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starryknight-tarot · 8 months

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𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓯𝓾𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓹𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮

pile 1 -- > pile 2 pile 3 -- > pile 4

my masterlist<3 . paid readings

Hello beautiful souls✨ Today we will be looking into what you will love about your future spouse! I know this is really late but I have been a busy bee recently and trying to set up paid personal readings for yall. Remember to meditate, take a deep breath and pick whatever pile calls to you the most. My readings are meant for everyone, no matter what sexuality or identity you are. Since this is a general reading, make sure to take what resonates and leave what doesn't. The artist for pictures is @tnk_gr on instagram.

Pile 1

Cards: Ten of Swords, Strength, The Tower, Eight of Swords rx, Two of Wands, Fours of Wands, Eight of Pentacles, Ten of Cups Back of the Deck: Knight of Wands

Pile 1, you will love your fs's vunerablity. You may have been surrounded by a lot of people that don't like to express themselves and share their emotions. These people have even encouraged you to be emotionally closed off as well. But your fs is the complete opposite. A very emotional individual, they know they can rely on you when they are struggling and it will be refreshing to see someone be so open and honest about how they are feeling. I am getting that for some of you, you may originally be uncomfortable about how they express themselves because you were taught to hold back your feelings and keep them locked up. But your fs will teach you that it is healthy and normal to express your feelings when you are having a hard time, and to share your feelings and opinions. You will see your fs as a strong and brave person for being able to express themselves the way they do since it can be really hard to admit when you are struggling. I see this connection as a very healing and healthy connection. Your fs is like a beaming beautiful light in the darkness for you Pile 1. I am getting that they will have a shining smile and a very contagious energy. You will love how your fs will encourage you to do things you never thought you could do. The things that used to scare and intimidate you suddenly don't feel so scary when they are around. Scared of rocking climbing? When your fs is cheering you on like your own personal cheerleader, you feel like you can achieve anything. But I don't feel like this courage will be only when they are around. They just help you realize that you are strong, powerful, and can do anything you put your mind to. Ugh so cute Pile 1. I am also hearing that they won't push you to do anything you aren't comfortable with and will take their time with you when you may not be ready to tackle certain things. Overall Pile 1, you will love how fun and silly and encouraging your fs is. I also feel like they will give the best hugs and will know just how to seduce you. Last tiny note spirit left with me is that you may love their fat wallet LMAO (also heard some 18+ messages but it ain't that kind of reading (,,>﹏<,,)

Advice Cards:

A change in attitude towards the greater good could be beneficial Your guides and teachers are telling you that they hear you and are helping You are wiser than you think You are greater than your story Learn through reversals. Hold the opposing viewpoint for insight Release what you do not need. Let go of some extraneous aspect of your life

Channeled Songs:

Pile 2 Cards: The World, Ten of Wands, Five of Wands, The Magician, King of Swords rx, Three of Cups, Four of Wands, Queen of Pentacles Back of the Deck: Knight of Wands

Ngl I am getting that some of yall are thinking of your celebrity crush when you read these tarot readings and I ain't gonna confirm or deny that your fs is your celebrity crush, but I am saying it ain't unlikely with this pile. Of course this is only for a very small amount of you, but I felt it strong enough to mention. If not a literal celebrity, your fs feels like a celebrity to you. They may be really popular or have a lot of friends. I heard frat boy but that isn't for everyone. For you Pile 2, I feel like you will love how your fs treats you. I feel like your fs will act a certain way around other people and try to be chill and cool but as soon they see you they just melt and just act like a lost puppy. You bring out a side of them that not a lot of people get to see and you love that. I also feel like your fs will do big gestures for you like a big bouquet of your favorite flowers or write you love songs. It's giving Jackson from Sex Education vibes, especially when he asked out Maeve (sorry if you haven't watched it). Spirit keeps telling that they are really attractive and that you will find them very attractive. I am hearing some of yall will wanna draw them. I feel like yall will have a really close connection, you will probably be really good friends before dating, maybe even childhood friends. You will love the hard work and enthusiasm they put into the things they are passionate about. Your fs may be really artistic and talented, they have a lot of potential to achieve great things. I am also hearing that they are really compassionate and caring, especially about the people around them. They wanna make a difference in the world and help people that need help and help deal with problems that we have struggled. They really care about the Earth, they may even own a few plants and take care of the regularly. They are very ambitious and thoughtful and you absolutely swoon over it. But I also feel like they are just a really charming person, it's almost hard not to love them.

Advice Cards:

Ask and you shall receive Act on what you know It's time to try something new! Give yourself your own approval Be alert for your opportunity Keep the faith. Stay intentioned. Your perseverance will pay off

Channeled Songs:

(specifically at 2:47 lol)

Pile 3 Cards: Page of Cups, Eight of Wands rx, Judgement rx, The Star, Three of Swords rx, The Sun, Ten of Wands, Knight of Cups Back of the Deck: Ten of Swords

Pile 3, for your fs, I am hearing that you will be in love with their whole personality overall. In your eyes, they are just such a beautiful individual, someone that shines brighter than the Sun and radiates the energy of the most beautiful star in the solar system. You can tell how important your relationship will be for them and they are just the most loyal puppy. They are the kind of partner you make videos of, showing how you know they won't ever cheat on you. I really think you are the only person on your fs's mind, running around rent free and they never try to hide it. Your fs gives off such cute introvert vibes, like you wanna squish their cheeks cute. They seem really shy and quiet but I feel like you may wanna take them places, I am seeing specifically clubs or just places with bright colors. But I feel like your fs will let themselves go and feel free around you. They may be a little squishy in the face or just a very squishy person lol. You will also really love their body, spirit keeps showing me flashs of someone's body, specially their arms. They seem very muscular and veiny. I am getting such gentle giant energy from your fs. I keep seeing Superman from the show My Adventures with Superman. You might also really like their chest, they may have a big chest area. The conversations you and your fs will have are gonna flow so well, like you've never met someone that has connected with you on this level. You will have a lot in common. I feel like you have interests that you think a lot of people will judge you for but your fs will never judge your interests and always show so much interest in the things you wanna say. You may be a talker and I feel like they are a listener, always wanted to hear what's happening next in your life. You will love how they take the time to get to know you, they don't wanna rush things with you, they just want things to move at their own pace and let your relationship flow naturally. I am also getting you will love how close they are with your family and friends, everyone loves them and loves you guys together. (my goodness I also got 18+ message for this pile but it ain't that kinda reading (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) )

Advice Cards:

You are divinely protected. Remind yourself how safe you are It's time to challenge old beliefs Keep the faith. Stay intentioned. Your perseverance will pay off Seek to understand from a place of connection rather than separation You are intuitively gifted. Trust your guidance Your child self needs your attention

Channeled Songs:

Pile 4 Cards: Ten of Swords rx, Ten of Pentacles, Five of Cups, The Chariot, Seven of Pentacles, Seven of Pentacles rx, The Devil rx, Knight of Pentacles Back of the Deck: The Moon

Honestly Pile 4, I feel like you are the type of person to prefer someone "bad" over someone who is "good" cause you want adventure or something, and then get your heart broken by a real bad boy/girl. Well I feel like your fs will actually fulfill your bad boy/girl craving without breaking your heart. Like your fs is like your exact type but almost even better cause you realize they are better for you then what you usually like. Your fs is giving strong Alhaitham from Genshin Impact vibes. They are really smart and studious. You will really like how their brain works and how they seem to know everything, like they could talk about things you don't understand all day and you would still find it the most interesting thing ever. This connection is giving such Y/N in a fan fiction vibes my goodness. They are also probably pretty well off or make really good money and they like to gift you expensive things. Your fs seems really mysterious but I feel like they are caring in their own way. Like one day you think they are upset but they were actually just feeling shy that day or worried that you saw their their plans for a date. Which leads me to my next point which is that I feel like you will love how your fs shows their love for you. I don't think they will express themselves very much but they will surprise you with the cutest little date ever or get you something you were talking about to show that they listen. Like, I keep seeing the cutest picnic in the most aesthetically beautiful place and it's all so cute and you just melt like knees are BUCKLED. I also feel like they will have the CUTEST flustered face that only you ever see and have that effect on them. They are a secret simp and you eat it up. Your fs is also an amazing cook, they make the most delicious food you have ever seen and it tastes even better. Your fs is someone you can see yourself growing old with, starting a beautiful family, and settling down somewhere quiet. I heard "I feel like anything is possible with you by my side.". You guys will compliment each other really well and I am honestly living for this connection. You have strong sun and moon vibes. I see yall bickering playful but it's never in a mean way, your words are always filled with pure love.

Advice Cards:

No better time exists than right now Relax and feel good. You deserve more joy! It is important to ask for help Complete the project or task. Something is calling for closure You need to make the first move Give up resistance in your current situation Awareness opens a field of possibility in your life

Channeled Songs:

Thanks for tuning in₊‧.°.⋆🫧•˚₊‧⋆.

I also wanna thank yall so much for the messages you leave on my readings. I tear up all the time from the things yall write. It means so much that these messages reach you well and resonate with you! I hope this reading resonates well with you!

(っ◔◡◔)っ ❤

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atamascolily · 7 months

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Tarot and Symbolism in the Walpurgis no Kaiten trailer

The most interesting moments in the Walpurgis no Kaiten trailer are unlikely to be in the final film. There are three of them, all in quick succession during the grayscale "flashback" sequence explaining How We Got Here.

At first glance, this is fairly straightforward--a clip from the original series, with the characters for "calamity" (災厄) reflected backwards. I don't know if this phrase ever comes up in the original series, but in at least one interview, Gen Urobuchi says Walpurgisnacht is "perceived as a calamity", which I have always thought was a striking way of putting it. (Is it possible to perceive her in ways that are not a calamity??)

Screenshot of the interview in question from the 2011-05 issue of Megami Magazine on the Puella Magi Wiki, which I am reposting here because Tumblr hates links.

Note that Urobuchi uses "災害" for "calamity" instead of "災厄" - both phrases mean the same thing, but my dictionary tells me that not only can 災厄 also be written 厄災, but that 厄 can mean either misfortune or an especially unlucky year. So that got my attention.

Even if I hadn't seen the key visual with two Homuras (or Homura and someone else wearing her face), it's abundantly clear from this shot alone that mirrors, reflections, and reversals are going to be a major theme.

The next shot follows immediately on the heels of the first, showing a clip of Homura from Rebellion:

Once again, we have the backwards text, this time reading 回い続ける, or "to spin in a circle". This is appropriate, given the nature of Homura's loops, but the same phrase also appears in the text of Walpurgisnacht's witch card, where she is "the fool that spins in a circle" -- 回い続ける愚者. And speaking of 愚者...

.... gues which character is plastered across Devil!Homura's face--not only backwards, but upside down??

This, to me, is the most important shot in the trailer, the one where SHAFT is tipping their hand, but to explain why, we need to talk about the meaning of 愚者. It doesn't simply mean "fool" as in a person of little intelligence--it also means the archetypal Fool, i.e., the Tarot card The Fool.

For those unfamiliar with Tarot, it is one of the ancestors of modern European playing cards--versions of it are still used in Europe for gaming, but it is most famous as tool for divination. Like a modern deck, the Tarot has 4 suits from 1-10 (wands/staves, cups, swords, and pentacles/coins) as well as face cards (page, knight, queen, king), but it also has a series of cards known collectively as the Major Arcana, which run in a series with higher cards taking lower cards in a game.

The Fool is the first card of the Major Arcana, although typically it is not assigned a number (and if it is, the number is zero). Depending on how you play, it is either the lowest or highest card in the Major Arcana, just like the modern Joker, with which it shares a common ancestor. It's literally a wild card.

From an esoteric standpoint, the Major Arcana is seen as an allegorical quest known as the Fool's Journey, an endless cycle of self-discovery culminating in the Last Judgement and the perfection of The World, before starting over anew… all of which fits with Homura's arc. In divination, The Fool represents starting out on a journey, a carefree and simplistic innocence, and is depicted as a handsome young man on the road, blissfully ignorant as he strolls right off the edge of a cliff.

However, the meaning of Tarot cards changes depending on their orientation in space--a process known as "reversal," as this upside-down meaning is usually the exact opposite of their normal "upright" reading. So the Fool reversed is carelessness, vanity, over-the-top dramatics--a perfect description of Walpurgisnacht (who, as I've said, has earlier been described as The Fool) as well as Devil!Homura.

(As a bonus, Walpurgisnacht as The Fool also helps to explain her circus/performance motif, as fools were historically bards, entertainers… or clowns.)

All three of these shots are literally "blink and you'll miss 'em" fast--the only reason I picked up on them was because I was taking screenshots. However, as I've said before, I think they go a long way towards explaining the overall themes and symbolism of the movie despite likely not appearing in the film itself.

That is, of course, not the only Tarot reference in the trailer: "The Moon" also makes an overt appearance in Homura's sanctum early on.

The moon itself is a source of constant change, so the fact that Homura has placed a pin in it--literally stopping time--is unsurprising. Given that butterflies represent souls in Japanese culture, the pinned butterflies in the background are also evocative, especially if Homura has taken on Kyubey's role as a contractor, as seems likely from context.

Meanwhile, The Moon card in Tarot represents the deep unconscious and secrets brought to light. Things are not what they appear to be, and you must trust your instincts to see past the illusion. But is Homura really listening, or will her overconfidence cause her to misstep at a critical moment?

Given these Tarot references in the trailer, I expect we will see more in the full movie. The most obvious, of course, is The Devil, but I am more interested in the card the card immediately AFTER The Devil--The Tower, which depicts a tower being struck by lightning, and represents sudden calamity and irrevocable change. And guess what we see in the final shots of the trailer?

…let's just say I will be very surprised if Homura's tower survives the film intact.

#puella magi madoka magica #walpurgis no kaiten #walpurgisnacht rising #tarot

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nightshadedawn · 1 year

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Non-Binary Glossary

As someone who is non-binary myself, I felt it important to include lots of non-binary characters in my fantasy novel that does not give a SHIT about what you present as, thus I needed to come up with titles for various things, and I thought I'd share what's so far in my glossary, with perhaps a smidgen of hope it'll get a bit of recognition.

Baba/Babby/Bather/Grandbather - The non-binary word for parents and grandparents.

I imagine the 'papa' or 'granny' equivalent of this one would be 'tata' or 'batty'.

Why, yes, this word was built off of 'baba' which it to my understanding, a word for 'father' in many cultures. But did you know it's meaning differs in many different cultures? And, also, it's catching on as the 'parent' word, and if I ever become a parent (highly unlikely) I want to be called Baba, if not just by my name because I absolutely can't picture being called by a title of any sort.

Crown - The non-binary word used used for someone of the status of queen or king.

This idea I obtained from an interactive fiction I read, where your character was referred to as 'Crown [Insert Name]' no matter what gender you made your character. It flowed well, so I decided I'd use the thematics of it in my own works going forward.

Emperus - A non-binary title used for someone of the status of empress or emperor.

I had a bit of trouble coming up with this one. But seeing as both emperor and empress both started with that 'emp' I knew I had to keep that, and from there, I played around with multiple second-halves, ending on the 'erus' because I'm a simple creature and it combined the 'er' and 'ess' of the other two, so it didn't feel entirely out of place.

Enna - The non-binary word for your parent’s sibling.

I fucking hate pibling. I don't know why, but it makes my skin CRAWL. I'd rather the niblings just call me by my name than have pibling anywhere in the conversation. Specifics wise, both 'aunt' and 'uncle' begin with vowels, but end differently. So I knew I wanted the word to begin with a vowel, and one different than the ones already used. I also knew it couldn't end with the hard 't' sound or the drawling 'el'. So I came up with a few options, and landed on enna because it was four letters like aunt, but two syllables like uncle, and began with the letter 'e' which is the most common letter in the alphabet. It's probably my favorite word on this list.

Laus - A non-binary word for someone of the status of Lord or Lady.

Ah, probably my second favorite word. Like for emperus and enna, I looked at the original words to find what they had in common. Only the 'L' followed by a vowel, which meant my word had to end different than both lord and lady. Well, it did have that pesky d in there, which proved a problem when I was trying to come up with words. I didn't like any of the other words I came up with, and landed on laus because it was the least miserable. The only other memorable ones were 'lent', 'lurt', and 'ludt' which all look terrible. Laus may stand out next to lord and lady, but at least it looks nice.

Princer/Prinx/Prinxer - A non-binary word for a royal heir. The ‘x’ is pronounced with a ‘zz’ sound.

Enby equivalents tends to have the 'x' at the end of their words, for whatever reason, since there's so many other things we could have done, but that's not the point. The point is both princess and prince begin with the 'princ'. I just needed to fluff up the end. In the end, I came up with these three, which I have not actually decided which one I'm going to use in my book. Pincer and prinxer are pronounced similarly, being 'prin-sehr' and 'prin-zer'. Phonetically, they don't sound similar to prince or princess, but at least one of them looks similar.

Ser/Sur - Honorifics used for knights in a similar vein to ‘Sir’. Sur is used for women, while ser is used for nonbinary, and sir remains for men. All are pronounced similarly.

I thought I was brilliant when I came up with this one. Originally, it was going to be 'sar' for women, and 'sur' for non-binary, but when I realized how similar 'sur' sounded in my head to 'sir' my brain went 'ser too' and thus, here we are. Because am I the only one who thinks it's dumb how men have all these titles and women keep having to use the same one over and over and over again? It's always "lady this" and "lady that". Well, no longer for the knights, as they will be referred to with Sur. Ser will be used for enbys due to so many of my other words containing the e. E for enby, everyone.

Words I am currently working on:

Madam/master

Duke/duchess

Baron/baroness

Countess/count

Earl - Will be looking for both an enby and women word, because currently, it's just countess here again.

Going down this route will be pretty easy, except for the madam/master one. Once I decide on the princess/prince word, the rest of these will just follow those rules, as princess just added 'ess' onto the end of 'prince' after all.

#writing #creative writing #novels #fantasy #fantasy novel #fantasy fiction #royalty #nobility #world building #fantasy world building #nonbinary #non binary #enby #royal titles #noble titles

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anya-snow · 1 year

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THE KINGDOM OF THE NORTH & THE GOLDEN EMPIRE: A list of wanted connections for people of YiTish origin in the North

The Golden Empire of Yi Ti is currently broken into eight major regions and the island of Leng, which is why some have looked outside their own borders for opportunities to grow and thrive. For many generations, YiTish people have travelled to other nations, with a particularly tight bond having formed with the Westerosi kingdom of the North.

For many years the kingdom of the North has embraced YiTish nobles, merchants, artisans and sages. The North’s visionary king, Owen Stark, has been working on creating a new realm unlike that of his predecessors, expanding on and strengthening bonds that have existed for so long. In recent time, this has fostered trade as well as cultural and intellectual exchange between the two nations.

NOTE: Houses, characters, plots, etc. are open to change and discussion. What is non-negotiable is the heritage of these characters, please note the FCs for these roles must have East Asian or Southeast Asian heritage.

WANTED CONNECTIONS listed below

HOUSE GREENLEAF Many generations ago, this house was founded by a YiTish immigrant who was later knighted and titled for his loyalty and service to the North. The YiTish lord changed his surname (Luye, YiTish for “green leaves”) to the common tongue “Greenleaf”. The late Rhydian Mormont was married to Yanlin, a daughter of House Greenleaf, also deceased along with thier daughters Leyana and Olira.

Open roles:

One to two Greenleaf knights

One lady appointed as one of Queen Rosalyn’s ladies-in-waiting

Open to more suggestions!

FROM THE REGION OF WAN This is one of the regions that have broken fully with the rule of the God-Emperor in Yin, although they aren’t officially an independent region like the island of Leng just yet. Their dedication to commerce with other lands and their amicable bond with their neighboring region of Shizi has enabled them to be as self-sufficient as they wish and not be forced to rely on the God-Emperor’s support. They have a strong bond with the regions of Ren and Xing as well, supporting them in their trade routes. This region isn’t ruled by a feudal lord but by a system of guilds, with each electing a member to represente them (merchants, sailors, tailors, healers, etc.) in periodic gatherings. People who have travelled to the Westerosi kingdom of the North have done so to escape the tensions in Yi Ti, encouraged by the promise of a better life in a kingdom that has welcomed them for many years.

Open roles:

One to two members of the merchant Yuan family (connection to Yuan Anya)

One to three members of the ruling guilds (artisans, tailors, healers, etc)

Open to more suggestions!

FROM THE REGION OF XING It is often said that the people of Yi Ti learned how to decipher the language of the stars from the Lion of Night and the Maiden-Made-of-Light, who taught them how to interpret both light and darkness, and who communicated their will through constellations as well as the rest of the secrets of the night sky. A colossal astronomy tower was built and a city began to grow around it, which is today known as the city of Xing, one of the oldest populated regions in all of Yi Ti. In time, more seekers of knowledge and wisdom were drawn to the region of Xing to learn the secrets of the universe. With time, and with people from other places travelling there, the exchange of knowledge was immense, culminating in a variety of schools being built all across the region for students to learn astronomy, engineering, botany, amongst many other branches of study. Nowadays the city of Xing in particular is considered a hub for sages (the equivalent of Westerosi maesters) as well as scholars, and it welcomes people from foreign lands to learn there.

Open roles:

One Xingese sage, part of the council as Archmaester of the North

One to two scholars who play a role in King Owen’s development plans for the North

Open to more suggestions!

FROM THE REGION OF SHIZI This region of Yi Ti mostly consists of forests and farmlands, which is why the Shizii people have developed most efficient and ingenious methods for agriculture. They have particularly good ties to the region of Wan and have a fruitful trading relationship with its people as well as with the regions of Xing and Ren. They are ruled by a feudal lord of the Qian family that resides in Shizi, which is often called the Jade City due to its lush vegetation and vast flora as well as the characteristic green clothing of their ruling family, who are called the start of the Jade dynasty by those who reject the God-Emperor’s rule. The ruling lord of Shizi represents the biggest threat to the God-Emperor’s rule, since they descend from the same bloodline and too many people believe he is rightfully descended from the Lion of Night and the Maiden-Made-of-Light, as all past YiTish emperors, thus it is believed he has a rightful claim to become the new God-Emperor. Assassination attempts from the lord in Shizi to the God-Emperor and vice versa have taken place a number of times. However, rather than overthrowing the current God-Emperor, the Qian family aims to break from Yi Ti and begin a new empire along with the people of Wan.

Open roles:

One member of the Qian family (a child of the feudal Qian lord)

One noble loyal to the Qian family

One to two refugees who were displaced from Ludi after its destruction

Open to more suggestions!

For any questions and more details about the North, please reach out to @owenstark

For any questions and more details about Yi Ti, please reach out to @anya-snow

#shoutout to belle for the history of house greenleaf!#shoutout to anja for coming up with the qian family!#( the north )#( the golden empire of yi ti )

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minecraft-llama · 11 months

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Chess Blog Day #1 - The Guys

There are six types of chess men. Five types of piece, and then pawns. Pawns aren't called pieces because they're more like the landscape of the battle.

The king

This guy has historically always been a king. he's not such a powerful piece, and needs to be kept safe for most of the game. Despite his weakness, he's the centre of everything. Checkmating the king is the aim of the game! Originally he was just a guy, but he got simplified to a cylinder with a crown with a cross when people decided to make chess sets that don't make your brain hurt trying to figure out what piece was which. On a computer, he's just his crown.

The Queen

Originally she was a male advisor that couldn’t move much but in the 1400s the woke mob came along and not only genderflipped the character, they girlbossed her up, too.

Seriously though, it’s likely that the reason the queen in chess is so powerful is because of inspiration from a real life “girlboss” (lets say strong but complex character), Isabella I of Spain.

Nowadays she has a bumpy crown unlike the king’s smooth one, and a bobble instead of a cross. I guess she’s just not as religious as her husband. Online, she’s just a spiky crown.

The Rook

In a predecessor of chess, shatranj, the rook was a chariot (“rukh” in Persian). In Europe this piece was replaced by a castle tower, and most European countries call it a tower. In English people still call it a rook, and will look at you funny if you call it a castle, even though it looks like one. However, in the classic Lewis Island chess set the piece is neither a chariot nor a tower, but rather a berserker, and is a this crazy-looking but endearing little guy biting on his shield. Rooks nowadays just look like towers, although how brick towers are supposed to move around a battlefield I have no idea.

The Bishop

This guy used to be an elephant, and is now called a runner in most languages. In English and Icelandic though, he’s a religious figure. Apparently the piece was simplified to have two prongs to represent an elephants tusks, and some people thought it looked like a bishop’s hat. The French interpreted it as a hat too, just of a different profession, and call this piece the jester. Online he’s just the hat.

The Knight

The knight has always been a man on a horse, and has always moved the way it does today. All of the other pieces used to move differently, but not this guy. Obviously knights used to be represented by a man on horseback, but this got simplified to just a horse. In some languages this piece is called a horse, and in many others a jumper.

The Pawn

The word “pawn” comes from the Latin for foot soldier, and unlike most of the other chess men different languages actually seem to agree that this guy is, in fact, a soldier. In medieval times, each of the eight pawns was named after a specific job from messenger to farmer (check out pawn on Wikipedia if you’re curious), because apparently people decided having eight identical chess men was boring. Any fans of grandmaster Simon Williams will know that naming pawns is a time-honoured tradition.

And that’s it! Now you’re familiar with your army, it’s time to learn how to command them.

Tomorrow: The basic movements.

#chess #pieces #history #board game

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flare-dragon · 3 years

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Deltarune Thoughts (feat. Chapter 2)

A few assorted thoughts/notes:

-Save points don’t exist in the light world, only in the dark world -Ralsei could be based on Kris’ memories/impressions of Asriel

More complex thoughts:

What if Kris did create the dark fountain of Chapter 2? The usual evidence against it is “When could they have done it? They had no time to disappear and make it during gameplay” but I propose one other possible time: Between Chapter 1 and 2. We see the knife at the end of Ch. 1 and think “Oh no! What’s Kris gonna do?” and then it’s revealed we were baited, with Toriel showing us that Kris ate the whole pie and left the knife in the tin. Our thoughts are pretty much “Oh, that Toby Fox! Baiting us with the knife!”, but what if...it wasn’t a bait, and it connects to Ch. 2′s ending, of Kris using the knife to create a new fountain?

The only major points against it would be: -Kris would have to break and enter the Librarby without leaving a trace -No monster would have to have noticed the weirdness coming from the Computer Lab door for most of the day/raised no fuss over seeing it The second one’s not a big issue; the door’s closed when Susie and Kris find it and we only know of Noelle and Berdly going there, who both wind up in the dark world The first one’s a little less easy, but considering Kris was willing to slash Toriel’s tires (likely to keep Susie at home, but that’s just thoughts), I could see them at being willing to try.

I guess the next thought would be “Why? Are they actually The Knight?”, but that’s a different thought~

What if, like how Ch. 1′s dark world seemed tailored to Susie and the playroom, and Ch. 2′s dark world tailored to Noelle and the computer lab, the secret bosses are based off of Kris?

Admittedly a thought I’m still working on, but there were points on how Queen seemed to almost represent Noelle’s image of her mother, overbearing and a little domineering but trying to do what she believes is best for her daughter (and even trying to make sure all the personalised rooms were personalised to what the characters wanted).

Some of that would be related to how social media sites these days really try to show you stuff based on what they know of your searches and such (spooky), but the points on Queen and Noelle’s relationship to her mother leads to thoughts of Susie and her relationship with friendships. It’s unknown what kind of friendships she could have had in the past, but Kris and Lancer were her first friends that we know of. This world ler her be scary and frightening, and “the bad guy”, but she eventually started to veer towards kindness and good, things she really did want.

But one thing that differs so differently from the tales of either chapter are their secret bosses (or, I guess, ‘chaos bosses’?). They speak of darkness and freedom/lack thereof, Jevil believing himself free on his side of the door, and Spamton being willing to go as far as exploit Kris and try to steal their soul just to be free of his ‘strings’. Jevil is effectively playing and being played with, and Spamton wants so badly to be free and absolutely laments that the strings still tie him down to the darkness, with cutting them only leading to shutting down.

If there’s one thing shared between them and Kris, it’s freedom/lack thereof. We, the player/soul, seem to control their actions and life (at least, with the choices we ourselves are given), and Kris seems to resent it (though it’s...hard to say?), having times where they throw out their soul/us just to have their own agency. It’s...unknown if that’s an outside force or is Kris themself though.

Each of the bosses are still rooted in the worlds they come in, hence their theming (Jevil as a Joker card, Spamton as...well, spam), but it makes me wonder~

What if Kris, Asriel, Noelle, and Dess/December used to go to the dark world?

This one’s still half-baked and more crack than genuine theory, but we know that the four of them used to hang out when they were younger, when both Asriel and Dess were around. We’re told Asriel’s gone to college, but we’re given very little information on Dess, aside from the fact that she’s not at home with Noelle and their mum. It could be that Dess is just with Asriel at college or out travelling the world, but it’s also often theorised that something happened to her.

It’s often thought that the hill below town has something to do with it (there was one or two posts connecting it to Mt. Ebott, which was interesting), though there’s not a lot of connection yet (there’s bound to be. The idea there isn’t would be...strange). It could be that the four of them wandered here at one point, but only three returned (you could say Asgore was supposed to be watching them if you wanna use it as the reason he was kicked off of/left the police force)

Makes me wonder if their adventures were actually adventures into the dark world, which would even tie in to the previous point, the idea that the worlds are tailored to those experiencing it. The idea that the darkners had been abandoned by the lightners until The Knight came and gave them a new purpose. It could be the ‘lightners’ were just the four of them having adventures in the dark worlds until Dess disappeared, then they stopped.

Doesn’t explain why now, of all times, the fountains are being opened up again (though one thought is maybe Kris is trying to find Dess before Asriel comes back, but that’s even more out-there), but it’s an interesting thought~

#deltarune #kris #susie #ralsei #noelle #asriel #december #dess #Mostly just assorted thoughts I had and wanted to share~#I had one thought that said 'What if it wasn't Gaster talking to Jevil and Spamton but the original Knight?'#But '...was there an original knight?' and 'unlike the King and Queen these two are referred to talking to one individual #after the darkners were abandoned by the lightners'. It didn't quite track yet #That said the idea that it is the Knight or an old Knight that caused their insanities is still interesting~#Fun fact: The idea that Dess might be fine and with Asriel at college/exploring the world only came to mind while writing this #I /might/ be missing some info though. /Anyways/

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pabsterthelobster · 2 years

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The Forgotten Champions of the 77 Rings

The first two parts of JoJo don't get as much attention as the latter parts do, especially the first part, Phantom Blood.

As you know, Bruford and Tarkus were two knights who were resurrected by Dio to serve as his zombie minions when he took over Windknight's Lot. In life, they served as retainers for Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland until Queen Elizabeth II of England had her kidnapped. The two knights would fight Elizabeth's armies until she offered them Mary's safety in exchange for their surrender. As they were to be excuted, they were told of how their mistress had already been killed before them.

However, what you may not know, as this was cut from the anime version, was that before their execution, the two had once accomplished a challenge known as the 77 Rings, where warriors would traverse a 10-kilometer mountain range near the Lot. As said warriors traversed the harsh environment, they would each fight 77 soldiers positioned on said mountain range to the death. For each battle they won, they would wear a bracelet or anklet (the "Rings" in question), which when worn all at once, had a total weight of 100 kilograms (that's over two hundred pounds if you don't do metric).

Both Bruford and Tarkus accomplished the challenge together in the year 1563, with Bruford using his Danse Macabre Hair to compensate for the extra weight, but they weren't the only ones to have accomplished this grueling trek. There were three others that succeeded in the challenge in the centuries beforehand; they were just the only ones "lucky" enough in canon to be resurrected by Dio.

For the video game adaptation for PS2, you fight these three other warriors as zombie warriors in a mode based on the 77 Rings challenge. You could also fight them in an unlockable alternate final boss battle, where they would fight against Jonathan on the burning ship alongside Wang Chan, per Dio's orders.

Winzaleo, the Lion King

Year of completion: 1327

Winzaleo was a proud and boisterous warrior who was the first to accomplish the challenge. He was proficient in the use of axes and his strength was so impressive that when he struck the ground with his axe, it would generate seismic waves.

Eijkman, the Lightning Knight

Year of completion: 1389

Wielding a halberd that could somehow generate wind and lightning, Eijkman was known in life for his quick fighting style. It is likely that he was extremely loyal to whomever he served in life, as after his resurrection, he would speak nothing but praise towards his new master Dio.

Caineghis, the One-Eyed Man

Year of completion: 1408

Despite his position as a noble knight, Caineghis was a sadistic man who fought with little honor, and fought his opponents with a sense of perverse pleasure. This is notable with his choice of weapon, being a scimitar laced with poisonous fluids.

Trivia

Similar to Part 3 antagonist Midler, these three characters originally lacked distinct designs in the original manga, only appearing in in one panel as generic looking knights. Unlike Midler, their designs weren't created by Araki for the game, but rather by the development team. Araki would then look over these designs and provide his own little touches after the initial designs were presented to him.

In order to access the alternate final battle, one must attain an S rank in the previous chapter. Otherwise, the final chapter will consist of Jonathan fighting Dio (being carried by Wang Chan) and a bunch of zombies.

The reason behind the existence of an alternate final battle is because the developers of the PS2 game felt that the original ending of Part 1 wouldn't really translate into a good final boss fight, and so they consulted with Araki for ideas.

Another change made to the final battle was that Dio would not only kill the drunk Father Styx as he did in canon, but would also take his body for a short while before beheading himself once again.

To my greater knowledge, none of these three's names are musical references, unlike Bruford and Tarkus, who are named after a drummer and album respectively.

#bruford jjba #tarkus jjba #winzaleo jjba #eijkman jjba #caineghis jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure phantom blood #jjba #capcom

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dennou-translations · 3 years

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Violet Evergarden: Booklet 3

Please feel free to message me about possible corrections. If you can, consider supporting the creators by purchasing the official releases. If anyone is feeling generous: Ko-fi | PayPal. ( ╹◡╹)っ’･*

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At that moment, I found myself thinking, “Aah, maybe if I disappeared, if I vanished right now, nobody would notice.”

Once I thought this, I could no longer think of anything else.

Before I realized, my hands and feet had moved. I slowly moved my whole body and left that place behind.

Nobody called for. Nobody tried to stop me.

Which was why I was now hiding. I was in a corner of a maze of roses in the royal palace of this forest kingdom.

I looked up at the sky. It was overcast. The air was a little heavy, so there was a chance of rain.

Was anyone looking for me by now? No, they might not have noticed. I could bet a hundred of Drossel’s white camellias that they hadn’t. “That wouldn’t be a bet,” someone said from within my mind.

——What will happen to me if I just stay here like this?

I tried to think calmly. Firstly, I would get hungry. My body would get bitten by insects. The sky was looking shady, so rain might come pouring down on me. I would get a fever from the cold, and then... and then... and then...

The power of my imagination was scarce, so the scenario ended there.

Stretching out my dress’s sleeves and removing my long gloves, I plucked the grass with a bare hand. Picking up some rose petals that had fallen to the ground, I threw them into the air even though they would not fly too far. I looked almost like a child trying to contain her bad mood. Most likely, if anyone saw me, they would wonder what on earth the queen of Fluegel was doing.

Why had I grown up to be like this? All I ever did was think big of small matters and be in a state of chaos. It was such a weak mindset, which people most likely wouldn’t expect to come from someone born in a family that was meant to rule a country.

“Members of the royal family are actually not supposed to expose their original selves. Under no circumstance should you forget that you must act with dignity and be a role model to your subjects.”

Even though I had already become a wife, I behaved like a little girl.

“However...”

I had experienced a romance like the ones that young girls dream with.

“...from my long time working in the court...”

I fell in love and won my beloved lord over.

“...these have been the most memorable Public Love Letters. Yes... in a good sense.”

After running and running, I was now living the aftermath of that.

My name is Charlotte Abelfreya Fluegel. Already a year had passed ever since I married off to Fluegel.

Charlotte Abelfreya Fluegel and the Forest Kingdom

Drossel and Fluegel – no matter what could happen to these two nations in the future, they had me as their intermediary princess. If I happened to die in this rose labyrinth without anybody ever finding me, I wanted someone to remember that.

As to why things had turned out like this, I’d have to rewind my life a little to explain. I had to mix up the cauldron of time that made the hours pass.

How far back was I supposed to go?

That beautiful golden-haired girl. My favorite. The ghostwriter who had become a mediator for my romance.

Rewinding to the times of Violet Evergarden’s Public Love Letters would be going back too far. It should be a bit later. Perhaps the appropriate would be around the time when I, who was once the third princess of Drossel – that beautiful country where white camellias bloomed in copious amounts –, went away and changed my surname. Yes, right, that was adequate enough.

Fluegel was a neighboring country of prosperous forestry. I was married to the man who had the priority rights to succeeding its throne. Letting go of everything that I had cherished until then, I married off.

I had transformed from a girl into an adult. Although my appearance hadn’t changed much, that was my status.

My husband was Damian Baldur Fluegel. He was the person who possessed the rights of succession as the next monarch at the beginning of our marriage, but a few days ago, he had inherited the throne from his father and become a king both in name and reality. In other words, I had become the queen as well.

Probably the worst queen in history. After all, I had run away.

Let me try to trace the rewound time with exact precision.

Fluegel’s capital was a city of fresh greenery, which had a castle erected in the depths of a forest. Said royal palace couldn’t be considered sturdy or showy, but it was in perfect harmony with the nature, endowed with a calculated beauty. Unlike Drossel, a country that maintained itself through the tourism industry, Fluegel had much of its national interest shouldered by its forestry. Drossel’s national flower was the white camellia, while Fluegel’s was the red rose.

The two countries were separated by a large river, but one would be tempted to wonder how they could be so different.

Differences were by no means a bad thing. After all, Lord Damian and I had met because we had been raised in such different cultures. That was exactly why I became attracted to Lord Damian’s… albeit artless, uninhibited personality, which was so unlike that of the royals from Drossel and other nations...

Yes, “differences” were not bad. But the so-called “differences”... how should I put it? When they weren’t tolerated, instead viewed as an absence of profits and effort, they would turn into a really bad thing.

Most likely, that was what made me the way I was now.

Was this an excuse? It might be. But that was how it was. That was it.

At first, my life in Fluegel didn’t go well.

Becoming used to even small differences in habit was extremely difficult for me, which caused the chamberlain to sigh often. He was someone who deserved respect for having taken care of Lord Damian’s personal matters for quite a long time.

There was no mistaking that I was in a position higher than his, but I soon understood that he looked down on me. One could tell as much by things such as the movements of the other’s eyes and their attitude.

The chamberlain would tell me: “That is not the way we do it in Fluegel”, “This is for your protection. You will be criticized otherwise. Now, fix yourself up”, “I have said this several times, but...”

I didn’t think I was some idiot. I believed myself to be the kind of girl who could do well if I put my mind into it. But I had to admit that I was a very unstable crybaby.

The differences such as the ones that the chamberlain talked about were, for example, the order in which people were seated at meals, how to lift my dress when hopping into a carriage, and other minute details like that. If I were told such things back in Drossel, I was positive that I could internalize it in the first try. After that, I definitely wouldn’t repeat the mistake. But the moment I tried to do it in this foreign country that I wasn’t familiar with, being watched by the monitoring eyes of someone that didn’t have me in his favor, I ended up failing. It was almost as if I were inducing the failure on my own. What was this phenomenon?

The chamberlain most likely knew this as well. He knew it, and even then he would sigh and speak in a detached manner while watching me go pale. There was nothing good in it for either of us, yet we would find ourselves repeating this vicious cycle.

To be honest, we were so incapable of getting along that the desire to jump off from one of the Fluegel castle’s windows as retaliation surged from within me. However, I had no choice but to keep going. Because I was a newcomer and that person was an elder.

If I didn’t get used to this, it would be the end of me.

Right, and there was also the tea party. The flow of the Cauldron of Time had finally returned to the present.

It all had begun… from the chamberlain suggesting that if I, who had become the queen, held a tea party, I would certainly make myself known as someone who shines like the stars in the night sky. He gave a long speech about my authority as a queen being this and that. That detestable chamberlain.

I did like tea parties, but even after being in Fluegel for a year, I wasn’t able to find myself anyone that I could consider close to me, so I frankly didn’t like the idea. I hadn’t gotten myself anyone to be on friendly terms with, so rather than a display of my power, wouldn’t this be deemed as more of a public execution for me?

Ever since I had arrived here, I was in the position of a foreign princess who had a political marriage with Lord Damian, so both the royal family that I had joined and the people who took care of me were somewhat distant… To make things worse, I was the very person who had tainted the traditional event of the Public Love Letters. People were wary of me as an unprecedented princess.

I had seen that Fluegel had a liberal aspect to it and wasn’t too bound by formalities in comparison to Drossel, but when it came to the royal family, that was a different story.

Whenever I passed the corridors of the royal palace, I could hear one name being whispered. Everyone would have faint smiles on their faces. “Baby Princess” was what they called me.

The one who came up with it was Lord Damian’s younger sister or something. Indeed, I had childish facial features and I was the girl who had married for love, so there was no helping that I would be mocked like this.

Receiving a nickname and having it made into a title meant that it was ingrained in people. Once a knight earned himself an alias, others would expect him to have a conduct that was worthy of it. In that same manner, no matter what I, Charlotte Abelfreya Fluegel, might say… I lived in Fluegel as the princess whom everyone would giggle at.

Whenever I made a mistake, “it’s because she’s a child”. If I happened to rush towards Lord Damian, “it’s because she’s a child”. Whenever I said anything, “it’s because she’s a child”.

If there was some magic spell that could turn me into a twenty-year-old right now, I would have taken it. It’d be great if I could instantly grab ahold of my dignity in a way that nobody would complain. But that was something that people had to be awarded to through the years, along with their efforts...

I might have been the Baby Princess today as well – the day of the tea party.

The chamberlain was in awfully high spirits, which one way or another was an omen for misfortune. I was watching from my bedroom as the elderly man briskly instructed the people around him.

From the room where I stayed with Lord Damian, I could see the castle’s garden, the rose maze that started from the garden’s entrance veering to the side, and the castle town. Back when we had just married, we used to often gaze outside the window together, but now we couldn’t even talk for more than five minutes.

Ever since succeeding the throne, Lord Damian was truly busy. He would be working while I waited for him in our room; by the time that I woke up, he would be by my side without me having realized it; as I stretched the creases that formed between his eyebrows while he was dreaming, he would wake up all of a sudden and then head off to the royal office again.

I was depressed since morning, because why did I have to hold a tea party while my husband was working so indiscriminately? But, well, this was also part of my duties. It was important for me to mingle with other women from a social status similar to mine. The trust earned from them would help not just me but also Lord Damian.

Those who controlled factions also had control of politics. Yes, yes, I knew that much. I had to do this exactly because things weren’t going well. In order to level up my speech skills, I had to start from taking up a stance. As my position was becoming worse, if I could get around here well, I would increase my authority in the royal territory without having to recreate myself.

I understood the reasoning behind this. What the chamberlain said was correct. He was implicitly telling me to do right, and I was the one at fault for not managing it...

The tea party was held in the garden outside at the arranged time.

There were people that I hadn’t seen ever since my wedding ceremony, whom I greeted while turning my head around at an incredible speed. Whenever someone sprinkled the subject of political affairs here and there, I’d throw it back at them with a smile, literally tearing apart and flinging away whatever came at me on repeat. Although the scene actually looked like a peaceful conversation, under the surface, I, the queen, was being evaluated, so this was a battle.

I thought I had done a really strenuous effort up until the middle of it. Instilling the impression that “My, so maybe the Baby Princess isn’t a bad person and is surprisingly smart when she talks?” was quite a success. The signs that I could make them deem me as worthy of standing by Lord Damian’s side were becoming visible. However, the very moment that Her Highness, the King’s young her sister, appeared in the tea party, everything I had set up crumbled down at once.

She was pretty late from the scheduled time – rather, she suddenly showed up when it was already ending.

Although she was close to me in age, she had a very adult appearance and was an awfully beautiful person. Renowned as one of Fluegel’s talented women, she was also involved with the National Assembly, and told us that she had rushed over because the meeting had ended just now. I had not yet been allowed to attend the meetings even though I was the queen, so I was terribly jealous... and a little miserable.

Of course, whatever had been discussed there became the topic, which Her Highness told the women present, explaining in a simplified manner. What a wonderful person she was.

Regardless, it felt like this was going to end as Her Highness’s tea party, even though it was mine. Well, that was okay too. Rather, it might be easier if there was someone to take the initiative to talk like this. I had a bug where I couldn’t speak very well to people whom I wasn’t close to, so I decided to leave it to her.

Despite this being a tea party, I hadn’t eaten anything, so I had the feeling that I would get hungry in the evening. I wondered what we would have for dinner.

Just like that, half of my soul disappeared somewhere else, so I didn’t notice that the subject had changed from state affairs to the next successor to the throne.

“Queen, are you listening? If things continue the way they are, there will be no helping it if a concubine is appointed.”

Since I hadn’t noticed it, I couldn’t react right away, even as I took the tremendous brutality of those words to the face. This had happened just a moment ago, so I didn’t remember very well what kind of reaction I’d had. I had the feeling that I had responded with a somewhat sluggish reply such as “aah” or “eeh”... much like the way that living creatures cried for the first time upon being born.

I could immediately tell that Her Highness wasn’t satisfied with my answer.

“It is because you are so laidback like this that the King has to fight the national affairs alone. You still intend to be here as a guest, not doing what you have to do, so everyone has to hold back and nobody can speak up their opinions. Talk more. Be more useful to the country. Most important of all, it has already been a year, yet nothing has been reported to us. Are you seriously discussing the succession with the King? If this goes on, someone will suggest a concubine for him.”

With such words thrown at me in sequence, I—I had... I had a thought. That perhaps she was trying to make me lose heart. Wasn’t I being attacked right now?

I looked around. Nobody attempted to open their mouths in order to defend me. There was no one. I had no one.

All of them were waiting for my reaction.

I knew this situation. I knew it very well. I wasn’t being treated as a person at the moment. My personality was being denied as well. The dignity that should be granted to the human being named Charlotte wasn’t being taken into account.

However, I didn’t break. Why?

Because I was used to being neglected.

“Yes, I am truly doing a poor job. I believe it is as you say.”

I was smiling.

“However, it has not yet been decided what will be my part of the work and what will be the King’s, as we are in the process of deciding on it as a couple.”

I was smiling mockingly.

“Now that I have talked to all of you like this, I have concluded I should propose my thoughts to the parliament slowly, little by little.”

I was... smiling.

“I was the princess of my country. But now, I am the queen of Fluegel. I did not intend to be here in the position of guest, but it is true that I was restraining myself. But is that not the same for all of you? I am aware. Everyone has been... well, surrounding me from a distance and looking after me. I was fretting, as it would have been better for you to tell me more directly if there was anything wrong... By all means, I would like to have a frank exchange of opinions with you in the future... and I hope that we can help each other... as fellow women.”

This was laughable.

Her Highness was appalled. So was everyone else. She must have spoken so conflictingly due to thinking that it was sure to make me start crying.

I wanted her to stop saying such stupid things. I was the former third princess of Drossel. Did she know what kind of country that was? It was a country where it was okay for women to become political tools. We were by no means granted the position to act freely like she did. As the shadows so-called “women”, we had no choice but earnestly do whatever we could.

I was born in a country were women were consumed and worn down. To top it off, I had been raised mostly by courtiers, away from my biological parents. I hadn’t seen my mother in forever.

Exhausted as a result of her marriage of convenience, Mother had Father build her a palace and secluded herself in it all day long every day. She did show up at the wedding ceremony, but she hadn’t even sent me a single letter after I had married off. She had probably already forgotten that she had given birth to me.

But that was the country I had been born in. I had been raised by one of this country’s strong women – a carefully selected, tough woman. This person patiently educated me, even though my aptitude wasn’t good. She explained things to me over and over again. She scolded me a lot. She taught me so that I would be able to marry anyone and live anywhere. She had also predicted that a situation like this might happen. So she told me how to act during a quarrel with other women.

That was why I smiled at times like these.

My looks weren’t bad. I was no idiot. I knew what effects I would bring about if I smiled. There was little that I could do, but I was going to be the one firing the best shot here.

I was a crybaby. I was a weakling. I was lonely.

However, I had been taught well. No matter what, I couldn’t lose in times like these. I knew that much.

I had been protected through the erasure of my personality.

That day’s tea party was over right then, and thanks to the chamberlain saying that it would soon be time to bring it to a close, it ended well.

At a later date, my feud or whatever with Her Highness would become a rumor around the royal palace, but that was a story of the future. In any case, it was over for now. Therefore, I was extremely relieved.

The chamberlain let me return to my room unusually early and consoled me with a “you must be tired”. “You were excellent today,” he told me. Enveloping my shaky palms in his hands, which had wrinkles just like Alberta’s, he warmed them up. “No matter what happens, do not forget that you have one ally,” he said.

From that, I understood a little something. That he, indeed, worried about me in his own way. I wasn’t fond of his way of doing things, but he had struggled as much as he could in order to do something to improve my position.

He had seen what I had gone through today, so he was commending my brave fight. I had been subjected to violence today. I had been told such terrible things. Even though I—I...

I was in love with Lord Damian.

Both Drossel and Fluegel were aware of this. The citizens of both kingdoms knew it. And yet, aah, how embarrassing. But everyone knew.

I was in love with that person. I was in love.

“You have not sired a child after a year, so there might be need for a concubine. Therefore, if such a woman appears, you should accept it,” she said, despite knowing how much it would hurt me.

I was told off. I was told off by the younger sister of the object of my affections. That was what she said to me.

“Thank you, but please, let me be alone.”

I still managed to keep my smile up, but as soon as I drove the chamberlain out of the room, the tears overflowed torrentially and I couldn’t stop them.

There should be things more painful than that out there in the world. I looked like a fool for crying because of something like this. But right now, I was feeling like the most pitiful person in the world. I wanted to return to Drossel. I wanted to go home to Drossel.

No, that wasn’t it. No, that wasn’t it. No, that wasn’t it.

I wanted to go back to the person who would always allowed me to cry, no matter how much I did so. The person who would stay by my side.

“Alberta...”

I wanted to go back to Alberta.

I knew it was stupid of me. But when I thought that a day might come when Lord Damian, my husband – the object of my affections –, would take another woman aside from me, it was so painful. My chest hurt – it hurt so much that it was hard to breathe. So I couldn’t contain my cries.

I wondered what had gone wrong.

Was it because I had started clamming up, since the chamberlain would always hammer me down by saying, “That kind of unheard-of behavior is not allowed here”, so I couldn’t speak the way I wanted to? Or was it because I was late to find out that not assertively addressing the royal family was bad manners, since I was in a position where I had to wait for people to talk to me first back in Drossel?

Perhaps it was everything.

Apparently, Fluegel hadn’t taken in a princess from abroad in the last sixty years, so maybe it was already difficult for them to accept a foreign object like me in the first place. Things would probably have been different if I were a great woman – yes, a woman like Her Highness –, yet I had nothing but tears. Still, was I such a horrible person that I had to be told such things?

Aah, nothing – just nothing. Nothing was working out. It might be that nothing would go well from now on too.

This thought swiftly made its way into my heart.

All of a sudden, I was able to clearly hear the sounds around me. The noises of someone walking, the whistling of the wind outside, my own breathing. The way that the tears fell down as they dripped from my eyelashes, the way that I was suddenly looking at myself in a holistic manner.

Yes, perhaps things would never work out from now onward. If so, then...

Then, shouldn’t I run away?

Several questions – such as to where, with whom and to do what – came to me, but I ignored them. I had probably broken down at that point.

I dropped my own heart, which I had been cherishing as much as possible in order for it not to break, onto my feet. I had the feeling that I heard a clank when doing so.