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canary3d-obsessed · 4 years

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Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 05 (second part)

(Masterpost) (Continued from Episode 05 first part, over here)

Breaking News: Zewu-Jun Continues to be Handsome

Just. Look at that man.

Water Ghost Field Trip

Lans Xichen and Wangji are going ghost hunting and the Yunmeng boys want in. For a simple "can we come?" conversation, a whole lot happens here. Lan Wangji uses his mouth to say he definitely does not want these boys to come while using the rest of his face to secretly beg his brother to invite them.

Corporate recruiter Wei Wuxian advocates for Wen Qing, talking up her skills, and then does the same for Wen Ning. He pays careful attention to what everyone is good at, and advocates specifically based on their abilities. While Wen Ning makes heart eyes at him.

That’s my future dark master

Wei Wuxian also promises to protect Wen Ning, which he ultimately does for the rest of his first life. Wen Qing gives both Jiang boys a genuine sweet smile, and dismantles another anti-WWX ward or two, while still being very protective of her brother's secret.

Lan Xichen says yes to everybody. Lan Xichen is that indulgent elder sibling who's just a bit too old to play with you after school, but will take you to the park when he isn't too busy with varsity and debate club. [OP mentally hugs her third older brother]

Back at the Inn

Fastidious local boy dislikes dust; plans to build house on corpse pile

They get to town and Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian check into a room together. LAN XICHEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Each of these boys came to this town with his own brother, but they are rooming together, how did this even happen?

(more after the cut)

Does this mean Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng are rooming together? and if so are they going to have a hot but ultimately meaningless one-night stand while each pines for the person they truly desire?

Wen Qing is rooming with her own brother, and the other hot girl cultivators stayed back in Gusu. Wen Qing never catches a break.

The innkeeper tells the Hardy Boys cultivators that there’s a shark ghosts in the lake and they’re going to have to close the beaches in the middle of July, oh dear.

Lan Wangji takes a lingering look at one of the beds and then goes to sit at the desk. Wei Wuxian tries to chat with him, fails, and goes and lies down on the bed. They’re not quite getting along yet but they’re moving in that direction, like when you bring a shelter cat home and introduce it to your established cat. Wei Wuxian is obviously the stray tabby in this metaphor, while Lan Wangji is one of those stuck-up Blue Russians.

Physically they are setting the template for many of their future domestic interactions, in which in which Lan Wangji meditates or plays guqin at his desk while Wei Wuxian lays in bed recovering from his latest physical or spiritual injury.

Walk from Dock to Dock

Instead of taking a boat from the dock directly outside the inn, the cultivators walk through a bunch of random countryside. How does anyone around here sell their fish, if the lake isn’t next to the town?

Wei Wuxian chats with Lan Xichen, laying out his case for why all the recent weirdness is connected. Lan Wangji, who has been shut out of his brother’s thinking on all of this, listens super carefully. Lan Xichen straight up lies and says “nuh-uh” and then walks faster to get away, so Wei Wuxian tries grilling Lan Wangji instead.

At this point WWX reveals that he, terrifyingly, shares Lan Xichen’s ability to tell what Lan Wangji is thinking by looking at his face.

Lan Wangji distracts him by pouring out his wine. This isn't LWJ being puritanical; he's escaping from the conversation by using the power of pettiness.

This works perfectly, getting Wei Wuxian to completely drop the subject and allowing Lan Wangji to make a run for it.

Note: Lan Wangji may have just now made up the “No Liquor on Night Hunts” rule, because Wei Wuxian asks him “why don’t I know that?” and if anyone knows Lan Clan rules at this point, it’s Wei Wuxian.

R-A-G-G M-O-P-P Rag Mop

They take a bunch of boats and all stand in the middles of the boats while they use magic, presumably, to move the boats and also to keep from falling the fuck over because you're not supposed to stand up in a boat, assholes.

Cue JAWS music.

Wei Wuxian cleverly spots a rag mop on Lan Wangji’s boat. I would like to know where the Department of Dubious Effects sources their goddamn nerve, because we are in Classic Doctor Who territory with these mop monsters.

Wei Wuxian is out here being impressive, and Lan Wangji is doing his good goddamnest to not be impressed, and to be a sulky bitch while he's at it. He rejects Wei Wuxian’s explanation for why he splashed water on his boat, and rejects this friendly shoulder bump, telling Wei Wuxian to stay away from him.

Look at how Wei Wuxian reacts to that. He is dangerously close to being done with Lan Wangji’s bullshit.

He is opening the fight playbook here. He takes a big ol’ step over the boundary that Lan Wangji just set, which means the first phase has begun.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the not-at-all suggestive framing and prop placement in that shot.

Lan Xichen is amused at these two extremely deadly extremely horny youngsters getting ready to kill and/or make out with each other.

Suibian

Before this can turn into a fight, the water mops start attacking and Wei Wuxian gets to show off his sword skills.

Wei Wuxian’s crazy high level of cultivation always makes Lan Wangji weak in the knees, which is part of why it’s so distressing for LWJ when WWX gives up the sword during the Sunshot campaign. Cultivation is the heart of their romance, and while Dark Wei Ying is also a high-level cultivator, Lan Wangji isn’t ready to share his narrow path until much later.

Lan Wangji is impressed enough to ask Wei Wuxian about his sword, and is rewarded with the most Wei Wuxian answer ever, as he explains why he named his sword “Whatever.”

The important relationship being shown in this moment is not Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, but Wei Wuxian and Suibian. You can see how he loves it and it's like he's talking about his pet.

And it loves him back, as we later learn. This comfortable symbiosis is part of what he gives up when he sacrifices his core.

Jiang Cheng gets injured by a seaweed mop and Dr. Wen hops over to help him and look at his leg, leaving Wen Ning alone in his boat. This doesn't actually cause a problem for Wen Ning because he's a very strong cultivator.

Later, as the Ghost General, he's more formidable than any other fierce corpse out there, and he is harder for Xue Yang to control than Song Lan is. Which means he’s right now he’s probably one of the more powerful cultivators of his generation in spite of his youth and his wandering-soul problem.

Dance of the Water Ghosts

Now things start to get dicey. Wen Ning notices the color of the water is wrong and Lan Wangji correctly deduces what the water ghosts are doing. Then Wei Wuxian correctly identifies the water demon. As a corporate teambuilding exercise this is going very well, but as a night hunt it is maybe a little more dangerous than expected.

Lan Wangji says everyone needs to ride their swords and all of the actors fling their arms out in a T and pretend they’re not just standing there in front of the camera. It’s so fucking ridiculous I can’t even.

However, it’s even worse when they show them standing on the swords. It’s SO MUCH WORSE when they show them standing on the swords.

Back to Corporate Strengths Finder 2.0: Su She has no strengths, just weaknesses. Instead of riding his sword he wants to take one last swipe at a rag mop. He sends his sword into the water and it loses its bluetooth connection and he can't get it to come back out.

The entire group of Lan clan disciples hop up into the air on their swords and not one of them tries to help Su She, which is hilarious.

Sweet baby Wen Ning, however, being a good lad, does go help him, and gets possessed, oops.

Wei Wuxian grabs Wen Ning and flinches when he sees his white eyes, but hangs on to him.

When Lan Wangji sees that Wei Wuxian is in danger he makes this face and goes and grabs him and Su She.

A hilarious midair conversation ensues, along with some relationship negotiation. Wangji is touch starved and aims to keep it that way. At least in public.

Lan Xichen fires up the battle flute and seals the water demon and oh my god how is he so elegant and beautiful?

What’s Wrong With The Baby

Wei Wuxian back at the Inn is checking on Wen Ning in a genuinely concerned way, having basically signed on as a co-elder sibling at this point, sensing that Wen Ning is broken. Wei Wuxian is friendly with everybody but he's particularly protective of anyone who's hurt.

Wen Qing shows up and tells him quite directly to get the fuck out, but he surprises her by understanding what's up with Wen Ning and making it clear that he's on her side as far as care for Wen Ning goes, while he still knows that she's up to something.

Giving Gifts to Girls, Yunmeng Brothers Style

Wei Wuxian: I deduced that your beloved brother has no personal firewall and can be possessed easily in spite of his high cultivation level, so I used my expertise to make a special talisman that can protect him from invasion by hostile entities. Here, even if you and I are sorta enemies I want him to have this. Also I’m going to throw in a casual acknowledgement of your professional expertise.

Jiang Cheng: I bought you a comb

Squeeze This

Wei Wuxian tosses an approximately testicle-sized loquat fruit to Lan Wangji and Lan Wangji catches it without looking, and an ENORMOUS romantic music cue swells up.

Then he rejects it and throws it back. He doesn't, of course, just avoid catching it in the first place because that wouldn’t be elegant and pointed enough. In a later episode, when they begin travelling together, Wei Wuxian will announce his presence in this same way, throwing a loquat fruit at to Lan Wangji, who will catch it and keep it.

Wei Wuxian tosses the rejected loquat over to Jiang Cheng, who catches it, not realizing he is going to be Wei Wuxian’s second choice man in every instance from this point onward.

Outtro

Soundtrack

Jaws music obvs

WuJi aka Wanxian which is playing constantly when they are in the library, presumably this is the sound in LWJ’s head

Lookin’ Out My Back Door by CCR

Nothing, from A Chorus Line

Rag Mop by the Ames Brothers (warning before you google it: this will give you a permanent earworm)

Writing prompt: Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng explore Gusu while WWX is stuck in the library

Restless Rewatch Episode 06 is here!

#fytheuntamed #the untamed #the untamed gifs #the untamed memes #wangxian #chen qing ling #the untamed spoilers #the untamed stills #restless rewatch #canary3d-original #restless rewatch the untamed #wei wuxian #wen qing #lan xichen #lan wangji #my gifs #cql not mzds but mzds is good too

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imthepunchlord · 3 years

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You mentioned that the bee would be creation in your own take on ml. Would their still be tiers and counterparts? Could you maybe talk about your own version, I know you’ve mentioned some aus before but what would be your ultimate and ideal take on the miraculous?

In a sense? Ish?

Honestly, I don't have tiers and counterparts down yet, or if I'll even do so. I am like, the worst at making decisions and just constantly go back and forth on stuff. My buddies can confirm as they've had to listen to be busting in to dump lore ideas on them which I will proceed to then change like a few weeks to a month later.

But ok, my ideal... putting this under cut as this is a big headcanon lore dump.

My ideal is that there are a lot of existing miraculous, but not the hundreds that canon is setting up. As of right now, I have 40 that exist (which does include the canon 19 in the show, which Dragon being changed to Lizard).

All miraculous have 5 powers, though those that are the most powerful have 7. The most powerful (as of current mindset) are those that have the most presence/significance worldwide. Of canon, this elevates: Cat, Butterfly, Fox, Bee, Turtle, Peafowl, Snake, Horse, and Dog. Lion, Deer, and Raptor are the elevated OC miraculi. In kwami society, the most powerful (known as Overseers) aren't treated all that differently though they're regarded with a little more respect, though it can vary depending on the kwami (Plagg doesn't act like a leader and isn't interested in being one, so is treated like any other kwami. Though there are some who are bothered that Plagg is an Overseer). At most, Overseers are expected to intervene with discourse between kwamis, as not all kwamis get along and step as leaders when needed (not that it happens with all Overseers).

In terms of origin, no one knows who actually made the miraculi or when. And kwamis themselves don't know either. From what's gathered from kwamis who barely remember anything of their early years, it is believed that kwamis started out as little toys or golems, and they were initially tools to fight against magic and other people; it is believed that the more kwamis spent time with humans, the more they started to grow mentally and emotionally, becoming their own beings with their own views and feelings. Kwamis were the ones to even pick their own names and gender pronouns, which has changed depending on where they are right now.

As for when, some Guardians thought it was around the time of Mesopotamia, and some think they were established in the lost Atlantis. Kwamis just can't confirm any of it. It's just too early in history for them to recall.

While kwamis have no recollection of their early years, they instinctively know the Laws of the Creators.

Kwamis are to assist humanity.

Kwamis do not hurt humans.

Kwamis have a right to not share anything with someone they believe has ill intentions.

Kwmais have a right to defend the worn miraculous if they choose, or allow it to be taken or influenced.

Kwamis are never allowed to use their power to clash with one another.

Guardians and the Orders actually came later in the miraculous life. They were initially made by mirauclous users and those who knew of them and started out with good intentions of keeping track of miraculi and securing that they went into good hands as originally, miraculous came into people's hands at random or through inheritence. It started to fall from grace as humans become more controlling and started to see these miraculous as tools to serve them. Some made Orders to be clan exclusive, some wanted to use them as a means to control governments from the shadows, some to push their religion and crusades, and some wanted to keep them to themselves exclusively. There were even secret wars fought to decide on what miraculous belongs with who or where in the world. Guardians are also the ones who will group miraculi together into themes, from elements to zodiacs to ect. This desire to group them up led to some of these wars as they wanted specific animals there.

Guardians also wanted more obedience like the djinns and figured out how to tweak miraculous to get kwamsi to be more serviceable to the wearer. Thankfully, the magic of the Creators was strong enough that kwamis didn't have to be fully obedient to their wearers and can still pick what information or powers to share.

Kwami views on the Orders vary, though all agree that they don't care for where it went. Some still think its a good idea but needs changes that incorporates them more while others don't want them to exist anymore and go back to the old ways of getting around, through being carried and picked up by people. Even more so that thanks to the Order, kwamis can't entirely do other things as they used to.

Pollen can't drift around in the world and help plants grow with her mere presence and offer guidance to those who have passed.

Plagg can't go out during the witching hour to hang out with lingering spirits and have fun with the magic that grows under the moonlight.

Duusu hasn't been able to go out and perform healing miracles as she used to, or help bring peace to someone's spirit/subconscious when they have bad dreams.

Orders have eventually fallen, either through their wars or outside forces. The few surviving even whisper the Catastrophe where its believed a kwami intentionally used their power to destroy an Order that they were at, rumored to be Camelot where Elder Merlin oversaw it. But there is no confirmation of this to be found.

Through the Orders and their multiple interactions with a variety of humans, kwami views on humans have come to vary. The majority like to keep an open mind and want to be on good terms with humans they come across, some have become skeptical and mistrustful of humans they come across, and some are a mixture, giving humans a wary eye as they're secretly evaluated. Kwmai interactions with humans vary as well. Some will be very upfront with humans and engaging or detached, others will be misleading and manipulative. While they were made to be advisers, guides, and protectors of humanity, as its not a Law to obey to embrace all of humanity, kwami relations with a human will vary. Some will treat the bind as a business and formality, and some want to be engaging as a mentor, guide, or friend. And some want to string humans along and play them like puppets, especially if they don't like the human they're with or find that they're easily led and will guide the human along to grow. At the core, all kwamis stand for the greater good of all though some can have a grey morality and a wary/dark view on humans.

Certain humans though do have a certain "pull" that will draw kwamis towards them. Most humans draw in one or a very small few. There are cases where a human is able to match with many. Guardians typically find that this is only one human that comes to exist at a time. Depending on where, thus human is referred to as the avatar, the chosen one, or the prodigy. They unique draw in and work with a wide variety of kwamis, and many can't help but connect with these individuals. Some Guardians even believe that this is one of the Creators reborn, going though a cycle of rebirth to secure that they will always be there for their creations. Guardians are always on the look out for this individual as they'd prefer to raise/influence them.

In instances where more than one kwami, is drawn to a human, it varies on how the kwamis respond. Some don't mind sharing, some it depends on who the other kwami is, and some don't like sharing at all.

On matters of romance, all kwamis are aroace and they all have their own views on love. Some don't get it and aren't interested, some view it as a form of entertainment and like to watch the drama unfold, and some want to genuinely help humans find happiness and work off what they've observed with previous users to offer advise on matters.

#ask Punchie #long post #miraculous lore #miraculous headcanons #Punchie writes #lore dump #kwami lore #a lot of this can end up changed to #just knowing me anyway

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whitelotus-ffxiv · 3 years

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you’re my celebrity.

[[ tagging @benes-diction / @sirenofthesea-xiv for mentions of her characters! I FINALLY WROTE IT, JONESY. I DID IT. ]]

I try to stop myself from gawping like one of the guards when I look over the lagoon once the water breaks, the sun shimmering off of the surface...

And off the rivulets rolling down the neck, arm, shoulders, and chest of Lady Lian Hua. Her slender hands reach up and smooth her hair back from her face as she tilts her elegant neck backwards, tilted up towards the light like the flower that she is. Other servants hurry forward to offer her towels, or changes of clothes, but she shakes her head and urges them to fuss over someone else.

“Ning,” one of the others hisses in my ear when she notes that I haven’t moved, and I jump a little, almost dropping the towel I had in my own hands. “Stop staring, won’t you? You think the prince won’t have your head just because you’re a girl?”

Of course. Of course, I shouldn’t stare at Lady Lian Hua. She’s not an object. She doesn’t swim for us to ogle. She’s the prince’s lover. There are many reasons to not stare, but...

Kami help me, she’s so beautiful that I don’t know if I want her of if I want to be her, to be honest.

Lots of people in the palace are afraid of Lian Hua, and I get it. Everything about her is intimidating. Even though she’s short, she walks as tall as the prince or his bodyguards. Her eyes are sharp and often hard, and the angles of her face aren’t soft. Lian Hua’s jaw is shaped like a V, and her cheekbones are high, and even her eyes and lips seem to end in sharp lines. Maybe that’s why she’s so difficult to ignore, though. In a palace filled with women that have features that are gentle more often than not, Lian Hua sticks out.

If one didn’t know better, they might even mistake her for one of the Amari clan by blood, with the way that her scales shimmer like the insides of shells and with the way she carries herself - dignified, and serious, and elegant... But oh, when she smiles - when she smiles, it could melt even the thickest, heaviest winter snow.

When Lian Hua smiles, it crinkles up the corners of her eyes, and her cheeks turn round in a way that you wouldn’t expect. Her whole face softens. When she laughs - on the rare occasions she laughs around the servants - it’s better than windchimes or music. It warms you right down to your core.

And when Lian Hua is angry, when her lagoon blue eyes with their tinges of green flash, when her elegant brow draws together and her trained hands reach for her sword, it warms me in a different way. Once upon a time, I was very afraid of an angry Lian Hua. Being in Princess Aoi’s personal entourage of servants, though, has taught me that it takes a lot to get her bodyguard’s ire directed at one of us.

We just get to see her being strong and to live in awe of it. There’s not a danger that she won’t face, sometimes even with a smirk on her lips. She plunges into the lagoon while the Amari family sleeps, knowing all the stories that surround the water - having been present to see girls fished out of its depths or off of its surface. When you watch her walk, you know - you know that Lian Hua isn’t afraid of anything. She walks with her back straight and her head high.

Of course, we all knew that she wasn’t afraid of anything the day she jumped in to save the prince against a fight that wasn’t fair before she had even been here for a sennight. That’s what she does. She protects. She protects all of us, no matter the cost. But she’s no fool. Even if her actions seem reckless to outsiders, those who know her know that every single one of her movements is calculated. She can think on her toes. Lian Hua is brilliant, observant, and intuitive, made of fire and ice in equal parts.

It was with her head still held high that I remember watching the Jade Lord’s personal guards escort her from her room, eyes trained forward and jaw set. From the dungeons, we didn’t hear her even whimper, let alone scream or beg for mercy, for the pain to stop, even as we heard the sound of the whip lashing against her delicate back.

And when she came back, it was with the help of one of the prince’s bodyguards, but you could see that she was walking as tall as she physically could - tall and proud and undefeated.

Some of the older servants think she’s too prideful. And I know that plenty of the guards believe that Lian Hua slept her way to the top and now is much too big for her britches. They don’t like seeing a woman with power. They don’t like knowing that a young, small woman gets to say whether they wake up the next day or not. And they don’t like that they don’t get to touch her. All around the palace, you hear murmurs from those that just want a night with Lady Lian Hua. As many people that envy Lian Hua for her closeness with the Jade Prince now envy the prince for his closeness with Lian Hua.

Lian Hua walked into this cursed and rotting place and stayed by choice to protect the people within it, when she could have run many times. She knows how to escape. She’s disappeared for days at a time before. She has freedom to move that many of us don’t - her own money, her own connections, but... she stays. She stays, and stays, and stays.

There have been nights where she allows herself to loosen up a little bit with some of the older servant girls or with the prince, and I cherish those memories, of watching her sip sake and relax, when her smiles come quicker and easier. I cherish the times she laughs and laughs and laughs in her beautiful silk hanfu, or in those clothes that look more like they come from the West that she favors sometimes - and kami help me...

Lian Hua looks graceful and elegant and powerful in traditional dress, but I think we all act a little bit like a fool when she comes in wearing something that shows off her long, powerful legs, her collarbones, that clings to her curves.

There was one evening where the Jade Lord was particularly busy, and everyone felt especially at ease. And, scantily clad, Lian Hua was laughing and joking with the servant girls. I remember watching her dance, but not like how I was ever taught or how we’d seen her dance before - traditionally, demure, powerful but elegant. Her hips swiveled and swayed with a glass in her hand, her long hair loose and shining and rippling down her black while fabric hugged her bare thighs, with a shirt that was cut off to show off her flat stomach.

“You have to know how to dance like this if you ever head out to the West - or Kugane,” she had told us, grinning, as we all watched with wide eyes. “The fan dances aren’t going to cut it.”

And I remember Princess Aoi going wide-eyed and asking the Jade Prince if she could dress and dance like that and getting immediately told ‘no,’ even as he watched Lian Hua with extremely thinly veiled lust before whisking his lover away to his own chambers.

Between the Jade Prince and Lian Hua, I don’t know who I’m more jealous of. They’re both so beautiful and intimidating and confident and I wouldn’t complain if either of them wanted to step on me and order me around.

As Lian Hua emerges from the water and onto the dock, still dripping wet with water from the lagoon, her eyes lock with mine. I swallow thickly again as she starts towards me, forcing my gaze to stay on her face and not stray any further.

“Thank you,” she says, her voice soft as she takes the towel I hold out to her, too dumbstruck to say a word. Her eyes focus on my face for a long moment, dark brows raised just slightly, before her lips quirk in a small smirk. “Cat got your tongue, Ning?”

Ning.

Oh, kami, she remembers my name?

“I’m sorry,” I say, bowing quickly as she squeezes out her hair, and I bite back a groan as I’m met with the sight of her thick thighs. She doesn’t wear modest swimwear. She wears what looks like smallclothes, just... black and tied at the hips with thin string.

“Don’t be sorry... Ah. You brought the green tea?” Lian Hua continues, looking to the small table loaded down with snacks for her and her little entourage of the prince’s bodyguards, their families, and Princess Aoi, with the Jade Prince preoccupied with other tasks that day.

“Yes-- yes, I did, Lady Lian Hua!” I manage, straightening back up to look at her with wide eyes. “It’s your favorite type, too -- from Haishan.”

“Very good. Thank you.” Lian Hua pauses, watching my face, before she smiles again and reaches out to gently pet my hair. “You did well, Ning. Go on and relax now with the other girls, hm?”

It feels like my brain has completely shut down as soon as her hand touches my head, as soon as she pets my hair, as soon as she looks at me with eyes that are not hard or severe, but gentle. She looks at me gently, and focuses on just me, and I know -- I know that she’s closest to Ume and Anh, although still kind to the rest of us and that most of us all live in awe of her, but this is one of the first times we’ve really had an individual interaction, just the two of us, and--...

“Are you hot?” Lian Hua’s smile fades into a concerned frown. “Your face is bright red. Go on, get out of the sun, Ning.”

Would it be strange to ask her to sign something I own? It’s not like she’s from an idol group or a celebrity, but she is worldly - and otherworldly, too - and experienced, and I wonder if she knows how to touch. I wonder, briefly, how she likes to be touched. How much of the world has she seen? How much experience has she had? My heart is racing so fast, and I know ethereal, smart, terrifying, brave Lian Hua is waiting for an answer because she’s worried about me, of all people--...

“I think she’s a little overheated,” another voice interjects, and Lian Hua glances up at the new face - Zhenzhen - once she comes to my side, gently taking my arm. “Not to fret, my lady. We’ll get her cooled off.”

Lian Hua glances between us both, almost skeptically, before nodding a little and turning as the little girl with the head of dark curls calls her name. She smiles in a way that’s only ever reserved for those in her closest circle before happily making her way to the little one, scooping her up in her arms, into the air, and causing the sweet little thing to let out a chorus of delighted squeals.

“Control yourself, won’t you?” Zhenzhen groans once we’re alone, glancing after Lian Hua as she leaves and then back to me. “Pull it together. You’re practically drooling on yourself.”

“She’s so cool,” I breathe, and Zhenzhen sighs at me.

“...Yeah. Yes, she’s really, really cool,” she agrees, quietly. “The coolest. You’re not wrong. But we have work to do.”

I clear my throat and nod quickly, forcing myself to look away from Lady Lian Hua as she plays with the little one and Princess Aoi, and over to Zhenzhen, and she frowns at me.

“Kami, Ning, what did she say to you?”

I reach up, slowly touching the side of my head where Lian Hua had touched me.

“She patted my head... and told me I did well,” I whisper, and Zhenzhen narrows her eyes before sighing again.

“You’re hopeless. Go on and get out of the sun and drink a cold glass of water before she whips you into shape like that gaggle of guards - or before the prince comes and throws you into the lagoon for staring at his woman like that.”

#are we all thirsty for xiu? yeah! maybe!#writing #ffxiv rp #ff14 rp

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tammyhybrid21 · 4 years

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Hybrid Screaming about Rats for an HOUR

(Ft. Bonus dog symbolism as well)

I mean, this is going to be about Mummy and Tad(and Jeff). Buuut I am honestly taking it as an excuse to scream about rats. And their symbolism.

I'll also probably have an aside about Jeff as well, but honestly... Since @shields-and-depthgauges-oh-my done her wonderful art-- And I am not over how happy Mummy is to see rats, among other little details. Let's get to analysing!

Sooooo--

First off, I'm going to talk about rats. Because here's the thing. I have fancies. And this is my TOPIC to scream about. No but seriously, back when I was writing WHMS/Winds Howl, Mountains Stand, I gathered an honestly ridiculous amount of symbolism and research for ratties. Which has ultimately kind of being left to the wayside, aside a small mention/use for my old Danny Phantom OC's revival.

Which yeah...

We're not here to talk about Snitch though. As much as I do want to talk about them, the only thing they're relevant for right now is "why rats?" Which-- is only turgently connected to this. Because let me talk about the symbolism and how that impacts how I feel about rats, along with why I think that they're telling in terms of how each character reacted to them when first seeing them in the movie. Beyond the obvious of that one comic's view on things-- how you treat the lowest but--

Which, I actually have some things to say about how Tad's less grossed out than one might think and his reaction is more to Tiffany's... but now is NOT the place.

Meanwhile Mummy's reaction-- yeah. "What's wrong with them anyway?". This is something that maybe would be better expanded on later, but-- that's the common associations at play. I'm sure if I just put down the word-- Rat a million negative things would race through your head.

Dirty, diseased, traitor, thief, liar, coward, spineless, bringer of death, disarray, destructive, vermin, pest, opportunistic-- etc.

BUT

Again, I own fancies. And I'm not alone in owning fancy rats. And if there is one truth I know that's probably universal. A rat's home is only as dirty as you let it be. And for a few of those prior descriptors-- they actually couldn't be further from the truth. Sure some are still certainly true-- but those are also not their problem as much as it's the issue of the world around and what it's given.

Rats are--

Some of the greatest little pets I've owned.

They are loving, curious, inquisitive, creative, almost too creative when you're trying to keep them out of something and they keep getting around your obstacles. Loyal-- rats do not abandon those who're family. They come back--

Rats are fertile, and considering their hoarding behaviour-- well, they stock up, they prepare, they can be symbols of wealth, ambition, expansion, intelligence and resourcefulness. The underground world(which how relevant is that one to Mummy) And yeah-- but then they have some-- rather surprising symbolism that I just... wish I could find the old sites I got this all from. But most of them seem to have vanished into the nether...

But you know one of the big ones I have on my list that I just-- wish I could source back.

Divine Retribution

Which, probably has something to do with the Black Death/Plague-- but I don't know really. Still!

Rats-- NOW--

How does this all relate to Mummy and why did I want to mention that reaction? Circling back a little bit late but-- Misunderstandings.

And how that relates a bit to Autism, being on the spectrum, what we are-- how Mummy presents himself verses what his truth really is... Weeeell-- Rats actually have a lot of symbolism that I personally think is telling when we match Mummy up with them. Like-- he shows a lot of the same things that rats are associated with in terms of creativity, intelligence(although not in the same way that most people recognize, but the dead tongues, languages) And just generally-- there's a lot.

Like, I would also again, like to think about the loyalty Mummy shows and how he is. And there's something in the Sacrifice scene I'd love to grumble about here regarding that, and ever Tiffany there-- with how it looks like they've come closer in the interim-- not just Tad staying and I just--

But that's neither here nor there, because there's another main thing.

Secrets, Underground World, Stealth

Mummy. Also something about hiding in plain sight. I mean-- how often do you even get a glimpse-- of rats even when you know they're there. Or have an idea of it.

I mean, barring a few places... which as an aside, I want to talk back again to another rat role and place that I think we here in the West-English Countries don't appreciate or understand the MAGIC of quite enough-- India's Karni Mata Rat Temple.

Rats are reincarnations. They're part of that, life, death, rebirth. Rats have their own sacredness. And considering in movie 2 we see them as I guess-- guardians in a way of a temple-- well yeah. But all of this stuff is more of an aside really to the main point and reason I am just-- delighted that rats are Mummy's implied favourites. Because yeah-- they're very misunderstood creatures that live such a short time BUT--

Yeah-- impact and there is a lot of symbolism he shares with them when you bother to look at ALL of it and not just full stop at the dirty side of things. Rats are secret keepers and just-- good beans. Also survival.

NOW--

Let's talk another side of things. In terms of all the animal companions for a moment, but more specifically I want to talk a little bit about how Tad and Mummy look to relate to animals verses humans.

Which-- I know personally-- with my Autism-- yeah, animals are much, much easier to deal with than humans in MANY ways. You don't have to try and work out what someone means when they say something, or any of the other puzzles. It's all really straight forwards. And no need to mask yourself at all. Something I'm sure both Tad and Mummy can appreciate--

Even if it does appear that Mummy is an extrovert, I mean, look how eager he is to get out, interact with people. Which that verses masking-- wouldn't blame him for befriending rats in that case since they always come in a group. Large clans/families-- which yeah-- Ratatouille got that RIGHT.

Meanwhile we have... Tad who's... rather more complicated, but at the same time not and really gets me screaming at him-- because he needs to TRAIN THAT DOG!

LIKE HOW EXPENSIVE?!

I have-- a whole other rant on Jeff's poor to none training level. But-- it can actually be summed up in how Tad is with him in general. Which is... in terms of the psychology in his relationship with Jeff. Because listen here. I had dogs. I've had dogs, chickens, my rats. Befriended cats but never gotten the full honor of owning one.

But--

I actually have some things to say about this-- and it's almost a guilty admission really but... When it comes to dogs and training, I can almost kind of get it. Jeff's lack of training is probably twofold.

1) It's damn hard to train dogs when you can barely train yourself. And 2) it's got to do with how Tad seems to be with Jeff, seeing him as part of the family and as someone who gets him. Which as an oxymoron is a bit about respect--

Although, that's... well, also something to do with Autism and projecting and I should probably make a whole proper rant about that in its own time, along with the FULL "Train yer dog" rant. Which yeah... Sooo instead I'll tie this off with our favourite doggy symbolism and talk about that-- re Tadeo himself.

Let's be obvious here-- Dogs are-- very often associated with dumb loyalty. Loyal but stupid. I mean, at least in American media-- which... not entirely wrong sometimes. Dogs are incredibly loyal. But stupid-- NAH--

Dogs are not as stupid as people see to like to portray them as. It's usually the people around them who're stupid and not paying attention or really working with the dog. Which-- I want to talk a little about Tad in regards to that, but it's kind of hard, since I am... not quite as enthused about it as with the rat rant and Mummy.

BUT--

Protection is the key theme here. His promise-- which leads to his assistance, loyalty resourcefulness... but for all the traits that Tad does have-- I feel like arguably his dog relations are in those lessons he has yet to learn from our favourite "man's best friend"

Communication, obedience, community. Stuff that Tad could arguably improve in. Also I do feel like, there's also some of his big heartedness and the empathy that could be improved, but that's less a lack of as much as he's kind of pushing that down-- and well-- a whole other issue.

Which--

Almost circles back to the mess of Jeff's lack of training.

Which-- dogs are boundless and seek things to keep them occupied. And they also seek leadership, which-- interestingly there's how I watch and view Tad-- and his relationships and he's very much a lost puppy when you look at how he follows around Sara-- which I have deeper analysis on that but--

Tad's... not really a leader as much as he tries to fashion himself as one and play the Hero.

AS A QUICK ASIDE--

While I'm on dogs, I just want to quickly give a shout out to Freddy for making me think he really hits their high points in the small meaningful moments and hints to more beyond just "comic relief" ALSO, Shout out in general to these movies for allowing the "comic" to have their moments where you can glimpse more beyond just that.

Loyalty, protection, communication, sensory perception, assistance, resourcefulness--

In any case yeah!

BACK TO MY POINT--

...Animals are... much easier to relate to a lot of times in comparison to people... and we've repeatedly seen that Tadeo has issues with people. Which feels weird really when he's the protagonist. And while Mummy definitely speaks as an Extrovert.

Like-- He's so eager to get out and be himself--

Tad is... a lot more complicated. Like, I am really, really this close to going back into my usual MBTI analysis rant for him, but-- Tad very much doesn't seem to actively ever really go out and talk to people outside their circle unless necessary. Which heeeey--

Again... Dogs are there to help you with communication, talking to people. Which makes me wonder about the pets and movie 3--

Which-- aside possibly nods to some of the deeper lore with Anubis. Which, let's not forget that he(they?!), also tended to the scales where Ammut is but--

DOGS are all about communication. Which is Tad's BIG issue. And it's not just in regards to how I point out the potential of him just taking the promise seriously and not communicating that. But-- Tad's... not good at communicating clearly with anyone. And we're not just talking in terms of people communication, bad listening and not trusting what people say--

And let's be real, still has a bit of lying issues-- but well... who in the modern world doesn't--

BUT

More, I want to return to Jeff and think about how generally one of the rules in Dogs, canine behaviour issues is... Dogs naturally want to have a pecking order/leadership to follow. And if there isn't a clear one they dictate that they are thus the leader.

Which indicates that Tadeo-- isn't really communicating clearly with Jeff and proving himself a leader... Which heeeey-- kind of hope this becomes more of an issue in movie 3, I really, really want something that forces him to come to terms with at least some of his issues.

COMMUNICATE DAMNIT, TRUST YOUR COMPANIONS.

Mummy, Sara, reign in Jeff and see that he needs you to be steady just as much as you seem to need him. And Tad does need Jeff.

FUNNILY ENOUGH

There are three characters who've proven they can gain some of Jeff's "oh leader" vibes.

Belzoni-- who seems to be able to rally, or at least lead him around a bit, and is looked to by Jeff here-- like Jeff sticks by them...

WHERE JEFF IS ON THE TRAIN FEELS TELLING AS WELL.

Like really?! Why is he not by Tad? But instead, he's following Freddy around on the train. And, minutely following scenes, still following and looking to him a bit. Which interesting.

And most interestingly, from the Facebook shorts, teasers... I'd say for this, it's a walk that's starting "strong". Which indicates that Mummy is also slowly gaining ground with Jeff and communicating in terms of leadership(and no wonder, with his experience).

NOT THAT IT SURVIVED THE WHOLE WALK BUT--

Yeah.

Please let movie 3 have Tad coming to confront this. Please. USE THE SYMBOLS YOU HAVE!

#THybrid Jones #Tadeo Jones #Animals #Mummy(Tadeo Jones)#Tad(The Protagonist)#Animal Symbolism #Freddy Marquez #Rats #Dogs #Honestly feels like a long rant of just screaming #That might go in circles-- but eyy #ALSO DON'T WORRY #Sara will get her own symbols rant eventually #Communication #Autism #Speculation

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stargleam-star · 3 years

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Warriors Rewrite Pt 9: Power of the Stars

Quick notes: this part is a mashup of The Power of Three and Omen of the Stars since both on their own get boring with 6 books each. The Four main cats represent the wise monkeys: Hear No Evil (Dove), Speak No Evil (Holly), See No Evil (Jay), and Do No Evil (Lion). Also, this part is the last true installment to my series of rewrite posts. Maybe I will make another if I read A Vison of Shadows, buut I intend for the end of this arc to be the end of the series (as I'd thought it'd be when the canon books originally came out). I might also post about ideas for Super Editions in my rewrite, but that's about it for this series. I hope you've all enjoyed my ideas, and will like these ones as well!

The first half of the arc follows The Three. They are the children of Tawnypelt and Squirrelflight. Or so they think

In reality, The Three are not siblings, but cousins. Squirrelflight is the biological mother of Hollykit, who's sired by her mate Crowfeather. Crowfeather is also Tawnypelt's mate; the three are in a secret poly relationship. Hollykit is mostly black, but has small ginger spots on her face that look like berries, and a fluffy red tail which is oddly similar to Redtail's despite not having any biological relation to him, also her eyes are green.

Jaykit is actually the love child of Emberpath and Primrosetail. He is a blue-gray tabby with fur a very similar shade to Bluestar's. He has blue eyes like in canon with dilated pupils since he is blind.

Lionkit is the son of Leafpool and Rowanclaw, conceived while they were away from the clans. Lionkit is a large broad golden tom with amber eyes; his resemblance is very close to his namesake Lionheart

Squirrelflight, Primrosetail, and Leafpool's kittings all pretty much happened around the same time. Squirrelflight and Leafpool had hid in the forest together to give birth, while Primrosetail ended up having her kit on the Gathering Island-where she and Emberpath would meet in secret. Sensing that his sisters have given birth, Emberpath brings his little family to them so they could all be together. While staying in the hollow tree, during a nap, Leafpool receives the "kin of your kin" prophecy. When she wakes, she tells her siblings. She insists the kits be raised together so that the prophecy can be better fulfilled, and so their secret relationships wouldn't be revealed. They all agree to allow Squirrelflight to raise Lionkit and Jaykit, since no cat will question their origins due to the clan believing she was impregnated by an unconnected, unknown donor.

When The Three are apprenticed, things go a bit different than they do in canon. Lionpaw becomes the medicine cat apprentice, and Jaypaw trains as a warrior under Brightheart. Although, Starclan still tries to convince Jaypaw to be a medicine cat instead.

The toms' powers stay the same, and Hollypaw gets a power too. These powers, however, come with down sides. Jaypaw can walk in other's dreams, memories, and converse with Starclan/the Dark forest, but can never have his own normal dreams. Lionpaw is unable to be harmed in battle, but gets tired easily when attacked. And Hollypaw has the power of truth; cats can't lie to her and are more likely to divulge secrets to her. However a cat can tell her something that's actually a lie if they believe its the truth

In this rewrite, Hollypaw is the one who discovers the tunnels. Here she starts meeting up with Breezepaw, who also discovered the tunnels through Windclan territory. No, they don't have any romantic feelings for each other like their counterparts Lion/Heather do in canon, because that would be extremely gross

Breezepaw is still Crowfeather and Nightcloud's son, but things go a bit differently between them. Nightcloud is a lesbian and mates with Sorreltail. The couple really wanted to have kits, so Crowfeather volunteers to sire a litter for them, with Squirrelflight and Tawnypelt's blessing. Nightcloud lets it slip that Crowfeather is his biological father, and Breezepaw, despite having two loving mothers, feels like he should have a bond with Crowfeather too. But Crowfeather doesn't feel a connection to Breezepaw. Breezepaw's sense of entitlement is what fuels his rage and hatred for the older tom, and causes him to become a secondary villain in this series

As warriors, The Three are named Jaystrike, Lionflower (after Goldenflower and because he's a sweetheart in this rewrite), and Hollysong

Despite the strength of his powers, Lionflower uses his abilities for good. He charges into battles head on to heal the injured, even if enemy warriors try to attack him. Since he can't get hurt, he can be right on the frontlines

Jaystrike trains in the Dark Forest with Tigerstar and Mothwing as an apprentice. He wants to make up for his blindness, and so he trusts the dead leader to teach to him be stronger. He also trains there to spite Starclan, since they tried to tell him he couldn't be a warrior, he had to be a medicine cat. But one day, Jaypaw somehow manages to pull his mamma Tawnypelt into his dream with him. She sees what her son is up to and warns him of her kin's evil. She scares him pretty good; this ends up being the last time Jaypaw visits the Place Of No Stars. But because of Tigerstar's teachings, the blind warrior receives the name Jaystrike for being fierce in battle

Hawkfrost in this arc, like in the last one, is Ashfur's equivalent. He traps The Three in a fire in an attempt to kill them to hurt Squirrelflight. This is where Squirrelflight's forced to admit The Three are not her kits. When they all escape, however, she gathers them, Emberpath, and Leafpool together so the triplets can fully explain what their situation was.

Within the next day or so Hawkfrost approaches The Three, threatening to reveal the secrets of their parentage at the upcoming gathering. Jaystrike jumps into the tom's memories to see that he'd been spying on the Fire Triplets' meeting.

The next day Hawkfrost is found dead. After some investigation by Hollysong, it turns out Lionflower is the murderer. Upon his siblings' discovery of this heinous crime, he runs away into the tunnels. His adopted littermates assume he is dead, and wonder who the third cat in the prophecy will be now

The last three books of the arc follow Dovepaw and Ivypaw. They are Cloudtail and Brightheart's kits, birthed by Cloudtail this time, and sired by a random kittypet. Dovepaw is a fluffy, mostly white dilute calico with folded ears and hazel eyes. Ivypaw is a mostly white and gray dilute tabby calico with a gray tail and blue eyes; surprisingly she shares a bit of resemblance to Whitestorm.

Dovepaw is chosen to be the new medicine cat apprentice. It's obvious early on that she is the new third cat in the prophecy as well, made clear by Starclan, and discovered by Jaystrike after walking in her dreams. Dovepaw's powers are the same as in canon; she can hear and see things that are far away. The downside is she has trouble with memory. As a full medicine cat her name becomes Dovelight

Dovepaw is nervous about being a prophesied cat and tries to confide in her sister about this, telling her all the secrets shared by Hollysong and Jaystrike.

Ivypaw is jealous of her sister being part of The Three though, and turns to the Dark Forest to grow strong and to feel important. She divulges the secrets entrusted to her by Dovepaw to Mothwing. Soon though, Jaystrike finds out about this-via walking in the molly's dreams-and holds an intervention with the help of Tawnypelt. Ivypaw, now a warrior called Ivyshade, works as a double agent

In the second half of the second to last book, Lionflower returns from the tunnels just as The Three receive news of there being a fourth cat destined to hold the power of the stars in their paws. Reunited, the four cats along with Ivyshade devise a plan on how to fight against the Dark Forest

Also, the Dark Forest has a powerful living ally. Sol is conspiring with the Place Of No Stars, and figures out a way to summon the evil spirits to fight the living world. It can only happen on the night of the lunar eclipse, when Starclan has no power. After trying to convince the clans to stop believing in their ancestors, Sol sees this as the only way to get them to give up their faith

Before the battle, at the beginning of the last book, Jaystrike, Hollysong, Lionflower, and Dovelight go missing. Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Emberpath, Cloudtail, and Brightheart are incredibly worried about them as the time for the Great Battle draws nearer. But Ivyshade knows the truth and assures her kin that this is all a part of The Four's plan.

When the battle takes place, Skyclan arrives to help aid in the fight, rather than Starclan jumping in. They are led to the lake territories by The Four. The group found the distant clan by using their combined powers, and by recalling the stories told to them by Firestar. Emberstar leads the charge, joining her brother to fight Tigerstar and Sol. With the fifth clan joining them, the living clans are able to face off against the Dark Forest and win.

Emberstar and Firestar lose their last lives together at the end of the Great Battle. Skyclan decides to stay by the lake when all is said and done. The Four keep their powers, and decide to put them to better use by taking over for their parents as mediators in the other clans. Dovelight is the exception; she joins Skyclan to be both their medicine cat and mediator, and Ivyshade takes over for Squirrelflight as Thunderclan's mediator

#warrior cats #wcs #warriors rewrite #warriors: the power of three #warriors: omen of the stars #warriors: power of the stars #viti's rewrite

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fan-clan-fun · 4 years

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History of VineClan

Please don’t steal this idea! I’ve been working on it for more than 4 days!

I’ve left this in my inbox for bit trying to understand what you meant by steal your idea. Im assuming you still want me to post this publicly, since you submitted it to me, but in future if you are afraid of someone stealing ideas perhaps maybe you can send a personal message and we can talk things through and discuss your ideas privately! Im always open to dms.

Formation- Vine was a loner who ran away from his father and then met a small group of cats who needed guidance and became their leader and taking them to the Trees of Time.

Many moons ago, BadgerClan, ShadeClan, the lost clan, SunClan, and the other clans, SnakeClan and StreamClan were dead. But now a new dawn is rising.

Thats quite a start, a new clan rising from the ashes of the old ones! Do the current day cats know much of the clans? Or are they basically starting over from scratch?

Rivals- After Vine and his group left the Woods of Water, another group, the Rogues of Roaming moved in and injured one of Vine’s best friends, Blue.

There was almost a war but Blue stopped it. The area is now known as the Roaming Rainfalls.

Always good to have some rivals. Do the rogues become their own clan as well?

Age- VineClan is old. Vinestar and Bluestar are remembered and celebrated every 12 moons

Old is... not quite a helpful descriptor. Perhaps a better way to indicate the age of a clan is through how many leaders have reigned, and for how long, or how many generations have passed.

Shaping Events- The elders told the story of how Blue stopped the war and the tales of the lost clans are less told than the founding of the clans which is very often. The bold and faithful BadgerClan, the tricky yet helpful ShadeClan, the sharp and qualified once missed SunClan, the passionate and quick SnakeClan and the kind and courageous, water-loving StreamClan

Okay so I see here that some stories of the old clans still survive, but there is still a lot of info you could expand on the old clans and the current association with Vineclan. How does Vineclan see themselves? Are they still the only clan now?

Heroes and Villians: All the living peaceful medicine cats, warriots and kits want to be like Bluestar and all the battle-hungry warriors and kits want to be like Rainstar. The villains are the Rogues of Roaming and VineClan’s greatest enemy.

Each side has the Hall of Fame.

There’s the Hall of Heroes and the Hall of Villians.

I’m glad to know you are thinking of some of them, I would love to hear the stories of your favorites!

Territory

VineClan’s territory Slope Woods by Day Twowalkers and the Twilight Twowalkers. Fires always come in the greenleaf and floods in leaffall every 48 moons. In those times, they go live in the Fire’s Flood Field (A Shelter Place). Some common animals are bugs, frogs, snakes, lizards, chipmunks, or squirrels. There may be foxes, raccoons, or porcupines as well. Look up in the trees, and you may see birds or bats.

Sounds like standard North America, although choosing a specific region might help you come up with details especially for some fun unique names.

On RainClan’s territory there is Training Valley, The Hunting Hills, the best place for hunting, Harmony Hills, every moon there is a truce where cats can talk and have fun and they share news and advice. The medicine cats go to the Star Cave with the Moon Crystal. Cats who are not medicine cats go to the Star Hollow and meet their ancestors with the Lightstone. It only works in the daytime.

Ah okay I see here that there is a second clan. There is also a lot of information to unpack in this paragraph. I do like that there are different ways to interact with your ancestors and that your average clan cat can still commune with Starclan, and the Day/night motif of spiritual connection here as well.

Camp

The camp is hidden in the slopes. Climb up it and you hop in it. It is guarded throughout the day. Over there is the nursery, the biggest den, the one with the huge sand wall. Cats have to leap over it just to get in. Only VineClan cats have that kind of strength and speed for that. The other smaller sand den goes into an underground cave where the apprentices sleep. Scouts sleep on top of the slope or the trees. Guards sleep in a pile of sand with there breathing devices called Sand Breathers so they can sleep and breathe easily. Hunters sleep underneath a pile of prey, so they always get first pick. That big pile of sand and leaves with a small sand wall. The Sand Gem is where the leader gives meetings and the leader glows whenever they sit on it. On top of the gem is where the leader sleeps with the rest of his family. The medicine cats sleep underground. There are two types of herbs, Sand Herbs, that can be kept underground, mostly for wounds and diseases. Sky Herbs are plants that are supposed to be kept outside, in the Green Den that’s open but protected with a bright surface that you can see through it. Poison Plants are spread out all over in the Roaming Rainfalls and the darkest, deepest corners of the Slope Woods.

I see a lot of interesting concepts here! I am fascinated by the implication that these cats have some form of technology or magic, to create the Sand Breathers and the hard clear surface (glass?) protecting the Green Den. I would love to hear more about those aspects, since technology and magic are things I tend to enjoy. As for the hunters sleeping under prey, that sounds a bit uncomfortable, I certainly wouldnt like to sleep under a pile of carcasses which might bleed or be dirty or stinky. So why did they choose to do that? Are they afraid their clanmates will steal their food?

Build: Cats that were born from Guards have a remarkable amount of strength. Cats who are born from Scouts have an unbelievable amount of speed, an average amount of both is how they become a Hunter and anyone who was born from a certain rank (Hunter, Guard, Scout) always is born with that ancestry.

I see you have gone for a more Tribe-like divisions of skills and build. If you have a certain build are you basically destined to be in that position, or can cats choose?

Pelt: Black cats are considered lucky and white cats with any other eye color than blue are considered unlucky. Any cat with a white pelt and blue eyes is not blind but very powerful and will be automatically chosen for deputy and given 12 lives if they’re evil and want war, 15 lives if they’re average and like a regular leader, 18 lives if they want everlasting peace and is good and kind.

I dont quite understand this. When white kittens with blue eyes are born, are they basically destined to be leader? What happens if there are two in the same clan at the same time? What is the significance of the number of lives? How does the clan or even Starclan itself decide how many lives to give them? Can they read their minds and intentions? Whats to stop a cat who says they want peace from getting those extra lives and then causing chaos? How does living that long affect those cats, or do they die of old age? While this is an interesting concept in theory, you might want to think this through a bit more, you dont have to discard it completely, but you do have to consider the ramifications and consequences.

Clan Roles-

Leader

The leader is voted for every 48 moons and if they are a white cat with blue eyes, there is no vote needed. If they are a white cat with blue eyes that’s good, they get to be leader for 144 moons. If they are voted again, it’s 96 moons.

Ah some more info, but still very confusing. If leaders are voted for every four years (48 moons) normally, what happens to leaders who havent lost their nine lives by that point? Do all leaders (other than white cats with blue eyes) get regular nine lives? Why do white cats get to be leaders for so long, and do their extra lives sustain their bodies that long? Are you saying a white cat with blue eyes could live and rule for 238 moons (almost 20 years, 144+96 moons)?

Deputy

The deputy is the leader’s Vice President and is chosen by the leader.

Medicine Cat

They follow the Code of the Stars. An apprentice is chosen with a trial. A trial starts at 5 moons. There are two tests: Intelligence and Heart. Intelligence shows how much you know. Heart shows how much you’re into it.

In order for kittens to pass this trial, are they all taught basic information and knowledge about herbs? What qualifies a cat to be chosen as medicine cat apprentice?

Elders

The elder’s average age is 65 moons. The oldest elder is The Protector of the Knowledge, the second oldest elder is Head Elder and reminds elders of their duties like their Daily Walk guarded by 1 Scout and 2 Guards and their Ceremony Seats and the Head Elder is like the deputy’s assistant who helps with everything and The Protector of Knowledge tells knowledge whenever needed.

I feel like I am missing a lot of info here, that there is a lot more to dive into. Its really nice to see Elders having their own positions and duties though at least!

Warriors

There are Hunters, Guards, and Scouts. Hunters are average, Guards are strong and Scouts are quick.

Okay, well Im not sure why Hunters are considered average, since that sounds a bit demoralizing, but I suppose that if the Guards and Scouts are elite warriors it might make more sense.

Queens

The Kitter is the cat who has been in the nursery for the most and assigns Kitsitters who take care of the kits after the age of 4 moons and stop at the age of 9 moons when a kit moves out of the nursery and into the apprentice den, so the queens can go back to their original role. The Kitsitters are mostly former queens or their fathers. The Protector of Knowledge mostly takes on an apprentice and there are called The Apprentice of Knowledge and they teach the 6-9 moons, the Way of the Warrior.

I see your cats are considered kits for longer than canon. Are these intermediate moons kind of like school? Why are medicine cat apprentices chosen so young before their schooling even begins?

Apprentices

They are apprenticed to 15 moons. The Protector of Knowledge mostly takes on an apprentice and there are called The Apprentice of Knowledge and they teach the 6-9 moons, the Way of the Warrior. The requirements to become a hunter is to hunt the most prey from sunup to sundown. Guards have to fight each other and the Top 3 becomes a guard. Cats who have failed have to take the test next moon and if they fail till they’re 18, they become a hunter. Scouts go into a race and the Top 3 becomes a scout and the 4th, 5th and 6th placers become Trial Scouts and if they fail their mission, they become hunters.

So I notice that there are two different ways to become a hunter, but they seem a bit contradictory. You mention that to become a hunter you need to hunt the most prey. Does that mean only one becomes a hunter? Or is there an amount each cat needs to hunt to pass their trial? And failed scouts still automatically become hunters without having to pass the same trial as regular hunters?

Kits

Kits are raised by their mothers from the age of 1-3 and their Kitsitters from the age of 4-9

Code of Conduct

The regular warrior code.

Laws

Punishment is placed in front of the StarClan Court and if it was minor it’s mostly cleaning out the elder’s den. Middle is suspension. Major is mostly banishment.

Mates

There is a ceremony for mates who want to be together forever.

Leader: Welcome, cats of VineClan who have wanted to be with (male cat) (rank) and (female cat)(rank) and today: we thank you for being here to share this extraordinary day. You may sit. Now, (male cat) do you, of your own free will, take (female cat) as your StarClan watched mate, to cherish and defend—as long as you both shall live?

Male Cat: I do.

Leader: (Female cat) do you, of your own free will, take (make cat) as your StarClan watched mate, to cherish and defend—as long as you both shall live?

Female Cat: I do.

Leader: With the promises you have made and with the power invested in me with all of StarClan watching, I now pronounce you mates for life. You may touch noses the bride.

(They touch noses and some purring may be made and that’s when the kits and apprentices leave.)

I see you have drawn heavily on modern human marriage ceremonies for your mateship ritual! But are there provisions if the cats break up? Or marriages where the cats aren’t strictly male and female?

All the other ceremonies are the same. Here’s two new ones.

The Protector of Knowledge Ceremony

Leader: You are the oldest cat (name of cat) and hereby should be known as The Protector of Knowledge for as long as you live.

Head Elder Ceremony

Leader: You see the second oldest cat (name of cat) and have proven your loyalty many times over and you are hereby known as Head Elder until the Protector of Knowledge hands over his/her power to you.

Naming: The kits are named after whatever the queens want their names to be.

Afterlife: Cats can go into whatever age they want too in the afterlife and there’s plenty of prey and instead of a dark slope there’s a light sunny field.

Thank you for sharing about your clans! I think there are a few things you might need to expand on and think through, if you would like we can chat in private as well if you are worried!

#warrior cats #clan culture #warriorsworldbuilding #submission

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thunder-the-ranger-wolf · 6 years

Text

Storm's warning: trouble in paradise

Note: this is just a working title so if you come up with anything else please let me know.

There were plenty of reasons to like StarClan. The landscape was evergreen and the prey always ran well. The winds were mild and the sun always shining. Or so the living cats believed. Because some cats liked snow and others missed the feel of the wind rushing through their pelts or the rain plastering their fur to their sides. StarClan had a bit of everything to accommodate its residents.

Right now, however, the wind howled so fiercely that even the bravest of WindClan cats took their shelter in their dens. The trees shook so wildly that they might very well no longer have proper roots. The sky was dark grey, like a storm was on the very edge of breaking… but not yet. No, the storm had passed them over for the fifth night since its untimely arrival, like it was waiting for something…

A large group of cats sat before a pool so crystal clear that they could see their reflections on the rocks below the water, smooth as a puddle after a long rain.

“Thank you all for traveling so far on this blustery night.” The soft, feminine voice of the cat who spoke first held worry, which in turn alarmed her companions.

“Whatever alarms you so deeply deserves the attention of us all, m'dear.” A red-brown tom meowed smoothly, eyes alight with worry.

“Flirtation aside,” His brother, a light brown tabby with green eyes slurped out. “Oakheart is right. Why wouldn't you share this with all of StarClan?”

“I asked her not to.”

All eyes turned to the tortoiseshell she-cat who entered the clearing they resided in. Her equally tortoiseshell brother was practically a shadow at her side.

“Spottedleaf, Redtail.” A large golden tom, Lionheart, purred an anxious welcome. His pure white companion, aptly named Whitestorm, blinked his welcome, to which both twins nodded before Spottedleaf turned to address the rest of the group.

“Our First Ancestors have given me a sign, and while it correlates to the storm, I know not what it means.”

“Have you consulted fellow medicine cats?” Crookedstar demanded.

Spottedleaf nodded.

“That was the first thing she did. We've all come to one agreement.” A sharper but no less feminine voice snapped. Crookedstar dipped his head and lowered his eyes.

“Forgive me, Brambleberry. This storm is…”

The tabby leader trailed off with an embarrassed cough and his brother pressed against him.

“It's quite alright, Crookedstar.” The black and white medicine cat murmured gently. “Tge point is that we've all come to an agreement. Whatever happens next, we cannot remain in these skies.”

That sent a ripple of unease throughout the group.

“Leave?!”

“When?”

“How?!”

“Where will we go?!”

“Our First Ancestors haven't said much about the storm, but it is… keeping time, we believe.” Brambleberry picked up where Spottedleaf left off. “If only because the storm is menacing, but has yet to break. We are safe, for now. But if the clouds release their burden before we figure out our next course of action, who knows what will happen?! We don't want that. So we have gathered you all to speak your suggestions and make a decision.”

The group broke into murmurs, whispering panicked ideas amongst themselves.

“If we really must leave, then surely we could send some cats to find a place for us all?” Lionheart was the one to speak, though the idea came from Whitestorm. “We have time still, do we not?”

“The clouds have not yet darkened to bursting, so I would think that we still have time.” Spottedleaf murmured, pride in her voice. Whitestorm was one of her more clever friends, though he didn't speak often enough for other cats to know of that.

“That's a great idea!” Deadfoot, the former deputy of WindClan, exclaimed. “It's not like we'd know where we're going, and we'll be uprooting everyone from the dawn of the Clans! Perhaps if we send scouts, the Clans will be more willing to listen. One or two from each Clan should be enough.”

“But how will these cats know where to go when we don't even know?!”

“Our former ancestors willing, the Clans, or the cats chosen, will receive a sign just like Spottedleaf did.” Redtail insisted. “We must trust our First Ancestors as the clans trust us, and work with what they've given us.”

“Well said.” Bluestar nodded gratefully to her deputy. “Let us choose these cats before the weather gets any worse.”

Redtail, Oakheart, Deadfoot and Nightpelt approached the pool.

Oakheart waved his paw over the pool and it rippled heavily before smoothing to reveal a silver tabby with ice blue eyes. Cats fidgeted uncomfortably.

“She’s a RiverClan warrior, and that’s what matters.” Crookedstar insisted. “But I do worry… she’s one of our stronger cats. What if the Twolegs do something before we have the chance to figure out where we’re going?”

“We’ll have to fight without them, and survive for as long as we can.” Brambleberry murmured comfortingly. “Besides, Feathertail was always a curious soul. This way she can live out her life’s wish and remain a Clan cat.”

Oakheart blinked, satisfied, and stepped back then.

Deadfoot limped forward, waving his misshapen paw over the water. He skittered back with a horrified yelp when the shape appeared, a dark grey tom with bright blue eyes.

“First Ancestors, if you have any mercy at all, let this journey keep my son safe in your paws.” He murmured.

“Isn't your son an apprentice?” Redtail whispered urgently.

“He is close to becoming a warrior, thank the Ancestors. I must trust their decision, though it pains me so.”

Deadfoot was torn. The destiny of the Clans lay in these choices, but his son… he'd knock the Ancestors off their all-seeing perches if it would spare his son this horror.

Redtail dipped his head gratefully and took the black tom’s place at the head of the pool. The choice for ThunderClan wasn't all that surprising, but a few cats snorted when Brambleclaw was shown.

“Firestar’s going to hate you!” Spottedleaf sang.

“I’m more concerned about Goldenflower. You saw how she dealt with her former mate, she’ll come to StarClan herself just to skin me alive!”

A few cats laughed, Bluestar among them, and Redtail stepped back to let Nightpelt take his place at the pool.

A wave of his paw showed a tortoiseshell she-cat with fierce green eyes.

“Can another halfClan cat afford to go on this journey?” Someone wondered aloud.

“She’ll be of good use when it comes to learning how to adapt, especially considering how far they might have to travel.”

“That’s true…” Nightpelt murmured. “I guess it just feels like terrible timing. She’s slowly to regain her faith after what ShadowClan has been through. Wouldn’t this be a bit too soon?”

“We don’t exactly have time. And who knows, maybe the omens we’ll have to send will confirm her beliefs even more.” Brambleberry offered kindly.

“Doesn’t all of this seem a bit too convenient?” Someone called out. “Most of these cats have some connection to ThunderClan.”

“Brambleclaw needs this journey to realize his true potential.”

“Tawnypelt is much like her brother, and will be perfectly fine fighting whoever she has to. She doesn’t fight to kill. Feathertail is eager to be useful and wants to be free of RiverClan's heritage issues.”

“The Ancestors have made their choices. We should warn them before the night is through.”

Others nodded along and the crowd dispersed.

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Oakheart waited until every cat had gone their own way before padding over to a solemn Bluestar. She hadn't moved despite several of her warriors and her medicine cat touching noses with her and assuring her that things could work out.

“There is more to this than the storm, m'dear.” The red-brown tom murmured, winding himself around her.

“Spottedleaf and the others… they are uncertain. It troubles me when our best interpreters are uncertain about the future.”

“You are quite the perfectionist.” He purred. “Though I will admit that Crookedstar and I share your doubts. The storm could mean anything, and the fact that the Ancestors have chosen to warn us now… we've had peace ever since the battle with BloodClan. I shudder to think of what could disturb that; no mere Clan matter will ruffle the Ancestors’ pelts.”

“It must be an outside source, but what?! A cat, foxes or badgers? The Twolegs have left us alone for the most part so I wouldn't expect anything from them… then again, who knows what Twolegs do. They have always been strange creatures.”

“Has there been any sign of them in the forest?”

“Not since… not since the dogs.” Bluestar admitted, shaking.

Oakheart pressed his pelt against hers and wrapped a paw around her foreleg.

“Nothing can hurt you while I'm by your side.” He promised. “And I will ever be by your side.”

Her shaking ceased eventually, and she turned to look at her mate.

“Thank you.” The blue-grey she-cat murmured.

“Anytime, m’dear.” He purred. “Now, why don't you get some sleep, yeah? I've got a message to run. I'll catch you later, but don't wait up for me.”

Bluestar nodded and brushed her head along his throat.

“Tell me everything the Ancestors have you say.” She insisted. They parted ways then; Oakheart went back to the pool, where the other three deputies waited, and Bluestar loped out of the clearing, whirling mind soothed by Oakheart's reassurance.

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“Is she alright?” Redtail asked, watching Bluestar as her grey pelt trailed out of the clearing.

“I think she will be.” Oakheart offered. “If I suspect anything, you'll be the first to know.”

“Thank you.” Redtail dipped his head and turned to the remaining two deputies.

“Oakheart, Deadfoot, Nightpelt… may the Ancestors guide our paws.”

“Indeed.” The other three chorused. As one, the quartet lapped at the crystal clear water from the pool.

May the First Ancestors be with us… Was the last thing any of them thought before sleep crashed over them.

#warriors #warriors au #warrior cats #thw new prophecy #tnp au #starclan #bluestar #redtail #oakheart #crookedstar #brambleberry #spottedleaf #nightpelt #nightstar #deadfoot #prologue #starclan chooses #i kept the same characters because why not

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larksinging · 6 years

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OH I DIDNT SEE YOU ASKED FOR QUESTIONS, here: what is the one thing each of your muses could never give up, no matter what?

okay this might be hard but let’s try it

winter: at this point, probably his friends. they’re his family at this point, since his family is shitty. his integrity as an icewing doesn’t... really matter anymore. denny especially has made him even closer to moon (and glory), so i think he... couldn’t deal with losing them. like in canon he leaves them to deal with icewing stuff but there’s a difference between leaving a group and losing them, yknow.

ivypool: the warrior code. or... maybe in a more general sense, the clans? she can bend the code a bit but she’d do Anything to keep the clans together. which i just realized AvoS kind of forgot about but, okay. anyway. she risked her life and did terrible things so she could spy on the dark forest to save the clans

mothpaw: the code, but more accurately, starclan. her connection to starclan is really important to her, and she views that as guiding her role as a med cat the most. the warrior code is tied into that, but... on denny to start with she was terrified that starclan wasn’t in this world. personally losing her connection would devastate her

maive: this... is hard. her integrity? her new family in the legends? i mean she literally died to protect the legends, so

veronica: okay this is probably another moral one, but i’m not sure how to put it. she loves her friends and doesn’t want to lose them, but she just also... it would ruin her to have to do terrible things again. she doesn’t think very much of herself, but actually becoming a terrible person is... i dont know how to word it but i think my point is clear? she doesn’t want to lose her sense of... goodness? i guess? her morality?

maria: UHHHHH while her clingy design makes it so that losing who she’s attached to would ruin her, she’s... already lost james, so from her sheer design it’d be hard for anything to be worse. still, i dunno. being alone again would probably ruin her. that’d be pretty hard to do though, i think, since she’s decent at making friends

nyssa: okay, for THIS one its definitely her integrity. she’s lost people she loves, she’s lost her birthright, she’s almost died, she ended up with practically nothing, but through it all she got by with just her honor and sense of dignity. like the one time she almost got killed was when ra’s was about to execute her and she was just like “do it.”. i think she came... pretty close to being at her lowest when she was forced to marry oliver, but even then she refused to go down without some fight. but being put into some kind of situation where she was really completely stripped of her dignity in some way... thatd be hard. i cant even think of what, it’d have to be so awful

laurel: you’d think it’d be her life, given how oriented around survival it is, but it’s not. she can be a self-sacrifical asshole sometimes to. nooo it’s losing her family (or people closest to her, but she’s still working on extending that level of care outside her family). if her family, even the e-1 versions, are in trouble, she will actually put herself in danger to protect them. and she’s lost so much already that losing them would be... huge. anyway fuck you arrow.

#denny is a cursed place #thanks eps!!#mikexxwheeler

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khaleesimaka · 7 years

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Just the Way You Are

I had the pleasure of working with @nsart for Reverb 2017 whose art can be found here. She had an idea for a mermaid AU in which Soul is a mer-shark. I absolutely enjoyed working on this fic, and I hope y’all enjoy it as well!

Summary: Humans were dangerous. It’s what he had been told his entire life. They didn’t see Soul, his family, his kind as anything more than animals. Probably lower than animals. Yet, even knowing this, he found himself intrigued by the girl who rescued him. Mermaid AU. Rating: T Length: 4k Warnings: hints of prejudice views

Humans were dangerous.

It’s what he had been told his entire life.

From the tales Wes told him to the whispered warnings of their mother when they ventured out at night to scare them from the surface to the rumors floating around in their small community under the sea. Soul heard it all. He knew every little detail about the world above the water’s end, how it was different from the world they learned about in school. There were no glittering castles or welcoming people on the land. They were monsters. Every last human wanted them -- his kind -- as souvenirs or trap them behind glass walls.

They didn’t see Soul, his family, his kind as anything more than animals.

Probably lower than animals.

Yet, even knowing this, he found himself intrigued by the girl who rescued him.

It had been his own dumb luck for not noticing the net where it laid waiting for him -- he cursed his poor vision at night; what good was he if he couldn’t see? -- and he was sure she was going to gut him then and there. He thrashed around more when moonlight shone of the blade of her knife, yelled when she aimed it toward him where his heart was, but it never came near him. She didn’t try and cut his tail off or leave him bleeding out for another evil human to find him or steal him away like so many others before him.

The girl had set him free, allowing him to live another day.

With only the moon’s light to guide him, he followed her boat out to sea and watched as she dropped a silver human machine into the water. He kept his distance as he investigated the machine, noticing the whirls it made from its single eye, but nothing happened. The rest of the night was spent in silence save for the conversation between the girl and her cat where he only understood the mentioning of the snake lady who walked on land. Apparently she was a monster in both the human world and his own.

Tail swishing, Soul watched as she withdrew the machine out of the water and mumbled something about a lost cause for the night before heading back to shore. He remained there, his head barely breaking above the water until she was a speck in the distance when he dove back under to head home.

Maybe it would be the final time he’d see her.

Maybe she’d come back to do the same process over again.

Neither really mattered to him, but something weighed heavily in his chest and mind.

Curiosity for the unknown, perhaps.

Whatever it was, he needed to know more about the girl, the cat, and whatever schemes they were up to. Until they returned, though, he would wait. He’d keep her existence a secret from his brother, his mother, and his kind. He’d protect those he loved, and wait.

Several nights had passed before he saw her boat again.

The time span between their first encounter and now probably had more to do with his poor eyesight and there being a lack of a moon to guide his way than anything else. Living in a world of shadows and darkness did that to him especially when his sleep schedule was the opposite of everyone around him. Soul slept when they were active in the day and awake when everyone else slept. Wes was the only mermaid who bothered to change his schedule for Soul. His mother had tried, but she was older and sleep always ended up winning.

Tonight, though, the waning moon was a godsend as it shone down on the girl and her boat. She did the same thing she had done the previous night with the human machine and leaned on the railing as she stared out to the sea in front of her. Twintails floated in the wind when a breeze would drift over her, a low hum escaping from her throat. It took everything within Soul not to climb on the side of the boat to watch her closer. To see if there was anything he should be cautious about.

Soul was startled several minutes later when the girl spoke out, her head slowly turning toward the spot he had been floating at. It was another several minutes before he realized she had asked him a question, but he didn’t know how to tell her he didn’t speak human.

His heart jolted in his chest as the girl walked the short distance to the other side of the boat and kneeled down so she could see him properly. He was sure this was how he would die; alone and frightened in the middle of the sea with no witnesses around or anyone to find his body. His mother would weep for days, Wes would spend most of his time searching for him, but by the time either of them knew anything about Soul’s whereabouts, his body would either be on human land or in the bellies of the fishes.

“There. He should understand us now,” the cat said as she sauntered over to where the girl was. Its yellow eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, and it frightened Soul.

But not nearly as much as the fact that he understood what the cat said.

“Blair put a spell on us so we can communicate,” the girl smiled. “I’m glad to see you’re okay. I was kinda worried about you when you never showed up again. I thought you might’ve gotten trapped in one of Medusa’s nets again or something. It isn’t safe near the shore for someone like you.”

While her voice was kind and sincere, Soul still didn’t think he could trust her completely. For all he knew her talking to him could be a trap to lure him in and gain his trust. He remained silent, shrinking further into the ocean as if to hide.

She must have noticed his reluctance because her smile softened. “I’m Maka, by the way. I think it’s only proper if you know what to call me. What’s your name?”

“I told you not to bother with him, Maka,” the cat mewled. “He’s part of the mermaid clan. They don’t trust humans.”

The girl -- Maka -- didn’t give any indication of having heard the cat save for a quick flick of her eyes before they were back on Soul.

“I know. So I don’t blame you for disappearing the night or being silent now, but I’m not like Medusa and her group. I’m…,” she trailed off. Her brows knit together as if what she had to say were difficult for her to admit. “I’m different than them. I hang out with a talking cat and my best friend is a shadow singer. I’m also friends with a Death God, and my other friend is currently traveling through Peru to become a God himself. Which I know probably isn’t very convincing, but trust me when I say I’m not going to harm you. I wanna be your friend.”

Maka reached her hand through the rails of the boat, extending it toward him, but Soul wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it. Was he intended to sniff it? Or bite it? He wasn’t accustomed in the pleasantries humans gave each other, so he only stared at it.

“You’re supposed to shake it,” the cat clarified after a minute or so.

Blinking, Maka said, “Oh. I guess your greetings are different from humans.” She pulled her hand back toward her, a faint flush dusting her cheeks as she did so. “I didn’t think about that. Sorry.”

There was something genuine in her tone that told Soul she didn’t mean any harm to him, or maybe it was his sheer need to continue doing dumb things. Whichever it was, he found himself trusting Maka a little bit; at least, more than he had originally. Besides, if anything were to happen and she ended up being dangerous, he was positive his teeth were sharper than hers. He could easily rip her throat out and defend himself if the time came for it.

Rising above the water slightly so his mouth was exposed, he said, “My name is Soul.”

A smile broke out across Maka’s face as she tilted her head slightly. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Soul.”

The next few nights when Maka drove her boat out to the same spot, Soul watched as she performed the same routine over and over with the silver machine. It wasn’t until about the fifth time of him seeing her doing so he finally asked what she was doing. He figured he trusted her enough by this time to tell him the truth. At least, he had never sensed her lie to him or caught any tell in her voice -- a change in her tone, a quiver, hesitation -- to tell him otherwise. She was trustworthy enough.

“I’m a student at the university back on the island,” she told him. “My research is with the night time activity of dolphins and what they do when they’re asleep. I use the machine to track their movements and have a recording device to draw them near the boat.”

He hadn’t seen any dolphins near the boat since they first met, though.

“Probably because you’re a shark,” the cat (whom he had come to know as Blair) told him. “They don’t tend to come out when predators are around.”

Maka pursed her lips as she considered Blair’s words. “That could be the problem.”

“I could leave,” Soul offered.

Though, he didn’t know what he would do. There wasn’t much for him back at home since Wes had started working nights and his mother was asleep along with everyone else. A part of him also didn’t want to leave Maka. Truth be told, he had grown used to her over the last few days. It felt like there was a connection between the two of them; like Fate had pulled them together for some odd reason and they were destined to meet.

“Or maybe we can meet after I’m done with my research,” Maka said, her gaze hardening on him. She didn’t seem to want to get rid of him so easily either. “I’m usually out here for two hours tops, and afterward, we can meet by the shore and talk.”

Soul winced at the mention of the shore. It was risky for him to be so close to the humans. Near where they could easily spot him and spear him with a hook or throw a net around him. The horror stories from his youth plagued his mind as he slowly shook his head in response to her offer. Maka must have processed what her words sounded to him because she put her hands out in front of him as if to ease his worry.

“There’s no one out on the shore who’ll see you. Most people on the island are asleep around this time. I’m usually the only one awake.”

His red eyes darted to her, accessing the offer and weighing his options. She hadn’t lied to him thus far. What would be any different about this time around? Besides, the sooner she finishes with her research, the sooner he’ll be rid of her and the risk of his home being tainted by human hands.

“Sure.”

She smiled, and his heart warmed at the sight of it.

He hadn’t anticipated the wait it would take for Maka’s boat to reappear at the pier.

Soul swam around the long, wood legs of the pier, glancing up to the walkway expecting it to be some sort of trap or con to drag him into the human world. His stomach churned each time he checked the surface, and his heart hammered against his chest when a leaf blew in his vision. It was nerve-wracking to be so near the shore and the human world. The last time he had been this close, it was because he was stupid enough to search for food near the nets without paying attention to where he was going. Maybe now he was a different kind of stupid.

Trusting a human was the last thing he should be doing.

After an hour of swimming around, Soul was ready to leave when he saw Maka’s boat slowly return in the distance. The low hum of the motor vibrating in his chest and warming his skin at the sight of it. He squished down his feelings and swam to where Maka docked her boat, popping his head above the water to watch her. When she caught sight of him, her smile was bright and welcoming. It caused his stomach to perform backflips.

“I have something I wanna show you.”

Maka pulled a book from her backpack and nodded for him to follow her out to the sand. He swam along the pier, listening as she continued to talk.

“I know you aren’t used to humans or what we do, so I thought I might show you what I do. I found this old book in my dorm that might tell you more about what I’m doing out here.”

Without saying anything, he followed her until the sand in the ocean touched his belly. He was slightly hesitant about crawling onto the shore to where she sat on her knees, the book open in her lap as she turned on a lamp and set it beside her. It was far too close to danger. Soul felt if he were to take the step to get closer to her, he’d be putting his life at risk. The fear of never seeing his brother or mother again settled in the pit of his stomach as he contemplated what to do.

Trusting a human was idiotic at best.

Yet he found himself crawling up the shore and resting in the side by her feet, his tail dipped in the ocean and slapping the surface every now and then.

Once he was settled, Maka smiled at him and opened the book. There were illustrations of dolphins, diagrams labeling different parts of their bodies, and notes written throughout it. Soul wasn’t familiar with books in the human world, but, from the few he had found at the bottom of the ocean, he knew it wasn’t what they normally read. The words on this book were handwritten like someone had taken the time to carefully craft their words and research into something coherent for the world.

“This belonged to my mama,” Maka said as if reading his mind. She brushed her fingertips over the words, her gaze soft with love and admiration. “She gave it to me before she passed away a few years ago, and I’ve been out to finish what she started.”

His heart tugged at her words, and his gaze drifted to her face. In the moonlight, she looked like a being from the heavens, an angel whose heart was full of love for the thing in her hands. It was admirable. Soul had never met another being -- mermaid or human or otherwise -- who looked at something with so much passion in her eyes. A thought wishing she looked at him like that crossed his mind, but he quickly batted it away, chiding himself for even thinking of it.

It didn’t save his chest from tightening and warming, though.

Several nights passed.

Soul continued seeing Maka on the shore, continued listening to her stories about her research. He listened as she went on and on about the mating habits of dolphins, how they disciplined their children with tail slaps that reminded him of how his mother raised him, and the way they spoke to each other. It was all interesting, things he had never known before, but the best part of listening to her talk had more to do with the excitement in her voice, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about her research.

It warmed his heart to say the least. It made him happy to be out there in the middle of the night, the full moon glowing down on them, and the risk of being captured.

He would even go as far to say being captured while Maka was in the middle of her stories would be worth it. The last thing he’d be more than happy to see before dying would be her smiling face.

The same couldn’t be said when he returned home that night, though.

Dread filled his heart as he swam between the reefs and makeshift homes of the other mermaid in his community. He couldn’t quite pinpoint where the feeling came from, but he had a feeling something was wrong. Something felt off about his return home. Usually he would see a few of the other mermaids leaving their homes to get ready for their day or see them out and about already. But now, as he swam closer to home, it was eerily empty and quiet.

When he entered his home, he found it trashed and ruined. Seashells were scattered on the floor of his home, barnacles broken and priceless gifts his mother had received shattered. His heart dropped as he called out for Wes; his stomach lurching when nothing returned. Soul frantically swam around the home searching for any sign of life, but found it empty.

No one was there. He was alone.

Silence filled his ears as he sank to the ground, an unsettling feeling resting in the pit of his stomach.

Soul barely slept during the day.

He kept waking up nightmare after nightmare, the screams and cries for help from his brother plaguing him. There was no sign of what had happened in the home. A part of him had expected burglars probably came and robbed them when Wes and their mother were out, but when darkness fell, there was no sign of either of them. Soul was alone.

Utterly alone in a world of darkness.

It was a struggle for him to swim to the surface to meet Maka. She knew about his needing the moonlight to see where he was going, and if he didn’t show up on the night of a full moon, she’d be worried something had happened to him. He tried to figure out how to tell her his family was gone on the way to the surface, flipping over every possible scenario for why they left. Neither his mother nor Wes were the type to desert him without a warning, at least. Wes was the last person Soul expected to leave him.

Maka’s pacing was the first thing he noticed. The second was the line between her brows.

“Is everything okay?” Soul asked when he poked his head above the water.

“No. Everything’s not okay.” Maka stopped her pacing and sighed. “Medusa attacked one of the reefs in the ocean last night.”

His heart dropped.

“And word is she managed to get her hands on some mermaids.” A growl that seemed entirely unlady-like erupted from Maka. “I knew this would happen! I’ve warned the Headmaster of the biology department about Medusa and her group, but he never listened! I’m sure other supernatural beings are in danger!”

“What do you mean other supernatural beings?”

Sharp, green eyes snapped to him. “That’s Medusa’s whole thing. She’s out to rid the world of your kind and others like you. Others who aren’t” -- she paused to swallow as if the next words pained her to say -- “others who aren’t human.”

Soul pulled his gaze away from her, mulling over her words, and the next thing out of his mouth came without his volition.

“My family’s gone.” He hated how small his voice sounded. “Our home was attacked last night, and no one’s come around. Do you think my reef is the one she targeted?”

An image of Wes’ body plastered the wall drifted into his mind, but he quickly pushed it away. He didn’t want to dwell on the terrible possibility. Not now. Not when there could be a chance his brother and mother were alive. Trapped, but alive.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” Maka admitted. She fell to her knees on the pier, startling Soul out of his reverie, but the fire burning beneath her gaze washed it away. “I’m going to figure out where Medusa is keeping the mermaids she stole, and I’m going to set them free. I promise.”

Awe burned through his body at her determination.

“I can turn you human if you wanna help,” Blair cooed from her spot on the pier. “It would probably be quicker if someone else helped Maka.”

It didn’t take him long to figure out what Blair was implying. And, while tempting to spend more time with Maka and help her fight for a worthy cause in the human world, the thought of being in the human world frightened him. Being close to the things he feared for so long, the things plaguing his nightmares and keeping him up at night, was probably the worst thing he could think of.

Other than his family being in danger, of course.

Still, he couldn’t compel himself to accept the cat’s offer.

“I-I can’t,” he said, shame filling in his gaze as he shrank into the water. “You’ll have to do it alone. I’m sorry.”

Maka’s smile held the kindness he had grown to associate with her, but a sadness still resided beneath it. It twisted his heart.

“It’s okay. I promise I’ll find out where your family is and save them.” She stood from the pier and dusted herself off. “I’ll be back as soon as I have some news.”

Without saying another word, she turned and walked down the length of the pier. Soul watched her form leave, moonlight casting her in shades of white, until the darkness swallowed her up.

Soul waited three days for Maka to return with some news.

He waited for her until the sun rose, when it pained him to stay above the water’s surface. Waited until the birds on the shore woke and sang out to the world it was a brand new day, but she never returned. A part of him didn’t want to give up on her; she had been so sure her plan to protect his kind would work. Another part of him was starting to lose hope; it was foolish of him to trust a human.

When had a human and mermaid ever been friends? When had their partnership ever ended on good terms without one of them dead?

After seven days passed with no sign of Maka, Soul retired back to what remained of his home to wait until Death decided it was his turn to go with his kind.

Maybe it was fate or destiny or sheer idiocy, but Soul found himself returning to the surface twenty-one days after Maka’s disappearance. Or maybe it was the hope something had happened.

Either way, Soul had never seen a more beautiful sight than Maka’s smiling face as she recounted everything that had happened in the last three weeks beneath a bright, full moon. How she found out where Soul’s family was, that they were alive and well, and she was concocting a plan to throt Medusa’s plans with the help of some of her friends. It was the hesitation, though, that caused Soul to pause in his joy and contemplate what it was she needed to tell him.

In order for them to push the plan in motion, they needed him. The mermaids weren’t going to trust humans -- whether accompanied by the supernatural or not -- unless they had a familiar face with them.

Reluctantly, Soul made the decision to take Blair’s offer and become human under the guise it was to help save his family. And, if it also meant spending more time with Maka in her world, then it was an added bonus he was willing to agree to.

#soul eater #soulxmaka #khalee writes #reverb 2017

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wubwubnparmaham · 7 years

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Any more books you plan to publish?

Ahhh yes. Well....the next few things are unrelated to this fandom. One thing is a 2-book series called “The Clan” (obviously with different titles for one and two), and it is my interpretation of two deep af and heavy storyline music videos that don’t make a WHOLE lotta sense at first, but do now in my own way now that i’ve figured out the entire story as i see it. This is a k-pop thing. About a 7-membered group called Monsta X. They’re my babies (saw them live and kicked the can), but I can’t get into that here. But my brain, after religiously watching these music videos for the meaning, is a tale I HAVE to get out. It is the most exciting thing to me to tell this in my perspective, buuuut I don’t expect anyone here to be interested. Which, technically, i mean...really is a shame, but i’ve no right to speak that. There’s gayness IN the music videos, but obviously knowing me that is amplified af, and there’s death and police brutality and magic, and hallucinogenic flowers and world-saving and just JIGOJGLFW GOD. Anywho. That’ll come first.

After that, I have to do something with BTS, or Bangtansonyeondan, or 방탄소년단. BTS has my ultimate bias Min Yoongi in it (favourite person ever in general essentially aside from Harry), and i’m very, VERY invested in them. They have much, MUCH wilder music videos that go deeper in clue-dropping than RBB itself, but I’m not touching those. They’re too big. It’s too colossal to wrap my head around. Every music video is connected, and the storylines overlap so much, and it’s so artistic in its own right that I could never like presume to touch that work. BUT I gotta do something BTS related, and the overactive ships in that group never quit, so there’s a lot to go off of. K-pop is hella gay btw in case anyone was wondering.

As for Larry, I have a real drugs fic in the works, because I’m a recovered addict and every single use of drugs in Larry fics I’ve ever read has literally made me double over laughing my ass off, and I usually exit out straight away with a lot “okay, hun....sure”. Maybe good ones exist somewhere, but literally anyone who tries who I have personally seen has obviously never done a fucking hard drug in their life and it makes me cringe so fucking hard. I almost get offended. Lol. So to combat the ignorance (which is actually A GOOD THING they have that, but if you’re gonna write something like that at least do your research), I’m going to write a semi-autobiographical version of a terrible period of life and do it through Larry. It’ll be theraputic, and hopefully a gift to any other ex-users who actually know what drugs ARE and DO.

Besides that, of course I still have the fourth book of Love Endless to do, which will come when I am of a sound drive to do so, and then after that fourth book, Love Endless will be done.

I have a Louis hybrid fic outlined that I wanna do, because hi hello I like weird ass shit and hybrids are up there, wow louis with cat ears sign me the FUCK up, so there’s that.

I have a Larry reaper/human story I outlined some of, and really wanna do, just don’t know where it fits in the list of like....what comes next, you know?

I have a demons one (not angels, just demons),

Aaaaand I really wanted to do a mermaid one, but I think the classics have got it down. There’s a LOT of amazing amazing mermaid fics in this fandom, and having read them, I just think the best stories have been told. I don’t need to add to them. I just really like the concept, but I can appreciate it from afar.

I have a new sorta Larry scifi idea I came up with, that I really don’t wanna get into because it’s too personal. It’s in/on another world/planet entirely, with a different like...just rules of how shit works, but right when I was outlining that one, I was distracted by Love Endless, so it took a long ass year-long backseat. Will get back into that because I was cooking up something good.

It would be cool to do a time-traveler one as well, but that’s also common af, and like...I haven’t even outlined something like that. But it’s in the back of my mind.

I have a Larry shape-shifters story in the bag as well, fully outlined, that’s kind of a comedy, and it won’t be a full length novel, but I am taken with the idea so I wanna do that, andddd

I was also fucking around with the same sort of concept as x-men in a way, but it’s been DONE. LIKE A MILLION TIMES. ESPECIALLY BY X-MEN itself. I like the idea of a boarding school with kids with powers, like who wouldn’t, but shitttt is that overdone. It sucks. I��ve been trying to find a way to make that one original but it’s pretty impossible. I don’t like doing tropes but hi hello annyeong i wrote A VAMPIRE SERIES so obviously i don’t care that much about being completely original. I deffo wrote that vampire story in a way i’d never seen so maayybee i can do the same thing with the boarding school but weee will see if that even ever happens.

There’s also more K-pop shit but i have SAID ENOUGH.

All of these ideas are going to be a long time coming. It takes a while to write things, and I’m an aspiring perfectionist, so like...things just...take time. I don’t wanna burn myself out with anything like I did with Love Endless, because I hate not wanting to work anymore on that when I still have responsibilities with it, you know? I’m not worried about The Clan with that because it’s shorter, and already totally outlined, and also something I’m EXTREMELY...EXTREMELY passionate about, but I have to be careful with the speed of which I write shit. I write too fast and die over it. So these stories will be reasonably paced, soooo things might come out slowly, but if you can stick around, these are the things in the future. More ideas will inevitably pop up, and I’m actually sure that I have other things in my notebook, but that’s upstairs and these were the immediate ones that came to mind so there. Aha. Sorry for the long ass response, but you opened a can of worms.

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thephilologist-blog · 7 years

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On varieties of English: the case of Scottish English in J. Roberson’s “The Fanatic” - Karolina Górska

The article focuses on different aspects concerning the Scottish English dialect. The analysis is based on the book The Fanatic written by a Scottish writer, James Robertson. The main goal of this article is to present the most important features of the Scottish English dialect as found in The Fanatic. The first part of this article features the facts of James Robertson’s life, his professional path and his bestsellers. Here, we also depict the information about the plot and the characters presented in the book The Fanatic. What is more, the second part of this article is devoted to the analysis of the material. We present the usage of the Scottish English dialect in The Fanatic and characterize the most outstanding constructions of Scottish English. On the basis of the analysis conclusions with regard to the use of the Scottish English have been drawn.

1. Scottish English

Let us start with a descrbtion of the English dialect, which is spoken in Scotland. Stachurska (2011, p. 92) says that definite distinctive variations of pronunciation can be initiated like wha, whase, sae, weel, neebour, guid. In Scottish English there are words which are pronounced separately, but also words which are archaic: ain ‘own’, auld ‘old’, lang ‘long’, bairn ‘child’, bonnie ‘beautiful’, braw ‘handsome’, dinna ‘do not’, unco ‘very’. Štekauer (1993, cited in Stachurska, 2011, p. 92) states the principal elements of Scottish English pronunciation:

The consonant /r/ pronunciation is trilled, even in colloquial speech and /r/ is pronounced even before a consonant or a pause as in words ‘girl’ or ‘hair’. Voiceless pronunciation of the written ‘wh-group’. One may speak of generalization of the dark /l/. Standard English, [æ] as in ‘man’, ‘cat’ is replaced with [a]. One may speak of the non-existence of the centring diphthongs. Words like ‘beard’, ‘poor’, ‘fair’ are pronounced in Scotland as [bi:rd, pu:r, fe:r], respectively. Scottish English lacks the long [ə:] vowel and, therefore, such words as ‘bird’, ‘first’ are pronounced with the short variant, namely [bərd], [fərst].

Kleparski and Stachurska (2014, p. 127) declare that with reference to pronunciation, perhaps the most noteworthy phonetic aspect of Scottish English is the existence of a rolled /r/ that is sustained in all conditions, and the recognition of some long vowels that were not contrived by the process of the Great Vowel Shift. So, for example, in ScE ‘house’ or ‘down’ are still pronounced as they were pronounced in English in the 16th century, that is [hu:s] and [du:n] (ScE spelling hoose and doon) (ibid.). Therefore, as we can see this conservative pronunciation may be reflected in the modern Scottish English spelling.

As to the past forms of verbs, various verbs that are irregular in Standard English are regular in Scottish English, for instance, sell ‘sellt’; see ‘seed’. The present participle reserves the pattern –in like in ken kennin ‘knowing’ (ibid.). As to other suppletive forms, there are many irregular plurals, such as, for example, ee, een ‘eyes’, coo kye ‘cows’, while regularised nouns include such forms as ‘leafs’, ‘wifes’, ‘wolfs’, ‘lifes’ etc. (ibid.). Additional component of this regional variation of English is auxiliary verbs shall, may and ought which are not commonly applied in communication being changed with will, can/maybe, should/want for shall, may and ought subsequently (ibid.). For example, the utterance: (You want to eat a bit) means ‘You ought to eat a bit’. Moreover, the question term how may be applied as why. Another compelling aspect of Scottish English is that pronouns ending in –self can be adopted non-reflexively like in the model questions: (How’s yourself today?) or (Is himself in?) (ibid., p.128). McArthur (1992, p. 904, 905) also appends that the passive may be expressed by ‘get’ (I got told off). ScoE not is favoured over ‘n’t’: (He’ll not come), (You’re not wanted). ‘Anybody’, ‘everybody’, ‘nobody’, ‘somebody’ are preferred to ‘anyone’, ‘everyone’, ‘no one’, ‘someone’.

Although most of its vocabulary and grammar belong to general English – ScE is different in many ways from SE, and it is characterised by a large admixture of specifically Scottish vocabulary elements. Most of the words in Scottish English received from impact of other languages, for instance Gaelic: clan ‘clan’; strath ‘valley’, Norwegian: gar ‘to build’; graith ‘prepare’ and French: bonnie ‘pretty’; genty ‘fine, delicate’ (ibid., 2014, p.127). It is the consequence of the fact that in the Highlands, the English language is often the people’s second language, the first being Scottish Gaelic from which English has borrowed such words as, for example, ‘cairn’, ‘glen’ and ‘loch’. Additionally, various vocabulary components that are identical as in Standard English, nevertheless they are adopted with changed interpretation (ibid., 2014). One may specify expressions as scheme ‘local government housing estate’, travel ‘go on foot’, mind ‘memory or recollection’. The latter can also be used in ScE as a verb ‘to remember’ as in (The meeting’s at three, mind) (ibid., 2014). In accordance with McArthur (1992, p. 905) there occurs phrases from standard Scottish like caddie, collie, cosy, croon, eerie, forebear, glamour, golf, gumption, lilt, pony, raid, rampage, scone, uncanny, weird, wraith. Words that have some external currency but are used more in Scotland than elsewhere, many as covert Scotticisms: bairn, brae, burn, canny, douce, hogmanay, kirk, peewit, pinkie, skirl.

Now, let us see whether any of the peculiarities mentioned above may be traced in James Robertson’s The Fanatic.

2. The novel The Fanatic

2.1. The author and his works

James Robertson was born on 14th March in 1958 in Sevenoaks, Kent and as Scott (2005, p. 340) says, Robertson grew up in Scotland. However, the writer spent his first years in England and the novelist always remembered about his Scottish origin. The author studied history at the University of Edinburgh. Robertson is a poet, publisher of poetry and children’s books. His first book was called 'Close and other stories'. It was a set of brief tales and was printed in 1991. From then on, Robertson has published more than twenty books. As stated by Mitchelson (2016, online)[1], James Robertson is the author of 'The Fanatic', which was published in 2000, 'Joseph Knight', ' And the Land Lay Still' and 'The professor of Truth'. 'The Fanatic' was his first great work and this book emerged as a success. It is not only a grotesque tale, but one that creates cultural review about modern Scotland. The novelist is enthusiastic about the social and political situation of Scotland, and the author applies the historical passages to comment on the current day. Mitchelson (2016, online) also says that Robertson is still an active writer. In 1999 James Robertson founded Kettilonia. It was his own brochure where the poetry and prose pamphlets were published by the novelist. Robertson was a first novelist in Residence at the Scottish Parliament in 2004 and in Residence at Brownsbank Cottage. The Members of the Parliament received three lectures and they were later printed in 'Voyage of Intent’ (2005) (ibid.). The author also translates children’s novels, for example 'George’s 'Marvellous Medicine' as 'Geordie’s Mingin Medicine'. In 2010 'And the Land Lay Still' won and gained him a second Saltire Society award. The writer’s upcoming book 'To be Continued' will be released by Hamish Hamilton in August 2016. Nowadays, Robertson lives in the village of Newtyle, Dundee. It is located in the verdant countryside (ibid.).

2.2. The characters and the plot of the novel

Below, we mention the main characters in J. Robertson’s The Fanatic in an alphabetical order. The book 'The Fanatic' has five main characters[2].

Andrew Carlin - a protagonist, tour worker. Carlin is the best contender to act as a fake spirit of Major Thomas Weir and threatens the tourists. He is a fictional character. Hugh Hardie - a tour guide. He wants to employ a person for the sightseeing of the Old Edinburgh, who will be dress up as a ghost.

James Mitchell - a seventeenth century religious, protestant fanatic and co- congregationalist of Weir’s. James is confident of a strong connection with God. In 1676 he was judged for failed assassination attempt of the Archbishop of St Andrews, James Sharp. Jean Weir - her nickname was 'Grizel'. She is the Major’s spinster sister, who committed incest and was sentenced to the death for the witchcraft. She was the real figure. Major Thomas Weir - a Covenanter, presbyterian hardliner, executed for witchcraft in 1670. He was a Scottish soldier. This character was the historical one. Let us now concentrate on the plot of the novel. The Fanatic is a compelling novel, which consists of two plots. Reid (2016, online) [3] claims that the book is bothered with duplication, divided between the issues in 1677 and 1997. In the current day, situated in Edinburgh in 1997, the novel shares the cases of the Scottish Covenanters of the seventeenth century. Hugh Hardie wants to employ a ghost of Major Thomas Weir, also well-known as The Wizard of the West Bow, for his Tours in Old Edinburgh (ibid.). The perfect candidate who fits this position is Andrew Carlin, mid-30-ish slacker. His job is to scare the visitors by wearing a cape, stick and a plastic rat. Carlin is provided a job as a guide. Andrew accepts the new role and explores Major Thomas, hence he may portray Weir in the most realistic way (ibid.). In consequence, Andrew Carlin becomes absorbed with another historical character, Weir’s friend, James Mitchell, the ‘fanatic’ of the novel’s title. Mitchell was persecuted, later hung for the attempted murder of the Archbishop of St. Andrews. The historical passage in the novel is due to the fact that Andrew becomes undesirably preoccupied by Mitchell’s story. Carlin reveals the remembrance of James Mitchell at the library and his story affects the predestination, religious obsession, witchcraft and murder (ibid.). According to Deighton (2016, online)[4] Andrew Carlin is an outsider, who is, however, thoughtful. He converses with himself in the mirror and his image responds aptly and provocatively, so much that Andrew establishes to speculate that he is unrealistic.

Reid (2016, online) adds the fact that Robertson uses the historical passages to help to comment on the present day. The Fanatic is not only a gothic tale but one that makes cultural comment about modern Scotland. Through the narrative of two moments in the past, 'The Fanatic' is a history, identity and reparation of Scotland. The book contains stories about betrayals, whith races, expatriations of Puritans, missed memories and prohibited travels. The author gives a lot of attention to the religion, politics and the notion to the history.

3. The analysis of the material

In the following part of the work we analyze material contained in the novel on the phonetic, phonological, syntactical, morphological and lexical grounds, but also here we mention differences between the orthography of Standard English and the spelling of Scottish English dialect[5]

3.1. Phonetics and phonology[6]

This part of the article is devoted to the phonetic and phonological features of the Scottish English dialect. According to McArthur (1992, p. 904), the Scottish English accent is rhotic. In Robertson’s novel we can find many examples of rolled /r/, for instance in words like yer, weird, ither, richt or yersel. Additionally, Štekauer (1993, cited in Stachurska, 2011, p. 92) mentions about the ‘wh-group’ words. Scottish people pronounce it /hw/ and in the book there are words like: whit, wheniver, whitiver or wha. Here we present some representative examples of absence of diphtongs in words such as: feart /fi:rt/, auld /ɔːld/, toun /tu:n/, fund /fu:nd/, micht /mɪxt/, puir /pu:r/ or nicht /nɪxt/. The equivalents of the above mentioned words in BrE are: afraid, old, town, found, might, poor or night, which are pronounced with diphthongs. Scots have tendency to pronounce the words with dark /l/ Štekauer (1993, cited in Stachurska, 2011, p. 92) and in the The Fanatic appear such words as: laddie, alane, haill, masel, lookin, pauchler or crotlie (ibid.). We may assume that the above mentioned words are pronounced with the dark /l/. As it is mentioned by McArthur (1992, p. 904) there are not distinctions in pronunciation of some words, for instance cot and caught, both having / ɔ:/ . Here are presented examples from the book cam (p. 71) and calm (p. 113), both having probably /a/, full (p. 83) and fool (p. 119), both having probably /u/. Wh- words like what (p. 9), when (p. 9), where (p. 10), who (p. 11), which (p. 11), whit (p. 16), while (p. 19), whae (p. 22), why (p. 25) are pronounced probably /hw/. When it comes to vowels there (p. 16) and where (p. 10) are probably /e/ not /ɜ/. There are also distinctions in consonants, where length (p. 42) and strenth (p. 124) are pronounced presumably with /n/ not /ŋ/, something (p. 10) and thirteen (p. 10) are pronounced probably with /f/ not / θ/, December (p. 95) with /z/ not /s/, and Wednesday (p. 109) maintains medial /d/.

3.2. Syntax

Next part of this Bachelor’s Degree is the syntactical study of James Robertson’s The Fanatic. Miller (2016, online)[7] claims that the negations in Scottish English are made by words no, not, or nae. We can see these examples in Robertson’s novel, for example Well, that’s whit I’m no sure aboot (p. 18), hath changed her glory for that which doth not profit (p. 136), He had nae communication for ye that I ken (p. 123). The question tags have not or no and sometimes we can tell the structure amn’t as in I am, amn’t I (p. 256), He was here, was he no? (p. 243). Sometimes to modal verbs is suffixed nae as in He cannae come to the party (Miller, 2016, online), however in The Fanatic there is lack of information about this. Never and nane are usually occur in the utterances like I never saw him in life (p. 46), but there’s nane o us that’ll no gang back tae naethin (p. 112).

We can consider modal verbs which differ from that of Standard English (ibid., p. 4). As stated by Kleparski and Stachurska (2014, p. 127) in Scottish English shall appears in writing and formal advertisement, but does not usually perform in communication Ye shall hae a Bible o yer ain (p. 35). In spoken Scots ‘will’ marks future tense He will be punished (p.33), promises And I will come (p. 48), and occurs in interrogatives Will you not come to the meeting, Maister Mitchel? (p. 47). Want is used instead of should I want tae check this guy oot (p. 24). Must indicates the result connotation I must have a ghost (p. 14), have to and need to indicate necessity but why do you have to have a ghost anyway? (p. 13). Need is similar to have to We don’t need more doubles (p. 25). In Robertson’s novel there are no examples of the double modals.

Miller (2016, online) mentions about the progressive form of the verb. As in Standard English stative verbs do not occur in progressive, in Scottish English they do as in who else is wanting to look at that particular book? (p. 37). Speakers of Scottish English may relate to a current, finished occurrence by the Past Progressive + there, but in the book we did not notice any examples of the structure. In Scottish English the Past Simple with ever is equivalent to the Past Perfect in Standard English (ibid., p. 7). As for instance, in book there is an utterance like Not that he actually ever did anything, you understand (p. 15). However, the popular construction is there’s with the resultative participle, which is not found in the book. We can also see that conditional clauses in Scottish English are different And if the tortoise would only pit oot its heid (p. 71). If and would are in the same part of the sentence, where in Standard English if and would are separated (ibid., p. 8).

Scottish English usually uses how instead of why How’s that a dilemma? (p. 79). There are variety of tag-questions like we’ll be in a position tae gie each ither the benefits o oor different experiences, will we no? (p. 261), Ye’re no a minister, are ye, John? (p. 244), It’s a bit of fun, but a bit scary too, right? (p. 16) (ibid., pp. 9, 10). Sure you don’t want another? (p. 21) indicates that this type of utterance conveys the fact that the speaker is certain about something. The usual prepositions like frae/fae ‘from’, off and with are the most frequent in the Scottish English utterances Dae you no ken me fae somewhere? (p. 22), Are ye feart frae me, James Mitchel? (p. 33), The rat careered off the wall (p. 51), they shall be visited with judgment (p. 103) (ibid., p. 11). Speakers of Scottish English usually end sentence with though, as in I must be sure, though (p. 48) (ibid., p. 14). In Standard English know is the comparable with Scottish English ken. You can ken someone and ken how to do something (ibid., p. 17). In the book we can find the examples I ken whit Puritans are (p. 17), I would need tae know, ken (p. 19). The word like appears in the interrogative clauses Followed us hame like? (p. 168).

3.3. Morphology

Morphology refers to the description, analysis and recognition of the construction of a language’s morphemes and other linguistic components like parts of the speech, stresses and intonation. As it is said by Miller (2016, online) in Scottish English occur irregular strong and weak forms of the verb. In the novel, we can find the following past tense and past participle forms, which differ from Standard English: sellt means ‘sold’ (p. 25), fund means ‘found’ (p. 32), tellt means ‘told’ (p. 62), spak means ‘spoke’ (p. 67), gied means ‘gave’ (p. 91), mairched means ‘marched’ (p. 94), thocht means ‘thought’ (p. 150), brocht means ‘brought’ (p. 151). There are also presented plural forms of the nouns, for instance, halfs-and-halfs (p. 8), wifies (p. 25), een (p. 33), weemun (p. 281).

We can also mention some other inflectional affixes, like for the third person singular verbs –s I’ll no argue but that it maks for strenth o a kind (p. 124), -es Gies us somethin tae sell tae the tourists (p. 25). Plural nouns They were complete hypocrites (p. 17), past participle form of the verbs –d I fund him (p. 32), -ed The rebels that mairched frae Dumfries tae the Pentlands (p. 94), -t as in I tellt Lauderdale it could be doubted (p. 66).

Let us finally mention some examples of derivational affixes. There is prefix sush as re- as in it would need a lot of rewriting (p. 10). Suffix like –ish as in Another devilish trick (p. 39). Another example is the –al as in I need to spread a potential income (p. 10). Some more examples could be –able as in Am I makin ye feel uncomfortable? (p. 37), -ness as in A result of material weakness in a false construction (p. 43). All in all, as we can see the Scottish English morphology does not offer a lot from that of Standard English.

3.4. Lexis

Robertson’s book exposes many characteristics words in Scottish English. We can enumerate many parts of the speech. First of all let us mention some typical Scottish verbs: ken means ‘know’ (p. 19), dae means ‘do’ (p. 19), gaun means ‘go on’ (p. 25), sellt means ‘sold’ (p. 25), fund means ‘found’ (p. 32), gie means ‘give’ (p. 33), unnerstaun means ‘understand’ (p. 52), staun means ‘stand’ (p. 53), tellt means ‘told’ (p. 62), tak means ‘take’ (p. 62), spak means ‘spoke’ (p. 67), cairry means ‘carry’ (p. 71), gied means ‘gave’ (p. 91), mairched means ‘marched’ (p. 94), haud means ‘hold’ (p. 95), speir means ‘beg’ (p. 105), gang means ‘go’ (p. 105), wheesht means ‘hush’ (p. 106), chap means ‘knock’ (p. 106), scrieve means ‘glide’ (p. 121), gars means ‘causes’ (p. 124), stey means ‘stay’ (p. 128), kip means ‘sleep’ (p. 129), thocht means ‘thought’ (p. 150), brocht means ‘brought’ (p. 151), pey means ‘pay’ (p. 159), hing means ‘hang’ (p. 175), misken means ‘to be unaware’ (p. 179), mak means ‘make’ (p. 180), mind means ‘remember’ (p. 186), cam means ‘come’ (p. 193), thole means ‘put up with’ (p. 206), bestow means ‘apply, present, devote’ (p. 207), hae means ‘have’ (p. 210), fleg means ‘scare’ (p. 215), pit means ‘put’ (p. 222), hairm means ‘harm’ (p. 243).

As to the nouns, Slàinte means ‘health’ (p. 9), wey means ‘a way’ (p. 22), hert means ‘a heart’ (p. 25), geggie means ‘a mouth’ (p. 25), bastart means ‘a bastard’ (p. 25), heid means ‘a head’ (p. 25), wifies mean ‘women’ (p. 25), mooth means ‘a mouth’ (p. 26), sodgers means ‘soliders’ (p. 29), toun means ‘a town’ (p. 32), bairn means ‘a child’ (p. 33), faither means ‘a father’ (p. 33), paulcher means ‘a smallholder’ (p. 33), een mean ‘eyes’ (p. 33), mither means ‘a mother’ (p. 35), nicht means ‘a night’ (p. 46), dwam means ‘a stupor’ (p. 52), hame means ‘a home’ (p. 61), lug means ‘an ear’ (p. 62), sicht means ‘sight’ (p. 63), thoosan means ‘a thousand’ (p. 64), warld means ‘a world’ (p. 65), darg means ‘a day’s work’ (p.72), kirk means ‘a church’ (p. 72), dochter means ‘a daughter’ (p. 72), licht means ‘light’ (p.73), faimlies means ‘families’ (p. 74), hoose means ‘a house’ (p. 94), thrapple means ‘a throat’ (p. 95), oor means ‘an hour’ (p. 95), syvers means ‘street gutters’ (p. 96), saut means ‘salt’ (p. 106), glisk means ‘a glimpse’ (p. 117), strenth means ‘strength’ (p. 124), bluid means ‘blood’ (p. 139).

We can also see examples of the adjectives, which appear to be typically Scottish. Auld means ‘old’ (p. 13), guid means ‘good’ (p. 19), bluidy means ‘bloody’ (p. 22), sapsy means ‘soft’ (p. 25), alane means ‘alone’ (p. 25), feart means ‘afraid’ (p. 32), richt means ‘right’ (p. 33), deid means ‘dead’ (p. 35), wee means ‘small’ (p. 52), seik means ‘sick’ (p. 52), wrang means ‘wrong’ (p. 52), bonnie means ‘pretty’ (p. 63), lang means ‘long’ (p. 65), clarty means ‘dirty’ (p. 65), puir means ‘poor’ (p. 65), siccar means ‘sure’ (p. 66), muckle means ‘large’ (p. 66), brichtest means ‘brightest’ (p. 66), leal means ‘loyal’ (p. 67), lanely means ‘lonely’ (p. 70), cannie means ‘nice’ (p. 72).

We can enumerate pronouns like whit means ‘what’ (p. 16), ye means ‘you’ (p. 22), anither means ‘another’ (p. 22), whae means ‘who’ (p. 22), yer means ‘your’ (p. 24), somethin means ‘something’ (p. 24), oorsels means ‘ourselves’ (p. 25), itsel means ‘itself’ (p. 25), whase means ‘whose’ (p. 33), oor means ‘our’ (p. 34), ma means ‘my’ (p. 35), yersel means ‘yourself’ (p. 36), masel means ‘myself’ (p. 40), naebody means ‘nobody’ (p. 53), himsel means ‘himself’ (p. 63), hersel means ‘herself’ (p. 69). Scottish English has demonstrative adjective thae which means ‘these, those’ I was the Toun in thae days (p. 65).

Finally, the other parts of the speech. Aye means ‘yes’ (p. 10), mair means ‘more’ (p. 16), tae means ‘to’ (p. 16), na means ‘no’ (p. 16), jist means ‘just’, haill means ‘whole/one’ (p. 18), aboot means ‘about’ (p. 18), ower means ‘over’ (p. 18), wi means ‘with’ (p. 18), fae means ‘from’ (p. 21), aw means ‘all’ (p. 24), oot means ‘out’ (p. 24), mebbe means ‘maybe’ (p. 24), eftir means ‘after’ (p. 25), onywey means ‘anyway’ (p. 25), withoot means ‘without’ (p. 25), onybody means ‘anybody’ (p. 26), twa means ‘two’ (p. 32), yonder means ‘over there’ (p. 32), frae means ‘from’ (p. 32), awa means ‘away’ (p. 33), weill means ‘well’ (p. 34), awright means ‘alright’ (p. 36), ither means ‘other’ (p. 36), niver means ‘never’ (p. 36), awmaist means ‘almost’ (p. 36), ayewis means ‘always’ (p. 37), naethin means ‘nothing’ (p. 46), nuthin means ‘nothing’ (p. 52), ony means ‘any’ (p. 61), yince means ‘once’ (p.61), amang means ‘among’ (p. 62), maist means ‘most’ (p. 63), awthegither means ‘altogether’ (p. 63), sune means ‘soon’ (p. 65).

Summary and conclusions

The article contains information about James Robertson, the author of the book The Fanatic and an analysis of the Scottish English dialect as found in the novel. In the first subsection, we introduce the most important facts about the novelist’s life, career and works. Furthermore, the article includes a description of the main characters from the novel, as well as the most crucial events of the plot. The next part of this article provides a study of Scottish English used in the novel. The work presents different aspects of Scottish English, such as: the phonetics, phonology, syntax, morphology and lexis. It is contracted with Standard English and shows differences between these two variants. Each aspect is supported by examples from the novel, The Fanatic. In the phonetic and phonological part we can find some information about the pronunciation and features connected with this component. Moreover, the syntactical section consists of grammatical aspects of Scottish English. In addition, we also describe the morphological grounds where we present some examples of Scottish English morphemes. The last element concerns the lexical dimensions of Scottish English.

On the basis of our analysis, we can conclude that the Scottish English dialect as found in the novel is a very distinctive and well – pronounced dialect, both in the spoken and written form. We can notice peculiarities in the pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. The articulation of Scottish English differs very much from that of Standard English, beacuse it has a specific /r/ sound in pronunciation and lacks in certain diphthongs. When it comes to the syntax, one can see certain differences in constructing sentences, using various phrases and words in the utterances and rules that are not used in Standard English. Nonetheless, the expressions have the same word order as in Standard English. What is more, the vocabulary in Scottish English differs from Standard English mostly in spelling and meaning.

Bibliography

Baker, T., 2014. Contemporary Scottish Gothic: Mourning, Authenticity, and Tradition. New York: Springer.

Kleparski, G.A., and Włodarczyk – Stachurska, A., 2014. The Rudiments of Lexicography and Sociolinguistics. Radom: Kazimierz Pułaski University of Technology and Humanities.

McArthur, T., 1992. The Oxford Companion to the English Language. New York: Oxford University Press.

Robertson, J., 2000. The Fanatic. London: Fourth Estate.

Włodarczyk – Stachurska, A., 2011. On Sociolinguistic Variation: The Case of English Women Terms. Radom: Technical University of Radom.

Internet sources

Deighton, J., A Son of the Rock, accessed on 23.04.2016. http://jackdeighton.co.uk/2008/09/15/the-fanatic-by-james-robertson/.

McArthur, R., Dialect, accessed on 07.03.2016. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/dialect.aspx.

Miller, M., The morphology and syntax of Scottish English, accessed on 24.05.2016. http://www.atlas.mouton-content.com/secure/generalmodules/varieties/unit0000/virtualsession/vslessons/miller.pdf.

Mitchelson, M., James Robertson, accessed on 23.04.2016. https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/james-robertson.

Oxford Dictionaries Online

Reid, P., Dear Scotland, accessed on 23.04.2016. http://dearscotland.com/2010/11/01/indelible-ink-james-robertson%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98the-fanatic%E2%80%99/.

[1] https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/james-robertson accessed on 23.04.2016

[2] In composing the list, except from extending from the novel itself, we have also considered the list of the characters specified by Baker (2014, pp. 37, 38). Our list is partially depended on corresponding source.

[3] In writing this passage, except from extending from the novel itself, we have also considered the abstract specified by Reid (2016, online) and Deighton (2016, online). What is more, our list is partially depended on corresponding source.

[4] http://jackdeighton.co.uk/2008/09/15/the-fanatic-by-james-robertson/ accessed on 23.04.2016

[5] In the novel we have not found any examples of the structures typical of Scottish English in the narrated passages. Therefore, all the cases mentioned below come from dialogue passages of the novel.

[6] In the remaining subsections all the quoted words and the utterances come from the novel written in 2000 by James Robertson entitled The Fanatic.

[7]http://www.atlas.moutoncontent.com/secure/generalmodules/varieties/unit0000/virtualsession/vslessons/miller.pdf accessed on 24.05.2016

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fan-clan-fun · 6 years

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canon clan merging

thanks for the help! c: this is a big long, so hope it’s ok i use the submit.

No worries! I love any submission or ask anyone gives me! Sorry about the wait though… kinda forgot about this first submission.

i’m planning on making the clans a bit more… distinct, since in canon they’re pretty bland sadly. i’ll think on wind + shadow’s name, tho i was considering Moonclan as well. i’m working on some backstory / history on the formations, and for TC / RC i’m having it be where they manage to mesh pretty well and combine after about say… a year or so? mostly bc they both want Sunningrocks, and the when the leaders come together to work it out, they figure this is the best way to settle the dispute + combine to survive.

It seems more plausible for River and Thunder to combine than for Shadow and Thunder to combine. Although they have the rivalry over Sunningrocks, it always seemed like Riverclan was more willing to compromise and forgive than Shadowclan. Im still interested in what caused the clans to need to do so, as its unlikely they would simply combine just because. Either some catastrophe would need to happen (sickness, predators, humans) or another threat from the other clans would probably be the only reason they would come together.

Now, regarding the ranks… when they first merge, they have two leaders + deputies, and two medicine cats as well (i’m planning on having the med cat position be treated w a lot more respect too :p) anyway, over time, i’m thinking they do away w the two leaders/deputies and instead they have only one like in canon OR i might just change the rank completely?? as the roleplay will be set a few seasons down the road so they will have had amble time to connect + a merging of culture along the way and all that, plus at this point in the timeline, Sunningrocks has become a symbol of unity + peace between them.

I can definitely see the leader position being streamlined, because having two leader from competing factions would only highlight the differences instead of the unity. But maybe they could retain something like two deputies? Or some kind of council from when they joined together. It would be a reminder that there was a point when there were two different groups, but without actually causing tension between two competing leaders. Possibly the two deputies could have different functions in the clan, like a deputy of the camp, and a deputy of the territory (i.e. a deputy who kept up with all the camp duties and made sure that the queens and medicine cat were stocked, the elders were comfortable, and that the kits and apprentices were doing well in their training/education and then a deputy in charge of hunting, patrols, and the like in the territory). Or you could have a council of warriors, senior warriors maybe some who remember when the clans were separated, and work to help the clan come together.

regarding Wind + Shadow, i was going to have them join together a bit later bc there’s still bad blood between them; see Shadow driving Wind out, Brokenstar being a reminder of what befell Windclan, Thunder sheltering Broken, etc. So they will join together, but it’ll take time and even when they /do/ eventually join, tension might still be there for a bit, at least.

I can see that, another good question to ask yourself is where in the timeline, if you are following a canon timeline in which those events occurred did this happen? Because that affects A LOT. If you do it within memory of Tigerstar, there would be understandable fear about joining together, as well as enough cats with ties to other clans it could be awkward. On the other hand you could have a younger Mistystar being amazing…. but if you place it far enough from canon Tigerstar and Brokenstar, than a lot of those reservations (and even the grudges between Wind and Shadow) would be irrelevant.

i do like what u mentioned abt water and fire + earth and wind! i didn’t think of that, haha. with that in mind… i guess i could go for an elemental style clan name, though i don’t know that. maybe Steamclan for river + thunder and Dustclan for wind + shadow? i dunno, i’ll think on it.

now, canon clans are pretty barebones. i don’t think i’ll go all out like warriorsredux or anything but i do want to make them a little bit more distinct than in canon.

Honestly even small things make a huge difference. Things you can start with include: Specific traditions about what happens once an appprentice becomes a warrior (beyond just the vigil, or substituting the vigil for something else), how does the clan celebrate births, deaths, and ranking up? Are there any special ways the cats bury their dead? And maybe if you want a little bit more flavor maybe some sayings or scraps of stories from each clan.

also, i do have headcanons of certain breed traits that i view the clans have. Like, River has Turkish Van/Angora ancestry, Thunder has Maine Coon/NFC traits, Wind has Oriental shorthair traits, and Shadow has maybe… bombay traits and stuff like that ? idk.

I love headcanons for appearances of canon clans. Its funny how for the most part the fandom agrees on several of them. Something which I have always toyed with is having Shadowclan be british shorthair, or something like that, more cobby-type body, this would work well because the only cat ever mentioned to have a smooshed face is Yellowfang, and that is usually connected to cobby body types and breeds.

so eventually down the road, you have river + thunder who are pretty big, and have long fur (usually) + they climb and swim so they’re good on both land and in water. and then, with wind + shadow, they have long legs, wide eyes, big ears, so they can sprint fast and have good night vision.

also i’m planning on going w a bit more realistic cat behavior as well as correct genetics and i’m gonna use traditional naming (Ailuronymy’s system, since I’m still gonna have this be in Britain).

The combination makes sense, although Ill bet youll have a decent amount of differences at first while the clans are still mixing (might make for some slightly odd cats). As for realism, it always important to spend a good amount of time researching cat behavior, and if you have a cat or access to one, just watching how they interact with other cats, animals and people. My cats have really helped me bring realism into my warriors writing because Ive become fairly familiar with their expressions and body language.

sorry for the longer reply here, but i’m def excited about this now! :)

Well I hope you enjoy the journey even if you dont go with this idea!

#warrior cats #submission #warriorsworldbuilding

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