#unknown to history (anonymous)

[illustratus]

The Great Fire of London, with Ludgate and Old St Paul's

[hopefromadoomedtimeline]

hey let’s get married

👫👬

"S-sorry, let's get WHAT??"

[wondermutt20]

"Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color."

Unknown

[essektheylyss]

"You want an anonymous reputation?" continues to be the FUNNIEST quote in the history of Critical Role. I cannot believe they pulled it off and six years later they continue to pull it off. Thir anonymous reputation carried them all the way to being absolutely unknown when namedropped in the middle of the UN War Council.

[secretmellowblog]

Les Mis Hidden Name Meanings: "Fantine"

Every character's  name in Les Mis is either an elaborate pun or has some deeper symbolic thematic meaning — usually both at once. 

One example of this is “Fantine.” There’s a wealth of hidden meaning packed into to her name, and some of those meanings are explicitly discussed in the original novel. 

The name “Fantine” comes from the french word “enfantine,” meaning  “childike, infant-like.” Her name basically means “Baby.” And obviously this speaks to her innocence and naivety. But also “baby”  is kind of,.,, well, it sounds more like an informal term of endearment than an actual legal name?  

And that’s because– Plot twist– Fantine isn’t her legal name!

 What is her legal name? She doesn’t have one. 

And the reason she doesn’t have one is directly tied to political turmoil of the era she was born into. 

Fantine grew up an orphan living on the streets, without a family without parents. Hugo tells us the origin of her name: 

“She bore on her brow the sign of the anonymous and the unknown. (...)She was called Fantine. Why Fantine? She had never borne any other name. At the epoch of her birth the Directory still existed. She had no family name; she had no family; no baptismal name; the Church no longer existed. She bore the name which pleased the first random passer-by, who had encountered her, when a very small child, running bare-legged in the street. She received the name as she received the water from the clouds upon her brow when it rained. “

This moment is adapted beautifully in the Manga adaptation by Takahiro Arai: 

But now let’s talk about the Directory. 

To wildly oversimplifly a lot of complex history: Before the French Revolution, the Catholic Church’s records of baptismal ceremonies were often used as a  registry of people’s legal names. During the French Revolution, the Revolutionary government– including the Directory– put in place a series of policies we now call “dechristianization,” where they attempted to dismantle the power of the Catholic church. 

Fantine was born during the age of these dechristianization policies. So she was likely never baptised, her baptismal name was never recorded, and so she has no documented legal or family name. She’s slipped through the cracks of the legal system, and ended up completely anonymous.

This sets Fantine up as this anonymous child of the Revolution– a stand-in for everyone who was left behind when the Revolution was left behind, and kings were restored to the throne. 

Fantine’s namelessness is meant to show her isolation. She has NO support system. She has nothing to connect her to other people, nothing to connect her to a support system. 

Finally, the way Fantine tends to “slip through the cracks” is something that follows her throughout her life.  When she’s fired from her job at a factory, Mayor Madeleine never learns  of it– Fantine has this tendency to be overlooked and forgotten in official records.  At the end of the story, she is buried in an unmarked grave, with not even the name “Fantine” on her headstone. She is born anonymous and she dies anonymous.

It ties into the novel’s questions about  which people we consider worth remembering, whose lives are worth being recorded. 

[Thank you for reading! This essay was originally posted as a video here. For more Les Mis talk, you should subscribe to the 2025 @lesmisletters readalong on Substack here, and join the BrickClub Discord server here!]

[apathetic-kiss]

Kerch History Museum (Section 2B, Ketterdam Artifact Archives)

Photograph of Inej "Wraith" Ghafa and an unknown individual crossing the rooftops of Ketterdam. Ghafa was infamous due her ties with the Dregs and her association with Kaz "Dirtyhands" Brekker, but would later go on to become one of the most renowned pirate captains known for taking down hundreds of slaver ships and rescuing thousands of kidnapped individuals being trafficked to Kerch under exploitative indenture contracts. (For more information, see Exhibit 21: Indenture Laws & Kerch's History of Slavery, Exhibit 23: The Dregs & Other Notable Ketterdam Gangs, and Exhibit 26: Sankta Inej & Other Modern Saints) Obtained from an anonymous donor 4.25" x 3.14" Photographer Unknown Artifact #24383

[thefusioncelestial]

Mix 39: Gradient Transformation

Anonymous asked:

Can you a rich jock (the eldest, heir of a fortune, pressures of the rich, posh, formal, constricting, successful and established career but not content for what it's like, searching for something in life, closeted gay, secretly a bottom but never had any seggs besides toys,) with family of 2 or 3 siblings (needing some spare heirs of course),

merge with a twink (someone young in the last year of high school, way too many family members like 5 siblings, neglectful parents in a sense they are provided the bare minimum and no physical abuse, from the countryside or a small town)

The jock escapes and takes out all his fortune from his accounts, makes a copy of his recorded info (in case his parents erase his history). The results of the merge will not appear immediately on a physical sense so it would be on a soul sense (both their personalities, habits, and knowledge are the immediate ones) and he will take the physical ones gradually as time goes by as he will be taking university somewhere far from town.

bonus: If there will be a relationship it would be interesting that he may end up with the jock's friend/acquaintance as there will be familiarity with the other. some nsfw that can circumvent whatever restrictions tumblr have that may be a third of the post.

you can add other details later and try to shorten this request when the story is posted. thank you 😘

Life is great for Ben.

A high powered financial executive from a influential family, his additional status as the eldest son & heir puts him on top. But despite having everything one could want, he wanted something different

He wanted freedom.

In high society, one finds that they are in a never ending web of rules & expectations, and unless one's personality naturally lines up with this world, you would find it restrictive.

This is even more so for his dating life. Ben was gay, but as the eldest, he was expected to marry a lady and start a family of his own. And even if he was into women, he was restricted to only those ladies from the "right" families. Just his luck, there was no one he liked to start an lavender marriage, where one or both spouses of the opposite sex were queer and aware & accepting of it, with.

Plus the activities. His social group were a bunch of adrenaline junkies. With their vast wealth, they love buying expensive stuff & doing dangerous activities just because they can. The lack of struggles in life inducing a base boredom.

For Ben:

He needs a way out. He needs purpose. He had one in college, when he could give his all to tennis, but he never went pro.

But for now he has one activity that keeps him going. His mentorship of the youth.

For Jack, his life is almost the total opposite.

High School is almost over for him & he can not wait. He is one of numerous siblings cramped in one house to middle class parents. Too busy to get any specific attention. They do not get expensive gifts. No cars, no tailored suits, no fancy dishes that the average American struggles to pronounce.

Bound for university, he has his whole life ahead for him. But for now, he must endure. Luckily for him, he is part of a mentorship program, and Ben was his assigned mentor. The cultural exchange adds a little something to their lives. Jack is amazed by Ben's wealth & position in society, and Ben has a wonder-lust for Jack's uncertain future, the freedom of the unknown.

As a part of his side activities, Ben had substantial personal investments in scientific research. He was informed that one of his more outlandish projects may have borne fruit.

He arrived to a large lab with a tower like device in the middle.

Ben: What am I looking at & what does it do?

Scientist: I am calling it, the Life Shifter. As for what it does, it changes a person's life by modifying certain aspects of their life. It can be something as small as a physical shift on the body, all the way up to becoming a new person if they want a new life.

Ben walked up to the device.

Ben walked towards the device. It was conical shaped, silvery, and had two raised platforms in front of it. The platforms were cobalt blue.

Ben: Has it been tested before?

Scientist: On non-Human animals, yes. Other wise no.

Ben stepped on one of the platforms.

Scientist: Sir what are you doing?

Ben: You are going to use the device on me. I want a full life shift.

Scientist: But we don't know if it will work on humans.

Ben: We will now. Do it, or I cut your funding.

The scientist grumbled.

Scientist: So be it. I pray you at least survive the process.

The scientist went to a panel dotted with all types of buttons of various shapes & sizes with a screen in the middle.

Scientist: Just think of the type of person you want to be or your ideal self. Helps if you focus on someone who exists.

The machine began to come to life. It had this white yellowish glow to it. The platform that Ben was standing on raised itself higher.

Ben's thoughts drifted to Jack.

The platform glowed as well with the same color & that light soon engulfed Ben.

He cocked his head towards the air and closed his eyes. His body began to shake.

Jack was sleeping, resting as most of us do. He had a typical dream until it suddenly shifted. He was floating above his body. Then his spirit form suddenly jerked upwards and out of his home.

He was in the sky a maybe 20 feet above the roofs of various homes. His body moved again, but towards the downtown area. As he got closer he saw another object, even in the dark of night, approach him. Closer & closer until he saw it was a person, and soon he recognized that person as his mentor Ben. But before he could respond, he & Ben crashed into each other. There was a bright flash.

Jack suddenly woke up. He checked his body and saw that everything was ok. It was just a nightmare he thought. He went back to sleep to more pleasant dreams.

Ben came to as well. The machine was silent with no glow, and the platform back to its original height.

Ben opened his eyes and scanned his body.

Ben: Aside from that weird out of body experience, I don't feel any different.

Scientist: The change may take time to hold. We normally have two targets on each platform, so the effects are more immediate in those cases. As for how long, I do not know.

Ben was silent for a moment.

Ben: Well at least I didn't drop dead.

Scientist: Thank goodness for that.

Ben went back home, unhappy that he did not become a new person right then & there.

But as time flew by Ben noticed some changes.

He had a sudden interest in skateboarding. And then his appetite changed as well. Less of the fancy stuff and more of the everyday foods that we all can find. He also got a kick out of the activities that his social group enjoyed. He was thinking of getting a motor-cycle. Then his manner of dressing became more causal.

First it was his skin color. It became more pale by the day. His facial hair began to go away, but his hair began to grow out and with a different texture as well. His nose started to become sharper, his eyes larger. His lips fuller.

Then his butt started to get a little rounder, his hips wider, his chest started to stick out more. His abdominal insertions were slowly changing as well. There was more meat on his arm & legs. His shoulders changed too. His hands and feet became less smooth.

Slowly and surely these changes set in. And then his memories began to change as well. Hobbies that he did not have before, he had now done for years. And his social circle changed as well.

His parents gave him a look as well. The look as if they did not recognize him or at least noticed the changes.

Ben panicked.

Would he be put out on the street?

For Jack, he fared worse. As time went on, he felt less & less of himself. Like he was fading from existence. A month after graduation, he just disappeared. His room empty, like no one ever lived there.

Ben began to check his records. His birth-date was changing. Each time a more recent date. His family name changed as well. So to not be out on the street, he began to move assets that was still under his old name to his current one. By then end he was 18 years old. Seeing an opportunity to start all over, he applied to some far flung university with an Aerospace program. He would be far away from a family that may no longer be his.

He still retained the knowledge of his old self, but found he had the memories of someone familiar, of Jack. He realized that to shift his life, he had to meld with Jack.

He said a prayer of thanks & apology, and set out on his new life:

And so with a focus on physics as well, Ben became an astronaut. To him, he could not get far away enough from his hometown. If there was a colonization program, he would be the first to sign up.

[augiewrites]

"secret admirer" - dead poets society (part 4)

summary: y/n finds yet another note in their desk and sees something interesting on a late night walk home from the library

pairing: anonymous!dead poet x gender neutral reader

word count : 1.1k

previous | next

a/n: i think this is my favorite chapter so far—thanks for all the love on this story :)

Y/N didn’t receive another letter that week. Doubt was swirling in their mind—what if their admirer had lost interest? Maybe they met a real, feasible person and forgot about them. The endless swirl of scenarios was eating them alive. They needed a distraction, but they knew it wouldn’t do much for them. Their mind bounced straight back to their poet during any moment of silence.

They had taken Meeks and Pitts up on their offer to study with them, and they found themselves growing increasingly fond of the two boys. Y/N would be elated if their poet turned out to be anything like them.

Passion was a rare commodity at Welton, and dissent was especially hard to come by. Y/N had been beginning to feel as though they were the only person unhappy with being forced into conformity—or, at least, the only person willing to vocalize their discontent.

That changed as they got to know Meeks, Pitts, and, in turn, the random assortment of boys that popped in during these study sessions. They had forgotten how good it felt to speak their mind to non judgmental ears. Hell, even the ever-bashful Todd Anderson was slowly coming out of his shell in their presence.

The only issue, of course, was Charlie Dalton.

There was just something about the boy that got under their skin.

The line between confidence and arrogance was extremely thin, and Charlie was constantly teetering along that threshold. 

If there were a social hierarchy within the group, Charlie was at the top of it—and the boy was well aware. The other boys were often onlooking Charlie’s antics with a noticeable level of admiration.

Y/N knew that there had to be another layer behind—far behind—the boy’s often pompous attitude. After all, at every teenager’s core is a half-child that wants nothing more than to feel a sense of belonging. A level of vulnerability that most teenage boys don’t want being observed.

A level of vulnerability that Y/N didn’t stick around long enough to see in Charlie Dalton.

The boy in question was currently reciting an excerpt from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

“Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,

Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,

But that our soft conditions and our hearts

Should well agree with our external parts?”

Y/N couldn’t help but think that his voice was quite nice—velvety and assured.

They shook the thought from their mind and opened up their desk. A gasp was suppressed at the sight of a neatly folded piece of stationary atop their mess.

Eager hands unfolded the parchment as discreetly as possible.

Darling Y/N,

Did you know that you get this adorable wrinkle between your eyebrows when you’re frustrated? I love seeing it almost as much as the dimple of your cheek when you smile.

In shadows cast by moonlight's gentle gleam, A heart entwined in love's elusive dream. Captivated by a smile so divine, Another's joy, a radiant sign.

Each curve and grace, a sunlit dance, Ignites a flame, a tender trance. In stolen glances, a world unfolds, Where every story of passion is told.

A symphony in the heart's soft sigh, A love that blossoms, soaring high. With every grin, a melody sweet, Two souls in rhythm, destined to meet. I hope to see that smile again soon.

x, Yours.

Y/N’s entire body was buzzing as they flipped to a blank page of their notebook.

In crowds unknown, a face concealed, Yet a whispering heart, its fate revealed. Mystery veils, like a silent star, In the vast unknown, I find you, afar.

No words exchanged, no history traced, Yet in your presence, a love embraced. Falling in realms of the unseen,  An enchantment, profound and serene.

Y/N ripped the page out and left it on top of the clutter within their desk. They didn’t look back once when the class was dismissed.

_________________________________________

“We should probably head back to the dorms if we don’t want to get reamed for missing bed checks.”

Y/N and Meeks were the only members of their study group left conscious. Charlie was long asleep—spread across the seats of four chairs.

“That’s too bad,” Y/N grinned, “this is the first time I’m actually enjoying Dalton’s company.”

“You always enjoy my company, Y/N,” Charlie muttered with his eyes still shut, “don’t lie to poor Steven.”

“Whatever helps you rest easy.”

Meeks just shook his head. the ghost of an amused smile threatening his lips, “you live in the East wing, right? One of us should walk with you.”

“I think I’ll survive, Meeks,” Y/N said on a laugh, “you need to be getting back to tuck Pitts in, anyway.”

The two exchanged good nights and good lucks on the Latin oral the next day before Y/N left Meeks in charge of rousing Charlie.

_________________________________________

It was uncharacteristically warm for late January, and Y/N decided to take the slightly longer scenic route back to their dorm. They would happily be chastised for getting back slightly after curfew if it meant they were able to be outside for a while and still be able to feel all their limbs.

A hushed giggle floated across the courtyard, snapping Y/N out of their thoughts. They spotted a familiar head of shaggy brown hair accompanied by another with perfectly curled blonde locks.

“Knox, really,” another giggle, “I have to go.”

“C’mon, Chris. Just a couple more minu—” his head snapped toward the sound of Y/N’s soft footsteps. The panic in his expression quickly melted into relief and a sly smile.

“Hurry, Chris! Hide,” he gently pushed the girl behind him, “we have a spy on our hands.”

Y/N stuck their hands in their coat pockets, feeling as though they were the one caught instead of the couple before them.

“Just an innocent bystander, I swear,” Y/N shot them a sheepish smile.

Chris nudged Knox, looking much more anxious than the boy.

He startled, glancing between Chris and Y/N with a soft, “oh.”

“Chris, this is Y/N—a friend of the poets,” poets? “Y/N, this is Chris, my girlfr—”

“His friend,” Chris interrupted, “it’s a pleasure to meet you, Y/N.”

Knox held a hand over his heart, feigning offense, “she’s just in denial. Girlfriend.”

“Denial is probably the safest option here. Smart woman,” Y/N smirked at the boy, “I should be getting back. I’ll let you two…finish up here.”

Y/N barely registered the pair’s goodbyes as they walked away. Their thoughts were in overdrive.

I guess it’s not Knox. I should have realized that sooner. I guess that pathetic poem really wooed Chris. Y/N laughed lightly to themselves. What did he mean, “a friend of the poets”? 

The more Y/N found out, the more confusing it all felt.

~~~

part five

[the-secretary-of-baker-street]

Mr Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet

The campaign brought honours and promotion to many, but for the newly Dr Watson it had nothing but misfortune and disaster- and so begins this tale. (Although, the actual events of The Gloria Scott and The Musgrave Ritual happened before the promising meeting, but I prefer a more dramatic opening.) Watson found himself in London, ‘that great cesspool into which all loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained’, ultimately at a loss for how he should progress and unable to support himself and his disability on an army pension. If Stamford (or, Cupid, as I call him) had not introduced Watson to a potential roommate, Watson would have, without a doubt, been left in a very horrible position indeed (much can be read on the depths of Watson’s depression and hopelessness). 

Sherlock Holmes is introduced joyfully exclaiming as he discovers the solution to his experiment, ecstatically explaining to his acquaintance and the mysterious stranger the details as to which he came to this conclusion. Almost immediately, Watson and Holmes move into 221B- as they say, the rest is history. The crime is solved and neatly tied up… apart from one thing. 

On The Great Alkali Plain, many years earlier, something is occurring, the origin as to which Jefferson Hope decides to murder two not-so-innocent men. The actual premise to this narrative is unimportant, at the moment (please, bear with me reader, I will be asking you to ‘stick a pin in it’ multiple times), but one begs the question: where on Earth is this story coming from? After a few chapters of this revenge-story, the unknown narrator briefly surmises ‘we cannot do better than quote [Hope]’s own account, as duly recorded in Dr Watson’s journal’ which creates more questions than it answers. Are we to believe that, whilst being arrested, Hope was able to tell us of events which occurred before he was even involved, then delved into his own history, again relating to facts he could never have known in so much detail, followed by Watson’s ‘duly recorded’ and supposedly accurate version of events, where he refers to the original narrator in the third person, fleshes out the narrative with long, poetic descriptions of ‘an arid and repulsive desert’, and refers to himself as in the third person as well? After all that build up, I must apologise and ask you again, to hold that thought. Watson, at this point, is an observer, not a narrator, writing in his journal, or his ‘reminiscences’. 

After relaxing in Baker Street, Holmes and Watson discuss the cases again: Holmes reels off his plentiful deductions as to how he caught this ‘criminal’, and Watson announces that he will write up this version of events, so that Holmes can be suitably congratulated for his achievements. However, Watson only manages to publicise this story in 1887, six years afterwards. Why? Because Holmes and Watson have more work to do, more crimes to solve.

And crimes to commit themselves.

If you, dear reader, have ‘played the game’ and recognised that Watson admits to lying about certain dates or events to protect the anonymity of clients (whether due to their criminal activities or reputation), you might not find it unreasonable that Watson might not have intended to publicise the cases at all. Yes, he took down notes- Holmes did himself, long before his association with Watson- but these were indeed merely private reminiscences, the same way one keeps a diary with no intention to revisit. 

Perhaps, after the case was solved, Watson found that he felt for Holmes in a way he didn’t realise a man couldn’t feel for another man, a way he had only heard of in ‘sordid’ cases labelled as ‘gross indecency’ or ‘sodomy’. But, in comparison to how he felt before, during and after his army days, before he met Holmes, it wasn’t awful. In fact, he was finally happy. And a man has a right to protect his own happiness, especially in reverence for the love of another person. I will leave the romantic details for another time, but years later, Watson and Holmes are in an established (at least, to themselves and suitable confidantes like Mrs Hudson) relationship, and are wary of the danger they are in. In this time period, two bachelors living together wasn’t at all as questionable as we see it now in a modern day lens, but suppose something was to occur which endangered the life they had struggled for? Watson needed insurance. 

For now, we will take a trip back again to the beginning: Holmes and Watson continue to solve cases. Out of the published cases, in March 1882 the events of Wisteria Lodge occur- although we are told it was actually March 1892, Watson chose to refer to more cases later on in their working life so added a decade on- after all, why would he want to includes case so close to the beginning where he describes the dangers one bachelor might face when staying with another?

I should briefly mention that, as a general rule for myself, the self-appointed secretary of Dr Watson, stated months/seasons I generally believe unless argued otherwise, as they might have an effect on the story (weather, celebrations such as Christmas etc.) and I feel Watson has less reason to lie about that. When years are mentioned and discounted, I believe that Watson might have added a decade or subtracted, as that’s a quick and simple way to cross out one digit in a notebook and quietly subvert readers’ attention to another year. When specific dates are mentioned (as we’ll see with The Solitary Cyclist) my suspicions are instantly alerted. 

Also in 1882, upon Watson’s discovery of a supposedly neat and tidy man actually functioning amongst the cases of unorganised notes from previous cases, Holmes divulges into the events of The Gloria Scott and The Musgrave Ritual. He does this to both entertain his new ‘beau’, inspiring the compliments which make him ‘blush like a schoolgirl’, and to get out of cleaning. The character of Victor Trevor is introduced: I reason that Holmes may have brought him up to assuage Watson’s fears that Holmes is inexperienced in matters of love and hiding it, or (here is where I am taking liberties) perhaps to make Watson jealous, since Holmes is cited as a mischievous sort. What is published might not be the more explicit version which the detective described.

Their relationship survives Holmes’ attempt to tease Watson with past relationships, and in 1883, The Adventure of the Speckled Band is solved. Here is one of the few occasions where Watson was truthful with his dates, as this case happened quite early on and clearly demonstrates a characteristic of Holmes which is often ignored: his kindness. Holmes is often consumed in cases where his viciousness is needed, due to his handling of violent criminals. But here, when Holmes knows a young lady is in danger and being mistreated by her stepfather, he’s incredibly gentle. Watson wants it known that Holmes has always been a good person: this wasn’t brought by the doctor’s own good-nature, Holmes always had it. Yes, he may be abrasive at times and wanting a little more patience, but he has a caring heart. It’s what Watson fell in love with.

In 1884, the events of The Beryl Coronet and Silver Blaze occur: both stories begin with homely indications of Holmes and Watson living in Baker Street, before Watson’s descent into ‘marriage’. Neither include a mention of this ‘wife’, so I suspected they happened earlier on. Following their trip to Dartmoor in the latter case, Holmes and Watson are approached by a stranger: Dr James Mortimer, a man in need of advice on how to support the Baskervilles, who are supposedly haunted by a ghostly hound. This odd case, known for its shockingly supernatural elements in the otherwise logical world of Sherlock Holmes, was not nearly as exciting as Watson described it to be. In fact, Holmes never hid from Watson at all- they solved a disappointingly simple case in which Jack Stapleton made a rather pathetic attempt to scare another man out of his fortune, with no involvement of a glow-in-the-dark hound.

Holmes admitted, on the train back to London, that he mainly undertook the case due to his annoyance in the belief of the supernatural, and his stubbornness practically forced him into it. Also, the mention of a dog encouraged him, since he enjoys making canine friends.

Now is the summer of 1885: rather than the ill-fated 1895 we are told, the events of Black Peter happen here. This is another case of adding a decade on, and another time where I ask that we hold this thought again. Another case follows: The Resident Patient, placed here due to the lack of ‘wife’ mentions. I will admit, I don’t have very exact reasons why I have chosen for certain cases to happen in specific time slots, but more so time periods- I believe this case happened whilst Holmes and Watson were younger, and less threatened by the implications of being two homosexual men. 

1886 is somewhat sparse in my notes: all that is written is The Valley of Fear. However, I have reason to believe that The Valley of Fear (with a somewhat overtly dramatic title) is an entirely fabricated story. Here, a crime containing deductions -including the famous book-code at the very beginning of the story- happened, but nothing compared to what was later published. This should bring to mind The Hound of the Baskervilles, another of Watson’s adrenaline fueled fantasies. 

Here comes the end of Holmes and Watson’s blissfully ignorant relationship together: and now begins the fear. Fear of being persecuted and punished for who you are and who you love. Fear of being ostracized from society irrevocably. Fear of reality.

Watson must now narrate. And, to save himself and his love, he must be unreliable.

[companion-showdown]

Who is most important to the history of Doctor Who?

TOURNAMENT MASTERPOST

propaganda under the cut

Marnal Gate – runs a fan website on Gallifrey and Time Lord history

(website)

this quote from the homepage: "The best thing to come out of creating this website was meeting the woman who became my wife!" (anonymous)

Anonymous creator of TARDIS wiki

Without this sadly unknown person we would never have the beauty of Doctor Who Wiki. We would never know about Penis or Blue this world would remain in ignorance for ever and ever (@familyparadox )

Craig Ferguson – helped popularise the show in America

Scottish-cum-American late night host who himself propagandized Dr. Who right as the new series made its big American push. (anonymous)

The Audience - you

Without the audience we would never have had Doctor Who. Without you it would no longer be on screen. We are the lifeblood of Doctor Who. Remember if nobody watches Doctor Who will kill himself (anonymous)

[illustratus]

The Storming of the Bastille and arrest of the Governor Marquis de Launay, 14 July, 1789

[hopefromadoomedtimeline]

I'd cuddle Trunks in a heartbeat ♡

What a strange thing to hear from a stranger. He's not really sure how to react, the idea of being cuddled is nice... but even from someone he knew, he'd probably hesitate on accepting any-

A stranger trying to give him some probably would've just been awkward for everyone involved.

"That's- That's really not necessary-"

[bluerhapsodist]

Different Jedi Traditions and Cultures, Pt. 2

(some more ideas on Jedi cultural traits across planets and species)

Rodian, Trandoshan, and Kaleesh Jedi share a view of the Force tied to hunting, both spiritual in being mindful and literal in getting permission to hunt for food. They honor their native cultures, but they learn to emphasize self-restraint as an act of strength rather than seek bloodshed or conquest. Rodians and Trandoshans tend to wear standard brown cloaks and robes. Kaleesh Jedi wear traditional bone masks provided the animals they came from did not suffer.

Chiss Jedi hail from deep in the Unknown Regions, which they call “The Chaos.” These Jedi—whether they are exiles or young navigators who left the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet—know the Force as both “Third Sight” and “The Flame.” While some have the desire to be Consular Jedi, most Chiss serve as peacekeepers or investigators. They often wear simple black or white tunics under their traditional brown robes.

Ithorian Jedi often seek to be gentle when using their twin mouths around other beings, with some taking a full vow of silence. Some are pacifists who revere the Force as the will of the Mother Jungle on Ithor. Others bear the responsibility of a lightsaber and train exclusively in Form VI (Niman) to do as little harm as possible. In any case, every Ithorian Jedi is drawn to tending the garden at their local temple and growing food for their peers. Their robes have wider coverings for their necks and shoulders.

Jawa Jedi have an excitable nature and curiosity that they learn to temper with meditation and fixing broken machinery. They understand the Force as the fire behind the twin suns of Tatooine, the peace of finding shade, and the spark that animates both people and droids. They are hard to distinguish from other Jawas, wearing brown hooded robes of the same cut, but their lightsaber shotos are immaculate works of art and engineering.

Sullustan Jedi refer to the Force as the “song of the cosmos” itself, drawn to it by their large ears and relying less on their sensitive eyes in daily affairs. Many of them show a gift for Force-guided navigation, recalling the tunnels of their home planet. Their robes have larger hoods to accommodate their ears and eyes.

Lothalite Jedi possess a deep connection to their homeworld, symbolized in the imagery of loth-cats and loth-wolves that adorn their works of art. They have a talent for receiving visions from the Force and bonding with animals. Jedi from Lothal wear robes in shades of red or green, often in a practical cut that makes it easy to blend into a crowd.

Bothan Jedi possess keen ears and noses, and their culture prizes ambition and intelligence gathering above all else. However, Bothan Jedi learn to practice humility and view the Force as a galaxywide web of life that goes far beyond anything their kind on Bothawui would consider. Their robes tend to be a bit more ornate than their peers’ attire, but none of it reduces their talent for stealth.

Alderaanian Jedi are drawn to the arts, history, and politics, which is why so many find their calling as artisans, archivists, and diplomats. Some prefer to be “anonymous” in the traditional Jedi robes, but others adopt linen tunics and woolen shoulder cloaks as their native attire. Following the destruction of Alderaan, many Survivors and their descendants who aspire to be Jedi consciously adopt the style and habits of Princess Leia Organa after she’s revealed to be Force-sensitive as well.

Kaminoan Jedi hail from a storm-ravaged ocean world and an austere scientific culture. Their approach to the Force is clinical and aloof on the surface, but full of rich emotion and strength when they reach out with their powers. Many show a talent for healing and research. They and the Quermians share a need for robes that accommodate their thin bodies and long slender necks.

The Jedi of Yoda’s species are rare, but most are legendary whenever they arise in the Order. Some speak in an archaic dialect of Basic, switching around the order of their subjects, objects, and verbs. Little is known about their homeworld or culture, but each member of the species is drawn to the Force in one way or another, whether in reverence or using its power. They wear smaller robes and use lightsaber shotos because of their stature, but most of their kind are capable of dramatic feats of the Force’s power that often leave them exhausted afterward.

[secretmellowblog]

Les Mis Hidden Name Meanings: “Fantine” (posting here because it got popular on TikTok)

Every character in Les Mis has a name with a deeper symbolic meaning— here’s a video I made for the official @barricadescon TikTok about the meaning behind “Fantine!”

Transcript and Digressions I left out of the video, under the cut:

Every charcater’s name in Les Mis is either a pun, a reference to a historical/mythological figure, or had some deep symbolic meaning — and sometimes it’s all of them at on.

The name “Fantine” comes from the french word “enfantine” or “childike, infant-like.” Her name basically means “Baby.” And obviously this speaks to her innocence and niavetee. But also “baby” is kind of,.,, well it sounds more like an informal term of endearment than an actual legal name?

And that’s because– Plot twist– Fantine isn’t her legal name! What is her legal name? She doesn’t have one.

And the reason she doesn’t have one is directly tied to political turmoil of the era she was born into.

Fantine grew up an orphan living on the streets, without a family without parents. Hugo tells us the origin of her name:

“she bore on her brow the sign of the anonymous and the unknown. (...)She was called Fantine. Why Fantine? She had never borne any other name. At the epoch of her birth the Directory still existed. She had no family name; she had no family; no baptismal name; the Church no longer existed. She bore the name which pleased the first random passer-by, who had encountered her, when a very small child, running bare-legged in the street. She received the name as she received the water from the clouds upon her brow when it rained.”

This moment is adapted beautifully in the Manga adaptation by Takahiro Arai, which I recommend to anyone who loves Les mis, manga, or any combination of those things.

But now let’s talk about the Directory.

To wildly oversimplifly a lot of complex history: Before the French Revolution, the Catholic Church’s records of baptismal ceremonies were often used as a registry of people’s legal names. During the French Revolution, the Revolutionary government– including the Directory– put in place a series of policies we now call “dechristianization,” where they attempted to dismantle the power of Catholic church.

Fantine was born during the age of these dechristianization policies. So she was never baptised, her baptismal name was never recorded, so she has no recorded legal or family name. She’s slipped through the cracks of the legal system, and ended up completely anonymous.

It sets Fantine up as this anonymous child of the Revolution– a stand in for everyone who was left behind when the Revolution was left behind, and kings were restored to the throne.

Fantine’s namelessness is meant to show atomized . How she has NO support system. She has nothing to connect her to other people, nothing to connect her to a support system.

Finally, the way Fantine tends to “slip through the cracks” is something that follows her throughout her life. When she’s fired from her job at a factory, Maroy Madeleine never learns of it– Fantine has this tendency to overlooked and forgotten. She is born anonymous and she dies anonymous. At the end of the story, she is buried in an unmarked grave, with not even the name “Fantine” on her headstone.

It ties into novel’s questions about which people we consider worth remembering, whose lives are worth being records.

And obviously Fantine is not the only character in Les Mis whose name has a deeper symbolic meaning. If you have any other Les Mis character names you’d like to explain, leave their name in the comments below.

Thank you for watching!

From the description of the original tiktok, here are some things that were left out of the video for time:

How this all relates to Cosette’s name(s)

Fantine’s nickname “The Blonde,” and how this relates to the way she’s dehumanized by Tholomyes

How the 2018 Bbc series fundamentally misunderstands Fantine’s character, and how one sign of this is that they give her a full legal first and last name

How Fantine’s name shows up/is revealed is significant parts of the story (like when Valjean reveals her signature on a letter to Thenardier, allowing him to take Cosette away)

How Fantine’s inability to write ties into the way it’s difficult for her to record her own story

How some of Valjean’s last words are revealing Fantine’s name to Cosette

Thanks again for reading!

[apathetic-kiss]

Kerch History Museum (Section 2B, Ketterdam Artifact Archives)

Photograph of Jesper Fahey, partner of merchant Wylan Van Eck and infamous former member of the Dregs. Fahey spent years working for Kaz "Dirtyhands" Brekker and was thought to be his right hand man, hence why many have theorised that Brekker was able to influence aspects of the stock market while Van Eck was in power. Although Fahey claimed to have renounced his old way of life as he entered a relationship with Van Eck, rumours of his association with various gang activity continued for many years into their marriage. The photo is thought to have been taken somewhere in rural Novyi Zem, however the anonymous donor claimed it was found in a Ketterdam mansion. Obtained from an anonymous donor 3.4" x 3.1" Photographer Unknown Artifact #24386

[frankenfran]

im writing a big gay post about my history and feelings relating to 4chan that'll probably take a while but in the meantime i just wanted to say that i wouldn't be the woman i am today without that imageboard. i probably wouldn't have known about tumblr without it and as such i wouldn't have met all the people ive met through tumblr over the years. i would've never met my girlfriends who i live comfortably with in as close to a dream apartment as i could've ever fantasised about. it would be so easy to say "good riddance to bad garbage!" like so many others have and wash my hands of the whole affair but, if i may be so vulnerable for a moment, that's not how i feel at all and to even imply as much would be disingenuous.

4chan was an imperfect home for a confused, lonely, abused little girl who wanted so badly to be someone or something else and felt comfort in being faceless for a while. it felt like there was a target on my back my entire life for reasons unknown to me and the veil of anonymity lifted that for the briefest of moments. also moot called me cute and asked me on a date to waffle house over email years ago and i have literally no other opportunity to mention that besides my big post nobody will read so i had to get that out of my system.