#chariots r us

[chariots-r-us]

🛸Glowing Human-like Chariot🛸

[widdlediddle2]

ZOMBIE AU??????!?!

i did a little doodle of it a while back idk if yall remember the post but ya

[riddlethat]

@indeath​ asked:  oh ! ' have you ridden before? — not the horse. '

Edward does not enjoy it. Not the wide, open pastures. Not animals. He's a city boy through and through, raised on the streets of 24/7 convenience stores and midnight car radios, the only trees he saw the ones planted within the square of a park.

Nour asks a question, soft and unassuming, his hair like ribbons in the wind. Edward blinks. Then he gets it.

Nour being dainty and indirect? Hoping for a yes? Cute.

"Nour... Are you tired? Would you like me to drive you home?" He's springier, then, and all sunshine. His smile is stupidly contagious. "I couldn't be happier."

[hedgehog-moss]

Writers who use imitative harmony + the movement of their language to evoke meaning are so great to re-read once you’ve learnt this language, if you’ve read them in translation before, it feels like the best reward. I’m reading Annie Proulx in the original for the first time, and so much of her writing style was just not salvageable by French translators (< my condolences), because she intertwines sound with meaning so often, at least in Close Range, and French just doesn’t sound the same! so by translating the meaning you’ll sacrifice a lot of the style... It reminds me of a haunted house book in French that also made me think “haha RIP translators” because it made great use of sound—a lot of “u / eu / ou” to create a sort of sinister howling effect in some sentences, and one sentence about a closed door used “i” and “rr” sounds to give an ominous “creaking open” sensation without actually opening the door in the text...

This kind of thing always makes me reflect despairingly on how many authors I’ll never get to appreciate fully as I can’t read them in the original, but I’m glad to re-discover Annie Proulx at any rate! I mean compare the sound of a phrase like “a hundred dirt road shortcuts” to the French “des centaines de raccourcis, des routes de terre”... First of all the English phrase sounds clippety-cloppy, it sounds like hooves on a dirt road in a way that’s very hard to preserve in a language without syllable stress, but also the French language demands that you turn it into ‘a hundred of shortcurts of roads of dirt’, so it’s best to dilute it into two phrases, and you just lose the clippedness. It sounds less tight, more leisurely.

Same for the phrase “the tawny plain still grooved with pilgrim wagon ruts” vs. “la plaine fauve encore marquée des ornières laissées par les chariots des pèlerins.” That’s a 54% expansion ratio and once again you turn the tight clippedness of ‘grooved with pilgrim wagon ruts’ into ‘grooved with the ruts left by the wagons of the pilgrims.’ You just can’t avoid it, French words have to hold hands in a long procession rather than being stacked like pancakes on top of one another. And sometimes it makes for lovely stylistic effects too (*), but it doesn’t fit the style of a text like this one, which uses rhythm and sound in a very un-French way—rhythmicality in French tends to rely on long flowy phrasings rather than the potholed ruggedness this story demands. (I saw a NY Times article describe it as Annie Proulx “mining the ore of language out of a gritty Wyoming rockscape”)

The rhythm of this whole bit is so neat, you can snap your fingers along with it: “hard orange dawn, the world smoking, snaking dust devils on bare dirt, heat boiling out of the sun until the paint on the truck hood curled, ragged webs of dry rain that never hit the ground, through small-town traffic and stock on the road, band of horses in morning fog...”

The French version is not finger-snapping material but you can tell the translator did her very best to preserve the author’s intention by creating interesting rhythms in French as well. For “hard orange dawn” she could have kept close to the original with, say, “la dureté orange de l’aube” but instead she chose to turn ‘hard’ into a four-syllable adjective (éblouissante / blinding) to end up with a noticeable rhythm—“les aubes orange, éblouissantes,” one-two-three-four, one-two-three-four (and she made ‘dawn’ plural for the same reason.) She wasn’t able to preserve the g/r alliteration of “GRooved with pilGRim waGon Ruts” (although her translated phrase also has a lot of R’s) but she did preserve the ‘sss’ alliteration of “Smoking Snaking duSt” (“pouSSière Serpentant Sur le Sol”). Even with languages as close as French and English, for every stylistic effect you can save you have to sacrifice a few, or replace them with opposite effects which align better with your language’s notions of literary style (like with the orange dawn bit, doubling the length of a tight phrase so it can sound rhythmical).

You can tell all throughout the book that a lot of thought and care went into respecting Annie Proulx’s writing choices and you still end up with sentences that sound and move so differently. You get to see the limit of translation when authors fully lean on their language’s syntax and melody to help convey meaning, like poets do!

(*) Re: English stacking words and French linking them—this reminds me of an essay I read by an English translator of Proust who despaired of this difference in the opposite direction—saying some long, descriptive phrases in Proust with articles & prepositions linking words, and commas linking phrases with regularity, read like telling the beads of a rosary. And the sensation (or a lot of it) had to be sacrificed because English just does not use as many linking words as French, information is conveyed in a more economical way, so a lot of these sentences with a hypnotic rhythm like “the A, of the B, of the C, whereby the D, of the E, on an F” were often not achievable with English syntax or created redundancy (e.g. having to use ‘that’ or ‘which’ 5 times when French used different tool words). But he said he did try to form sentences that had this continuity, and meditative quality.

I don’t have a conclusion to this post other than to say something precious will be lost if human translation is replaced by AI translation, because literary translation involves creativity and ambiguity and aesthetic considerations and a dimension of instinctual feeling for your own language and the original style, and I don’t think any amount of data and processing power and artificial neural networks will yield the flavour of literary quality that emerges from human sensibility and care, from someone reading a sentence and thinking “this feels like hooves clippety-clopping down a dirt road” or “this feels like rolling the beads of a rosary” and starting from there...

[katiifaetarot]

THE READING TODAY IS: Pick-A-Card | What You Need to Hear Today

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

Angel #'s - 1144, 575, 1155, 44, 1211, 123, 1234, 444, 1123, 1023, 1212, 13, 1233, 4444, 1203, 1223

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There are 3 piles, and you will be picking through the Curious Cat Club playing cards//oracle cards by Stasia Burrington in the picture right below this text!!!

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PILE 1- Dim Sum | 5 of Hearts

PILE 2- Yoga | 7 of Diamonds

PILE 3- Kendama | 5 of Diamonds

** sometimes ( most of the time ) i will pick up on multiple energies that need attention or want to be expressed during the reading so i ASK YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS DURING MY READINGS:

depending on how the reader(YOU) chooses to look at the situation or however the situation resonates for the reader(YOU) and because this is a general reading;

⚠️you HAVE to be able to use your better discernment + better judgement skills to fully absorb the message and be able to do the necessary work to keep you on track for the future you WANT for yourself⚠️

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OKAY PILE 1: Shared pleasures, Fulfillment

3 of cups, 7 of cups, the hierophant(r), 6 of staffs(wands)

Pile 1, you're trying to find an answer to your problems or some type of conclusion to a chapter so you can move on to better and attract what you deserve finally AND/OR be able to find a space to be more grateful, aware, and kind to yourself and others you appreciate and want to support!! --Dont get caught up in fantasy without action behind some of those thoughts!! How can you achieve that goal you've been setting your sights on recently OR for a couple years now? What values, resources, traits, etc-- do you need to embody while working on this goal? Think before acting, plan out your moves and stay secretive about your projects! move in silence!! Be kind to yourself and focus on yourself while you go through this period of time. it will all work out. Dont conform to societal expectations of you or your community's expectation of you; follow what you believe and follow what makes sense to you. Stay open minded and adapt accordingly. Make sure your intentions are helping you grow and helping you advance in life // towards your goals!

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OKAY PILE 2: Balance, Self-Compassion/Forgiveness

Page of Pentacles, Page of Swords, 5 of Pentacles, Strength

Dont get caught up in unexpected or unnecessary delays in your life Pile2, you have the capacity + capability to keep going and walk through this period in your life with grace, inner knowing, and pride that you're doing your best! And thats enough. Concentrate on facts and what absolutely NEEDS to get done to help make sure you stay on track towards your goals but also to help you feel better! Small steps turn into huge leaps!! How can you make yourself more prepared for your future? What does your future look like at this current moment? Be discreet. Dont get held back by loss, try to alchemize your pain into progress + action towards your goals and bettering yourself. Living your life means you WILL lose things along the way, familiarize yourself with that fact of life. But no matter what, you have to keep moving and living. Keep showing up for yourself and your goals. Dont succumb to petty behavior, objective perspective(s) and temperance will guide you through the tests. Mind over matter. Stay confident in your truth, authenticity, and actions!! Cleanse your energy. Find and Have faith in your dreams. You're responsible for your own life and progress. Get started now!!

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OKAY PILE 3: Games, Play, childish pleasure

The Chariot, Queen of Swords, The Star, Seven of Staffs

You have the advantage pile 3, so act like it. You need hope, prayer(if that resonates for you), optimism, determination, will power, strength, intuition, adaptability, boundary setting skills, boundary maintaing skills, etc-- to help you through this next chapter of your life. You are a boss b**** and such a hardworker, but you might be tired and wanting to give up, which is valid but you must keep going today, tomorrow, and until you reach a goal that can allow you feel safe and comfortable reaching any and all other goals, acquiring your own space kind of goal, maybe?(take it, if it resonates) you're doing fine and dandy. Dont feel embarrassed if you've failed // do fail, its all teaching you resiliency! stay original, authentic, and honest. You can thrive anywhere and everywhere! Bratz pile, ifykyk.

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I sincerely hope you received what you needed and released what you don't !! See you again soon!! Take it easyyy and just breathe and fllooowwww!!! you got this! byyeee~🧚🏽‍♀️✨️

**please let me know how this resonated for you in any way you can! Dont forget to Subscribe to me on Youtube and follow me on here for messages, guidance, and advice! Those are the easiest ways to support me🥺 🥹 🙏🏼

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⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

**I AM NOT A MEDICAL OR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL; PLEASE USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT AND DISCERNMENT TO DETERMINE IF YOU NEED OR WANT TO SEEK PROPER HELP OR TREATMENTS FOR YOURSELF OUTSIDE OF TUMBLR OR SOCIAL MEDIA!!

***AND REMEMBER: your own free will is always present within you; which has nothing to do with me or ANYBODY else. I am NOT responsible for YOUR choices after YOU consume my content on ANY of my platforms.

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

[starlitmark]

Summary: Watching your husband so weak for you really sends you for a power trip. Pairing: San x fem!reader x Yunho Tropes: established relationship au Genre: smut Rating: R 18+ Warnings: language Smut Warnings: restraints, cuckoldry, mirror sex, dirty talk Word Count: 224 Note: Smalls wants us all dead. For the Tarot Card Drabble Event Requested by: @smallfrye

The Chariot ➾ self-restraint, watching someone while not being able to touch yourself, edging, cuckold, voyeurism, auralism, fucking quietly while gagged or gagging, fucking in secret

“Please, please, please,” you hear your husband beg in a whiney tone.

You ignore his begging and focus on the pleasure your mutual friend provides you. San is currently tied to the chair in front of you, humping the air hoping to get some pleasure. Yunho is railing you from behind. It’s enough to make you see stars. 

“Look at you, Sannie, desperate to feel something while I fuck your wife so good.” Yunho mocks. 

San’s hands are bound together, preventing him from touching himself in any capacity. All he can do is watch and wish that it was him fucking you. Each wet noise that comes from your pussy isn’t caused by him, and part of him hates it, but a greater part of him is absolutely reeling at the sight. You look in the mirror just past your husband’s seated form. You look absolutely debauched, tears staining your face, lipstick smudged. You notice a bit of lipstick on Yunho’s lips as well. You start to hear your husband whine again, thrusting into the air again, showcasing his hard leaking cock.

“If you start your whining again, I’ll gag you.” Yunho gruffs.

“Give him a break.” you whine slightly, “He’s desperate, Yuyu.”

“He wants to be a fucking cuck, then let him be a cuck. Now shush while I make you see god.”

COPYRIGHT STARLITMARK 2023© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — reposting/modifying any fic or piece of original writing posted on this blog is not allowed. Translations are not permitted. 

Networks: @cultofdionysusnet @kwritersworld @k-vanity

Tag List: @sanjoongie @jaehunnyy @ericssmile @anyamaris @almondmilkeu @shinestarhwaa

[moonlight1237]

Elder ᚠᚱᛖᛁᛃᚨ Younger ᚠᚱᛁᛁᛁᛅ

Freyja/Frøya (The Lady)

Epithets And Titles

Gullveig (gold-greed) Her more magical and ruthless side is closely associated with fire due to her being burned but not harmed

Vanadis (lady of the Vanir) Her neural side has a little bit of all her aspects and is what you normally call on

Gefn (giver) Her motherly giving side associated with fertility and harvests etc

Horn (flax) Her side associated with Love, sex, and playfulness

Mardoll (root word Marr meaning sea. Sea bright) One of her sides associated with death and war

Syr (sow)

Valfreyja (Lady of the Slain) Another side associated with Death and War

Lady of fire

Heid (Völva from Voluspa)

Thrung

Lady of the Disir

Skialf

Queen of Folkvangr

Chief of the Vanir

Queen of the valkyrie

Possessor of the fallen

Ruling/Domain

Folkvangr is her realm and Sessrumnir is her hall.

(and is sometimes said to be where she takes her half of the dead but this is disputed)

Family

Njord is her father and her mother is never mentioned but is speculated to be Skadi or Njords sister, an unnamed Vanir goddess. Her twin is Frey(r). She has 2 daughters Hnoss and Gersemi both of which translate to "treasure" though only mentioned in Christian sources and Gersemi is only mentioned once. In the Eddas, it says she has a husband named Oðr which is one of Odin's names, and gets into the Frigga and Freyja debate.

History

I won't get too much into the debate on her and Frigga but by the myths, they are different and separate beings. Historically they were possibly the same once and split over time but they are not the same now.

Frøya has a necklace she always wears. Its name is Brisgamen is a torc/necklace made by the dwarves and frøya supposedly spent a night with each of them who made it to get Brisingamen. In other myths Thor wears it dressed as Frøya during the fake wedding to Thrym the giant who stole Thor's hammer, then when Loki stole it and gave it to Odin when Odin made her start a war to get it back.

She also had a Boar named Hildisvini "Battle-swine" which she turned her husband oðr into and rode in one of the myths.

In the Grimnismal translation, it says "then" Odin picks not "and" giving the idea Freyja picks first but it's never mentioned otherwise. But modernly we accept that she does have the first pick.

Gullveig is believed to be another name for frøya she was a sorceress who predicted the Æsir, Vanir war and was burned alive 3 times by the Æsir each time coming back to life and was struck by spears and still didn't die.

She, like Odin, was known to use many different names throughout the myths and in her travels.

She's the one who taught Odin and the other Æsir gods how to do Seidr magic.

After the Æsir, Vanir war they exchanged hostages, and Frøya, Njordh, and Frey went to live with the Æsir in Asgard.

It's rumored but never confirmed if Freyr and Freyja have Elven ancestors. But she is NOT a valkyrie; the only sources with that are later Christian sources; this is believed to be the same thing as making her out to be a love goddess and sexualizing her.

The myths never actually show her as a Vølva but her association with magic gives us the idea she is.

She also had a chariot that was pulled by cats sometimes people believe they’re Lynx.

Historical worship/practice

She had a fertility cult in the Viking age that stopped due to Christianity and a cult that lasted up until Snorri's age and time but that stopped soon after. She and Frigga were called on during childbirth, historically our source coming from a midwife.

Associations

Death

Love

Lust

Magic (especially Seidr)

War

Cats

Wealth

Divination

Fertility

Beauty

Glory

Days of the Week

Friday

Special days

Alfarblót (The first day of winter celebrated in the home in private the time when we connect to ancestral magic to the Elven folk)

Elements

Fire

Numbers

9

Colors

Gold (fav)

Light Pink

Green (fav)

Copper

Silver

Yellow

Light Purple

Red

Brown

Planet

The Moon

Animals

Cats

Horses

Boar/Sows

Rabbits

Swallows

Lynx

Falcons/Birds of prey

Ladybugs

Cuckoo

Plants

And flowers

Basil

Roses

Roseroot

Common Valerian

Mugwort

Rosemary

Apples

Primrose

Raspberries

Strawberries

Cinnamon

Poppy's

Daisy's

Almonds

Hay

Snow Blossoms

Linden

Essential oils/incense

Strawberry

Lavender

Lilac

Juniper

Cinnamon

Any sweet scents

Any baked good scents

Amber

Mint

Peppermint

Rose

Mulberry

Rosemary

Vanilla

Jasmine

Cypress

Sandalwood

Myrrh

Birch

Crystals

Rose quartz

Amber

Gold

Carnelian

Citrine

Any moonstone

Malachite

Black Tourmaline

Pink Tourmaline

River rock

Rubies

Divinational associations (runes/tarot)

Fehu, Sowilo, Berkano, Queen of wands, Queen of swords, The empress, The high priestess, The lovers, The star (Wildwood deck The Seer, and The Woodward)

Offerings and Devotional acts

Any Meads

Flowers (pressed or fresh)

Anything handmade for her

Stretching

Learning sword work

Exercising

Things respectfully taken from nature

Jewelry

Poetry (especially traditional Norse)

Hot coco

Any tea

Wine

Sweet drinks or spice like cinnamon

Potatoes

Stews

Any meats

Any Berries

Ethically gathered Bones, Cat claws, and cat whiskers (DO NOT HARM AN ANIMAL FOR THESE)

Self-Care

Spending time in nature

Learning runes

Learning distaff spinning

Any imagery associated with her

Learning magic or divination

Any baked goods (bread, muffins, honey cakes, etc)

Honey

Honeycomb

Cat statues

Boar imagery

Fostering cats/kittens

Lighting candles every day in her honor

Burning incense for her (she likes things with flames or burning)

Bonfires

Flax bundles

A staff making a staff for your craft if you practice Seidr they are commonly used in it and you could make your devotional staff for that and have it by her alter.

Alter Suggestions

Candles

Bones

Jewelry (especially gold-colored)

Statues of her or her cats

Swords/axes/spears/shields

Wooden bowls or horn bowls

Incense

Plants

Imagery of Folkvangr

Dedicated Poems about her or love or death

The artwork you make her

Animal pelts

Runes

Fehu imagery

Chants

Runic Chants/chanting the runes

Old Norse songs

(Both are commonly used in seidr)

Signs they may be reaching out

Smelling scents associated with her out of nowhere

Seeing her in dreams and meditations

Becoming more attracted to colors associated with her

Being closer to Cats or cats favoring you a lot or having different behaviors toward you

Views over death and war changed drastically

Having potential in Seidr magic

Being a seer/seeress

Being open to the spirit realm and the dead and speaking to them

Having a very sudden interest in her

Feeling a very feminine energy and string energy in the room (she's not subtle at all)

Liking foods associated with her that you didn't before

Sudden interest in distaff or spindling.

SOURCES

Freyja, Lady, Vanadis: An Introduction to the Goddess

by Patricia M. Lafayllve

Poetic Edda translated by Jackson Crawford

Tales of Norse Mythology by Helen A. Guerber

The Norse Gods and Goddesses (Intro.)

Frigg and Freyja

The Vanir

The Vǫlva (Norse Seeress) and Seiðr

Valkyries (Valkyrjur)

Fólkvangr (Folkvang)

THE NORSE GODS: FREYJA || General info, what working with Freyja is like and offerings

Freyja (Freya) Norse Goddess of Love, Warriors, and Cats

My Experiences with Deities: Freyja

Seiðr Magic and Gender

https://teaandrosemary.com/freya-goddess/

https://study.com/academy/lesson/goddess-freyja-facts-symbols-norse-mythology.html

https://historycooperative.org/freyja-the-norse-goddess-of-love/

https://historiska.se/norse-mythology/freyja-en/

https://hrafnar.org/articles/dpaxson/asynjur/freyja/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Freyja

https://www.northvegr.org/nordic-goddess/froya-freyja

https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/freyja-sensuality

[sagittariusmars2]

(Top to bottom) what’s your reputation?

Pile 1

Your reputation is that you triumph over all your obstacles or you could’ve recently got over something, a lot of people recognize you and you may be popular even if u don’t have a lot of friends. You are seen as a leader and a loner, you’re someone who is seen as very helpful and dependable. People may take advantage of your generosity or your resources because you’re someone who’s very giving, you may attract a lot of toxic people in your love life or even with your friends . You may be seen as someone who recently got betrayed or got their heartbroken, people see u as the chariot which is someone who constantly keeps going no matter the circumstances. People view you as very passionate or as someone who is getting a new beginning that they desired. Signs- Sagittarius, cancer, Capricorn, Taurus. Initials- D, Y, R, N

Pile 2

Your reputation is someone who has to defend themselves often or who has a lot of competition, ur reputation is someone who’s really stable and it’s hard to knock you off your game. Your reputation is someone who is quick and always moves on to the next thing or you’re always switching things up, ur reputation is someone who is very logical and you don’t think with your heart. You’re reputation is someone who is unbiased and takes action instead of being stuck in their head, your reputation is someone who is independent, wealthy and grateful. Signs- libra, Gemini, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries. Initials- T, V, W, S

Pile 3

Your reputation is someone who may have not had a lot growing up so you work/manifest everything that you have, you’re seen as a master manifestor and someone who can move on from any tough situation. You’re seen as very adaptable, you’re reputation is someone who is very giving and you used to sacrifice alot but I see you changing that which is leading to a new beginning. You’re reputation is someone who is very loving/loveable, you’re seen as someone who needs to be careful about the people you hang around because people will try to take advantage of you. Your reputation is changing because you’re going through a transformation or you already have. Signs- Capricorn, libra, Sagittarius, cancer, Taurus. Initials- R, M, Y, V, O

Pile 4

You’re reputation is someone who is very caring and supportive, you help whenever you can and it’s hard for you to say no. You’re reputation is someone who is very honest/trustworthy, you have a very healing energy and people enjoy venting/talking to you. Your seen as very creative and you have alot of stamina, you’re seen as strong and as someone who went through alot. You may be seen as someone who doesn’t have alot of friends, ur reputation is that you work hard and you’re protective over the things you care about. Signs- cancer, Scorpios, Pisces, Sagittarius, Taurus. Initials- B, J, X, Z

Personal readings always available, please watch my 18+ pick a card reading on YouTube

[titanomachy-ttrpg]

TITANOMACHY: Dreams of the Hue | Omens 05 & 06

Art credit to the incredible Jonatan Anjos

Aqua/Marine | background: SALT OF THE EARTH | hustle: TRAUMA TEAMSTER | specialty: CYBOTEUR (L)

RUFUS | background: POSTHUMAN (MARIPOSA) | hustle: HAULER | specialty: CHARIOTEER (R)

Vroom-vroom, Omens, this world won't fell itself.

High-octane action is a centerpeice of TDoth, you are highly empowered individuals setting out to fundamentally change the world - we assume you have the proficiencies to do as such.

Omens move fast, and the Charioteer is the queen of keeping that speed assured. Rufus here has taken control of a truck from the hood using her BlackThumbs augs, plasma leashes giving her control of any vehicle she can get within a whip's length from. As well, her Chuggaway Mag-Boots keep her solidly (and stylishly) affixed to any metal surface.

Behind her, her Friend-in-the-Chair Aqua/Marine furiously types away on her Hardened Cyberdeck, assuring Aqua's safety on the highways they're precariously traveling.

These two are our first glimpses of Omens engaged in a Strike, the core structure of TDoth. Similar to Cyberpunk's Runs, Blades in the Dark's Heists and Wildsea's Voyages, Strikes are distinct missions with an end-goal of weakening a Titan's power one way or another. Many are high-energy, combat filled take-downs, and some are subtle social soirees simmering with explosive tension.

We got plenty more coming, including some devlogs from yours truly! I hope you can join us over on our playtest Discord, where we continuously refine and expand our playtest program to make this the best game it possibly can be.

As always, hope to see in there. We'd love to have you~

-Sillion

[blueiskewl]

Ancient Etruscan Tomb Discovered in Vulci, Italy

An intact tomb from the 6th century B.C. has been discovered in the Etruscan necropolis of Casale dell’Osteria in Vulci in Lazio, central Italy. The 2,500-year-old tomb is richly furnished with pottery and contains an incredibly rare final meal on a brazier.

Archaeologists with the Vulci Foundation made the discovery earlier this month when the excavation revealed two tufa stone slabs two feet wide and weighing 40 kilos (88 lbs) in place in front of the entrance to the tomb. The team used a crane to carefully remove the slabs and uncover the entrance. Inside, they found a chamber tomb with a rock-cut platform and an array of about 30 vessels, mostly black bucchero pottery, cups, glass unguentaria and amphorae, all intact and in impeccable condition.

On the right side of the chamber towards the entrance is a bronze brazier still containing the coals and the skewers that held the meat cooked for the final repast. The cinerary remains of the tomb’s owner were placed inside an olla — a squat, rounded pot commonly used by the Etruscans as containers for the entombment of cremated remains — on top of the rock-cut platform.

It is believed to be the tomb of a woman, based on the lack of weapons and on the presence of a spindle whorl. She must have been someone of significant wealth to afford so richly furnished a tomb.

Vulci was a prosperous Etruscan city-state 50 miles northwest of Rome. It was the birthplace of the legendary sixth king of Rome, Servius Tullius (r. 578-535 B.C.) and an important center of ceramic arts, metal mining and metal crafts. It was also a center of trade, purveying expensive imports of Greek pottery, balms and unguents from the east.

It was defeated by Rome in 280 B.C.; Roman forces took its coastal territory, cutting off Vulci’s access to the sea and strangling the maritime trade that had been so integral to its success. The city declined and was ultimately abandoned. No new town was ever built over it.

Part of it survived underground, however, in Vulci’s necropoli. Tens of thousands of tombs containing priceless artifacts from every day use objects to entire chariots and silver hands. An unpopulated area far from the prying eyes of any authorities with tons of unknown and unrecorded portable archaeological wealth made a perfect target for looters and over the decades Vulci has been re-sacked on a vast scale. The discovery of an intact, unlooted tomb with its contents complete and undamaged is therefore incredibly rare.

[still-not-over-transformers]

hey i saw that ur requests r open!!:)

i was wondering if u could write a general rotb mirage x fem (or gn ur choice!) human reader fluff oneshot? reader could be a lil antisocial n mirage is the only one that can help her feel better after a long day around people from work/school. i see a lot more mirage nsfw then fluff n i could use the comfort </3

Apologies for the delay, but finally finished your request. I hope it brings you the comfort I'm sure you both need and deserve <3

The Perfect Pick-me-up

ROTB Mirage x Female Human Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1500+

It had been an exhausting day for (Y/N). You had started your day by waking up at 5am, before heading to college to begin 8 hours of listening to lectures, taking notes, and struggling to find the will to live through this day. Despite multiple cups of coffee, you were absolutely drained of energy. The only thing that gave you the drive to push through was knowing you had a rendezvous with a certain Porsche that evening. Mirage had enough energy for the two of you, and it was hard to believe that he never seemed to get tired. The two of you had met a few months back...

*Flashback*

You had been walking home from an internet cafe a few blocks from your apartment, drained after working tirelessly on an essay. In your exhausted haze, you failed to notice a shifty stranger step out from the shadows, grabbing you by your shoulders and pressing a knife to your throat. Before the man could say or do anything else, the sound of engine-revving and tire-squealing pierced the night air. 

A silver and blue Porsche Carrera barreled down the street towards you and your assailant. At first it seemed as if the car would plow right through you, but instead it screeched to a halt and transformed into a tall blue robot. “Hey! Hands off the lady!” Mirage quickly approached you, causing the would-be mugger to run for the hills. “Yeah! That’s what I thought, tough guy!” Mirage glared in the direction of the mugger before turning his attention towards you, “You okay, sweetcheeks? That slimy jerk didn’t hurt ya, did he?” Mirage looked you over briefly with his vibrant blue optics, checking for any obvious injuries. “Well you look alright to me. Name’s Mirage by the way.” He flashed a cheeky grin and posed. “Oh um… my name’s (Y/N),” you stammered. “(Y/N)! That’s a great name. Suits you too.” He winked at you, “You uh… need a ride home? My treat.” 

*Back to Today*

Despite your exhaustion, you found the energy to make the trek back towards your home. You took the bus to your favorite internet cafe, the same one you had been walking back from the day you first met Mirage. You waited inside the cafe for a short while before hearing the familiar sounds of an engine revving and a series of horn honks. Exiting the building, you walked towards Mirage as he pulled up to the curb. The driver’s side door popped open, “Your chariot awaits, milady.” Mirage had a smug tone in his voice, clearly pleased with himself. You rolled your eyes before climbing inside the driver’s cab, the door closing behind you. Mirage started his engine before peeling out of the spot and heading onto the streets. 

“So how was school? Did you crush your statistics exam? Maybe cheated off someone else’s work? HA! Just kidding, I know you aced it on your own.” Mirage asked energetically, his mouth running a mile a minute. Don’t get it wrong, you enjoyed Mirage’s presence and enthusiasm, but you didn’t say much as you were simply burnt out from the day and weren’t feeling particularly chatty. After driving for a while, Mirage noticed how quiet you were and slowly pulled over on a quiet side street. “Hey (Y/N), are you feeling okay? I’m sorry if I kinda talked your ears off.” His voice was soft and full of concern. You paused and tried to shake any concern Mirage had, “Oh, no I’m fine. Sorry… I’m just a bit worn out from today.” 

Mirage had known you for a long time now, and even he knew when it was time to shut up and focus on your needs. “Heyyy don’t be sorry, (Y/N), you’ve had a hard day” the Autobot paused before an idea flashed through his mind, “I think I know the perfect pick-me-up.” Mirage restarted his engine and began driving. You weren’t quite sure what he had up his sleeve, but you knew Mirage always had the best intentions. The drive was quiet, Mirage merging onto the highway and driving towards a secluded area near the edge of the harbor. 

The sun was beginning to set over the water as Mirage came to a stop and parked. “Mirage, why did you bring me here?’ You asked, tired but still curious as to the Autobot’s intentions. “(Y/N), I know when you’ve had a stressful day. And I just wanted to take you somewhere nice and ya know… maybe just have a moment to ourselves,” Mirage spoke softly before opening the driver’s side door to allow you to exit. After you exited Mirage’s cab, he transformed into his Cybertronian form and slowly knelt in front of you, his bright blue optics leveling with yours. “You know I’m always down to listen to you, right? I know I may come off as 1.5 tons of sexy muscle, but I’ve got a soft spark too” he flashed a quick wink at you before noticing your body language, and reeled in the charismatic charm. Mirage sighed before turning his face away in embarrassment, “Sorry, (Y/N).” The Autobot shifts his frame to sit beside you, both of you facing the harbor and the view of the sun slowly sinking towards the water. 

You had wondered why Mirage had brought you to this location, hypothesizing it was probably the seclusion, being an area he could comfortably transform and not worry about being spotted by other humans. “It’s okay, Mirage. I can tell you’re just trying to cheer me up” you said with a tired but kind tone, “It’s just been a day and I’m burnt out” You sat on a patch of nearby grass and pulled your legs to your chest, looking down into nothingness. You were surprised at the sudden gentle touch of Mirage’s servo on your shoulder. Before you could turn to look at him, you felt yourself lifted slowly into the air, before finding yourself pulled against Mirage’s chest in a hug. 

Mirage’s arms cradled your small human body in his, drinking in your warmth against his metal chassis, “Sorry if I’m overstepping but I can tell you need this.” There were so many thoughts and emotions going through Mirage’s mind at that moment. He was overjoyed to have you all to himself and so close to him, but also had a pit in his gut that you would reject his attempts to comfort you. Primus, it would be so much easier if he could just punch whatever was making you feel so down. Mirage knew a lot about human pop culture and music, but the complicated social life and emotional tolls of everyday human life were a little harder for him to understand. He knew you didn’t have many friends and preferred to keep to yourself. It boosted Mirage’s ego to know that he was your closest friend, and both of you trusted each other completely. 

All of the Autobot’s thoughts ceased as he felt you press your cheek against his chassis, his optics growing wide as he looked down at you. “Thanks Mirage,” you spoke softly as you looked up into his optics. “It’s been a hard week. Midterms have been kicking my ass and I can’t stand this one group project. It’s just… not my thing, you know?” Mirage gently rubbed your back with one of his digits, “Hey, I get it. I’m not the best at working in a team either, as I tend to steal the spotlight.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle as Mirage’s had that charming, shit-eating grin on his face. “Why did you take us here anyway? Not that I’m complaining,” you asked, your eyebrow lifting inquisitively. Mirage slowly sat up, taking care to support you, holding you in one of his servos before setting you on his shoulder. The view before you was of the New York Harbor, the glow of the sunset reflecting off the water’s surface. The sky looked aflame with gradient tones of gold, orange, and deep crimson, and the colors shone through the tall outline of the city skyscrapers. 

“Honestly, I was driving through this area by mistake and then I saw this view… It was so stunning and vibrant and warm… and it reminded me of you.” Mirage’s expression was soft and kind of vulnerable, something not often observed of the usually confident Autobot mech. Mirage felt a surge of embarrassment and couldn’t meet your gaze, “Sorry, that must’ve sounded so cheesy…” The young mech froze when he felt you lean against him, settling your head in the crook of his neck. “No, it was cute” you said softly, a content smile playing on your lips. Mirage’s expression softened and a smile crept back to his face, “Well then, I’ll try to come up with more cheesy compliments from here on out.” 

The two of you sat there watching the glow of the sunset as time went by. Few words were said after this point, but they weren’t needed. Just sharing each other’s company spoke volumes…

*End*

Again, so sorry for the delay. I truly hope this brings you comfort and joy. :)

[chariots-r-us]

[qbdatabase]

do you have rec for queer books written & published before the 1980s? the older the better.

If you also want to see genre and what kind of rep (mlm, wlw, trans, etc), you can use the fiction database on my blog, sort by year, and see more info on each book!

Queer Fiction, 1870s - 1980

Carmilla by Le Fanu, J. Sheridan

Orlando by Woolf, Virgina

The Well of Loneliness by Hall, Radclyffe

Nightwood by Barnes, Djuna

Olivia by Strachey, Dorothy

The Price of Salt by Highsmith, Patricia

The Charioteer by Renault, Mary

Giovanni's Room by Baldwin, James

Another Country by Baldwin, James

City of Night by Rechy, John

A Single Man by Isherwood, Christopher

The Power of the Dog by Savage, Thomas

Patience & Sarah by Miller, Isabel

The Left Hand of Darkness by Le Guin, Ursula K.

Fadeout by Hansen, Joseph

Maurice by Forster, E. M.

William's Doll by Zolotow, Charlotte

Rubyfruit Jungle by Brown, Rita Mae

Death Claims by Hansen, Joseph

Dhalgren by Delany, Samuel R.

Troublemaker by Hansen, Joseph

They: A Sequence of Unease by Dick, Kay

The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of by Hansen, Joseph

Tales of the City by Maupin, Armistead

Skinflick by Hansen, Joseph

Wild Seed by Butler, Octavia E.

[oolathurman]

Space Shanty, Mandalorian Edition

Just cuz I've been working on a mandosona who likes shanties! I'll try to provide notes and translations beside the phrase of interest, so y'all don't have to scroll up and down too much.

This is to the tune of A Drop of Nelson's Blood / Roll The Old Chariot Along.

"And we'll roll the old chariot along" has been replaced with "And we'll all march to-wards to the stars."

In addition, "And we'll all hang on behind" has been replaced with "Gal ori'skraan, riduur, yaim dab." (The phrase refers to R&R, and literally translates to "Beer, big eats, good company and return to camp." I've shortened "dab'ika" to "dab," since that can be interpreted as one's current place of stay or rest.)

Common verses:

And a drop of net'ra gal, wouldn't do us any harm // Net'ra gal, a black ale.

And a drop of spiced tihaar, wouldn't do us any harm // Tihaar, a strong clear alcoholic spirit.

And a game of meshgeroya, wouldn't do us any harm // Meshgeroya, a Mandalorian game.

And a plate of tiingilar, would fill us up real good // Tiingilar, a spicy mandalorian casserole, dish made from leftovers.

It'd be alright if we make it 'round Krownest // Krownest, ancestral home of Clan Wren

It'd be alright if the Void of Blue eats us // Void of Blue, a reference to the lights of hyperspace

And a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm

And a moment of aay'han, wouldn't do us any harm // Aay'han, bittersweet perfect moment of mourning and joy - remembering and celebrating.

And rolling with our vod, wouldn't do us any harm // Rolling, in this case used as innuendo or as a suggestive comment. Vod as in, sibling, brother, sister; comrade, close mate. In this case, the latter 'comrade/close mate' is used.

And a night planetside, wouldn't do us any harm

And a big ol' ori'skraan, wouldn't do us any harm // ori'skraan, a feast.

What I love about a shanty like Nelson's Blood is the ability to easily make up verses on the fly, and I imagine that whoever starts the song would encourage others to throw in random verses as the song goes on. What verse would you add? :D

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group H, Round 4, Poll 1:

Propaganda under the cut

Odysseus

literally the EPITOME of these. ive read the odyssey and i will tell u it is literally just him making up a new elaborate fake identity for like every single person he meets. even his own father and wife 😭😭 just for funsies or what idek. he literally does not tell anyone anything gatekeeping any and every gifts + knowledge the gods are given. im not joking his story is basically 90% this malewife just gaslighting people and gatekeeping stuff the gods tell him AND FINALLY FOR THE GIRLBOSS he sees the guys whove been essentially harassing his wife for like 10 years and just??? shoots all of them with arrows?? and he does it in STYLE too he comes as a beggar then the suitors r all trying to use odysseus's bow (they cant) and hes like oh i may just be a beggar but. let me try. and then uses it and instantly shoots someone in the head GIRLBOSS

Medea

Her husband divorced her so to get back at him she burned his new bride alive, murdered her own children and casually escaped justice in a chariot pulled by dragons and *made from the sun.* She is iconic and I love her.

propaganda from @apollosgiftofprophecy

Princess with Phenomenal Cosmic Powers, granddaughter of the Titan of the Sun, Helios, and Priestess of Hecate, the literal Goddess of MagicStarts out a classic fairy tale (with a few murders in the mix for flavor)Jason (the man/husband she sacrificed EVERYTHING for) thought it would be totally alright to cheat on his sorceress wife with some princess and - double whammy - he planned to keep Medea as his mistress after he married this random princess!When she confronts him, he shows his true colors as a world-class bastard and she reminds him that he's only still alive, and only completed his quest for the Golden Fleece, because of her. (WHICH IS TRUE)To get back at him, Medea orchestrates the death of said princess (and indirectly the king's too, whoopsies :) ) by sending a beautiful dress for her that was laced with poison that caused the princess to catch on fire, and also killed whoever touched her (the king)She then murders her and Jason's two kids (after some emotional dilemma because she actually cares about them while Jason Does Not) and exits the kingdom In Style - how? Like this:Rises into the air on a golden chariot pulled by dragons given to her by Helios When Jason says the gods with avenge him, she tells him "lol, good luck with that oathbreaker!" and flies off into the night Like A Bossa little more context here: Jason's godly patron was Hera, the literal goddess of family and marriage. And he was going to abandon his children and break his vows to Medea.Also, she never is punished for any of this stuff, meaning her actions have the (reluctant :) always good to be morally gray) approval of the gods. She's one of the only nuanced female characters in Greek Mythology, and by god is she interestingThis, my friends, is why Medea is the ultimate Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss.

[jerzwriter]

Three months after the chemical attack at Edenbrook, Tobias asks his friend, Casey, to join him on a trip back to his hometown of Washington, DC. It's turned into a bit of a competition about whose city does Christmas best, and both are determined to win. In part two, join Tobas & Casey on their journey from Boston to the Nation's Capitol.

Book: Open Heart Characters: Tobias Carrick & Casey MacTavish (F!MC) Sienna, Aurora, Jackie (Briefly) Rating: Teen Words: 1,060 A/N: This is an altered version of a fic I wrote in 2022... but as I'm finally filling in the gaps of my Tobias/Casey headcanon, I needed to make some changes. If you're following the HC, this story would take place after Part One: A Proposition. Parts Two and Three will be the second and final leg of their trip. I originally posted it as one ridiculously long fic, and that was just crazy stuff. lol I'm also in the process of updating my Tobias/Casey masterlist to make this a little less confusing... for me, more than you! lol. Thanks to anyone who checks this out!

Series Masterlist | Tobias x Casey Masterlist Masterlist

Sienna’s brow was furrowed as she watched Casey close her suitcase. 

“You’re sure you’re OK with this?” she asked.

“Yes, Sienna. For the third time, I’m fine. Tobias got a suite so we can each have our own room, and… I trust him.  He’s done nothing but help me since… well… you know.”

Sienna plopped on the bed with a sigh. “I guess if you’re OK with this, then suppose I should be as well.”

“You think?” Aurora asked from the doorway. “Si, I understand being worried. But this is a good thing!” She turned to Casey with an approving grin. “I mean, look at you! Going away for a couple days – you’ve come so far, and I’m proud of you. Plus, I know you’re in good hands with T. Uh, I mean, not that you will be in his hands.  Unless you want to be, and no judgment from me if you do, that’s just not what I meant.”

“I know what you meant,” Casey smiled.  “And you’re right. I will be in good hands.  He… he really cares about me, and he’s proven that.”

“I have to admit, he has.” Sienna conceded, “But I’m still making it clear that he better treat you well before you leave. If anything goes wrong, I will hold him accountable.”

“Don’t worry, Sienna,” Casey laughed. “Neither of us would expect anything less.”

The doorbell rang and Casey immediately grabbed her coat and hat. Flushed with excitement, she had to admit, this was the first time she had looked forward to something since the attack, and it felt good.

“Hey!” Tobias lit up the moment he saw her, taking the wattage down when he saw Sienna looking on sternly from behind. “Good to see you, too, Si.” he winked. He went to pick up Casey's sole suitcase and turned to her with astonishment.

“One bag? That’s it?”

“Yeah,” she shrugged. “It’s just a few days... unless you’re planning on kidnapping me?”

“Nah, I’ll have you back right on time. But you have to understand, I grew up with a mom that packed four bags for a weekender. So forgive me if I find this remarkable.”

“Four bags for a weekend?” Casey gasped.

“Yeah, she’s a bit high maintenance. If you ever meet her, you’ll understand.”

“What do you mean?” Aurora teased. “You’re not introducing her while you’re in DC?”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Tobias shot back. “I love my Ma, but she can be... a lot. Besides, she’d probably be working on an engagement invitation within an hour. No way would she believe we’re just friends.”

A soft blush settled on Casey’s cheeks, but her friends wouldn’t let this opportunity pass.

“Yeah,” Jackie yelled from the couch. “Most of us call bullshit on that one.”

“Jackie!” Casey reprimanded, but Aurora supportively tapped her friend's shoulder.

“Ignore her. You two should get going; if you leave now, you’ll avoid rush hour traffic.”

“That’s the plan,” Tobias said, lifting Casey's bag. “All set, MacTavish?”

“All set!”

“Then let’s go! Your chariot awaits!”

~~~~~

The decision to fly was nixed in favor of driving. They both loved road trips, and neither regretted the choice. The ride was punctuated with pleasant conversations, Christmas music, a couple of stops to partake in local delicacies, and even an impromptu snowball fight at a rest stop in Maryland.  When they arrived at their suite, they were so tuckered out there was little more to do than wash up and head to bed.  After all, they had a big day waiting for them.

They were up bright and early to enjoy the Willard InterContinental’s breakfast buffet.  Casey eyed the opulent surroundings and nervously looked over her attire. This definitely wasn’t the Holiday Inns she was used to, and she felt a little out of her league.  But her trepidation melted away when Tobias returned to the table, his plate stacked with food.

“Trying to get a lot of sustenance in,” she laughed.

“You better believe it! I have quite an itinerary planned. We’re walking the Mall. I have a checklist of all the museums we want to see. I need fuel. Are you sure you had enough?”

“I’ve had plenty,” she rubbed her stomach with delight. “And it was delicious.”

Sitting back in her chair, she watched Tobias scoff down his food, but he noticed immediately when a bit of discomfort encroached upon her happy mood.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“I just… this place and all, it’s a little more than I’m used to. I feel like I’m out of my element. And it had to cost a fortune. I don’t like that you had to take on such an expense.”

With a tender expression, he instinctively reached over and placed his hand atop hers, then flinched when he realized he may have crossed a line. He gave a squeeze, then quickly retreated.

“This is as much for me as it is for you.  It’s been a long time since I treated myself, and it’s been a long time since I gave a damn about the holidays at all. So let’s just enjoy it.”

“I’ll try.”

“Come on,” he said, scooping the last bite of food from his dish. “Let’s get going. We have a long day ahead.”

He gave Casey a full tour around the city, only to learn that she had been there several times before, though never during this time of year.  As a history buff, she spent an inordinate amount of time at each monument, and Tobias did his best to ignore that he was freezing. After all, the look of delight on her face was worth a tiny bit of frostbite. He soon figured out how to work museum stops to allow a chance to defrost, but that was all undone when they reached Capitol Hill. There was enough snow on the ground to partake in a sleigh ride, and neither was about to pass up on that opportunity. Throughout the day, they had seen just about every Christmas tree in town, but as night fell, they approached the Capitol tree, the most impressive of them all.

“So, what do you think?” He asked boastfully.

“I mean, it’s nice,” Casey half-shrugged. “Very nice, even.”

“But?”

“You’ll see when we get to Philly,” she grinned. “You’ll see.”

“Wow! You’re a tough customer. Are you saying today hasn’t been magical?”

“I said no such thing!” She smiled, her face lit up by a million little lights twinkling on the tree, Tobias was sure this was the most magical moment of all.

“It’s been amazing.  But let’s see what tomorrow holds.”

Next Stop: Philadelphia.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Like last time, just tagging some Tobias stans @alj4890 @kyra75 @coffeeheartaddict2 @brycesgirl @icecoffee90 @storyofmychoices