#but maid ishy

[alfazoings]

fiish :33

[star-babii]

heard it was maid day so i quickly drew up a crude sketch of kuma in a maid dress... he's cute in anything!!

[do not tag/comment with romantic/sexual interest]

[jils-things]

I have appeared in your inbox bringing tidings of more pretty characters with lovely art. Time to see if the picture format will break or not when I submit the ask. /lh

Ros.eate Desi.re + Bli.nd Obse.ssion Is.hy, 4t.h Mat.ch Fl.ame + Sang.uine Desi.re Rod.ion, and Ebo.ny Ste.m + Sunsh.ower Ou.tis!

(Sorry for all the periods--don't want you to end up in main tags ;;)

Also handing you some really pretty IDs ... I love the ladies in this game an awful lot, if you can't tell. /lh

I tried to avoid the bloodier ones ... the game's full of them given the story and world being what they are, but I love it, anyway.

~ 🪻

OHOUWAUWAAA HIHIHIHIHIHIII

okay so first off the moby dick theme to ishy's splash is fantastic and i remember that was your brand for some time! the sailor theme is so pretty on her <3 BUT THE FIRST ONE GOT MY ATTENTION REALLY QUICKLY!!! its probably her delirious looking grin combined with the chaos screaming in that splash but i cant help but just enjoy that!! but perhaps i also just enjoy seeing ishmael in general so i suppose im quick to favor anything with her heheh. the bloodier splash art reminds me of giratina a lot tbh, since cynthia has a sync pair costume with giratina and she too has a lot of red/black and spikes coming out of it,,, its very swag...

the maid costumes on ishy and the pretty black haired lady... so cute. ALSO THE ONE WITH THE LADY WITH BAGS OF what i assume is stuff she bought? she looks so happy!!! + and a tired ishy at the back... what happened to her... wiwiw... love her tho HEHEHE

IM SO SURPRISED BY THE QUALITY OF THESE IDS BTW? i didnt think theres so much but goodness are they all so pretty and very wallpaper worthy!!!!

[iviarellereads]

Wheel of Time full series spoiler thoughts on TGH Prologue-Chapter 7

A probably semi-regular weekly bonus to my reread blog, since sometimes you realize things on reread that just make you need to yell in a full spoiler space.

I'm a little too proud of "cha boys" given Cha Faile later in the series. Is it at all relevant? No, but it is funny to me.

Poor Jaichim Carridin, though. He doesn't make himself very sympathetic as a character but he does get rather well wrung out by the Dark.

Our first Bubble of Evil! Freezing Rand in place with the practice swords. Probably not fully ironed out as a concept at this stage, but I think it fits.

Tam's precious sword. It makes sense to spend a page or two describing Power-wrought weapons here, both because it makes the destruction of Tam's sword an even more heartbreaking loss of a truly priceless object, and also because it sets up how magnificent the Mjollnir (I know how to spell the other version I just don't care to when I don't have to) scene is so much later.

Funny how Siuan is said to rarely leave Tar Valon in the books, but in the show she's zipping back and forth. Her inconsistency in the show better sets up why the Hall would turn on her, IMO.

Love how the lads' "clothes make the man" arc starts so early.

Showing Rand watching the Amyrlin arrive and be greeted, so that Siuan saying later that she absolutely the fuck did notice him in the courtyard glowing with ta'verenness, is so special to me and I don't know why.

If Mat's luck didn't keep him alive after Shadar Logoth, it's sure sneaking into the narrative in Fal Dara.

I make a big game of "I could tell you if the voice is hallucination, taint madness, or real" but like, the fandom STILL doesn't agree. Myself, I think the answer is "yes".

It's so fun to see how many ways the show drew directly, almost word for word from the books, just giving things a different spin. Here, it's Anaiya telling Moiraine she should return to the Tower, that the Tower needs her, instead of Maigan.

VERIN! I will not go get TGS off my shelf and reread the big scene again for the millionth time… but I will think about it and get watery-eyed.

I'm not sure I noticed, last time, how precarious Siuan's position already was here. It's no wonder they were able to depose her with so little extra pushing.

I saw a post some time ago somewhere that pointed out the symmetry of Siuan fearing being stilled and kept as a scullery maid in the Tower, while Egg gets forkrooted just this side of stilling and kept as a scullery maid and whipping girl, but that's her ultimate path to power, not the punishment for abuse of it. Whether RJ intentionally set up all these things, or just found the threads he'd left open to take advantage of as he found the shape of the ending is anyone's guess, but I love it all the same.

Ingtar and the fade and the guards being killed by an insider. Robert, you sly old dog, sneaking that in there.

The Dark Prophecy in Blood Calls Blood remains one of the most fascinating bits of very obvious setup in the series, I think. We don't even MEET Slayer for two more books! (The most fascinating bit of extremely missable setup is Turak naming Tuon this book, but we'll get there.) Also, I feel like the "death beyond dying/life eternal" might have been a cheeky hint of Ishy's nihilism and desire for permadeath.

Lanfear is so mighty and terrible, her given name isn't even recorded anymore. Damn, girl, they have that much on most of your peers, even.

[teotoffee]

Ishy maid id meaning i can make outmael rival butler art... Tee hee....

[kira-sx]

Anime beautiful to watch:

見て美しいアニメ:

-- Kimetsu no Yaiba --

-- Yakusoku no Neverland --

-- Yakusoku no Neverland 2nd Season --

-- Akatsuki no Yona --

-- Dance with Devils --

-- Koe no Katachi --

-- Watashi ga Motete Dousunda --

-- Akagami no Shirayuki-hime - -

-- Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season --

-- Kaichou wa Maid-sama! --

-- Dr. Stone --

-- Dr. Stone: Stone Wars --

-- Death Note --

-- Hunter x Hunter (2011) --

-- Hunter x Hunter Movie 1: Phantom Rouge --

-- Hunter x Hunter Movie 2: The Last Mission --

-- Hunter x Hunter 1999 --

-- Assassins Pride --

-- Carole and Tuesday --

-- Violet Evergarden --

-- Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou --

-- Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso --

-- Mairimashita! Iruma-kun --

-- Idol Densetsu Eriko --

-- Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth --

-- Detective Conan --

-- Detective Conan Movie 22: Zero The Enforcer --

-- One Piece --

-- Ballroom e Youkoso --

-- Shingeki no Kyojin --

-- Shingeki no Kyojin Season 2 --

-- Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 --

-- Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 Part 2 --

-- Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season --

-- Shingeki no Kyojin OVA --

-- Shingeki no Kyojin: Kuinaki Sentaku --

-- Shingeki no Kyojin: Lost Girls --

-- Munou na Nana --

-- Dragon Ball --

-- Dragon Ball Z --

-- Dragon Ball GT --

-- Dragon Ball Super --

-- Dragon Ball Heroes --

-- Dragon Ball Z Movies --

-- Dragon Ball Z Movie 15: Fukkatsu no F --

-- Dragon Ball: Super Saiya-jin Zetsumetsu Keikaku --

-- Dragon Ball: Ossu! Kaette Kita Son Gokuu to Nakama-tachi!! --

-- Dragon Ball Z Special 1: Tatta Hitori no Saishuu Kessen --

-- Dragon Ball Z Special 2: The History of Trunks --

-- 12-sai.: Chicchana Mune no Tokimeki --

-- 12-sai.: Chicchana Mune no Tokimeki 2nd Season --

-- Azur Lane: Bisoku Zenshin! --

-- Bungou Stray Dogs --

-- Bungou Stray Dogs 2nd Season --

-- Bungou Stray Dogs: Dead Apple --

-- Bungou Stray Dogs 3rd Season --

-- One Punch Man --

-- One Punch Man 2nd Season --

-- One Punch Man 2nd Season Specials --

-- Naruto --

-- Naruto OVA --

-- Naruto Movie 1: Dai Katsugeki!! Yuki Hime Shinobu Houjou Dattebayo! --

-- Naruto Movie 2: Dai Gekitotsu! Maboroshi no Chiteiiseki Dattebayo! --

-- Naruto Movie 3: Dai Koufun! Mikazuki Jima no Animaru Panikku Dattebayo! --

-- Naruto: Shippuuden --

-- Naruto: Shippuuden Movie 1 --

--Naruto: Shippuuden Movie 2 - Kizuna --

-- Naruto: Shippuuden Movie 3 - Hi no Ishi wo Tsugu Mono --

-- Naruto: Shippuuden Movie 4 - The Lost Tower --

-- Naruto: Shippuuden Movie 5 - Blood Prison --

-- Naruto: Shippuuden Movie 6 - Road to Ninja --

-- The Last: Naruto the Movie --

-- Boruto: Naruto the Movie --

-- Boruto: Naruto Next Generations --

-- Bleach --

-- Bleach Movie 1: Memories of Nobody --

-- Bleach Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion - Mou Hitotsu no Hyourinmaru --

-- Bleach Movie 3: Fade to Black - Kimi no Na wo Yobu --

-- Bleach Movie 4: Jigoku-hen --

-- Fullmetal Alchemist --

-- Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa --

-- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood --

-- Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos --

-- Gintama --

-- Gintama Movie 1: Shinyaku Benizakura-hen --

-- Gintama Movie 2: Kanketsu-hen - Yorozuya yo Eien Nare --

-- Gintama' --

-- Gintama': Enchousen --

-- Gintama° --

-- Gintama. --

-- Gintama.: Porori-hen --

-- Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen --

-- Gintama.: Shirogane no Tamashii-hen 2 --

-- Gintama: The Semi-Final --

-- Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan --

-- Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan 2 --

-- Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan: Kanketsu-hen --

-- Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan: Shidou-hen --

-- Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch --

-- Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2 --

-- Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 1 - Yokuryuu wa Maiorita --

-- Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 2 - Hikisakareshi Yokuryuu --

-- Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 3 - Kagayaku Mono Ten yori Otsu - -

-- Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 4 - Nikushimi no Kioku kara --

-- Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 5 - Itoshiki Mono-tachi e --

-- Haikyuu!! --

-- Haikyuu!! Second Season --

-- Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou vs. Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou --

-- Haikyuu!!: To the Top --

-- Haikyuu!!: Riku vs. Kuu --

-- Haikyuu!!: To the Top 2nd Season --

-- Ahiru no Sora --

-- Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen --

-- Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai?: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen --

-- Jujutsu Kaisen (TV) --

-- Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki --

-- Tenki no Ko --

-- Kimi no Na Wa --

-- Boku no Hero Academia --

-- Boku no Hero Academia 2nd Season --

-- Boku no Hero Academia: Training of the Dead --

-- Boku no Hero Academia 3rd Season --

-- Boku no Hero Academia the Movie: Futari no Hero --

-- Boku no Hero Academia 4th Season --

-- Boku no Hero Academia the Movie 2: Heroes:Rising --

-- Boku no Hero Academia 5th Season --

The order is random, and it's not the best to the worst.

-- Nanatsu no Taizai --

-- Nanatsu no Taizai: Seisen no Shirushi --

-- Nanatsu no Taizai: Imashime no Fukkatsu --

-- Nanatsu no Taizai Movie: Tenkuu no Torawarebito --

-- Nanatsu no Taizai: Kamigami no Gekirin --

-- Nanatsu no Taizai: Fundo no Shinpan --

-- Death Note --

-- Death Note: Rewrite --

-- Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta... --

-- Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen --

-- Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen 2nd Season --

-- Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji --

-- Wonder Egg Priority --

The order is random, and it's not the best to the worst.

順序はランダムであり、最悪の場合は最高ではありません。

Goodbye

さようなら

[princeasimdiya12]

Thanks for your explanation on the Okay/Neutral tiers! I appreciate that you chose to take the time to elaborate. I was a bit surprised that some of the characters you put under neutral were/are among the more controversial in the fandom, though. Also, if I may ask, I'm curious as to why you put Kirumi and the Mondo/Ishi fusion in the "Dislike" category?

You’re very welcome for doing so. I’m more than happy to answer any questions that you have. :) And it’s alright if you feel that way. Some of my choices can be pretty taboo compared to the general consensus of the fandom. And I’ll gladly answer why I put Toujo and Kiyonda in the Dislike category.

For Toujo, I felt that her character was rather flat. She’s introduced as a perfect maid who can accomplish any task requested. My problem with that is that we don’t know anything else about her beyond being a dutiful maid. What was her life growing up? How did she become a maid? Does she intend to follow orders her whole life? The game never really goes into depth with her backstory or her personality. Even with a reveal as exaggerated as her being a prime minister, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s still a self-serving girl who puts others before herself. Plus her self-sacrificing nature doesn’t make her very unique since alot of students in her class (such as Kaede, Gonta, Kaito etc.) are shown to be as self-sacrificing as her and try to help their friends/classmates however they can. So she doesn’t really stand out as a unique character and comes off as kinda boring for me.

For Kiyondo Ishida, I don’t like him because he’s just an exaggerated version of Ishimaru. It’s honestly just Ishimaru except he was created as a coping mechanism to deal with the loss of his first best friend. It’s somewhat understandable but it doesn’t influence Ishimaru in a positive way or help him deal with Mondo’s death. I also kinda don’t like how the fandom treats Kiyondo as a separate character in order to use him for shipping between Ishimaru and/or Mondo. It’s like one of those cases where the fandoms ship a good looking guy character with an evil/edgy alternate version of themselves because it’s hot. I personally find those cases to be “questionable”. 

So that’s why I don’t like either of them. What do you think?

[jewlwpet]

Girl Alchemist Egg--Tale of the Rose track 1, translation

As far as I know, nobody else seems to be translating J. A. Seazer’s latest Utena album, which came out in August, to English (please correct me if I’m wrong)... so the job falls to me.

This is track 1,  知恵の竈(アルデル)実験祈祷室, or “Aludel of Wisdom Experimental Prayer Room”. An aludel is a kind of pot used in alchemy; it goes in a furnace (this is significant).

EDIT: I accidentally left out the romaji for one verse and missed a reference in the title; the version with all corrections (at least for now) is here.

EDIT 2: I changed my translation of the title to “Wisdom’s Aludel Oratory-Laboratory”. See here for my explanation as to why that’s a better translation.

金より不純物を除き それを純粋な形と成し それをうまくなし遂げる者は かくて、 賢者の石を作りえよう それは偉大な力の「石」であり 「石」と呼ばれていて石ではない 

To remove impurities from gold To shape that into a pure form The one who successfully accomplishes this, By this means, can create the philosopher’s stone  It is a Stone of great virtue  And is called a “Stone” and is not a stone.[i]

 錬金術師たち

Renkinjutsushitachi

The alchemists

ああ、永遠の知恵の錬金術   ああ、永遠の知恵の実験室   ああ、永遠の知恵の竃劇場

Aa, towa no chie no renkinjutsu Aa, towa no chie no jikkenshitsu Aa, towa no chie no kamado gekijou, gekijou

Ahh, eternal  wisdom’s [ii] alchemy Ahh, eternal  wisdom’s laboratory Ahh, eternal  wisdom’s furnace theater, theater

夢ではなく現れるドラゴン 世界創造の始めに 波の上を漂っていた神の如し

Yume de wa naku arawareru doragon Sekai souzou no hajime ni Nami no ue wo tadayotteita kami no gotoshi

It was not a mere dream; it materialized, the dragon![iii] Like unto God, who in the beginning created, Hovering over the surface of the waters.[iv] 

蒸留、昇華、煆焼、煮煎  反射、溶解、下降、凝結

Jouryuu, shouka, kashou, shasen Kansha, youkai, kakou, gyouketsu

Distillation, sublimation, calcination, decoction, Reflection, dissolution, descent, coagulation[v]. 

すべて水のなか 黒そのものより さらに黒 そして ルビーの燦然たるいろの耀き その間に発生する ああ、祝福される緑 万物芽吹かす緑

Subete mizu no naka Kuro sono mono yori Sarani kuro Soshite RUBII no sanzentaru iro no kagayaki Sono aida ni hasseisuru Aa, shukufukusareru midori Banbutsu mebukasu midori

Everything within water[vi], A blackness  still more black Than blackness  itself[vii], And, too, The ruby’s  brilliantly-colored radiance,[viii] All the  while: generation, Ahh, happy  green, Which dost  produce all things[ix]!

神の霊気の緑 カバラの緑 渦巻く宇宙 秘術師よ緑のライオンを 哲学者の火 賢者の火 鞴よ 錬金炉アタノールの火を熾せ

Kami no reiki no midori KABALA no midori Uzumaku uchuu Hijutsushi yo midori no RAION wo Tetsugakusha no hi Kenja no hi Fuigo yo Renkin ro ATANOORU no hi wo okose Behold!

The green of God's mysterious presence, The green of the Kabbala[x], The spiraling cosmos, The Magus, the Green Lion[xi]. The fire of the philosophers, The fire of the sages![xii] The bellows! Light the fire of the alchemical furnace, the athanor.

見よ 哲学の竈||実験室 宇宙の竈||実験室 散らかり放題の 貧乏吹き屋の実験室

Miyo Tetsugaku no kama no jikkenshitsu Uchuu no kama no jikkenshitsu Chirakari houdai no Binbou fukiya no jikkenshitsu

The philosophical furnace--the laboratory! The cosmic furnace--the laboratory![xiii] Scattered unrestrainedly, A poor smelter’s laboratory

われら 価値ある人間たらんがために 価値を目指す 錬金術師

Warera Kachiaru ningentaran ga tame ni Kachi o mezasu Renkinjutsushi, renkinjutsushi

For us To have value as humans To aim for value Alchemy, alchemy 

それは一月十七日月曜日正午頃、私の家で、立会人はぺるネル一人だった。人類救済一三八二年の年である。私は水銀に投入を行い、それを約半ポンドの純銀、鉱山のものよりも良質の純銀に変化させた。その後、やはりぺるネル一人の立会いのもとに私の家で、同僚の水銀に赤い石を用いて同じことを行い、四月二五日夕方五時、本当にほぼ同量の純金に変成した。普通の金より確実に良質でより軟らかく、よりしなやかであった。これは真実である。私と同じく理解していたぺるネルの助けをて、私はこれを三回実現したのである。 二コラ・ヴァロワ

Sore wa ichigatsu juunananichi getsuyoubi shougogoro, watashi no ie de, tachiainin wa PERUNERU hitoridatta. Jinrui kyuusai sen sanbyaku hachijuu ni nen no toshidearu. Watashi wa suigin ni tounyuu wo okonai, sore wo yaku han-pondo no jungin, kouzan no mono yori mo ryoushitsu no jungin ni henkasaseta. Sonogo, yahari PERUNERU hitori no tachiai no moto ni watashi no ie de, douryou no suigin ni akai ishi o mochiite onajikoto o okonai, shigatsu nigonichi yuugata goji, hontouni hobo douryou ni junkin ni henseishita. Futsuu no kin yori kakujitsu ni ryoushitsu de yori yawarakaku, yori shinayaka deatta. Kore wa shinjitsudeari. Watsahi to onaji rikaishite PERUNERU no tasukeote, watashi wa kore o sankai jitsugenshita nodearu.

The first time that I made projection was upon a Monday, the 17th of January, about noon, in my house, Pernelle only being present, in the year of the restoring of mankind, 1382. This was upon Mercury, whereof I turned half a pound, or thereabouts, into pure Silver, better than that of the Mine. And afterwards, following always my Book, from word to word, I made projection of the Red Stone upon the like quantity of Mercury, in the presence likewise of Pernelle only, in the same house, the five and  twentieth day of April following, the same year, about five o'clock in the evening; which I transmuted truly into almost as much pure Gold, better assuredly than common Gold, more soft and more pliable. I may speak it with truth, have made it three times, with the help of Pernelle, who understood it as well as I. --Nicolas le  Valois[xiv]

[i] The last two lines of this verse are from Les Cinq Livres or La Clef des Secrets, by Nicolas le Valois, a French alchemist rumored to be the deceased Nicolas Flamel, supposedly using an alias after attaining immortality through the Philosopher’s Stone. I don’t know of any English translation of this text, but the original French is online at https://alchimie.000webhostapp.com/cinq_livres_valois.html. It’s likely that the first lines are also from alchemical texts; I just haven’t been able to identify them

[ii] Eternal wisdom—a phrase from Heinrich Khunrath, used in the title of his book The Amphitheater of Eternal Wisdom. There is an English translation by Peter J. Forshaw, but I have not yet been able to find it; I have, however, contacted the translator inquiring how to obtain it.

[iii] Carl Jung, Psychology and Alchemy: “The dragon is probably the oldest pictoral symbol in alchemy of which we have documentary evidence. It appears as the Ouroboros, the tail-eater, in the Codex Marcianus, which dates from the tenth or eleventh century, together with the legend 'the One, the All'. Time and again the alchemists reiterate that the opus proceeds from the one and leads back to the one, that it is a sort of circle like a dragon biting its own tail. For this reason the opus was often called circulare (circular) or else rota (the wheel). Mercurius stands at the beginning and end of the work: he is the prima materia, the caput corvi, the nigredo; as dragon he devours himself and as dragon he dies, to rise again in the lapis. He is the play of colours in the cauda pavonis and the division into the four elements. He is the hermaphrodite that was in the beginning, that splits into the classical brother-sister duality and is reunited in the coniunctio, to appear once again at the end in the radiant form of the lumen novum, the stone. He is metallic yet liquid, matter yet spirit, cold yet fiery, poison and yet healing draught - a symbol uniting all the opposites.”

[iv] This is a clear reference to Genesis 1:1-2. “Like unto God” recalls the story of the Garden of Eden; Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat the fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because it would make them like God. Alchemists were also seeking knowledge that would make them like God, although the authors quoted in this song emphasized that one could not attain it without God’s blessing.

[v] These are all names for different techniques in the chemical process. Most are still used in chemistry today (only the terms “reflection” and “descent” are no longer used, as far as I know).

[vi] Valois explains that “water” means something different in alchemy. Basically, this water is a truly universal solvent, capable of absorbing anything into itself. He uses an interesting metaphor for this: “It's this Maid Beïa, which has not yet been corrupted or lost its liberty, to marry infirm and ill-shaven bodies, as captives are, who can never leave their filthy prisons without the help of men. Thus preserving liberty with its integrity, we see in a philosophical manner this luminous star making infinite circulation turns, until it came in some reign.”

[vii] Putrefaction, the nigredo, the black stage in the alchemical process. The idea is that there must be sacrifice to facilitate new growth.

[viii] The philosopher’s stone is sometimes called the “celestial ruby.”

[ix] These two lines are from The Rosary of the Philosophers; however, I used the translation of the quote found in the translation of the Exposition, rather than the original text, although that can be found in English too: http://sociedadquimicamexico.org/rosarium.pdf. Here, it’s given as, “O blessed greenness, which engenders all things.”

[x] Many alchemists, both Jewish and non-Jewish, drew on the Kabballah (Jewish mystical texts), although how well they really understood it is questionable. I myself am not at all well-versed in this, but it seems that in the Kabballah, the color green represents healing and harmony.

[xi] The Green Lion typically represents the same thing as the dragon. E.g. The Glory of the World mentions “the Green Lion that imbibes so much of its own spirit.”

[xii] The author of The Glory of the World wrote of “indelible, living, or Divine fire, of that kind which God has placed in the Sun; and wherein God Himself burns as with Divine love for the consolation of all mankind... This is the fire of the Sages which they describe in such obscure terms, as to have been the indirect cause of beguiling many innocent persons to their ruin; so even that they have perished in poverty because they knew hot this fire of the Philosophers. It is the most precious fire that God has created in the earth, and has a thousand virtues -- nay, it is so precious that men have averred that the Divine Power itself works effectually in it. It has the purifying virtue of Purgatory, and everything is rendered better by it. It is not wonderful, therefore, that a fire should be able to fix and clarify Mercury, and to cleanse it from all grossness and impurity. The Sages call it the living fire, because God has endowed it with His own Divine, and vitalising power.”

[xiii] Different names for the athanor, a kind of furnace. The alchemists viewed their work as the creation of a microcosmos, a “petite universe” if you will. “Cosmic furnace” doesn’t seem to have been common in English, but one does find the French version, fourneau cosmique.

[xiv] This passage is adapted from Exposition of the Hieroglyphical Figures. By attributing it to Valois, Seazer continues in the tradition of claiming him as part of the legend of Flamel. We can infer from this passage and its attribution that the two voices we hear singing this song are meant to represent Nicholas and Per(e)nelle, Flamel’s wife, purported to have been an alchemist in her own right.

[acenettle]

Pillars Prompts Weekly prompt 0077: Scribing a spell

Features Vela and Watcher Elzana, a fire godlike transmutation specialist.

Bedtime Tales for Young Wizards

”Did you see it?” Vela's voice rose in excitement as she followed Elzana into the cabin. ”First nothing, and then – fwhoom! - everything went up in flames!”

”I think everyone saw it, my little maid,” Elzana said, and dropped her bag on a chair. ”And everyone got singed, too, except for you and Xoti.”

Vela nodded, her ears drooping the tiniest bit, but her excitement nowhere near quenched. ”I saw what it did to Ishi's feathers. Poor little bird! If we fight a wizard again, you should let me go first and punch him in the nose! And I'd tear up his grimoire, too. Let him try to hurt Ishi then!”

”If words were deeds, mite, you'd be the fiercest warrior on all of Eora,” Eliana said, and gave the child a fond smile. But of course they weren't and she wasn't; the girl tended to freeze in her place whenever words turned into blows and blades had to be drawn. Maia had gone so far as to suggest leaving Vela aboard The Defiant whenever they had business in any of the rougher regions of Deadfire – as if their absence was a guarantee the ship would not be attacked by pirates, slavers or a fifty-foot squid. Elzana had had to threaten assigning Maia to ship guarding duty to get her to drop the subject; in the end the matter had been resolved diplomatically by Xoti, of all people, who'd promised to stand back and protect the child if they had to resort to violence.

”I will be fierce, captain, as soon as I'm all grown up!” Vela asserted, pulling Elzana back to the present. ”But I won't be a warrior. I want to be a wizard, too, and cast explosion spells! All of them! Fwhoom! Kaboom!”

”Didn't you want to have a bird of your own just a week ago?” Elzana asked. She began the nightly routine and getting out of her armour and giving her equipment a thorough look-over; Vela, meanwhile, danced to the middle of the cabin, still mimicking the sounds of battle.

”If Maia can have a bird and do spells, then so can I! And then everyone will fear me!”

”That's the spirit, little maid – dare to dream big.” Elzana set down her battle axe and war hammer, neither of which appeared to require repairs for the moment, and then placed the grimoires next to them, both her own and the... new one.

That drew Vela's attention. The girl quieted down and sidled next to the table to peer at the books.

”Is that the one Bekarna gave you, captain?”

”The very same.” Elzana watched as the child poked the book, and chuckled. ”Go on, take a look. They aren't warded.” And so, with a reverent touch, Vela opened the grimoire and ran her fingers across the runes.

”Is this the spell?” She pressed her nose close to the page and inhaled. ”It smells like ink. And it's so beautiful, too!”

”Nowhere as beautiful as you, my dearest.” She ruffled the child's hair. ”But if you really want to be a wizard, finding love for books is a good start.”

Love for books – or at least a single book – was indeed what Vela found, at least for the night; she spent an inordinate amount of time staring at the arcane runes inscribed in Bekarna's grimoire, barely able to part from it even when Irrena came in with her evening snack, and even insisted on hugging it to her chest when, some half an hour later, Elzana tucked her into bed.

Elzana was just about to get up from the child's bedside and tip-toe out of the room when she felt the tiniest of tugs on her sleeve, and Vela's sleepy voice whispered:

”Watcher?”

”Yes, moppet?”

”What spells have you created?”

Now Elzana couldn't help but laugh aloud. ”My dear child, scribing spells is a pursuit for the academics. I learned my magic from my squad commander on the foothills of Readceras. I wouldn't know where to start.”

”Well, it can't be that hard, can it?” Vela's little face crunched into a thoughtful frown. ”I think you just need to come up with something swell that the spell does, and then a name for it so you can write it down.”

”Then I'd make a spell to take all the fear and terror out of your heart,” she poked Vela's chest, ”and distribute it among your enemies, leaving only courage in its place.”

”That sounds like something Uncle Serafen could do,” Vela said.

”Hmm. So it does.”

”But then it would be a cipher spell and not a proper wizard spell!”

”Of course it would be a proper wizard spell, my little apprentice. So proper, in fact, that there'd be no risk of it going haywire at all, and leaving us all blinded or paralysed or invisible all of a sudden.”

”I still don't think it's fair,” Vela insisted.

”Well, then perhaps I'd borrow a page from Xoti's book, and make you a shield which couldn't be breached. But without any of Xoti's healing, moppet; just a shield, to keep you in and your enemies out. Then I could be the one sitting there with you and laughing and pointing while everyone else got blasted by a Delayed Fireball.”

”But captain, I think I hears there's a spell like that already,” Vela said and frowned. ”Isn't there?”

”Might could be.”

Half-heartedly, Vela punched her in the arm. ”You're trying to cheat again!”

”Oh, dear heart, I just told you I got my schooling from my squad commander, didn't I? And the most important thing he taught me is that when you're a little moppet, all alone in the world, the first thing you do is cheat, and the second thing you do is cheat, and you had better cheat for the third thing too, else it could be the last thing you do at all.” She smiled and tweaked Vela's nose. ”But what of you, my little wizard-in-training? What spell would you dazzle the archmagi with?”

”An explosion spell!” Vela said at once, and then considered some more. ”Or, it would look like it would explode. But then it wouldn't! And when everyone was thinking it wouldn't, then it would!”

”Vela's Explosive Surprise,” Elzana concluded. ”And there, see, now we have both a swell description for a spell and a swell name for it, just like you said we needed. So now all we have to do is wait for you to grow up and become fierce, and then we can go present it to Llengrath, Tayn, Arkemyr and the whole sorry cadre of the rest of them.”

”Most of them were really nice, though,” Vela muttered. ”But not Arkemyr. I don't like him at all -  he was very mean to Miss Fassina.”

”Then you can demonstrate the spell by casting it right under his nose, and when he least suspects it, my little maid, it will explode and take his head off when it does.”

Vela's nose wrinkled. ”But, captain, won't that leave a mess?”

”None the imps won't be happy to clean, my newly minted archmage. And the rest of the archmagi will stand and applaud you, and they will give you Arkemyr's seat at their table, and his house in Neketaka, and all the respect and fame and fear you can think of, for now and evermore.” She pressed a kiss on Vela's forehead. ”Now go to sleep, moppet, and dream of everything you'll do with your new career as the best of all the wizards on Eora.”

”I will,” Vela said. ”Good night, Watcher.”

Elzana got up and blew out the candles, leaving the cabin illuminated only by the moonlight and her own, fiery hair.

”Good night, my dear little Vela.”

[ocsofhyacinth]

uh hello hi finally a post after useless reblogs so time for my o.cs story lore. they are separate btw

1. the missing knight

genres: fantasy, action, adventure, supernatural

age rating: 14+ (violence)

lore: after spene lightstalker, the youngest knight in training, has gone missing, ryenne lowlass, a rookie knightess, is worried about him. she and 2 other knightesses, reya slatewolf and isona sacredore, go on a journey to look for spene, getting the rest of ryenne's friends worried.

2. his sonorous voice

genres: comedy, drama, psychological

themes: music, school

age rating: 13+

lore: yoshiro sashihara is a very shy autistic boy who transferred to aikyo high school because his cousin, kazuya mitsigi, caught him getting bullied by students from yoshiro's former school, tsuyoi ishi academy. after 5 months staying in aikyo high school, he was walking home while humming a song when he got noticed by 2 transfer students at aikyo high school, yuzuki ishiguro and shigeto hinode, who were working at a café called primo café. to yoshiro's surprise, yuzuki was dressed as a maid. yuzuki asked yoshiro to get a job here on primo café because yoshiro sounds really good when he sings. there are only a few staff there, some getting tired from overwork. yoshiro feels bad for them but unfortunately, he is still very shy to show his talent to anyone. kazuya, who is a teen cook, wants to get a job at primo café because he wanted to be a good chef. yoshiro's life changed when he finally agreed to work at primo café as a singer to entertain people.

(idk what is that kind of singer who sings for people at some café huhu)

that's it- i have 3 more stories to make and the story where my jamaican-filipino o.c kayden higgins and my american o.c maxie larson exists are still in progress. i can't think of a plot huhu

[sparkynekolinz13]

Anime I’ve Watched

Okay, here’s this massive post!

My roomie/best friend, Amanda, has gotten me into watching new anime as it comes out every season. We’ve been doing this since college, either 8 or 9 years ago, and it’s accumulated in a crapton of shows that we’ve watched. Obviously I’ve liked some more than others, and I can’t remember every single show I’ve watched, and with so many to list, it’s hard to think of shows I’ve seen when people ask me.

So I’m going to use this as a way to track all the shows I’ve watched!

I’m going to list shows that I’ve seen more than just a few episodes of. There are a ton of shows I’ve started watching, but then quit. Those aren’t going to count here.

Also, I’m going to use the titles I’m used to, so there will likely be a lot of Japanese titles of shows that I’ve noticed are more popular with the English title. I honestly don’t know the English title of some of them. XD;; It’s just how I’ve watched them. I will add akas where there is more than one version of the title.

I’ve watched all of these in Japanese, unless I specify that I watched it in English. The first few shows I watched in my life were in English, and so I tend to only watch those in English even now, but now I’m a Japanese snob and refuse to watch dubs. XD

07 Ghost

91 Days

ACCA

Ace Attorney (aka Gyakuten Saiban)

Ace of Diamond (aka Diamond no Ace)

Active Raid

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (aka Snow White with the Red Hair)

Akatsuki no Yona (aka Yona of the Dawn)

Aldnoah.Zero (though don’t ask me about it; I hate it; I call it “That Show”)

All Out!!

Amaama to Inazuma (aka Sweetness & Lightning)

Antique Bakery

Ao Haru Ride (aka Blue Spring Ride)

Aoharu x Kikanjuu (aka Aoharu x Machinegun)

Arcana Famiglia (aka La storia della Arcana Famiglia)

Area no Kishi (aka The Knight in the Area)

Argevollen (aka Shirogane no Ishi Argevollen)

Arslan Senki (aka The Heroic Legend of Arslan)

Atom The Beginning

B-PROJECT

Baby Steps

Baccano!

Bakuman

Bakumatsu Rock

Barakamon

Battery

Big Windup! (aka Ookiku Furikabutte, or Oofuri)

Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu Love! (aka Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!)

Black Cat (in English)

Bleach

Blood Lad

Boku no Hero Academia (aka My Hero Academia, or HeroAca)

Bonjour Koiaji Patisserie (aka BONJOUR Sweet Love Patisserie)

Boruto (the movie; I’ve only seen a bit of the anime)

Brave 10

Brothers Conflict

Buddy Complex

Bungo Stray Dogs

Captain Earth

Cardcaptor Sakura (in English, as Cardcaptors)

Cardfight!! Vanguard (not all of it, but enough of it to list it)

Case Closed (but only the episodes Funimation aired on their channel, in English)

Cheer Danshi!! (aka Cheer Boys!!)

Chihayafuru

Chiruran Nibun no Ichi (aka Chiruran 1/2)

ClassicaLoid

Classroom Crisis

(La) Corda d’Oro Blue Sky

Cuticle Detective Inaba

D.Gray-man

Dagashi Kashi

Damekko Doubutsu

Dance with Devils

Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou (aka Daily Lives of High School Boys)

Dantalian no Shoka (aka The Mystic Archives of Dantalian)

Darker than Black

DAYS

Death Note

Death Parade

Devil Survivor 2 The animation

Digimon (seasons 1 and 2, and part of 4, in English)

Dimension W

DIVE!!

Divine Gate

Dragon Ball Z (parts of it, in English)

Dream Festival!

Durarara!! (only the first season)

Earl and Fairy

Endride (about half?)

Fairy Tail (only like the first season or two, I think)

Fate/Apocrypha (still in progress, but I’m not planning on quitting atm)

Fate/stay night

Fate/Zero (I didn’t finish it, but I watched the majority of it)

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (movie)

Fireball Charming

Flying Witch

Free!

Fruits Basket (in English)

Fudanshi Koukou Seikatsu (aka The Highschool Life of a Fudanshi)

Fukigen na Mononokean (aka The Morose Mononokean)

Fune wo Amu (aka The Great Passage)

Galilei Donna

Gallery Fake (didn’t finish it, but watched about half or more)

Gangsta.

GATE

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun (aka Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun)

Getbackers (haven’t finished it, but I want to)

Gifuu Doudou!! Kanetsugu to Keiji

Gingitsune

Gintama

Granblue Fantasy the Animation

Grave of the Fireflies (movie, in English; had to watch it for a class...never again)

Grimoire of Zero (aka Zero Kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho)

Gugure! Kokkuri-san

Gundam Build Fighters

Gundam Build Fighters Try (counting this as separate since it’s a different generation)

Haikyu!!

Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East

Hakuouki (aka Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom)

Hamatora

Hanasakeru Seishounen (only about half)

HaruChika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru (aka Haruchika - Haruta & Chika)

Hataraku Maou-sama! (aka The Devil is a Part-Timer!)

Heat Guy J

Hetalia Axis Powers (not all of it)

Hibike! Euphonium (aka Sound! Euphonium)

Hikaru no Go (haven’t finished it, but I’d like to)

Hotarubi no Morie e (movie)

Howl’s Moving Castle (movie, in English)

Houzuki no Reitetsu (aka Hozuki’s Coolheadedness)

Hunter x Hunter (2011; not all of it, but a good portion)

Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha (aka Inari Kon Kon)

Inuyasha (in English; not all of it yet)

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (aka JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken)

Joker Game

K

Kabukibu!

Kaichou wa Maid-sama! (aka Maid Sama!)

Kami-sama no Memo-chou (aka Heaven’s Memo Pad)

Kamigami no Asobi

Kamisama Hajimemashita (aka Kamisama Kiss)

Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi (aka Kami-Nai aka Sunday Without God)

Karneval

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (not all of it, but a good portion)

Katsugeki! Touken Ranbu

Kekkai Sensen (aka Blood Blockade Battlefront)

Kenka Banchou Otome: Girl Beats Boys

Kimi to Boku (aka You and Me.)

Konbini Kareshi (aka Convenience Store Boy Friends)

Kuroko no Basuke (aka Kuroko’s Basketball aka The basketball which Kuroko plays....that version of the title always cracks me up)

Kuromukuro

Kuroshitsuji (aka Black Butler; not all of it)

Kyoukai no Kanata (aka Beyond the Boundary)

Kyoukai no Rinne (aka RIN-NE; about a season and a half)

(The) Legend of the Legendary Heroes

Library War (aka Toshokan Sensou)

Log Horizon

Magic Kaito: 1412

Magic-kyun! Renaissance

Mahou Sensou (aka Magical Warfare)

Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro (aka Neuro - Supernatural Detective)

Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist (aka just Devils and Realist)

Makura no Danshi

Marginal#4 Kiss Kara Tsukuru Big Bang (aka MARGINAL #4 the Animation)

Medaka Box

Meganebu!

Miracle Train - Ooedo-sen e Yookoso

Mobile Suit Gundam

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit

Nana Maru San Batsu (aka Fastest Finger First)

Nanbaka

Naruto

Naruto Shippuuden (not all of it; got tired of all the fillers and stopped watching)

Natsume Yuujin-Chou (aka Natsume’s Book of Friends)

Nijiiro Days (aka Rainbow Days)

No. 6

Nobunaga no Shinobi (aka Ninja Girl & Samurai Master)

Nobunagun (only saw about half; want to finish it someday)

Noragami

Norn9 - Norn + Nonette

Nurarihyon no Mago (aka Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan)

One Punch Man

Onihei

Ore Monogatari!! (aka My Love Story!!)

Orenchi no Furo Jijou

Ooshitsu Kyoushi Heine (aka The Royal Tutor)

Otome Youkai Zakuro (aka just Zakuro)

Ouran High School Host Club

Overlord

Pandora Hearts (I can’t remember if I’ve seen the entire anime, or just a good portion of it)

Peacemaker Kurogane (I haven’t finished it yet...)

Peach Girl (in English)

Persona 4: The Animation

Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation

Phi-Brain - Kami no Puzzle (aka Phi-Brain - Puzzle of God)

Pokémon (in English; only like the first two or three seasons, and the first...4? movies)

Prince of Stride: Alternative

(The) Prince of Tennis (aka Tennis no Ouji-sama; almost all of it)

Princess Mononoke (aka Mononoke Hime; movie)

Psycho-Pass (not the second season)

Re:CREATORS

ReLIFE

Rokka no Yuusha (aka Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers)

Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan (aka The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.)

Sailor Moon (in English; a good portion of it, and the 3 movies)

Saint Seiya

Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary (movie)

Saiunkoku Monogatari (The Story of Saiunkoku)

Saiyuki

Sakamoto desu ga? (aka Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto)

Scared Rider Xechs (aka Scar-red Rider XechS; didn’t finish it)

Seikai Suru Kado (aka KADO - The Right Answer)

Sekkou Boys

Sengoku Basara (just the first season and the movie)

Servamp

Servant x Service

Shingeki no Bahamut Genesis (aka Rage of Bahamut: Genesis)

Shingeki no Bahamut VIRGIN SOUL (aka Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul)

Shirokuma Café (aka Polar Bear’s Café)

Shoukoku no Altair (aka Altair: A Record of Battles; ongoing, but I’m not planning on dropping it)

Shounen Hollywood - Holly Stage for 49

Shounen Maid

Shonen Onmyouji

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (and the second season, Descending Stories)

Sket Dance (not all of it, but a good portion)

Skip Beat!

Spirited Away (movie, in English)

STARMYU (aka High School Star Musical)

Starry Sky

Steamboy (movie, in English)

Super GALS! (in English; probably not even half of it, but more than just a few episodes)

Switch (OVA)

Taboo Tattoo (I watched until B.B. died; he was the only reason I watched the show in the first place)

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge (aka Tanaka-kun is Always Listless)

Tegami Bachi (aka Letter Bee)

Tiger & Bunny (plus both movies)

Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta (aka The Pilot’s Love Song)

Tokyo Ravens

Tonari no Seki-kun

Tono to Issho (but just the original OVA, not the TV series)

Toriko (about half? maybe?)

Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru

Trickster (like...7 episodes or something?)

Trigun

TsukiPro the Animation (only 3 episodes so far, but I’m definitely planning on watching all of it)

Tsukiuta. THE ANIMATION

tsuritama

(The) Twelve Kingdoms (maybe about half?)

Uchouten Kazoku (aka The Eccentric Family)

Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari (aka Poco’s Udon World)

Un-Go

Ushio to Tora (aka Ushio & Tora)

Uta no Prince-sama (aka UtaPri)

Utakoi (aka Chouyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi)

Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen (aka Utawarerumono: The False Faces; not all of it)

Vatican Miracle Examiner (aka Vatican Kiseki Chousakan)

Watashi ga Motete Dousunda (aka Kiss Him, Not Me)

Weiss Kreuz (aka Knight Hunters)

Welcome to the Ballroom (aka Ballroom e Youkoso)

Working!! (aka Wagnaria!!)

X

Yakitate!! Japan (maybe like 20-ish episodes?)

Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo (aka Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches)

Youkai Apaato no Yuuga na Nichijou (aka Elegant Yokai Apartment Life; still ongoing, but it’s been about 14-15 episodes now)

Young Black Jack

Yowamushi Pedal

Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files (in English; never finished it, but wanted to)

Yuri!!! on Ice

Zetsuen no Tempest (aka Blast of Tempest)

And that’s all of them! I missed a couple while I was going through, so I might be missing a couple, but...this is theoretically all of the shows I’ve watched! Well, that I’ve watched more than like 5 episodes of. There’s a ton more shows that I’ve only watched like 1-5 episodes of, haha. I don’t need to make a list of that...

[acenettle]

Pillars Prompts Weekly prompt 0072: Story inspired by a seasonal song

 Unfortunately, while I had an idea for a story, the song’s really... not... in English. Erm. I’ve included a rough translation at the end of the story, but I’m not sure how much that’ll do.

Features Vela and an orlan fire godlike Watcher.

The girl and the sparrow 

It was the dead of winter by the time they made it back to Caed Nua. A recent blizzard had piled drifts as tall as an adult orlan against the shattered walls, and what little of the keep itself remained was once more strewn with rubble. But there was a candle burning in the window of the Game Warden’s Lodge, and after a moment of deliberation, that was where Elzana headed, the shivering Vela in tow.

The warden welcomed his Lady back with cries of disbelief; everyone had thought Elzana dead, and with the young miss Vela missing, Caed Nua had been presumed a lost ruin once more. Elzana listened to the warden’s woes and then reassured him that she was here to stay, and that the keep would be restored to its former glory. She had returned from Deadfire with ample funds, after all; they would only need to wait for more favourable weather, and then the rebuilding effort would begin in earnest.

In the meantime, however, there was little to do but settle down into the cottage. While not very large, it had room enough for the bust of the Steward and the two orlans - or rather an orlan and a godlike the size of one. The warden regarded the Steward with relief and his Lady with politeness, but he absolutely doted on Vela. He even found the young orlan a knit cap and a scarf so long it must have belonged to a particularly tall aumaua, and the little girl shrieked and laughed in happiness as she raced through the gardens and played in the snow.

Or not so little any more, Elzana mused. At seven, Vela came to stand almost at the height of her eyes; a few inches more, and the child would be as tall as a grown woman, and that much closer to inheriting the keep. She really did have to continue Vela’s lessons soon, especially the combat training; it simply wouldn’t do for the future Lady of Caed Nua to be unable to defend herself. But perhaps that, too, could wait until spring; certainly she could afford for Vela to be but a carefree child a moment longer.

***

Over the following days, the sky finally cleared and the bitter winds died down. Apparently word of the Watcher’s return had gotten around, for people kept dropping by, some from the surrounding farmsteads, some from as far away as Dyrford. If Elzana had learned anything from her recent stint as a successful sea captain, it was that booze was excellent at keeping everyone’s spirits up. And so, even as people began repairing some of the smaller buildings in hopes of getting the keep running again, she sent for food and drink; they’d make a bonfire out of the material that had to be discarded, and have themselves a midwinter banquet.

For her part, Vela was thoroughly excited by all the people, as if she hadn’t just seen breathtaking wonders quite beyond a small gathering in the Dyrwood. But then, her spirit had always been amazingly strong; Elzana recalled with dry amusement and a lingering sense of anger that it had been what had almost gotten the girl killed in the first place. She herself had seen red the moment she’d learned how the child had been treated by those who were supposed to be looking after her. As if Readceras hadn’t already been bad enough.

Right now it seemed all Vela cared about was making friends; when she was rebuked a few times too often by the dwarves and folk working on repairs, she set her eyes on the little birds that darted around the tables in search for food. With a spring in her step the girl disappeared into the lodge, and once she returned she was hugging a bag of grain against her chest. She only needed to set the bag down and throw out a couple of handfuls before she’d gathered herself a rapt little audience. Then one of the sparrows landed on the girl’s outstretched palm, and the child barely dared to breathe. Quietly, Elzana went to stand next to her daughter.

“Watcher, look at the birds,” Vela said. “Do you think they’d want to be friends with me?”

“They just want the food, my little maid. But provide it for them often enough, and they’ll learn to trust you.”

“They’re so grey and drab, nothing like Ishi or the other birds in Deadfire. Why do you think that is?”

“I haven’t the foggiest idea, dear, but I’ll be sure to ask Hylea if she ever happens to show her face to me again.”

“Well, I think I like them anyway.” The sparrow took flight, but landed a short distance away in the snow. Something about the bird nagged at Elzana’s memory, and she opened up her senses to the small thing – and took a sharp breath. She grabbed Vela by the shoulder.

“Child, I think you were right about them wanting to be your friends. That one – he used to be a small boy, running in these very halls.” She concentrated, coaxed the name out of the memory. “Lendry.”

“Lendry? My friend Lendry?” And now Vela’s lip was suddenly quivering. Not used to waterworks, Elzana rushed to reassure her.

“Hush, little mite, don’t cry.” But if anything, her words worked only to unstopper Vela’s tears. For a moment Elzana was at a loss, but then she became aware of how Vela’s soul, usually burning so bright, was flickering in distress. And of course it was only last spring that she’d lost all those little friends of hers, and the nursemaid who’d seen to her needs, and the cook who prepared her favourite treats and… and everything, really. Everything and everyone. Even the strongest of souls had a breaking point, and perhaps what she had thought of as a happy and carefree demeanour wasn’t really all that.

Swallowing a piece that had lodged itself into her throat, Elzana pulled the girl into a tight hug. “No, here I’m talking nonsense again. Listen to me now, my daughter. You walked out of a disaster that killed damn near everyone else, you sailed half across the world, fought pirates and braved storms the like I hope we’ll never see again. And all that time, not a peep from you. You never cried and you never complained. You were strong when I needed you to be, and put on a brave face when you had to. But now… now I’m telling you a secret.”

“Yes?” Vela managed between her quiet sobs.

“Nobody can keep that much hurt and pain inside themselves forever. There has to come a time to let it all out. Otherwise, it merely crystallises and starts cutting you up inside. And now… all is well, Vela. Your friends escaped into the world before the Wheel stopped. And in time, the Wheel will be mended, just as the keep will be. I’m well and you’re well, Vela. It’s safe to cry.”

Vela hugged her tightly, and let the tears come. They sat together on the lodge’s porch, even as workers and visitors came and went around them. Eventually, Vela wiped her eyes, and they simply remained in silence and watched the birds, until they’d finished eating and, one by one, darted away again.

Elzana shifted and stretched out her legs. “It will be dark soon,” she said. “They’re probably setting up the bonfire as we speak. Are you ready to go, my little maid?”

“I guess so, mother.” It was a rare thing for Vela to call her that; having been raised by a nursemaid like she had, she usually referred to her as the Watcher, just like everyone else. Feeling moved all of sudden, Elzana adjusted Vela’s cup and rested an arm around the girl’s shoulders as they made their way towards the path leading around the rubble.

"The sailors used to sing about a Lendry,” Vela ventured quietly.

"It’s a common enough name, moppet.”

"Yes, but could you sing it for me? Please?”

Recalling the shanty in question, Elzana did. She’d never had the best of singing voices, but then, neither had most of the sailors, and Vela did not seem to mind. She listened with rapt attention as they walked, and joined in for the last verse of the song.

"...heave away, my Lendry boy. We’re all bound to go."

And come back one day, Elzana thought as she once more spotted the bird that held the little boy’s soul, gods and kith willing.

And here’s the song “Sparven om julmorgonen,” “Sparrow on Christmas morning,” which goes roughly like this:

Now the white snow has fallen, fallen on birches and linden trees. The clear sea has frozen, waiting for spring winds. The little sparrow, destitute sparrow, ate up his stores from summer, The clear sea has frozen, waiting for spring winds.

By a green cottage’s door stood a little girl: “Little sparrow, come here, come and have some grain! Now it’s Christmas in our hut, little sparrow, dirty and grey. Little sparrow, come here, come and have some grain!”

The sparrow flew to the girl’s feet, flew on glad wings: “Gladly I’ll take the grain, the grain that you bring me. God will surely reward you, you who are a dear friend. Gladly I’ll take the grain, the grain that you bring me.”

“But I am not who you think I am, the one whom your eyes see. I am your little brother, who died away in the spring. When you gladly gave your bread to the poor who was in need, You gave to your little brother, who died away in the spring.”