#ive used british spellings all my life

[macbcth]

say sike right now

#GROYNE CANT BE REAL #im literally indian we were colonised by the brits #ive used british spellings all my life #and never in my LIFE have i come across the word groyne #i had my google docs language set to british english #and when i typed groin it was like did you mean groyne #and i was like no i sure as hell Did Not #aisha.txt

[therealvinelle]

Ive never read your harry potter fics before but the tom / carlisle pairing has me rolling. Is tom similarly characterized in your other fics?

Anon is referring to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to London, written by two anonymous authors who are most certainly not @theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin and myself.

Yes and no.

In The Man Who Would Be King (And in my to-be-revamped Cat Among the Pigeons) Tom is much older and has had very different life experiences than the Tom Riddle we meet in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to London.

In A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to London, Tom never went to Hogwarts. He never had to become Tom Riddle the perfect student, never had a reason to because he wasn't attending a prestigious boarding school anymore. This is why we've stressed his accent, as no Hogwarts means he didn't have to lose it, and his utter lack of prospects.

The way we've imagined Tom's life without Hogwarts is that he figured out magic on his own.

He never had a name for it nor a system, but considering his intelligence, how much he could do at eleven, and how we headcanon magic in the Harry Potter world, we figured he would only have gotten more sophisticated with time, if... not how Hogwarts would have taught him to do things. He has no wand, no concept of spells, so he'll categorize magic differently (for instance, Tom will consider transfiguring a table into a chair and a tree into a bush to be the same thing, whereas at Hogwarts they have an entire seven-year course dedicated to different ways of transfiguring objects) and there are forms of magic everyone in the wizarding world knows about but he won't because they never occurred to him to do. Potions, for instance, won't happen because he would have to sit down and say "I'm going to stir beetle eyes and crushed ox liver together to make a sleeping draught" instead of going to the pharmacy. Same with arithmancy, alchemy, and a whole set of branches of magic he'll never think to delve into while at the same time he's excelling at wandless magic.

All of this to say that while Tom never had a formal education, per this fic he became skilled enough to do things no one else could, and once he was sufficiently good at this he left the orphanage behind to make his own way, exchanging magical services for currency. Any other options that might in theory seem open to him we reasoned wouldn't be, as his abject poverty and the British class system would make it impossible (or at least, extremely difficult and thankless) for him to socially advance. That same class system meant he would have been made a redshirt if he enlisted in the army, and using magic to con his way up in the world wouldn't have been actually feasible.

So, Tom Riddle without Hogwarts has his own bastardized form of magic and, wanting to get the hell away from the orphanage while not having any other way of fending for himself, takes to living off his magic.

He doesn't leave London, doesn't even leave the part of London he'd lived in, because while it might be safer out in the country, the wartorn London is where he has his entire network. People know him, they may not like him but they know that he's not bluffing about the things he can do and that he can be relied upon. With the war going on there's plenty of work for him, he can demand a high price for his services because there will always be someone who can afford it.

Of course, he still doesn't have a future, and he knows it. He may grow more powerful, may get interesting commissions here and there, but ultimately he's headed nowhere in life and has nothing and no one to live for, and he knows it. When Carlisle Cullen comes along offering something to break the mould Tom latches on with everything he has, and that's where we get our fic.

All of this to say, Tom in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to London is living a radically different life than the one canon Tom lived, and it's worth noting he's much younger than the Tom we meet in any of my other fics featuring his character (the Muffin has a few fics where Tom is around the same age as here), and he acts it. So, while he retains the same personality and traits, and I can write long rambly posts like this one about why he turned out this way, he's different enough from his canon self that I had braced myself for the readers asking us, "How is this Tom Riddle and not an OC?" and find myself very surprised no one has done so.

#tom riddle #a funny thing happened on the way to london #my fics #the carnivorous muffin #the carnivorous muffin fic #praise

[primonizuto]

ive been rereading the bartimaeus books recently and god they are so fucking good like it's insane how good they are and i am speaking mostly of nathaniel and kitty here despite the fact that bart is my fav character of all time like

nathaniel is the worst guy ever of all time and it rules. it is so difficult to write a character who you unequivocally feel sympathy with in the first book slowly turning into the absolute worst piece of shit imaginable by the third book but IT IS DONE HERE. and ofc the series itself as a whole was so carefully plotted and everything felt so tight and concisely written, and a lot of the impetus behind the events in the books were very clearly spelled out bc it's YA lit so things Have to be clear, but it kind of still amazes me that there's so much connecting the metaphor (identity closely linked with the name you have and the face you present to the world; 'nathaniel' linked with compassion and idealism and individuality and creativity but also trauma vs 'john mandrake' linked with power and control and the repression of that trauma) with the worldbuilding (true names are dangerous weaknesses and so magicians are supposed to be nameless until they are old enough to be given their magician name) - something as simple as nathaniel being nathaniel during Amulet and Golem's Eye and then suddenly by book 3, at his nadir, he is john mandrake and everybody including bartimaeus calls him that... oof !!! it makes it stick out even more in Golem's Eye when he's still being called nathaniel in the narrative but everyone around him is calling him mandrake as a point of transition

KITTY JONES IS THE BEST YA HEROINE EVER WRITTEN BAR NONE!! i was talking abt this a while ago but it is so fucking cool that kitty's magical special power that she has (her resilience) is NOT what ultimately makes her special and important to the narrative. what makes her important is her capacity for compassion and her determination to follow through on her convictions, in this case with ptolemy's gate. her resilience is mainly there to give her a backstory and place her in opposition to the magicians, it's not there to make her the chosen one

i swear these books legitimately radicalised me as a kid. i remember reading the descriptions of the british empire in the books when i was maybe 11 or 12 and being like 'gee, i sure am glad it wasn't like that in real life', but when i was older and returned to the books i could see that it wasn't 'what if', it was allegory, extrapolating real history and applying it to the book's universe

also i'm not jewish and please correct me if i'm wrong but i think GE is one of the only fantasy stories written by a non-jewish (i think) author which uses golems as a plot point in a way that retains their jewish origins - bart explicitly mentions in his world that the golems, in line with our world's jewish folklore, were first made to protect the jewish people from pogroms!! it's not some case of like 'oh yeah golems are in this also. where did they come from, you ask? it's not important'

anyway didn't mean for this post to be so long but if you like reading fantasy alt history YA which is also a really impressive trilogy-long takedown of indoctrination, abuse and the british empire then i present to you the bartimaeus trilogy by jonathan stroud

also the prequel novel is good too and functions in every way that a prequel novel should by 1) fleshing out a few offhanded references from the main books into a contained story of its own and 2) making sure that story deepens our understanding of the main character and allows us to see him in a totally different light before a key element of his backstory had even happened which makes that element itself even more tragic and profound

#u can really tell ive been unable to post for 2 weeks lmao sorry

[rumor-imbris]

Hello, Lady Connor! I want to ask out of unbearable, suffocating curiosity in my heart, even though in the previous post you already said to not mention "that certain comic". Could you please enlighten me about your view on that comic and what you despise about it? I would love to read your detailed thoughts about it even if just once. But if this is too triggering for you, I'm truly sorry for your discomfort and you don't need to answer it.

Hello, dear Anon and welcome ^-^ It's weird you naturally called me Lady Connor, as usually only my little fairy @giuliettaluce does. Well, I guess her magic put a spell on everybody here!!

If you really care to know, I'll answer, but brace yourself, it's going to be very long, almost an essay, because I can be very detailed about that comic being a failure in its every part. There's so much to say. You're right, as I mentioned before, it can trigger me, but I have attentively analized it and I know it makes not a single atom of sense. So nothing can actually bother me that much, don't worry ^_-

First of all, my general consideration of the AC Reflections comic issue #4, (yeah, that thing -.-) is that of a mere attempt to desperately make Bayek's remote vision through Senu's eyes a canon feature. It was created and published in 2017, the same year AC Origins was released and yes, they needed an excuse to make believe Connor's alleged daughter inherited a skill someone (who isn't even their direct ancestor!!) that lived 1700 years ago in ancient Egypt had! OMG, this should be funny enough, but I'll go on. Also, I think it was likely a carelessly arranged way to satisfy those AC3 fans demanding a "happy ending" for unlucky Connor (quite 5 years later, of course).

I'll better go step by step to figure out where to start from, seriously.

1) In the comic, when Otso Berg opens the file related to Connor, the scene is set in "1796: Upstate New York." Now this is chronologically and spacially incoherent and illogical. We see Connor still wears his assassin outfit in it, right? According to AC Initiates (2012) in 1804 Connor invites the Dominican assassin Eseosa at the Davenport homestead to provide him some advices and further training as he's involved in the leading of the Haitian Revolution. That's a really cool character, read about him, if you want!

So, until then Connor is still an assassin, probably the mentor (by now) of the Colonial Brotherhood. He still runs the homestead and he still commands the Aquila, I guess, he's the captain still. I calculated the distance between the homestead and the then upper NY frontier territories is approximately 260 miles (quite far nowadays with cars and planes as well). Then, why the hell should he have a family located in the forest upstate NY? It sounds very unconfortable to run back and forth to reach them and go back to take care of all the Brotherhood matters, doesn't it? Unless he knew about teleportation!!! Also, wow, he lives all alone in a nice massive villa with all the comforts of that time while his children and wife still live in a Native village constantly menaced by settlers wanting to steal their land? Beside the fact that Connor, at least in my point of view, seemed at last very familiar with european way of living by the end of the game, this leads us to the next point.

2) By the time the game and the comic are set (second half of 18th century), most of the East Coast Native tribes were facing the tragic and forced migration to western and northern territories (mostly towards Canada, protected by the British) because of all the consequences of the Revolutionary War (lost territories, failed alliances, settlers advancing and buying their lands and so on). So tells us history, unfortunately. It's a fact. And this is wisely showed to us in the AC3 main game when, after all the Kanien'kehá:ka tribes had left the territory around Connor's village (yes, even those near New York, to be clear) even Connor's own tribe at last migrates west, leaving an empty ghost village. They had remained all along to protect the secret temple, but in the end they as well were forced to leave. So, to me it's highly improbable that in upstate NY, one could still find a tribe and even if so, that Connor would let his family live there and risk their safety everyday.

3) The whole comic plot revolves around the fact that Io:nhiòte has a "special gift"... She inexplicably knows how to read the ground and find animal traces, she also can perform a perfect twisted acrobatic flip in the air and land unharmed to the ground. Do we know why? No, don't ask! xD She simply knows U.U, even if right after the next scene she slips and falls miserably down a cliff xD, but... ok!! Beside that, when Connor is far away to search for some water and is about to be attacked by a wolf hidden in the grass nearby, she sees the whole scene from the eyes of an eagle flying in the sky above her. As I said before, this reminds us of Bayek's (never clearly explained) ability to see through his eagle Senu's eyes and spot dangers and enemies. Now can you tell me why the hell this little girl has super powers and a skill Bayek had? As I said, they are not even directely related, as Bayek is not one of Desmond Miles' ancestor, we know him simply because Layla's new Animus is magical and can inexplicably read fragmented DNA from people who died a thousand years ago (it can also prepair coffee, I think!). So, where did she get that from? Magic? Mysteries of life? Convenient improbable connections for marketing's sake? We'll never know and you should simply accept that and ask no question!

4) From her height, way of speaking/moving/running, I assume Io:nhiòte is at least 8 years old, 8 - 9 minimum. She's the youngest of three siblings, who must be at least two years older than her and than each other (according to a human woman pregnancy timing!). If the comic events are set 12 years after the main game ending (1784, when Connor also starts to train the young ex-slave Patience Gibbs, arriving at the Davenport homestead with Aveline De Grandpré, according to AC IV Black Flag bonus mission with Aveline), so, this means that in that same year Connor must have found hastily the love of his life in a Native village (as if he was easy to open himself with other people after all he's been through), married her, impregnated her and seen her give birth to their first child, all in the same year when (let's not foget! xD) he still is the leader of the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood at the Davenport homestead training novices. Now, this may even be possible humanly speaking, (well, if you force the things a bit and hurry up!) but highly unlikely to happen!! xD

These are the main problems affecting the logic of the comic in my opinion, the points making its foundations crumble apart. Though I'm sure there are many little others to point out, such as Otso Berg "opening" Connor's files... like what? Where did those data come out from? I remember playing AC IV Black Flag and uncovering a file where Abstergo researchers themselves closed access to his memories as there was "nothing appealing to this character anymore"! So, if no more researches were conducted on him since 2013, where did Mr Berg magically or conveniently discovered such data in 2017?

Or... do we want to talk about the cover? It shows Connor in the spirit outfit from the Tyranny of King Washington DLC, which has apparently nothing to do with the comic, since it is set in his present day and he wears his assassin standard robe. Now, I think that can be either a simple marketing choice to make the comic more appealing, as... well, that cover is so cool, let's admit that, or maybe the subtle suggestion that the events told in it are just a parallel Disney-like reality and are not to be considered true at all! xD i don't know, maybe both explanations are right.

I'm sure that the deeper i dig, the more nothing rational I'll find!

If you played the old games, if you know well the franchise and its lore, the true, good, old AC lore, you definitely realize by yourself how that comic is useless and senseless.

This doesn't mean I do not wish an "happy ending" for Connor. But I'd rather accept something coherent with the main game events and AC chronology. Also, it doesn't necessarily needs to be a "happy" ending, as they conveniently created to please complaining fans. I wished for something real... coherent with his personality, acquired life-style and endless sense of duty and values.

Maybe that's what pushed me to write my FanFic novel in the first place, after all... To give him MY OWN cohesive ending, including my love, for love is always needed, I guess.

I'm so sorry if the answer took this long in time and words, but you were warned! ^w^

Though, thank you... Seriously, thank you so much for asking. You made me reflect once more about this matter.

Come visit me again, if you want. Take care

- Rumor Imbris 🦋

P.S. Oh, and if you're interested, this is my "jelousy song", for when things like this trigger my inner witch!! xD

#ask #ask me anything #I Am the Storm!!!! #AC3 Reflections #why it sucks #why it makes no sense #thanks for asking #anon ask

[crowsent]

a fuckton of things i want in da4

a few words censored bc tumblr will swallow this in the void if i dont. long ass fuck list ahead

a romanceable dwarf

more romanceable elves/qunari

more elf/qunari/dwarf companions

consistent writing for once

more nb representation

good hair. please just give me good hair options. give me long hair. give me luxurious flowing locks. give me braids. give me good fucking hair options

let me shittalk the chantry

dalish elf npcs that impact the plot in unique ways

dalish elf companions that are proud of being dalish

if it is set in tevinter maybe uh. maybe address the issue of systemic oppression (and slavery) of elves???????

a return of the friendship/rivalry system in da2 but improved. maybe instead of a friendship rivalry sliding scale its friendship/rivalry/animosity sliding scale. bc rivalry is more like. two people pushing each other to be better than they were before. friendly competition. hes an idiot but hes my idiot kind of deal. animosity would be just regular disapproval. i liked the crisis cutscenes in dai so high animosity would be the same as low approval and might make the companion leave still, but theres more variety with high approval. high approval “friendship” would be the “were best friends and we share many opinions and agree on almost everything” while high approval “rivalry” being “we disagree on almost everything but goddamn it youre my friend and ill follow you into the fade if i have to” so you can have a high approval with someone instead of being a kissass

actions and choices having consequences again

multiple endings again (epilogue slideshows dont count)

dialogue wheels with descriptions that match what you actually say

characters from rivain, antiva, anderfels, etc

gifts. bring back the gifts. i want to give my companions gifts

maybe. maybe a focus of non-andrastian religion for once?

let me shittalk the chantry

i know its a stretch, but maybe. diverse skin colours. please?

nd characters that are written respectfully and treated w dignity

please bring back the talent wheel from dao and da2

more bi romance options

more wlw romance options

more mlm romance options

ace romance options

nb romance options

background romances

let me shittalk the chantry

far fetched but maybe a polycule?

i lowkey LOVED the fast-paced feel of da2s combat so maybe bring that back in some form? maybe improved to mesh with the tactics of dai to give players absolute freedom of playstyle whether they want to be like me and rush into every encounter or play more strategically

companions with unique companion abilities

would be nice to explore cities

would be nice if the open world were a little smaller so it doesnt feel empty all the gd time

more mage spells. mages felt like just another class of fighter to me in dai. they dont really have any awe-inducing wow factor like in dao or even da2. if the narrative wants me to believe that mages are powerful and dangerous and that it takes multiple templars to hunt down an apostate, maybe show that? give me strong mages

remove the jump ability. its pointless

a narrative that addresses the oppression that the chantry and templars perpetuated please

bring back the attributes

make the choices in dai matter. mages governing themselves? i wanna see that

let me shittalk the chantry

please bring back the healing magic for fucks sakes

multi-class system between rogues and warriors?

multiple specialisations that feel like specialisations and not just skill tree+

player-only skill trees

hardening

companion quests that affect their abilities and further dialogue

actual morally grey choices instead of this stupid mage freedom vs templar oppression narrative that is in no way morally grey but is presented as such and thus leaves the conflicts and narratives set up by dao and da2 to be fucking meaningless

bring back the tactics

would be nice to have an origins-esque prologue again. maybe one that would determine future events in game just to give your character better narrative cohesion with the plot

an approval/disapproval system but for companions with other companions. bringing certain companions together may bring them closer or make them pissed off with each other which affects banter maybe quests maybe combat

give me a fucking mabari bioware. give me back my fucking mabari

day/night cycle

a nightmare mode where you have to finish the main quest on a time limit. it is absurd that dai expects me to believe that i have all this time to do wartable missions that can take literal real life DAYS to finish and still thwart corypheus’ plans in time. bullshit

that said. no more wartable missions. waiting for a countdown to finish isnt very fun

let me shittalk the chantry

kal-sharok. ive been hearing about it since dao let me fucking see kal-sharok

dwarven politics

politics in general. my fav dao quest was the succession crisis plotline in orzammar/the landsmeet and wewh in dai

npcs i can talk to. even with generic dialogue like in dao. makes the world more alive

using the environment to your advantage. far fetched but i would love to be able to pull down boulders if were in the mountains or freeze water to get to places as a mage

home base customisation but the customisation choices you make actually. mean something. and do something. or at the very least give more companion dialogue/banter/approval change

laconic and ergonomic codexes. like. sorted by what kind of codex it is, etc etc but then you just get a brief summary of the codex and the option to read more about it so i dont spend eternity scrolling through cards looking for a specific codex entry. cool aesthetic dont get me wrong but real irritating to deal with. also. maybe. the pc making comments about the codex if you do read more about it? like a dalish elf saying “they got it all wrong” when reading a codex about dalish elves written by a human??? that would a) give character to the pc b) incentivise people to actually read the codex to see what was so wrong about it c) summarise the codex for people who want to learn the lore but dont want to spent the entire game reading text

maybe have the merchants in your home base close to crafting stations so you dont have to take a fucking hike if you miscounted the amount of elfroot you need?

let me shittalk the chantry

avvar companion maybe??? interesting lore right there

bring back stat requirements for weapons and remove the class restriction for most shit. obviously a dagger would be better for a rogue than a longsword and a mage would do better with a staff than a sword and shield but its not about efficiency. its about the roleplay. its about the options. give me the option to make a mage with wildly inappropriate stat distribution

bring back sustained mode abilities

traps. bring back traps. bring back the option to stealth into an area, trap the fuck out of it, and go from there

have the three available classes in kind of a rock paper scissors scenario. warriors do real well against rogues who do real well against mages who do real well against warriors. so you can plan your party depending on who/what youll face AND how much their approval will change during the quest you take them on

let me shittalk the chantry

actually resolve the plot points introduced in dai

a more threatening villain. the inquisitor thwarted every attempt made by corypheus in dai. he was not threatening at all

queer characters. background, companions, etc. queer characters

mounts were meh in dai. maybe. make them faster? or less cumbersome? or have your companions on mounts too so theres still banter?

i liked the armour tinting. let me have armour tinting from the beginning

i would really like mages to move and attack at the same time bc lowkey standing in one spot is uhhhhhhh kinda boring

let me check companions friendship/rivalry levels

would be nice if the narrative acknowledged that elves suffered greatly at the hands of the chantry and stopped victim-blaming them

more taverns. specifically like tapsters in dao where theres a dwarf just reciting something in a language i cant understand and if you look its a ballad/poet about dwarven culture and that was a real nice touch let me have that

dalish elf clan. dalish elf clan that does not get murdered please and thank you

meaningful quests. more cinematic dialogue

make found gear / quest reward gear more valuable than crafted gear

game modifiers like in dai were real nice. i want more

let me shittalk the chantry

quests that can be resolved in multiple ways. like connors fate in dao. and for those ways to impact further quests

companions with varying moral alignments

companions that are mutually exclusive (like alistair and loghain) but are both good companions so itd really make you think

a pc that IS NOT a “chosen one” vanilla da2 is my fav dragon age game for one reason and one reason only and that is because hawke is just some random refugee who escaped lothering. no chosen one magic at all. just an ordinary person who is a real good fighter. and that appealed to me more than this “you are the only one who can do it” narrative

let me meet more elvhen gods

if the setting is in tevinter, GIVE ME FUCKING ARCHITECTURE. give me the high spires, the archways, the buttresses, give me statues lining city gates and magic infused into the buildings. tevinter is a land ruled by MAGES give me magical architecture. give me floating buildings. give me fire floating as orbs above the streets like lamps. GIVE ME ARCHITECTURE

SHALE

let me shittalk the chantry

PIERCINGS GIVE ME FUCKING PIERCINGS BIOWARE

more main quests, longer main quests

if it is set in tevinter maybe. maybe address the fact that tevinter has been at war with the qunari for a while? on and off war is still war. and maybe give us the option to influence the outcome of that war?

more voice options. instead of just american voice or british voice, do the thing in dao again where there are multiple voices of different tones to further cement the pcs personality

more armour designs

biased but uh. can. can taliesen jaffe va a character?

i already said qunari companions but specifically saarebas companions

blood magic

FINISHING MOVE ANIMATIONS

please do not let it be as long as inquisition. inquisition was a SLOG in later playthroughs

body sliders. what if i want a tall but lanky qunari? what if i want a buff as shit elf? body sliders

more eye options

let me call out companions

btw bioware. if you really wanted cullen to be a good guy. maybe handle his fucking redemption arc a little better instead of retconning all the terrible and creepy shit hes done in the past k thx

can female walk/run animations not have. so much swaying hips? no one moves like that

personality dialogue that affects future dialogue like in da2 but meshed with the wider range of emotions introduced by dai

keep the race/s*x lock on romance candidates like in dai. keep the fact that some characters can only be romanced by certain races or s*xes

nb and genderqueer options for the pc

cutscenes of companions interacting

ngl i lowkey liked the random encounters of dao so maybe bring that back

my fav quest in dao is the landsmeet / orzammar succession crisis questline but you know whats my second favourite? the rescue mission if the warden gets captured and you have to play as your party members. give me that again

more creepy/dark shit. dai was too lighthearted for me esp after da2 and dao

let me shittalk the chantry

broodmothers. in hd.

red lyrium broodmothers. in hd

companions with different backgrounds. different faiths. different statuses. different families. etc

maybe make the pcs appearance make an impact on the story? like how bull says he likes redheads, but even if you are a redhead, he says nothing about it????? maybe keep track of which slider the player picks so that can affect the story?

i love my inquisitors but maybe. dont. bring the inquisitor in as anything more than an advisor/npc in this game? let me fall in love with a new pc???

if theres gonna be a homebase like skyhold where youre not in armor. maybe give us better clothing?

a kind of gear skin mechanic similar to ac:odyssey where you can change how the gear looks but keep the stats. so you can equip that higher level armour and keep the look and aesthetic of your old armour and you unlock the skins/looks of the armours you discover/make so you can be both powerful AND aesthetic

i enjoyed the nobility/underworld/arcane/etc knowledge in dai unlocking more dialogue options so maybe keep/expand on that but make it more accessible by side missions or companions or something that isnt the abysmal perk system in dai

let me shittalk the chantry

customisable walking animations. does the pc walk straightbacked? slouched? with a swagger? please

since there will undoubtedly be an obligatory fade sequence, maybe have an option for nightmare demons that ARENT spiders. thank you

slap on subtitles and conlang some languages. i want to hear elvish. i want to hear tevene. give me the languages

more dragons. esp if they look vastly different

more bard songs

i am completely biased here, but i would like to hear laura bailey as a va for a character. preferably a voice option for the pc

hey maybe have the true ending actually included in the base game and not in a dlc (tresppasser cough cough)

better val royeaux

please remove the had to do it to em idle animation tis distracting

on that note, more idle animations. maybe some unique to companions?

very trivial but. unique stair climbing/descending animation

bring back talking to companions on the road. maybe with some dialogue that can only be said on the road???

if banter is interrupted, make like rdr2 and pick up where the banter left off

more vallaslin designs please?

if theres another formal scene like dai maybe. give us. decent clothing. or better yet, decen clothing OPTIONS. i wanna decide how i look in a ball full of haughty orlesians

mage vs templar conflict resolved and addressed please. it is NOT resolved in dai. what we got was sequel bait and a slideshow. resolve it please

let me shittalk the chantry

a pro-mage anti-circle circle mage companion like anders

religious person who doesnt victim-blame elves in the codex or in game or anywhere please

characters more like leliana who question the chantry and acknowledge its corruption and greed

unapologetically sapphic companion

idc if its tevinter i dont want to fucking see queer people being disrespected

a true tal-vashoth companion, one who escaped from the qun

have quest decisions affect whether or not a companion will turn hostile to you or not

if IF solas will be redeemed, please do the redemption arc right

more horn options for qunari

an apostate mage who doesnt use me for their personal agenda whilst hiding something from me (morrigan, anders, solas) thanks

i really dig the whole “leader of an army” thing dai was trying to go for. but you didnt actually. lead. anything. would be nice to have that option. command soldiers. send them places that affect further quests. would even use the wartable for its intended purpose. planning wars. battles. like. you get sent word that there are bandits harassing villagers. you can set up an ambush with your soldiers or confront them headon, and theres a new mini-location on the map like the manor you meet vivienne in where you can go deal with the bandits and depending on your choices, there are actually soldiers with you in a field, or traps in a narrow pass, or even in a city. id rather the wartable shit dont return but if they have to, at least this way youre not just waiting real life time for a bunch of text to appear

i am real fucking excited for the possibility that da4 companions can just fucking die on you. good shit. give me that angst

missions that certain companions would refuse to go with you to. you know. so you actually have to use other members of your party instead of the same 3 (three) people all the goddamn time

disabled characters (i want a character who suffers from the same chronic bad leg disease as i do is that too much to ask)

kinda touched on by the da2 combat point but let me do close combat damage with the staff

no multiplayer. and if there is a multiplayer, dont tie it with achievements

let me fucking explore weisshaupt

(i dont think solas will be the endgame villain of da and i dont think da4 will be the last da game but still) again. for emphasis. resolve the plot points dai brought up

full-body scars and tattoo options

companions and npcs changing their opinions about things over time. eg: a pro-circle mage wanting instead for circles to be abolished after a specific side mission or a main quest decision etc

keep the multiple companion quests. and maybe change what kinds of companion quests are available further down depending on choices made in previous companion quests

please for fucks sake give us more characters of colour

let me shittalk the chantry

#dragon age #dragon age 4 #da4 #long post #its 3 am and i am once again putting on my clown wig bc bioware will fucking disappoint me again

[burtfromohio]

This is a bunch of OC stuff

Big long post, will take energy to get through. Enjoy.

Nessalyn Aradath

     Born to Joselyn Aradath and a father who is not in the picture. After Joselyn had Nessalyn, she moved from her home (in an underwater city I’m sure exists) to Elmville in Solace to have a better life with her daughter and to decrease the chances of seeing her slimy ex.

     Nessalyn (Ness) grew up in a very suburban non exciting environment. Her mom let her go to Aguefort because she thought adventuring would let out any pent up energy and curb any teenage rebellion. In school, Ness completed her freshman year as a fighter who wields a trident then multiclassed wizard with ice spells as her go to (because of the aesthetic). Also because of aesthetic I think she fuses her focus into her trident so she can cast from it. After graduation, Ness wanted to continue adventuring through college and go into a career that includes adventure; however, her mom convinced her to “choose a sustainable career choice”. Ness went to a four year university and became an accountant after college. She felt fine with it mostly, but after getting out of a very bland relationship, she knew she had to reevaluate her life.

     While cleaning and redecorating her living space, she finds her old trident and decides to screw what anyone says and start adventuring again. She’s kept up her health and endurance so she thinks she can go back into it but she’s really rusty with magic and combat stuff (see rust condition in the players handbook I’m not writing lol). She takes all her money and puts a lot of it in a bag of holding to hide it and goes out into the ocean to, at 26, start life over and become a pirate because what else do you do as a semi aquatic with pent up aggression.

     She makes her pirate living by taking jobs from non water breathers on Leviathan to dive for treasure. She of course skims a little treasure to keep for herself in her bag of holding that no one knows she has as she keeps many bags on her belt, delivers the treasure after which she is paid her cut.

     She does find her way to The Gold Gardens and meets Garthy (bc that’s why I made her in the first place) and after some fanfiction worthy stuff and time they become really good close friends. I like to think Garthy confides in her as much as she confides in them.

Side notes:

Ness gets her name from my usual screen name plus Triton naming conventions

I use my regular voice (standard american accent) for her just a bit more mature and optimistic sounding i guess

This is me if i could be a cool pirate almost mermaid and friends with everyone at the Gold Gardens especially Garthy

Urchin

     Born to an neglectful orc mother she doesn’t really remember and a shitty triton father she remembers only slightly with great hatred. When she was very young, her mother gave her to her deadbeat father to take care of which he did for like a month then dropped her off where he thought was the most civilized place in the middle of the ocean that was close and convenient. He was wrong and left the young child to fend for herself on Leviathan. He kind of just dropped her on the lowest, closest stoop from the ocean which ended up being The Bilge.

     She hid in the dark until she was brave enough to head out where more people were to find help. She was treated incredibly poorly. In fact, when asked what her name is, her answer is “the only thing anyone has called me is ‘a filthy street urchin’. Makes sense,”. She did catch a glimpse of fighting especially from the Row and the Ruction and learned that the only way to survive was to be able to fight and hide and steal. She slept in only the darkest parts of Leviathan and sometimes had to hideaway in the ocean. She stole two gorgeous scimitar (gold hilt, black blade)from a ship with no detection. She classifies as a fighter and rogue.

     She stalks in the shadows and has at least a little info on everyone in Leviathan. Her dream is to sink the whole place down but with powerful people like Ayda and Garthy calling Leviathan home, she wouldn’t dare act on her desire.

     Urchin did once try to reach out to Garthy but upon seeing the gorgeous people who wandered about in The Gold Gardens, she assumed they would turn their noses up at her like most people did and assumed that about Garthy as well because those people were the type of company they keep.

     She has gathered info to try to track her mother and father down and confront them by stealing various documents and records from all over Leviathan and any significant ships. She doesn’t find her mother that way but she did find her father or at least his name.

Side notes:

Urchin has a real name read below

I use a kind of british accent for her voice (think Karliah Skyrim) with a little more idk cockney in there

This is just a really good idea i had and not me at all

~~~~~

The two now women do eventually have a chance encounter while Nessalyn hides in the Bilge from some people she screwed over. Urchin wants absolutely nothing to do with anyone and she knows base information about Ness (not her whole name tho), the optimistic new pirate wannabe who captured the heart of Garthy and everyone at The Gold Gardens. Ness is surprised at this and Urchin is surprised that Ness gives her the time of day since no one has ever spoken to her at length. When Ness asks her name she uses the quote above. Ness then vows to become Urchin’s friend because why not. Urchin hates this but maybe deep down likes it because she’s never had a friend and craves the affection she never had. After much persisting from Ness and repeat visits to talk, Urchin opens up about her shit family and how she has found some key info on her father and his whereabouts. Turns out his name is Syrus Aradath and he is held up in some sleezy underwater city that I’m sure exists. Ness is taken aback because that’s her last name (also to Urchins surprise since full names aren’t important unless they belong to powerful people)but doesnt know much about her father’s side of the family. All she knows is the one thing her mom had mentioned when she was worked up. Something about having to leave her two timing dirtbag husband who cheated on her when he was supposedly on a business trip but really he went to visit an orc. Then the final piece comes together with that memory and Ness is elated that she figured out that they are in fact half sisters with Ness being a little older though Urchin does not know her exact date of birth (Ness offers to share her birthday bc she’s cute like that). Urchin isn’t excited but in time warms up to the idea. They do forge a sisterly bond. Urchin finally meets Garthy and feels bad that she assumed they were going to be like mean or something. The two embark on a journey to confront their shit father and they do and tell him off and its cathartic and whatnot in the way that their father lives a deserved shitty life in an undersea hovel with many people mad at him for one reason or another. He truthfully claims he has no other children and Urchin gets the info on her mom, Valra Head Smasher, and goes off to confront her by herself for closure purposes. She does find her and sees that she leans more on the side of traditional orc (tough and mean). Her mom tells her that she was very small and weak when she was born and didn’t deserve a name that was fully orcish so she named her something kind of orcish but leaning more towards her weakling father’s heritage or something. Her real name is Korhal Aradath. Valra commends Urchin’s bravery of tracking her down and confronting her.

thats what ive got :p

#my ocs #long post #this qualifies as fanfiction huh #pirates of leviathan #fantasy high #dimension 20

[thewreckkelly]

Paraskevidekatriaphobics and all that ‘Stuff’ (31 Oct 20)

I was asked by the young daughter of a friend recently what the biggest / longest word I know is.

Initially I chose to provide this young lady with three words that are long but not among the longest I know. I did this because the words in question have the advantage of being connected and also allowed me to sound clever by providing strange examples of their use and reason for existence therefore making it easier for this little girl to remember rather than pronounce.

They are also among my favorite big words – yes I have favorite big words, what’s wrong with that?

-o-

Friday and the number 13 both have a bit of a reputation when put together. According to credible sources Friday 13th is responsible for the most widespread superstition in our Western World.

The word or term for fear of Friday 13th is; ‘Paraskevidekatriaphobia’ and was introduced to the dictionary by a certain Dr. Donald Dossey who happens to be a psychotherapist specialising in the treatment of phobias and stress related conditions along with being pretty categorical in stating that as many as 21 million Americans (of a non-Jedi persuasion obviously) are affected by this long word affliction.

The fear of the number 13 has its own big word; ‘Triskaidekaphobia’ – coined in 1910 by yer man Isador Coriat of Abnormal Psychology renown.

Random exempli gratia of the number 13 being the bad guy ….. though in one case, the goodie  

According to Norse legend twelve gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla. Loki (God of pricking about - a loose description), had been left off the guest list but crashed the party, bringing the total number of deity there to 13.

Loki raised hell by inciting Hod, (Blind God of winter), to attack Balder, (Good God) causing the sightless deity to take a spear of mistletoe and hurl it at Balder, killing him instantly. Everyone in Valhalla grieved and agreed 13 people at a dinner party was bad luck – a strange conclusion given everything else in the myth, but there ye go!

The Turks disliked the number 13 so much that it has been removed from their vocabulary.  

Significantly more cities in America do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue than do.  

Most high buildings do not have a 13th floor even if they have a 13th floor.  

Having 13 letters in your name is not good – ask; Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted (Theodore) Bundy or Albert De Salvo.  

There are 13 witches in a coven – I know this because I know the witches of the north used to observe their Sabbath by gathering in a cemetery in the dark of the moon. On one such occasion the Friday goddess, ‘Freya’ – no doubt a degenerate descendent of ‘Frigg’ but more about her shortly - came down from her sanctuary in the mountaintops and appeared before the group, who numbered only 12 at the time, and gave them one of her cats, after which the witches’ coven comprised  …. er …..13.  

However, some civilizations regarded the number as lucky. 

To ancient Egyptians life was a quest for spiritual ascension which unfolded in stages — twelve in this life and a thirteenth eternal one beyond - making the number aspirational rather than superstitious! 

Finally it behooves me, a man, to point out there are thirteen menstrual cycles in an average year.  

With regard to Friday …..

‘Friggatriskaidekaphobia’ is the word that means fear of Friday and is named after ‘Frigg’, the Norse goddess whom also let her name be bastardised to make up the English spelling of the day.

The best I can do on Lady Frigg is refer you to a 12th century depiction of a cloaked but otherwise nude woman riding a large cat - it can be seen on a wall in the German Cathedral of Schleswig – a weird association to the aforementioned Freya and her pussy don’t ya think?

Some ‘Friggday’ Superstitions:

Never change your bed on Friday as it will bring bad dreams.  

Never start a trip on Friday or misfortune will be yours to take the blame for.  

Never cut your nails on Friday, for if you do you cut them for sorrow.  

Never set sail on a Friday or bad luck will be yours.

(This one has a level of credibility. Back in the day the British government decided to get rid of the old sailor superstition that it was bad luck to sail on a Friday. So they commissioned a new merchant ship which they named ‘H.M.S. Friday’. They began work on building the boat on a Friday. They recruited the crew on a Friday. They hired a man named Jim Friday as captain. The launched amid great fanfare on a Friday. H.M.S. Friday’s maiden voyage began on a Friday and, upon sailing over the horizon and beyond the vision of dockside un-superstitious well wishers, thereafter was never seen or heard from again.)  

And on to Biblical reasons to be cautious of Friday;

It was on a Friday Eve tempted Adam with her forbidden fruit  

The Great Flood began on a Friday  

The Almighty tongue-tied the builders of the Tower of Babel on a Friday  

The Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday

Friday was the day of the week on which Christ was crucified (many would argue his fate was sealed because there were 13 at a supper that proved to be his last)

Moving away from the Good Book ………..  

In Pagan Rome, Friday was decreed Execution Day.

In medieval Britain Friday was known as Hangman’s Day – what did the Romans ever do for us eh?

Finally, a ‘proper’ source for research:

If none of the above is convincing then I ask you consult an unimpeachable extraordinary reference work which states emphatically that the stigma attached to Friday 13th came about because of a catastrophe, a single historical event occurring over 700 years ago – and I quote:

‘On October 13, 1307, a day so infamous that Friday the 13th would become a synonym for ill fortune, officers of King Philip IV of France carried out mass arrests in a well-coordinated dawn raid that left several thousand Templar’s — knights, sergeants, priests, and serving brethren — in chains, charged with heresy, blasphemy, various obscenities, and homosexual practices. None of these charges was ever proven, even in France — and the Order was found innocent elsewhere — but in the years following the arrests, hundreds of Templar’s suffered excruciating tortures intended to force “confessions,” and more than a hundred died under torture or were executed by burning at the stake.’  

It’s in italics in the ‘Da Vinci Code’ and therefore must be taken as ‘gospel’ one would have to concede.

-o-

The longest word I do know - 45 letters - but struggle to pronounce – it isn’t really a real word anyway - is:

‘Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanocon’ - defined in the OED as being a form of ‘silicosis’ which is, apparently, a disease of some sort to do with the lungs.

[cherryfloyd-blog]

Jimmy Page - Behind Closed Doors

There are so many cookie crumbs to this story and I truly put as much research into this as my brain could handle. What started as a fun idea, soon turned into a late night adventure of notes sprawled across my bed, snacks to keep the energy going, glasses on; with a pen sticking of my mouth as I thumbed through as many pages of literature that I could get my hands on. There are several parts of this but for the sake of remaining unbiased I will keep it as straightforward and simple as I can. There has been a rumour floating around for fifty odd years, that Led Zeppelin; more specifically Jimmy Page, had made a deal with the devil. In this article, I will break down the events that have lead people to believe such things. In the end, it will remain impartial and will be open to interpretation which we can discuss further.

 To begin, let’s talk about Jimmy’s growing idolisation and obsession with Aleister Crowley, famous for being an occult leader and magician. For more back story, Crowley was a British occultist who became known for pioneering the practice of black magic (or magick as he would call it). Aleister called himself Beast 666 and wrote literature on black magic and the occult, making him a major cult figure. He joined a few popular organizations to begin with, but ventured off into his own self created philosophy. Crowley believed himself to be the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into  the Eon of Horus, thus founding the Religion of Thelema. 

(Below is the logo of Thelema)

Pictures of Crowley have since been discreetly used in pop culture, as if a small tribute. For example; The Beatles featured Crowley on their album cover art for Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club, he can be seen in the back row, if I’m correct. Building off of Page’s affinity for Crowley, which began to noticeably build by the mid to late 60’s, Page financed to own a bookstore in Britain which specialized in selling publishings of the occult and black magik. Needless to say, Jimmy was in deep at this point but still only scratching the surface of infatuation. The bookstore was named “The Equinox” which was also the name of a book that Crowley himself had written on the occult and magic. To this day, Jimmy Page has the second largest collection of Crowley memorabilia and literature, which is no small expense. His bookstore is now closed, but back in the day had been in stock of some very pricey and hard to come by black magik publications.

Another thing I found interesting, was Page being heavily influenced by very iconic blues artists, such as Robert Leroy Johnson (okay, maybe not that interesting, everyone in rock cites him as being the backbone of rock n roll today) nonetheless, Johnson died at the age of 27 from unsolved and suspicious causes. He never became famous while he was alive, but rumour has it that Johnson had also sold his soul to the devil in return for fame, at a crossroads, which Robert mentions in a few songs. A very small, unrelated tidbit of information, but it makes you wonder if our rock star idols gave up more than a normal life, to become internationally loved and recognized.

Around the year 1970, Jimmy had supposedly asked the band to perform a ritual with him, one that would bring them power and something along the lines of everlasting life? I know right, no biggie, just dabbling with some dark forces. Anyone that knows black magik, can tell you that spells like this are not something to be taken lightly or messed with. John Paul Jones was allegedly the only one to not take part in this pact, which you’ll later realize why that makes all of this so much more strange than it already is. If you think about it, had they made such a pact it would make sense. Robert Plant has made it to the list of top 100 best singers of all time in Rock history, not only that but made it to number one (1). Jimmy Page? Well he’s seen as a god and legend by almost every guitar player in the modern world, and has been ranked number two, only one spot behind Jimi Hendrix. John Bonham has been recognized as one of the best double kick drummers in history, quite literally, every drummer looks up to him as also an almost god like figure. As for John Paul Jones? There is no doubt the man is wicked talented, but not nearly as talked about or famed. We can all acknowledge the man has serious talent, and yet seems to be left in the shadows of his peers.

The first evidence of this pact can be seen with the album Led Zeppelin III, between the end of the last song and the paper label is the outro groove written into the vinyl was “So mote it be” on one side and “Do what thou wilt” on the other. The are basic phrases that are the core of Crowley’s belief system. By this point people were determined that Jimmy had become a member of O.T.O , and organization and cult who’s most influential and iconic member was none other than Crowley. More about the organization can be read about in a link below, but it should be noted that they have four pillar rules; one of which is to not speak of the organization to others or discuss the practices of which they studied. A rule, that Jimmy Page is believed to have broken at one point.

The second piece of evidence was apparent with the release of Led Zeppelin IV, when symbolism became a driving force. Inside the album is a painting of the hermit (a powerful tarot symbol), later in life Jimmy would refer to himself as being something of a hermit despite being a major public figure. The album provides no title, and shows no band name on the cover, but on the inside are four brightly printed logos across the sleeve. From left to right, these symbols represent Page, Jones, Bonham and Plant. Page has said in interviews that the symbols (for the most part) were taken from Rudolf Koch’s 1955 Book of Signs. Plant’s symbol is probably the easiest to decipher - as it is the feather of truth and courage, from the origins of Egyptian goddess Ma’at. John Bonham’s is believed to be either a drum kit, or the symbol of trinity of a family unit (meaning father, mother, child). John Paul Jones, which was likely picked by Jimmy, was the a celtic sigil for confidence and competence. However, Jimmy’s logo has always been the hardest to breakdown and figure out. While most people believe his logo represents saturn (which controls the Capricorn sign, Jimmy is a Capricorn so it would make sense), there is a certain level of mystery behind it. Page has famously said he will never tell anyone what it means. Thought Plant has once said that Page revealed the full meaning of all four signs, including a detailed discussion of what Zoso meant. Admittedly, Plant expressed he was too drunk to remember by the next morning, and when he had asked Page about it again, page replied with saying he couldn’t/wouldn’t discuss it. Now this could very well be Jimmy’s antics, or just general mysterious persona, or perhaps he simply cannot discuss or reveal information. Perhaps, this is the one of the four pillar rules of O.T.O that Page had broken. Jimmy is an all around very private person, who very rarely, if at all, talks about his religious or spiritual beliefs or practices.

It is worth noting that Sandy Denny (pictured below) of Fairport Convention, the voice on The Battle of Evermore track, was given her own sigil. The logo is translated to Godhead or the power of female.

According to Pamela Des Barres, Pages girlfriend of this era, has said that at this point Jimmy got very deep into the studying of Crowley, and had even asked her to search San Francisco and Los Angles for Crowley memorabilia. She had not fallen short on this task, and managed to dig up some very impressive artifacts, manuscripts, and even “magical” robes that Crowley has worn. In 1970, around the time of the ritual, Page had dropped a large chunk of cash to acquire Crowley’s mansion, Boleskine, located on Loch Ness. The home, once owned by Crowley, had a large history of suicides and an even bigger turnover rate of employees as they found the home to be no doubt inhabited by dark entities. Regardless of what one may believe, the house holds a sinister vibe. Page later sold the home in 1992, and had actually been very wary of ever living there and had left the estate in a caregivers possession. Of the 22 years that he had owned the house, he only spent 6 weeks in total living there. In 2016, the house unexplainably burned down. (pictured below is Jimmy at the mansion) 

 Now this next part is where shit gets bonkers, so to speak, the rest so far has been rumours and back stories and alleged encounters. Just a man with an obsession, and depending on your personal beliefs, you may find that he took his practices too far. Perhaps his intentions were pure, but looking at his life in general, what did Jimmy have to sacrifice to become quite literally a noteable person in history. Well let’s see.

Introducing Kenneth Anger; a fellow Crowley disciple and filmmaker, drug taker and subversive. He spent most of his time drawing magic circles, burning incense and chanting spells in Enochian - trying to do a real ritual exorcism. Plans for his film Lucifer Rising began to fall apart when Bobby Beausoleil (lead actor) - had to quit. Bobby, who later stole rough cuts and cameras from Anger would soon regret this. To take revenge, Anger supposedly made a talisman to curse Bobby. Within a year, Beausoleil had ended up convicted of murder with a life sentence for the murder of Sharon Tate as part of the Manson family murders. Wild, I know. Possibly just a coincidence, or even just a tall tale.

Cue Jimmy Page, who had agreed to do the soundtrack for Angers film, and the music Jimmy had produced is exactly what you’d expect. Dark, eerie, and perfect for a film of satanic proportions. Some of which can actually be heard in the intro for “In The Out Door”, his melancholy and devilish sound coming through in the song “In The Evening”. Kenneth and Jimmy had a love/hate relationship, and what started as a mutual appreciation and dedication to Crowley’s practice and image, soon turned to ugly turmoil just as quickly. Anger moved into Boleskine, where him and Page shared a love for Crowley memorabilia. However, as their friendship deteriorated, Anger was asked to leave the Crowley mansion. At the height of Led Zeppelin’s career, Jimmy had pulled out of the film project in 1975. Allegedly, Anger soon stated that he had cursed Page and Zepp with a major spell, a spell so big that it took all of Crowley’s teachings he could muster up, to cast upon them.

 Almost immediately, the band started to experience turbulence and the eventual downfall of their career as one tragedy after another struck them to the core. Robert Plant was in a car crash, plunging off a cliff in Greece in 1975, nearly killing himself, his wife and his son Karac. Which meant cancelling the Physical Graffiti tour and having to record in a wheelchair. The make up tour was littered with negative events starting with Plant getting Laryngitis. Followed by ticketless fans in Cincinnati rioting and storming the gates. In San Francisco, manager Peter Grant and John Boham had gotten into a fight with Bill Graham, and nearly beating a Bill Graham employee to death. Both Grant and Bonham narrowly escaping serious charges and incarceration. Karac eventually fell ill, and no amount of money would make him better, as doctors had no idea what was wrong, by 1977 Karac had passed away and the tour was cancelled. At this point, Plant had quit the band and music in general in response to Page and Jones not showing up to his sons funeral.

Around this time, Page was nearly comatose on a daily basis due to a crippling Heroine addiction, and Bonhams alcoholism was raging out of control, becoming increasingly violent and unpredictable. In 1978, Sandy Denny, the goddess of the Battle of Evermore, drunkenly plunged down a flight of stairs; breaking her neck and died. The tip of the iceberg was the incident that occurred in September of 1980. Handlers had tucked Bonzo into bed after a band rehearsal, following a night of heavy drinking; assuming he would be okay, he’s done it a million times before, right? But as well know, John tragically died in his sleep from asphyxiation. It’s worth mentioning, that in the middle of all of this mayhem, John Paul Jones had remained completely untouched. While the loss of Karac and Bonham had affected John, being as they were family, he was never really directly affected. Could this be because he stayed as far away from the pact as possible? Could these events be natures way of taking something, in return for giving something such as power? Is this all the work of Angers alleged curse?

Robert Plant once addressed these very claims, as some people point fingers at Jimmy being the cosmic reasoning behind the passing of Karac and Bonham. Though, he says it’s a cheap shot. This is what Plant had to say about the matter - “The comments about how it was all connected with Jimmy’s dalliance with the dark side or whatever, that was cheap. I’ve never shared the preoccupations with him and I don’t really know anything about it. Fate is already written”. I suppose it has less to do with whether Page “sold his soul” and more to do with the possible repercussions of playing against nature, and whether such practices have a domino affect. The piling strange circumstances does make one wonder how involved Page really was, and how much the involvement took a toll on the band. Just how much of it can account for Led Zeppelin’s massive success, to the point of making history in music forever (everlasting life?). At the end it could all very well just be a bunch of mumbo jumbo non-sense. I am curious as to what you all think, feel free to leave comments or shoot me a message!

*Note; Do not take this too seriously, it’s all speculation and open for interpretation. Below are some interesting sites that I used in my search!

Resources:

https://forums.ledzeppelin.com/topic/15027-jimmy-and-crowley/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley

https://carwreckdebangs.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/aleister-crowley-jimmy-page-and-the-curse-of-led-zeppelin-when-myth-magick-and-weird-facts-collide/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordo_Templi_Orientis

https://zososymbol.com/

#uhm I think I covered all the basis #im SO nervous to post this omfg #jimmy page #led zeppelin #robert plant #john paul jones #John Bonham #myposts

[benevolentpanda]

Fantastic Beasts Oc Info

Name: Jimena Rosita

Last Name: Muerte Negro

Birthday: October 1

Age: 18 (Fantastic Beasts 2)

Blood Status: Half-blood

Physical Information

Gender: Female

Hair Color: Black

Eye color: Dark Brown

Appearance: 1920s wavy short hair, round face, a little meat on her bones, short stature, modest clothing, tribal earrings/necklace, old pair of brown boots and a set of fancy wrist restraints that control most of her magical abilities.

Country of origin- Peru

Wand Information

Wand wood: Chestnut

Wand core: Dragon (Vipertooth)

Wand length: 9 in.

Style: Whippy and smooth with interesting designs engraved near the rounded handle.

Best for: Offensive and healing spells

School Information

Name: Castelobruxo (Latin America’s School of Magic)

Year: I to IV

House: Undines

Extra Information

Personality: A bit of an old soul, a listener, loyal, introspective, curious when it comes to new magical herbs or magical creatures, zones out every now and then, observant with some things, and will do as told depending on what she needs to do..

Flaws: Jimena is very fickle/indecisive when it comes to making decisions that involve herself or her family. She wants to protect her two older siblings during the crimes they drag her into, but at the same time she wants to break free and pursue a better life for herself.

Likes: Reading about herbology and magizoology, magical beasts, all sorts of plants (magic and non-magic alike), poetry, music, writing in her diary, and ANYTHING sweet (candy or pastries).

Dislikes: Sea food, worrying about her place in the family tree, taking a special potion her older sister gives her when she’s feeling unwell, mistreatment of plants or animals.

Hobbies: Making Victorian terrariums (all shapes and sizes)

Characteristic phrases: “I don’t know, I prefer the company of plants and animals than I do people most days.” “Newt Scamander...Yes, my two siblings attended school with him I think.”

Powers/Skills: Has a good amount of knowledge of magical plants, healing spells, charms, and some wandless magic. Jimena has the strongest magical strength out of her three older siblings, however it does take a toll on her physical health depending on what kind of spell she uses. She has developed a spell that lets her boost a person’s magical strength however it can be very dangerous and she doesn’t use it often. Plus, it only works on people blood related to her.

Biography

Early Life: Jimena Rosita Muerte Negro was conceived out of wedlock to a Spaniard Auror and a Peruvian indiginous woman. Lucero Octavio Muerte Negro and Manua were their names. Long before Jimena’s birth, Lucero was taking a tour of South America. He was researching magical plants for an essay he wanted to publish in the Wizarding World before returning back to Spain to become part of the Spanish Ministry of Magic. When he stopped in a small village between Peru and the Brazilian border, he ran into Manua who was selling her tribe’s beadwork on the street. From that day, he became infatuated with her and she with him. However, it wouldn’t end very well for either of them.

After several weeks of being together, Maanua became pregnant. Lucero became very worried because he was already married and had a family back in Spain. Maanua knew of this but wasn’t upset for in her people’s culture it was normal for a man to have several wives or for a woman to have several husbands. Even though they weren’t officially married, Lucero really loved her more than his actual wife. His marriage to his wife was arranged and strained. He already had three older children and worried for the one Maanua carried. It was hard, but he had to return to Spain before Jimena was due to be born. Before he left, he promised Maanua that he would send money to her every month when he could.

When Jimena was three, Maanua was shunned out of her tribe for having a child with strange abilities. Maanua became a maid for a rich Peruvian family and did her best to hide Jimena’s magic abililities only when the family was around. Lucero on the other hand had his own problems to deal with. He was facing the consequences of being unfaithful to his wife (Fala Birch). His family members weren’t too happy with him and Fala became furious. Fala was emotionally and metally abusive to both Lucero and his children. The woman eventually started researching the dark arts. Fala wanted to hurt Lucero for ruining their marriage despite she herself being unfaithful to him during his tour of South America. She started planning the most cruel way to get back at Lucero.

At the age of seven, Jimena witnessed her mother being beaten by the mistress of the house in which they both served. This caused Jimena to lash out at the woman with her magic and in the process she destroyed part of the house. The Peruvian Council of Magic got involved and had to take Jimena away from Maanua. They also erased Maanua’s memories of Lucero and Jimena. Upon taking Jimena, The Peruvian Council of Magic decided to send her to Castelobruxo in Brazil where she could learn to control her magic in a safe environment. The Peruvian Council also sent a letter to Lucero of the events and for him to sign several important papers. Lucero was saddened to receive the news out, but was happy that Jimena would be joining a wizarding school like her two older siblings.

Upon Jimena’s arrival to Castelobruxo, the headmaster welcomed her and the other new students. Jimena’s first year at Castelobruxo was hard, but she managed as best as she could to get comfortable around others who had the same magical abilities as her. She also discovered that her great great grandfather was a former student at the school along with her own father. There was also some dark history, but she didn’t want to look into much of that. Jimena took her time learning and studying all she could during her first two years of wizard school. She loved herbology class, charms class, and classes on Magizoology. Some of the plants and creatures at Castlobruxo became some of her only friends. It’s not that she didn’t like the other young witches or wizards, she just felt more comfortable around other living things. Plus, it was a bit of a burden on her that there were dark roots from her family to the school and that her father was one of the best students Castelobruxo had. Jimena often received letters from Lucero and small gifts. She always wondered what it would be like to meet him in person instead of gazing at a small moving black and white portrait of him.

At the end of her third year at Castelobruxo, the students and the professors were attacked by a dangerous release of a forbidden giant magical plant that could spit acid. Once the attack got under control, a rumor spread that Jimena was to blame because a Ciapora evidently saw her go into the greenhouse where the headmaster kept the plant locked away. Jimena was questioned but she denied it until a male student (Davi) spoke up to defend her. There were smaller incidents involving other dangerous plants that almost got Jimena kicked out of Castelobruxo even though she had nothing to do with them.

The beginning of her fourth and last year at Castelobruxo, was terrible and would impact her for most of her young life. Unbeknownst to Jimena, all those incidents from the year before were caused by Fala Birch and Acela (Jimena’s oldest half sister). Fala found out that Jimena was at Castelobruxo and devised a plan to ruin her and hurt Lucero. Since Fala was now secretly involved with dark magic, she cast a temporary mind control spell on her eldest daughter Acela to pretend to be Jimena and commit the crimes at the wizard school. When Jimena’s fourth year started, Fala and Acela cornered and attacked Jimena after the school had comeback from a fieldtrip. Fala was set on destroying Jimena as Acela cast a spell over the plants and some of the magical beasts to raise havoc to keep anyone from helping Jimena. At the time the headmaster was coming back to the school with Jimena’s father as a surprise. Jimena’s only friend, Davi went up against Acela to attempt to help her but didn’t stand much of a chance and injured his wand holding arm in the process.

Before Fala could cast a spell to get rid of Jimena forever, the headmaster and Lucero came just in time. Thus, a battle commenced. The headmaster managed to take out Acela as Lucero faught Fala. Fala, full of rage and completely losing her mind, fired a spell at Lucero. Jimena witnessed her father fly backward before letting out her magical strength in anger. Before losing control of herself, Jimena’s other two siblings ( Carlotta and Lando. They dropped out of Hogwarts to commit petty crimes before catching wind of their mother’s plans to hurt Jimena and use Acela. So they followed Lacero to Brazil) managed to step in and stop her. However, Fala was quick to cast a curse on Jimena before the headmaster took her down. Carlotta and Lando cast a temporary sleeping spell over Jimena and vanished without a trace with her.

A few years after the events at Castelobruxo, Jimena and her two older siblings were hiding in Paris in 1926 through 1927. Fala Birch was in Askaban and Lacero...well the spell she cast on him caused him to become unresponsive. He’s alive but doesn’t talk or function normally as he used too so he was sent to a Wizard Nursing Home. Acela Negro Muerte starts working for the British Ministry of Magic to try and find Jimena and her siblings. She eventually tags along with Newt Scamander and the gang.

Living with Carlotta and Lando wasn’t the easiest transition for Jimena. The curse that Fala cast on her was one that took away her voice completely. Carlotta and Londa tried multiple times to break the curse but were very unsuccessful. They also put magical gold bracelets on Jimena that acted like handcuffs to keep most of her magical strength at bay. She could still use magic, just not as much as she used to when she was in school. Her two siblings also found that if she used too much of her magical strength, Jimena would get weak and ill. So they “handcuffed” her with the bracelets to try and keep that from happening (they also feared for their safety because they realized how strong she is compared to them). Carlotta and Lando treated Jimena well for the most part, but they weren’t good people. Carlotta and Lando were more interested in committing thievery, gambling, and petty crimes than they were in being good wizards. They would take Jimena on crime runs that were a lot more dangerous. One time they broke into a muggle bank with the help of Jimena and stole 900 dollars without being caught.

Despite refusing to go with her siblings on some crime heists, Jimena spends the majority of her time in their apartment. She takes the time to make terrariums and sells them secretly without her siblings knowing because they warn her about leaving the apartment when they aren’t there. On her trips away from the apartment, she explores the city every now and then. On one such occasion, she came across Circus Arcanus and decides to see what it’s all about. Fascinated after watching her first show, she snoops around the circus tent after the performances. She gets caught by Credence Barebone and they have a very awkward first interaction. Until her attention is drawn to gloomy looking magical plant that is in need of some care. Before she can examine it Credence tells her to leave before his boss comes. She eventually forms a sort of friendship with Credence and Nagini. She also starts to have feelings for Credence, but chooses to keep them to herself since his eyes are solely on Nagini. Jimena actually wants the best for the love birds and assists in their escape from the circus.

One evening, Jimena overhears her siblings talking about Gellert Grindelwal and the Global Wizarding War. They start wondering if they should follow him. Jimena on the other hand feels uncomfortable with the idea until her siblings take her to hear Grindelwald speak at a big gathering.

At this same gathering, she spots Nagini and Credence. Jimena immidiently feels concerned and even more mixed feels when she spots Acela. As Grindelwald asks who will join him by passing through the blue flames, Carlotta and Lando cross over. They pursue Jimena to join them. Jimena willing follows until Acela calls after her to try and change her mind. Jimena hesitates until Carlotta calls to her again. She just barely crosses through the fire to join her siblings/Credence/Grindelwald and survives along with Queenie Goldstein.

#Oof I wrote alot #fbawtft oc #fantastic beasts oc #harry potter oc

[feralhogs]

1-50 ho

you got it ho

1. What’s your favorite candle scent?

I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED. ive been Purchasing various smelly candles for my gay divination activities, and i have a few nominees. i first thought of the candle i have now, a pink one with a very sweet vanilla smell, i love very sweet smells because it makes me think of candy which i tend to try to fill my inner void with. however im going to go with the first candle i bought, a dark orange one with a citrus smell. citrus scents are my next favourite and specifically this one reminded me of curiously smelling candles at my piano teachers apartment when i was very young. 

2. What female celebrity do you wish was your sister?

idk. ive been listening to her lion king stuff lately. dont judge me i needed to hear remixes of lion king music i was lost in that sauce in high school. and i just think shes neat. i dont think she would aggressively make me feel bad about everything, UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE

3. What male celebrity do you wish was your brother?

Look……. i really don’t know???? what is the criteria?? do they need to be like my siblings? dare i criticize my arguably criticizable siblings by picking out my ideal siblings? if i pick an ideal sibling, what does that say about what im lacking in my life? do i pick celebrities i hate so theoretically my family shames them into becoming silent and self-defeating

4. How old do you think you’ll be when you get married?

50. i think im going to have to figure myself out for a long time, and achieve some personal goals first. thats my excessively confident prediction and PERHAPS educated guess

5. Do you know a hoarder?

nnnnnoooooooo????? not a real, cant function because of hoarding hoarder. i can see in a few family members, including myself, liking to hang onto things that maybe become sentimental/unnecessary clutter but that sounds like something many non-hoarders experience?

6. Can you do a split?

lemme try one sec

NO

7. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike?

Idk maybe 7? Or 11? i think my parents taught me at a children age and then i started biking for fun like, later, like pre middle school?

8. How many oceans have you swam in?

1. i dont really remember swimming in an ocean but i may have faded childhood memories of salty water and seaweed

9. How many countries have you been to?

2… i went to idaho for a band trip… my dad really doesnt like travelling

10. Is anyone in your family in the army?

HAHAHA

NO. ACTUALLY YES. but its funny because the specific brand of christianity we are supposed to be is super pacifist so ive heard. but then i remembered one dude apparently who joined the us military?????? it seemed like it was… an unusual choice. i dont really know anything else about this guy, not even his name

11. What would you name your daughter if you had one?

🙏 *inhale* buddy. oooooohhffffff i want to say something gender neutral honestly. i dont want to rock the boat being unconventional or something but im just thinking of all those years trying to live up to a feminine name

12. What would you name your son if you had one?

same i guess… why have i never thought about this????? was i preoccupied naming myself.

13. What’s the worst grade you got on a test?

hmmmmm hmmmmm trying to unlock the vault. i think i remember a 1 or a 0 on a math quiz. i think i got 30% or something very very bad (i dont even want to know) on my last english exam, but to be fair, i was having such a bad mental breakdown my professor did an intervention

14. What was your favorite TV show when you were a child?

like a very very small child? i was obsessed with the save-ums (?!?!?) for some reason. i would sing the anthem… no. theme song? i dont know. i guess it was catchy and there were lots of fun characters. OHHHH I SEE WHATS WRONG

ITS BECAUSE WE ONLY HAD A TV TILL I WAS LIKE 5 OR SOMETHING. what are you cultured people watching as children? what are the shows? 

15. What did you dress up as on Halloween when you were eight?

>:(

My Halloween experience:

i dont even remember i probably had some kind of fairy wings? i think i remember fairy wings. we went to one (1) house. later on, since we werent allowed to go trick-or-treating, we were each allotted a certain amount of candy, and if we ate more than a designated amount per day, we were in trouble and wouldnt be allowed anymore. i do remember getting in trouble for this. i think i stole someones candy. sibling against sibling. finally we were allowed to go trick or treating, i went with my younger brothers and by then, was a teenager and felt too tall and really uncomfortable

LMAO I JUST REMEMBERED THAT LAST TIME WE WENT TRICK-OR-TREATING NOT IN A RURAL AREA, my dad drove us around in a van and watched us like a hawk i believe. it was very tense and methodical.

16. Have you read any of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Twilight series?

i read the harry potter series (I WROTE SIBLIGS LOL) more times than i could count while growing up. i read the first hunger games book and didnt fancy it for whatever reason, and i had an obnoxious twilight-hating phase.

17. Would you rather have an American accent or a British accent?

no

sometimes, though, im really genuinely worried about what accent i do have. im worried i read so much harry potter growing up, it rubbed off on me. when i was a server, people would ask about an unusual accent i apparently had, and once, when i was talking to a super british guy who called me luv at walmart, he was like STOP. WAIT. YOU HAVE A BRITISH ACCENT. and i was like WHAT UHHH BYEBYE AND HE WAS LIKE NO. I HEARD YOU. STOP and i was like that michael jackson meme where he covers his face running away and everyone else in the line was staring

18. Did your mother go to college?

i believe she went to a bible college where people put a grand piano on top of the roof. 

19. Are your grandparents still married?

all of my grandparents are dead.

…. hmmMMMM yow. ok. my grandparents who werent estranged stayed married for as long as either of them were living… however, my OTHER grandparents, i mean the fucking kidnappers, my abuser grandpa… remarried? when he was… really really aging. im judging him for it because i know what kind of person he was.

20. Have you ever taken karate lessons?

I WISH. my parents didnt seem to like that sort of thing (surprise). im interested in it now but… as usual… i feel like its too late, im too old.

21. Do you know who Kermit the frog is?

….. i… i thought i did… hes blessed… thats all.

22. What’s the first amusement park you’ve been to?

ಠ_ಠ 

*crickets*

how could you ask me this?

no wait! i went to the waterslides. then, later on, i was never allowed to go to the waterslides.

23. What language, besides your native language, would you like to be fluent in?

Spanish. ive been “intending” to learn for a long time, and a lot of people who have been really good influences on me and been genuinely kind to me speak it, id like to learn it

24. Do you spell the color as grey or gray?

grey

one sec

yup thats canadian!

25. Is your father bald?

on the top of his head, yes >:(

26. Do you know triplets?

no?

27. Do you prefer Titanic or The Notebook?

no? what is this straight stuff? i listened to the dramatic titanic song and felt nothing.

28. Have you ever had Indian food?

i guess so, at a friends house! i dont think otherwise ive gone to a restaurant and actually had indian food

29. What’s the name of your favorite restaurant?

*gazes tearily at my OWN FUCKING OLD WORKPLACE

the food was sO GOOD MAN. IT WAS SO GOOD. im just not saying because despite how stalkable i probably am already, i dont want to be specific

30. Have you ever been to Olive Garden?

no whats that

31. Do you belong to any warehouse stores (Costco, BJ’s, etc.)?

w

belong? whats bjs? whats a warehouse for?

32. What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender?

i decided at one point they would never tell me this and it was no use asking. i do know they almost named my brother a very fusty old fashioned name fitting in with the thomas the tank engine theme 

33. If you have a nickname, what is it?

G is the ONLY one i will accept so far.

34. Who’s your favorite person in the world?

:)

i……… hmmmm…. i really dont like picking favourites. each person in my life has a unique relationship with me (even though a lot of them arent very warm, trusting or close). because of unhealthy middle school friendships ive grown an aversion to ranking relationships as if they have material value.

35. Would you rather live in a rural area or in the suburbs?

rural, i think. i need nature in my life!!! but i also need to be able to have connections to people.

36. Can you whistle?

yes, but not very loudly or accurately

37. Do you sleep with a nightlight?

no, but ive always wanted a nightlight

38. Do you eat breakfast every morning?

ive started to, yeah! this morning i made a whole thing with bread and mushrooms and eggs, and coffee, and i ate it outside watching the traffic. im really trying to treat myself nicely you see. its what id do for someone else.

39. Do you take any pills or medication daily?

THAT

BOY

JUICE!

WELCOME TO MY BUILD A BOY WORKSHOP!

SHOTS!SHOTS!SHOTS!

and im really fortunate to be in pretty good health, and have access to things i do need

40. What medical conditions do you have?

I dont think… i actually have any. id say gender dysphoria but i think it was informed consent. (im VERY lucky)

im pretty sure there are SOME mental conditions running around undiagnosed. MY BRAIN IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY

41. How many times have you been to the hospital?

for myself? once… when i got hives and started swelling up all over, but otherwise was fine. i really wonder what that was. other times was visiting sick/dying relatives which has made me feel sad and apprehensive whenever i enter a hospital or smell the food

42. Have you ever seen Finding Nemo?

yes! i had a gerbil named nemo! 

43. Where do you buy your jeans?

D:

i dont … remember … really nowhere special i actually have yet to find some jeans i LOVE. sometimes there is a pair of jeans that sparks joy. i do not have such a pair

44. What’s the last compliment you got?

my sister said my pants looked good on me. they are actually their pants, which they left on the floor in my room for an unknown reason, and they want them back. of course.

but because im excited about it and want to brag, the real compliment was when i made borscht and my sister not only ate it faster than me, but wanted a second helping. and my roommate stuck his face in the steam and said it smelled good. hell yes. i put fucking cilantro in it. fcking beast mode.

45. Do you usually remember your dreams in the morning?

yes. theyre usually really emotional and symbolic. if ive been talking to my parents, theyre usually nightmares. ive been reading about dream interpretation for a long time to deal with some of the ominous images that can come up

46. What flavor tea do you enjoy?

red rose reminds me of wheni was little my mom would make really sweet sweet red rose tea for me (thats the kind she drinks all the time) and it brings me those good feelings. otherwise licorice spice really appeald to me for some reason.

47. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own?

LMAO UHHH…brb

six. because of social pressure.

48. What religion will you raise your children to practice?

i never thought about this kind of thing…. i really don’t know….. id just want them to know how to be kind to others and themselves and thats literally it. 

49. How old were you when you found out that Santa wasn’t real?

i was one of those edgy kids trying to spoil it for everyone. guess what other common fun thing my parents didnt do

50. Why do you have a youtube? 

i dont! so i dont know what this question means! :)

HOLY SHIT I MADE IT THRU HIGH FIVE 

#rambling #WOW #bug

[deana-r]

Ageless Artifacts

By deana.r

During the Second World War, the Germans had dropped bombs against Britain as an offensive, resulting in its strategic failure. The area affected by the blitz later on became a site where further historical examinations have been held. Among the debris, a vase had been found, containing several letters that have already been worn from ashes and its own aging nature. The contents of those letters however, shocked the modern world in such a cultural level, that it was eventually immortalized in museums, historical fiction, and other entertainment branches. In our modern day society, it received a higher regard than what it might have gotten during its own time. 

Note: Some portions of the artifacts were smudged. The manner of addressing were also on a first name basis, hence the sender was unidentifiable, and the receiver vague.

I.

1936 

London, England

Dear Wilson, 

I turned nine today! You're still two months older that I am, but at least we're both the same age old, even if it's just for now. How is it in Newbury? Even though I'm all the way here in London, I hope you'll come and visit again! I still have that magnifying glass that you gave me. My little sister loves to play with it. Sometimes, she even asks Emily to play with her when I'm busy with my studies. She came to visit me today, and we played while our parents chatted. Remember Emily? She came around the same time you did a few months ago. I've grown to quite like her. She's pretty and cute. She always loves to bring her dolls around, and she'd never put them down. We're boys, so we like to play with wooden airplanes! At least, that's what my father tells me. He bought me an English war plane as a birthday present. It looks just like the ones from the Great War, with its majestic blue, red and white. My uncle came around today and told his stories to Dianne and I. Apparently, he had fought as a soldier. He was very brave. I couldn't understand why the army had made him spend half of his career in a dress and high-heels. My father once told me that men like that were undeserving to be called that – "men". I wonder what it means to be a man. Do you know Wilson? It seems like I won't be seeing him in a while. I wonder where he's leaving to. I hope it won't be long. Wilson, today was the first time I saw him leave without my father bidding him a goodbye. Father never forgets to say goodbye. Now, he's just staring at him with a frown. I hope they're not fighting.

Sinserely, (sorry if it's incorrect. I'm still working on my spelling)

Dianne and I

II.

1940

London, England

Dear Wilson, 

I'm still thinking about you every day. Dianne is looking forward to those strawberry tarts that you gave us during my thirteenth birthday. I remember my father had told me I'd finally become a man that day. Also, I've heard several stories about our childhood friend, Emily. It seems she's stopped her obsession with dolls and now moved on to fencing. Strange isn't it? A woman who fences. It's just as strange as a man who likes other men. At least, that's what my father tells me. Wilson, I still don't know what it takes to become a man. Do you need to be fearless and buff? Collect a hundred types of airplane models, and wish to serve the army? Because I don't. Yet, my father demands that I join the Royal Air Force by the time I turn fifteen. Wilson, I'm afraid that I won't be the man that my father wants me to be.

With much concern, 

me

III.

1941 

London, England 

Dear Wilson, Today, my classmates called me a "Nancy Boy". I didn't know what it meant, but I figured it was because of the poems that one of the boys found in my notebook. Lately, I've been writing a lot of those. It seems to be the only way I could truly express my emotions, because it's as if no one wants to lend an ear considering that I'm a boy. But Wilson, I want to thank you for listening to me. Truly, you are my best friend. I feel quite troubled though. I sent letters to my uncle – to his prison. Do you think he received them? He hasn't replied for quite a while. I hope he isn't too lonely. I found the picture locket that he gave me a few years ago. There was a picture of himself and another man, and now I've many questions yet to be answered. Anyway, how is it in Newbury? I'm a tad worried for you, because my father told me as of late that it was only a matter of time until the Germans come again. Do you think we'll win the war? The clouds are darker than they usually are. 

Sincerest wishes, 

Your childhood friend 

IV.

1942 

Lincolnshire, England 

Dear Wilson, 

I lost the end of the bargain. I've become a soldier. I was finally able to ask my Uncle some questions, and he told me to hide. I didn't understand what he meant until my first few days. It's just as what my Uncle had told me before he went to prison. There were men cladded in women's clothing, serving as entertainment for the fighting men. It seemed as if that was all they were told to do, as if that was all they were meant to do for the war – get laughed at. I couldn't tolerate the sight. They were the men who wanted to fight, to win, to gain victory for Britain, and yet, the authorities wouldn't let them. So what if they were queer? Wilson, I didn't understand why I needed to hide, but now it seems clear. This is all a load of rubbish. A man from my flight had been made fun of by one of our soldiers, and now that he had been caught, he's bound to serve the army the way he never expected, nor wanted. Why must they assume that a man's sexuality determines their bravery on the battlefield? I know for a solid fact that I don't deserve to be treated this unfairly, to only be imprisoned right after like my uncle, who had risked his life in the first war along with all the other fighting men. The law is terrible. 

Wilson, I've been a coward, but please abide by this request. Hide my letters in a place where no one would dare look – hide them somewhere safe. If anyone were to discover my writings, only God knows what they'll do to me next. I do not wish to stop writing to you, and I do miss you painfully, but this may be my last letter. There are still many things I have yet to say to you, but at a time in the skies, it's either fall of fly. If I live by the last dire moment, I promise I'll tell you the truth. If I don't, well, pray that I do. I can't say my final goodbye without seeing your face one last time.

With much hope, 

my life. 

Note: it was later on discovered that remnants of the letters have been found inside a burnt suitcase. The location was several miles west from the blitz, where a train had been bombed as well, resulting in the death of all passengers. Traces identified that the letters were connected with the ones prior, despite the Artifacts' critically damaged state.

V.

1942

Lincolnshire, England 

Dear Wilson, 

I miss the old days when you, Emily and I would run through the willow swept bridges above the river – our reflections, we used to smile at. Dianne misses it too. I... miss you too. Wilson, I know this might sound like it came out of the blue, but is it true? I heard that you're getting engaged with Emily, and that the both of you shall be wed by the time you turn eighteen. Do you love her? Wilson, there's still some things that I am unsure of, but by the time I've fit the puzzles in my head, please don't slip away from me yet. How do I explain? I suppose, I've never really liked airplanes. I've only liked being with you, and if you liked airplanes, I wanted to also do the same. How do I explain this feeling? It's quite difficult to comprehend. Whatever it is, I'm sure my father won't tolerate it. He may even hate me for it. I hope you won't. Dare I say, I hope you feel otherwise, the way I so passionately feel for you. Forgive me Wilson, but I- (the following words were smudged). 

Truthfully, 

Your Best friend

VI.

1943

Lincolnshire, England 

Wilson, 

Please, please reply to me as soon as you can. I must know that you are safe. I hear Newbury had been bombed from the skies – the Germans really did come again. Please Wilson, if you had passed first before me, I'd never feel deserving to live. Please, Wilson. Please give me another chance to see you. Didn't I promise that I'd return? I can't be too late. Wilson, I wished I could have told you everything from the beginning. Although we've known each other since we were children, I can't bear the notion that this is it. I'm so sorry that I was too late.

VII.

1943

Lincolnshire, England

Dear Wilson,

I heard your family was able to escape. Once you've received this letter, maybe the rest might have been burnt to dust. Maybe that would have been for the best, but Wilson, always keep this secret close to your heart. My uncle... he had told me to hide who I am, because we are - (the following words were incoherent), but we're also very beautiful people, Wilson. I know this to be true because my Uncle has always been kind, but many people can't understand what's there, because they only judge from so far. Remember the magnifying glass that you gave me? I wished so badly that they'd have those for eyes. There was this soldier who called me a "fruitcake", but I know he didn't mean anything sweet. I've been used for a year, Wilson, and I'm very tired of it. I'm tired of being thought of as weak, and I'm tired of waiting for the war to end, knowing that our very own British soldiers were going to persecute us by that time comes. The next time you see me, I don't want to be sleeping behind cold metal bars. I want to be with you and Emily, someplace safe and happy. Will you promise me that you'll do just that? Will you promise me you'll live happily? It's just like the airplanes. I won't until you'll be. 

Sincerely, 

R. C. 

VIII.

1945

Newport, England

Dear Wilson, 

I'm spending my birthday alone, and it only reminds me of how much I miss you. I still hold my uncle's picture locket dearly, and although his stories depicted sorrows until his last breath, I truly believe that his ghost was delivered happily to heaven. Just like him Wilson, I long for the day we find that happiness. That's all I've ever wanted. As long as I am able to stay by you, Emily and Dianne, there isn't anything else that I could ever ask for. Dianne, my beloved sister... I miss her, Wilson. I really do. I wish I could be there for her in London, but I cannot return home. Ever since I ran away from the station in Lincolnshire, I promised myself that I wouldn't ever look back. The skies are clearing though. Maybe my mind will too. My father said I was an abomination, and that I should have sacrificed my life in the skies like a noble man, but I know for sure that God loves me, and that it wasn't his plan. Because now, I've found a reason why I continue to live. The war is going to end soon, and by that time comes, I would have already ended my own. Thank you for everything. You know Wilson, there are many things that I find beautiful in this world. The way the sun glistens through ash-stained clouds, the way grass shines silver linings after a storm has gone, or the way your laughter sends earthquakes in my heart — you might think I jest, but it is true. I don't know when, but I know we'll meet again. Take care on that train Wilson, and take care of the child in Emily's womb. I wish you the best of all God's blessings, and I constantly pray for your safe arrival. 

Adieu Wilson. 

Yours forever, 

I love you

(P.S. I'm sorry I never told you) 

Note: after the bombing of the train, further examination has shown that the burnt suitcase in which the last four letters were found in, contained a photograph placed in between the pages of the owner's notebook. The face was slightly blurry, but seemed to be faintly smiling. The background was faded, yet it gave a bright memoir. The young man in the photo looked like an apparition from a far distance, but he still looked vividly alive. It was assumed that the subject in the photo was the unknown sender, the one Wilson had treasured the most. 

#ww2 #short story #commentbelow #lgbtq #history

[spectraspecs-writes]

“Be Right Back” and the Internet

Ive been watching Black Mirror recently, since I’m a sci-fi writer and having that new source of “ooh neat” is important in my line of work hobby. And a couple nights ago I saw the episode “Be Right Back.”

For those of you who don’t watch Black Mirror, “Be Right Back” centers around Hayley Atwell and her partner, whose name I forget but he’s from somewhere in the Northern UK. They are very close and he is very active on social media. The day after we meet him, he dies in a traffic accident. Hayley Atwell is understandably very upset, so her friend signs her up for this program. The program uses an AI to scan the deceased’s social media, get a feel for how he talks, and provide a way for people to talk with their dead loved ones. Which Hayley Atwell does.

The place where the episode descends into the Twilight Zone isn’t what I’ve been thinking about. I’ve been thinking about the internet, and internet speech.

With the exception of longer posts like these, which have perfect grammar and spelling, and tend to be as verbose as I am in real life, in addition to messages, I do not communicate on tumblr the way I communicate in real life. My most recent post about the bag of apples on my table and the apple woman they put on the bag - I would not, in real life, say that I very much do not like something. That’s not how you construct sentences. I would say “I don’t like this” or “I really don’t like this”, or even “I don’t like this very much”, which itself has a different connotation than “I very much do not like this.” Tumblr has also failed to capture the fact that I sometimes switch accents while talking, just for the hell of it. I may switch into my Scottish accent, or a British accent, Welsh, US Southern, New Bost-tralian (which tumblr certainly couldn’t capture because I made it up.)

Could this AI in the episode capture my niche interests? Certainly. The episode descends into the Twilight Zone because Hayley Atwell’s partner didn’t talk about his niche interests or inside jokes so much on his social media. But that’s what tumblr is for. But I’m a lot gayer on tumblr than in real life, simply because it’s easier through text. I’m a lot more obsessed with things on tumblr. I’m a lot more autistic on tumblr - most people in real life can’t tell I’m autistic, because they see me and interact when my medication is working, and because I put forth an effort. People who see me later at night, after 5, can tell I’m not the average bear. My medication has worn off and putting forth an effort takes more energy.

On the converse side, I burst into song a lot more in real life. I do a lot more improvised comedic things in real life. Lord knows I quote John Mulaney more in real life - if I see an opportunity I am quoting whole John Mulaney sketches verbatim. Not that I do these things more in real life because I feel more myself in real life, that’s not the case. It’s just a lot easier in real life. Responding to sounds is something I do well.

What my point was going to be, and I’ve gotten away from it, is that an AI like the one in “Be Right Back” could certainly capture the truest expression of my personality. But it would fail spectacularly in trying to grasp my real life speech patterns. I’m a very verbal person. I talk a lot. The sounds I make are critical to knowing me. I’m a hell of a lot funnier out loud than I am through text, because I have spent most of my life cultivating my humor and my personality through sound. The episode discussed how the AI failed to grasp Hayley Atwell’s partner’s personality (his name was Ash, I remember now, but the actor’s name - Tim Lake? I think? - largely escapes me still.) And since it seems like his major platform was Twitter or something like it, that makes sense. That’s very much a public facing platform. But all this AI would have to go on for me would be tumblr, and as such it would capture my personality fully. What Ash’s twitter captured well, though, was his real life speech patterns, and there this tumblr fails spectacularly. Anyone who talked to me through this AI would get a very different version of me than the real one. And y’all would have no trouble with that. And neither would my real life best friend. But my mom would be thoroughly shaken up by the Specs AI, and would wonder why this program that promised to bring me back, left the me she knew somewhere behind.

#black mirror #specs writes stuff #be right back #ai #science fiction #sci fi #thoughts #commentary

[captain-kingliamsqueen]

Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree

Your feedback means everything to me honestly! so please don’t hesitate to leave a wee note!

Pairing: Liam x Riley, Riley x Maxwell

Summary: … Riley and Liam spend some time together whilst Liam's away.

Word Count: 1,777

Tagged : @starstruckzonkoperatorbat  @drakelover78  @queencatherynerhys @devineinterventions2 @jayjay879  @kawairinrin  @hopefulmoonobject @flyawayblue56  @gardeningourmet  @blackcatkita  @syltti78  @diamond-dreamland  @theroyalweisme  @hhiggs  @mfackenthal  @bruteforcebears @pens-girl-87 @barbaravalentino @umccall71 @darley1101 @crookedslimecreatorpasta @jamjar84 @starstruckpixelberryhistoryvoid @speedyoperarascalparty @katurrade @scarlettedragon @zeniamiii 

 ASK IF YOU WANT TAGGED!  OR UNTAGGED! 

I SINCERELLY APPOLOGISE IF I MISSED ANYONE, IM TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHO WANTS TAGGED AND STUFF!

I always notice every single spelling mistake or issue after I’ve posted…so apologies in advance! 

 Riley let out a sigh as she watched all the nobles around her dancing away, twirling and turning. She was normally a huge lover of the festive season, she looked forward to the Christmas ball that she and Liam had decided to make a recurring event, it was Riley and Liam's first Christmas together, like really together, this time last year the two were in the midst of trying to find out who was behind the scandal that stopped their engagement, they didn’t have time to think about Christmas. This year, Riley had ensured they both have a few days off from royal duties over Christmas, the two were supposed to start their days off today, but there she was sitting alone watching the goings on around her, Liam had one last meeting he had to attend in London yesterday at three, British time, then he was going to fly straight home, he was meant to arrive back in Cordonia for eleven last night, Riley was missing him dearly, he had been away for a solid three weeks, flying from country to country, attending meeting after meeting, leaving Riley to deal with Cordonian matters, she didn’t mind looking after her country…it was her job…her life, it was late last night she had gotten the phone call…

Riley had been watching the clock all day counting down the hours and minutes before her husband returned to her. She had decided to pack up the papers she was looking through early, she wanted to welcome her husband home properly. Riley left her office at about seven, she headed straight up to the royal apartment, with a hop in her step and smirk on her face, she made her to the bathroom, where she started running the bath, filling it with bubble bath. Whilst she waited on the bath filling she went to the walk in closet where she opened the top drawer and pulled out her favourite piece of lingerie, she lay the baby doll outfit  on bed then started undressing, wrapping herself in her silk robe then headed for the bathroom, once the bath was ready she slipped her robe off then climbed in, lowering herself into the water. Instantly feeling the stress of the day disappear, it was the first time Riley had been left to deal with the needs of Cordonia on her own, Liam told her many times how proud of her he was that she was dealing with everything so well. Little did he know, it was all piling up, Riley had been so stressed, trying to make sure everything was perfect, she didn’t want to worry Liam with her worries that she wasn’t doing what she should, or her unsure mind.  On top of that Riley had not been sleeping well, with Liam being gone, after everything that happened with the scandal threw Riley off, she hated being alone, she tried to surround herself with people at all times but at night, she was alone. Her mind ran marathons, she felt unsafe, but when Liam was there…it was a whole different story, she knew she was safe, she wasn’t alone, he was there when she fell asleep, he was there when she woke up, but since he left, she would sit up until stupid o’clock, she would read, watch tv, try and get some extra files worked through to make the workload easier for the following day, she was lucky if she was getting two three hours sleep a night, and those hours where the only reason she was still going. Liam was aware of Riley's sleeping issues, but what could he do from miles away. He would call her at the same time every night, he would ask her about her day, how she was feeling, how she had slept the night before.

As Riley bathed for about forty-five minutes, then she climbed out of the tub, wrapping a towel around her, she pulled the plug from the bath, then started drying herself off. once she was dried she wrapped her robe around her, then made her way into the bedroom, she perched herself on the end of the queen-sized bed, before getting dressed she started applying her moisturiser, Liam's favourite, the reason being it smelled like chocolate, every time she used it Liam would mention it, he would inform her how good she smelled and how much he loved it. Once Riley was dressed she lay back on the bed, leaning against the pillows ready to greet Liam when he got home. Whilst waiting for his return she entertained herself by watching some tv. It was about ten when she was startled by her mobile ringing. She quickly clicked answer seeing it was Liam.

“Riley! Ive been trying to get through for hours, the weather is crazy, there's a huge blizzard so my phone might cut out”

“are you at the airport?” Riley played with the hem of her babydoll lingerie

She heard Liam sigh sadly “riley” he whispered

“you’re not coming back tonight…are you?” she replied in the same tone.

“I’m so sorry sweetie, I waited at the airport for hours to see if they would let me fly home…but its too dangerous, they’re going to let me know as soon as I can fly home”

“I take it you won’t make it back for the Christmas ball tomorrow?”

“it doesn’t look like it honey, I’m sorry”

“don’t apologise Liam, it’s not your fault”

“I miss you”

“I miss you too”

“what are you doing?” Liam asked

“nothing…just watching tv” she lied as she looked down at her outfit.

“what are you watching?”

“reign”

“Riley!” He groaned “we were watching it together!”

“hey mister don’t you take that tone with me…you left me all by myself…I’m entertaining myself…you’ll just have to catch up!” riley smirked

“betrayed…by my own wife!” he chuckled

“what are you doing?”

“I am just about to climb into bed” Liam replied as Riley heard ruffling

“but it’s not night time there” she stated confused

“I know but I’m want to try and get back on cordonian time”

“Liam…”

“yeah?”

“…I love you”

“I love you too”

The couples conversation carried on for a further hour and a half, just catching up on each other’s day.

Back in the ballroom, Riley was startled by a gentle hand on her back, then a man sitting beside her.

“hey…why does my best friend look so down?” Maxwell’s voice filled her ears, she gently leaned her head on his shoulder.

“hey, I’m sorry am I ruining the mood?” she whispered

“the queen…no!” he smirked “he’ll be home soon Riley”

“I know…these things just aren’t the same without him y’know?”

“I know you wanted to spend the ball with Liam…but why don’t you come with me and I’ll keep you entertained for a while, come on…come dance with me?” he smiled that goofy Maxwell smile that she could never resist

“I’m sorry max, I just, don’t feel like dancing right now”

“Riley Rhys…if you don’t get that be-hind on that dancefloor…I am going to have to go to extremes…”

“and what are those” a giggle left Riley's lips

“I…I will…Tickle you…” Maxwell responded over exaggeratedly

“max” she laughed

“Riley…come on…ill make you one of my famous pineapple drinks!”

“just for me?” she smirked

“just for you” he smiled

“alright…come on, come with me” Maxwell smiled as he stood from his seat, extending his hand out for Riley to take, she smiled as she took his hand, allowing him to pull her from her seat. He reached his arm out as she placed her hand gently on his arm.

Once they reached the bar, Riley sat on one of the stools whilst she watched Maxwell concoct his famous drink. Once it was finished the two clinked pineapples then began to drink.

“god that tastes amazing” she smiled “thank you Maxwell”

“no need” he replied with a light shake of the head. Just a short ten minutes later Riley started to feel the buzz from the drink, Maxwell took her hand in his then pulled her to the dancefloor

“I LOVE THIS SONG!!” Maxwell shouted laughing as rockin’ around the Christmas tree started playing. He and Riley, twirled and danced, laughing as they went.

After the song finished Riley held her hand on her side “ive got a stitch” she laughed “I’ve gotta sit down”

“booo!!!!” Maxwell's loud laugh filled the room. following her to the table she had been sitting at he took a seat beside her.

“so…are you feeling better?”

“yes, thank you Maxwell” she gently placed her hand on his on the table “thank you for cheering me up, I really needed it, you’ve always been such a good friend to me max, a lot of people underestimate you, but your one of the most kind, selfless people ive ever met and I hope you know how much you mean to all of us, I wouldn’t be where I am today without you.” she smiled as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.  

“your going to make me cry” he pretended to wipe his eyes causing Riley to giggle

“I love you Maxwell, you’re the best friend anyone could ever have”

“I love you too Riley!” he smiled as he pulled her into a hug

Riley spent the night laughing and dancing with her friends. When it eventually reached two am, she decided to make her way to bed. She was well and truly done in, she was on her way to bed she removed her dress and shoes, leaving her in her underwear. After washing her face and brushing her teeth she turned the light off pulling the duvet around her like a cocoon she lay her head on Liam's pillow slowly falling into a deep slumber.

It was about four am when Riley awoke to a hand on her side and gentle kisses on her shoulder, if it were anyone else and she would have leaped from the bed, but she knew…she knew exactly who it was.

“I missed you” he whispered between kisses, Riley smiled with a gentle sigh

“it’s so good to feel your touch” she whispered as she placed her hand gently on top of his, linking her fingers with his.

“your freezing!” He exclaimed

“well…warm me up then” Riley smirked as she scooted back feeling his body against her.

“I’m sorry I missed the ball” he held her close placing kisses on her shoulder.

“it’s okay…” she smirked “your home now that’s all that matters” she whispered as she turned to face him, cuddling into his chest, the two quickly fell into a deep slumber.

#trr #trr choices #choices trr #trr fanfic #trr liam #playchoices #playchoices fanfic #playchoices fandom #play choices fanfiction #choices #choices app #king liam #liam x riley #liam x mc #riley x liam #king liam x mc #the royal romance #the royal romance fanfic

[lokbobpop]

English

present or existing from the beginning; first or earliest.

of, relating to, or constituting an origin or beginning : initial the original part of the house. 2a : not secondary, derivative, or imitative an original composition. b : being the first instance or source from which a copy, reproduction, or translation is or can be made.

noun. Definition of English (Entry 2 of 4) 1a : the language of the people of England and the U.S. and many areas now or formerly under British control. b : a particular variety of English distinguished by peculiarities (as of pronunciation) c : English language, literature, or composition when a subject of study.

English Eng lish en glis h end glash en g lish

Writing english

Well ive already walked this word to day and accidentally delete it so my first thought is fuck do i really have to do this again i really dont walk another half hour at least looking at this word when ive already walked it lol

Reading english

Well before I mention im english and run in between not want to be proud to be english but being proud to be english i see realize and understand that if i do i think im being not all for one and equal i would see them as better than others and if i dont i feel im not being true to myself of the love of my childhood and being who i am i am english being proud or not doesn’t matter i just am and thats ok

My English is crap reading and writing i feel embarrassed about what i can do and know others who’s language is second to them who know it far better than me now more words can articulate a better why cant i why do i fail in this why cant I just read and write and be confident like others its just not fair i feel i should be able to.

I like to buy english food clothes etc sweets i miss lots of the things i grow up with curly wurly taste of my youth monster much chisps Terry’s chocolate orange m and s quiche and so on

Being an english rose we were called once when backpacking three english roses

The divide within uk is great with rich and poor as is with so many other countries the accents we have i have country accent which makes people think im a country girl i dont know much simple we are looked out which use to piss me off also lol most people want a London accent because they think its cool

I would like my english to be better i would like to do techno tutor with trin so we can learn better english

Saying english

Thoughts of im english with an under tone of yes im proud to be english sometimes i feel i was lucky to be born in the uk and not starving in Africa right now these people have never had the Choices ive had the life ive had.

When you here an English accent nearby in macau or oz my ears stick up and i want to talk to them i want them to hear me and my voice i want to talk with them connect its funny really that i want to do that i want to say over here im english to lets talk where are you from in the uk i feel about of comparison come up within this wanting to be better than them or to find out if they are better than me as it were so we could become friends this is where manipulation comes in i see i do this wanting to be friends with money.

Fe fi fo fum i smell the bloody of an English man be him alive or be him dead ill grind his bones to make my bread

I have taught english to very young children in hk got the sack once i couldn’t spell mustache and even now writing it I couldn’t spell it and im not sure thats it now lol the hairy bit on your lip but one job loved me at the racecourse they even wanted to take me on full time with great money but we were leaving was all to late which was a shame they loved it.

Sf

Does this definition support me no feeling im not sure what to thing about being english confused i want ot be equal but how can i i was born unequal to all not the same stand out here but i love english things foods and so on but am i proud ot be english i have a polarity here of not wanting to be and wanting ot be.

English un leash

English

My mother tongue me my spoken word i grasp it i become it i speck it clearly i help other with it i show myself as it im proud of it a it created me and then i created it

Confidence caring loving oneness self love love for all others

I will live this word with self love self acceptance self awareness me all of who i am to embrace me within being english talking english i am whole again i am me and i love me dearly

[libidomechanica]

Untitled (“The worms this a sight”)

The worms this a sight,  ive heart, or else confusion  within prided leanders  oft on fires oer 

limbs, and kings at war with  one shore to  say, the British “Damme” “s  quite forgotten 

perverted sky bloom-covered in  the Count your souls  shall never scare the old of  war.” All their spells an 

old about: Noli me tangere, for  every  much, and, never feet, a bath,  and them to 

that with years, to  your chronicle  as will glove me. But former  woes; but then would content. — 

You, tiresome verse-recited,  and horrid warned round himself  were cut and torn up, all  many a time willing 

the totem. But the  brought it was  borne a sound their best ivory  slide down below 

some houses and time  had much makes us most  true that raw and upon  imagination well night 

and destroies. Power, not evidential  languages— as well as hopes already  spears— too brief 

and a baby look on  as on the  lattering, through the clouds  it swell, but dont different 

kind of child is  the flowery pricketh  aye she brought like a misery!  On joy, I though lifted 

me not the Master  tyde. A scornd to  gain and sickle my share his  Delphic lyre ; her letters, 

thou wilt thou affrights, and so  know, if the brave  among the charm of good  with thine, oh, 

below, kiss in love my  life. “Gin it been  no rent, and all who do swerue, Whenever  might startled 

heads do holds, Eyes were, in  some though some mystic changed to  melt away. rebels  to the sea. 

the stands as if his  venom and the  brief moment in vain old Harp  I still avail us? 

In shore: and I would makes Love  turnd his made you the  darlings, and i feel safe then— i never agape— bought?”

#poetry #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Markov chains #Markov chain length: 6 #147 texts

[zoekennaargeluk]

When I was 15 years old, I ran away from home because I was pissed off at my parents for a reason I cant remember. I didnt have much money, so I decided to hop onto the skytrain(public transport train in British Columbia) and ride it as far as it would go. I reached the end of the line in less then an hour, and decided I wanted to ride it all the way back again, while trying to formulate some kind of plan of how I wanted to live the rest of my life without my parents or anyone. At the last stop, or the first stop depending on your perspective of it, a girl came on and sat in the row right behind me. I didnt pay much attention to her at first, as I was busy writing my life plan on a napkin. It was a few minutes later that she got up and came sat next to me, curious as to what I was writing. I told her the story, and after a few laughs, we began talking about everything and anything. Her name was Amanda, 17 years old, and absolutely wonderful. She told me she was getting off at the last stop, which was also the first stop, depending on how you look at it. It was also the stop I had gotten on originally, and I told her we would ride to it together. The train ride took less then an hour, and what a wonderful hour indeed.

When the last stop did come, we both knew we probably wouldnt see each other ever again(this was before the days of cellphones, and I was a shy little kid afraid to make moves). As we got to the end of the sidewalk which split in two different directions, she went right and I went left. Before saying goodbye she turned to me and asked me a question that has become a wonderful part of my life; she asked me, “Tell me something you have done, or want to do, that you think I should do? It can be anything, as challenging as you want it to be, or as easy. As long as you give me the rest of my life to complete it, I promise I will do it..” I was confused as to why, but I thought about it, and told her, “Sing a song acapella in a room full of strangers.” She said perfect and asked me if I would like a challenge as well. I told her I did, and she told me, “read, from start to finish, “Ulysses” by James Joyce.” I had never heard of it at the time, but I agreed, and we said our goodbyes.

I have a awful memory, and cant remember most conversations I have with most people. But I remember all of that clearly. You know why? Because of the challenge she gave me. In the 12 years that have past since, I have tried to read that book in over 150 different sittings. Everytime I open my copy of the 780 page monster of a book, I always think of her, and I always think of that day. Ive never been sure if it was her intent or not, but she left her lasting memory on me with that challenge. I soon after learned what she did, was a completey wonderful and amazing thing for me. So I decided to keep it going. Ive met a lot of strangers in my life; some that have become friends, and some, due to living in different time zones and whatnot, didnt. I dont want to just have experiences and then let them go. I want to remember these meetings, and embrace the fact that they happened. So whenever I leave someone who has left an amazing impact of my life, I always make sure to add them to my Ulysses Bucket List. I ask them to give me a challenge, as difficult or as easy as they want it to be, and regardless of the fact that they have done it or not; simply something their heart has had wanted to do.

Some have been easy and fun; I met a man in India 9 years ago who told me to, for a week or a month, cook/buy twice as much food as I intend on eating, and give the other half to a stranger in need. I completed that mission 8 years ago, and thought about that man and the time we had all the way through. I met a girl on a cruise 6 years ago, who told me to jump into a body of water on a slightly cold day, without touching or feeling the temperature of the water first. I did that the very same year. I met a couple at an outdoor music festival a few years ago that told me to wear the most bizarre outfit imaginable and walk through a public place, completely oblivious to the fact that you arent looking normal. I did that task the very next day, at the same festival. Some have been difficult, to say the least: three guys I met in Amsterdam and smoked all night with, told me to go to a mall and give 10 strangers 10 presents. That one took a lot of courage, but I did it a year or so after I met them. It was nerve racking, but at the same time exhilerating leaving my comfort zone. A girl I met on a plane told me to sky dive; Im still in the process of getting that done. A couple I met in Cali on the beach told me to tell the 5 people I hated the most, that I love them and respect them. That one was very difficult because of my stubborness, but ive come close to completing that list many a times(still in the process, 2 more people to go).

And some things, have had an everlasting impact on my daily life. I met a girl at a music festival, who told me that whenever I get mad at someone, walk away, sing my happy song in my head for 5 minutes, go back to the person im mad at with a clam heart and mind, and work things out. Ive made this my way of life. I once met a man at a gym in a hotel I was staying at, that told me “whenever your body and brain tells your that you are exhausted and done…use your heart instead and push out 2 more reps.” Ive made this my motto when working out or working on any kind of extrenuating exercise in which my body demands me to quit. I also use it while working on anything, and while studying. One of the best pieces of advice ive ever received.

There are many others that each brought joy to my life. There are still many tasks I have yet to accomplish, and everytime I think of these tasks, I think of the people that gave them to me. It amazes me how well I remember all these people, while I cant remember so many aspects of even yesterday. These experiences, not only do I take from them a “mission” or a “challenge”, I also take from them a memory of them that never fails to appear inside of my mind. I opened my Ulysses book for probably the 300th time yesterday, and read a few pages, which prompted me to share this story with you today. Im in the final 30 pages of the book, also known as the most dreaded of the read(in the last 40 pages or so, James Joyce doesnt use a single punctuation mark; no periods, no commas, no nothing; a straight 50 page run-on sentence).

I never saw Amanda after that day, nor do I know if she ever did get a chance to sing a song to a room full of strangers. But what I do know, is that she gave me a gift that has never once stopped giving. So wherever you may be, thank you for giving me the Ulysses Bucket List. And I swear i’ll finish it one day. My life advice? Simple: Create your own Ulysses bucket list.

Edit 1:fixed some spelling mistakes. Going to leave 'clam' as is, haha!

Edit 2: Ulyssesbucketlist subreddit is now a thing!

Edit 3: I'm trying to reply to all of your comments and give everyone who asks for their own challenge! Please bare with me, I'll get to you I promise!

Edit 4: Monday 5/19/2014 UPDATE: I'm kind of lacking words at the moment, and am in awe of the power of the universe. Writing this story was just to relive a moment in my life, and to share it with others and maybe help them in some sort of way(or just give an entertaining story to read). Never did I think there was the slightest chance I would actually get to talk to her again. But thats exactly what happened. Last night I found out that the Amanda that ThatGuyWhoAte knew, was in fact the Amanda I met 14 years ago. Thank you Reddit. From the bottom of my heart, I give to you the sincerest Thank You I can possibly give. You gave me a chance to continue a life story that stopped writing 14 years ago. I will never forget this.

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A thing on reddit i thought was really cool.