#The version that exists in my mind palace will have to sustain me

[kittykatninja321]

The heart wants a modern Robin Jason run but the mind knows better

#If dc never touched Robin Jason again it would be too soon but also I want a 30 issue run minimum 🧍🏾‍♀️ #The version that exists in my mind palace will have to sustain me #Jason Todd #dc

[aconstantstateofbladerunner]

Naive Melody Chapter 4 Snippet

I feel like no one is reading this fic but I'm desperate to get it out there, so here's the first scene of the next chapter.

Here's the link to the rest of the fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34421470/chapters/85662910

CW for: pregnancy, implied sexual assault

Days bled together. Nights lasted weeks at a time. Everyday, Inko was escorted from her room to different parts of the mansion seemingly at random. Nursery some days, then the library, maybe outside. Sometimes all or none. The only consistent point on the schedule were mealtimes. Inko never felt more like livestock.

Father stocked her stall/room with frilly dresses and jewelry. The sort of tacky extravagance typically reserved for dolls. Inko was convinced a particular yellow monstrosity was a life-sized version an outfit a childhood toy of hers wore.

She considered looking for it if she ever got some free time in the nursery, which was rare. They didn’t stick her on young childcare like when she was a teen, thank the gods, but instead she got stuck learning about babies with the mothers. ‘Learning’ was maybe a strong word. Rather they’d gossip about whoever wasn’t in the room, maybe while changing or nursing, then scold Inko for not paying attention to either. That tied with morning sickness for the most uncomfortable part of a given day. It wasn’t enough to be trapped with women stuffed unnaturally large with multiple children it triggered a primal reaction of disgust and horror, but they also revealed in their own captivity. Conversation topics included bragging about how many babies they had and praising Father for providing everything. Even the two who walked away from Mitsuru’s bootlicking giggled at Inko’s obvious discomfort. The way one might make fun of an immature child scared of their own shadow. Whatever mad science or unholy quirks let these women give birth dozens of times without health complications must also alter their minds into complacency. No other explanation made sense.

Is that going to be me?

As much as she hated being confined to her room most of the time, it was the only place Inko could be alone. She could watch tv with three channels, play dress-up like a child, or sit and contemplate her miserable existence. Not much, but no one watched her do it. Sometimes she daydreamed about a hero raid coming to save her. Or being back in her old apartment. Once, she forgot to buy eggs for dinner, and a neighbor caught her rushing out and offered some of his. No charge. Mr. Asa was his name. Inko didn’t see him much. He worked a late shift as a security guard somewhere. He was always nice though. Even the neighbors that weren’t had a charm to them. Or maybe just a lack of malice. She didn’t have to look over her shoulder for them sabotaging her. In moments like that, Inko almost convinced herself that those happy memories alone could sustain her. But then she’d wake up the next day and the whole mess started over.

The cycle must have been going a while they way she started to recognize the pool of guards assigned to her. Only around ten or eleven of them, changing shifts throughout the day. Teenaged siblings with quirks strong enough to be useful but not so useful they got field assignments. Or perhaps they were only useful enough for now. Like the dead boy on the slab in the basement with the doctor. Gangly limbs and acne highlighted their youth. Funny. When Inko was a child, she thought the guards looked so grown up.

At least, she assumed they were her siblings. Made more sense to stock the yard with bodies on hand instead of recruiting. And why would Father recruit teens instead of adults? Was there anyone besides the mothers and the Doctor not of Father’s blood around?

Father himself didn’t stick around long.

“I have other projects that require my full attention.” Exact words. More credence to Inko’s theory of multiple mansions. And what kind of emperor didn’t have more than one palace?

Would they have the same set up as here? Inko wondered, lying in bed with the TV on in the background. Is it just a matter of capacity, or would they be trained for different purposes? Most of us who got to go outside have a directive related to All Might. The women at least. Except Kamiko. Although, being the acting head of the Hero Commission probably got her other orders about All Might. Is she from here though? She comes here for meetings sometimes. And she’s a lot older so maybe she grew up here before I was born.

Inko rolled onto her stomach to watch TV. It was already starting to feel uncomfortable. But maybe there was a chance she could squish the parasite.

One of the only channels on the TV showed nonstop hero gossip shows that speculated All Might was hooking up with every woman seen in the same room as him. Just like he said they did. She huffed. Today’s subject was a random actress she didn’t recognize. Inko dreaded the day when one of her siblings showed up on this stupid show. For all she knew, they already did.

Maybe she’s from a different mansion. She frowned. Maybe I’m not the only ‘success’ with All Might. The thought turned up her lips. Are you seriously jealous? Get a grip.

She turned off the TV. A group of kids played outside. Her old apartment was near a school. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was back there. Relaxing a little before she got dressed for work. Or settling in for a nap after some reading. Her situation was kind of like a few of the books left behind there; the protagonist finds herself pregnant after a one-night stand with the rich and famous but also mysterious hero, and sat around wistfully wondering what to do. Minus the villain conspiracy.

What would he say if I told him I was pregnant? She did not touch her stomach. Inko thought about it all those weeks ago, staring down the barrel of a positive test. She still had his number, and Father wouldn’t know until she told him. Maybe All Might would have protected her. Rescued her. Or paid her to get an abortion and stay quiet. But Father bugged her phone, so she’d never find out which anyway.

But what if I did? Scenarios flew through her mind. I could have called All Might up for a date, which I was ordered to do if I didn’t get pregnant the first time, and then explained the situation on a piece of paper or something so Father couldn’t listen in. She pictured a fancy dinner in a lavish restaurant, All Might promising her everything on the menu when she slid a napkin with a message on it across the table.

“I’m pregnant, but my father is a villain who wanted me or one of my sisters to sleep with you in order to get pregnant so he could groom your child into a weapon.” But I didn’t know about the weapon part until later. And that’s way too long.

“My father wanted to use me to get to you, but now I’m pregnant and need help.” But what if All Might thought it was a ruse to blackmail him? Or force his hand on the pregnancy? I could just not mention it.

“My father is a villain using me to get to you, and he’ll kill me if I don’t. Please help me.” That should be enough.

Then All Might would sneak her out the back and whisk her away to his home, where she’d relay everything she knew about Father and his operation so All Might could destroy it. And with her newfound freedom, she’d get the abortion herself. Unless, All Might wanted to keep it. Stay together.

Would he though? She rubbed the sheet between her fingers. That night, he walked with her on the beach for hours, long past the point of conversation. Inko pushed him to tell stories that bored even him. Anything to keep him talking. Talking delayed the inevitable. The hotel lights loomed over them the whole time, but he never mentioned them until she did. He followed her lead. Which was worse in a way. It left her with no plausible deniability to Father. How she prayed that the experience itself would overshadow her directive, if only for a moment or two. That’s how it worked in the stupid books. The women forgot all their problems and priorities the second some random hunk of beef made eye contact. Dumb as they are, at least they enjoyed themselves.

The books always ended with the couple together, either with a kid or one on the way. Happily Ever After™. In short, fiction. Inko was smart enough to know at least that much. Just because All Might respected her boundaries and said nice things didn’t guarantee he’d embrace her and a baby. Did she even want the baby?

A woman screamed distantly down the hall. One of the mothers must have gone into labor.

Yeah no, fuck that. She pulled her pillow over her head. The parasite can get gone. If All Might still wants kids, we can adopt. Inko squeezed the pillow harder. Where do you get off acting like he’ll just agree to settle down with you the second you show up? He’s a hero. He has options. He probably says all that nice crap to everyone. It’s all a fantasy! You aren’t special! She screamed into the fabric. If only she cried enough to drown herself. Or the Doctor would take her way in the night like the kids who cried themselves to sleep. Only issue was she wanted to live.

It doesn’t have to be. Not the part about being with All Might, but him saving her. He was a hero. How many complete strangers does he save every day? He doesn’t need to care for them to help them. It’s just his job. His job that includes locking up villains. And their co-conspirators…

Inko rolled onto her side. I won’t know what he’ll do until I get out.

How the hell do I get out?

#toshinko #midoriya inko #all might #yagi toshinori #all for one #dad for one #grandfather for one #my hero acedamia

[dragonmaiden79]

Enlightenment (part 1)

Introducing, my latest OC Xenisha (Zen-E-Shuh)! She’s a genius from Earthrealm who moved to Outworld by her own choice and though she would much prefer to keep excessive attention off herself, that becomes less and less plausible when the Kahn and Queen start hearing about her inventions and technical ability. New job with new demands is something she doesn’t care for, but when Shang Tsung gets involved, she decides maybe it’s not so bad.

Part 1, Enlightenment; First Encounter

(Shang Tsung x BlackFemaleOC, No warnings)

The sun scorched landscape stretched as far as the eye could see. The main parts of Outworld were composed almost entirely of the hardened cracked sand that Xenisha’s hover-pack kept her in flight over. A summons had been brought to her door, requesting presence before Empress Sindel and Emperor Shao Kahn. Immediately. Two days, was all she had to get herself together and head for the rust colored mountains, where one of their many lavish palaces was located.

From the moment she discovered the notice pinned to the door of her home, Xenisha had to ensure preparedness and punctuality to the meeting. Heat was a given, the sun was always so relentless, especially when heading into the private properties of the mountains, so she had to dress light and still remain presentable– Though she had no intentions of going overboard to put up any appearances. Never that. A neon green t-shirt with navy blue denim overalls would serve just fine. They were both made from the genetically altered cotton that was grown on her plot of land; As a result the clothes could nearly breath and were resilient to external temperatures. In other words, by her own creation, there existed a fabric that remained roughly an even 60 degrees to the touch at all times. Long gloves that went past her elbows with fingers tipped in soft metal to operate any of her custom interfaces and made of a hardier version of the same cotton accompanied it, as she was determined not to let the sun sear her skin the same way it had the terrain.

As for her hair, she began washing it immediately after her outfit was chosen. This was one part of her appearance that couldn’t be compromised. It was long, impractically so– Although it didn’t appear to be, favoring instead a thick, mass of tight, puffy, dark colored coils that grew from her scalp in all directions and came to rest on her shoulders, with some continuing midway down her back. For the impromptu journey it needed to be fully hydrated, double twisted and then pinned into a bun, to finally be covered with a decorative silk headwrap to keep it from sustaining heat damage from Outworld’s unforgiving climate. It was treated as her crown– One of the few non-science related indulgences that she simply adored participating in.

Lastly, since she had no intentions of showing up empty handed, some of her tech was chosen for the occasion. Hover-pack, teleporter, and sub-space sash with a pair of flexible, comfortable shoes, and she was ready to go.

The whole way there, she tried to think not annoyed thoughts. Not only was the day a complete loss, meaning no time to dig around for parts or work on any of her near finished projects, but this situation was one that she’d found herself in constantly and she hated it. Xenisha didn’t mind inventing and creating things for commoners and poor folk, but when it came to powerful authority figures she’d learned to avoid displaying her talents. She preferred not being a pawn to be bargained with, bought or sold.

The ‘locals’ were near destitute, left to scratch around and work as slave laborers once their home realms were fused into Outworld. Out by the Rust Wall, i.e. the cluster of shantytowns that survivors gathered in to preserve what they could of their culture, is where she amassed hidden influence. It wasn’t on purpose, but after building a permanent home and using gene tampering to grow fruit and vegetables year round, she began to garner much attention. Soon enough, she was handing out free food to beggars and giving away bundles of the specialized seeds to farm and be planted in high traffic spaces. The sudden abundance of plant life earned new nicknames for the area, and soon the Rust Wall became the Green Wall (or any other variation of that name).

People repaid their gratitude by giving her things like books, materials, currency, and whatever else they could get their hands on. She didn’t ask for much, if anything at all, just to be able to hear how this invention and that new plant was working out. If anything needed improvement. Doing things that way helped her research extensively, which was satisfaction enough. It always had been.

But as the Green Wall grew and word of it spread, the Emperor and Empress became interested. Hiring her for small tasks and offering higher and higher payouts whenever she tried to say no, until they started sending Kollector to retrieve her, in lieu of making requests. Now she was abundantly wealthy with a position she never wanted or needed.

She shook her head. This was her own fault. Had she not been so eager to toss her creations at everyone she saw this wouldn’t be happening right now.

But they were all just so dang poor! How the hell was she supposed to ignore them?

She sighed as she touched down. It didn’t make much of a difference at this point.

Now standing before the spear-like rod iron gate that allowed entry on to the grounds, she was greeted by the hulking Shokan guards meant to escort her to the throne room. They would’ve let her walk there on her own, but the place was vast (ugly too), and she’d failed to navigate it more than once (gotten lost).

While it was wise to build around the largest oasis in the area, the 'sharp’ design of everything from the torch holders on the wall to the impractical black spiral staircase that led to (lo and behold) another long hallway and another flight of stairs (this time not spiral) was just ridiculous. Black, green, dark red, with skulls, warped faces, and spikes was the entire motif, and it was… Unbearable; A melodramatic over statement of 'I am Villain, I am King, I will be obeyed’, if Xenisha ever saw one.

Finally, after more stairs than anyone would ever care to walk, they arrived in the throne room. It was large enough to have a troop of soldiers gather and receive orders all at once. Crossing the polished sandstone floor, flanked by two guards on each side, Xenisha stopped just before the (godforsaken) stairs that lead up to a platform that held a set of matching thrones. Two powerful entities sat atop them with one advisor standing next to each seat neither of whom she’d met. They were just high enough, make a person feel beneath them and know who had the power.

“Your Majesty.” Xenisha bowed to each of them, “Your Majesty.”

The proud beautiful Empress Sindel spoke first. “Hmph. The girl continues to offend me,” she scoffed to Shao Kahn before turning to her. “Must your lack of effort always be so apparent?”

The simmering annoyance that she’d had been feeling became a blaze of anger, and she had to bite her tongue to push it down, avoid getting her head taken off. The Empress enjoyed antagonizing those who were 'lower class’ than her, especially appearance wise. She hated Xenisha’s work clothes and made sure to say so every time she saw her in them.

Do not start with me…. Xenisha thought, rolling her eyes.

Bringing a hand up to her ear and twisting the stud earring there, she exhaled slowly before answering. “With all due respect Madame,” she urged herself to say, “The letter didn’t say this was a social call.” She replied, with the tiniest edge of condescension.

Obviously satisfied with herself, Sindel waved a dismissive hand smirking. “I care not for your excuses.”

“Right…” Xenisha grumbled, letting go of her ear to slip her hands in her pockets. “How can I help you guys today?” She sighed.

Shao Kahn spoke. “Some of our 'allies’ require a small amount of monitoring. I gather you are capable of creating such devices.”

“Sure.” She replied.

“Excellent.” He nodded, “The intel will prove to be a valuable asset.”

“Mmmhm. Wonderful.” She said flatly.

“How much time will this take?” Sindel asked.

“3 months– 90 Earth days.”

“Your 'enthusiasm’ is contagious.” Shao Kahn remarked sarcastically. “Very well. Part of your payment will arrive at your home tomorrow.”

“Great.” Xenisha nodded, quickly. “Will that be all?”

This was always how these conversations went; The Queen or the Kahn stated a 'request’, she said 'Yes I can!’, performed said task, and received a massive sum of money. She had more Shao Koins and Sin-Dollars than she knew what to do with, but admittedly it was nice being able to buy more rare and expensive metals. Even if only because it took away some of the time and effort of having to scavenge.

“No.” Sindel said, sitting back and crossing her leg, gesturing to the right. “That will not be all, Xenisha. Shang Tsung will be overseeing this undertaking to ensure quality, as well as personally screening any intel that you may find.”

Xenisha glanced at him, who raised his eyebrows and smirked.

“Actually he can stay here, I don’t need any supervision. But thanks.” She said, uneasily shifting.

“On the contrary,” Shao Kahn interjected, “Since you will be the one collecting the information–”

“I never said I w-”

“–Reporting to him directly will bypass the tedium of having to await your arrival.”

“…..Ya know what? I… Guess that’ll work.” The idea of periodically having to meet up with them was enough to have her agree.

Hopefully this situation wouldn’t carry on for too long, but from Shang Tsung’s expression, he was likely to make this as difficult as possible.

***##***

Hope you all enjoyed my new shit, and thank you for reading❤❤

#shang tsung #oc #ocs #black oc #black ocs #shang tsung x black oc #shang tsung x black character #black characters #black female oc #shang tsung x black female oc #shang tsung mortal kombat #mortal kombat #mk #mc #black mc #dragonmaiden79

[nicole-queen]

Not to be bitter, but... the NAS anime Yu-Gi-Oh is a failure of an adaptation.

Random Shadow Game between Yami Bakura and Atem during Duelist Kingdom, random Duel between Jonouchi and Atem during Duelist Kingdom, Otogi’s motivation being changed and removing his father, Otogi vs Atem at DDM being a thing and Atem using LITTLE WIZARD, random Duel between Jonouchi and Kaiba when Mai’s life is on the line, the complete rewrite of the origins of Duel Monsters and so on...

But still, nothing compares to the butchery the Millennium World arc suffered.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

some things that the anime completely fucked up:

A: Yami Bakura, for absolutely no logical reason, goes against Kaiba in a Shadow Game, where his Diabound monster (not to be confused with the Diabound Ka) copies BEWD’s Burst Stream of Destruction ability. Yami Bakura also gives Kaiba the Millennium Eye so that Kaiba could take part in the Memory World for absolutely no logical reason. THEN in the Memory World, Thief King Bakura’s Diabound uses Burst Stream of Destruction to stalemate Obelisk. ...

M: Yami Bakura gives the Millennium Eye to Yugi because all 7 Millennium Items are needed to open the Door to the Afterlife, as well as the Door to Darkness. Diabound also stands up to Obelisk by his own power.

-------

A: a lot of BEWD focus and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon facing off against Zorc

M: Seto seeks the power of the White Dragon which supposedly is greater than that of the Gods, but the White Dragon doesn’t actually fight against Zorc or is measured against the Egyptian Gods

-------

A: Bobasa appears in the Memory World as comic relief that seemingly has no relevance to any actual plot, until he finally! takes Yugi and Co. to Atem’s tomb.

M: Bobasa appears right before Atem and Co. enter the Domino Museum and is immediately revealed as guarding the Millennium Scales and Millennium Key; Bobasa explains everything the group needs to know about the Memory World

-------

A: Thief King Bakura has some weird goons with glowing eyes and enters the royal palace with Akhenamkhanen’s sarcophagus

M: Thief King Bakura is acting entirely on his own and drags in Akhenamkhanen’s actual mummy

-------

A: Thief King Bakura in the Memory World is actually Yami Bakura who calls the Pharaoh “Yugi“ and is aware that he is playing a Shadow Game

M: Thief King Bakura is a legitimate remnant of his 3,000 years old self, has no awareness of Yugi’s existence or the Shadow RPG, only cares about getting his revenge for the Kul Elna massacre, calls Atem “Pharaoh“

-------

A: DIADHANKS DIADHANKS DIADHANKS DIADHANKS DIADHANKS (literal Duel Disks in Ancient Egypt that are worn by Millennium Items wielders in order to summon their Ka and gauge their Ba level................)

M: .........

-------

A: Yugi and Co. aimlessly wander in mind-boggling filler

M: Yugi and Co. quickly realize they have to find out the Pharaoh’s lost name

-------

A: Seto is less assured, has everyone convincing him not to join his father or be manipulated by him

M: Seto is far more antagonistic then his anime version, he is willing to torture people and talks about “shadow politics”, while Akhenaden is trying to reason with him so that he doesn’t commit the same sin he did

“A small sacrifice of the people… isn’t even worth a pebble from the Valley of the Kings.“

“I will make the White Dragon my servant, no matter what… even if I must sacrifice the life of the wielder…“

------- 

A: Seto saves Kisara when they were kids, Seto sees the White Dragon

M: Seto meets Kisara during his Ka hunt and he has just heard about the White Dragon minutes prior

-------

A: Diabound slices Saint Dragon of Osiris in half after Akhenaden harms the stone slab of SDoO

M: Saint Dragon of Osiris is weakened from Diabound’s attack but otherwise unharmed

-------

A: Yami Bakura is in Thief King Bakura’s body from the beginning of the Memory World

M: Yami Bakura possesses Thief King Bakura’s body when the latter gets taken out by Atem and the Winged Dragon of Ra

-------

 A: natural disasters starts happening all over the real world because of the events in the Shadow RPG

M: the Shadow RPG takes place within the Millennium Puzzle and doesn’t affect the outside world

-------

A: Yami Bakura has Kaiba enter the Memory World so that he can use his Ba to restore his power, just like Yugi did for Atem. (He invited Kaiba BEFORE he knew Yugi and Co. would change the events through the soul transferrence, so continuity makes no sense...)

M: Thief King Bakura has enough Ba to sustain two Ka at once, as well as take on all the Priests + Pharaoh while they quickly drain their Ba

-------

A: Yami-Bakura-in-Thief-King-Bakura’s body believes the Pharaoh’s lost name (+ the 7 Millennium Items) is needed to unseal Zorc, which is why he hijacks Honda

M: placing the 7 Millennium Items in the Tablet of Lost Memories is all that is required to unseal Zorc

-------

A: Yugi and Co. fed a hungry Bobasa with grapes so he will take them to the Pharaoh’s tomb................

M: Bobasa turns into Hasan, who says that his role is to take them to the Pharaoh’s lost name when Zorc is unsealed

-------

A: Yami Bakura uses his freezing time ability on Yugi and Co.

M: Yugi and Co. are NPC that aren’t affected by the freezing of time

-------

A: Yami Bakura says he would be in trouble if Kisara doesn’t go to Seto...........

M: ?????? Yami Bakura doesn’t know or care about Kisara/Blue-Eyes White Dragon

-------

A: Kisara and Kaiba run into each other

M: ...........

-------

A: Atem fights with Seto before the final fight with Zorc

M: Atem fights with Seto (joined with Akhenaden) after Zorc is defeated

-------

A: Atem fusions himself with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon into Master of Dragon Knight......

M: ......... KAIBA WASN’T PRESENT.

-------

A: Zorc defeats the Egyptian Gods

M: Zorc never faces the Egyptian Gods, Atem just merges them into Horakhty

-------

A: during the Ceremonial Duel, Atem summons all 3 Egyptian Gods and too much time is spent on them

M: Atem summons Obelisk which Yugi immediately takes out, Yugi cancels the summon of Saint Dragon of Osiris, Winged Dragon of Ra makes no appearance

-------

A: Atem runs all 3 God Cards relatively early in the Duel, and even has them out simultaneously, which makes the revival of Saint Dragon of Osiris underwhelming.

M: Yugi guesses Atem would probably run 1 God Card due to the Tributes required. At the end, Atem cheats Saint Dragon of Osiris into play with Monster Reborn. Turns out Yugi predicted that all along and countered it.

-------

A: Atem has to encourage Yugi not to give up during the Duel.

M: Yugi is already resolved to fight.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

some things the anime completely fucked up by NOT showing:

ATEM STRAIGHT UP SHOVING THIEF KING BAKURA AWAY FROM HIS FATHER’S MUMMY AND CRADLING IT AND THEN TELING THIEF KING BAKURA “I’M GOING TO DESTROY YOU.”

Seriously, the entire scene of Atem carrying his father’s mummy in his arms, “I can still feel your love...”

far better action in the Diabound battles

Atem and Thief King Bakura being far more badass

the Priests and Pharaoh having mock battles to train their Ka

Atem defeating a cocky Seto with a Kuriboh Ka, in order to teach him that power isn’t everything

“This tomb is yours, Bakura!”; “This is our grave.”, “Do you honestly think you can defeat me?”; Mahado not using part of his Heka in order to keep the evil in the Millennium Ring suppressed

far better action in the Thief King Bakura vs Mahado battle

the group places their hands atop one another, thinking about Atem and Bobasa immediately goes “THE POWER OF THE MILLENNIUM PUZZLE IS THE POWER OF UNITY” (because Shadi already witnessed the power of their friendship) and Yugi is “THE DOOR THAT YOU CAN SHOW, BUT YOU CAN’T SEE…”; THEIR FRIENDSHIP LITERALLY OPENS THE DOOR TO THE MEMORY WORLD

Thief King Bakura killing everyone in the tavern as he enjoys his food

far better action in the Diabound vs Saint Dragon of Osiris battle

”I’ll fight until the end!! That is the duty of the Pharaoh!”

High Priest of Darkness appearing to Akhenaden following Thief King Bakura’s assault on him

more in-depth talk of the Millennium Tome, Shadow Alchemy and the creation of the Millennium Items

”I was able to resist the evil power of the Millennium Ring…These spirits are nothing before my Heka!”

Atem and Yami Bakura/Zorc playing the Shadow RPG in the Domino Museum, as well as Ryo Bakura having created the Ancient Egypt diorama

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There were far more examples, but I’m done with this trash.

Only redeeming thing this anime arc had was that Atem as a kid was super cute.

#anti ygo anime #anti yugioh anime #manga is 9.9/10 but the anime is... #ygo #yugioh #yu gi oh #text #text: yu gi oh

[bumblingorcs]

Orsimer Afterlife - Malacath doesn’t encourage sexism, in this essay I will

Ooops, okay, I decided that last post was a mess so we’re doing this over again, this time with a masterpost about Orc Afterlife---

We have, like, two whole written sources in the Elder Scrolls mentioning Malacath’s plane of Oblivion and the afterlife, so

The first one, the Doors of Oblivion, has a very brief description: 

“ 'Dust,' he whispered to me on the first day of his voyage. Despite the inherent dreariness of the word, I could hear his excitement in his voice, echoing in my mind. 'I can see from one end of the world to the other in a million shades of gray. There is no sky or ground or air, only particles, floating, falling, whirling about me. I must levitate and breathe by magickal means …' 

Zenas explored the nebulous land for some time, encountering vaporous creatures and palaces of smoke. Though he never met the Prince, we concluded that he was in Ashpit, said to be the home of Malacath, where anguish, betrayal, and broken promises filled the bitter air like ash.”

Considering this is an eyewitness account of a mage who actually, physically entered the Ashpit, I’d say it’s pretty accurate and reliable. Of course, he never actually visited or saw the Ashen Forge; he only saw the surrounding areas, which is made of smoke and ash, with no ground or air or anything else of the sort. He had to use magic to breathe and levitate. 

The other source is On Orcs and the Afterlife, which I’m going to have to break down into different parts. It’s worth noting that this text apparently only exists in Elder Scrolls Online: Orsinium; I have never played ESO, but to my knowledge, the player character never actually visits the Ashpit or the Forge itself. 

The first few paragraphs are essentially a disclaimer: 

“I have never found it difficult to get an Orc to talk about his or her beliefs when it comes to religion and the afterlife. As each Orc clan and stronghold has a rich and vibrant oral tradition, this should come as no surprise. What did surprise me was how hard it was to form a coherent picture, as no two oral traditions agreed on even the most basic of concepts.

In this time of conflicting faiths vying for the Orcish soul, I found many of the tales I heard to be both extremely moving and extremely disturbing at the same time. Furthermore, I have been unable to locate a single tome related to the topic, or find a reference in any other books on related subjects...”

What this part points out is that, in her research, the author discovered that Orcish folklore is entirely oral and passed on via the spoken word. She also directly points out that tales of Orsimer religion vary greatly depending on who is telling them. They’re inconsistent, and pretty much reliant on how the individual storyteller chooses to share them. This is the case with a lot of older religions, and the reason why some mythologies ( such as Celtic, Norse, and Greek ) contain plenty of their own little inconsistencies. Before being converted into writing, ancestors basically played a game of telephone. 

“The only way to learn about the Orcish concept of life after death or a place of reward or punishment in a world beyond was by asking the right questions and listening to the various oral traditions. For after much research and countless interviews, I finally uncovered the Orc equivalent to the tales of the Far Shores and Sovngarde. Indeed, it was the only thing that the various oral traditions seemed to agree upon. And through them, I have discovered the Ashen Forge.”

It’s pretty obvious here that the author intended to discover and record a generalized version of Orsimer afterlife that could be understood by most human readers - i.e, the ‘Orc equivalent of the tales of the Far Shores ( Yokudan / Redguard afterlife ) and Sovngarde ( Nord afterlife )’. She looked for an afterlife that adhered to a common theme of being rewarded for the ‘good’ deeds performed in life. She also looked for common themes among the countless tales she heard, tales that likely varied greatly even between individuals. Therefore, her description of the Ashen Forge ( you can read that part in the source, it’s still pretty neat ) is a combination of only the most basic, common themes gathered from the tales she heard, picked and chosen to fit a version of the afterlife that made more sense. So, the details of her interpretation... Probably aren’t as accurate as they could be. 

It’s also worth noting that, even with all of the verbal tellings of Orcish afterlife being taken at face value... The only way to know, for sure, if any of them are true, is to either have actually died and been accepted into the Ashen Forge, or to have visited it by magical means. The latter, to my knowledge, hasn’t been achieved. So... We don’t know for sure what it looks like, what occurs there, etc etc. 

“But Jessie, what does this have to do with Malacath and sexism?” Well, this was all sparked from me being irked from the phrase “every Orc is a chief, every chief has a thousand wives, and every wife has a thousand slaves to cater to their every need,” being used in reference to the Orsimer afterlife. Reading this, it’s obviously... blatantly sexist. A chief’s wives are pretty much being compared to slaves, in this scenario, and that in no way corresponds with our experiences of strongholds ( in Skyrim, at least ). Orc women are incredibly valuable to their stronghold. There are so much more than the chieftain’s belongings, or playthings; they are hunters, blacksmiths, warriors and mothers. A chieftain’s wives are intended to mother strong heirs and a healthy, sustainable, stronghold. If they don’t marry, they might become a tribe’s wise woman, who is essentially the overseer of the stronghold’s religious activities. Even if they aren’t a wise woman, they still serve their stronghold with the same importance of any average male orc within it. The idea of their reward for all of that in the afterlife being that they would be reduced to nothing more than a male orc’s reward, just... Not only grossed me out, but made no sense at all. 

Then, I actually read this account in full, and it was painfully obvious to me that this was a very, very general summary of countless stories, passed on from generation to generation, that were probably very different from the original tellings. Even those original stories probably weren’t as accurate - after all, what living orc can say that they know for sure what their afterlife will be like? 

In conclusion: We pretty much don’t have any solid confirmation on what an orc, who is loyal to Malacath, will be like. 

#have this #i should be asleep #or showered #but no #i am sweaty and i feel mildly accomplished #again: ik its every straight man's fantasy to have a thousand women serving him obediently and blindly #but chill the fuck out please #thanks #long post #lore #skyrim #orsimer #orcs #malacath

[ciathyzareposts]

Closing the Books on Crystalware

Crystalware was not the sort of company to let trademarks deter them, whether incorporating the Enterprise in their logo or marketing an unlicensed game called Imperial Walker.

            A year ago, I’d never heard of Crystalware. Then, someone rediscovered their catalogue and uploaded all of its games to MobyGames and my year became in large part about the company. But let’s face it: none of its games are really RPGs. They have some RPG “elements” in some of the inventory selections and random approach to combat, but there isn’t a single one in which the character grows intrinsically from his experiences except for The Forgotten Island (1981), and that was a basic “power” statistic whose rapid growth made the game fundamentally too easy.

        Most of Crystalware’s games instead occupy a strange subgenre that we might call “iconographic adventure.” Most adventure games are either all-text (Zork) or made up of graphically-composed scenes. Sometimes, the scenes offer a kind-of first-person perspective (Countdown, Timequest), and other times they feature the character in a kind of side-view perspective that I’ve taken to calling “studio view” (King’s Quest, Leisure Suit Larry). I’m sure there are adventure games with axonometric perspectives, although none come to mind. But something about a top-down iconographic interface screens “RPG!” even though there’s no reason adventure games couldn’t feature the same perspective. That’s really what Crystalware games are. They involve finding inventory items to solve puzzles and often escape a situation. Only a couple offer character attributes and none offer character development.

       I’ve been gamely trying them anyway, but the last few have been giving me trouble, and I’m not going to continue wasting a bunch of effort for titles that aren’t RPGs in the first place. I’m going to reject or “NP” the rest and suggest that MobyGames, which also cites character development as the primary mechanism for RPGs, remove the RPG designation although keep “RPG elements” under its gameplay elements.           

Crystalware’s catalog in late 1981.

          As we’ve seen, Crystalware was a remarkably high-quantity (if not high-quality) company for its brief 1980-1982 existence. Within those three years, they developed and published the following titles, not all of which are even on MobyGames:

            The House of Usher (1980)–also the name of the pop artist’s inevitable reality show–is a Gothic adventure based on the Poe story of the same name. I reviewed it in June 2019.

Labyrinth of the Minotaur (1980): Set on Crete. I haven’t been able to find much about the game, but it’s attested in their 1982 catalogue.

Sumer 4000 BC (1980): A text simulator in which you’re the King of Sumeria, trying to manage resources and make your empire survive another year.

Galactic Quest (1980): A space combat and trading simulator.

World War III (1980): A strategic wargame for two players, one fighting for Iran, the other Iraq.

Beneath the Pyramids (1980): An adventure game in which you explore some weird combination of the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid at Giza for an artifact. I reviewed it in June 2019.

Waterloo II (1981): A two-player wargame in the Napoleonic Era.

CompuGolf (1981): A golf simulation.

Imperial Walker (1981): An unlicensed action game in which an imperial walker commander tries to shoot down rebel craft. (I think it really says something about the company that they conceived of such a game and made the imperial the protagonist.)

Laser Wars (1981): An action game in which you defend a city from alien attackers.

The Sands of Mars (1981): An adventure game in the style of Oregon Trail, in which you assemble a crew, purchase supplies, and try to make it to Mars and back. This one was categorized as an RPG. I tried to play it but couldn’t get past a takeoff procedure that required the Apple II paddles. (Multiple sites say that AppleWin emulates paddles, but I’ll be damned if I can figure out how.) The manual doesn’t make it sound like it has RPG elements. It suggests that there are multiple phases of the game, each involving a different interface and style of gameplay.

                 As far as I can get in The Sands of Mars.

            Forgotten Island (1981): An adventure game where you escape an island. It was renamed Escape from Vulcan’s Island when re-issued by Epyx. I reviewed it in October 2019.

Oregon Trail (1981): Some version of the classic.

Quest for Power (1981): An adventure game in which you try to prove your right to inherit Camelot from King Arthur. It was re-issued by Epyx as King Arthur’s Heir. I reviewed it in March 2020.

Protector (1981): An arcade game in which you fly a ship through caverns.

Fantasyland 2041 (1981): An epic multi-disk adventure game based on Fantasy Island. I reviewed it in October 2019.

Dragon Lair (1981 or 1982): As attested in this Hardcore Gaming 101 article, perhaps the first RPG in Japanese.

The Bermuda Experience (1982): An adventure game in which you have to navigate a ship around the Atlantic Ocean in several time periods. It is also known as Bermuda Triangle.

Treasure Island (1982): An adventure game in which you explore the Caribbean for map pieces.

The Crypt (1982): An adventure in which you must survive the night in a cemetery. This was also designated an RPG by MobyGames, and I tried to play it but ran into a bug where neither you nor an enemy ever dies in combat. Instead, the game happily takes you into the negative hit points as you pound away at each other round after round. Thus, the first combat you get stuck in ends the game. It otherwise had the same characteristics as other titles that I reviewed that weren’t really RPGs. It was re-released by Epyx as Crypt of the Undead.

             Combat among crypts in The Crypt (1982).

        Zardon (1982): An action game where you fly a ship, blow up enemy ships. This one was re-released by Avalon Hill after Crystalware folded.

The Haunted Palace (1982): An adventure game with RPG elements in which you try to solve a mystery. You can choose among characters who have RPG-like attributes but they never grow. It was re-released as The Nightmare by Epyx.

Clonus (1982): An adventure game in which you navigate the future as a clone with cyborg parts. A near-immediate Clonus II seems to be a re-release of the original rather than a true sequel.

            They also released two compilations of simple games like Hangman and Tic-Tac-Toe for kids, a diet planner, a yoga instruction program, a garden simulator, and a program to help cat owners diagnose illnesses in their pets.

Almost all of the company’s games were written for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit, and TRS-80. The company principals, John and Patty Bell, contracted a team of programmers who sometimes wrote original games, sometimes spent their time porting games created by others. About half of them were created by the Bells themselves. Almost all the adventure games hinted at a deeper mystery beneath the surface of the game and offered a cash prize to whoever was the first to solve it.            

By 1981, the company was putting out a quarterly newsletter.

           With each game costing $39.95 and up, Crystalware must have been doing well even if they only sold modest amounts. But that’s nothing compared to the company’s plans. A company newsletter from late 1981 shows that future offerings would include Glamis Castle, a three-dimensional adventure game in which you could explore the famous Scottish landmark, an RPG based on Lord of the Rings called Wizard and Orcs, and an epic hub-and-module adventure called Galactic Expedition. Each module would sell for $29.95 and contain the ability to explore a different planet or moon.

     Oh, but that isn’t nearly all. The company was planning to release a series of home-schooling programs based on the “Crystal Theory of Alternative Education” (CTAE). They were working with Universal Pictures to provide realistic computer program “props” for an upcoming film called The Genius (it seems to have never been filmed, although the associated producer, David Sosna, is a real person). They were working on the first “videodisk fantasy” for the PR-7820-2 Videodisc Player from Discovision. They were starting a “lonely hearts club.”

      Best of all, Crystal Films was being born! They had a named producer, script supervisor, costume designer, and key grip on their masthead. They had three productions in the works: Haunted (a horror film), Fantasyland (based on the game), and Sarah, about the life of the eccentric Sarah Winchester, who built that sprawling monstrosity of a house in San Jose.            

Apparently, Haunted was to be filmed in an actual haunted house, not just a set that they made appear haunted. I guess that’s one way to save on special effects.

                      The newsletter, in short, feels like it was dictated by someone in the middle of a manic episode, and what happened to Crystalware next suggests that it all came crashing back to Earth. I haven’t been able to find an official, comprehensive account of the company’s last days, but we can piece it together from evidence. First, I have an anecdotal report from a reader who owned a computer store in the area at the time, saying that Crystalware’s finances were essentially a giant house of cards and someone was destined to lose. To clarify, I don’t think the Bells were deliberately scamming anyone. One programmer I spoke to, Henry Ruddle, said that the company always paid him well and on time. Another, Mike Potter, has posted online that Bell fired him when he questioned his royalties, but did pay him and also gave him back the rights to one of the games he’d developed. The issue is more that they seem to have been leveraged beyond a sustainable debt. 

           We know that in 1982, Bell sold the rights to his games to Epyx, which re-published them, often under different names, with absurdly elaborate manuals. We see the company changing addresses several times in 1982 and finally abandoning “Crystalware” altogether and publishing the last few games under the name “U.F.O. Software.” As we’ll soon see, John Bell also seems to have (at least for a time) changed his own name.          

Towards the end of its life, Crystalware briefly became U.F.O. Software.

             John Bell is an enigmatic figure (although not as enigmatic as Patty, about whom I’ve been able to find nothing). He claims to have worked for Lockheed in 1966, which is hard to reconcile with the best candidate I can find, who was born in 1948. Even that candidate has used both “A” and “F” as his middle initial. Crystalware used several addresses in Morgan Hill and San Martin (both south along the 101 from San Jose) during its existence. I think the Bells first owned a computer store, Crystal Computers, in Sunnyvale or Gilroy, before they decided to get into software development and publishing.��

        I corresponded earlier this month with Henry Ruddle, a programmer who did most of the TRS-80 adaptations of the game. I had hoped he would confirm my suspicions that Bell was something of a lunatic, but the best he would offer is that he was “charismatic, loud, and very eccentric.” 

           John was very creative and could not stop thinking . . . or talking. [He] would tell wild stories about getting high on amphetamines or cocaine and staying up for three days cleaning his bathroom with a toothbrush . . . He often talked about his wild ambitions [like] a plan to create a virtual reality booth with 360 degree views projected on the walls using “laser cameras.”

      Of Patty, Ruddle remembers that she was polite and very quiet, heavily into New Age philosophy and astrology.

           There’s a long period of silence after the collapse of the company, but in the late 1990s, Bell, now using the name “J. B. Michaels,” started promising an upcoming game called Clonus 2049 A.D. It never materialized, but you can read about it–sort-of–on the Crystalware Defense and Nanotechnology Facebook page, where an “actress from Hollywood” has recorded the incomprehensible opening text. Yes, John Bell is still using the Crystalware name. His various LinkedIn profiles give him as the CEO of Crystalware, CrystalwareVR, Crystalware Defense and Nanotechnology, or just “CDN.” The address is listed in Charleston, West Virginia. On the various pages associated with Bell and these companies, we learn that James Cameron’s The Terminator was plagiarized from the original Clonus, that Bell had a heart attack in 2018, and that he’s working on a virtual reality game called World of Twine.         I haven’t rated any of Crystalware’s games very high, and I was actively angry by the time I got to Quest for Power, but in retrospect I have to give the company credit for originality and a certain amount of sincerity. Most of Crystalware’s titles show no dependence on any previous game or series. Instead of generic high-fantasy settings, they went with unique, specific settings based on history or literature. Adding a “mystery” and cash prize to each title (even if I never really understood what they were going for) was an interesting touch, and letters to their newsletter (if authentic) suggest that they did pay. The thorough documentation that each game received, the manuals full of backstories and lore and quotes, the newsletter with so many promises, all suggest that the company was mostly unaware that it was a sausage factory. This was in the “dark age,” after all. Wizardry and Ultima were released in 1981 but hadn’t really made an impact yet. From the testimonies above, it’s easy to see John Bell as an Ed Woodish character, willing to wrap and print anything, in love with the process of creation that eclipsed his own abilities as a creator. But I suppose there are days when I’ll take that over auteurs so obsessed with quality that you end up waiting a decade between titles. Every genre needs its pulp.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/closing-the-books-on-crystalware/

#retro games #dos games #retro #crpg #adventure #amiga #oldcomputers #8bit #16bit #blog #repost

[prasadgee]

NALACHARITHAM

The story of Nalacharitham (The saga of Nala) is developed from a small anecdotal reference to the vices of the game of dice in the great epic Mahabharatham. Adapting this story for kathakali, Unnayi Varrier penned ‘Nalacharitham’ and, owing to its length split it into four parts. This translation of Part 1 covers the scenes that are normally presented on stage. It is not a complete translation of Part 1. About the translation:- Translating versified literature in Sanskrit to English at best can only result in a bad product. This may be primarily because the Indian sensibilities and ideas differ from the western ideas and benchmarks of poetry and the qualitative assessment of its worth. ‘Nalacharitham’ is written in a language termed as ‘Manipravaalam’- a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam-with a bias towards Sanskrit. Sanskrit poetry is rich in metaphors and allegories but do not give much importance to rhyming. Malayalam poetry on the other hand is too hung up on rhyming. Writing in Manipravaalam, Unnayi Varrier has employed the rhyming techniques of Malayalam to the already existing complexities of metaphors and allegories of Sanskrit. The extensive and often lengthy use of adjectives and adjectives on adjectives make the translator’s task a lot tougher. I think English poetry by Western authors use techniques of figure of speech, allegories, personification, metaphors, idiom etc more often than they employ rhyming. But rhyming is still one of the norms that had been used. Notwithstanding the relevance of rhyming or the lack of it in English poetry, I have used it extensively for making the translation more poetic. The metaphors, idioms, figure of speech etc used are not my creations. They are all entirely Unnayi Varrier’s. So if these techniques look and sound flat in the translation, I am not to be blamed. But I am to be given due credit in the rare cases when they sound apt and really poetic. This translation is mostly word to word. It is fundamentally for those who are watching the live performance on stage and wanting to know what is being played out. In kathakali format the gestures follow the words-mostly. Aberrations from this norm in the translation are in favour of rhyming. For rhyming, words not in the original text may have been added. On a few occasions, even lines have been added. These are obviously compromises between making the translation poetry-like and at the same time not losing out on conveying the meaning. Also, Unnayi Varriers’s Nalacharitham is more suited for singing and listening than for playing and seeing and indeed, reading. Essentially, it is a musical. This is one of its biggest shortcomings when it has to be presented in an emphatically visual format such as kathakali. This translation is not for earning merits in poetry writing. It is meant to be a user-friendly version for those viewers who want to relate the gestures on stage to the words in the verses. The enacting of a verse in Kathakali is not at all at the same pace of a reader reading the verse. This is because each word in the verse has to be enacted using gestures and facial expressions. This will cause a lag between reading and seeing. But this also results in the verses becoming endearingly slow and musical. There are other complications. The Indian ideas of beauty (especially of women) are different from the western concepts when it comes to describing it in literary works-especially in poetry. So you will encounter moon-faced beauties and lotus-eyed beauties. You will also see someone’s feet being compared to a lotus flower etc. These are not to be taken literally. The verses in Kathakali are usually broken into two parts-the words of the author (narrator) and the words of the characters. Author’s words are normally a Sloka (a four line verse or a quatrain) at the start of a scene. This is mostly written in Sanskrit. These four lines give the context of the scene to be enacted and a brief on the characters involved. The characters’ words are not necessarily of fixed length and are mostly written in Manipravaalam. In contrast to this norm, in Nalacharitham, there are many verses which are neither the author’s words nor the dialogue between characters. Such verses are expressions of a character’s thoughts. In this translation, such verses are specifically mentioned as ‘in contemplation’ with reference to the character in contemplation. STORYLINE Nala and Damayanti are the central characters of the story. Nala is a just and able king and Damyanti is a beautiful princess. They fall in love even before seeing each other owing to their respective popularity. King Bheema, Damayanti’s father plans to give his daughter’s hand in marriage through Swayamvaram (Swayamvaram is a system of marriage in which the bride gets to choose her husband from an assembly of suitors). Even the gods and demons are desirous of Damayanti. Coming to know of this, Narada, a rishi respected by both the virtuous and the vicious, feels that there is no one more deserving of Damayanti than Nala and that they are made for each other. He decides to make efforts at uniting them. CHARACTERS:- NALA(NALAN):-King of the kingdom of Nishadha, son of the king Veerasena. So he is also called Naishadha(king of Nishadha) and Vairaseni (son of Veerasena). DAMAYANTI(Damayanthi):-Princess of Vidarbha or Kundtina, daughter of king Bheema. So she is also called Vaidarbhi (of Vidarbha) and Bhaimi(daughter of Bheema) Narada(Naradan): Respected itinerant Rishi born out of Brahma, the creator god of the Hindu pantheon. Though notorious for creating friction among individuals, he is also good at public relations. Brahma:- The creator god among the Hindu mythological triumvirate. He himself is born out of a lotus flower bloomed from Lord Vishnu’s navel. Vishnu:- The god who sustains the cosmic balance in the Hindu mythological triumvirate. Rema:- Also Mahalakshmi, lord Vishnu’s chief consort and the goddess of beauty, wealth and prosperity. Shiva:- The third god of the triumvirate in the Hindu pantheon. Kamadeva: The god of love and lust-often depicted as one wielding floral bow and arrows. He instills love and lust in humans, demons and gods alike. He is also known by his flag carrying the emblem of a fish. Rati:-Kamadeva’s consort and goddess of love and lust. Hamsam: An un-named, golden-plumed swan acting as the go-between in the development of love between Nala and Damayanti. ACT 1/SCENE 1 Nala’s palace at Nishadha Synopsis: Narada visits Nala at his palace to ask him to strive to get Damayanti as his wife. Narrator: Pleased with the noble way king Nala ruled his kingdom, Venerable Rishi Narada paid him a visit with all his divine wisdom. Nala: Oh! Narada, I bow to you and seek your blessing. Thanks to your visit, my humble dwelling has been purified and made pristine, Are you coming from the abode of Vishnu, or from the realms of the divine? My heart is now filled with joy much like how the night Lily feels on the full moon rise. Oh! Great Rishi! Please command me what need to be done hence. Narada: Your power scares the enemy armies from coming near, Oh! Nala, you are so rich in grace and valour, You are the lord of the earth, Yet you lay your youth to waste. Not for long do I stay anywhere, I keep traveling everywhere, I am known for making conflicts between one and the other, in this world, in that and in the nether. (((Note: For a change, Narada wants to do a benevolent deed))) Have you not heard of Damayanti, the Vidarbha princess of unsurpassed beauty? She is the jewel among all the choicest maidens, and is lusted after even by the lords of the heavens. Oh! Nala, this jewel is for you to own, Let only the prayers be with the divine, You should seek to beget Damayanti for her worth. You are the most deserving of her on all earth.

Narada and Nala

 ACT 1/SCENE 2  Thus persuaded by Rishi Narada, Nala ponders over the ways and means to get Damayanti as his wife. Since Damayanti is sought after by even the divine beings, Nala is worried if he stands a chance. He loses interest in the day to day affairs, thinking about how to win Damayanti and musing over her celebrated beauty. Narrator: Thus hearing from Narada about Damayanti, And also remembering the words of the people praising her purity, Nala lost his heart to her and lost its calm And he was left musing over her charm. (Nala in contemplation): I just heard Damayanti is surpassed by no maiden in this earth and in the heaven, So I hear from sage Narada’s mien. I keep hearing about her virtue, that no other woman could imbue. My love for her is growing day by day, That is apt, as that is what Narada say.  What worth do I have to deserve, The moon-faced beauty’s unbridled love? A woman’s heart to grow in lust The lord of love need embed its seed, he must. Musing over the lusciousness of the moon-faced maiden I grow melancholic and my routine feel like midden. Either I merrily get entangled in her lustrous hair Or go on exile, disentangling from the kingly affair.  ACT 1/SCENE 3 Narrator: Restless Nala grew over Narada’s word, And hurt his mind was with arrows of the love-lord, Assigning the reins of the kingdom to the nobles He left his self in isolation in the palace gardens. (Nala in contemplation): This garden is so very deserted, That is its only quality making me feel lighthearted. But the gods to me no more look so benign, Neither is the lord of lust with his fish-ensign. The objects in the garden only sharpen my woe, They appear to be the masters of filling one with sorrow I can see them all, but my eyes want to allow The view of the damsel my thoughts now follow. The lord of love has made this garden a garrison, The breeze turn battlers, the flowers turn weapon, Cuckoos blow bugles in battle, the trees form armory, Not without reasons, the air here feels so unsavory. Swans of myriad colours over there look somewhat pleasing, They play among themselves frolicking and caressing, There is one among them of golden plume, its eyes in the closing, Oh my! Its beauty is worth beholding. Only if I could get hold of this swan, so beautiful, To turn my day somewhat fruitful! ACT 1/SCENE 4 Synopsis:- Nala, seeking some relief from restlessness, catches hold of the golden-plumed swan. The swan wails in horror and pleads to Nala to let him free.  Narrator: Thus morosely watching the trees and the vine, Where leaves and flowers lovingly entwine, Nala chances upon the view of the swan, golden plumed, Dosing off of effort making merry, his strength consumed. The king approached the swan stealthily, While it lay in slumber motionlessly Befriending the bird the king’s only intention, But when woken, it wailed in commotion. Hamsam (Swan): Oh! Shiva, what am I to do, my god? I am being killed in deceit by this land’s lord. My family is going to be orphaned. My father away in death, Lonely he left me on earth, My mother’s heart will burn like a hearth, My child is soon to take birth In agony my wife will fall in death’s embrace With that my clan will disappear without a trace. I have not harmed you in any manner, Yet you harm me, you are a sinner, You kill me for my plume’s gild And my wings and feathers are of gold You cannot turn richer by stealing my clad My beauty is my enemy now, turn of events so bad.  Nala: Oh! Dear bird so charming, don’t be so sad and stop wailing I have no desire at harming. The beauty of your body caused me wanting to hold you and caress you for befriending. I have only liking for you and admiration You may fly off to your desired destination. ACT 1/SCENE 5 Synopsis:- Nala releases the swan. The swan is pleased at Nala’s kindness. He returns from his flock to Nala with the intention of reciprocating his act of kindness. The swan has perhaps read king’s mind and sensed that he is disturbed by some thoughts on unfulfilled love. Narrator:- Thus released from the king’s captivity, Off the bird went to his flock in proclivity, Then he came back without fear to the king’s proximity, And spoke thus with the kind king in all magnanimity. SWAN:- Oh! Kind king with a soul so tender, I will do you a deed so good forever you will remember. There are not many as generous and upright as thee, To be found in the three worlds, certainly. The expanse of this kingdom shows the value of the protection offered by your brow. Your majestic presence endows your subjects with happiness and glow. They respect the kindness you bestow and take it as the way to follow, You are so virtuous and valorous that it is a wonder that you still remain solo. Valorous too is the Vidarbha king, Bheema his name, has a daughter-a darling, No woman on earth is capable of matching, The charm she has; her poise and standing. If she is to become your wife, it will be very apt, I can help to bring your hearts to meet I can do that you may rest assured, If you will permit me, that is all I need. She is a maiden- desirable to all, virtuous and pure, pure gold if also fragrant, she is such that for sure. The lovely daughter of Bheema, her name Damayanti, is to earth what to heaven Rema is- the goddess of prosperity. Divine nymphets, hurt they will be in their pride, Should Damayanti come and stand by their side. My mission is to make her fall in love with you in her heart’s essence. Even the lord of heavens, her admirer, against you will stand no chance.  Nala: My dear friend, I choose you of all my messengers, to convey my message of love to the lady my heart harbours. Are you giving this promise just to please me? Or will you really do the deed that you say it would be? Many have told me the stories of the lady who blushes like a lotus Now lust is filling my heart, making it weak and porous While I had no mate to confide and my life’s path turned treacherous I got you-it is the play of god in all his kindness. You know me now and my feelings; and to tell that all to her, You can freely move about like a true messenger. No doubt for those who seek truthfully, destiny is a giver. You are not just a dear friend, you are a veritable treasure. With your deft way of talking, my dear friend! Present me to her liking, and make her favourably respond God is bound to give your good deeds ample reward Without your guidance, I would be damned and be wayward.

Nala and the Swan

PART 1/ACT 1 ENDS///// PART 1/ACT 2 SYNOPSIS:- Taking up the task of carrying the message of Nala to Damayanti and to get her positive response in return, the Swan goes to Vidarbha. There he waits for Damayanti and from her mood gathers that she is also restless and listless owing to her unfulfilled love for Nala. He decides to know how firm her heart is for Nala.

Damayanti and the maids

NARRATOR:- With the message of love from Nala, off to Vidarbha goes the swan and sits in the open in the tranquillity of the palace garden. Unfulfilled in love for Nala, Damayanti -listless and wan Was lead to the garden by maids to bring back her cheer and elan. DAMAYANTI AND HER MAIDS IN THE GARDEN:- Praise Brahma and the goddess of words, praise the goddess earth Praise Lord Vishnu and praise the goddess of worth Praise Lord Shiva and praise Parvathy, his consort Praise the moon god and Rohini and to the gods of love, give respect Indra the lord of heaven be praised and so be his wife Indrani, Not just them,let all the divine couple bless our dear Damayanti. May Anasuya, Lopamudra and Arundhati -all chaste women of rishis Bless us for fulfilling our wishes. NARRATOR:- Overcome was Damayanti with the unfulfilled desire; yet Undisclosed her mind remained to the maids from the outset, Now in the garden with them, in passion she shuddered And calling them aside, she almost thus pleaded. DAMAYANTI:- Friends, my dears, let us return to my father’s court It is better for me than these gardens, they hurt. In the court people from afar come and tell stories That will ease my mind; these gardens give me only miseries. MAID:- You wished to come to the garden, with your honey-sweet voice That was what you wanted, to come outside the palace, Why did you come here, if to return so fast dear moon-face? Tell us what hurts your heart, you of doe-eyed gaze. We spend time here- there is surely pleasure to be sought, Bhaimi dear friend, enjoy this garden’s sight. DAMAYANTI:- The buzz of beetles feels like smouldering fire in my ears The coo of the cuckoos-like a lance they pierce The fragrance of flowers hurts my tender nostrils like buffalo a calm pond Altogether these gardens bring sorrow and miseries unbound. (((Seeing some bright object in the sky))) Is that a shard of lightning landing on earth? Or is it the moon itself, dawning forth? Is that a golden swan gliding down in mirth? For the eyes it is a flow of elixir-a sight of great worth. That is a swan with beauty so soothing, oh! Dear Never have I seen it before nor have I heard ever. It is golden-plumed and has a sweet sound to match it It seems he would be friendly if I were to catch it. I wish I could touch it with my hands, friends dear. If I could get hold of him I could play with him without fear. It is not vicious, seems like a gentle soul; stay clear -my friends, I will go to him, you don’t come near. NARRATOR:- Each step she takes gets the swan in hand’s reach Each step she takes gently, walking without stretch Each step Damayanti and the swan took, the farther they went From her friends, seeing this, the swan said thus in amusement. SWAN:- Oh! The most charming of all maidens! What are your intentions? How are you planning to catch me? I can fly off to the sky easily. Youth has blossomed on you, yet you behave like a child If the sensible were to see this, some would Tease you and some others will scold. You will lose your reputation and you will be left out in the cold. You don’t need to catch me-I will stay your friend More than your friends, it is me you want to trust and befriend May the lord of this world and the love-god Bless you to beget a husband you dreamed. I live in the kingdom of Nala on Lord Brahma’s command To train the beauties there to walk seductively around, Enhancing their youth and advertising their charm This is not a lie and I intend no harm. DAMAYANTI:- I saw you so very close and I heard your playful voice You are Brahma’s vehicle of choice Oh! Sweet voiced and of nice poise Is it Lord Brahma who sent you here? Is it Nala’s land the place you hold dear? If that be so oh! Swan of such glow With love and respect, to you I bow. Dear vehicle of Brahma, please narrate the tales of king Nala in words not ornate. With your words my sorrow may mitigate And may my ears-with elixir they saturate. The deepest thoughts now in my mind, I will share with you dear friend Perhaps you can help me oh! God-sent Virtuous soul, help me, don’t leave my heart to rend. NARRATOR:- The sweet-voiced maiden, the crown among women, her mind now swinging open slowly to the swan, yet knowing that her mind is not fully open the swan attempted to know her feelings for Nalan. SWAN:- Confide in me happily, let your feelings unfurl, Oh! king Bheema’s darling girl. Trust me more than the trust you carry For your pals; tell me without shyness and worry. Oh! The crowned one among the bright-eyed women Oh! Sister of Dama, sweet maiden, To which man your heart had been given He will be the most blessed of all men. Do not hesitate to tell me oh! Doe-eyed Don’t let your shyness cause you to hide I will help you to fulfil your wishes, oh! Sweet-bodied, Will I ever let your name to be sullied? Fulfilled will be your heart’s desires- I assure you and that is a promise. DAMAYANTI:- Oh! Majestic swan, what am I to tell? Women of high rank do not feel, It right to let their hearts reveal. (Their secret desires) Time and again my mind is on Nala-the much praised king, his reputation and deeds cause my ears to pleasingly ring. On thinking of his manliness, the love-lord’s arrows sting my heart and makes me feel frail and a weakling. SWAN:- Whatever your heart feels- let these be revealed. Oh! Willowy-bodied, only then you will feel fulfilled. The good should join the good, not lesser For you there is surely no suitor any better. He is stronger than the lord of cloud and of high standing, virtuous and bold. Gold and jewel are made for each other Your match with Nala is similar. As Vishnu is for Rema and night is for the moon, Uma is for Shiva and so you should have Nala soon. DAMAYANTI:- My desire for Nala is growing day by day But I haven’t let out my mind to the maids to this day Oh! Swan please go and tell this without delay to Nala and draw out what he has to say. SWAN:- I will tell the king about the desires you hold dear The king too will be pleased to hear. But if you were to fall in love with another You may receive the king’s displeasure. Your father may get you married to another man. You may also begin to like him; that is human. Many times people talk without purpose. You may later feel I too was capricious. Our lives may come in harm’s way Is your mind firm on Nala? Now you must say. DAMAYANTI:- Oh! Swan, why do you distrust me? How can another man in my heart be? A river must reach the sea Can the hill stop it possibly?

Damayanti and the Swan

PART 1/ACT 2 ENDS/////

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Examination Ordered As Russian River Turns Red.

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