#tog resource

[isabellehemlock]

Hi everyone,

In honor of my TOG fic “Their souls were knit together (and he loved him as himself)” reaching 10k (thank you readers!!) I wanted to compile my (80+) resource links I used during the plotting stage and throughout the fic - divided by category as best as I could manage.

In case you’d like additional resources, please check out @actualmermaid historical resource upload here, and/or the The Old Guard Character Resource Hub.  Here’s a list of books as well:

Genoa & the Genoese 958-1528 ( x )

The Crusade Indulgence: Spiritual Rewards and the Theology of the Crusades, c. 1095-1216 ( x ) - a post with excerpts linked below

Housing the Stranger in the Mediterranean World: Lodging, Trade, and Travel in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages ( x ) 

The rest under the cut in case you’d like to avoid potential spoilers (nothing descriptive) 

For Genoa

San Siro ( x )

San Lorenzo ( x ) & St. John the Baptist ( x )

The Mahdia Campaign of 1087 ( x )

Nicolò as a Genovese crossbowman ( x ) ( x )

For Mahdia

Yusuf’s potential backstory with Mahdia ( x ) ( x ) and the Zirid dynasty ( x ) 

And his family’s intergenerational trauma in relation to the Battle of Haydaran in 1052 ( x )

For the Crusades

Some other ways a non noble Nicolò might have found himself in the Crusades ( x ) ( x ) ( x )

General timeline of the first crusade ( x ) 

The Siege of Antioch ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) 

The Siege of Jerusalem ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) 

Visual maps of the city of Jerusalem and surrounding area ( x ) and general climate ( x )

For Constantinople

Daily life in the city ( x ) ( x ) ( x )

Procession of the Theotokos icon ( x ) 

Maps of the city from that time ( x ) ( x ) 

Their apartment and general housing ( x ) 

Little Hagia Sophia ( x )

Church of Sts Sergius and Bacchus ( x ) - and why that would have been meaningful to Nicolò ( x ) as the setting for their Adelphopoiesis ( x ) & here are the Byzantine instructions for it ( x ) 

For Islamic spiritual practices

Barzakh ( x ) & Jinn ( x ) (both referred to in a blink and you’d miss it sort of way)

Qur’an scroll ( x ) - technically a 19th century copy, but was using it as a visual reference

Islamic calendar for that year ( x ) & the significance of Yusuf’s first death of rajab ( x ) 

The verse Yusuf reflects on when he internally refers to Nicolò as his dearest ( x ) 

The verse Nicolò inscribed on Yusuf’s wedding present ( x ) 

For Catholic spiritual practices

Lay Orders (what used to be called Third Order) for Nicolò to be an oblate ( x )

Eleusa icon (a gift he received from Brother Gabriel) ( x ) - here’s a 12th century version ( x )

The cross necklace gift Nicolò received before leaving Genoa ( x ) 

Excerpts from the book linked above about how indulgences played a part in the Crusades ( x )

Lenten practices in the middle ages ( x ) 

Some Bible verses Nicolò reflects on during his love confession ( x ) ( x ) 

For some interfaith dialogue moments

The Canticle of Zechariah in the Liturgy of Hours ( x ) & Verse 95 for corresponding references to the dawn ( x )

Why Zechariah is important in both faiths ( x ) 

Encouragement for open dialogue and friendliness ( x ) the rights of Non-Muslims as laid out in the Constitution of Medina ( x ) and protection via the Testament of Muhammed ( x ) though there are some doubts to the authenticity 

Lent & Ramadan similarities ( x ) ( x ) 

Interfaith marriage rights between Christians and Muslims from Muhammed ( x ) 

For some other historical context 

Context for same sex attraction in the middle ages ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x ) ( x )

Some LGTB+ historical figures and Saints Nicolò might have been aware of ( x ) ( x )

Brother Gabriel from chapter two was based on Marina the Monk ( x ) 

Wiki about illiterate popes ( x )

11th-12th century trade maps ( x ) 

Tunisian Arabic ( x ) 

The Great Schism of 1054 ( x ) 

The Seljuk Empire ( x ) 

The Byzantine-Venetian treaty of 1082 ( x )

A poem by Abu Nawas that Yusuf reflects on before the love confession ( x ) 

For the Biblical references and significance to Nicolò of Gortyn/Crete ( x ) and some visual references ( x )

Why Chandax as a honeymoon site would have been comfortable for them both ( x ) & ruled by the Byzantine Empire at the time of their visit ( x ) 

The book Yusuf gave to Nicolò as a wedding present ( x ) & some context ( x )

[pergaminaa]

I totally was one of those people who thought nothing of Dorian honestly he was just the local cute boy and I didn’t care much for him.

Until Empire of Storms and how my man was completely transformed because of a certain witch like the real man hiding popped up out of nowhere because my girl Manon really made him work for it and he met every challenge and then some

[the-lonelybarricade]

Hello:) I got intersted in Rowalin but don't know in which book Rowan appears and when their romance begins. Does Rowan have only Aelin as lover THROUGHOUT/WHILE the books (in the present)? Do we see a lot of them together in the books? Thansk fot helping out:)

Hi! Rowan makes his first appearance in Heir of Fire I believe, so you'll see his relationship with Aelin develop over the last 4 books.

I'm definitely far from a Rowaelin expert though, I remember all of those books like a fever dream 😂

[heyy-dont-mind-me]

I wanna get into Truffula flu but idk how besides the movie, and I'm afraid to get into cuz ik I'll just sucked(ayo) deeper into the damn thing.

I'm an absolute sucker for anything zombies and apocalypse.

Also but I wanna know any resources tog etc me started on the whole thing

[tobiasdrake]

Great, now I have my old unwritten and extremely derivative novels on the brain and the construction outside is making work on Digimon impossible so I'm just going to ramble about things I came up with when I was about 10-15 years old and never wrote here.

So, the basic idea I had was that this wouldn't be the story of any one particular character but rather the story of a world. Like Marvel, one of my many many inspirations, I wanted it to feel like a sandbox that countless interesting lives could exist within.

The basic idea of the world was this. Eons ago, there was a great red dragon and a great white dragon. I don't know why I picked those colors. The two dragons fought each other for control over the Earth. Whichever dragon won, the races they governed would supremely rule the entire world.

The red dragon won and banished the white dragon and its chosen races from the Earth, condemning them to live in a dying world with scarce resources.

This was supposed to be a perspective thing. The people who know the ancient lore would describe it as the red dragon saving us from wicked creatures, but in the world of the "demons" as we call them, they describe it as a great evil that was done to them by a cruel usurper. Neither dragon is actually good; This was just politics. Two feudal kings wanting to claim each other's land, with a winning and losing side writing their own histories.

The red dragon, upon banishing the white dragon and the demons from the Earth, fell into a great slumber in its domain outside of reality. The humans built a great temple there accessible from a thousand secret doors in a thousand places across the planet. There a secret society worships the red dragon to this day and keeps the red dragon's idea of peace by hunting and slaying demons who cross the barrier into our world.

I originally conceived of the "Hunters" running around using swords and axes but later redesigned them to be a modernized military force with tactical gear and guns. This is because I realized it'd be silly for a secret society of monster fighters to not update their arsenals as weapons technology evolved.

There are also vampires, who are basically the middle ground between human and demon. Too human to fit in among demons and too demon to be accepted by the "Hunters".

My vampire rules were that vampires are super strong and fast, they regenerate from injuries, they never age, and also they each have special powers. They drink blood because of a biological need; They'll waste away without it. Any kind of water burns them, the sun takes away their powers but doesn't directly harm them, and being impaled through the heart paralyzes but doesn't kill them. They can be killed by decapitation, fire, or by being completely submerged in water.

There were also four eight Elemental spirits because I wanted there to be more than four so I made up four extra elements. The eight "Guardians" are the protectors of the Dragon Temple and have a sacred duty, but it's been eons since they were called to that duty and they've all just sort of flitted off.

Each of the Guardians has a Final Fantasy crystal embedded in their heart, basically parasitizing the human it's implanted in and merging their identity with the persistent ongoing identity of the Guardian. You take in the crystal of "Blaze", the Fire Guardian, and basically merge with the Blaze lineage, acquiring eons of memories and knowledge from everyone who's ever been Blaze before.

The idea was that the eight Guardians would rarely show up together in a story but any one of them might crop up somewhere. The Lightning Guardian is a mercenary who does paid jobs for demons. The Water Guardian is literally the Lady in the Lake and safeguards the holy sword Excalibur, forged from a fang of the red dragon. The Fire Crystal gets experimented on by Not Umbrella Corporation "Biodyne". Etc. etc.

To open the door to the inner sanctum of the temple where the red dragon sleeps, the eight of them must come together and combine their powers. But there hasn't been a reason to do that in over a thousand years and they aren't just gonna hang around the temple forever. They have lives to lead.

Over on the other side of the barrier, there are many races under the white dragon who are colloquially called "demons" by humans. They have their own societies in a decaying and dying world, though much of their culture is simply built around survival.

Over time, the barrier between worlds grew weaker, and the demons have started to cross over more and more. Though many are refugees just looking for a better world to live in or to escape political persecution, whether the Hunters distinguish between them and genuinely dangerous demons is a crapshoot, often up to the individual.

The demons are governed by meritocratic aristocracies united under the guidance of a Lord. The aristocracies have wealth and privileges above the common serfs, but also a culture that allows leaders to be directly challenged by their underlings. If one of your workers can prove that they can do your job better than you can then they can lay legal claim to your throne.

On paper, anyway. But they're also a rigid society whose current leadership polices their followers through dogma. The Demon Lord throne is presently occupied by a medieval human warrior king banished from his lands by Plot whose policies discourage his followers from independent thought.

Under the present Demon Lord's dominion, groupthink is rigidly enforced, and individuals who speak against the common good - as he defines it - receive Outcast brands over their left eye to identify them as having lost all citizenship rights and protections.

This is pretty much a complete violation of the spirit of the meritocratic culture that he usurped. A fact that has not been lost on recurring character and Token Friendly Demon Leminice (pronounced Leh-minn-iss), who was the prince of a noble house until he was branded Outcast for educating himself on forbidden ideologies.

Leminice and his human bestie, a Hunter named Electra, were basically going to be set up to be the Agent Coulson of the series. They would appear in supporting roles for many of the stories, not as the main characters but as part of the overarching mythos being built from one seemingly unrelated story to the next.

There were a lot of complicated ideas swirling in my head for this universe and the many, many characters I created to live in it. But it was all hamstrung by the fact that I grew up on action cartoons and battle anime, and didn't know of any way to tell a story other than "And then they FIGHT."

So the actual story wound up full of stuff like "And then the Demon King personally comes to San Francisco to invade it, and the hero beats him in a swordfight and saves the world! And everyone immediately stops fighting when he dies because I guess he was a loadbearing boss."

I never could figure out how to make it work as a series of novels, especially since my brain is more configured to think in terms of TV and film than in text anyway so a lot of my ideas had specific camera angles and stuff that I couldn't figure out how to translate into words.

Multiple attempts to start were made, but they all inevitably petered out. I'm just not equipped to be a writer. So eventually it was all just left behind.

[phoenixyfriend]

Okay so, originally, I pitched this on discord:

Ahsoka… but distressed dapper. She's still a tog and all, but she's otherwise right out of a film noir setting. Rugged Detective. If Anakin were still around he'd be freaking out over the cigarette.

@jebiknights responded with:

this is a great image for post-jedi Ahsoka but also ngl part of my brain went straight to padawan Ahsoka trying to solve a mystery in the temple pretending to be a noir detective, sucking on a lollipop with a fake mustache like Nino did in s4 of Miraculous Ladybug fdijirdgjs She hasn't received shadow or spy training yet shes got a long way to go 😂 she hums her own theme music whenever she can get away with it

And we were off to the races!

I met us in the middle: after she leaves but before RotS.

Her sleuthing leads to Sidious through the most ludicrously indirect route possible.

She's not even a PI. She's a mechanic on the lower levels. She just stumbled into a thing and put on a costume to hide her identity through judicious use of Hat.

She's got an apartment across the hall from some girls who work in the red light district and one time some guys were harassing them and Ahsoka kicked them out through judicious use of Armbars And Catching Punches, which was impressive without being actively violent or revealing her Force abilities, and it was... fine? They're friends now, have pizza once in a while. Ahsoka likes hearing about their lives.

But then they decided to come to her for advice on a whole Thing at work, where they overheard some stuff about a drug deal that's taking place worryingly close, and maybe she could just keep an eye out when the deal goes down in case things go south? Please?

Ahsoka does so. She overhears things about the war in the deal (which is about information, not drugs), and. Well. She doesn't want to call home for help when she's making a whole point about needing to find herself away from them, so maybe she can just do a little digging of her own?

The red light girls insist she needs a cool outfit for her PI work (they do not care that it's not PI work). They are very excited about this.

At some point she runs into a junior Corrie Guard and steals him for a bit. He is officially "missing" and unofficially Fox was just like "fuck it, sure, help the shiny not-Jedi, I don't care." Now Ahsoka has a clone roommate/sidekick/backup who is, in fact, much more experienced in this than she is, but also has far fewer contacts and resources since they can't use CG databases while they're running this op. Meanwhile, Ahsoka has Friends, and some of her friends know a guy who knows a guy.

Fox doesn't tell the Jedi because technically this doesn't involve them (Ahsoka didn't mention the war stuff), and he has an Outside Contractor and a Coruscant Guard working on it.

He'll let them know if it goes anywhere, but for now he's assuming it's grandstanding lowlifes, and will leave it to the baby Jedi and babier Guard.

jebiknights:

a probably way too young cg helping Ahsoka while Fox aggressively pretends it isn't happening has such good- ohmygod this has psych vibes just a lil bit I've been on a psych comparison kick lately tho so

Ahsoka is trying so hard to be cool

listen psych is my favorite framework for the consulting detective schtick lmaooo AND SHES TRYING SO HARD but shes like what 16? just not there and living in the non-jedi/non-battlefront world for the first time sidgier

Her hypercompetent psychic is a babyfaced 9yo

i was thinking that she would be the psychic bc jedi but honestly convincing everyone that its the shiny corrie is so much funnier also just imagining all the stupid names they call each other as aliases

Sidekick I meant hypercomptetent sidekick

that… makes more sense ngl i was ready to yes and you all the way tho turn it into a gods whats the Jude Law movie where "Watson" is the genius who hires an actor to play "Sherlock" and has him pretend to be the genius or st?

I am, however, open to a Detective Conan situation, which has a lot more context so I'll actually use a different reference and say she pulls a Cyrano de Bergerac.

Ahsoka is stage-whispering instructions to her Corrie Guard, feeding him lines so he can pretend to be psychic while she sneaks around with significantly less eyes on her.

Also the red light girls stay involved they are so excited to Help even though Ahsoka keeps trying to keep them uninvolved for Safety. The girls love teasing her shiny friend. Please remember that all of this nonsense is happening while Ahsoka tries to dress like a prototypical film noir detective.

wait wait wait but if we go back to the original gag of, lowkey being a lil Psych/chaotic Sherlock inspired… shiny being a baby medic?? he tries to be a voice of reason but also enjoys the chaos too much, gets wayyyy too into the play acting and bad covers, but also knows how to patch up the reckless former jedi lol. Ahsoka sometimes just showing up in the Corrie medbay not for a check up but to drag the shiny into shenanigans

Fuck yeah, baby shiny Guard is now a baby shiny medic (Guard). Ahsoka regularly sneaks in through the vents to kidnap him.

Quinlan figures out she's doing Things through psychometry by accident but decides to let sleeping dogs lie until she finally shows up a the Jedi's door like "hey I need help."

The Jedi and various commanders all think it's a standard "the world is bigger and harsher than I thought and as a teen I want to come back to stability," but instead... it's "Chancellor's a Sith Lord."

Though tbh the shiny might just suggest she go to Quinlan first.

REAJGRIGJAERI Quinlan was not prepared for this at all I'm just imagining him as the airplane gag where every new thing Ahsoka reveals is just "I picked a bad day to stop [addiction]"

tbh I initially pitched the AU for Gay Reasons and that's why I was thinking post-RotS but I am now in love with mostly-competent-fumbling teen Ahsoka and her shiny friend.

[ae-neon]

I have to get this off my chest…

It seriously breaks my heart to see other BIPOC authors use SJM’s books or the phrase “fans of SJM” anywhere while promoting their books.

She kills off black girls or use them as a ploy for the white characters growth. She fucking used Breana Taylor’s death to promote ACOSF for goodness sake.

She doesn’t fuck with LGBTQ characters, only having them in the background.

If I was an author, I wouldn’t have that lady’s name or books anywhere near me nor my books. There wouldn’t be any amount of money in this world to spread that type of vile hatred and homophobia to any reader that’s not white and straight.

Yea, I honestly agree.

I don't understand why sjm is given the grace she is even by bipoc anti's who actively analyse the content of her books. Like there's this bubble around sjm where everyone has to go "I don't hate her but..."

But like no? I think she's vile on a personal level. Her books reflect an attitude of racism, misogyny, ableism and homophobia. And she profits off of them and spreads them (as well as dangerous ideas regarding romance, abuse and mental health) to a target audience (dark romance is not and cannot be YA) of young and impressionable readers

And just on a technical level, she's quite bad at her job considering how long she's been doing it and how many resources she has at her disposal.

Acotar, tog and ccity are not a booktok books from new authors. They supposedly went through professional editing. And yet many people have called out instances and examples of things she has been "heavily influenced by" which feel like they've been lifted directly from other's work as well as the overall inconsistencies, bad grammar and general bloated feeling of her books.

[pierayanna]

COVID-19

We are currently in the largest COVID surge of all-time in the US.

There is also a new variant that is not protected by the previous vaccine.

Please start back masking and please get the COVID-19 booster (schedule with your local pharmacy).

Wastewater counts are obscenely high right now, belying the official case numbers. Considering that we've stopped collecting or reporting most COVID data, wastewater is the best way we have to judge the actual infection rate now. Wastewater is collected from washing our hands, going the bathroom, etc. We shed COVID into the water system and based on the concentration of COVID in waste water, we can get very accurate estimates of how many people are infected at one time.

We are currently seeing ten million new infections a week, and can expect that to greatly increase within the next three weeks.

* If you've stopped masking, please start again, for your own safety and the safety of your community. Many hospital systems are already trending toward being overwhelmed right now; wear a mask when in crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated areas, and keep a safe distance from others, as feasible.

* Avoid unnecessary gatherings where possible.

* Ventilate your spaces well (Corsi-Rosenthal Box).

* Reevaluate casual habits (touching face, respiratory etiquette—covering coughs and sneezes, clean your hands regularly, stay home if you are sick, get tested if you have symptoms, or if you might have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or influenza)

Please be aware of Long Covid.

COVID impacts the immune system similar to HIV in that it hides in the body and continues to wreak havoc in the various organ system by driving inflammation and disrupting the immune response. It causes neurological, vascular, and immune dysfunction.

Patients with long COVID generally have symptoms that fall into three categories or phenotypes: fatigue, neurocognitive symptoms such as brain fog or headaches, and cardiovascular symptoms such as shortness of breath, heart arrythmias, exercise intolerance, and blood clots. Patients may have more than one type, and some also have symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, or loss of taste and smell that don’t seem to fit neatly into one of the three groups.

This is a period where we need to act with more care. Not a time to panic, but a time to be more cautious.

If you contract COVID, these are some helpful things that work to reduce viral load in the hope of minimising symptoms. And your chance of developing Long Covid:

* Brush & floss as usual

* Mouthwash (CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride, an ingredient in many/most commercial mouthwashes), cooled green tea, salt water)

* Green Tea (drink on an empty stomach if possible; can also be used for swishing/gargling once it has cooled; if green tea isn't doable for you, black tea is an alternative)

* Nasal Spray (if chemicals in nasal spray causing an issue for you, saline nasal spray also an option)

* Vitamin C supplement

* Antihistamines

* Other prophylactics to consider: Nattokinase, Grape Seed Extract, EGCG supplements

* Natto (if this is something you already eat, or would like to try. It's fermented soya beans and is popular in Japan

* Mask & Vaccinate!! A fully vaccinated individual is five times less likely to continue to have any symptoms or ill-effects three months after their initial infection compared to someone who has not been vaccinated.

Not a medical professional but compiled resources from medical professionals and individuals with disabilities including long COVID.

Free Palestine. Free Congo. Free Sudan. Free Tigray. Stop Cop City. Eyes on the Mass Graves in Jackson.

Please SHARE & Please participate in the Global Strike for Palestine 1.21-1.28.

[gaylordthethird]

Thank you so much for the advice! I’ll prepare some stuff :)

Good luck with coming out!

Also here's an amazing resource for coming out by the Trevor project

[deltastra]

My Thoughts on Tower of God Season 2 Episode 8

Alrighty NOW it's time for Emily..not the prev episode lol.

WEBTOON SPOILERS WAS TEASED BUT NOT OUTRIGHT STATED

Rating: 4/10

Summary: Sigh. It's getting harder and harder to defend this anime. Yea. If you guys see me no longer posting about new ToG episodes, just know that I've given up.

ENDORSI IS HERE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I like how they make her horn more obvious.

WDQOJIJQWQ THEY WERE JUST STANDING STILL THERE.

Yo the music goes hard here. The movements though....its...okay.

What. Are you guys seeing this. THAT ANIMATION LOOKS SO AWKWARD.

The shinsu colour and effects are still good. But it also feels very slow, as if you can see the frames.

YO THE RUNNING ANIMATION LOOKS BETTER HERE.

Honestly Khun is right, but this scene also shows that this team, unlike S&S, is mostly business. They are not built on trust, but rather, financial obligation.

ruh-roh

God I love Wagnan.

BAHAHAHAHAHAH I FORGOT ABOUT THIS.

I FORGOT THIS TOO OH MY GOD HAHAHAHHAHAHA

The fire is so slow...

Awwww hehe

oh no...

No no no...

Literally my reaction watching that scene what the heck?! AT LEAST SPEED UP THE FOOTAGE?!

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH THEY ARE SO CUTE. ARKRAPTOR GETS HIS SNACKS YIPPEE!

GUYS. Look at Yihwa. That's all I wanted to say

And it's for Viole....Wagnan is just that nice of a guy ;-;

There's something so cute about Viole, the strongest in the team, sitting on the ground with the weakest members of the team.

IT MAY BE FROM AN AI, BUT IT GIVES KHUN SOME HOPE. I love it because it shows than even someone as logical as Khun would find himself clinging to any form of hope.

I'll be honest, I never understood this scene in the webtoon. It was a pretty creepy chapter though. The anime did it well enough!

Sigh. Okay. What the heck, they are barely trying. Trustworthy room used to be the worst arc which was animated but now its crazy that it had BETTER animation in its fights than THIS. I feel like the anime is absolutely botching these tests and making them the worst aspects of the story.

It hurts to say this but I'll be honest, this episode kind of killed most of my hope for this anime and Tower of God getting the respect it deserves in general. It took so long for me to watch this episode because I've been seeing people absolutely thrashing it online, which killed my motivation.

I've been making excuses like "oh they're saving their time and resources on more important scenes" but now I am not so sure.

Now, I could say that Tower of God's main charm isn't in its fights, but rather its story and lore. However, it's hard to enjoy the talking scenes when the characters look so stiff and sometimes expressionless. They don't even bother showing different perspectives during the talking scenes to help keep us engaged. it just feels like pictures with only the mouths moving.

I don't want to be a doomposter for this anime because yapping negativity all the time over an anime feels exhausting.

I might consider dropping this anime now and just enjoy being a webtoon fan.

So, if you guys see that I have stopped posting these reactions, well, you know why. Once again, sorry if this post seemed negative. I tried as hard as I could to keep it positive while still being honest about my thoughts.

[nefja]

how did you learn to edit photos and are there any learning resources that you would recommend? and do you have a particular pet photographer that you look up to or feel inspired by?

I did it pretty much learning by doing? Watched random videos for the things I had problems with I was convinced had a solution.

I did however finally figure out studio photography thanks to That Tog Spot who has a bunch of really good videos on photography and editing in general so definitely go check her out.

I recently participated in/watched a talk with Elke Vogelsang on "A Day in the Life of a Pet Photographer" which was interesting.

I'm in complete awe of the style and locations from the photos of Anne Geier. (Sorry if that sentence doens't make any sense). They're just beautiful. Dreamy but still real. The style I'm kinda trying to achieve but failing hard at the dreamy aspect.

[tadpolesonalgae]

hehe its cowboy time. SPOILERS ahead for CC, TOG, and ACOTAR. (I'm on my laptop bc i knew i was gonna go hard so enjoy lol)

Crescent city has a very specific role within the maas universe and I'd like to believe it was created to be a stepping stone or an aid of some kind for SJM. And that the two main objectives while it was being written were to introduce crossovers between universes and propel ACOTAR's story. For years there has been speculation among her readers that there would be crossovers eventually, there's been plenty of hints and small appearances over the years but never to the full extent CC was brought to. And I'd like to argue that said crossover wouldn't have been as impactful if Midgard wasn't 'modern'.

For example, each of our protagonists across all the different series so far have all been in or currently are in unhealthy relationships. Nesta and Cassian both coping with trauma/ negative feelings using sex in ACOSF, Aelin and Rowan literally physically fighting in HOF, and Feyre and Rhysand's unexplored history UTM as well as many other examples that I don't feel like typing out. Some of these problems are ones that can be fixed easily, but most aren't. I think with modern resources however, they would have better ways to handle said negativity.

Which brings me back to CC. I believe that SJM's intentions were likely to introduce a "forward" thinking individual into the ACOTAR universe that forces them to acknowledge their faults a little more. The reason I think this was a major reason for CC's existence is because of SJM's history of giving us morally grey characters and unreliable narrators. Especially because of the randall and ember bonus chapter at the end of HOFAS. We see Ember DIRECTLY compare Rhysand's anger towards Nesta doing the right thing to help others to the Autumn King. Who is the same man who locked down FiRo and didn't send help when the demon attack happened in HOEAB. It can of course be argued that Rhys helped others and he never would have let innocent civilians die like the Autumn King did, but that's besides the point.

Rhys in particular now has been called out by several different people for his behavior towards Nesta being unfair at the very least. And with SJM's love of hiding secrets from her readers? I think the idea of Ember's comparison was to show us, the readers, that we should be analyzing all of acotar's character's a little more.

Regarding HOW Bryce and hunt's relationship was written though? Totally agree in all honesty. Not super into it. There has been a continuous trend towards hyper-sexualization in SJM's more recent books I've noticed and however while it's not a negative thing I don't think it's being done in the best way. All of the male POV's SJM has written have been gross tbh, but I argue that that could be the goal.

#casualmisandrist

Modern men are usually a lil gross anyway, so I wouldn't be surprised that SJM's interpretation of a man would also be a lil icky on purpose. Just like how I'm not surprised so many people were into it lol.

That's about the gist of my feelings on CC? Especially since there were only supposed to be 4 books in the series, one for each house. Since it is so much noticeably shorter, I can't help but believe that CC was mostly a means to expand the universe and get more eyes on her most popular series for it's upcoming books, acotar. Which I dislike as a reader but at least she pulled it off using the lil nuggets of info shes been sprinkling throughout the years lol.

(sorry if this is long or rambly, im sick so im on the nyquil train otw to see the hatman)

PS, pls consider putting any of our homegirls from TOG in cbmthy so they can beat up literally everyone but the archeron girls rn bc the girls deserve a show and the IC needs their ass beat hehe

PPS, Elide, Lorcan, and CBMTHY reader crackship?????? yes?? pls???

-🤠

Warnings: yup, spoilers for CC, ToG, and acotar!!!

‘For years there has been speculation among her readers that there would be crossovers eventually’

This is totally just personal preference, not an actual argument, but I liked it when Aelin fell through the worlds in ToG and saw a male with a heavily pregnant female and then in acosf I think she’s mentioned as that red commit? That sort of thing I loved, or I think the book of breathings showed up in CC (maybe it was the book of the dead) but I thought those things were super cool, but honestly l would have preferred if it remained a mystery? Ironically now it’s been revealed it feels less magical—but again, that’s totally my own feelings and not really an actual valid criticism on CC :)

‘I believe that SJM's intentions were likely to introduce a "forward" thinking individual into the ACOTAR universe that forces them to acknowledge their faults a little more.’

This might be my own background talking here, but I dislike the narrative that because something’s modern or natural that it automatically equates goodness? It also kind of feels like (again, maybe personal opinion), miss Maas realised she made some mistakes in how she wrote characters in the past and how she chose to make them behave, then realised some of that was unacceptable or just not great, and then tried to recover by using a ‘modern’ character to go push all their own views onto other characters which I feel is so cheap?

‘Especially because of the randall and ember bonus chapter at the end of HOFAS.’

Oooh I’ve heard people talk about the Ember scene! I saw some absolutely adorable fanart of Ember and Nesta together actually which made me so happy since I love Nesta 😭

I feel I should probably finish off CC3 but it was genuinely painful at times I often ended up slamming the book down in frustration 😭 I’ll try and push through it though for the other characters that I do genuinely like 😭

‘Rhys in particular now has been called out by several different people for his behavior towards Nesta being unfair at the very least.’

(I would like to clarify ‘you’ in this case isn’t directly as you specifically, just a general, non-specific, generic ‘you’ 😭)

If I’m honest, I feel that’s just something that comes with the type of story acotar is if that makes sense? If you look and analyse too closely you’ll find the flaws and that’ll probably ruin your enjoyment of the series which is why I only enjoy discussing acotar lightheartedly? At the end of the day it is a fictional series so it shouldn’t be taken that seriously? Like to the point of some people judging a person’s character or making assumptions about them, based on who they like is absolutely insane and just way too much 😭

I have to say I don’t really understand people who dislike some of the main characters but continued reading? Not that it’s a bad thing—I just struggle to imagine disliking a character but continuing to read the book anyway? Especially with how prominent Rhys is? How can you even get through the books if you don’t like him? Like I genuinely struggle with CC because I don’t like the two main characters and have made the decision to not read another book because it brings me no joy?

I totally get analysing decisions and having fun discussing potential reasons pr motives different characters have, but only in a lighthearted way otherwise I’m just complaining about something I genuinely enjoy and then I’ll start to believe I don’t like it and it’ll just ruin the experience?

‘All of the male POV's SJM has written have been gross tbh, but I argue that that could be the goal.’

I heavily agree when thinking of Hunt but nothing particularly stood out to me for acotar/tog characters? Except for Az in that one bonus chapter 💀

‘Modern men are usually a lil gross anyway’

Babes usually I’d try to be fair and disagree but I think like a fortnight ago I went out and this man was fully pushing up against my back when I was looking at some t shirts and he even kind of knocked my hand away as if trying to get me to move over—I could literally smell the B.O. on him too 😭 (no, I didn’t budge one inch)

‘Since it is so much noticeably shorter, I can't help but believe that CC was mostly a means to expand the universe and get more eyes on her most popular series for it's upcoming books, acotar.’

Wait is there not going to be a CC4? Oh wait wasn’t House of Many Waters skipped out and we went straight to Flame and Shadow? Or am I misremembering that? Like I’ll be perfectly peachy if there’s no more CC 👀 (I mean, I’ll miss Ithan particularly and basically most characters aside from Bryce and Hunt 😭🤦)

‘PS, pls consider putting any of our homegirls from TOG in cbmthy so they can beat up literally everyone but the archeron girls rn bc the girls deserve a show and the IC needs their ass beat hehe’

Imagine over a meal one time reader mentions she’s been writing to someone then casually explains it’s trans-dimensional communication with this Queen from another realm who has fire magic and the IC are just [stunned silence]

‘PPS, Elide, Lorcan, and CBMTHY reader crackship?????? yes?? pls???’

Babes don’t put that idea in my head 😭 Elide and Lorcan are so precious to me (like yes I was furious we didn’t find out What Lorcan Did at first but low-key I’m kind of glad their relationship was kept the way it was? Maybe that’s just me loving emotional connections in relationships though 🫣🤭)

[the-messenger-hawk]

A brief look at Immortality and the “Princes” in ToG-

Immortality is kinda an interesting beast in this world, because everyone is aware that it exists, but few people are aware of what exactly it entails or how to obtain it. (Up until Enryu, everyone believed that the Administrators were immortal, but he quickly disproved that.)

The Ten Family Heads and Zahard attained immortality when they reached the highest available Floor, but not because of any special power or blood of theirs, but because they made contracts with the Administrators to become so. Citizens of the Tower simply “do not have the authority” to hurt or kill them. (As a side note, it’s mentioned by Garam that Arlene is also under such a contract, which is why she could not die, but apparently V was not, for some reason. So unless leaving the Tower removed that protection, she should still be alive out there somewhere.) This isn’t common knowledge. Wangnan got ahold of this information somehow, and its discussed again on the Floor of Death, but most people don’t know the nature of the Heads’ immortality. 

(Though I am curious about the relation of these contracts to the Irregulars. The reason why Bam is believed to be able to kill the king is because contracts made in the Tower inherently do not apply to people from outside the Tower. This might be because they're a kind od spell, which also doesn’t work. But what about a being who’s immortality was not based on a contract? What then?)

But how does this tie in the ‘princes’ and are they actually immortal too? Or why?

The first thing is that I’m mostly using ‘prince’ as a shorthand for the three that we’ve seen, since we don’t actually know if that title applies to all of them. Though we’ve seen Karaka with a ring, the only character to ever be referred to by that title is Wangnan; if or how that title is shared is unknown.

-I’ll start with the Boss, since we know the least about him, so he’ll be the easiest the cover: The big thing that sets him apart immediately is that he is old. He’s from the Age of Genesis, so he’s an upwards of thousands of years old, an age range comparable to Jinsung and Dowon, if not older. He comes and goes wherever he pleases and has the resources to sneak into heavily protected places with no issue at all, and is apparently charming enough to instantly convince Maschenny of all people to change her plans to accommodate him. The Boss has a strange manner of speaking, alternating “I” and “we” when referring to himself, possibly hinting at a fractured sense of self? (He claims that he himself is unclear who he is.) -But oh, what is that on his face? Could it be a scar? (it looks like one anyway) Maybe despite the Boss's power, age, and influence, he lacks Wangnan's seamless healing abilities? (tick one little hint down on the possibly-not-immortal checklist.) Something to think about.

-Next is Karaka, the tin man with a bone to pick. Of the three, he is easily the one with the clearest goals, self-awareness, and understanding of the situation (and it made him mad). Although we don't really know how old he is, I'd estimate him somewhere around several thousand years old (1-2 maybe); old for a fresh High Ranker, but an absolute baby for a Slayer. Funnily enough, we have enough information about Karaka's abilities to have a clear answer as to whether he's immortal or not. The answer: he's not! Karaka is durable to an insane degree, and has the ability to reset himself to a previous state when he's in danger, which is a kind of practical immortality. But a lot of this can be attributed to his spelled armor, which was given to him specifically to preserve his life, and Jinsung certainly worried over that exact thing. Not only that, but Karaka has specifically separated his own heart into his World of Darkness hammerspace to protect his one weak spot. I firmly believe that if someone was able to break into that space and target his heart directly, they might be able to actually kill him for real, though that'd be insanely difficult to do (supposedly only Family Heads and Administrators have the power to get in without his permission (potentially a setup to someone much stronger than him actually testing that protection...)). So Karaka's regenerative armor abilities and durability allow him to mimic immortality, but he isn't actually so.

And lastly, the boy with the heart, Wangnan. He's probably the easiest case to argue for the immortal angle, and why the theory that says so is so believable. After all, unlike Karaka, Wangnan does not have any form of protection preventing people from attacking his relatively vulnerable parts and causing major damage to him, but continues to heal from absolutely fatal injuries repeatedly anyway. To Ehwa immolating him in his first appearance to Cassano absolutely destroying him on the Hell Train. (Though it does seem that he heals from fatal injuries noticeably faster than serious non-fatal injuries: i.e. Beta exploding his heart vs Hoaquin nearly taking his hand off. His body working harder to preserve him in those cases?) Worth noting though is that, if Wangnan is immortal, he does not seem to be aware of it at all: he knows and refers to himself as "hard to kill" but also shows that he does think he can die and fears that possibility, especially on the 20th Floor. (This is probably because he keeps suppressing his memories; Wangnan doesn't really want to know why this keeps happening to him.) As mentioned before, he is the only one explicitly referred to as a 'prince.' We don't know what this means. We also don't know why Wangnan is the only one of his kind depicted with horns, and if that has any ties to this ability, or where this ability even came from.

There is so much here about them that we've yet to find out.

[sharkrocket]

Modern AU brainrot: A canon constant is Artemy being sent to the city to learn medicine by Isidor. In a modern context however that's like $200k of debt, and there's no way a menkhu makes that kind of cash. Artemy, stranded in the city with about two McDonalds meals of cash to his name, applies to Thanatica because the internship pays his student debt, he's no stranger around corpses, and where else can a bumpkin without a high school diploma find work?

YESSS YESSSSSSS

Me and my partner are working on expanding these details and Artemy being in debt somehow is definitely going to factor in one way or another

We haven't decided if he would currently be in classes or post-graduated, but I imagine the result would lead to a pretty poor looking resume (has surgical experience but not under any accredited sources)

So because of this, it makes apply to Thanatica Labs even more tempting since 1. the job position make a decent amount of money 2. Thanatica Labs is a big name to have attached to your work 3. Gives him the resources to develop his own Menkhu studies since ToG hardly has the resources to support it's own hospital clinic, much less a top of the line research facility

[muslimcharityuk]

Embrace the Spirit of Giving: Muslim Charity's Ramadan Appeal

As the blessed month of Ramadan approaches, Muslims around the world eagerly anticipate a time of reflection, prayer, and most importantly, giving back to those in need. Ramadan is not only a period of fasting from dawn till dusk but also a time to strengthen bonds within communities and extend a helping hand to those less fortunate. At Muslim Charity, we are dedicated to embodying the true essence of Ramadan by launching our annual Ramadan Appeal, inviting you to join us in making a difference.

The Significance of Ramadan Giving:

Ramadan holds a special place in the hearts of Muslims worldwide. It is a time of spiritual growth, self-discipline, and empathy towards others. The act of giving, known as Zakat, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and holds immense significance during this holy month. Muslims are encouraged to donate a portion of their wealth to those in need, fostering a sense of compassion and solidarity within the community.

Our Ramadan Appeal: Making an Impact Together:

At Muslim Charity, our Ramadan Appeal serves as an opportunity for individuals to contribute to meaningful causes and make a positive impact on the lives of others. Through our diverse range of projects and initiatives, we aim to address pressing issues such as poverty, hunger, education, and healthcare, both locally and globally.

1. Providing Food Security

During Ramadan, the importance of food becomes even more pronounced as fasting individuals eagerly await the breaking of their fast at sunset. However, millions around the world struggle with food insecurity every day. Through our Ramadan Appeal, we endeavor to provide nutritious meals to families in need, ensuring that they can experience the joy of sharing a meal together during this blessed month.

2. Supporting Education

Education is a fundamental right that empowers individuals and transforms communities. Yet, many children around the world are deprived of this basic necessity. Through our Ramadan Appeal, we support educational initiatives that provide underprivileged children with access to quality schooling, textbooks, and educational resources, paving the way for a brighter future.

3. Empowering Communities

At Muslim Charity, we believe in the importance of empowering communities to become self-sufficient and resilient. Through our Ramadan Appeal, we fund projects that promote sustainable livelihoods, vocational training, and entrepreneurship opportunities, enabling individuals to break the cycle of poverty and build a better life for themselves and their families.

How You Can Make a Difference:

Your support is vital in helping us achieve our Ramadan Appeal goals and uplift communities in need. There are several ways you can get involved and contribute to our cause:

1. Make a Donation: Every donation, no matter how big or small, makes a difference. Your generosity can provide food, education, healthcare, and hope to those who need it most.

2. Spread Awareness: Share our Ramadan Appeal with your friends, family, and social networks. By raising awareness about our cause, you can inspire others to join us in making a positive impact.

3. Volunteer: Get involved in our volunteer programs and lend your time and skills to support our projects on the ground. Whether it's organizing fundraising events or participating in community outreach activities, your contribution can create meaningful change.

Together, We Can Make a Difference:

As we prepare to embark on this sacred journey of Ramadan, let us remember the teachings of compassion, generosity, and solidarity. By coming together as a global community and supporting initiatives like Muslim Charity's Ramadan donation, we can make a tangible difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate. Let this Ramadan be a time of reflection, gratitude, and above all, a time of giving back to humanity.

Join us in embracing the spirit of giving and spreading hope and happiness to all. Together, let's make this Ramadan a truly blessed and transformative experience for everyone.

About Muslim Charity:

Muslim Charity is a registered international relief and development organization dedicated to tackling poverty and suffering around the world. With over 20 years of experience, we work tirelessly to provide emergency relief, sustainable development, and empowerment programs to communities in need, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. Join us in making a difference today.

[alisonxmorgan]

⸻⸻ ✦ SOPHIE THATCHER, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ✦ ALISON MORGAN the TWENTY-TWO year old has been in the QZ for ONE MONTH. The TRADER is said to be RESOURCEFUL and IMPULSIVE but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves.

STATS

Name: Alison Jade Morgan

Birthday: May 19th, 2001

Zodiac: Taurus

Nicknames: Ali, Lissey

Hair: Naturally brown, bleached.

Eyes: Blue

Height: 5'2

Sexuality: Bisexual BACKGROUND

TW: Murder, death

Growing up, Alison didn't dream of being an actress or a singer or anything grand like that; she grew up wanting to protect and provide for her family, just like her father and her older brothers did for her. Every time they left the safety of whatever temporary home they had found she would beg to go, only to be able to count on her fingers the amount of times her family had obliged.

Like a lot of children out there, she by no means had a normal life or a normal childhood. Her family moved around in constant search of the next safe haven. Alison knew nothing of stability or routine as it was always being disrupted.

TW: Death The first tragedy Alison met was during her teenage years; she had been left alone with her mother, the rest of her family out scavenging, when a clicker attacked. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, with Alison doing the only thing she could think of; hiding until it was over. While the action may have saved her life it was a cowardly one she would never learn to forgive herself for. It felt awful to know her life had been spared when her mother's wasn't, and although her brothers were the ones tasked with finishing her off before she could become one of the infected herself, Alison always held herself as the one responsible.

Ridden with her own guilt over what had happened Alison began to struggle through everyday life. Tasks as simple as sleeping became chores, her rest plagued by nightmares of the attacks. The only time her mind seemed to clear was when she was allowed on scavenger hunts with her elder siblings.

For months this continued, leaving Alison so wrapped up in herself and her survivor's guilt that life around her became a blurry sort of haze. She barely noticed her father's own decline until it was already too late and he, too, had slipped away from them.

Disaster seemed to roll in waves for this family, and it didn't end there. A month later, on their way to the next sanctuary, Alison was separated from her brothers in a terrible storm. She did as much as she could, searching for them desperately until she finally came to terms with the fact that she was on her own, and she didn't know the way forward. Later - she had told herself repeatedly, the word being the only thing she had left to cling onto. She would find them later when she was better prepared.

She tried to make her way back to the previous campsite and was instead met by a generous family with a child her own age. Their hearts ached with sympathy for all she had been through and they came to the decision that they would take her in, on the pretense that it was just until the weather improved.

The longer Alison stayed the more comfortable she got, until this temporary stop became something more permanent. It wasn't that she had given up on finding her brothers, but it was a long journey to go alone; it would be stupid, anyway, to leave the safety of this camp when she had everything she could possibly need, and so she stayed. She never forgot her true family, but it was clear she was becoming part of a different one.

For years they taught the girl everything they knew and treated her as their own. As time passed she became a different person, changing everything about herself in an attempt to distance herself from the coward she had once been. She got rid of her old clothes as she outgrew them, switching them out for whatever she could find, and bleached her hair whenever she was able to get her hands on any sort of supplies.

All the while Ali became inseparable from the other child. They trained together, ate together, and even slept in the same beds together. They truly never left each other's sides, and together they were two halves of the same whole. Things were as perfect as they could possibly be in a world like hers until, inevitably, tragedy struck again.

While the makeshift siblings were out scavenging their camp was raided. The couple Ali had come to know and love as parents were killed trying to defend it. They stayed behind a few days after, mourning and scraping by, but the time came when she could no longer stay. They had lost everything in the raid, and if she planned on surviving she needed to move.

It took her no time at all to decide that this was the time; she needed to make her way to Dallas or die trying. Her brothers would be there waiting, assuming they made it safely, and even if they hadn't it was still the safest place she knew of.

PSD credit