for a place to buy things. People from the UK will generally say "shop". If they're just going to get milk or something, they may go to the "corner shop" - which people from NY especially will know as a "bodega"

"Hand me an eraser." While some people do say eraser, "rubber" is more common. This is amusing to me because to people from the US especially, it's very different in meaning.

If your character is visiting someone, it's very common to be offered tea. "Fancy a cup of tea?" or more casually "Fancy a cuppa?"

Pub ≠ bar. Pubs include bars, but are also places to get a meal. People do go there to drink ("Get a pint") though, and some pubs don't serve children or allow them in. Many do, however.

There are 100s of accents across the nation, more than just typical posh English, Welsh and Scottish. Please pay attention to your character's background and dialect. The city of London alone has 4 major accents. (For Good Omens fans, Crowley and Aziraphale are both sensationally posh. Aziraphale speaks "The Queen's/King's English" which is notably more formal and collected - Crowley does not.)

Some good swears include "Bellend", "Pillock", "Knob" and "Twat". In Scotland we also have the tamer "Daft(ie)" and "Tube"! Any object can become an insult: "You FUCKING MICROWAVE"

Some good pet names include "Love", "Pet" and "Poppet"

Along with tea we have a carbonated drink called Irn Bru. This is ESPECIALLY popular to Scots but you can find it in England. It is bright orange and fruity in taste.

We buy milk in pints

The chocolate bar Freddo is typically how we measure inflation these days. (I wish I could say this was a joke but tabloids love the chocolate test)

It does rain a lot. Like a shit ton. There are sunny days but nonetheless. The way to start conversation is ALWAYS weather. "Lovely weather innit?" always works, especially in terrible weather.

Sarcasm and dry humour are very popular.

IT IS A PETROL STATION, NOT A GAS STATION

A lot of people smoke or vape. This is very evident especially in cities like London and Edinburgh.

People from southern England especially are typically very removed and tend not to pay attention to anyone else. It's a massive "Not my problem". They can be very friendly by all means, but typically keep to themselves and don't talk to many people.

Biscuits rule the world, especially custard creams. (Jk, they're very loved though)

The school systems are different from that in the rest of the world. Even to one another. The Scottish, Welsh and English education systems are different - but are all composed of Primary school and Secondary school.

Typically people are either passionately wild for the Royal Family or REALLY dislike them.

Terraced and semi detached housing is very common. In Scotland we have "closies" which are blocks of flats that home lots of people, and are typically very square and deshevelled.

McDonald's did not arrive here until the 70s. People were confused by it to begin with.

Fish and chips is a stereotypical yet popular dish. Many people refer to going to a fish and chips shop as "Going to the chippy". Often they do not have seating, and are takeout exclusive.

Britain is a geographical reality, composed of Scotland, Wales and England. The United Kingdom is political and composed of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England.

Irish people may not enjoy being referred to as "British". Furthermore do not call a Welsh, Scottish or Irish person "English". This is a bad idea and will make people mad.

Day in the life of a true Brexit geezer is a documentary. (Jk)

Basically everyone "hates" the English. Whether this is playful or genuine varies from person to person. Even the English hate the English.

Older women especially have very strong feelings about Princess Di (She was so beloved)

For Good Omens fans: Soho is a small tiny little area in the BOROGH of "The City of Westminster". This is a borogh at the heart of London. You can walk Soho in a day.

Most cities don't have boroughs, but do have wee areas which are basically suburbs or collections of areas.

In schools, it's very common to refer to your teachers as "Sir" and "Miss". This also applies outside of school for young people, but generally is seen more in schools.

"Mate" is the most common way to address a male presenting person passive aggressively, along with "Love" for female presenting people. "Mate" is more common and works both ways.

"Pissed" means drunk. "Oh, he's pissed" = "Oh, he's drunk". Increasingly you'll find people say "pissed" to mean angry, especially young people. However "peeved" is what was originally used to mean angry.

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

So! Hi. Potentially cursed by fae hair anon back (also Bronwyn anon just y'know as long as we're being honest,) so I've been paying close attention to my hair and trying to will it into submission since the lack of Welsh lakes with which to ask the fae for help is a hurdle I cannot overcome on account of there not being any Welsh lakes in the Upper Midwest of the US. I could hike over to Wales, WI where the road signs are in Welsh but it is also full of People Whom I Will Not Associate With on the basis of the prevailing political clusterfuck happening there. Also it's a 6 hour drive in what is gearing up to be A Winter (tm) and if I'm going to commit myself to a slog I may as well just save my pennies and get a passport (previous one was in deadname and I let it lapse for reasons that should contextually be obvious,) and go to Wales to attempt your suggested solution. HOWEVER More recently, I've noticed that the excessively straight hair has begun making itself even more obvious in one particular place: The Cowlick at the back of my head. I have discovered through Totally Scientific Means that no amount of brushing or combing is helping this; a new intensity to which it hated me before as if I let it get long enough it would eventually cave under its own weight and chill out sort of. At any rate I get up in the morning with this lock of hair fanned out behind my head. I brush it. It does not give up. I wear a beanie for hours on end. It remains undeterred. Eleanor, my not a hair expert, the only person whom I can possibly rely on. I have found the answer to my query of whom I upset. I exist as a fucking peacock. I pissed off Hera. Now, fortunately I have done a good deal of independent research on this particular subject and to my knowledge I have not insulted her or fucked Zeus and have Definitely Not borne a child because I'm fairly certain I would've had to be in the room for that that has not happened. So here's the depressing answer: my hair is subject to whatever I did to displease her and there is nothing I can do about it but ride this out and accept my fate because there are many many records of what happens when one challenges the gods or displays too much hubris. Spite may be my primary motivator, but I know when I'm outmatched. If it ever changes, I'll be sure to let you know that I have been released from my Hellenistic hair purgatory and will probably come off anon for that just as a treat.

Hmm. Okay. Perhaps you could consider a votive offering? You need to get a little metal or clay tablet and write across it "I, Wyn, make this offering to the gods to right the wrongs I have done, and beg them to ease their wrath upon my hair. If they do this I promise to build them a lil shrine." and then you take it to an appropriately godly water body and chuck it in. I'm pretty sure you do have to build the shrine if successful though or the whole thing starts again.

Alternatively, if that doesn't work, right, maybe we're looking at this wrong?

My husband, also straight-haired, also has a permanent cowlick at the back of his head. In HIS case, he has a double crown in his hair. Two crowns! Two of them whorls, it is. Which is very appropriate, because he's third in line to the throne if we ever revived the Welsh monarchy of the House of Gwynedd.

Are you perhaps a Lost Heir?

[avaelangel]

I don't really think I would be able to let go of 1899. So, I want to talk about attire and memories. Please let me know if I should talk about the rest of the characters, because for now it's Maura, Daniel and Eyk. Spoilers and a lot of trailing away.

Let's start with Maura. The thing that won't let me rest about her is her character in the simulation. Woman, traveling alone, educated in a man's profession, a person worth making rumours about. She gets slightly chastised by Mrs Wilson and surely insulted by the only practicing doctor on the ship. But she doesn't give and helps, volunteers to a dangerous task that a man wouldn't consider at first.

I think she was coded as an ''adventorous british lady''. In my other post I said that maybe it was a part of Eliot's world. Family of British-Welsh travelers, that exceed expectations and prove mean people wrong. I also said that I might have met Maura before. And I kinda did. I randomly remembered The Essex Serpent.

Now, there isn't really a similar theme in that book. It's a great book by the way. But the main character Cora is reinventing herself after a traumatic marriage, explores percuilar circumstances, wears men's clothing and generally either makes people uncomfortable or fascinates them sometimes. She also has a rather odd son. I'm not saying that Maura was inspired by Cora or follows her path. I'm saying Maura (or Ciaran) might have picked up some tropes from the outside to mask her memories under more baggage, real or not.

Funny thing to mention: Cora's love interest is married and has a daughter. And also is a priest. At least in the book, I'm not aware of show's changes.

There is also a game called The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, where a woman is trying to look for whatever took her father. Henry is mostly harmless on a bigger scale, he is a shield of Ciaran's, just a way to move the plot into a fluid, familiar way. Probably, that's what makes Maura so lovable and intresting. She's a partly known character with a deeper pain and maybe, a secret.

So. Let's talk attire. We first see Maura in a hospital gown in her nightmare\memory. There is clearly more versions of her getting viped and they all have the same scenario before a new cycle.

She probably has the most...outfits? If you can call it that. She has her main outfit: (i think that's the name) long turkish pants with pockets, which are clearly big and the material is warm, the blouse is seemingly layered on something also, so Maura won't die after going on the deck in the middle of October. It's practical. She has a coat\cloak, but it barely even matters because the worst of it Maura endures uncloaked.

Most of the time, her hair is up, but in her son's and husband's memories her hair is down. It's clean and nicely curled. She never had a need to run or do something where her hair is going to be in the way. Peaceful times.

Daniel's memory bugs me. It's not that it's not real, but it seemes to show the level of their attachment and\or the way they express love. I prefer to think that ''I love you. Never forget'' is used depending on the situation by both of them. The moment is Daniel's memory seems to be when he feels Maura pulling away. Maybe that is something that always was there. Daniel loves her so much he's afraid that he's overbearing or annoying. I think his memory also shows that they fit very well togeter. In my mind, Daniel is somekind of a developer and my favorite trope wants to make him a writer. He is a different kind of smart compared to Maura. Does it make sence? I don't know. But he's loving and caring outloud. Maura's love is more quiet and goes deeper. They are both willing to overcome so much for their loved ones. Probably, everything.

What bugs me, why the gown? It doesn't look like a nighty. Maura says that she's starving, puts on a mental hospital gown and...disappears? Is that the guilt that Daniel carries? On the surface, I think he's supposed to be different from all the others, but is he running towards his guilt? He couldn't prevent his family from falling apart, he couldn't prevent Ciaran taking over, but he still can get Maura out. That's why he persevers and that's why he doesn't really care about people outside his purpose. He's there to mold the simulation to his needs.

He also looks...the most different from time to time, I think. Maybe, he didn't get in at the same time with the others or he left and came back. ''I won't leave you again''. Maybe, after that moment shown by Henry to Eliot, Daniel did leave. He had the suit on.

We see Maura in that suit twice. Daniel only once and in the spaceship one bed\capsule is open. Did he leave then? And doesn't Maura's haircut in the end look like her ponytail was cut off? I only just noticed that.

His hair seems to be different each time. Also, I think it's a sad thing that he wasn't made as curly as Aneurin is. Did he comeback only four months ago, interfering with Ciaran's plans? His outfit seems era appropriate, but also really warm and kind of thoughtout for a ship. Was he a part of the crew on Prometheous? Did he still his coat the same way Jerome stole his uniform?

But the pictures...I first thought that he wears that short male coat with big buttons. But it certainly not the coat he wears on the ship. His hair is shorter, the same length like in his memory. Maybe it's that second layer under the main coat, but really, who knows.

Pictures are still tricky. They all there almost the same clothes. The same haircuts. So, It was one that one day Eliot comes back to? A moment to remember which was a part of a simulation. Pictures also remind me of that childhood photoalbum from Black Widow. The one where years we shot in one weekend or something.

It kinda looks like there were different cameras or different film.Different way of development? Maybe, the black and white ones are pictures that Eliot tried to develop. There is also a picture that seemingly was taken by him. A picture in his little playing room. Daniel also seems...not as traumatized? I don't want to say it, but did they agree to spend that day together, in the simulation, for Eliot? Without being on the best of terms? Eliot is always in the middle, also. Make of it what you will.

Eliot deserves his own mention. He is a good little sport. He has to come to many hard realizations. He almost doesn't cry, only when Eyk and Henry scare him. He also has a memory that ends with Maura's hospital gown. Is the picnic his last memory before the first cycle?

He also wears..only this. In every memory, in every appearance. Beside that one hazy moment that Henry shows him. Was Maura put in the chair as a punishment for what she did to Eliot? Could her and Daniel's suffering be at least partly revenge?

Let's talk about Eyk. He also, as far as I have noticed, wears the same clothes. He is also the only one who didn't cause the reason for his guilt directly. He probably didn't see his house burning down. Even worse, he might have goten a telegram about it or something. That's why he keeps imagining it, dreaming of it.

He wakes up into his nightmare.It's a common thing, but I think he's the only one to do that.

He probably remembers the woods, the road to his house. To me, it doesn't seem like he was coming up and saw his wife droping the lamp. He also sees only Nina in the window with her. It's horrible to think that his wife was jealous of Nina. But she clearly was Eyk's favorite, as a I said so before. Even though in the family picture he is the only one in black, but he isn't the only brunette.

I went to re-check it, his middle daughter isn't blonde either, but she is closer to her mother in the shot. An argument to my insanity: you can't really say that Eyk's late wife is blond. ANYWAY. I still think that Nina was the only one who stayed late with him to talk. He probably raised only her. The other two saw very little of him and that is where his guilt lies. Didn't pay enough attention, didn't ask more questions, didn't take time to see that everything is okay. He probably was a neglectful husband, at least. It gets sad with him real fast here.

He's also the only one to walk out of his memory. He opens the door, just like Tove later, and then just stays in his burned down living room. If it wasn't for Albert, who knows what Eyk would have done. Could Daniel be using him to speed things up? Is it his purpose? To be Maura's sidekick, make her consider the fact that she has a husband even less? He knows about the sea as much as possible, but connecting to people is so much harder. Their connection makes them both feels special on a base level.

Eyk for sure is special. I wanted to be edgy for a second and make a post "What if he IS Ciaran?''. I mean, they never kiss and traumatized siblings tend to stick close to each other. But I am more inclined to think that Eyk was Maura's patient. I said the same thing about Daniel, but it would be to different situations. I can very clearly imagine Eyk being anxious and weirded out in grief group counceling.

I was going through screencaps and this shot caught my eye.

Maura is his confidant to the end. It's so sad that they strike as a couple that won't work out. One is neck deep in his grief, the other desperately tries to avoid it, run away. This probably means she would run away from Eyk too. A sad, sad irony.

Show's intro is very interesting also. It shows Eyk reaching out to Nina (assuming) and crumbling. Did he lead him to his demise in previous cycles? He probably did die at some point on previous ships.

If you reached this point, thank you. Let me know if you enjoyed it and if i should ramble more about 1899. I probably will, because I can. Might even take writing requests, who knows.

[bleedingcoffee42]

Yes! That one! For me it's another reason to like the guy xD Reminds me of a cat behavior, tbh. If he didn't want to do something, he did not. When he wanted something, he got that. Like when Chuck was shot, he just refused to let him die.

You know, he probably could have been a real PAIN IN THE ASS sometimes, as a officer and a human being in general. I sometimes wonder how he behaved around officers who outranked him and how he took orders he thought were stupid.

I mean, it would be funny if the "Dick" was sometimes used as a short version of Richard, sometimes affectionately and sometimes as an insult. Probably didn't happen, but would work in a fic xD

Can see them all on ao3 or even on a discord arguing about the smallest thing like a herd of chickens over a worm.

But it's hilarious, because it would be like he used every godamned nice way to tell Dick to fuck off and nothing worked, so he used the Nixon card. And it didn't work anyway, because Dick was a dick (pejorative meaning).

I'm sure he was a handful. I'm sure so much of why nobody can answer things is because they took a 'I just don't want to know' stance. Winters had more than a few of the guys running to him tattling about things Speirs did that was unfair and Tab just left. According to his letter he never explained why he was evacuated and the medical records look like he used an old knee injury to go home rather than deal with Speirs. And 'Why you took Nixon and Welsh but not me and left me with Speirs. j/k but not really' was a little much. WHY did you leave him Dick?

Dick said Speirs could take orders but made bad personal decisions? I don't know if that was about murder, yelling at guys to dig up boulders, Matheson's Slutty Speirs comment, or how he 'was different with the men than with the officers'. Richard, THAT is what you wanted...right? That's why you were mad at Buck. But Sparky was out drinking and shooting with Carson. "A real human person" to Lipton who was very eloquent and that was such a weird phrase. AND Dick starts out pretty positive about Speirs but then swings to 'Murdery bastard' later on, but has to say they were 'really close' in that one interview and I don't think they were? Sure as hell weren't when he wouldn't leave him alone, he took the phone off the hook, went to Montana and then told him he was too deaf to hear phonecalls. (You remain a legend, Sparky.)

I can picture Ron throwing a letter to Dick in the mailbox, getting in his Buick and driving up to LA and arriving on Nix's doorstep with a bottle of Vat69, a tin of cookies and a photocopy of Dick's letter and just saying, "I'm being nice, but he's being a real dick. You handled him during the war, do it again now. He's about to get his package of Hershey's Kiss shoved up his ass."

Nix in a chair, not doing his physical therapy for his leg surgery, having been ordered to stop drinking for his many health issues watching the bottle like a hawk. "Sparky!!! Long time no see."

"And who the fuck is David Webster?"

[fmd-jade]

So I just started watching 'The Mallorca Files'.

It's about a British (played by a Welsh actress) and a German (played by an Austrian actor) police detective stationed on Mallorca and working for the local police force. And yes. I know it's a television show made for entertainment. And I know the whole setup is complete BS.

But what really tickles my marble? It's the whole language thing. Half the cast is German portraying Germans (as far as I’ve watched the show). Quarter of the cast is Spanish portraying Spanish people and the rest is English. And everyone speaks freaking English. Even when the same -non English speaking - compatriots are amongst themselves.

Oh, the German friends who are visiting the island for a stag night?! Speaking English.

The Spanish who live on Mallorca? Speaking English.

And all of them with audible accents so you as the viewer are clued in that they’re ‘the Germans’ or ‘the Natives’.

Look, I get that it is a BBC show primarily made for a UK audience. But the first episode established that the German police officer speaks Castellan and maybe a bit of Catalan, the native tongue of Mallorca (correct me here if I'm wrong). And it is established that the English police officer, upon being stationed on Mallorca, starts to learn Castellan. So let them speak Castellan! Even if it's just to order a coffee or something.

And when the German detective interrogates one of the many German persons of interest, why not let them speak in their native tongue? Might be more useful.

And for anyone who doesn't understand either language, use subtitles, for f*** sake!

And the reason I think they do this is because they expect their audience to

A: not be proficient in foreign languages and B: be too lazy to read subtitles.

Which is just downright insulting.

Have you seen ‘The Parliament’?! Wonderful show about the European Parliament with people from all over Europe and in my opinion they did a wonderful job with the language barriers. As in they provided subtitles when necessary which made the show that much more authentic.

[buckets-of-dirt]

Top 5 best foods (I'd ask for the top 5 mash episodes but i feel like we've already HAD that discussion)

Yes, I think we have already had the mash discussion lol. These are in no particular order because I refuse to pit bad bitches against each other

1. Welsh rarebit

It's a really nice cheese and beer sauce on toast, what's not to love? I had some with a poached egg on top at a pub in Conwy when I visited the UK last year and it might've been the jet lag but it was close to a religious experience

2. Bagel with lox and cream cheese (often referred to as a New Yorker)

I'm a recent convert to this because I was afraid to spend money on smoked salmon and then not like it, (I've had texture problems with raw fish before) but finally a low-stakes opportunity to try it presented itself and I loved it. Capers, red onion, and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice complete the dish

3. Bibimbap

Rice, garlicky beef, mushrooms, sauteed veggies, and bean sprouts, then throw a runny fried egg on top and drizzle on a sauce whose main ingredient is gochujang paste. Except for the amount of time it takes to sautee each type of vegetable individually (my dad does this for presentation) it's one of my new favourite comfort foods and it's pretty easy to make. I like that I get to customize my bowl from what options are available and each person gets to control their own spice level

4. Salt and vinegar chips

Just a basic snack food, true, but the world would be incomplete without it. They're best as kettle chips (as are most chip flavours) and the more vinegar the better. My mouth should feel like it's dissolving and there's a Canadian brand that meets this requirement better than any other I've tried

5. Maple creemee

This is Extremely regional to one part of northern New England, which is why I've included a picture. "But Wally, it's just soft serve!" Wrong. A creemee is very similar to soft serve, and some places will cut corners by using soft serve mix instead, but a proper one uses cream instead of milk and thus has a richer ice cream base. While you can get them in basically any flavour that's used in soft serve (chocolate vanilla twist is extremely popular) maple is the pinnacle of the form. Unlike a lot of maple flavoured things, they use real maple syrup (probably because they only exist in the exact region where serving fake maple syrup is considered a deadly insult) and it's simply divine. In some places you can even get maple sprinkles that are just crushed up bits of maple candy

[runawayolives]

The King; Part II

Introduction Part I Part II

@hellomadamebutterfly @butterflyjames @mschalamet

I don't know why it's not letting me tag you, I'll try in the comments

...

After an hour of cursing Hal in my mind for leaving me here alone, Evelyn found me and told me that the court was waiting for me to start lunch.

“I have to marry stupid Thomas.” She turned and looked at me in confusion.

“Thomas the prince you've spent all your life insulting?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting.” I turned to look at her with a smile.

“Interesting, that's all you have to say?” Evie shrugged.

“I mean, I don't think he’ll live a long time, considering how eager he is to go to war.”

Evie did have a point. Prince Thomas’ obsession was being remembered for his talents in battle, which he lacked.

Entering the hall where the court was waiting for me, I sat to the king’s left, the only vacant spot. Evie stood behind me, pouring wine in my cup.

“Princess, I'm glad you joined us.” I nodded at King Henry. I noticed Percy was at the table, meaning that the fight with Scotland had already ended.

“I understand battle with the rebel scots was hard-fought.” After the king’s statement, Percy’s father replied.

“It was, my liege, we lost about 300 men.”

The monarch started praying in Latin, not showing care about the numbers they were losing in battle.

“Good Hotspur, you led the charge, where any prisoners of note taken?” I looked at Percy, sensing that what he was going to say wasn't going to be the right answer.

Hotspur and I had been friends since I came to the palace. My relationship with Percy grew when Hal left.

“Many.”

“Are they in train?”

“No.” I felt like this had something to do with Percy’s cousin, Mortimer.

The King cleared his throat and said: “Why is that? Why have they not been brought to me immediately?”

“Why will you not pay cousin Mortimer’s ransom?” Percy and I made eye contact, I wasn't sure what he was trying to do.

“You need to speak up, my boy. I'm an old man. My ears are full of hair.”

“Cousin Mortimer is held by the rebels of Wales. Why do you refuse to pay his ransom?” I knew Percy and his cousin were close. I had never met Mortimer personally, he was a few years older than me, and was always busy making battle plans.

“I refuse to pay Mortimer’s ransom because I refuse to believe Mortimer as a prisoner I rather believe him a traitor. He has joined the Welsh rebels. He has betrayed England and is now an enemy of mine and therefore, of yours.”

It's interesting what madness can do to someone. I had never met Mortimer personally, but Hal and Percy had told me enough about him to know that he would never betray England.

“You agree, young Hotspur?”

“No.” Percy's dad muttered something under his breath, but his son didn’t falter. “I believe yours to be the ramblings of a crazy old demon.” I took a bit of my food in case someone noticed my smile.

Lord Hotspur made another small comment to try to make Percy stop but King Henry said otherwise.

“Oh, no, let him speak. I wish to hear him. I am glad the youth at this table is brave enough to speak up. Brave or foolish, I still don't know for sure.” I felt the king’s eyes on me, but I didn't look up from my plate. “Truly a nice change from my sons.”

...

After the interesting lunch, I met Percy in the courtyard. He was fastening the saddle of his horse, fully armored.

“Percy, where are you going?” He turned around and looked at me, anger in his eyes.

“You live under the care of a monarch that doesn't mind who lives or dies as long as he has food on his plate. I thought you were better than that, Margarita. If you are as strong filled as you say you are, you would come with me.”

“Percy, I doubt this is the answer, you will not win against King Henry.”

“Id the answer wait for gal, who, should I remind you, abandoned you the moment he had the chance? Is that the right way to do things?” I looked at the ground while I closed my fists. Percy knew how Hal was a touchy subject for me, this was a low blow. “If you were by any chance smart, you would come with me, marry me and become my queen.”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“This is suicide, Percy, if you leave, you are going to end up dead. You are the idiot, not me.” Hotspur lifted himself and sat on his horse.

“Goodbye Princess, maybe when I've won against this devil you'll realize what I'm offering.”

[jelly-fried-rice]

hey hey, welcome to hell, can I get some uhhh- headcanons for Edd and Tord as I'm slowly being dragged back into my old fandoms

Hey hi hello! Sure, some headcanons of mine. I think I can do that. I'm not sure if you mean Edd and Tord as the ship or as in them separately, so I'll just do them separately!

Edd Headcanons

Has constant sleep paralysis, and absolutely refuses to see a doctor about it

Refuses to see doctors in general, he is paranoid and only trusts Tord with his health even though Tord dropped out of medical school half a year in

Has, can, and will kill a person if they mess with his friends. This should be a given

On the other hand, he would definitely sell his friends to Satan for a mint worth 15 cents at Costco

Tallest of the group, 6'2 to be exact. Built like a soft brick, if that makes sense

Learned Norwegian for Tord throughout highschool. Luckily it counted towards his second langauge credit

The only one out of the group to finish college. Brags about it often because he was also first in his family to seek higher education and go through with it

My Edd has the personality type of pre legacy and the looks of post "The End"

He is British and Hispanic, though he didn't grow up speaking Spanish. He tried to learn because he finds his culture important but just can't seem to find the spare time to do so

He was the one who giften Susan to Tom all those years ago

His favorite band of all time is the Beatles, which is a reason why he named his cat Ringo

He is bisexual with a lean towards women, but has had multiple thoughts about his best friends (Tom, Matt, Tord)

But that's just what homies, do. Right guys?

Right????

Tord Headcanons

As stated, he tried to study medical school but flunked half way through first year. Instead went to trade school for mechanics

Didn't stop him from learning on his own time of medicine and human biology, hes always had a knack for science

Tord was the edgy kid in school that thought he was so cool in believing in conspiracy theories

He no longer believes in the theories because he was a man based on scientific beliefs of logic and reason, but the gang tease him every once in a while with a snide remark about the earth's curvature

He is the third tallest, at 5'10 and he doesn't care as long as he's taller than Tom

He gifted Tommie Bear to Tom as an anonymous gift as a child, and he still gets a warm feeling when he sees how nice Tommie has been kept throughout the years

Tord never left for the Army, but actually went to the big city for better job opportunities

The Army however, was a tradition that he tried to break from the cycle. His father being alive is what keeps him from not joining, and he hopes to God that it stays that way for a good while longer

Only smokes vanilla cigars, he cant stand the smell of regualr cigarettes or the taste for that matter. Even then, he doesn't smoke as often as he used to

He's sort of a health nut, the kind of guy to critique other's eating habits- as rude as it is he just worries about his friends. Especially if it doesn't seem like it, with him insulting Tom directly rather than his drinking habits

He is Norwegian and Welsh, Norwegian through his father and Welsh through his mother.

Always preferd to learn Welsh but his father insisted Norwegain would be more important. Surprisingly, neither seemed to be important, but Norwegian was always handy when he visited family there

He is very much bisexual, and with no particular preference. And shockingly enough, he doesn't date around too frequently

[axe8472]

Okay so like I'm rewatching Peaky Blinders and I've been trying to figure out for a while what the hell is the deal with the Shelbys' lineage. Here's what I've got.

In 1x02, their mother is referred to using a term usually applied to people with mixed Romani and non-Romani blood (I'm not sure if it's a slur so I'm gonna go ahead and not say it but you can check the episode). It's generally reserved for people who are part of a travelling people, so she could be part Romani and part Irish or Scottish Traveller, which are entirely separate ethnic groups to Roma. It's also a term sometimes used to refer to Travellers with no Romani blood, so there's no clear conclusion on that front. She is subject to the G-slur which, along with other slurs generally aimed at Romani people, is used as a catch-all term in the show for all Traveller and Romani groups. Their father is listed as being born in Ireland but that's as far as I can reliably find.

The Shelbys apparently speak Shelta, which is a mixed language spoken by Irish Travellers, so at least one of their parents must belong to that group. Realistically they'd probably speak Old Shelta or something between that and the modern version, but idk how accurate the show is on that front. Travellers are often bunched in with Roma because they have lifestyles that seem similar. BUT I do remember Polly once said something to the boys telling them not to speak Shelta or another language (can't remember the name and cannot for the life of me find the clip), but I don't know enough about Romani languages/language variants spoken in England at the start of the 20th century to really say.

The problem is, their mother is referred to by the Lees with a term generally meaning mixed or non-Romani Traveller, but their maternal grandfather is referred to as a "king" by Johnny Dogs. I'm not quite sure what to make of that scene, because it seems like the Lee boys use the term in a derogative kind of way, which would be odd if they were also Irish/Scottish Travellers. Then, if I remember correctly, Johnny Dogs steps in and says their grandfather was a king, implying that demands respect, but it isn't addressed whether he was an Irish/Scottish Traveller king or Romani king. Maybe the Lee boys were more focused on insulting the Shelbys' mother (they do call her a whore in the same breath), but it's still odd that they'd insult her by referring to her with a term used to describe their own ethnic group. Any real-life Lees I can find were from a group called Welsh Kale, who are a Romanichal group, so it's possible that the ones in the show are part of that group and so was the Shelbys' maternal grandfather, making their mother either half Traveller and half Welsh Kale or her mother (the Shelby boys' maternal grandmother) wasn't originally part of any traveling people but their mother still grew up/lived on the road for a long time.

There's also the problem of how they're even related to Polly, because it's been said that she's their father's sister but also that she's their mother's sister. But then, on the Peaky Blinders wiki it says Charlie Strong was their mother's brother and ummmm... yeah he said he was in love with her in season 5 so who knows. That's kinda neither here nor there but I reckon he's a family friend or possibly her cousin. Polly's mother (Birdie Boswell, who is presumably meant to be part of the actual Boswell family, who seem to have also been Welsh Kale) is referred to as a [G-slur] princess. This would mean the Shelbys' heritage is both Welsh Romani and Irish Traveller. It's likely their maternal grandfather was Welsh Romani, and so was their paternal grandmother (assuming Polly and Arthur Sr. have the same mother). Either their maternal grandmother or paternal grandfather must have been an Irish Traveller, because they must have got the Shelta from somewhere.

Basically, I think the writers probably did less research than I just did in the last 2 hours and didn't bother coming up with a family tree until at least 3 seasons in.

[xuelingxu]

Hello My dear friend, 👋 I have two questions ❓

Eredin's curse on Ava:

Va fail, elaine - caed'mil, folie! Glaeddyv dorne aep t'enaid, bunn'droh ithne i'yachus

1. How is it translated? From your point of view.

2. ¿Why did Eredin turn him into a little Dh'oine?

Thank you my Cirillac'h friend✨💖🍃💖☺️

Hello, my dear. I'm sorry I'm only replying to your question now, because it's really a difficult one for me.

1、Elder Speech, its vocabulary is based heavily on the Gaelic and Celtic languages of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Sapkowski also uses some German, English, Italian and Latin on this basis. But my mother tongue is not European, so I know very little about Elder Speech. I asked a few of my friends for help and @seinyacarol helps me a lot. I also got the translation from here. I suggest we can ask @hikaruyagi for the help of translation too.

This is just a translation that I have found on my own, and I do not guarantee that this is entirely correct. The first half of this sentence is well understood, the second half, I have not yet found an exact answer to.

Va fail- goodbye, farewell

elaine- fair, beautiful (From Irish: álainn)

caed'mil-greet, greetings (possibly from Irish greeting: Céad Míle (failte romhat) meaning "one hundred thousand (welcomes to you)

folie- frenzy (From French folie)

Glaeddyv-sword (From Welsh: cleddyf / Latin: gladius?)

dorne-thorn (possibly from German)

aep-of (mostly used for marking hereditary ties)

t'enaid-soul (possibly from Welsh)

bunn'droh-unknown

ithne-eat (may relate to Irish: ith )

i'yachus-healthy (may relate to Welsh "iach" or "eo")

So the translation of the whole sentence as I understand it would be:

Goodbye, beauty! Hello, madness!

Thorn sword of soul, enjoy eating his health!

2、Uma, also known as the Ugliest Man Alive. Eredin did not want to kill Avallac'h; his main aim was to insult him. So why did he think the curse would make Avallac'h feel even more painful? Because he knew him too well.

Avallac'h's greatest character traits are pride and vanity. To turn him into a humanoid living, which he despises, and one of the ugliest at that, would be a serious blow to his self-confidence.

When he turns into UMA, there are times when his sanity is still clear and he even lets out a sigh of relief. He knows exactly what he's become, but there's nothing he can do about it, and it's desperate for him. Even if Avallac'h is freed from the curse and returns to his original form, his experience of becoming UMA will be remembered and discussed and laughed at from time to time, and he will have to pretend he doesn't know anything about it.

Eredin's ultimate goal is to capture Ciri, so he doesn't necessarily want Avallac'h dead; Avallac'h is Aen Saevherne, and there may be areas where his knowledge can be used - he has value. So curse him into UMA first, so they can easily capture Ciri

In short, the reasons for cursing Avallac'h as UMA are:

to insult Avallac'h;

Avallac'h still has a use;

to facilitate the capture of Ciri.

I apologise for the late reply, it has taken me a while to answer these questions. I hope my answer has inspired you!

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Today's thing that has Slightly Irritated me:

God, this is so minor, and maybe this is a cultural thing, I don't know. Anyway, I was half-heartedly going through my notes, which these days I'm drowning in ever since a Walrus swam into my life and since that day I have not known peace, and someone had tagged their reblog of that post with "thank you for your time random Welsh person".

And that has... really rubbed me up the wrong way, for reasons that are completely eluding me. Like, I know they didn't mean anything by that, I know they were not trying to be insulting. I know, in fact, that it's supposed to be a genuine thank you note, and they're probably just trying to be funny.

But being directly called a "random Welsh person"??? It's not even like that's an insult, because it's not. And I think if they were saying to someone else "Hey, look at this post some random Welsh person has written about a walrus" it wouldn't bother me nearly as much, but it's being used in lieu of a name, and maybe that makes it different. It feels... I dunno, othering? Dismissive? Like I'm being told I'm an irrelevant background character to this person's story and like, yeah sure of course I am. But they're fucking random to me, too, and I have the manners not to call them irrelevant right to their face while ostensibly thanking them.

I dunno. Feels rude, but I can't quite put my finger on why. Also it really doesn't matter, but now I'm bristling like a cat that's been confronted with an unexpected banana.

[pudding-parade]

(If you want to know what the heck I'm doing here, the intro post for this scenario is here.)

Hyiddal (which I totally pronounce as if it were Welsh, which also helps me remember how to spell his name) has an impressive physique, but unfortunately he can be kind of a jerk because he has the Inappropriate trait. He's constantly making friends with his tribemates and then turning around and insulting them, thus losing the friendship. On the other hand, he's very attentive toward Bella, always autonomously grooming her even though he apparently doesn't know which end of a horse is which and looks terrified while riding. He's also a brave (except maybe when riding a horse?) and nurturing dog-lover, so hopefully he'll be good with the tribe's future kids and dogs. I mean, I'm not sure if there will be dogs, but there will certainly be kids.

In the meantime...Well, fortunately for the rest of the tribe, Hyiddal's LTW is to be a Deep Sea Diver, so he spends much of his time underwater or in a boat heading to somewhere where he can be underwater. (Let's just pretend he's free-diving, eh?) Hyiddal was bestowed with the Handiness skill, which isn't very useful in this scenario (yet), since there's nothing that can be repaired or upgraded, but he's got enough to do. He's rather obsessed with horseshoes, after all.