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fitzs-trained-monkey · 3 years

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Chapter Nineteen: A Psychotic Break

Rated PG

Masterlist

~Oh, she's sweet but a psycho

A little bit psycho

At night she screamin'

"I'm-ma-ma-ma out my mind"

Oh, she's sweet but a Psycho~

"HOW DO YOU KNOW SAM AND DEAN?!" He shouted.

It took effort, but I didn't flinch. I blinked and, slowly, raised that eyebrow again. Though I couldn't see his eyes, I could feel the annoyance rising in his mind.

"Tell ya what," I said, putting on my best 'let's make a deal' face, "I'm a reasonable girl, so if you tell me just one thing, then I'll tell ya anything you want to know."

"Hmmm..." The guy studied me, walking in a circle around my chair and eating his lolli-pop.

Normally, I'd be scared out of my wits. This entity in front of me, whoever he was, was clearly immensely powerful; warping reality on that scale isn't exactly a party trick. Just by looking at the scene around me, I knew this guy wasn't Loki. Loki was never this powerful. The Norse god wasn't capable of a full-on reality shift. As long as you knew it was an illusion, Loki couldn't make his illusions solid. Whoever was talking to me now, however, had made four solid copies of himself. It would take an immense amount of raw power to do something like that. One would think that a being with this much power would scare me more than Loki just on principle.

But he didn't.

For some strange reason, he didn't. There was just something about this guy, quite opposite to the original owner of the face he was wearing, that told me he meant no real harm. I didn't want to mess with any more heads but a quick poke around his emotions told me that this guy was a friend to the Winchesters; he was fond of them actually. A part of him looked up to the Winchesters and another part felt like he owed them something. So, if I was their friend, then this entity wasn't going to harm me.

All mind reading and prior knowledge aside, I just wasn't intimidated by him. Maybe it was the cherry-flavored lolli-pop stuck in his mouth. Or maybe it was the height. I'm not one to talk about being vertically challenged but this guy was no Sam Winchester, that was for sure.

"It's up to you." I shrugged, spreading my hands. "But I want you to know, that I have literal days to sit here and not say a word."

The man chuckled and pulled the lolli-pop from his mouth.

"Well, I'd like you to know that I am very good at getting people to talk." He paused, tilting his head to the side as if thinking about something. "Not as good as Castiel o'course. Now, that guy could make em' sing. Wowie!"

The man didn't seem to be making a threat as much as an observation. I could feel my nose scrunch up with discomfort for thoughts of what Castiel might do to me if he ever found out my secret. Would he torture me?

I pushed the thought away and wiped the discomfort from my face, replacing it with a smirk. Now was not the time for grim thoughts.

"I think you'll find that I have an extraordinary talent for saying 'no'," I said, leaning forward and folding my hands together on top of the table.

"You think so?" He challenged, amused by the tiny child that thought she could beat him.

I shrugged.

"It's one of my charms. Besides, are you really gonna torture a kid?" I pointed out. I had to remember to use my physical age as the tool it was.

"Of course not!" The man scoffed, waving a hand, "That's low; even for me."

"Guess we're at a stalemate then!" I sighed.

"Hmm." The man twisted the stick of his Lolli-pop in between his fingers. "What if I were to ask really nicely?"

"I'd say 'no'."

"What if I said 'please'?"

"I'd say 'no'."

"What if I gave you candy?"

"I'd be tempted, then I'd be creeped out, then I'd say 'no'." I grinned at him. The man frowned and pointed his lolli-pop at me accusingly.

"You know, for an eight-year-old or whatever you are, you sure don't act like a kid," He said, I couldn't see past his stupid reflective glasses but I thought he was narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, sorry. Is this better?" I cleared my throat in a very mature way before giving him my best pouty frown and doe-eyed puppy look.

"Mommy tol' me nevur to take candwy fwum stwangurs," I said in an innocent baby voice.

"Hmmm. It's close, but you're still acting just a smidge too old. Maybe a 'goo-goo ga-ga' would help!" He smirked. He'd turned my own sass against me. This guy was good. I kinda wanted to punch him.

"Nah, I don't think it would work," I said, smiling thinly.

"Aw, that's a shame. So how old are you really?" He asked.

"No."

"C'mon!"

"No."

"Geez, kiddo. You are really good at saying that, aren't you?" He tried.

I didn't answer. I just smiled at him, pleasantly. The man rolled his eyes, cursing under his breath.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," He muttered. He turned to me. "Fine! What's your question, kid?"

I folded my hands in my lap and collected my thoughts. He couldn't read my mind, I knew. I felt like a sphinx of stone. Speaking as calmly as I could, I asked my question.

"Earlier, when I called you Loki, you said 'wrong religion' and you said you'd killed him; I'm guessing for a slice of revenge. So, my question for you is this: What's the name of the one that talks to you when you're all alone?"

The man shifted his weight and tugged at the collar of his stupid police outfit. The color drained from his face and all his muscles tightened. He clenched his lolli-pop in his teeth, pressing so hard that it shattered. Moving to grab another, he stuck quivering hands into his pockets, but he didn't remove them. The man raised an eyebrow at me and forced a laugh. He was uncomfortable, deeply so, and afraid of something. Afraid not of the thing itself, but the memory of it. Something was haunting him. I could see it in his eyes. All that time alone.

Using my power, I pulled on that fear.

"That's it?" He scoffed faking nonchalance. I shrugged, simply.

"That's it."

"Call me the Trickster." The man smirked. He ripped off those stupid sunglasses and leaned into a mocking sort of bow. "Pleasure to meet ya, kiddo! No, I don't answer fan-mail."

I tilted my head and kept smiling at him, raising an eyebrow expectantly. I didn't speak. The man's smirk shrank from his face as he slowly straightened back up, regarding me with a suspicious and cautious expression. His feet shifted him a little further away from me.

"What's that smile for?" He asked.

"You didn't answer my question, Mr. Trickster." I kept my voice that same unsettling calm and pulled harder on his fear, feeling it rise and crowd his mind. The guy calling himself the trickster pretended to think about my statement.

"Yeah, no; I'm pretty sure I did." He said, nodding. I smiled wider.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Your question doesn’t make sense, kid.” His voice was harsh and biting.

“Yes, it does.”

“Well, I sure as Hell don’t understand it.”

“Yes, you do.”

The man forced a laugh, but it only came off as nervous; he shook his finger at me.

“Are you a sphinx or something?”

"Only in the metaphorical sense, and you are not so clever as you think."

The man glared at me, his lip curling into a scowl. He leaned against the table and looked down at me. I'd made a wrong move; he was angry now, but I could still fix this.

"And you are way too clever for a kid."

"You're right." I nodded.

"Ya gonna tell me why?"

I leaned forward, looking him dead in the eyes. I grasped onto his fear and yanked on it as hard as I could without making it too suspicious.

"No."

The man scowled, glaring down at me. I kept my face impassive and stared back up at him. It was a battle of wills. Who would be the first to look away? Who would be the first to break?

Not me.

The man cast his eyes to the ceiling, throwing his hands into the air.

"GABRIEL!" He shouted. "My name is Gabriel!”

“You’re the angel?”

“Archangel and yes. Ya happy?!" He asked bitingly.

I smiled again, this time in a much more childish way.

"Yes."

I released my hold on Gabriel’s emotions and folded my hands in my lap. Gabriel nodded briskly. His stupid police getup disappeared, replaced by his outfit from earlier, a white t-shirt beneath a brown leather jacket, and a pair of standard jeans. Across the table from me, a second metal chair appeared out of nowhere and Gabriel pulled it out and sat. Folding his hands in front of him on the tabletop as I had previously done, he studied my face.

“My turn now, right?” He asked.

“That was the deal,” I replied with a shrug, returning to my usual sarcastic ways.

“Alrighty. You like games, kid?” He spoke the word as if he didn’t believe it was true. “Let’s play a game.”

“Ooh goodie! What game? Is it checkers? I’m great at checkers.” I rubbed my hands together in faux excitement.

“It’s easy,” Gabriel smirked. “You think you’re clever? Let’s see how clever. I ask you up to fifteen questions per topic, and you have to answer them. But, here’s the catch: You can only answer with one word. Got it?”

I was about to open my mouth to speak but, taking a look at the expression on the archangel’s face told me that this confirmation of my understanding was his little game’s first round. I pursed my lips, reforming my reply.

“Why?” I asked.

“Why only one word?” He clarified.

“Yeah.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened a bit and he nodded as if understanding something.

“Well, because I’m a professional liar and I know that it is much harder to tell a lie if you can’t provide details. You lie, you lose. And I don’t have to read your mind to know if you’re lying. So, one word,” He explained. I nodded.

“Ready to play?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly, we were sitting in the bunker’s library. Gabriel was smirking at me. The game was on.

It was time to see if I was smarter than a five-billion-year-old cosmic entity. My bets were on no.

***

“Let’s start out easy, shall we? How did you meet the Winchesters?” Gabriel asked.

He watched her face. This game was a test, it was all about the words she chose and the way she said them. The more abstract the child’s answers, the cleverer the kid was. Details of the story she was barely telling registered in the Archangel’s mind; one after the other, like lines on a page.

“Alleyway,” The child answered. Interesting already.

“What happened in the alleyway?”

“Salvaged.” Thinks herself lesser in value.

“From what?”

“Idiots.” Views some as beneath her. Strange.

“Why did the idiots attack you?”

“Inebriated.” Drunk. Why not say drunk? Why choose the word inebriated?

“Were the inebriated idiots all the Winchesters salvaged you from?”

“Abridged.” Another abstract answer. Yes!

“What else was in that alleyway?”

“Suffering.”

“Physical pain or otherwise? Elaborate.”

“All-encompassing.” Hyphenating, clever move.

“Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater! Who said you could hyphenate?” Gabriel spoke accusingly. The girl shrugged with an innocent expression on her face.

“Unstipulated.” Exploiting loopholes; perfect.

“So why was this suffering of yours all-encompassing? What was causing it?” He asked, getting back to the point.

“Shiver.” Not shivering but shiver. Why only say shiver?

“Were you in danger of dying by hypothermia?”

“Agony.”

“But not death?” This question was more directed toward himself, but the girl answered anyway.

“Enduring.” Fierce pain but not death.

“Enduring for what?”

“Victorious.”

“Why do you want to win?”

“Obligation.”

“Obligation to what?”

“Brother.”

“Why?”

“Nevermore,” She said, coolly.

Edger Allen Poe: The Raven: Verse 14; Quoth the Raven “Nevermore”

Time to switch topics.

“Why did the Winchesters help you?”

She shrugged.

“Screamed.” Simple enough. Disappointingly simple.

“Why were you in the alleyway?”

The girl paused.

“Caution.” She said, slowly. Yet she had been attacked. That was an interesting answer.

“Caution for what?”

“Harm.”

Gabriel nodded, that was a little confusing, but he was sure he would figure it out eventually.

“So, were you looking for the Winchesters, or did they find you by chance?”

The girl thought about this for a bit before answering. Just the pause she had taken was interesting, that meant the answer was more complicated than a yes or a no.

“Watching,” She decided.

“Why were you watching?”

“Waiting.” This was getting better by the second.

“Waiting for what?”

She paused again.

“Seek.” There was a secret smile in her eyes when she answered this time. She thinks she has an advantage. Maybe she does…

“Where was this?”

“Michigan.”

“What town?”

It was a trick question; her answer would have to be two words; there was no avoiding it. Only a few minutes into his little game and he was already trying to trip the girl up. That wasn’t cheating or anything; if this kid thought that beating him was going to be a cakewalk then she had another thing coming.

“Two,” She replied.

“The town’s name is two words?” He asked her only to be sure of the context.

“Yes.”

“Okay, answer the question anyway. If I don’t know the town when you give me the word, then you lose.” He challenged. The girl took a second to think.

“Ferry.”

“Was the town Copper Harbor, Michigan?”

The girl grinned.

“Yep.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow and nodded, the smirk on his face growing wider. This kid was clever. He was getting excited. For the first time in he didn’t know how many millennia, Gabriel had a decent game to play, and for the first time in just as many years, he finally had someone to play with. For as long as the archangel could remember, he had loved a good game. He had always relished the challenge of solving a brilliant puzzle or capturing an opponent’s king. When chess had been invented, he had become a master. Gabriel adored beating people at things. He loved to best them, yes, but not only that. He loved to teach them something too; to show them how they could be better. But for as long as he had lived, Gabriel had never been given a real challenge. His brothers could have given him one of course, but they were so predictable and they had always been fighting. They had never cared to really play with him; not the sort of game he had wanted. A game of wits. A game of minds.

For someone who had been stuck on Earth as long as he had, things just got so boring. It wasn’t as if he could leave the planet; despite how much he had desperately wanted to. He had to stay and honor the terms of his witness protection agreement with Loki. After a while, no game on the planet could capture his interest or cure his horrid boredom. The only minor distraction he’d had was the humans.

Gabriel thought humans were wonderful things. Though, for a much different reason than his little brother, Castiel, did. Castiel loved humans for their hearts; Gabriel loved them for their minds. Not all of them were entertaining of course; he wasn’t lucky enough for that. The fact of his life was that there was only a disappointing handful of interesting individuals out there to entertain him. The archangel had had a hay-day when he’d met Einstein! (And you wonder why everyone thought he was crazy.) Though it was somewhat fun for him to watch the boring majority of humanity stumble and fall whenever he tried to teach them a lesson, it wasn’t ever enough.

Gabriel had longed for someone, anyone, even a human, he could play a game with. Now, suddenly, here she was. Someone clever, someone who knew what clever meant, someone who actually wanted to play a real game. Gabriel had seen it in her eyes the moment he’d given her the chance to ask him her question. She was bored too. This was exhilarating for her too.

As if all that wasn’t good enough, Gabriel couldn’t read her mind. This fact probably should have concerned him more than it did, but he couldn’t focus on a tiny detail like that. No, this was too good of a chance to pass up. Not even his nephew had been able to give him a decent challenge. Gabriel was too excited to focus on something so seemingly trivial. He was excited, he was high on the thrill of the chase. No one ever said you couldn’t fool an archangel, and Gabriel didn’t know it, but he had been fooled. He had been fooled by a tiny girl with the face of a child.

Another entity as powerful as he was would most likely consider it beneath them to play a game of wits with a child, to be challenged by a child. But not Gabriel. He had been waiting for a chance like this for all of his existence; age simply didn’t matter to him anymore. That wasn’t to say he wasn’t curious, however.

This was his element. This was his obsession. This was his chance. It was time to have some fun.

“Now all that’s out of the way, let’s ask some things about you. What’s your name?”

“Marty.”

“Nice name. How old are you, Marty?”

“Enough.” The girl smirked. She was good. But he was just a little better.

“How many years have you been alive?”

“Fourteen.” That was her answer. There was darkness in his eyes this time. Interesting.

“How many years have you existed?”

A look of fear crossed her face, like a deer caught in headlights. But the look vanished as soon as it came and was replaced with a confident smirk.

“Conservation.” She answered.

Gabriel cursed internally. The law of conservation of energy; energy is neither created nor destroyed. Of course, she would say something like that.

“Okay, miss-smarty-pants. How many years have you been aware of your existence?”

Marty swallowed and looked down at her hands in her lap.

“Nineteen.” Now they were getting somewhere.

“Riddle me this, Batman. How can you be fourteen and nineteen at the same time?”

She glared at her folded hands.

“Trapped.” The way she stressed the word told Gabriel that she was more than resentful of her condition.

“Trapped how? Elaborate,” He demanded.

“Skin,” She said, nearly growling.

“Elaborate,” He repeated, nodding.

“Cage,” Her voice quivered.

“Why?” He leaned forward now, waiting. This would be the crucial response. Marty looked up, there were ghost tears in her eyes.

“Neverland.”

Very interesting. Time for a new line of questions.

“Why did you come with the Winchesters?”

“Invited.”

“Which one invited you?”

She smiled a little.

“Jack.”

“Why did he ask you to come here?”

“Protection.”

“What led him to offer you protection?”

“Mendicant.”

Mendicant. Definition: One who begs. So, did she ask to come or was she invited? And if she was begging, that begs the question of why.

“What were you begging for?”

“Life.”

“Why were you begging for your life.”

Marty tilted her head.

“Guillotine.”

Her use of the word guillotine could be a metaphor, or it could mean something very literal. Gabriel had the suspicion that it meant a little of both.

“What did Jack offer to protect you from?”

She shrugged.

“Monster,” She said as if it was obvious.

“Yours or someone else’s?”

“Everyone’s,” Marty whispered.

There it was. That was it. That was the clue.

Gabriel laughed; he was winning.

“Tell me, Marty, how long ago was your family massacred?” He asked. Marty looked like she’d been stabbed in the gut and Gabriel felt a pang of guilt, but he brushed it off. It was nothing compared to his excitement.

“Five,” She replied after a moment.

“Five what?”

“Years,” Her voice cracked. Gabriel nodded.

“How have you spent those five years?”

“Alone.”

“If you’ve been on your own for so long, why accept help now?” He prodded.

“Tired.”

“What are you tired of?”

“Running.”

“That’s the practical reason, what’s the other reason?”

Marty pursed her lips.

“Name.”

“Of what?”

“Character.”

“Say it.”

“Peter Pan.” Two references to the same story in one conversation. Definitely not a coincidence. She was comparing herself to something, but what was it? What was he missing?

“Okay pumpkin, just a few more questions; then we’re done ‘cause I don’t have all day.”

“Nice.” She smiled.

"Why should I believe a word you've said to me?"

The girl grinned in a way that was meant to be friendly, but fell critically short.

"Psycho."

That response unnerved the five billion year-old archangel. What was this kid?

“What do you think of Jack?” He continued, he didn't miss a beat.

“Viridity,” She replied. Viridity; noun: Naïve innocence.

“What do you think of his parentage?”

“Irrelevant.” Gabriel had heard many words used to describe his family. Irrelevant was definitely not one of them.

“What do you want more than anything in the world?”

Marty’s answer was unexpected.

“Back.” Her voice wasn’t desperate or wistful; it was cold and hard.

“Describe yourself. Who are you, Marty?”

She had to think about this one. When she had her answer, the genius girl grinned. It wasn’t in a happy way.

“Domino.”

“Alright, one last question, then you’re free to go.” Gabriel leaned forward, his face a grim mask. “Do you have a crush on my nephew?”

Surprised by his question, Marty blinked but before long a smirk split across her cheeks and mischief gleamed in her eyes.

“Talent.” That was all she said. Gabriel knew that meant; ‘The answer may be yes, but I will say no until the day I die.’ The archangel reached a hand across the table; Marty grasped and shook it.

“Good game, kiddo. Mind telling me where Sam and Dean are now?”

“They’re on their way to New-York. They’ll be there in a few hours,” Marty said.

“Cool beans. Now go get some breakfast and I’ll see ya later.”

With a nod of his head, Gabriel was gone. The reason why he had originally come to the bunker was completely forgotten. Now he had only one thought on his mind.

He needed to find Sam and Dean.

He needed to warn them about the girl they were protecting.

When it came to individuals, there had never been something that Gabriel couldn’t figure out.

Never. Not one thing. Until now.

Gabriel had no idea what that child was.

That thought―that question mark unnerved him. That notion shook him down to his very core.

That blank space child, that missing piece little girl.

She was more terrifying to him than anything he had known in five billion years.

~You're just like me, you're out your mind

I know it's strange, we're both the crazy kind

You're tellin' me that I'm insane

Boy, don't pretend that you ain't just the same

Oh, she's sweet but a psycho

A little bit psycho

At night she screamin'

"I'm-ma-ma-ma out my mind"

Oh, she's sweet...

But a Psycho~

Lyrics from: Sweet But A Psycho by Ava Max

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hankwritten · 3 years

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TFComics Rewrite

I am currently plotting an outline for a TFComics, and I want to get my thoughts about fixes to canon and possibly get feedback. Since this is a rewrite there’s really no *spoilers* or anything, so I’m willing to answer all questions about what I plan to do. Also some characters I’m not so sure about how I want to retool them, so if your have ideas for your fav let me know!

Disclaimer:

This rewrite is intended to critique the content/choices made in the construction and telling of the Team Fortress 2 comic series. It is not a personal attack on the artists/writers/directors or any of the creatives that made contributions to this series, nor is it meant to substitute or replace the official release. This work is transformative in nature, and relies on an understanding of the source material to be understood. TF2 and its characters belong to Valve.

TFCR is working on the assumption that the audience has read the original comic, and as such will skip over scenes and plot points that are unchanged from the original. I don’t think it needs to be said, but this fanfiction will not make sense if you are not familiar with the source.

I also recognize that there are strengths within the comic’s writing and weaknesses within my own. Namely, that Valve writers are gods in the realm of comedy, and I’d rather not try to match them in the regard. As such, I will state up front that these will not be as funny as the TFComics. That is not to say there won’t be jokes (either ones transplanted from the source or some of my own) or that the tone of this will be terribly grimdark, only that my focus will be on improving story structure and character development as those are what appeal to me.

The Broad Strokes

The goal of TFCR is to give a more engaging story for all the mercenaries we know and love, as--let’s face it--the TF2 mercs are side characters in their own damn story. These are some of the planned improvements.

There will be reason for each of the mercs to actually be there. As it stands, the motivations for almost every character besides Pauling and Saxton Hale are vague and unsatisfying. We’d usually say something along the lines of “money” for hired killers, but clearly Scout doesn’t even know if they’re getting paid, and some of the other characters are even worse. The hunt for the Australium is, therefore, boring. MacGuffins usually are, but at the very least the characters should care about the item even if the audience doesn’t. This work aims to give each of the nine mercs a motive and a reason to be in the story instead of just replaceable joke dispensers.

Explain what “Team Fortress” means, and how it relates to RED and BLU. Long and short: the nine mercenaries we see on the team are not from either RED or BLU but rotate between the two, and were the individuals selected to fight the robots. That means all things do happen to all characters. As Valve pretty much goes with “whatever is funniest at the time”, it’s very hard to make a cohesive theory about “where the hell is BLU team?”, but I’ll do my damndest. We’ll also examine Team Fortress’s relationship with the other capital T Teams, and why they’re considered the “rejects” of the bunch.

Comics 1 & 2 will be removed from the timeline as they serve no purpose, only taking what needs to be known about the plot’s setup and jumping straight to A Cold Day in Hell.

We will introduce the Classic Mercs right away so they can generate threat and play against the TF mercs when they do actually meet head to head.

We will not be killing off Gray Mann. (Not preemptively anyway.) In fact, there will be more focus on him and Olivia as villains facing off against the Admin, providing her foil as the TF2 and TFC mercs provide foils for each other.

I considered waiting until the final comic was out to begin working on this, but that may never happen. Jay Pinkerton said he may reveal what plot they had in store eventually, but considering it took Half Life over a decade to get the “I was once a Valve writer but my NDA has expired and now I can go buck wild” treatment, I’m not holding my breath. The main reason I wanted to do this is that the Administrator’s motivations are not interestingly foreshadowed, to the point where there aren’t even any good fan theories out there. That said, WritingDispenser and Riddle of the Sphinx helped come up with a pretty fun one, which was actually the inspiration for me to get off my butt and start plotting this.

There will be no queerbaiting. This refers both to HeavyMedic (which has been simultaneously used as wink wink nudge nudge joke many times and as encouragement for fans to play their stupid hat game) as well as lesbian Pauling (since femme lesbians are the preferred method for front facing LGBT representation across almost all media, but video games especially). If you need to understand why lesbian Pauling is an issue, Sarah Z coined the term “queercatching” in order to describe word of god confirmations on characters sexualities that are not followed up on in the text. I recommend the full video on it.

Due to the importance of immortality in the theming of the comics, respawn will not be a thing. Deaths we think should have happened previously will be explained as close calls, or that Medic can heal a short time after death. Medic and Scout’s deaths will be cut in the story itself, as after Sniper died and came back, them doing the same thing kinda lost their punch.

Scout

There will be no ScoutPauling hints. It doesn’t make sense to give screentime to this relationship because Valve obviously doesn’t think it’s going to go anywhere so why make Scout turn down advances from other hot women? I mean I get Expiration Date was a Thing but it feels like Scout’s whole motivation shouldn’t be reduced down to chasing a girl who doesn’t like him back.

He’s here because he lost his life’s savings in bad investments and needs the money. That’s it. Which is still somehow more than his canon motive which is question mark question mark question mark

He, Soldier, Spy, Demo, and Pyro all start the adventure with Miss Pauling.

Engages with Heavy on a genuine level when they go to collect him, Heavy doesn’t blow him off when he tries to level about dead dads.

There will be no DadSpy reveal. The way Spy treats Scout has never been “deadbeat dad feels bad about abandoning his kid” but more “this is someone I would kill without a second thought if I felt like it” which makes his reveal in comic 5 feel very disingenuous. I don’t think Valve even had this plotline in mind until comic 3, as #2 still has Spy seeming only to care about Scout’s Ma and not Scout himself. It also makes “seduce me!” retroactively weird.

Uhhh hooks up with Zhanna. This one isn’t critical I just think it’s funny.

Soldier

Soldier is going to be the Ur example of the Admin not treating her people well, as we’re going to lean into the whole “Soldier was only mildly messed up until the whole lead poisoning” thing.

He’s here because he’s blindingly loyal to the cause. He’s actually going to very little from canon because of this actually.

Might be the reason Team Fortress has a reputation of being the lower tiers of the Teams, but that doesn’t mean he’s damn good at his job. Fatal flaw is that he’s unstable, and even though the courthouse plotline won’t be in this fic, it should be noted that he actually does cause problems for the other protagonists due to his short temper. He’s a risky asset, but still essential.

There will be a minor explanation for the WAR! Comic, but I think that’s better saved for Demo’s analysis.

Pyro

Pyro is the character you could cut entirely from the comics and have the least change. Now, they’re going to be Pauling’s right hand. Let me explain.

Engineer and Pyro are implied to live together, and Pyro doesn’t have anything better to do than go with Engie after Team Fortress is disbanded. Rather than having a reveal, we will see some of what is going on with the Admin and friends early on, and see what leads up to her sending Miss P the note that kicks off the whole plot. However, while Engie needs to stay and look after her, Pyro’s skills aren’t useful here, and they are sent as a direct messenger to help Pauling.

They’re loyal, and unlike Soldier rarely mess up orders. They’re also partially mute, making them ideal for handling sensitive info. Pauling trusts them to handle the burning of “Elizabeth’s” paper trail.

Will be using they/them in the narrative voice, but other characters will refer to them as he/him. I considered going with it/its because that’s bubbled up in popularity again, but ultimately I decided against it.

We’ll get glimpses to their train of thought, but like the comics they will remain virtually silent.

Demo

Demo’s role in the cast is going to be very similar to Spy’s. The events of WAR! involved him nearly dying and Soldier taking the win, and he’s very bitter that after all those events *apparently* mercs can just be switched around teams willy nilly and don’t have to kill each other anymore. (As the audience, we know this is because the Admin found out the “make them so angry they won’t ask questions” wasn’t a long-term viable solution, and instead brought TFI forward as a neutral third party that was pretending to mediate the gravel wars.) But Demo’s suspicious, and is only along because he really has been miserable since he lost his job.

This conflict will eventually come to a head, more on that in the Sniper section.

Is fairly forgiving with his teammates. Doesn’t like Sniper but I’m willing to drop a little angst during that submarine scene. Is glad to see Medic actually. Here to be some glue to hold this merry band together.

The Eyelander will not be forgotten after 2 comics because I love this character concept and I think it was underutilized.

Drunk jokes will be kept to a minimum. What I liked about WAR! and Bombinomicon was that it took Demo and showed that they knew how to make him funny without making him one note, which they sort of did in the early TFComics but stopped in the later ones in favor of him….being asleep for the whole plot. I promise 100% awake Demo in my rewrite.

Demo likes Pauling on a personal level, but has trouble reconciling her with his feelings on TFI.

Doesn’t get knocked out by moonshine because. Seriously? Poisoning the Demoman with alcohol? In what world does that work.

Heavy

Not too much to change. Scout doesn’t accompany him when he goes to look for the secret Australium cache, and he engages with Mags and Saxton (which will be when the audience finds out what they’ve been up to) and actually cares about what’s going on with them. He thinks Darling is up to something. Which he is, he’s attempting to unseat both Gray and Helen due to long family history.

Will at least mention Medic. Their reunion falls a little flat since it mostly relies on Meet the Medic for context, as they don’t really interact in the comic. There can be a bit of a flashback to what it was like as all these mercs broke up.

I know uhhh Valve seems to think found family is really dumb, and that these murderers could ever like each other is silly or something, but the mercs do? Like each other? For the most part anyways.

Bronislava and Yana come alone for adventures, not just Zhanna. Again, no real reason, but sometimes I get to have tacky fanfic stuff in my own fanfic because I Wanna.

Engineer

Engie ruminates on his family history of allowing all this bullshit to happen and just kind of shrugging. Basically Moss’s analysis of the Conagher themes.

Has put a lot of time, sweat, and tears into BLU and now TFI, isn’t willing to let it fall now, even if Admin is basically living on borrowed time. He’s doing this because of the ‘ole sunk cost fallacy.

Also we get to see more of Pauling and Admin’s relationship through his eyes.

Medic

Congrats on being the one merc with an actual arc, Medic! As a reward, you will not be changed much.

I’m actually going to use Medic’s section to say that the Classic mercs will be referred to by their first names in order to differentiate them, and we’ll get little previews of what they’re like from Medic’s perspective before we actually see them fight Team fortress. The battle at the submarine will be more of a fight in this sense, working it out so it seems like surrender is the only option after Sniper is killed.

Final fight with Cheavy will be...not blocked so awkwardly. I mean this is now a textual medium so my work is already halfway done, but still the pacing is so weird. Shudder.

Sniper

These are the big guns. Most changes, even more than Demo. He’s been actually hunting for New Zealand/the Australium cache on his own, and doesn’t want Pauling interfering, saying for a he knows she could have been the ones to kill his adoptive parents.

(She hasn’t, but the Admin did actually order them killed in an attempt to stop Sniper because she thought she could prevent the exact thing that is going on right now which is that Sniper is considering trying to get at it.)

Sniper doesn’t know this, but Pauling, Demo, and Spy eventually convince him to share his findings and help them get to New Zealand.

Spy

Similar to Demo but is less conflicted about it. He knows just because he likes someone doesn’t mean he won’t have to kill them later.

Spy knows about who killed Sniper’s parents, and tells Demo, sort of as a test to see where his loyalties lie. He also knows that Pyro is Pauling’s confidant for certain things.

Demo questions him about what he’s doing here, whose side he’s really on. But you know. Spy is Spy and he was never really on anyone’s side but his own. When it comes down to it, it might be exactly as Scout thinks: that he’s ditched them all and run off when he had the opportunity. But, big damn hero, comes back in the end.

He’s here mainly to “keep an eye on things.” Also maybe because his gf asked him to keep an eye on her son :)

#tf comics rewrite #tf2 meta

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tyrantisterrorart · 4 years

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Godzilla Gang Revised: Monsters of Myth

In this entry of the Godzilla Gang Revised, we focus on monsters from a lost age of human history, when select humans merged with the few surviving Venusians and created an empire of magitech wonders. An age of dragons and phoenixes, wizards and heroes. These are the monsters of myth, creatures that modern man considers mere legends - until they re-emerge into the world as a new age of monsters begins.

The kaiju profiles here will be written in the order they appear on the size chart, BTW.

King Shisa: largest and greatest of the Shisa lion dogs, King Shisa swore an oath to defend the land that would eventually be named Okinawa. The mighty mammal fought many battles to protect his home and the humans that came to dwell there, and was rewarded with a set of enchanted armor and a golden crown for his efforts. He was so devoted that, in his old age, he allowed himself to be enchanted, turning his body to stone so he could better withstand the passing of time, only to become flesh and blood once more when Okinawa’s hour of need comes again.

Manda: one of the largest specimens of Asian dragon, Manda is an abnormally large ryujin, a dragon species that specializes in causing seastorms. Though prone to terrorizing humans in her youth, Manda eventually befriended the people of Mu, a colony of the great civilization of Nirai Kanai. When a cataclysm of their own design was poised to destroy them, Manda helped the people of Mu survive in the depths of the Ocena, and has guarded their underwater fortress for thousands of years since.

Megalon: an enormous beetle, it is unclear if Megalon is a relic of the first Atomic era, the Atomic Ice Age, or some other strange circumstance. What is known is that he is a protector, having shepherded early groups of humans to underground shelters in humanity’s prehistory. His kind and trusting nature eventually saw him employed by the civilization of Nirai Kanai, and he served them loyally - even when defending them brought him into conflict with the daughters of Inagos (and Battra in particular). When Nirai Kanai fell, Megalon helped a large colony survive by building a large underground cavern for them to hide in, and so founded the subterranean world of Seatopia. The Seatopians “repaid” Megalon by allowing some strange humanoids who called themselves “Space Hunters” to experiment on him, removing one set of his arms and replacing his original claws with enormous drills. Though kind-hearted, Megalon’s trusting nature and indefatigable loyalty often prove his undoing, and the dull-minded creature is often put into bad situations by his poisonous friends.

Gabara: a warty amphibious ogre, Gabara’s roar is worse than his electric shocks. Physically weak for a creature of his size and utterly unskilled in combat, Gabara depends on being able to scare other monsters away for survival, as any that actually try to fight him will quickly realize how weak of an opponent he is. Luckily, he is aided by his unusual and strong connection to the psychic plane, which allows Gabara to manifest in the dreams of others and turn them into horrible nightmares. Creatures unfortunate enough to live in the area Gabara is currently nesting in will suffer recurring bad dreams, with the ogre portrayed as a dire threat beyond all others in them. As a result, most creatures that encounter the beast are too paralyzed with fear to act against him, allowing Gabara to beat them up in their terror-stricken state before beating a hasty retreat when they begin to regain control.

Gekido Jin: The largest and cruelest of all oni, Gekido Jin menaced the country that would become Japan. His reign of terror was only ended when King Shisa faced him in combat, beating the the oni into submission so a shrine maiden could bind the tyrant in a powerful enchantment, turning Gekido-Jin to stone. However, much like King Shisa (who would go under a similar enchantment willingly), Gekido Jin can rise again, if a human being gives their life to end the enchantment. What dark hour could inspire such a sacrifice scarcely bears contemplation.

Axor: a serpent-like creature, cults of Axor have been found all over the world, and the three-eyed serpent is always spoken of with a mix of reverence and abject dread. A hypnotic and mind-controling tyrant, Axor enslaved vast nations in his heyday, and was set to rule the world before he faced resistance from an unlikely source. Refugees from Venus arrived on earth, sporting psychic powers comparable to Axor’s own, and quickly merged with humanity to combat the reptile’s cruel reign. Soon Axor was forced to retreat from the psychic assault of the Venusians, and the civilization they forged on Earth established several safeguards to prevent him from returning. Of course, Nirai Kanai eventually fell to their own hubris, their survivors scattered and lost, their vast cities almost entirely reduced to dust - and so Axor may rise again...

Crustaclops: A strange hybrid of crustacean and man, the beast that modern kaijuologists call Crustaclops is in fact one of the earliest artificially created chimeras of Nirai Kanai. Though crude compared to their later efforts, his ability to turn invisible and levitate large objects (or even creatures) still makes him a formidable creature, and his nature as a hybrid of terrestrial and aquatic species proved to be a winning formula in the eyes of his creators. (Based on the Cyclops Creature from The Godzilla Power Hour.)

Balkzardan: primarily a hybrid of shark and wolf (among other things), Balkzardan can run faster than almost any other kaiju, while still sporting thick armor that keeps it safe from harm. Though useful as a weapon of war, Balkzardan’s primary purpose was to control the weather, with the ability to summon and channel lightning through its horns and call down hail from the skies. This is where the monster went wrong, as Balkzardan went berserk and created vast horrible storms across the world, forcing the people of Nirai Kanai to seal him away and try a different experiment.

Jyarumu: designed to be a bit less ambitious than Balkzardan, Jyarumu kept the ability to freeze opponents (though not the ability to summon ice storms) and was otherwise built to be a weapon first and foremost. Huge and stronge, Jyarumu’s durable wings allow him to fight enemies on land, sea, and sky. Unfortunately, she was a bit too enthusiastic about her job, and also had to be sealed away.

Dagarla: a vast sea dragon, Dagarla was meant to keep the oceans from getting polluted, and initially he was very good at this task. Unfortunately, a species of parasitic starfish that latched onto him mutated into the deadly and poisonous barem, and began to reproduce uncontrollably by leeching off of the sea monster’s bodily fluids. The people of Nirai Kanai could not figure out how to stop Dagarla’s barem infestation, which were now threatening all of the earth’s seas, and so were forced to seal Dagarla away as well, much to the dragon’s shock and dismay. Dagarla did not take the betrayal well, and now harbors a grudge against humanity.

Rajin: a chimera of various arthropods, Rajin was meant to create vast quantities of food for humanity and thereby end world hunger. However, the food produced by Rajin proved incredibly addictive, and soon people clamored to devour Rajin alive. The monster did not take this well, and Rajin not only killed thousands of humans, but began to attack any representatives of Nirai Kanai who attempted to reclaim him. So, like many other creations, he was sealed away.

Norzekmet: Nirai Kanai and its various sub-countries did not stick merely to flesh and blood kaiju. Living statues, the predecessors to modern humanity’s mecha, were also among their creations, and the crown jewel of these was Norzekmet, a flying sphinx made of metal and carved stone. A powerful and loyal servant, Norzekmet continues to defend the civilization of his masters, even after their death. (Based on Norzzug from Godzilla: The Series, as well as Michael Dougherty’s description of what the unseen Monsterverse kaiju Sekmet.)

Norzug: Even ancient civilizations have a march of progress, and Norzekmet’s predecessor, Norzug, is proof of that. While far cruder in construction than its improved successor, Norzug proved just as durable and long-lasting, working with its younger “sibling” to protect the ruins of their masters all the way to the present day. (Based on the Stone Guardians from The Godzilla Power Hour.)

Majin Tuol: Another pinnacle of Nirai Kanai technology, the golden guardian Majin Tuol is second to Norzekmet only because of the gaudy choices in his construction, as the gold used for his outer covering is not as durable as the alloys that cover his sphinx-like cousin. Nevertheless, he is a powerful foe in battle, and waits in the ruins of his master’s home for the day when he is called to action again. (Based on the Golden Guardians from The Godzilla Power Hour.)

Mekolossus: While less ornate and more obviously mechanical than the other technical marvels of its age, Mekolossus is still an impressive feat of engineering, with a stream-lined metal body and powerful tentacles tipped with sharp pincers. The machine still guards the ruins of Atlantis, one of the largest and most famous cities of the Nirai Kanai empire. (Based on the Atlantean Colossus from The Godzilla Power Hour.)

NEXT TIME ON THE GODZILLA GANG REVISED: Children of the A-Bomb!

#Godzilla Gang Revised

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multiverseforger · 3 years

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When the last surviving member of the planet Xandar's elite Nova Corps, Rhomann Dey, is dying, he selects New York high school student Richard Rider to replace him.[10] Rider is given the uniform and powers of a Nova Centurion but little instruction on how to use them. Calling himself Nova, Rider becomes a superhero, fighting costumed supervillains such as Condor, Powerhouse,[11] Diamondhead,[12] the Corruptor,[13] and the Sphinx,[14] and teaming with heroes such as Spider-Man[15] and Thor. He initially hides his identity, but later reveals it to his family.[16]

Rider discovers Dey's space ship orbiting Earth and uses it to journey to Xandar with Doctor Sun, Powerhouse, Comet, and Crimebuster and the Sphinx,[17] where they join Xandar's war against the Skrulls.[18] With the help of Rom the Space Knight, the Skrulls are defeated. Wanting to return to Earth, Rider is released from his duties on Xandar and relinquishes his powers.[19]

New WarriorsEdit

Upon his return to Earth, Rider struggles to readjust due to his failure to complete high school. Unknown to him, the planet Xandar is utterly destroyed in an attack by the space pirate Nebula.[20] With the help of Night Thrasher, Rider regains his powers and joins the New Warriors superhero team,[21] where he becomes close friends with Speedball. Richard briefly dates Yale student Laura Dunham and teammate Namorita.[22][23]

Cover to New Warriors (vol. 1) #75.

Pencils by Patrick Zircher.

Rider encounters Garthan Saal, a former Nova Corps Centurion who had been driven insane by absorbing too much Nova Force, the source of power for Nova Centurions. Saal seeks more power so he can restore Xandar to its former glory. He strips Rider of his powers and transports him to Xandar. Saal is defeated. Rider witnesses the reformation of the Nova Corps and receives the rank of Centurion Prime.[24]

Assigned to Earth, Rider is confronted with the challenge of balancing dual lives as a member of both the Nova Corps and the New Warriors. Rider encounters a Nova Corps member from an alternate timeline named Nova 0:0,[25] who prepares him to stop the Deathstorm, which is coming to destroy Earth. Because Rider defies Xandar's Queen Adora to stop the Deathstorm,[26] he is temporarily stripped of his powers and rank,[27] but is given back his powers when his replacement sacrifices himself.[28]

"Annihilation"Edit

Nova briefly travels the US with the reformed New Warriors as part of a reality television show.[29] Rider leaves the group when he is summoned to Xandar alongside the entire Nova Corps, which has been fully mobilized to respond to the Annihilation Wave, a force from the Negative Zone led by Annihilus. The wave decimates Xandar and the corps in a surprise attack.[30] As the only surviving centurion, Rider makes contact with the Xandarian Worldmind, a living supercomputer that regulates the Nova Force and is caretaker of the entire database of Xandarian civilization. The Worldmind uploads itself and the entire Nova Force into Rider, greatly enhancing his abilities.[31] During the Annihilation War, Rider takes command of the United Front, a loose collaboration of soldiers. In a nearly year-long campaign, Rider resists the Wave's advance across the galaxy until the United Front suffers a swift defeat. He leads a small team into the Wave's conquered territory and eventually engages Annihilus in personal combat, killing him.[32]

After the Annihilation War, Rider returns to Earth to rest. However, finding out that his pleas for help in the Annihilation War were ignored by Earth's superheroes because of a Civil War, and meeting Penance - his old friend Speedball, who was mentally scarred by the events leading up to said war - Rider returns to space, feeling out of place on Earth and disturbed by what Penance had become.[33]

Post-"Annihilation"Edit

Attempting to aid the Kree against an assault from the Phalanx, Rider is wounded and crash lands on a sparsely populated Kree outpost.[34] While Rider's unconscious body recovers, Worldmind deputizes a local Kree commander, Ko-Rel, to guard him. Rider is infected by the transmode virus and joins the Phalanx.[35] Now tasked with killing Rider before the Worldmind falls into enemy hands, Ko-Rel attacks him, only to be killed by Gamora in retaliation. Upon her death, her fraction of the Nova force returns to Rider and enables him to overcome the transmode virus. He flees Kree space pursued by Gamora and a Phalanx-controlled Drax.[36] Seeking a cure for the transmode virus, Rider eventually arrives on Kvch, home planet of the Technarchy. Rider enlists the help of the mutant Warlock and his son Tyro, who cure Rider, Drax, and Gamora of the transmode virus. The five return to Hala to engage the Phalanx.[37][38]

When ambushed by Skrulls during the Secret Invasion storyline, Rider is aided by Kl'rt. He learns about the Secret Invasion and heads for Earth.[39] Rider learns that Project Pegasus, the base where his brother now works, is under Skrull attack. Working with Darkhawk, Rider successfully stops the Skrulls' advance. The scientists of the facility extract the Worldmind from his brain and use the supercomputer to jump-start a project known as the quantum flask, which restores Quasar to life.[40] A Skrull warship is about to attack Project Pegasus but is destroyed by a band of alien Nova Centurions who then declare their allegiance to Rider.[41]

Rider learns that Worldmind has been recruiting for the Corps without telling him. When he learns that Ego the Living Planet is among the new recruits,[42] he becomes enraged and tries to battle Worldmind. As a result, he is stripped of his rank and ejected from the Nova Corps.[16] Because his body has become dependent on the Nova Force, Rider will die if he is without it for too long.[43] As a temporary measure, he borrows the quantum bands from Wendell Vaughn and becomes Quasar.[44] Using his new abilities, Rider rescues the Corps from the War of Kings. Ego is removed as a Centurion and Rider regains his Nova Prime status, but not before most of the new recruits are slaughtered by the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. Nova agrees to train the remaining new Centurions, including his younger brother Robert.[45]

Nova is recruited for the Secret Avengers by Steve Rogers and sent to Mars to investigate Roxxon's operations on that planet. While there, Rider discovers a second Serpent Crown secreted there, only to fall under its influence until rescued by Rogers and his team of Avengers.[46] Shortly after this mission, Nova is called away to deal with the events of The Thanos Imperative and Steve Rogers confirms he has left the team.[47]

"Realm of Kings" and Thanos ImperativeEdit

A lost Nova Corps ship appears from a tear in space-time known as the Fault. Onboard is Zan Philo, a long-missing Nova centurion who is assigned to train the new recruits.[48] Later, Rider and Darkhawk find themselves inside the Fault, where they are called to do battle for the Sphinx against his younger self. Because of the unstable timestream inside the Fault, Nova is able to return with Namorita, his old girlfriend who had died a few years earlier.[49] Rider returns to Project Pegasus, where he confronts an alternate Quasar who originates from the Cancerverse, a universe within the Fault.[50]

Catching up to the alternate Quasar, Rider returns to the Fault to see the Universal Church of Truth rip it wide open.[51] Assisted by others, he confronts Lord Mar-Vell, the evil alternate version of Captain Marvel, but cannot stop him. Entering the Fault to assist the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rider and the Guardians watch Thanos destroy Mar-Vell. Now facing an enraged Thanos, Rider pulls the Nova Force from the rest of the Corps for extra strength. He and Star-Lord are able to hold Thanos back for the few minutes it takes for the Fault to close, trapping all three of them in the Cancerverse.[52] The two heroes continue to fight Thanos for a Cosmic Cube which has the power to send them home. Rider charges the Cube with the Nova Force to create a doorway for Star-Lord, intending to remain behind and keep Thanos from escaping too. Star-Lord escapes, but Rider is unable to prevent Thanos from escaping as well.[53] Because no one is immediately aware Star-Lord survived, Nova and Star-Lord receive a statue in their honor on Hala.[52]

ReturnEdit

The latest Nova, Sam Alexander, locates the Xandarian Worldmind.[54] Rider's consciousness awakens within the Worldmind during the encounter. It is later revealed that Rider and the Worldmind survived the closure of the Fault and remain trapped in the Cancerverse. Using the Nova Force, Rider manages to escape the Cancerverse, returns to Earth to visit his mother,[55] and learns that his father has died.[56] He encounters Alexander and they begin working together. However, in his escape, Rider has become a portal to the Cancerverse, which repeatedly attempts to invade Earth through him. Rider returns to the Cancerverse in hopes of closing the portal and thus saving his own universe.[57] Despite his resistance, he is co-opted by the Cancerverse, but is freed by Alexander, who has followed him. He two escape the Cancerverse once more, using the Cosmic Cube carried by Thanos' Cancerverse doppelganger. Rider and Alexander resume their lives and relationships on Earth while continuing as Nova Corpsmen.[58]

In the aftermath of "Empyre," Nova represents the Nova Corps during a Galactic Council meeting held by Super-Skrull. When Emperor Stote of the Zn'rx was found dead in the restroom and Noh-Varr becomes a suspect after attacking the Skrull subaltern Val-Korr, Nova calls in the Guardians of the Galaxy to investigate Emperor Stote's murde

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alexsmitposts · 3 years

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St. Petersburg Sphinxes

"Eyes fixed on eyes, speechless,

Filled with holy longing,

They seem to hear the waves

Another solemn river.

For them, the children of millennia,

Only a dream-visions of these places,

And this firmament, and these walls,

And your cross, raised to the sky."

Valery Bryusov

Ancient Egypt in images and paintings. The article about the renegade Pharaoh Akhenaten aroused great interest among the VO readership. Send suggestions: tell us about this, tell us about this… Ah, if I had been to Egypt, and most importantly, if I could have traveled down the Nile from the temples of Abu Simbel to its Delta, then ... yes, I could have told you a lot about it. By the way, VO already had a series of articles "War, gold, Pyramids", there were articles about the Battle of Kadesh, the" silver coffin " of Pharaoh Psusennes I, articles about ancient Egyptian fashions and about the warriors of ancient Egypt, and even about the gold and iron daggers of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. However, the history of Egypt is so rich and inexhaustible that, even without visiting it, you can quite find something very interesting, including something directly connected... with Russia. It turns out that although we are far from each other geographically, but in some cases we were quite close. In particular, it is in our country that there are two huge granite sphinxes depicting the father of the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten-Amenhotep III. And although their mouths are made of granite, they can tell us a lot!

And it so happened that these sphinxes were ordered by the powerful Pharaoh Amenhotep III and placed in front of his funeral temple. They stood on the right bank of the Nile, not far from the famous "colossi of Memnon", but years passed, then centuries, then millennia, and this temple collapsed, and the sphinxes were swept away by the desert sands.

Then, in the 20s of the XIX century, the first archaeological excavations began in the area of the ancient city of Thebes. And the Greek Egyptologist Yanis Atonazis, who represented the interests of the British Consul General in Egypt, Henry Salt, was lucky to find them. Although what, in fact, he was an Egyptologist, when Egyptology as a science at that time was still only being born before his own eyes. After all, the research of Atonazis took place almost simultaneously with the famous expedition of Jean-Francois Champollion to Egypt, the purpose of which was to replenish the Egyptian collection of the Louvre. Champollion liked the sphinx very much, and he tried to find money to buy both sphinxes. So one of them was sent on a raft to Alexandria to speed up their sale.

Champollion then wrote that undoubtedly the sphinxes are sculptural portraits of those kings whose names are inscribed on the bases of such monuments. But I didn't buy sphinxes right away. Not enough money!

And then, in turn, they were seen by Andrey Nikolaevich Muravyov – a young Russian officer, a participant in the just-ended Russo-Turkish war of 1828-1829. And he was in Egypt by accident. I decided to look East, and ... I started with Egypt. The sphinx he saw in Alexandria struck him to the core, and he decided that it would be nice to buy a couple of such sphinxes in Russia.

It is clear that he also had no money, but he wrote to the Russian ambassador in Constantinople, and he sent it through diplomatic channels, along with the drawing, to Emperor Nicholas I. And the one, despite being an autocrat, did not decide such a thing in a hurry, but asked for the opinion of the Academy of Arts: will this acquisition be useful for Russia? And the Academy said: "Useful!", and the tsar replied: "We will buy it!", although he did not have time to sign the decision of the academic Council immediately. However, the issue was still resolved positively. Moreover, it was decided to build a granite pier right in front of the Academy building and decorate it with the figures of these two sphinxes, they say, here you will merge both the benefits and the beauty! The work on the design of the pier was entrusted to the architect Konstantin Andreevich Ton.

By the way, at first the pier had to be decorated with equestrian figures. But they were very expensive to cast them. The Academy didn't have that kind of money.

There were no mobile phones then, and letters went on for months, so by the time the emperor's decision reached Alexandria, the impatient Greek had already sold the sphinxes to the French government to adorn one of the squares in Paris. And we would not have seen these sphinxes as our ears, if in 1830 another revolution had not begun in France. In these circumstances, her government was no longer up to the sphinxes, and it canceled the deal.

It was then that our Muravyov arrived in time, and bought the sphinxes for 64,000 rubles in bank notes – a lot of money at that time.

However, it was not enough to buy. There is a question of how to deliver them to Russia. After all, each sphinx weighed a whole 23 tons!

I had to go to additional expenses. First of all, the ship "Buena Speranza" (Good Hope) was chartered, then a floating pier was built from thick logs, and the loading hatch was enlarged on the ship itself and the bottom of the ship was reinforced with thick logs.

And so on May 29, 1831, the sphinxes began to be loaded onto this ship. The first sphinx was lifted from the floating dock by a crane, brought to the ship itself, and began to slowly lower it into the hold. The deck was less than a meter away when a deafening crash rang out. The crane on the dock staggered under the weight, its wooden gate broke, and the thick ropes on which it hung snapped. The sphinx crashed to the deck, damaged the mast and one of the sides, and the broken ropes were quite badly damaged the right side of the head of one of the sphinxes. A deep furrow ran down his face from the middle of his neck to the top of his head.

The pier had to be strengthened, the crane repaired, and the sphinx lowered into the hold crushed all the logs-rollers that were placed under it! However, the second sphinx was lowered into the hold without incident, and there they were both securely secured in case of storms. Pieces of granite were loaded separately in crates to repair the damage.

The Buena Speranza sailed to Russia... for a whole year! Exactly how long it took her to sail from Alexandria to St. Petersburg around Europe! And only in the summer of 1832, she entered the waters of the Neva River, sphinxes were unloaded from her hold. But... since the embankment was not yet ready for their reception, they were placed in the courtyard of the Academy, where they stood for another two years.

It was not until April 1834 that they were finally placed on the granite pedestals on which they still stand. And nine years later (that's how slowly people lived at that time!) The monumental master S. L. Anisimov carved on each pedestal an inscription certifying their origin: "The Sphinx from the ancient Thebes in Egypt was transported to the city of St. Peter in 1832."

An additional decoration of the pier with sphinxes was the high bronze lamps (girandoli) designed by the architect K. A. Ton, decorated with cast reliefs. At the bottom, they lean on powerful lion paws. The reliefs at the top of the lamps depict Greek girls dancing, and below are intertwined leaves and stems. Although the design has changed, the Tone still retains these bronze column-lamps in the antique style. They were cast at the Kolpino factory by master P. P. Gede.

Of course, Russian Egyptologists were interested in the inscription made on the bases of the sphinxes. There are two inscriptions, and they encircle each sculpture. Their length is considerable - from 5.5 to 6.5 m. There are inscriptions on the chest of the sphinxes (a royal cartouche with the name of the pharaoh), and in front of their outstretched paws.

It was easy to read the inscriptions. This was the titulature of Amenhotep III, in which he was called "the mighty bull", "the son of Ra, his favorite", "The Lord of eternity" and many other beautiful names. But scientists have noticed that the depth of the inscriptions embedded in the stone varies. That is, some inscriptions were scraped off and replaced with others. Moreover, this was done hastily, because, having changed one word, the masters often forgot to change another, related to it grammatically and in meaning. As a result, it turned out that the text praising the "mighty taurus" began to contain gross errors and ridiculous phrases, which initially could not have been.

Moreover, some hieroglyphs are carved very beautifully, with diligence, while others are somehow and clearly in a hurry. That is, some signs and inscriptions were cut down, and new ones were carved in their place. Then these new signs were also cut down and new hieroglyphs were cut out.

And the reason was very simple. Pharaoh Akhenaten, in the course of his reform, so fiercely attacked the old gods that he ordered everywhere, including on the monuments of his father, to destroy the names of the god Amun, as well as all the hieroglyphs depicting the sacred animals that the Egyptians worshipped. And then... then they had to be cut out again, and it was obviously done in a hurry. Moreover, the beards of the sphinxes were also recaptured in that distant time. The son did not spare even the monuments of his father – that's how much Akhenaten was a man of principle!

For the Egyptians, the Sphinx symbolized strength and intelligence. They believed that by placing them at the entrance to the Pharaoh's tomb or temple, they would thus protect them from the hostile world. They possessed the power of the gods, and after Egypt began to deify its kings, sphinxes began to be depicted with the faces of the pharaoh and necessarily with the attributes of their power: a head scarf – nemis, uraeus – the image of the head of the sacred cobra, and a necklace around the neck.

During the Great Patriotic War, wooden fences filled with sandbags were built around the sphinxes to protect them from shell fragments. Then in 1959, their first restoration was carried out, and in 2002 – the second. However, for the uninitiated, they look just fine, just as the finds that have come to us from the depths of time should look!

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raeofsunshin · 4 years

Note

1-16 for the mechsona askes >:3

Welp- ... Answers about Della below the cut!

1. Whats their “id” info (name, age, gender, nationality/origin planet, criminal record?)

Name: Della

Age: 17 (???? for multiple reasons)

Gender: Female, uses she/her pronouns

Origin Planet: The City

Criminal Record: She is a prominent member of the rebellion against the immortals and is a host on radio free illium. Has committed various other crimes in the process (murder, theft, tax evasion, etc.)

2. whats their mechanism?

She’s got metal arms and face! Also has a radio for a brain but thats not a mechanism its just her being stupid.

3. how did they get it? doc carmilla or maybe something else?

She didn’t get it from Carmilla, she got it from Medusa (who i have too much lore for but this isn’t about her.” but the metal and the immortality aren’t exactly the same thing. How Medusa “mechanized” her mechanisms was a bit more of a two step process. Medusa, under the alias of Dr. Persephone developed a counter virus to the SPHINX virus called PEGASUS. Once active it would counteract the virus and freeze the patient's aging process. However, it had no other applications besides making the user effectively immortal- ie. it wouldn’t heal them. So most of her patients either paid thousands to heal themselves or if they didn’t have the money returned to her. So Della returned, got legitimately mechanized and has been working to pay off her debt ever since.

4. immortal yes/no? if yes, how/why?

Yep! (Probably.) She got the SPHINX virus as a child and her parents (who were high up in the city) brought her to Medusa.

5. backstory? where are they from? why are they Like This?

*cracks knuckles* alrigty lets go.

Della was born Dellavine Rosile to a family high up in the City (think the equivalent of minor gods, not Olympians by any means but still immortal and holding considerable amounts of power.) She was a pleasant child, if a bit slow in learning, but at age two she contracted the SPHINX virus and began to rapidly age. Her parents brought her to Dr. Persephone and she was effectively cured of the SPHINX virus. However, this left a two year old in what was essentially a seventeen year olds body.

So her parents sent her to work as a nymph. (They are not good parents, they are gods.) She worked there for an indefinite amount of time (Her mind blocked out the majority of it.) Over those years she met Syren (they/them another character- not important rn) who basically figured out “oh shit thats a child” and began to teach her how to be a functioning adult on the days she was fired. Syren essentially acted as an older sibling. They taught her that she had a say in what she was and did. And it caught on.

Unfortunately, the fact that she was essentially a child was what had made her so appealing as a nymph in the first place. (see again, Olympian gods suck.) A few weeks she started sticking up for herself a freak accident that left her badly acid burnt occured. Naturally she lost her job and when she tried to return to her parents they claimed not to recognize her. Syen found her curled up in an alley, half dead and sobbing. They took her to Medusa where she was mechanized. Medusa replacing the acid burned skin and a bit more for the fun of it.

Della’s kinda just been vibin in the City ever since because what is linear time. She’s a radio host on Radio Free Illium. (She replaced her brain with radio equipment so the Archon couldn’t get it. Did she have to? No, she’s just stupid like that.) She’s ran a few missions for the rebellion and def is marked down as “dead?????” where ever the City keeps track of stuff like that. Her minds a little wonky as she still reacts like she’s five to somethings and then turns around and shoots someone in the face.

6. is their backstory based on any other existing story? if yes, which one?

Nope.

7. what tropes are they. dont say that they are not any trope. you know they are some kind of trope

I’m just gonna say powerful idiot. She’s so stupid. I know shes in tropes, I just cant think of any to name atm.

8. the most self-indulgent part of them

Mainly the fact that their face is mechanized. It makes no logical sense and I love it so much.

9. how much different from you they look?

We’ve got the same haircut and that's about it.

10. how do they dress like?

TANK TOP AND JORTS. She’s got a more steampunk outfit too but mostly just decides to be comfy.

11. position on the ship?

Communications officer! She WILL broadcast her radio show from wherever she in in the universe.

12. their instrument?

Vox and Synthesizerg! She also plays the violin terribly. (She took lessons at age two and has ENTIRELY forgotten how to play.)

13. weapon of choice? weapon of necessity? weapon they know how to use but would avoid it at all costs?

Shes got a sword! Its a regular sword. I don’t know enough about sword to say more.

She’s also got a laser gun Medusa gave her that she uses at long range.

tHE WeaPoN oF sEDucTIoN … nah im just kidding she’ll use anything.

14. their theme song but it must be a mechanisms song

Either Sirens or Ties that Bind. I need to listen again

15. their theme song but it cannot be a mechanisms song

Okay so ive got two!

The Cult of Dionysus by the Orion Experience is how she views/portrays herself.

https://youtu.be/ILGUWT4IFWs <<-- this song is her general internal vibe!

16. if you were to make a song of them, what song would you choose to edit the lyrics of? if you made a song of them already, drop the link to it/the lyrics!

Def Favored Son! She dislikes the Olympians and her parents its perfect.

#mechsona #my trash racoon della #sorry if the read more doesn't work

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missfinefeather · 5 years

Text

Erotic Fresco Maker

Why do you not like them ? they have such a trustworthy face and attitude(edited)

MissPir8Feather

Hahaha

Solarn

The two devils in the third panel are the true forms of Praman Nand's two "daughters" who White Chain killed all the way back in book one.It's never pointed out in the comic and it's not really relevant to the plot, but Nand knows how to possess the bodies of other beings (it involves hollowing out their faces and replacing them with a devil's mask) and uses that to give his servants disposable bodies without any risk to their true forms (that's why they didn't actually die when White Chain killed them). That giant sphinx body he has is not even his own.

MissPir8Feather

Oh my gog, tumblr. TUMBLR! the fuck is wrong with you this weekend! Ugh

Solarn

Allison originally being a brunette was actually mentioned a couple of times in the chapter where she was back at home.Well, it was mentioned twice that she dyes her hair, and we had a photo of her as a kid with brown hair.

Erotic Fresco Maker

I do like the idea that she's singing about a friend like "I'm gonna fucking loose but if my friend Jenny was there she'd fuck you up"

Solarn

Also, devil lore! Devils need to make deals with humans to give them names and to take them away, and if they haven't found their Ebon name yet, their name will lose power over time, degrading them.

MissPir8Feather

Ebon name, wot?

Take them away?

Solarn

Oh, I wrote up all the devil lore we've been given in this chapter so far, but since it happened right at the end of last session, it must have gotten lost. Let me retrieve it.

Okay.

So far on this page (plus Cio's short rant): devils have colours that go in the order of pale->blue->red->green->gold->ebon, from weakest to strongest. The weaker ones have more names, the stronger have fewer. And they can become stronger by losing names somehow. But that only gets them up to gold. To become ebon devils, the strongest kind, they need to find their true name, which wasn't just arbitrarily given to them by a human, but expresses their true nature.

MissPir8Feather

Okay, I'm like, not going to miss the lore of this series xD I feel like I need I need to take a college course

Usually I love lore, but K6BD somehow just kind of, eludes me

papyrus3e

It probably goes back to what we were talking about before, about the order things are introduced

Leading with world, then following it up by characterizing Allison

Instead of the other way around

MissPir8Feather

Wait, so, like, Allison can like, start calling Cio Megan and she'd get more powerful?

papyrus3e

By the time Allison cares about the lore, you’ve been conditioned not to

Solarn

No, the goal isn't to collect as many as possible. Weaker devils have more names, stronger ones have fewer. The exception is devils who used to be strong but their names got worn down.

MissPir8Feather

Uh... okay... um... Alright, so, she would debuff Cio if she were to give her a name... I'm... uh... okay 0.0;

Solarn

Oh, these: "pale->blue->red->green->gold->ebon" weren't meant to be "greater than" signs, they are supposed to be arrows showing the progression of power from weakest to strongest.Pale devils are the weakest, ebon devils are the strongest.

MissPir8Feather

Ah, so, Cio is pretty dang low then

Okay, and if she wanted to get more powerful, she'd have to have like Allison or some other human strip her of like, the many many names she apparently has

Solarn

Well, her full name is... let me find her introduction...

ydah

"Ciocie Cioelle ("Cio") Estrella von Maximus the Third"

Solarn

Actually, she apparently lost part of her first name between book one and her reintroduction in book two, because when she meets Allison at the devil bar, she just calls herself "Cio Cioelle Estrella von Maximus the Third".

So she's already on her way to gaining some power.

MissPir8Feather

Ooh!

#k6bd9 #Missfinefeather Liveblogs #Missfinefeather reads Kill Six Billion Demons #Kill Six Billion Demons #webcomic #webcomic liveblog #blacklist Misfinefeather

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sanrionharbor-blog · 5 years

Text

For Everybody Still Worried About the Leaks

Clues from the Cast Interviews, GRRM Hints, and My Own Gut Feelings

Disclaimer: Hey, nobody knows nothing, but life’s too short to stress about things we can’t control, and stories are supposed to be maps to help us learn more about ourselves and about life in general–not hair-pulling inducements. So I’m going to enjoy all the speculating that I can regarding the GOT season finale, and want to share some thoughts on why I think certain “leaks” are most likely bunk.

I’m mostly focusing on the pervasive “Does Tyrion die by trial?” leak, and everything that links to that, including any betrayals or major deaths.

Tyrion’s Ending and The Ending, In General

First, let’s quote Peter Dinklage himself:

I had all these ideas in my head and a version of one of them is how it ends up [for Tyrion]. David and Dan have a brilliant version of what I had. If I use any adjectives it will give it away. But I love how it ended up. And how it ends up for everybody. They had a beautiful gentle touch with some, and a hard touch with others.

But that’s just on Tyrion’s ending. Before I get into what that quote tells us, let me quote what other people have said about the Overall Ending of Game of Thrones:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau:

I’ve never read anyone who got the whole thing. And when I read it the first time, I was blown away.

George R.R. Martin:

So many readers were reading the books with so much attention that they were throwing up some theories, and while some of those theories were amusing bulls*** and creative, some of the theories are right…At least one or two readers had put together the extremely subtle and obscure clues that I’d planted in the books and came to the right solution.

What the above quotes tell me is:

No one has guessed the ending completely–but parts of the ending? Yeah, they’ve been guessed. Which just goes to show how much this show and its themes have resonated not only with GRRM, but with his audience. Because,as a writer, I can tell you that no storyteller tells a story alone. There’s something guiding us and we can’t put a finger on it but it’s often the source of our best ideas. And it’s the same ineffable something that stirs all of us when we’re creating, sharing, and participating in stories. It’s the reason you see the same patterns in stories over and over. In short, the fact that part of the ending CAN be guessed is NOT a bad thing. It’s natural. Some postmodern storytelling theories have taught us that tricks and surprises are where it’s at–but a story isn’t true unless it can surprise us and, in retrospect, give us the only answer that makes any sense. You can see a pithier version of this kind of storytelling in Ye Olde Riddle–for example, the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex could tell us the answer to her riddle is orange, and that would throw us for a loop, but it would tell us nothing and mean nothing and add nothing to the story and thus would be forgotten. Surprise doesn’t count unless it has a ripple effect. So, about-face turns and OOC arcs may shock and subvert, but they’ll ultimately end up as dross and not as gold. (But hey, more on my thoughts on what can and can be accepted as canon in the last blurb below!).

Now, has anybody assumed that Tyrion would betray Daenerys and end up dead simply for 1) loyalty to the Lannisters, 2) suddenly losing faith in humanity?, or 3) suddenly wanting to usurp power himself? No. This is not a popular theory by a longshot. Tyrion dying? Sure. Somebody betraying Daenerys? Sure. Tyrion as a ruler? Sure. But this very specific, shoehorned version of the story is simply too contrived to have been picked up by fans organically.

The leaks so far have painted nothing but harsh endings for ALL the characters. Don’t tell me those leaks are pro-Stark. Those leaks point out backstabbing, loneliness, and emotional stagnation–forget what characters live, think about what these leaks have said about these characters. Not only does this not jive with the “bittersweet” aspect of the ending, it doesn’t jive with Dinklage’s assertion that, while some characters will go down harshly (R.I.P. Missandei especially–at least Edd and Jorah and Beric got heroic deaths and funerals), others will be treated gently. A heartbroken Brienne? A cold, lonely, manipulative Sansa? A suddenly hopeless, headless Tyrion? I don’t think so. (I also don’t think that means that Brienne and Jaime will necessarily ride into the sunset–but I do think we’ll have Jaime’s feelings for her confirmed, along with the completion of his redemption arc. I also don’t think that means Tyrion definitely won’t die–but I don’t think he’ll be character assassination, either. And I also don’t think that Sansa WILL end up in a canon relationship–but, logically, they can’t leave all the Stark’s COMPLETELY UNABLE TO LOVE, and um, somebody has to be willing to have legitimate heirs to the Stark House. Ok, just to continue this aside, but it seems theoretically impossible to me that the Stark House, which is all about the continuation of the Starks and the independence of the North, would not be given any canon marriages/alliances at the end of their arc. Arya’s already rejected marriage, Bran drove Meera away, and Sansa’s always wanted a happy marriage, even if she’s got very understandable trust issues right now. Anyhow–).

Peter Dinklage was able to guess how his character arc ended. What are the odds that Betraying Somebody He Cares About Without Good Reason (Daenerys–I could see him betraying her reluctantly, but not easily)/Being Betrayed By Somebody He Cares About (Sansa)/Dying Guilty After All The False Trials His Character Has Been THrough were in the mix? I don’t think so. Dinklage has gone on record multiple times to say how much he admires Tyrion and thinks he’s a good person. He’s also gone on record stating that Sansa and Tyrion’s relationship is full of true affection. Even if Tyrion dies and/or he and Sansa don’t end up as a couple, betrayal just seems so far out of the scope of what these characters’ storylines have been building to. And again, I can’t see that being even one version of one of Dinklage’s headcanons. What I think is most likely? A) Hand to the Ruler, B) Part of a new council that replaces or supplements the King/Queen, C) the King himself, or D) a heroic death.

How Long They’ve Planned the Ending:

They had talks with GRRM in 2014

They’ve been planning the ending for five years

They’ve known it was Arya who would take out the NK for three years

So some decisions weren’t set in stone, even by GRRM (such as who would take out the NK…an interesting thing not to know, actually, but that just points out how inflated the importance of the Others/White Walkers was–do I still think it will be handled better by GRRM, yes, but that’s another story), and even if D&D’s execution feels more like “here’s an outline of what’s happening” rather than “here’s the organic progression of that storyline,” I can only imagine that if core pieces were given by GRRM AND they’re not completely winging it, then there will be a certain amount of narrative cohesion once this comes full-circle.

Let’s not forget, we still have a third WTFudge moment that was came straight from GRRM himself, with the other two shockers being Hodor’s origin and Shireen Baratheon’s death. Could this third twist be Dany going completely mad? Maybe, though it doesn’t fall into the same category of completely-unexpected-but-honestly-possible, like Shireen and Hodor. Only because the foreshadowing for Dany’s madness was heavy-handed in the last few seasons (taking away the ‘unexpected’ bit), and is now quite uneven here in Season 8.

I think the third twist will likely be a specific action (a la Shireen’s death) or another origin story-type twist (a la Hodor). Some people have speculated that “Tyrion’s Trial” would make for that final twist, but here’s why I don’t think so:

The Nature of the Leaks

It’s very interesting to me that this leak, supposedly this Huge Most Important Leak, was one of the very first ones released. Like, months ago. While the rest of the leaks, the ones that have actually been accurate, are usually only released at the max a few days before each episode airs.

It’s also interesting to me that HBO has not done more to shut down this particular leak.

And, I would not put it past HBO to have actually filmed one entire fake-out scene. Most of the Dragon Pit/South scenes were filmed after the first three episodes, so they probably knew that they had the time and money to just throw fans for another loop. Sound tinfoily? Perhaps, but the idea that this big twist–and a twist that so far doesn’t make much sense given what we’ve seen in what is now ⅔’s of the season–was such an easy leak just makes me suspect.

Another possibility? Tyrion IS on trial, but is pardoned. Or Tyrion thinks he’s on trial, but it turns out to be somebody else’s funeral (a la that Littlefinger Fake Out 2.0.). I’m not saying any of this makes for the best handling of his character or for a particularly compelling scenario, but considering we haven’t seen it, I can’t say for certain.

GOT’s Recent “Plot Twist” Pattern

D&D have switched to information-withholding tactics in the last few seasons. Just look at Sansa and Arya’s arc and the Littlefinger Fake Out. Were these well-written? Not entirely–but they don’t make for the worst entertainment either. Yeah, we had better quality storytelling in the first four seasons, but soap opera can still be fun.

And how long have they been teasing Dark!Sansa without actually delivering? And let’s not forget–show-Sansa’s arc is still, broadly, based on book-Sansa’s arc. Book-Sansa remains far more in tune to the archetype of the Lady/Maiden, while show-Sansa is slightly blended with Jeyne Poole’s arc (and, unfortunately, a dash of Pop Feminism). But the fact remains that whatever meeting D&D had with GRRM back in 2014 contained information based on the broad trajectory of Sansa’s arc as GRRM has been writing it. (I’m writing a character arc meta on Sansa that’ll be out…soonish).

And let’s just say I don’t see Dark!Sansa hinted very well in the books at all. Sansa learning to pull strings like Littlefinger and Cersei and Margaery? Heck yes. But Sansa will do it Sansa’s way.

So, given that D&D usually try to shock us by hinting at a character’s worst possible tendency AND by withholding information AND by trying to get us to see one scenario while giving us another (another example being Jon Snow vs. Night King actually being Arya vs Night King), I can very well see them turning Sansa into a reluctant last-minute ally of Daenerys, Tyrion being pulled out of hot water at the last minute, Jaime’s running to Cersei being about taking out Cersei not making out with Cersei (yeah sorry/not sorry about that one), and heck, maybe Dany won’t go mad–she’ll just realize she doesn’t want the Iron Throne anymore, or the Iron Throne shouldn’t exist, or she dies tragically but not as a monster. Time will tell.

Who We Haven’t Seen So Far That Can Introduce New Complications

1. Edmure Tully

Tobis Mennzies (Edmure Tully) has been confirmed to return this season. Could it just be a cameo? Maybe. But I wouldn’t put it past Sansa, Arya, and Bran to be planning a back-up plan to help out Jon (and thus Dany). Arya is probably planning on killing Cersei, Sansa can rally what’s left of the Tully’s, and Bran will hopefully do something Three-Eyed Ravenish (or regain some of Bran’s humanity–which would be a twist worth waiting for).

2. Khal Drogo

Motherhood is an important theme in Dany’s life. I think ultimately, book and show wise, it’s what’s truly important to her. She just doesn’t realize it. In this way, Dany is a very interesting parallel with Cersei. Both of these women are tempted to replace their intimate losses with power. They believe power will protect them and their own. And that mentality can slowly shift into the classic Mother Bear conundrum: Us vs. Them.

Now, Khal Drogo not only represents a happy time in Dany’s life where she was both powerful and protected, but where she was a mother. After her losses, she gained her dragons. She truly loves her dragons as children, but they are also a liability to everyone but Dany. Interestingly, Dany’s human child with Khal Drogo was a liability to everyone but the Khalasar. The priestess from season 1 knew this, and so she prevented it. It doesn’t make the loss any less of a tragedy, however.

Will we see the same thing play out here in the final act of Game of Thrones? I’m not sure, but Khal Drogo’s presence will be heavily symbolic. Either Dany will meet him in the afterlife or reject death another time–but perhaps she’ll realize that her true desires were always for belonging and motherhood (just not at the expense of her own free will).

And, as an aside–I’ve really come to see Dany in a different light this season. I’ve always been anti-Daenerys as Ruler, but Daenerys as a character is truly fascinating. So what I see implied in her final arc is truly heartbreaking (and I hope it’s handled better overall than it was, in snapshot, here in 8x04). [Dany’s also my dad’s favorite character, haha, and I respect my dad’s opinion almost more than anyone else’s, so she gets props for that too lol].

3. Robin Arryn

I have a feeling this will be a cameo, but honestly the worst-case scenario for me would be Sansa being engaged to him lol. It would certainly be a Margaery Tyrell move on her part (knowing she won’t have to marry him for some time and he’ll be easy to influence), but the Knights of the Vale are already dedicated to her and I’m a Sanrion shipper so you know where I stand on any other Sansa ship. ;-)

Regardless, the Vale could become an important wrinkle in the plot, and I’m all for us not having a complete Doomsday scenario.

And In The Worst Case Scenario

The worst case scenario is that the leaks are legit. Bran as an emotionless king? The Starks are forever alone? Tyrion’s character assassination? Bleh.

But I’ve already hinted at my philosophy on canon storytelling.

Look, most fanon is crap–but so is most fiction. There are millions of stories out there, but it’s hard to find (and tell) one that resonates across all borders of sex, ethnicity, age, and epoch. You know what CAN exist in both fanon and canon–and what actually matters as canon in the end? The stories that are true.

If characters don’t act true to themselves, if deep-in-the-bones themes suddenly drop off, if crucial scenes that are present in every single successful outline are missing (don’t go postmodern on me–just read The Story Grid), then that story is incomplete. And it’s a lie.

Madeleine L’Engle once said “All truth is God’s truth.” She was trying to make the point that fantasy, and fiction in general, is important because it tells the truth. It’s not about the facts (dragons aren’t real! This is just a TV show! Etc.). It’s about the truth (dragons can be beaten! There is wonder in the world! We are united by our mythologies!).

So no, fanon can be a lot more than making heterosexual characters gay or inserting fluff without dealing with the consequences of character actions or erasing parts of canon. Fanon can be more true than canon when the author is on the tail of the actual Story.

Steven Pressfield does a much better job of explaining this in The War of Art. Madeleine L’Engle does a much better of explaining this in Walking on Water. Shawn Coyne does a much better job of explaining this in The Story Grid.

So don’t just take my word for it.

For me, then, I’m excited to see how the show plays out. And I’m fine if certain things that I only WANT don’t happen–but if the story doesn’t have what NEEDS to happen, then I’ll sadly and reluctantly reject it, and wait for GRRM’s books to come out, or simply contribute to the ASOIAF lore as best as I can. Hopefully not as wish fulfillment, but simply to respect the core of the story itself.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

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silverscreenclassics2016 · 4 years

Text

by special guest Robert Short

General abstract: In 1877 Russia, Anna Karenina, wife of Alexei Karenin, a senior government official, and mother of their young son Sergei, travels to Moscow from St. Petersburg to visit her brother Stepan Oblonsky, his wife Dolly, and their children. The family is in turmoil due to Stepan’s unbridled womanizing – a circumstance that foretells Anna’s own future situation. Upon her arrival in the Moscow train station, she meets Count Alexei Vronsky, a cavalryman. A romantic attraction and affair ensue, despite the fact that Dolly’s eighteen-year-old sister Kitty is also attracted to Vronsky.

Bachelor Vronsky is eager to marry Anna. Unable to secure a divorce from her high-minded husband, Anna nonetheless leaves him, and their son, to live with Vronsky. Initially moving to Italy, where they can be together, Anna and Vronsky return to Russia, where she is shunned by Russian society, while Vronsky is able to pursue his social life. Becoming further isolated and anxious, Anna grows increasingly possessive and paranoid about his imagined infidelity, resulting in tragedy.

ANNA KARENINA (1935) Director: Clarence Brown. Starring Greta Garbo, Fredric March, Basil Rathbone, Maureen O’Sullivan, Freddie Bartholomew, May Robson, Reginald Owen. Screenplay by Clemence Dane and Salka Viertel.

From her stunning first appearance behind a clearing cloud of train steam, Greta Garbo set the 1935 “Anna Karenina” in motion with her extraordinary presence. Known as “the Swedish Sphinx” among other sobriquets, Garbo’s exquisite face could seemingly express a thousand thoughts while remaining totally blank; she was the epitome of the legendary Gloria Swanson line in “Sunset Boulevard”, “We had faces then”.

Garbo’s 1935 portrayal of Anna was in fact her second on-screen portrait of the Tolstoy heroine; an earlier 1927 silent version, bearing the title “Love”, had co-starred Garbo with John Gilbert, her highly-publicized real-life romantic partner, as Count Vronsky. Performed in more modern dress, its story reduced to the essential occurrences of the Anna – Vronsky narrative, “Love” may be considered either a clever adaptation or, to a Tolstoy purist, a complete abomination. Supporting characters such as Stepan, Dolly and Kitty were jettisoned entirely; many other liberties were taken with the story. Most notably a contrived happy ending filmed for American audiences replaced the original tragic conclusion; the European prints retained the more dramatic finale. Nevertheless, despite its numerous literary transgressions, “Love” enjoyed the benefit of the almost palpable chemistry between Garbo and Gilbert; the two could transform a scene in which virtually nothing was happening into something resembling an erotic dream.

Greta Garbo and John Gilbert in ‘Love’ (1927)

Greta Garbo and Fredric March in ‘Anna Karenina’

Returning to the role was Garbo’s idea; in October 1934 the actress had requested that David O. Selznick produce a remake of “Love”, but with greater adherence to the Tolstoy tome. Paring down the original literary source to a manageable screen adaptation required necessary deletions; Tolstoy’s massive and complex chronicle, running over 800 pages, featuring over a dozen major characters, and presented in eight parts, included more than the narrative of Anna and Vronsky, although their story was a major component of the plot. Unlike the earlier 1927 version, the “side” stories not focused on Anna, such as Oblonsky’s marital infidelities and Kitty’s infatuation with Vronsky and eventual marriage to Konstantin Levin, were presented, albeit rather superficially. While screenwriters Clemence Dane and Salka Viertel, the latter of whom was a close friend of Garbo’s and eventually became the mother-in-law of actress Deborah Kerr, remained reasonably loyal to the original themes addressed in the literary work, including desire, betrayal, faith, family, marriage, and Imperial Russian society, creative license was taken in their presentation. Various incidents were re-sorted and revised from Tolstoy’s original chronicle; alterations and additions to the script were made in order to avoid censure from the prevailing Production Code. Under great pressure to complete a finished screenplay in the shortest possible time, the screenwriters prepared an oddly unbalanced script, affecting the rhythm of the scenes.

Fredric March was Garbo’s selection for the role of Vronsky. Producer Selznick’s own first choice was Clark Gable, who was not interested. Ronald Colman was another consideration; cannily aware that the film would belong to co-star Garbo, Colman purportedly doubled his asking price, effectively taking himself out of the running. March, an Academy Award winning actor for his 1931 dual portrayal of “Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde”, was no stranger to Tolstoy’s work; in 1934 he had starred in “We Live Again”, based on Tolstoy’s 1899 work “Resurrection”, with Anna Sten. Undeniably beautiful but ultimately unsuccessful in her career, Sten was, rather ironically, producer Samuel Goldwyn’s hoped-for answer to Garbo. Having had his fill of period pieces, March did not want to play Vronsky, accepting the role on the order from his studio. Nor did he, by his own admission, generate the same level of passion with Garbo as had Gilbert in the earlier 1927 version. Describing the love scenes in the 1935 presentation, March was quoted as saying that they were “nothing so tempestuous as in the silent film”.

Directed by Garbo’s favourite director, Clarence Brown, with cinematography by William Daniels, Garbo’s favourite photographer, “Anna Karenina” emerged a financial and critical success. Andre Sennwald of The New York Times noted “Miss Garbo, always superbly the apex of the drama, suggests the inevitability of her doom from the beginning, streaking her first happiness with undertones of anguish, later trying futilely to mend the broken pieces, and at last standing regally alone as she approaches the end. Bouncing with less determination than is his custom, Mr. March gets by handsomely as Vronsky.” For her efforts, Garbo won the New York Film Critics Circle Award as Best Actress; the film itself was named one of the top ten films of 1935 by the National Board of Review, USA.

ANNA KARENINA (1948) Director: Julien Duvivier. Starring Vivien Leigh, Ralph Richardson, Kieron Moore, Hugh Dempster, Mary Kerridge, Sally Ann Howes, Niall MacGinnis. Screenplay by Jean Anouilh, Guy Morgan, Julien Duvivier.

After her Oscar-winning tour de force performance as the wilful Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone with the Wind”, British actress Vivien Leigh had returned to the movie screen only three times, in 1940’s “Waterloo Bridge”, in 1941 as the eponymous “Lady Hamilton”, also known as “That Hamilton Woman”, co-starring husband Laurence Olivier as Admiral Horatio Nelson, and as Cleopatra in George Bernard Shaw’s “Caesar and Cleopatra” in 1945. During the intervening years, Leigh had performed on stage, and endured sieges of illness and depression; the opportunity of portraying Tolstoy’s tragic heroine lured Leigh back to the silver screen for a fourth post-”Wind” appearance. Interestingly, critical elements of her character’s life mirrored Leigh’s own; similar to Anna, who left her husband and child to pursue a new love, Leigh ended her seven-year marriage with husband Herbert Leigh Holman in 1940 in order to marry Laurence Olivier, her co-star in the 1937 British productions “Fire over England” and “21 Days Together”. Holman ultimately gained custody of his and Leigh’s six-year-old daughter Suzanne. During the production of “Anna Karenina” Oliver received his investiture as Knight Bachelor; Leigh was thereafter styled as “Lady Olivier”.

Unfolding at a more leisurely 139 minutes, as opposed to the 95-minute running time of the earlier Garbo version, the 1948 “Anna Karenina” was a truer, and more encompassing, adaptation of its classic literary source. The original screenplay prepared by director Julien Duvivier, in collaboration with French dramatist Jean Anouilh, had been an experiment in angst-ridden existentialism, a relentlessly downbeat chronicle transplanted to a French setting; British writer Guy Morgan came on board for script alterations and revisions.

Unlike the 1935 film, which began with an invented scene showing Vronsky in various stages of revelry, the 1948 edition began with the novel’s famous introductory line “All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” superimposed over a scene revealing the turmoil in the Oblonsky home. More screen time was devoted to the characters of Stepan and Dolly, Anna’s brother and sister-in-law, and Dolly’s sister Kitty. Most importantly, major segments of the story were not featured in the Garbo adaptation at all, including Karenin’s initial decision to divorce Anna, his change of heart after Anna’s near death after giving birth to Vronsky’s child, stillborn in this version, contrary to the novel, and his re-acceptance of Anna in his home. These scenes, possibly omitted in 1935 due to Production Code restrictions, were particularly critical in Karenin’s character development; as portrayed by Basil Rathbone in the earlier presentation, Karenin was a tyrant, whereas Ralph Richardson’s Karenin, while still a cold, emotionally sterile man, displayed a glimmer of humanity.

Vivien Leigh and Kieron Moore as Anna and Vronksy

Ralph Richardson and Vivien Leigh as Karenin and Anna

Filmed in 1947, and released in the United Kingdom in early January 1948, the making of “Anna Karenina” would appear to have been an unhappy affair; director Duvivier, reportedly autocratically inflexible, was disliked by cast and crew. The role of Vronsky had originally been offered to Michael Redgrave, who chose to appear in two American projects; handsome Irish-born actor Kieron Moore undertook the part. Out of his acting depth, Moore had requested a release after only a few weeks of filming. Producer Sir Alexander Korda refused to grant it; Moore’s ensuing performance, described by fashion photographer Cecil Beaton, a friend of Garbo’s, as a “disaster”, suggested none of Vronsky’s animal magnetism.

Expensive and well-appointed, Leigh’s “Anna Karenina” was ultimately unsuccessful, both commercially and critically. British reviewers were a little kinder to the film; opening in the United States in April 1947, its American print shortened by twenty minutes, the movie prompted New York Times critic Bosley Crowther to comment in his review “With all due respect for an actress who would willingly undertake a role that has twice been rendered immortal by Greta Garbo within the past twenty years, it must be confessed by this observer that the ‘Anna Karenina’ of Vivien Leigh is a pretty sad disappointment, by comparison or not.”

These harsh words notwithstanding, the 1948 “Anna Karenina” offered much to admire – the first image of Leigh’s beautiful face looking though the frosted window of a train, the sumptuous costumes and settings, cinematographer Henri Alekan’s moody, light-and-shadow photography displaying every shade possible in monochrome. Crowther’s review did contain, nonetheless, an element of validity. The 1948 film was a more faithful, albeit still imperfect, screen adaptation of Tolstoy’s chef-d’oeuvre. Benefiting from an additional forty-five minutes in running time over its 1935 counterpoint, the British presentation explored motifs and situations to a fuller extent; from a literary standpoint it emerged the victor over the earlier Hollywood version. However, all its physical adornment and homage to literature could not compete with the jewel in Hollywood’s crown, namely Garbo. For all its faults as a cinematic translation of a major work of literature, 1935’s “Anna Karenina” was clearly the most entertaining; as described by critic Pauline Kael, “God knows it isn’t all it might be, and Garbo isn’t even at her best, but she’s there to be gazed upon.”

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have Robert Short as a guest writer for the 2020 Classic Literature On Film Blogathon.

A Look At Two Versions Of Anna Karenina (1935 and 1948) by special guest Robert Short General abstract: In 1877 Russia, Anna Karenina, wife of Alexei Karenin, a senior government official, and mother of their young son Sergei, travels to Moscow from St.

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nessietessimalnua · 7 years

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BESTIARY - Monsters

22/11/17

THE GREEKS

“Greek myth attempts to explain the origins of the world, and details the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines and mythological creatures. These accounts initially were disseminated in an oral-poetic tradition; today the Greek myths are known primarily from ancient Greek literature. The oldest known Greek literary sources, Homer’s epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, focus on the Trojan War and its aftermath. Two poems by Homer’s near contemporary Hesiod, the Theogony and the Works and Days, contain accounts of the genesis of the world, the succession of divine rulers, the succession of human ages, the origin of human woes, and the origin of sacrificial practices. Myths are also preserved in the Homeric Hymns, in fragments of epic poems of the Epic Cycle, in lyric poems, in the works of the tragedians and comedians of the fifth century BC, in writings of scholars and poets of the Hellenistic Age, and in texts from the time of the Roman Empire by writers such as Plutarch and Pausanias.” - Wikipedia

CHILDREN OF TYPHON

Typhon was the last son of Gaia and Tartarus, and known as “The Father of All Monsters”. There are several different versions of what he looked like, but most of them depict him with either his head and/or arms and legs replaced by 100s of snake and dragon heads, with 100s of different wings, with red eyes that terrified anyone who looked into them and a “savage jaw” that could breathe fire. Typhon married Echidna, who was described as having the top half of a beautiful woman but the bottom half of a huge and terrible snake - she became known as “The Mother of All Monsters”. The couple went on to raise some of the most famous monsters from Greek mythology;

SPHINX

With the body of a lion, the head of a woman and occasionally the wings of a bird, the Ancient Greek Sphinx was a treacherous beast that killed and devoured anyone who couldn’t answer her riddles. She was defeated by Oedipus when he answered correctly, the monster throwing herself into the ocean in a fit of rage/despair and drowning.

NEMEAN LION

A giant lion with impenetrable skin and claws that could shred any armour, this beast was slain by Hercules as part of his Twelve Labours, as a result freeing the city of Nemea in the Peloponnesus. The Lion was said to have become the constellation Leo after being slain.

CERBERUS

Cerberus was the giant three-headed hellhound that guarded the gates of Hades, fawning over those who entered Hades’ House and ensuring no-one left - eating those who attempted to. He was sometimes depicted as having a serpent for a tail and snakes protruding from his body. Hercules managed to capture Cerberus, shooting Hades in the process, and presented him to Eurystheus, completing his twelfth Labour. Cerberus was then either returned to Hades by Hercules, or was said to have escaped and returned by himself.

LADON

The serpentine dragon that guarded the Golden Apples in the Garden of the Hesperides, curling around the roots of the Apple Tree. The dragon was sometimes depicted with a hundred heads, each speaking a different language. Ladon was defeated by Hercules as another of his Labours, but whether the dragon was killed or not varies on the author.

LERNAEN HYDRA

A water-dwelling serpent-like monster with many heads, the Lernaen Hydra’s lair was in the lake Lerna at Argolid, said to be the entrance to the Underworld and the same location of the myth of the Danaids. The hydra’s breath was poisonous, and its blood was so vitreous that even the scent of it was deadly. It was was also said to regenerate its heads - when cut, two more grow back, until the neck stumps were burned with fire. Hercules managed to slay the Hydra for his second Labour.

CHIMERA

A monstrous beast with the head and half-body of a lion, the head (and back-legs) of a goat and the tail and head of a snake, the Chimera was a bad omen, and said to be seen before shipwrecks, storms and other natural disasters - such as volcanoes. It was a “she”, and the goat head could breathe fire, with the snake head having venomous fangs. She was slain by Bellerophon and Pegasus.

OTHER MONSTERS

ARACHNE

A human woman skilled at weaving, Arachne boasted so much about her skill that she (depending on the author) either challenged the Goddess Athena to a weaving contest, or Athena became so annoyed at her boasting that she challenged the mortal herself. Athena wove four stories depicting mortals striving for godhood and facing the consequences, whilst Arachne wove four stories of the Gods punishing mortals for no reason; Arachne’s stories painted the Gods in a bad light, and her weaving was a much better quality than Athena’s, causing the Goddess to become both enraged and embarrassed. There are a few different endings - some where Athena curses Arachne, turning her into a spider; others where the curse means that Arachne can’t weave with any loom or tool ever again, the woman becoming so distraught that Athena eventually takes pity on her and turns her into a spider so that she can continue with what she loves without breaking the curse; and a few versions where - after seeing the error of her ways and how arrogant she was for mocking the Goddess to give her the skill of weaving in the first place - Arachne takes her own life, Athena then bringing her back as a spider so that she can continue doing what she loves. Regardless of which ending is used, Arachne’s fate remains the same, and stands as the origin of the words “arachnid” and “arachnophobia” - it was also a story the Ancient Greeks used to explain why spiders create the webs to hunt and live on.

CENTAURS

As followers of Dionysus: god of wine, insanity and parties, the half-horse-half-man Centaurs are typically boisterous, barbarian beasts that represent chaos and the unruly effects of consuming alcohol. One centaur, however, was much wiser and more civilised than his kinsmen: Chiron, son of Philyra and Cronus, was the tutor to the likes of Achilles, Hercules and Jason, and resided in the forests of Mt. Pelion with his wife Chariklo, a nymph.

CYCLOPES

One-eyed giants that are said to be the sons of Poseidon and Gaia or nymphs, the often savage beasts are workmen of Hephaestus’s forge due to their resistance to heat and their ability to smith. A famous Cyclops is Polyphemus, born by the nymph Thoosa and the god Poseidon, described in Homer’s Odyssey as the giant that was blinded by Odysseus, who tricked him into believing he was attacked by “nobody” after he and his crew were taken and some eaten by the cyclops.

HARPIES

Harpies, with the bodies of birds and the faces of women, are often regarded as the hounds of Zeus due to them being dispatched to snatch people and objects from Earth, or to deliver punishment, for the god - being used to explain sudden or mysterious disappearances.

MEDUSA

Medusa was the mortal of the three Gorgons - sisters with hair of snakes and grotesque faces. She was a beautiful woman before she cursed by Athena after falling in love with Poseidon and breaking her priestess vows, or after fleeing to her temple to hide from the god (depending on the author); turning her eyes red, her skin green and her hair into a mass of venomous snakes - anyone who looked at her directly turned into stone. Legend has it that Medusa travelled Africa for a time, baby snakes dropping from her head as she walked - explaining why there are so many snakes on the continent. She was slain by Perseus, the man using a polished shield from Athena to watch the Gorgon’s reflection so as not to be turned to stone.

MINOTAUR

Born to the wicked King Minos as a mutated, half-bull looking creature, the Minotaur was sealed in a Labyrinth under Crete, built by the inventor Daedalus, after Minos killed the mother and couldn’t stand to see it as his son. Anyone with qualms against the King were sent there to be eaten by the beast - Theseus being one of them. However, the man had plotted with Minos’s beautiful daughter, Ariadne, and took with him a ball of yarn and a sword she had given him, the first so that he would be able to find his way out of the ever shifting and confusing maze, and the latter to kill the Minotaur.

SIRENS

Another monster that was part woman, part bird, Sirens would draw sailors to their deaths with their beautiful singing. Two heroes were able to survive encountering them: Perseus and Odysseus. Odysseus has his crew tie him to the mast and plug their ears with bees wax, so that he could listen to the Sirens without jumping overboard. Perseus had the musician Orpheus, who played music so beautiful it overwhelmed the Sirens’ singing. It was said that if someone were to escape them, the Sirens would throw themselves into the water and die.

PEGASUS

The son of Poseidon, Pegasus - a brilliant white winged stallion - leapt from the neck of Medusa when she was beheaded by Perseus.

#mythology #the greeks #inspo #research #bestiary #monsters #year 2 #ba2a

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awkwardlyamusing-blog · 5 years

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Brooke Houts: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

New Post has been published on http://doggietrainingclasses.com/brooke-houts-5-fast-facts-you-need-to-know/

Brooke Houts: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

On left: Brooke Houts’ IMDB headshot. On right: a screenshot of Houts with her Doberman, Sphinx.

Brooke Houts is a YouTuber and actress who has come under fire for raw footage of a video she was making with her Doberman, Sphinx, in which she appears to hit him and then spit on him.

Houts has since given a statement on the backlash and accidental video upload, in which she said in part, “I want to clarify that I am NOT a dog abuser or animal abuser in any way, shape, or form.”

An LAPD media representative confirmed to The Verge that the Animal Cruelty unit has launched an investigation. The rep said, “Our Animal Cruelty Task Force has received numerous complaints about the video you’re speaking of and we are currently looking into the matter.”

The controversy began when Houts accidentally uploaded a video of raw footage on August 6, which shows her smacking her dog, pinning him to the ground and shouting “NO!”

The video was quickly taken down and replaced with the more polished cut, but many had already seen it by the time she took it down. You can still see the footage in the video under fact #1. She has also now taken down the edited version of the plastic wrap prank video.

Here’s what you need to know about Houts:

1. READ: Houts’ Full Statement on the Controversial Footage

In a tweet on August 6, Houts addressed the controversy head on, via a series of screenshots of a statement she appeared to write on the Notes app. She also wrote the same statement in a comment on the YouTube video (as seen below) where the uncut footage originate from. The statement reads,

Anything I say isn’t going to make those who believe I’m a bad person stop believing that, and I’m aware of this. I apologize to anyone who has been effected negatively by the footage. First off, I want to address the uncut footage. On the day in particular that the video was filmed, and actually this past week, things in my outside life have been less than exceptional. I am not going to play the “victim card” or anything of that sort, but I do want to point out that I am rarely as upset as what was shown in the footage. The bubbly, happy-go-lucky Brooke that you often see in my videos is typically an accurate representation of me, but it’s obvious that I’m playing up my mood in this video when I’m clearly actually frustrated.

That being said, this does NOT justify me yelling at my dog in the way that I did, and I’m fully aware of that. Should I have gotten as angry as I did in the video? No. Should I have raised my voice and yelled at him? No. However, when my 75 lb. Doberman is jumping up in my face with his mouth open, I do, as a dog parent, have to show him that this behavior is unacceptable. But I want to make it known, REGARDLESS of what my dog does, I should not have acted that way towards him.

I want to clarify that I am NOT a dog abuser or animal abuser in any way, shape, or form. Anyone who has witnessed or heard true animal abuse will be able to clearly see that. My dog, in no way, shape, or form was hurt by any action that I displayed in this video. I know people are going to say “you don’t know how he really feels” and this is true. But if he was audibly and physically in pain, it would be a different story. I also did NOT spit on my dog, but I understand how it could look like I did. Did I get in his face and take unnecessary actions towards him? Yes I did, and that was not the way I should’ve handled the situation. Did I spit on my dog? No.

My family and I are in the process of getting him training. The training that I have been looking at for him is VERY expensive, because it’d have to be 1-on-1 with a trainer. Ever since he was attacked at the dog park, he isn’t okay with being around other dogs. He sticks to me like velcro if he is in the presence of another dog, even a little chihuahua. I just can’t see him getting what he needs from a group training environment. That being said, I know I personally can learn more effective techniques to get his energy out and keep him disciplined as well.

Anyone who knows me personally knows I have an immense love for animals, including my own. I would never do anything to purposefully physically or mentally harm any animal. Again, I should NOT have yelled at him or have been as physically aggressive as I was, and I’m fully aware of that. He was not hurt, nor has he ever been purposefully hurt by me. I know I’ll be in many future situations where he’s being physical, but I will not respond this way again.

Family or friends that have spent any amount of time with Sphinx and me know that we have a trusting, loving relationship. All he wants to do is be by my side, cuddle with me, and be around me, which I love. My love for him is exponential and infinite, and I do everything I can in my day-to-day life to ensure that he is living as happily as he can. I’m sorry that my actions in that particular moment did not reflect that.

About my twitter- I deactivated my account earlier in the day. When I went to open it, I was met with an excess of notifications of people telling me I’m messed up, a bad person, that I’m going to hell, that I belong in jail, etc. For my own mental health, and no other reason besides that, I didn’t think it was necessary for me to be reading those comments at that time. Lastly, I don’t want to make this statement seem like it’s me defending myself, because that is not my goal. I do want to point out what ACTUALLY happened though. My intent by explaining the situation is to give those of you who are rightfully angry with me the explanation that you deserve. I am getting my dog into training, and I’m looking at ways to improve how I personally train him at home. I am sorry that you guys had to watch that footage and were upset by it, and I’m sorry to my dog for raising my voice and acting aggressively.

In my heart and from the words of the people that spend the most time with me, I know that I am a great dog mom (but not perfect), that I spoil him in the best ways, that he gets all the treats he could ever want, and that the Amazon Prime mailman is probably tired of delivering packages of dog toys to my house. Again, this does not make my actions in the footage okay, but I’m just explaining what my day-to-day life is really like, whether you believe me or not.

On a serious note, I love you guys, and I want to THANK YOU for pointing out things that you think are wrong and discussing them, because the world needs more of that. I hope you give me the chance to prove that these statements about myself do align with my actions. All my love, Brooke Houts

2. Houts’ YouTube Channel Has 339,000 Subscribers & She Often Features Her Doberman in Videos

Houts has a popular YouTube channel; she boasts over 339,000 subscribers, and routinely uploads videos. The video she was filming that led to the alleged dog abuse, “Plastic wrap prank on my doberman!,” was taken down on August 7. The video had over 138,000 views. The caption for the video read, “Hey guys! Me & me favorite dog ever are here to bring you a plastic wrap prank lol, this is probably the shortest video to ever go up on my channel but I hope you like it!!! Let us know if you wanna see more pranks 🐶🖤”

Many users have since commented on that video, condemning her behavior with her dog. One user wrote, “I have seen a few of your videos with Sphinx and from the beginning I’ve felt that you don’t understand what the breed needs. But I’ve tried to not be judgmental beforehand since you sometimes have mentioned that you do train him. But then I saw the video where you show how you train him.”

Another user wrote, “Imagine beating your dog for trying to show love and affection 😒”

This makes my blood BOIL. How dare you blame this on “training” your dog. @brookehouts. You are disgusting. You deserve both your channel taken down, and your beautiful puppy be given to a deserving home you monster. pic.twitter.com/DaoRdkbsj1

— Mister Preda (@MisterPreda) August 7, 2019

Other well-known YouTubers have even weighed in. Andrea Russett, an actress and YouTube personality, tweeted, “dogs give, give & give an unconfidtional love asking nothing but the same in return. the way u reacted to ur dog simply being a dog was unacceptable & hard to watch. i hope you learn and grow from this, because no animal should ever be in a home where it’s being treated that way.”

Mister Preda, another influencer and YouTube personality, tweeted, “This makes my blood BOIL. How dare you blame this on “training” your dog. @brookehouts You are disgusting. You deserve both your channel taken down, and your beautiful puppy be given to a deserving home you monster.”

Similarly, Ethan Nestor (a video game commentator, vlogger, and former video editor) tweeted, “this is such a bullshit apology. ‘I will not respond this way again.’ yes you will! I guarantee this is the way you’ve always scolded your dog, so why would that change. Stop acting like this was a one time thing. This dog needs a better home and you need help for anger issues.”

Logan Paul posted a Twitter thread on the controversy, writing in part, “…this video of that girl hitting & spitting on her dog is remarkably grotesque, and irks me for many reasons… im terrified by the on-camera personality shift she puts on when she’s ‘performing’ … one thing ive always tried to do is be authentic, sometimes too authentic, and i’d bet an unhealthy amount of creators wear a mask just as ugly”

3. One of Houts’ Most Viewed Videos Involves Her Kissing Her Apparent Ex-Boyfriend

Houts’ videos tend to run the gamut, in terms of content. But one of her most popular video (which has garnered over 3.3 million views) is “KISSING MY EX-BOYFRIEND (Extreme Ex-Boyfriend Tag).” You can watch the video above.

Many of Houts’ videos revolve around Sphinx, too. Another of her most popular videos follows a “day in the life” of Sphinx:

In the video, Houts brushes Sphinx’s teeth, walks him (and defends the collar she uses for Sphinx), washes him, and more.

Houts has had a YouTube account since 2014. Her “About Me” section reads, “HEY my name is Brooke Houts and if you’re reading this congratulations you can read. Since you’re already here, I heard that it’s strongly advised by all medical personnel that you hit the subscribe button (also the notification bell doesn’t hurt either) or else SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN I DON’T KNOW I’M BAD AT LYING JUST SUBSCRIBE OKAY IT’S FREE AND FUN”

4. Houts Is LA-Based, & Affiliates Herself With MOSAIC

Though Houts has since turned her Instagram account private, her bio does offer some information about the YouTuber. She’s based in LA, for example, and affiliates herself with MOSAIC, a church in Los Angeles with six locations across the city.

Houts’ Twitter bio reads, “Subscibe to my stupid channel already.” She has over 6,000 followers on Twitter and over 26,000 followers on Instagram. Her most recent tweet as of August 7 reads, “Thank you to everyone who’s being kind and understanding. I really appreciate it”

‌IMDB

Houts also appears to be an aspiring actress, as she uploaded a video called “What it’s really like being an actress in LA” in May. In the video, Houts drives around Los Angeles with a friend, makes a green juice, and talks about why she loves the makeup brand Glossier.

Houts does have an IMDB account. Her one IMDB acting credit is for a television series called Interracial.

5. Houts’ Dog, Sphinx, Has His Own Instagram Account

Though Houts’ has made her own Instagram account private to all non-followers, her dog, Sphinx, still has a public Instagram account. Users have since flooded his comments with attacks on Houts.

“Nice dog but sh*t owner,” one user commented.

Many others have tagged the ASPCA. One user did that and wrote, “@aspca please help this poor dog, and when you do spit and push the owner on the ground. Then say you are just in a bad mood that day.”

READ NEXT: ‘Sesame Place Sallie’ Tells Muslim Woman to ‘Go Back to Where You Came From’

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inthefootstepsofisis-blog · 6 years

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Karnak is an ancient Egyptian temple precinct located on the east bank of the Nile River in Thebes (modern-day Luxor). It covers more than 100 hectares, an area larger than some ancient cities.

The central sector of the site, which takes up the largest amount of space, is dedicated to Amun-Ra, a male god associated with Thebes. The area immediately around his main sanctuary was known in antiquity as “Ipet-Sun” which means “the most select of places.”

To the south of the central area is a smaller precinct dedicated to his wife, the goddess Mut. In the north, there is another precinct dedicated to Montu, the falcon-headed god of war. Also, to the east, there is an area — much of it destroyed intentionally in antiquity — dedicated to the Aten, the sun disk.

Construction at Karnak started by 4,000 years ago and continued up until the time the Romans took control of Egypt, about 2,000 years ago. Each Egyptian ruler who worked at Karnak left his or her own architectural mark. The UCLA Digital Karnak project has reconstructed and modeled these changes online. Their model shows a bewildering array of temples, chapels, gateway shaped “pylons,” among many other buildings, that were gradually built, torn down and modified over more than 2,000 years.

Karnak would have made a great impression on ancient visitors, to say the least. “The pylons and great enclosure walls were painted white with the reliefs and inscriptions picked out in brilliant jewel-like colours, adding to their magnificence,” writes Egyptologist Heather Blyth in her book "Karnak: Evolution of a Temple" (Routledge, 2006).

“Behind the high walls, glimpses of gold-topped obelisks which pierced the blue sky, shrines, smaller temples, columns and statues, worked with gold, electrum and precious stones such as lapis lazuli must have shimmered in the dusty golden heat.”

Origins

Blyth notes that the earliest certain evidence of construction at Karnak dates to the reign of Wah-Ankh Intef II, an Egyptian ruler who lived more than 4,000 years ago. An “eight-sided” sandstone column of his bears the name of Amun-Ra and says “he [the king] made it as his monument for that god ...”

A bas relief of the god Amun-Ra making the gift of life (ankh) to the pharaoh Thutmoses IV. Sculpted in red quartzite, with traces of original paint remaining. A bas relief of the god Amun-Ra making the gift of life (ankh) to the pharaoh Thutmoses IV. Sculpted in red quartzite, with traces of original paint remaining. Credit: mountainpix Shutterstock This, “must surely imply a temple, or at the very least, a shrine dedicated to Amun at Karnak,” Blyth writes. The UCLA Digital reconstruction team starts their digital model in the reign of king Senwosret I (reign 1971-1926 B.C.) and shows a limestone temple, with a court in the middle, dedicated to Amun-Ra. It contains 12 pillars at front the bases of which “were adorned with engaged statues of the king in the pose of Osiris [god of the underworld],” the team writes. This reconstruction is somewhat hypothetical as little of the temple remains today.

Karnak would remain a modest precinct up until the New Kingdom, a time period that ran from roughly 1550 to 1070 B.C., when work accelerated with many of the greatest buildings being constructed.

Karnak’s 'pylons'

Starting in the New Kingdom, and continuing in the centuries after, Egyptian rulers gradually created a series of 10 “pylons” at Karnak. Functioning as gateways of sorts, these pylons were connected to each other through a network of walls.

They were often decorated with scenes depicting the ruler who built them and many of them also had flag-staffs from which colorful banners would be flown.

At Karnak the pylons start near the main sanctuary and go in two directions. One set of six pylons faces west towards the Nile River and ends in an entrance lined with an avenue of small sphinxes. Another set of four pylons faces south along a processional route used for ceremonies.

Wadjet Hall

According to the UCLA Digital Karnak project the Wadjet Hall (whose name comes from the style of columns used) was first built by Thutmose I (reign 1504-1492 B.C.) near the main sanctuary, between the fourth and fifth pylons. It measures about 246 feet by 46 feet (75 meters by 14 meters) and was used for the king’s coronation and jubilee (heb-sed) festival.

The heb-sed festival generally took place 30 years after a king came to the throne and then every three years afterwards. “During the festival, the king ran around a heb-sed court performing feats of strength to demonstrate his ability to continue to rule Egypt,” writes researcher Pat Remler in her book "Egyptian Mythology, A to Z" (Chelsea House, 2010).

Hatshepsut & Thutmose III

Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh of Egypt who reigned from roughly 1479 to 1458 B.C. At Karnak she renovated the main sanctuary at Karnak, creating in its place a “Palace of Ma’at.” She also created a chapel made of red quartzite to hold the god’s portable bark (boat).

When Hatshepsut’s successor, Thutmose III, came to the throne, he ordered the destruction of images of the female pharaoh and had her quartzite chapel destroyed and replaced with one of his own.

His legacy at Karnak was not all destructive as he ordered construction of the Ahkmenu, a pillared structure built on the east side of the central sanctuary. It contains a list of Egyptian kings going back to before the Great Pyramids were built.

He also created a “contra temple” adjacent to the Ahkmenu. “Known as the ‘chapel of the hearing ear,’ the shrine allowed the populace of Thebes to petition a statue of the king with Amun-Ra,” writes the Digital Karnak team. In addition the king built a “sacred lake” to the south of the main sanctuary.

Columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak. Columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak. Credit: Teresa Hubble Shutterstock The Great Hypostyle Hall

Perhaps the most fantastic building at Karnak was the “Great Hypostyle Hall” built just to the west to the main sanctuary, along the main entranceway. Built by Seti (also called Sety) I, a king who ruled from 1290 to 1279 B.C., it covers an area “large enough to accommodate the whole of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral” writes the University of Memphis Great Hypostyle Hall Project team on their website.

The building is about 337 feet (103 meters) by 170 feet (52 meters). The researchers note that there are 134 columns in total, the largest twelve of which are 70 feet (21 meters) high and support the central part of the structure. The other 122 columns are about 40 feet (12 meters) tall.

On the outside walls are scenes showing Seti and his successor, Ramesses II, smiting enemies from Libya, Syria and the Levant. Shortly after it was constructed, the hall likely became the setting for coronation and heb-sed ceremonies, replacing the Wadjet hall in this function.

Khonsu Temple

Khonsu was the child of Amun-Ra and the goddess Mut. A temple dedicated to him at Karnak was built, appropriately, placed between the main sanctuary of Amun-Ra and the southern precinct that honored Mut.

Built by Ramesses III, a king who reigned from 1186 to 1155 B.C., the temple is about 230 feet (70 meters) by 88 feet (27 meters). The columns in its hall measure about 23 feet (7 meters) tall. “The temple contained not only a suite of rooms for the housing of the statue of the god, but also a separate bark (boat) chamber,” writes the digital Karnak team.

Taharqa

Construction continued at Karnak periodically after the end of the New Kingdom. King Taharqa, who reigned around 2,700 years ago, was part of a dynasty of rulers from Nubia (modern-day Sudan) who came to control much of Egypt. He was interested in Karnak’s “sacred lake” and built the “edifice of the lake” beside it, a partly underground monument.

Today it’s badly damaged although mysterious, “this is a puzzling and enigmatic monument that has no parallels” writes Blyth. “It was “dedicated to Re-Horakhte [a combination of two sky gods], which would explain the open solar court above ground, while the subterranean rooms symbolised the sun’s nocturnal passage through the underworld.” Among its features was a “nilometer” a structure used to measure the water level of the Nile that. In this case, the meter would have had a symbolic use.

Nectanebo I and the end

The last major building program at Karnak was carried out by Nectanebo I, a king of the 30th, and final, dynasty of ancient Egypt. He reigned between 380 and 362 B.C. After his dynasty ended, Egypt would be ruled by people descended from Persia, Greece or Rome.

Nectanebo built a large enclosure wall around the site along with an additional temple. He also began construction of a new pylon at Karnak at the western entrance (although he wasn’t able to finish it).

The rulers of foreign descent who took control of Egypt continued work at Karnak to some degree. Ptolemy IV (reign 221-205 B.C.) would create a series of ritual catacombs dedicated to Osiris, god of the underworld.

“The building functioned as a ‘hypogeum,’ an underground burial place. Many of these are known from ancient Egypt, although typically these spaces contained burials for sacred animals. The Karnak example instead served for the burial of small statuettes of Osiris,” writes the digital Karnak team.

After Egypt fell under the control of Rome in 30 B.C., work at Karnak petered out, the great monument becoming the magnificent archaeological site it is today.

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williamkenedy · 7 years

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Etherium, Vis, and Dragonfire

I drifted through the Blind Eternities, when I detected a plane that was filled with massive amounts of mana. I decided to continue my search for answers here. I materialized on the shores of a shifting ocean, where giant winged lions with human faces soared through the stormy skies, and in the distance a floating city rose above the crashing surf. From that city came a large number of beings, flying on the winds coming from the seas. Every member of this host gleamed in the fading light, their bodies covered by an armor of gleaming metal. I turned to see what had called forth this formation. I saw something that I had not seen since my time as a cathar, but it was a comfort to know my enemy was one I had faced before. A hoard of zombies, with demons on the wing overhead, was charging towards me. I drew my moonsilver swords and charged, as the metallic warriors from the sea landed alongside me. Rotting flesh clashed against metal as the two lines met, with spells issuing from mages on both sides. I stood in the center of the melee, carving my way through the undead hoard. This plane was incredibly rich in mana, and I let its energy flow freely through me, and my blades shined with a shifting pattern of white, blue, and black mana. While sliver claimed the lives of any undead warrior who dared to engage me, spells lashed out to decimate those beyond the reach of my swords. Suddenly, I found myself without another enemy to fight, and I realized that a large ring had formed around me. There was a loud roar from behind me, and I turned to face a giant demon. With a defiant slash of my swords, I sent two arcing blades of white mana to deal with this new combatant. However, instead of cutting through the demon, they simply shattered into a thousand glistening shards. A black bile spewed forth from its maw, and I wrapped myself in a protective bubble of white mana. Initially, the shield spell held back the black mana of the demon, but then the bubble began to crack. Suddenly, my ward caved in and the stream of corrupting bile washed over me. My armor began to dissolve, and even the wards of Avacyn placed upon it could not protect me from the foul magic of the demon. But before it could consume me, I reached deep into the mana of the plane and teleported out of the vile stream, reappearing above the demon’s head. The remnants of my armor falling away, I fell upon the demon and plunged my swords deep into its head. In its final actions, the demon shook its head violently, and I was thrown from atop the demon. As I rolled to my feet, the surrounding undead hoard surged forward. I looked down to see that my swords had snapped off at the hilt. I stood there with two useless nubs of silver and no armor against the seemingly endless horde of undead. I reached for the fury of the angels to banish them, but the sources of white mana were cut off by the advance of an ever greater number of demons, zombies, and other forces of pure evil. Even the blue mana that I had always been in touch with grew harder and harder to summon. With enemies on all sides and no options left, I fully immersed myself in the the black mana that surrounded me. I could feel an immediate change within me, as my skin hardened into a demons hide, my hands turned to razor sharp claws, and great batlike wings sprouted from my back. I was filled with an unquenchable desire for destruction, and found around me abundant targets for my newfound demonic bloodlust. I tore through the undead warriors, ripping them limb from limb, reducing their bodies to decayed dust, and sowing chaos and destruction throughout their ranks. Their lines soon broke, unable to stand firm against my demonic wrath. The undead fell back towards the desolate wastes from which they had come, and I descended to earth, returning to my human form. I collapsed upon the ground, my clothing and armor destroyed, my weapons broken, and now surrounded by the metal clad host that had come from the sea. As they approached me, I saw that the men were not clad in metal, but made of it. I struggled to my feet, extending my hand as a gesture of friendship. I was met with a steely gaze, but then the soldier extended his metallic arm and grasped mine. I was slightly embarrassed , as I stood half naked before these elegant beings, with both their clothing and metallic bodies displaying an intricate lattice of a beautiful metal, the likes of which I had never seen. They questioned me about my origins, and I was surprised to find that they had encountered other planeswalkers before me. They picked me up, A large filigree gargoyle took me in his arms, and I was soon soaring above the rough seas. My battle wounds soon overcame me, and I drifted into unconsciousness.

When I awoke, I found myself being tended by a healer inside a metallic tower. I struggled to rise from my bed, but the demon had done far more damage than I had realized. I collapsed back, staring up at the intricate designs that adorned the ceiling. As my thoughts wandered, the door of my chamber opened, and a group of mages entered. The healer tending to me bowed and then left, leaving me alone with the newcomers. I pushed myself into a seated position and greeted the mages. They announced themselves as members of the Ethersworn, and told me that I had arrived on the plane of Alara, specifically the shard of Esper, Land of Etherium. They told me of a great event that had reunited the fractured plane, and that I had done battle with the forces of Grixis, the shard of undeath. They continued to show their knowledge of planeswalkers, including a man of Innistrad named Vronos. He had been deposited on Esper following a werewolf attack, and had allowed himself to be studied in order to learn the secrets of the shard. The Ethersworn offered me a similar bargain, as they sought to understand the forces that had transformed me into a demon. I told them the story of my ascendency, and of the events that had transpired on Ravnica. They marveled that I had survived such ordeals, and were eager to examine me. I agreed, on the condition that I could name my price at a later time, after I had learned what these mages had to offer. They conceded, and then left me to resume recovering from my wounds.

Several days later, I was finally strong enough to leave the tower and explore the world of Esper. What struck me most was that every being had been infused with metal. Even the birds flying overhead were clad in this mysterious metal known as etherium. I wondered if I could not replace my ruined armor with a new mantle of etherium. Hopefully this new armor could accommodate the physiological changes I had experienced when giving in to the angelic and demonic forces within me. I met with one of the Ethersworn who had visited me earlier, and he led me through the city. I saw master craftsmen shaping etherium with only their hands and spellcraft, while others worked to channel their magic into a mix of protective and destructive spells. Other mages soared upon the winds, armed with only the thinnest of blades and spears. using spells rather than their blades to duel. Finally, we arrived at a place called the Sanctum. Here lived the ruler of the plane, whom my guide referred to only as the Hegemon. Another mage, richly decked in metal, approached me and stood between myself and the great doors.

“If you wish an audience with the Hegemon, Sharuum, you must offer a riddle”, he proclaimed. I thought deeply before responding, wondering how much knowledge of the Multiverse this being might have. Aware that a fellow being of Innistrad had spent considerable time here, I opted to share a riddle from my time on Ravnica.

“Ten we are, and two in each, Their paths under the city do reach. The race of power, all did make, but an eleventh did the victory take. Who are we?”. The mage stood aside, and the doors swung open. Resting on a platform was a giant metallic sphinx. She gestured with a paw that I was to approach, and I walked forward and knelt before the ruler of Esper.

“Rise, planeswalker. Tell me the answer to your riddle, that I may fully enjoy its complexity”. I told her the stories that I had been told by Ral Zarek about the guilds of Ravnica and the Dragon’s Maze. She smiled, and bid ask what I would of her, having seen the land over which she ruled. I asked for new armor and weapons to be crafted of etherium, and for permission to study the arcane arts of the soaring warriors for a time. Finally, I requested that any information that they learned about my unique abilities be told to me as well, that I might come to understand and control them. She agreed to my terms, and my training began in earnest. I spent many months soaring on the twenty three winds of Esper, expanding my abilities with both spell and blade. My new armor was shaped by the masters of etherium sculpting. The armor harkened to my home of Innistrad, consisting of a long, flowing etherium coat common among the elite inquisitors and cathars, as well as pauldrons, bracers, gauntlets, greaves, and a chestplate, all inscribed with intricate filigree of etherium alloys. Etherium is an incredible substance, providing me with complete protection while allowing me complete freedom of movement. It also contains Æther, the energy that makes up the Blind Eternities, allowing me to control even greater amounts of mana. This quality also allowed the armor to shift in response to my spellcraft. As I wielded different colors of mana, the colors of the armor shifted to match with the main body of the armor reflecting the dominant color and the filigree the other two. Using the spells I had learned under the creators of the armor, i was also able to modify its form in order to adapt it to different situations that I might encounter on my journeys. However, no sufficient weapon could be crafted to replace the silver blades I had wielded, so I opted instead to fight primarily with spellcraft, refining the spells I had discovered on Ravnica and learning new ones from the Esper battlemages.

Eventually, it came time to fulfill my promise, and allow the study of my transformations. to facilitate this, Sharuum, several of the Ethersworn, and I traveled to a floating complex where there was a great nexus of white mana. In a great courtyard under close observation, I embraced the power of Avacyn, just as I had on Ravnica. Again angelic wings sprouted from my back, but instead of breaking, my armor shifted freely, adding a shielding layer of etherium to my new appendages. The etherium glowed white with the immense power welling up within me. However, I was overcome by that same fury that I had felt in the Orzhov basilica. Thoughts condemning these beings for defiling their bodies by replacing them with foreign material rose within me. I began to see the Esperites around me as no better than stitchers of Innistrad, creating their abominations out of metal rather that rotting flesh. I felt the desire to destroy them grow inside me, and I raised a hand to begin with the destruction of the great sphinx before me. A blast of purifying light raced towards the Hegemon, splitting into a plethora of blades intent on stripping the etherium from Sharuum and utterly destroying her. The spell was stopped by a group of shieldmage elites, who threw a protective barrier around their ruler. The barrier held, but barely. Before I could issue another bolt, I was suddenly assailed by a multitude of mages in an attempt to subdue me. I fought against the both the spells of the Esperites and the overpowering desire for purifying annihilation coming from within. Through all of the chaos pressing in on my mind, I could sense the blue mana that the Esperites were using to restrain me. I reached out and, to my surprise, I was able divert their mana connections and use the blue mana to free my mind from the control of Avacyn’s influence, returning to my human form. I collapsed upon the ground, drained by the trials that I had undergone. I apologized for what had happened, and explained the experience that I had undergone. Sharuum looked at me inquisitively, and then withdrew to speak with the gathered Ethersworn. I slowly stood, fearing what they might have discovered during their test. She returned, and spoke,

“Your powers are great indeed, but not yours to command. The mentalists sensed another consciousness within you, though only a fragment. Given what you have told me of your origins, this may be the spirit of the angel that gave you your powers. I can only assume a similar influence would take hold of you if you were to assume your demonic form. I do not think it would be wise to continue studying this phenomena until you are able to gain control of the forces battling within you.” She then dismissed me, bidding me to return to fulfill the oath I had made. I bowed, and returned to my quarters to pack my few belongings. With a final farewell to the denizens of Esper, I set off on the winds in the hope that answers could be found elsewhere on Alara.

As I reached the shore, I landed on the ground to continue my quest to understand and control the forces within me. On my right lay the barren wastes of Grixis. After my last encounter with the residents of that shard, I had no desire to explore deeper into that part of Alara. Instead, I began to walk towards distant hills covered in lush green grasses. This was Bant, which from the descriptions given by the Esperites sounded similar to the places in Innistrad that I had loved. Maybe one day I would return there, but for now, there was too much still unknown. As I walked through the rolling green meadows, I felt a sense of peace I had not known for a long time. However, that peace was short lived, as my thoughts were shattered by a thundering roar in the distance. I looked to the sky and saw a great winged lizard known as a dragon soaring through the air. Across the plains, a group of knights mounted on great cats charged against the winged beast with lances and shields. Their armor was decorated with a vast number of small metallic circles, which glistened in the bright sunlight. The dragon dove at the knights, unleashing a torrent of fire from its jaws. The knights raised their shields, and a protective aura blossomed from the lead rider’s shield, protecting them from the brunt of the flames. As the dragon continued its dive, the knights raised their lances to slay the descending beast. The lances shattered against its hardened scales, causing only minor damage, while the dragon’s claws and teeth made short work of two of the riders and their steeds. The combatants passed and turned, looking to take another pass at each other. The knights drew their swords, but it was obvious that these would have little effect against this monster. I raced to the top of one of the hilltops, then cast myself into the air. Using the skills I had learned from the Esperites, I flew towards the dragon at breakneck speed. The breezes of Bant were far less powerful than the winds of Esper, but I was able to concentrate them enough to reach the dragon before it could dive again. There was no time to draw the slim swords given to me by the Esperites, and it was unlikely that they could do any real damage to the beast. Instead, I concentrated on reshaping my etherium armor, hardening and supporting my gauntlet to deliver a crushing blow to the dragon’s side. Ribs cracked under the impact, and the dragon veered off course. It recovered quickly, and turned to charge its new attacker. The beast let loose an terrible roar, and fire belched forth from its gaping maw. The lands of Bant were rich in white mana, and I easily produced a protective aura to counter the flames. However, I still lacked an effective way to dispose of the dragon. It then charged at me, its jaws opening wide to devour me whole. In a desperate attempt, I lashed out with tendrils of blue mana, struggling to restrain the dragon’s might. Lacking any other possibilities, I pulled the dragon with me into the Blind Eternities. I then released the dragon, allowing the violent energies of the Void to tear it apart as I returned to the skies above Bant. I descended to the ground, and was hailed by the riders that had witnessed my combat with the dragon. As I spoke with them, I learned that they had been dispatched from one of the few remaining strongholds of Bant. They told me a tale of another planeswalker called Elspeth, who had aided in their initial battles against the forces of Esper and Grixis. I journeyed with them to their home, where I met with the commander of the garrison. He praised my actions, and heralded me as being sent by the angels, and the heir to Elspeth’s legacy. They attempted to bestow upon me the marks of honor and office that she had borne, but i could not accept them. These people had no understanding of the world beyond their plane of existence. They cared only to protect their people and maintain the remains of their civilization. There could not be any answers for me among the knights of Bant. I strode out into the castle courtyard and disappeared into the Blind Eternities.

#fanfic #planeswalker #mtg

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