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sunderedazem · 1 year

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Worldbuilding Wednesday! (on a Saturday!)

B A S I C S

• Full name: Corrain Gealai

• Gender: Male (transgender)

• Sexuality: Bisexual, Polyamorous

• Pronouns: He / Him

O T H E R S

• Family: - Father - Valkorion/Vitiate/Tenebrae, former Emperor of both the Sith and Zakuulan Empire, Celestial pawn, eventually deceased. - Mother - Iomlan Greine, Zakuulan Scion turned Imperial Ensign (Medic) turned Zakuulan Scion again, living alongside her son and his family on Odessen and Zakuul. - Half-brother - Prince Arcann Tirall, former Emperor of Zakuul, Executive Advisor to the Zakuulan Upper Cabinet and Zakuulan Liaison to the Eternal Alliance. - Half-brother - Prince Thexan Tirall, deceased. - Half-sister - Princess Vaylin Tirall, former Empress of Zakuul, Captain of the Zakuulan Kingsguard. - Spouse(s) - Theron Shan and Lana Beniko, Duke/Duchess of Izax's Spire (by marriage), Intelligence and Operations Advisors to the Eternal Alliance Commander. - Daughter - Crown Princess Imeacht Gealai, Jedi Initiate and Scion trainee (She's five-ish years old in the epilogue)

• Birthplace: Alderaan, Jedi Enclave - Glarus Valley

• Job: Jedi Master, Jedi Battlemaster (former), Eternal Alliance Commander (current), Emperor of the Zakuulan Principate (current), Jedi Council Advisor (informal, current)

• Phobias: Blood/Medicine, needles, literally ANY medical procedure

• Guilty pleasures: SWEETS (he bakes), actually intimidating people

M O R A L S

• Morality alignment: Neutral Good, with a brief, painful spell of True Neutral

• Sins: lust/greed/gluttony/sloth/pride/envy/wrath

• Virtues: chastity/charity/diligence/humility/kindness/patience/justice

T H I S - O R - T H A T

• Introverted/extrovert: He's a classic "ambivert" to be honest - he's not really one or the other, and even as a younger, more nervous Jedi Padawan and Jedi Knight he's always vacillated between loving people and then needing downtime to recharge. He's right in the middle.

• Organized/disorganized: He's...a little scatterbrained, sometimes. Stress and anxiety make it difficult for him to not actively be trying to solve 800 problems at once and that means he has piles of random things cluttered around his room on the Odessen base. T7 tends to help him sort things out every so often.

• Close-minded/open-minded: It's really hard for him to not be open-minded, given his history as a Jedi and then capture and torment on Vitiate's whim. He's far more understanding of people who are forced into making horrific choices due to his time as Lord Lune.

• Calm/anxious: He's never NOT worrying about something or another. There's so much pent-up nervous energy in this man. And it's even worse when there's actively a problem. Like the Sith Empire. Or the Zakuulan Empire. Or the Celestial invasion force- yeah anyway

• Disagreeable/agreeable: He's relatively easy to get along with, and is straightforward enough to leave a social situation he's unhappy with - the only person he make a point of Being A Jerk To on occasion is Lord Scourge.

• Cautious/reckless: Cautious mostly, because he values life above anything else, but when it comes to his OWN life he's incredibly reckless.

• Patient/impatient: This man CANNOT sit still ever and he will do it HIMSELF if he has to wait even five more seconds.

• Outspoken/reserved: He can and WILL publicly shame the entirety of the Senate for being uncharitable greedy assholes and he will also do it with fiery language that smears them. This man will NOT shut up if he sees something he has an Opinion about.

• Leader/follower: He's comfortable following the direction of people he trusts, but he has an authority complex and balks at being told what to do for the most part

• Empathetic/unempathetic: Empathetic to the point of reckless stupidity, sometimes.

• Optimistic/pessimistic: He'd say "realistic." Lana and Theron would say "rose-colored glasses?" - he believes in sentient life being fundamentally capable of cooperation and refuses to see it differently.

• Traditional/modern: He respects old traditions and actively studies them to become a proper Scion of Zakuul, but he refuses to put tradition before progress and the improvement of the galaxy.

• Hard-working/lazy: he's married to Theron and Lana. these three are AWFUL at vacations.

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

• otp: N/A he's poly and wants two people

• ot3: Lana/Theron/Corrain. They're both very sweet on him and he's very sweet on them. Here's my take on their relationship.

• brotp: Kira & Corrain! the most UnOrthodox Master-Padawan duo ever

• notp: Corrain/Doc, Corrain/Kira - just not my taste, you know.

#some moonrise legacy spoilers #swtor legacy worldbuilding #swtor worldbuilding wednesday but not #tagged!#moonrise legacy #corrain #corrain gealai

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usagisbanexd · 11 months

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+ SUPER SOLDIER SAILOR STARS * _) _) >>C===3 :-* Kawaii Slash Lovers Collide Cosmic Paradise // Sailormoon/Pokémon/Potterverse Altfic Crossover, INTERMISSION

Emma Watson is a beautiful actress, but she’s not Hermione, thinks Ami, affording herself a single piece of popcorn like a woman unknown to time. How’s that possible? thinks Shingo, waiting for the trailer. Every movie in Crystal Tokyo goes on forever, even the bad ones. His boyfriend says there are no bad movies. He remembers that’s true, but he’s homeless in Crystal Tokyo and his sister’s the Empress, so what does her husband know?

Boyfriends are good people, thinks Ami, smiling in her dream. But at the cinema, she’s rapt. At the cinema, she’s thinking. Michiru should be here with me at the aquarium, not Shingo. I hate his body. It’s unpropelled.

“Are you more of a C3PO or a Princess Leia?” asks Shingo. “Personally, I was built for sin,” he says, wiggling his brow. What eyes he has. What ears.

Shingo hears.

"Look how beautiful you are," says Shingo the sad weary hairdresser, thinking with his bikini line. "That's why you got the guy and I'm stuck with a boyfriend. Never mind. I'm fine. Let's just watch the trailers in uncooperative silence. Star Wars. Goop. Wing. Batphone. Pedometer. Sneeze. Hai."

Ami says hi back, but it's too late, nothing happens, and the sky darkens, and the commercials come on, and Shingo's digging in her popcorn, spilling it all over, and she feels his hand on her thigh, and she wonders loudly if he's a mathematician, too, or just precocious like a fiend seeking a deity. Not a fiend, says Crystal Shingo, appearing on the television. A fink. A find. A tragedy. Swallow water, superhero.

Hey, haven't we seen this movie before? This is the one where the girl goes limp in the monster's arms. She loves that monster, she says, and he would know. Let's all take a breather. God bless the Emperor and his Bride. Eternal Usagi incarnate. Boo, teehee, throw popcorn. Ganymede lives, Peeves the spirit haunting the pages, and that's the best part, the part that didn't make it into the movie. Shining Aqua Illusion, Incapacitate.

Shingo darkens, deepens, survives. And they hold hands in the dark of the theater. In the dark of the star. In the eye of the needle. And proper eyes move wholly undetected, says Shingo, in all seriousness, and he's not afraid of his henshin stick, not afraid of foul god Artemis, and why didn't we invite Mina to see this movie? And oh yeah, it's because we're in love.

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bamfdaddio · 3 years

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X-Men Abridged: 1979

The X-Men, those globe-trotting mutants that have sworn to protect a world that hates and fears them, are a cultural juggernaut with a long, tangled history. Want to unravel this tapestry? Then read the Abridged X-Men!

(X-Men 117 - 128, X-Man Annual 3) - by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Terry Austin, George Perez

See Jean? Dark Phoenix is nothing: this is how you turn evil properly. (X-Men 123)

So, these things have been getting longer. Whoops.

Last year, plotlines tended to bleed over in one another, but this year is a lot more arc-based, jumping from location to location. This is basically X-Men: World Tour. After hitting Antarctica and the Savage Land, our team of merry mutants visits Japan, Canada, Egypt, Scotland and even a theme park! (And really, both Murder World and Disney Land are run by capitalist scumbags who pretend to be in it for the art, the only difference being that Arcade purposefully murders his guests.)

But, before we check in with the X-Men, we return to the Institute. See, there’s a mutual misunderstanding that wouldn’t be out of place in a Shakespearian tragedy: Jean and Charles think Beast and Jean were the only survivors of their fight with Magneto in Antarctica, while the rest of the X-Men believe they were the only survivors and Jean and Beast perished. Since the X-Men have been trapped in the Savage Land, nobody has been able to clear up the confusion.

With their grief driving a wedge between her and Charles, Jean leaves the mansion to deal with her feelings on her own. (She’ll end up on Muir Isle.)

This is adorable! And, if the whole "Empress of the known Universe "-thing blows up in her face, she can always become a barista at Starbucks. (X-Men 117)

Lilandra successfully persuades Xavier to leave Earth as her consort, now that there is nothing left for him. Xavier agrees, but not before having a flashback to the time he met another telepath named Amahl Farouk in Egypt. (The Shadow King isn’t relevant just yet, but he’ll become an important villain later on.)

The X-Men, meanwhile, cross a treacherous ocean on a raft and are picked up by a Japanese vessel. The Japanese do not allow them to call anyone, for some reason. Sure. When they finally dock in Japan - six weeks later - some arms dealer named Magnum Moses has put Agarishima is on fire. Like, literally an inferno of such big proportions that even Storm can’t do much.

What follows is an uninspired, slipshod adventure. For some reason, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing are there too, because the president needed American detectives to investigate Magnum Moses (?) and for some reason, Misty doesn’t know Jean thinks Scott is dead, nor does she mention she just saw Jean to Scott. AUGH. It will take almost a year for Scott to figure out Jean isn’t dead and it becomes increasingly more contrived. I get that Claremont needed to isolate Jean to make her susceptible to, er, a certain someone’s machinations, but holy fuck do I have to suspend my disbelief for all of this bullshit.

The only good things about this little arc are:

Sunfire is still a dick.

Wolverine meets Mariko Yashida, a Japanese girl who actually reciprocates his feelings, as opposed to Jean. I’ve mostly been ignoring his budding feelings for Jean, because I stopped finding love triangles interesting since I was 16 and watched The OC, so I can only applaud this development. Mariko brings out Wolverine’s soft side and it’s very adorable. Later on, she moves to NYC for some reason and they start dating.

There is something sweetly disarming about calling Wolverine ‘beautiful’. (X-Men 120)

Anyway, Magnum is holding Japan hostage: either they give him what he wants - I think that might be money, sorry, wasn't paying attention - or he sinks Japan by activating the fault lines and you guys, I am sooo bored. Unsurprisingly, the X-Men stop him and for once, it’s Banshee who gets to play the most important part.

It’s a good thing I was terrible at science, otherwise I might have to point out that earthquakes and sonic waves don’t work that way! I simply get to be entertained by little rascal Colossus, plugging his ears like a toddler, and Sunfire’s gritty determination to not be impressed by some silly screaming Irishman. (X-Men 119)

Banshee pays a steep price for the victory, however: his vocal chords end up damaged, leaving him effectively powerless for the remainder of the year.

Oh, and here’s interesting fact about the above spread: you may or may not know that Chris Claremont and John Byrne were notoriously terrible at working together; this issue became a particular sore point between the creators. See, Byrne wanted to run the above panel without the sound of ‘Kra-Koom’, believing the art was strong enough to convey the destruction. He was livid when the finished product ended up containing a sound effect after all. I get your frustration, man, but if you want a writer who knows how to say less with more, you should maybe not work with Claremont?

(One of the reasons Claremont liked being so verbose and descriptive in his scripts was because otherwise, the artist would fill in the blanks using his own imagination. It’s no wonder these two found it hard to work together.)

On the flight to the US of A, Colleen Wing hits on Cyclops. It has to be the jawline, right? It can’t be the personality. All of a sudden, a snow storm causes their plane to be diverted to Calgary. The cause of this delay is Alpha Flight, who want their Wolverine back!

When even the narration is all “and they think they’re equal to any team of superheroes”, you know you’re a bunch of C-listers. Ugh. (X-Men 121)

Vindicator, previously known as Captain Alpha. He changed his name after accidentally shooting Moira that one time, which is exactly the kind of hollow gesture this dude would make. Ugh. If you think his new-found remorse won’t let him threaten an airplane chock full of innocent passengers, you would be wrong.

Shaman, doctor by day, magic user by night. Him and his magical little pouch are to blame for the snow storm.

Sasquatch, Canada’s answer to the Hulk. (Hilariously, the theory on why he turns furry instead of green is because he’s closer to the Aurora Borealis and this somehow messes with the radiation?)

Snowbird, a young Arctic goddess. Precious. To be cherished. Barely there for this adventure, sadly.

Northstar, an arrogant, hot-headed speedster, the twin brother of

Aurora, a lover, not a fighter. Together, they have light powers.

Vindicator and Shaman hog most of the spotlight, so Alpha Flight continues to be the ever-loving worst. They’re really wasting Northstar’s first appearance here. Here's why they suck:

Alpha Flight accidentally smashes a plane and keeps threatening to drag Wolverine back to the military against his will.

They push the cover price of the comic to a whoppin’ 40 cents.

Johnny fuckin’ Hudson even provokes Storm into an attack in the middle of a mall.

Shaman lets his blizzard get out of control.

After Storm fixes this mistake for him, Northstar has the gall to knock her out, “because she’s obviously the strongest”. Like, you’re not wrong, but damn, y’all a bunch of unpleasant superheroes.

To stop the fight, Wolverine decides to turn himself in. The X-Men leave, but while flying back, they already make plans to save their teammate. Wolverine saves them the trouble, casually sauntering into the cockpit while claiming that pulling a fast one on them was the easiest thing ever.

To be fair, I understand why you’d want to put a country between yourself and those bozos.

And finally, the X-Men are home! Xavier left them the equivalent of a Post-It saying “off to space”, so they try to pick up their life as best they can. None of them contact Jean’s parents, make an attempt to visit her grave or happen to see Beast on TV and by now, my suspension of disbelief is stretched so far that it could replace Reed Richards on the Fantastic Four.

Ororo, meanwhile, makes a little pilgrimage to Harlem, to the building she grew up in before she moved to Cairo.

I have failed you as a recapper, because I have absolutely no idea how to parse this scene. (X-Men 122)

I think I’d have to write a full-on thesis before I could properly analyse this, because so many things intersect here: poverty and racism, the boundaries of a superhero comic, confronting a (shared) past. I can’t even fully gauge if this is a clumsy, privileged attempt at tackling a serious topic or rather, a valuable moment in a comic that continually tries to expand on its themes of racism, exclusion and prejudice. One thing I will note is:

Luke Cage delivers the sort of trite conclusion that they’re superheroes: they’re better at fighting Galactus than at fixing the human condition. Point is, he kind of has to believe that, doesn’t he? It’s the sort of blind spot we all permit ourselves: you can’t fix everything. None of us have the power to fix the earth, or humanity, or the economy, or whatever: if you’re lucky, you can maybe tend to your own garden and leave it better than you found it, ensuring some happiness for yourself and a few loved ones.

Chasing bank robbers is easy. Superhero stuff. But here? Who do you attack here? These kids, or the system that failed them? You can’t really punch a needle exchange into being. Maybe that’s the appeal of superhero comics: there’s a clear villain, which is so sorely lacking in our day to day lifes. There, we are ruled by systems that are rooted in inequality, patriarchy, gender...

But Storm isn’t like Luke Cage, not in this regard. Before she became an X-Man, she used her powers to help people that came to her. And the whole point of the X-Men - other than beating up villains in colorful spandex - is that they want to change the system. They want to fix things, they want to fix a dark part of human nature, the part that hates which we fear.

Storm doesn’t really respond to Luke Cage here, but we know she’ll keep fighting the good fight, despite insurmountable odds. You can’t fix mankind, I don’t think, but you can sure as hell try.

*coughs*

Anyway!

Black Tom and Juggernaut hire Arcade… to kill the X-Men! I’m not sure why? I thought these two usually attempted to solve things on their own and Arcade’s fee is, like, a million bucks, so…? Maybe Black Tom asked his boyfriend what he wanted for his birthday and Juggernaut clenched his fists and said “I WANT THE X-MEN DEAD” and things escalated from there.

So, Arcade is a subtle villain. While Scott and Colleen Wing are on a date, this happens:

I can’t decide which is funnier: kidnapping people by sneaking up on them with A GARBAGE TRUCK or the fact that Spider-Man deduces this is Arcade’s doing by the noise alone. (X-Men 123)

Spider-Man doesn’t really figure into the rest of the plot, by the way.

Arcade successfully kidnaps all of the X-Men (and their dates: Colleen, Amanda and Betsy). Who is this Arcade? Well, he is an assassin who lets his victims run through a gauntlet of some sort, testing them with potentially deadly results in his Murderworld. He’s like a discount-combo of Saw and the Joker, except a lot less competent and a lot more spoiled rich kid. He barely kills anyone, ever, until maaaybe Avengers Arena, some forty years later.

Arcade veers heavily to the silly side of the silly-to-sinister scale, but he at least commits to a theme. Bonus is that trapping your heroes in a bunch of ricocheting balls fubars them ever-so beautifully. (X-Men 123)

This whole adventure is very silly and has very little bearing on the overarching plot, but it’s a fun enough romp: Cyclops nearly gets squashed by a hydraulic press, Nightcrawler gets attacked by bumper cars with chain saws attached to them, stuff like that. The absolute best part is when Colossus is hypnotized by an illusion of the KGB and becomes THE PROLETARIAN.

His insignia is Vladimir Lenin, y’all.

After various shenanigans, everybody is freed from their respective booby traps, everyone except Colossus. See, Piotr has been feeling down, torn between the exciting new loyalty to the X-Men and the more dutiful loyalty to his family and his motherland. (Also, he’s been feeling like a failure because he came up short a couple a times, aw.) Those feelings are exactly what Arcade has been abusing, but when Colossus comes in for the kill, Storm gives the most heartfelt plea:

I’m not crying, you’re crying. (X-Men 124)

Arcade’s all: “Eh, can’t win ‘em all” and yeets the X-Men out of Murderworld. The story has barely any other repercussions, except we stop seeing Colleen Wing and Betsy (Piotr’s date) after this. To be fair, being kidnapped by a super villain is a good reason to stop seeing someone.

Even more inconsequential is the adventure in the Annual. The only important thing to glean from there is that, when Thor is unavailable, Storm is a suitable substitution. Couldn’t agree more.

The quality of the comic has been steadily ascending throughout the year and ends on a supremely high note: Proteus. Because I think it might be Claremont’s best work so far, I’ll be dedicating a full post to that. (Man, that 10-picture-limit is a real bummer, huh?)

Ugliest Costume: I don’t care, I just want someone to cosplay the Proletarian.

Best new character: There’s actually a few options - Snowbird, Northstar, Proteus - but both Jean-Paul and Narya don’t really show their best sides this year, so I’m going in a different direction. My pick is the Shadow King. He is a very effective foil to Xavier, perhaps even moreso than Magneto. I know I rag on Xavier and his cavalier attitude to bending others to his will a lot, but imagine if you had his powers: wouldn’t you just make people do whatever you want? Just, like, all the time? The Shadow King is an effective reminder of what Charles would have been like, had he been immoral. (Well, more immoral.)

No matter how cool your psychic battle may be, this is what it looks like to the rest of the world. (X-Men 117)

Turns evil: Colossus, for the first time!

What to read: 117, 125 - 129.

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anastpaul · 6 years

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Saint of the Day – 18 August – St Helena (c 250 – c 330) Empress, Mother of Saint Constantine, Founder of the True Cross of Christ. Patronages – against fire, against thunder, archeologists, converts, difficult marriages, divorced people, dyers, empresses, nail smiths, needle makers, Birkirkara, Malta, Helena, diocese of Montana. Helena ranks as an important figure in the history of Christianity and of the world due to her influence on her son. In her final years, she made a religious tour of Syria Palaestina and Jerusalem, during which she discovered the True Cross.

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Helena’s birthplace is not known with certainty. The 6th-century historian Procopius is the earliest authority for the statement that Helena was a native of Drepanum, in the province of Bithynia in Asia Minor. Her son Constantine renamed the city “Helenopolis” after her death around 330, which supports the belief that the city was her birthplace.

She married a Roman General, Constantius Chlorus and became the mother of Constantine the Great. She embraced Christianity late in life but her incomparable faith and piety greatly influenced her son Constantine, the first Christian emperor and served to kindle a holy zeal in the hearts of the Roman people. Forgetful of her high dignity, she delighted to assist at the Divine Office amid the poor and by her alms deeds showed herself a mother to the indigent and distressed.

In her eightieth year she made a famous pilgrimage to Jerusalem, with the ardent desire of discovering the cross on which our Blessed Redeemer had suffered. After many labours, three crosses were found on Mount Calvary, together with the names and the inscription recorded by the Evangelists. The pious empress, transported with joy, built a beautiful Basilica on Mount Calvary to receive the precious relic, sending portions of it also to Rome and Constantinople, where they were solemnly exposed to the adoration of the faithful. She built two other famous churches in Palestine to honour the sacred sites of Our Lord’s life, one at the site of His Ascension and the other, known as the Basilica of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, which she and her son richly adorned.

Below - Peter Paul Rubens, Constantine Worshipping the True Cross (Tapestry)

Saint Helen’s influence on her son Constantine is recognised by all historians. He always honoured her in every way. In the year 312, when Constantine found himself attacked by Maxentius with vastly superior forces and the very existence of his western empire was threatened, he remembered the crucified Christian God whom his mother Helen worshipped. Kneeling down, he prayed God to reveal Himself as the supreme God, by giving him an otherwise impossible victory. Suddenly at noonday, a cross of fire was seen by his army in the calm and cloudless sky and beneath it the words, In hoc signo vinces — In this sign thou shalt conquer. By divine command, Constantine made a standard like the cross he had seen, to be borne at the head of his troops. This is the famous banner known as the Roman Labarum. Under this Christian ensign they marched against the enemy and obtained a complete victory

She died around 330, with her son at her side. She was buried in the Mausoleum of Helena, outside Rome on the Via Labicana. Her sarcophagus is on display in the Pio-Clementine Vatican Museum, below and the statue of her at St Peter’s.

#sthelena #august18sthelena #catholic #catholicism #thetruecross

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rabidbehemoth · 6 years

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YOUR TURN! "The Quintessential Queen's Quiet Quintuplets". XD

ARGH, you took the worst title I could think of and made it good?! I would absolutely read it???!!

Fine. As vengeance for your difficult suggestion, here’s the first response that popped into my head that I’m also sure you’ll hate:

"The Quintessential Queen's Quiet Quintuplets"

Empress Haruno of the Seven Kingdoms pulled her needle through the half-finished embroidery in her lap. Steady goes: pinch, push, tug, rhythmic and familiar. It was women’s work, and servant's work at that, but she didn’t mind. She was once a Chu princess herself, in another lifetime, before playing the preeminent role in uniting the Seven Kingdoms.

No longer a princess, no longer a woman, no longer bound as other mortals, she was free to do as she liked. If that meant further embellishing five of the finest sets of children’s clothes in all the world, none could object.

Her quintuplets dozed peacefully among the folds of their soft blankets, the wet nurses and maids all chased away. Hers were the quietest children she’d ever seen. They were not truly quintuplets, each fathered by a different lover of hers, but had she been able to carry all five to term at once, she would have. It mattered not; she had only to speak the words, and all the kingdom disregarded their birth order and age differences. They were quintuplets, and they were equals.

Each came from one the major families, after all: Hatake, Uzumaki, Uchiha, Samehada, and the youngest from Yamanaka. That her Yamanaka lover was a woman mattered little; if she said Ino-er fathered the child, she fathered the child. Who dared to argue?

Her needle slipped. The Empress uttered no sound as blood beaded on her skin. She lifted her finger to her mouth and sucked it absentmindedly, smiling to herself through sharp teeth.

[can you tell I’ve been watching too many harem C-dramas? LOL]

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thvndring · 4 years

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The second born son of the King & Queen of México, Carlos was never intended to be the Mexican King. Because of this, he grew up in a world of privilege & power with little responsibility. He spent his days lounging in resort towns, entertaining foreign dignitaries, and making a global name for himself. When his older brother Miguel, now Duke of Veracruz, chose to abdicate the throne, Carlos was thrusts into the political spotlight & is doing his best not to flounder.

B A S I C S

NAME: Carlos de México FULL NAME: Carlos Juan Eleazar TITLE & STYLE: His Regency, Prince Carlos of México HOUSE: House of López-Nieto AGE: 25 HOME: Cancun, MX MARITAL STATUS: Single SEXUALITY: Bisexual LANGUAGE(S): Spanish, Portuguese, English POLITICS: Centrist

P H Y S I C A L

FACECLAIM: Tyler Posey HAIR COLOR: Black EYE COLOR: Brown HEIGHT: 6’0” BUILD: Athletic

P E R S O N A L

POSITIVE TRAITS: Entertaining, Extroverted, Quirky NEGATIVE TRAITS: Jocular, Cocky, Spoiled GOALS/DESIRES: Clean up Mexico’s global image FEARS: Trypanophobia (Fear of Needles) HOBBIES: Mixology, Sailing, Snorkeling MUSIC: Becky G, Maluma, J Balvin FOOD: Chilaquiles BEVERAGE: Margarita

F A M I L Y

MOTHER: Her Majesty Anna-Maria, Queen of México FATHER: His Royal Highness Juan José, King-Consort of México BROTHER: His Highness Miguel, Duke of Veracruz BROTHER: His Highness Luis, Duke of Ciudad de México SISTER: Her Highness Maria, Duchess of Oaxaca BROTHER: His Highness Juan, Duke of Jalisco AUNT: Her Imperial Highness The Empress (Tsuki) (originally Selena) COUSIN: His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince (Taishō)

M É X I C O

Once home to the great Aztec empire, Mexico is was once a part of the Spanish crown. During a revolution of 1821, Mexico instituted their own Monarchy. After some intrusions from Europe, that Monarchy fell, was reinstated, and fell once more, only to be finally brought back to power in the revolution of 1890.

#( royal )#( prince )#( mexico )

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samuelmmarcus · 5 years

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Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Charlotte, NC

Hello, my dear friends. How are you today? I have to take a minute to tell you all how grateful I am for your presence here on Home Bunch. I took a few days off last week and I have to tell you that I feel so Blessed for taking this little break and be able to be back to this space that is ours. This short break allowed me to analyze my gratitude for all of the important things in my life and this is a big part of it. Thank you for coming here, for reading the blog and for your loyalty. I certainly hope that you always find inspiration and knowledge here, and also feel a little lighter and happier every time you come to the blog.

Talking about feeling happy, this is exactly how I feel every time I feature this talented builder (previously featured here & here) and it’s truly great to have them on our “Beautiful Homes of Instagram” today. Here, the builder shares some incredible details – not to mention, all sources – with us. Read on:

“Pike Properties builds in the urban and close to town neighborhoods in Charlotte, NC. Typically lots range from 50 feet to 60 feet in width, with an occasional needle in a haystack lot that is wider. This homesite was a needle in a haystack. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac and measuring 114 feet at the setback, and 224 feet at the rear property line, this homesite allowed Pike Properties to spread their wings and fly. What that meant was that they were able to build an expansive property without constraints and along with it, make it truly amazing both inside and out. The resale value was maximized thanks to the property, so splurging on interior finishes was a must. What is in store for you in this home tour is something you definitely don’t want to skip over! Let’s take a closer look.”

Feel free to pin, save and share this beautiful home.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Charlotte, NC

From the conceptual rendering of this home’s exterior, something very special was born. Pike Properties actually pre-sold this home before breaking ground after a couple saw it online and barged into their office essentially begging for them to allow them to purchase so early on. Normally, Pike will pre-sell but that usually isn’t until after framing. Change orders aren’t allowed, FYI. This home spoke volumes and was so hard to find that interest was shown so early on. Pike agreed to pre-sale and this home was under contract before the first dirt was moved and footings poured.

You will notice that this home is broken into two sections, divided by a “cat walk” and lower breezeway which connects the garage and mudroom on the main floor, and upstairs living spaces with a bonus room/flex space up. By designing it this way, it doesn’t overwhelm and seem too large. The presence remains humble.

Of course Pike had to paint the home WHITE. White houses are just oh so popular, and with a large front facade, they didn’t want to risk another darker color, or even a tan. Plus, the white paint really allows the cedar accents to pop. Benjamin Moore Olympic Mountains was selected for the paint color, with cedar accents, garage door, and fir front door stained in Benjamin Moore Hidden Valley. To blend, the roof chose is CertainTeed Sunrise Cedar. Dark Bronze metal roof accents and gutters contrast ever so slightly.

Genuine Hardie Siding was used on the exterior, for low-maintenance and quality purposes, and you just can’t beat their warranty!

Garage Coach Light- St. James Lighting Montrose.

Curb Appeal

It’s hard to decide if this home looks better during the day or at dusk! One thing is for sure though, when the sun sets over this residence, lights come on inside, and dinner is prepared, there is no place better to call HOME.

Kitchen

There are a handful of different directions you can go with kitchen design these days, and here Pike Properties decided to use neutral, crisp, and clean elements that blend seamlessly but also have some visual interest. Stark white was a no go, but instead the custom, locally crafted cabinetry is painted in “Benjamin Moore 1472 Silver Chain” which has a calming gray tone. The Schaub and Company Menlo Park Satin Brass hardware contrasts nicely with the cabinet color and the brass is actually toned down a bit by the gray versus a white.

Guests are sure to be impressed by the 60″ professional grade Frigidaire refrigerator and food storage isn’t an issue here. The fact of the matter is, that for the price, this makes a bigger statement than you’ll find with any other fridge on the market.

Refrigerator, Freezer & Trim Kit.

Backsplash & Countertop

Pike Properties views the range wall of a kitchen as a piece or artwork or the centerpiece of the space. Typically, there is no wall space to hang art in a kitchen, so the result is needing to use practical aspects of the space and turn them into artwork. That is what you see here with the picture frame accent tile over the 48″ range. This tile is by no means cheap, but when using such a small quantity is relatively affordable and makes a statement that is unlike anything else. The tile is Soho Studio Empress Helena, and it is truly artwork. In person, the small cubes sparkle and brass banding shines bright. It is a sight to see.

Pike stuck with a simple range hood design so as to not distract from the backsplash masterpiece.

The countertop surfaces are covered in striking Cosmos Mont Blanc marble which offers white, gray, and charcoal tones.

Luxurious Backsplash Tiles: Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here & Here.

Main Backsplash Tile- Jeffrey Court Wall Street White 3×9 – Other Marble Tiles: here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Range- Jenn-Air 48″ Pro-Style.

Pot Filler- Delta Contemporary in Matte Black.

Cabinet Hardware: Schaub and co Menlo Park.

Sconces- Savoy House Morland in Warm Brass – similar here & here.

Kitchen Pendants

Kitchen Pendant Lights- Hinkley Fletcher in Aged Zinc. Other Lighting on Sale: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Hardwood Flooring

The open concept kitchen and dining room is ever so slightly broken up by the large cased opening. The floors you see here span throughout 90% of the home (minus tiled areas) and are 4″ #1 White Oak in Rubio Monocoat Mud Light finish. Rubio Monocoat products offer many benefits including durability, eco-friendly ingredients, and single layer application.

Similar Hardwood Flooring: here & here.

Kitchen Faucet- Brizo Litze in Matte Black and Brillance Luxe Gold.

Kitchen Sink: Blanco Profina.

Counterstools: Gabby Furniture – Other Great Counterstools: here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Dining Room

Removed just enough, but still open to the kitchen is the sole dining space in the home. The formal dining room, the breakfast room, the kids homework table (well actually there’s a built-in space for that…. stay tuned!), and whatever else you use the dining table for, this is the spot in this home. That said, it was important to go formal enough, but still keep it casual when selected design elements, trim detail, etc. It even started with the layout. When working with their award-wining architects, Frusterio Design, Pike Properties made sure to have the French door set leading out to the rear covered porch from the dining room to keep it a bit casual and allow for easy indoor/outdoor flow.

Two elements of trim detail liven up the space and a hint of elegance. Simple Shiplap wainscoting standing 48″ off the floor dresses up the wall space and lessens the need for large and expensive artwork, which is especially nice considering that most of the wall space is taken up by windows and doors. The ceiling trim detail is comprised of two elements and is a favorite detail to add to a dining space at Pike Properties. It is called an X-beam ceiling formed by 2 flush beams (framed in wood and wrapped in drywall). The inlaid V-groove trim makes everything stand out and adds definition to what could end up being hard to notice.

Beautiful Dining Tables: here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Chairs on Sale: here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Similar Rugs: here & here.

Chandelier

Chandelier- Visual Comfort Choros 28 Inch.

Covered Rear Porch

This home maintains complete privacy at the rear, so bring on the outdoor living and plenty of evenings spent by the fireplace! With a vaulted ceiling soaring 24′ high and covered in stained V-groove, the grandeur doesn’t end inside. Pike ensured this space was large enough to accommodate two separate seating areas, one for lounging by the gas fireplace and the other for dining al-fresco.

Living Room

The main living space in this home is right here, located in the heart of the home between the kitchen area and owner’s retreat. Of course, immediately you notice the 15′ set of Panoramic Doors leading outside. WOW! These doors are manufactured custom to order and are made out of Aluminum in a bronze finish. Five individual panels fold on top of each other to create a fully opening wall of glass. See the next photo for a fully opened view.

Paint Color

Paint colors remain neutral and calming throughout the home. Pike has standard colors they always use to keep their homes consistent and that go best with their style and vibe. For main living spaces, hallways, secondary bedrooms and utility areas Pike uses Benjamin Moore Dove Wing. All inside trim tends to be Benjamin Moore White Dove. For the Owner’s Retreat spaces, Benjamin Moore Halo is utilized to create a soothing and warm toned space without going away from the neutral theme. Secondary bathrooms are all painted Benjamin Moore Moonshine.

Great Quality Rugs: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Cat Walk

Remember on the front exterior when the “catwalk” was mentioned? Well here it is on the inside! Essentially a fancy hallway, this area connects the main upstairs living area with a bonus/flex space over the garage. Windows on both sides looking out makes you feel like you are walking on a catwalk, or over a bridge.

This is a good time to mention that all the interiors doors in this home are painted in Sherwin Williams Iron Ore.

Master Bedroom

Ensuring the highest probability of sweet dreams is at the top of Pike Properties priority list. A bedroom should always be calming, relaxing, and serene. The Crate and Barrel Finley drum pendant softens the spaces, and texture and visual interest is evoked with the diagonal shiplap bed wall. For just a tad extra in trim, doing a diagonal shiplap bed wall is a perfect way to take your bedroom to new heights.

Lighting: Crate & Barrel – Other Chandeliers: here, here, here & here.

Beautiful Nightstands: here, here, here, here & here.

Recommended Bedding: here & here.

Master Bathroom

Everything is not all sunshine and butterflies in home building, that is for sure. One story about this space demonstrates just a hint at that. Mirrors were completed left out of selections as an accidental oversight. It was three days before the professional photo shoot and mirrors were being hung when that was realized. A quick online search and scramble ensued and these were the result. Pretty fitting and amazingly blended for a last minute selection!

The rustic warmth the Restoration Hardware Printmakers vanity (similar here) brings in to the space is much needed to keep it from being all gray and white tones. Pike also loves incorporating rustic styling into their builds.

How often do you accidentally splash a little water onto your drywall behind the sink when brushing teeth or washing your hair? This likely has happened to you a time or two, or 100. Not only is the tile accent wall stylish, it is also functional. Splashing water on tile is much less noticeable and definitely not as likely to prompt you to grab a towel to dry it up.

Wall Tile- Merola tile Kite Dark Gray – similar here.

Other Bathroom Vanities: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Mirrors- Rejuvenation Rounded Rectangular Metal Framed.

Vanity Top- Cosmos Mont Blanc (Same as in kitchen).

Faucets- Delta Trinsic 8″ Widespread in Matte Black.

Pendants- Hinkley Academy.

Spa-like

Whether you are a bath or shower person, you are in for a treat in this spa-like setting. The walk-in shower is of a very unique design and also is lacking any sort of door or glass. The actual shower with dual heads is out of view inside the section to the right. The area where you first step into from the bathroom floor is actually known as a dry area and is where the towel racks are located. It is meant to be a spot for drying off but without having to worry about a floor mat or getting water all over the bathroom floor. Very practical and stylish!

Tub- Signature Hardware Nina Acrylic 70″ Freestanding Tub.

Tub Faucet- Delta Trinsic in matte Black.

Shower Floor Tile- MSI Surfaces Telaio 2″ Hexagon Honed.

Shower Wall Tile- Jeffrey Court 3×12 Starry White Beveled.

Chandelier- Visual Comfort Venetian – Others: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Guest Bathroom

This is the downstairs guest bath which could very well be used as an in-law suite. Pike Properties wanted to keep it a little more formal and elegant by bringing in the brushed brass fixtures and picking a furniture vanity with more traditional lines and trim. Plus, just wait until you see the shower! Paint color is Benjamin Moore Moonshine.

Vanity- Allen and Roth Perrella 37 inch – Similar: here & here.

Mirror- Allen and Roth – similar here.

Faucet- Delta Dryden 8″ in Champagne Bronze.

Light- Park Harbor Mooretown.

Shower

In addition to the beauty of it, there are a handful of benefits to a zero-entry or curbless shower.

– They are functional. Anyone and everyone can get in and out of a zero entry shower and the risk or falling is minimal. No curb to trip over.

-They are easier to clean. Not as many tight areas and a seamless flow with your bathroom floor is a breeze to clean.

-You are left with clear visibility of the shower floor, so that pretty tile that was splurged on can actually be seen.

A curbless shower with hinged glass enclosure is a win-win and aesthetically pleasing and clean.

Wall Tile- Florida Tile Dorian Streamline 3×6 – similar here – Other Tiles: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Floor Tile- Jeffrey Court Carrara Bianco Mosaic similar here & here – Others: here & here.

Second Upstairs Guest Bath

Clean and simple, perfect for a kids bathroom! The classic floor tiles are timeless.

Floor Tile- Soho Studio Denim 1″ Vanilla Circles – similar here.

Vanity- Allen and Roth Presnell 37 inch in White – Others: here, here, here, here & here.

Mirrors: White Beveled Wall Mirror.

Faucet- Delta Dryden Widespread in Chrome.

Light- Kichler Braelyn.

Upstairs Guest Bath

The best part about this bathroom can be seen in the mirror. The dark navy subway tiled walk-in shower contrasts so well with the white around it and makes the shower a focal point of the room. Accenting a shower with dark tile is something more people should do!

Vanity- Allen and Roth Presnell 37 inch in White.

Faucet- Delta Dryden Widespread in Chrome.

Shower Tile- Hampton Steele Blue 4×24 – Others: here & here.

Floor Tile- Florida Tile Mosaic Art Epic 1×1 Hexagon White – similar here.

Light- Kichler Braelyn.

Laundry Room

Cabinet Paint Color- Benjamin Moore White Dove.

Laundry is typically not fun, but at least by adding some exciting and funky tile it can become just a bit more enjoyable. Storage is not a problem thanks to the full-height built in cabinet unit.

Floor Tile- Jeffrey Court – similar here.

Homework Nook

Tired of the kids homework cluttering the kitchen counter, dining table, or coffee table in the living room? A great solution is a dedicated spot for homework, and there is just about no better way to create that than what you see here. A custom built-in desk with spots for two chairs and plenty of storage is topped with Aspen CQ Quartz making for the fanciest and most perfect spot to get homework done. This is also a wonderful spot for crafting. Library sconces provide great lighting, so no need for desk lamps. Lastly, no one wants to stare at a blank wall when thinking about a algebra problem, so the wallpaper accent is just what the teacher ordered!

Cabinet Paint Color- Benjamin Moore Gray Owl.

Wallpaper- Graham and Brown Innocence Gray.

Sconces- Savoy House Morland in Matte Black – similar here & here.

Chandelier

This chandelier by Kichler is located in the upstairs loft area.

Mudroom Drop Zone

Drop Zone Paint Color- Benjamin Moore Hale Navy.

Pike Properties believes that a drop zone can become a focal point and not just a spot to throw shoes, coats, and keys. The same custom cabinet maker that crafted the kitchen cabinets also made this piece. One of the first things you notice is the rich Walnut wood bench and live edge coat hook backing. The coat hook fixture puts a fun twist on a typical row of coat hooks in a drop zone. Cabinet and cubby space is abundant, as you’d expect.

Don’t miss the built-in dog bowls down in the lower corner with custom cut out dog done openings! The comfortable livability of dogs even went into the design and building of this residence.

Many thanks to the builder (& McKay!

) for sharing all of the details above!

Builder: Pike Properties (Instagram)

Architecture: Frusterio Design, Inc.

Photography: Joe Purvis.

3D walkthrough tour.

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zora-moyashi · 5 years

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"first of all, rude. secondly, don't underestimate me." she swings her arms back and forth warming up and waiting for shatter to make the first shot.

Core

Shatter jumped into the water, she seemed to know the area well, giving her an advantage.

"haha, I'm not fighting you in the water there shatter. i'm not THAT dumb."

Core

The island was actually floating, so the water was deep enough. A large mantis like claw dug into the sand, the claw alone had to be at least twenty feet in height. Chara then saw the head of a Sea Empress Leviathan. Her body was covered in think armor like plates, a knife was useless

"wow alright." she despons the knife gazing up. she shouts "now is this really fair? i'm like a 1000th of your size

Core

'I told you I wanted to see how many times I can kill you with only using one element.' Chara heard in her head. 'So, would you rather I start off easier? If you do 'kill' me, I can respawn here.'

she seems insulted "pffft! bring it!" she's getting ready for shatter to make a move that she takes a second to recoil from before she starts to attack her in anyway. she also steps back into the grassy area with trees just to see how good her aim is when she's not very visible.

Core

The Sea emperor had poor eyesight, but could sense Chara due to telepathy, a tentacle can form behind, slamming on Chara.

chara slams into the ground and she rolls to her side grabbing the tentacle before it could move. her grip isn't the strongest with it moving around as much as it is but she does manage to make coat her teeth in red magic and bite deep into the tentacle

Core

the tentacle sunk down into the water, there Chara should see the full size of the Sea Emperor, it had two claws like a mantis and the back half of an octopus or Squid. her large head contained a large set of toothless jaws.

she tries her best to get out of the water. she breaks the surface taking a deep breath swims as far back to the shore as she can before getting hit again. she's dunked under the water with the air hit out of her with the impact. she kicks another tentacle away but passes out from lack of air.

Core

Shatter leaves her to drown, knowing she will respawn on the island, since the portal was a savepoint. Shatter turned to her normal for and swam up, marking in the sand; s-1 c-0

chara reloads and shakes her head the water still in her hair. she spots the score chart shatter's making and just gets more mad. she let's out a growl before slamming into shatter before she has time to change forms and tries her best to go for her soul with her knife.

More undercut:

Core

Her soul was strange to say the least, it seemed more like a cluster of 18 different fractured parts. Shatter acted quickly, teleporting to some of the water off shore.

her knife hits the sand as she laughs to herself. "oh yeah. you can teleport just like good old sans. what a pain." she stands and heads to the water not caring anymore.

Core

"Well, not quite, Sans uses more of a ghost typing for or teleporting, I use ion energy to teleport. One never runs out of power." Shatter explained, not moving, for she knew what was near.

"If you want I chose forms with a cp of under 10k." Shatter said.

Chara looks at her confused "depends what cp is."

Core

"Combat power, a creature's ability to fight." Shatter explained. "It's quite ironic that both the highest and lowest are found in water." she added.

"huh, fine. tone it down I guess. no fun if you just demolish me every round"

Core

"Okay," Shatter said, turning into a four legged animal with a frill of fins, it was the size of a house cat.

"hello little vaporeon" she gives a little wave. "so this isn't gonna be easy either, seeing as you can literally melt into the water."

Core

'I will stay on land, since if you were to try to swim in these waters, you're as good as dead. I learned that the heard way a few years ago.' Shatter explained, shuddering at the memory of dying multiple times to the new creatures of this world.

"well good, but i'd like to know what's out there if you'd tell me"

She stands at the edge of the sand leaning in trying to see anything

Core

She heard a large roar, and saw a large red tail. Shatter still in the form of a vaporeon. "That's a reaper levithan, they grow to about 60 feet long, but to be completely honest a gasopod killed me first..."

"ooooo it's pretty" her eyes sparkle. "i wonder if it'll eat vaporeon(s). (i don't know if you put an s at the end of pokemon to make it plural) haha" she goes back to the middle of the beach. "okay enough of that. let's start this fight." she digs her feet into the sand. her feet glow a little along with the sand around them.

Core

Shatter turned around her eyes glowing. "Ready when you are."

with her feet leaving the sand they seem to emit an explosion that makes the sand cloud the area and chara be flung into the air as well. though the cloud of dust when chara makes her way back to the ground she covers her whole body in magic and impacts the area the vaporeon was in.

Core

Shatter had moved from that location, using her knowledge of the area to help her. She spit out boiling water at chara.

with the magic around her it didn't hurt her and it evaporated all the way before it could hit her. heat rolled off of her and she focuses the magic in her hands making an ax of sorts and swinging at shatter

Core

She landed the blow, winning this round as Shatter had to respawn. "Ow." she hissed

chara grins ear to ear and laughs a little trying to hold it in.

Core

"Yeah, haha." Shatter said sarcastically, not amused of her loss

she covers her face and snorts out a laugh. she gets over it and shakes off all the used magic around her. "you get the first move again~"

Core

"How about I let you try and fight a wild creature here?" Shatter said with a smirk.

"hmm?" she hums interested.

Core

Shatter grabs Chara's arm and teleports, to some shallow water, 30 at the deepest. the biggest creature had a bulbous tail and a head that looked like a gas-mask, all in all it looked similar to a manatee.

"it looks pretty chill. think it will actually want to fight me?"

Core

"Because the first time I died here it was one of them." Shatter said. "They are called gasopods. just try to pet it."

"huh..." chara's not a big fan of animals so she is a bit cautious. she puts a hand out to it slowly. "hey there...?

Core

The tail lit up and a toxic gas surrounded it, killing everything nearby instantly.

she respons and looks at shatter annoyed. "great" she goes back to the water area. "I'd happily take that little monster on again but green magic isn't my thing and i'm not sure how else i'm going to be able to take it out" she thinks for a moment frustrated.

Core

Shatter tossed her something. "chronicle made this, it's called a rebreather, it can filter out the toxins." Shatter explained, "Chronicle made after these things killed me

she catches it and shrugs she puts it around her mouth and instantly goes up to another gasopod. she thinks to herself how much she hates water and how much of a pain it is. she forms a knife and gets a grip on the gasopod and giving it a slash in the back. after that she's thrown off in a cloud of poison and loses the creature who ran.

Core

The creature sank, dead. Shatter seemed slightly impressed.

when the poison clears and she sees the dead animal she grins to shatter proudly "heyooo!! what's next shatter?!" she gets out of the water and somersaults on the sand happily.

Core

"Well, they are in much deeper water, and you can't breathe underwater last time I checked." Shatter said.

*sticks out tongue* "can't do anything about that hon."

Core

"I know, so I can just try and turn to them near the surface." Shatter shrugged.

"alright, i'll take it" she goes back to the water. " just so you know shatter, i really hate water" she laughs to herself. "in fact most of the time i use fire magic so it's that much worse for me." "but hey. challenge accepted."

Core

Shatter turned into an eel like creature, with prongs along it's body, sparks went in between these prongs. she was a dull grey in color.

chara watches shatter transform and then go under the water looking for the animals to lead to the surface.

Core

The eel charged, jaws full of needle like teeth

chara follows with her gaze as shatter goes deeper down. she lays on the sand and sticks her head under the water to see better.

Core

She got bit in the face, the teeth sending electric charges though her flesh.

chara passes out from the shock, her face ripped into and as she flops all the way onto the sand. she respons and begrudgingly puts a tally next to her name in the sand.

Core

Shatter turned back into a humanoid, "That was an ampeel, electric and water."

she shakes her head. "I officially accept that you're stronger than frisk's soul. but giving up isn't in neither of our nature" she puts a finger to her chin and thinks what she could do to trick and or get the better of shatter. she decides making her stick to one form would help her most.

Core

"Only one form?" Shatter seemed to have to think for a bit. (i so wanna choose a ditto)

(you little cheater haha ) chara waits for her to pick

Core

(I won't I won't, it was just a thought.)

"If I chose this form, you aren't allowed to freak out, understand?" Shatter said

"well gee, no promises"

Core

Shatter knew she wouldn't get a better answer, she revealed her soul as the parts separated, revealing 18 unique individuals. she was a fusion. One floated above the ground, she glowed a purple color and seemed like she defied gravity. 'I will be your opponent, Character.' Chara heard in her head.

(You are challenged by olympia!!)

she looks up at her in awe until she starts laughing hysterically. "fine fine fine fine" chara makes a arm shield and a sword that has heavy impact but she can throw it around like it's really light. "may i just say you're really cool" her eyes sparkle and she goes in to strike olympia at the legs.

Core

Olympia teleported away, her eyes had no pupil or iris. the other 17 watched. 'Thank you for the compliment, though I should warn you, that I am one of the best fighters.' She said via telepathy again,

"one of the best fighters in what? the multiverse? cause that's a bit excessive" she's trying to make her a little mad or react in anyway so that chara could sense olympia before she appears and gets the drop on her.

Core

"No, out of my siblings.' Chara was thrown into the water by some invisible force. it then made sense, Olypmia could use telekinesis.

she flings out of the water like a sling shot back to where she was back to a spot that she marked in the sand with magic. she struggles to get her balance. "pretty nifty right?" she smiles "that's a green/blue attribute. learned it from the person on the other end of the string. not good for attacking tho." she still can't find her and it's starting to annoy her.

Core

She felt herself get torn apart from the inside out.

she collapses on the floor dead. she reappears "okay lady what the hell was that?" her face is red embarrassed.

Core

'I made you implode, it's actually easy.' Olympia said via telepathy

"ffffff" she takes a big breath. she runs through her mind what she should do seeing as she's a close-range fighter with a long range and seemingly invisible opponent. she simply waits for another attack to come at her so she can try to find a weakness.

Core

Olympia teleported in front of her, 'you do realize I can read you mind, and you would win in close range,' she teleported away again

"yeah yeah i know" she sticks her tongue out. "stop taunting me" she decides she has to find olympia's hiding spots and put magic markers down so she can sling shot to them and hopefully catch her off guard.

Core

Olympia mental revealed her location to be in a cave system in the island.

"this is so boring..." A female with orange hair hissed.

Core

'Sorry that you do not approve of my style, Eunice." Olympia replied

she heads over to the cave and quietly hides in the bushes by them. she's trying her best to keep her mind completely blank to not give away her position.

Core

Olympia looked directly at her. 'if I'm not mistaken, this world actually had an update, maybe after our little sprawl we can go investigate.'

she stands up irritated she already found her. defeated she shakes her head "let's just go investigate this update now. it's better than getting my butt whooped for the 10th time"

Core

Olympia's eyes glowed as she made a portal to an arctic biome. Eunice backed up. "No way in the entire Multiverse am I going to check this update."

she shrugs to eunice "dragon type i assume?" and hops through the portal and starts rolling in some powder then hitting some ice and slipping around almost like she's ice skating.

Core

"No, Fire, Dusk can just fuse with Lapis and will be fine." She said.

There was small penguin like creatures, they were light blue with large yellow eyes, their beak pointed to the sky

chara picked a penguin that wasn't paying attention in the back of the group and slid on her stomach and caught one of them. she sits up and looks at her catch she holds in her lap. "well aren't you cute~ what you little guys looking at?" she looks up as well.

Core

The beak opened up and was full of sharp teeth, it looked like a horror movie monster

"aww you're even cuter now~" she cooed at it making sure to keep the beak away from her skin.

"what should i name you" she bounces it on her knee for a second thinking. "you are pinpen"

"do you like that little guy" she says smiling holding the penguin tight.

Core

One of the splits, looked at the bird. She had a pair of wings, flying type probably. "Haven't seen this thing before..."

chara holds it up to her proudly " look at 'em!!! " her eyes sparkle a little. "wanna hold em?"

Core

(i love it it's so cute ;sdofija;oeigja;weig)

(chara probably is holding a baby one)

Core

She picks it up. Feeling the small thin feathers, "they must be fast in the water.." Olympia looked at the strange bird, 'i don't think you would be able to turn into this Jay, since they can't be in more than two elements.

"well that's a real shame" she holds the penguin to her chest "can't two of you merge and then turn into it though?" the penguin nibbles at her bangs.

Core

"yeah, probably Glacia and Lapis though." Jay said. The ground started to shake slightly

stands up and gets on guard from the shaking. "what's that?" she looks around expecting something to come up from the ice or something.

Core

"I don't know!" Jay said flying into the air, a large creature breached through the ice, going after the quick flyer.

(supposed to be 95 meters long)

chara falls when it breaches the ice and the penguin goes back to their group who is running from the monster. the bottom of her chin is bleeding onto the ice noticing her friend is gone "noooo pinpen!!!!" she watches it leave and makes an angry sound towards the ice head

Core

Olympia teleported and got the bird, calming it as Jay lured the large creature away. 'Well, the creators didn't hold back this time,' She said.

she gets up and watches the bird blankly not really caring anymore just because she accepts she's not going to get the penguin back. she wipes her chin and follows on the ice under where the others are.

Core

Some were planning on going down into the water, while others would explore above. Eunice of course was staying above, as was jay and dusk

while following she decides to try to fling herself up to the creature when she gets a clear shot so she puts down some markers and glides around the ice waiting

Core

The worm had gone back under the ice. Jay was planning on going under the ice as well

Core

(((((((But i had also come up with some ideas, and want to upgrade my characters, and the upgrade may actually affect Chara. Since she is involved in it technically. ZM oh yeah? do tell, Core So, it has to do with Shatter's past, more in particular her 'purpose'. Prior her past was that her parents and brother were murdered and she was captured and forced to fight for entertainment. and she became so mentally unstable that, she shattered But what if she was made to kill 'true' stars, a weapon, that would explain her high cp, ZM ooo, fancy~ what kind of true stars? Core And what if Gaster made sure she couldn't die by cloning Chara's ability to respawn? like Chronicle, Ink (my version), Blood, Music, ZM gotcha sounds good! so about the whole tracker that is on her that's from gaster? Core Exactly So, if we continue the rp, I can actually test the update ))))))

chara scrapes the ice with her foot making it easier to see what's going on down there. it's super dark so she puts a hand on the ice lighting it up and threw the water so she can see a bit more

Core

The splits started to glitch before they formed together, back to Shatter, though that didn't stop the glitching. Shatter held her head, seemingly in pain.

with all shatter's parts disappearing she looks for shatter holding her head. she rushes over to her. "hey hey hey what happened?"

Core

The glitching soon stopped and Shatter looked at Chara with cold, empty eyes.

she shuffles her feet nervously. " you alright?"

Core

Shatter looked at her, "Must have been an update." She said

"well fine but what the hell does that mean?" she cocks her head still worried

Next--->

#shatter #chara #rp #first arc #coreink002 #friend's stuff

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stholtzmann · 7 years

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I was tagged by @katiebell42

a- age: 39 b - biggest fear: You can probably tease out some of these if you read my fic enough. c - current time: 5:07pm d - drink you last had: water (before that, an Assam cream tea with pudding) e - every day starts with: Big-time grogginess f - favorite song: I don’t have single favorites for most things. Right now I’m listening to clipping.’s very sci fi album, Splendor & Misery. Daveed Diggs <3 it is so good you guys g - ghosts, are they real: I don’t think there’s any evidence for them, and they’d break the laws of physics as we know them, so no. (Don’t kill me, GB fandom...) But I love a good ghost story. h - hometown: That’s...complicated. i - in love with: Holtzmann? This business idea I’m discussing with friends? My spouse? So many things j - jealous of: People who can actually afford to live here, jfc. Also people who don’t have anxiety or executive function disorders. k - killed someone: lol. l - last time you cried: I tear up a lot (I used to have a stone face). I’m not sure the last time I cried in public, but it’s probably when I went to see Hidden Figures. m - middle name: lol. n - number of siblings: Half-sister, but basically an only child. o - one wish: More wishes, because look, I gotta LOT of things on my list. Or just to become Empress of the World so that I can carry out my many agendas. p - person you last called/texted: A friend. (Well, that was vague. A writer friend who needed some company while they’re healing from a medical thing.) q - questions you’re always asked: About whether I did my own hair color, till about a month ago when I went radically shorter. Now? I can’t think of anything in particular. r - reasons to smile: Tumblr silliness, shenanigans in my writing Slack, ridiculous critters s - song last sang: Away Rio. It’s a sea shanty and it’s fucking great for just belting out. I was at an Irish pub, for the record. In case you hadn’t noticed, I am deeply uncool. t - time you woke up: 7:40 AM even though I don’t have work today. u - underwear color: lol. v - vacation destination: Boston/East Coast is next unless I manage to flee up to the Lost Coast during spring break. As for dream vacations, I’m interesting in going pretty much any/everywhere. x - x-rays you’ve had: oh gosh. Teeth, foot (pro tip: don’t break off sewing needles inside your foot), maybe chest? Plus CT scans and an MRI and various ultrasounds. I would not have survived in medieval anywhere, ok y - your favorite food: oh favorites again! Well, tbh, probably carbs as a group. Anything you can buy in a bakery. SIGH z - zodiac sign: Not an astrology fan, but Ophiuchus. Or if I’m not being a smartass, Sagittarius (with some kind of Scorpio something, somebody told me, idk). Or snake.

I was thinking about making one of these for Olds...

I always like reading everyone’s comments on these things, so if you’re reading this, you are (optionally) tagged!

#alphabet meme

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arielsojourner · 7 years

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I spent the last 10 hours a day writing things for work the last three days and I sit down for a little relaxation time and all my brain wants to do is write. more. of. this. AU. Not an actual fic, noooo. Not any of my WIPs that are so oooold. No. My brain wants to write bits and pieces of something that will never. be. ARG!

Part 3 of my mess of Time Travel AU daydreams and imaginings:

-Grievous thought the little Jedi was easy pickings. Short and puny, his lightsaber hardly worthy of seizing as one of his many trophies but then the Jedi moved and Grievous realized this one was going for a precision kill. There was no desire to capture him. There was no buried anger making him sloppy. There were no fancy flourishes with his lightsabers, the Jedi saved his flourishes for his whole body. Suddenly two of his limbs are on the ground, and oh, look, another one, is that a clone with one of his lightsabers? No, wait-----!

-Vader didn't like to admit it but wherever he played at being a Separatist Sith (it made his stomach turn every time, Kix had even tried to prescribe him something for the nausea) he did enjoy hanging out with the simple battle droids. He wanted to hate them. Hate came easy to him after all but even with their restrictive programming and short life spans they had such character and personality. They were funny. He tried to reprogram as many as he could. They may not be organic but he thought they too deserved better than their lot.

-Ventress was enjoying herself. She hadn't known she could enjoy herself. She had been angry and desperate and fighting and fighting for so long that she didn't even recognize the feeling until Luke had smiled at her and asked her if she was having fun yet. She had nearly snapped back a reply, (it had reminded her of Kenobi's needling) until she caught herself and realized he genuinely meant it. He wanted her to be having fun and she looked around and realized that she was. Ventress enjoyed every minute of undermining Sidious and Dooku. She was being freely taught all manner of new Force techniques and wasn't required to grovel or prove herself before some dark master or mindlessly obey some council. She wasn't afraid of being stabbed in the back. Vader would have the decency to face her head on if he wanted to and Luke didn't seem interested in either redeeming her or condemning her. She could just . . . enjoy.

Ventress' New Top Five Favorite Things About Life Included: 1. Making the Trade Federation cry when she destroyed their ships and stole from them. 2. Dooku's face when he realized she had tricked him and Luke and Vader had somehow beat him at his own game. 3. Terrorizing local planets only to say "Just Kidding!" when peace was declared. 4. Gambling on Luke and Vader with the locals whenever they went swoop bike racing, or pod racing or whatever speeder-they-could-get-their-hands-on-racing after they declared peace on a planet. She always made a killing. 5. Tortur--- ahem! helping train the Force sensitive clones.

Three Things Ventress is REALLY looking forward to:

1. Kenobi and Skywalker's face the first time they face Vader. 2. Kenobi and Skywalker's face the first time they meet Vader and Luke. 3. Sidious' face when his plans unravel and Vader and Luke put him down hard.

She has already used her gambling winnings to invest in a high class holocamera. Ventress prides herself on being prepared.

-Padme has met many Jedi but Luke has to be one of the stranger ones because he is just so . . . ordinary. There doesn't seem to be anything very special about him at first glance. He doesn't have that air of power around him that members of the Council do. He doesn't radiate danger or have that battle ready edge that sometimes seems to burn through Anakin. He doesn't command in that stated solemn voice of all knowing Jedi wisdom. Padme would have though him just another young man, untested, untried, someone that seemed so very young to her if it wasn't for that look in his eyes and the words he spoke. He declared peace, and people believed it. He said freedom, and she knew he would make it so. He spoke of the love and caring he had for his companions and his father (a Jedi with a father? If he was here, she never saw him) that she had never heard any Jedi speak openly and publicly about. She could see the love and caring in his eyes. He wore his feelings openly and without guilt. She wondered if someday Anakin would ever be able to speak of her that way, to anyone, without feeling like he was betraying Obi-Wan or the Order just by doing so. Whoever Luke was, he had her support and she strongly suspected Anakin would agree with her. She couldn't wait for the two of them to meet.

-Vader was not stalking. He wasn't! Padme had settled in for the night after she and Luke had had dinner and Vader just wanted to make sure there was no more assassination attempt or kidnapping or explosion to disturb her rest. He would just stay here and enjoy the quiet evening. The fact that he was under her window (which was open! Why wasn't it locked? Anyone could come in! C-3P0 was not useful as protection after all.) was purely coincidence. It was a comfortable spot though and there was room for Luke to sit too when he came out to join him. He hadn’t told Luke about his mother but Luke just knew. In the dark no one could see Luke lean against his father's shoulder. In the dark no one could see Vader leaning back.

-Desperate, Palpatine sends Cade Bane to hunt down this rogue Jedi making peace of all things and take him out. He can’t have Jedi making peace. He is passively aggressively getting everyone to believe the Jedi are behind the war to gain power while using the war to kill them off. Given his past victories against the Order, Palpatine is sure Bane won't fail.

-Bane fails and fails miserably for several reasons. First, Luke being a long time Tatooine native and having been dealing with bounty hunters chasing Han (or sometimes chasing Luke himself due to the enormous bounty Vader put on his head) for the past 2-3 years in the future makes Luke prepared for all of Bane's tricks.

-"Vader put a bounty on your head?" Fives asked incredulously. Before Luke can answer Vader cuts in defensively "I needed to find my son quickly and at the time he had chosen to throw his lot in with unscrupulous rebels and criminals." Luke rolls his eyes. "My friends are not criminals." Even with his mask on it is clear that Vader is giving him a Look. "Leia says that rebelling against an illegal government is not a crime, Father!" “I should ground you for saying such treasonous lies! You sound like a-a Separatist!” “Father, you are pretending to be a Separatist right now!”

-”Do not get in between them when they start talking politics,” Rex advises Ahsoka firmly, as she nervously fingers her lightsaber as the two men argue. “Sometimes I don’t think even they know what side they are on other than each other’s side.”

-Second, Bane fails because Vader no longer cares about waiting to attack your enemy until he shoots first or giving fair warning to an enemy. Bane came for Luke. Bane had nearly killed Ahsoka and Padme before.

-Third, Bane also didn't expect Force sensitive clones, battle trained, unpredictable and protective of their teacher. They may not have been very skilled yet at saber play but the three brothers moved in sync with each other and with speed and vicious strength that would make even accomplished Jedi impressed. (Vader wants Luke to take away Hardcase’s second lighstaber. He’s going to stab the wrong person if he is not careful. He’s going to stab Luke and then Vader cannot be held responsible for what he will do. Luke asks Ahsoka for help.)

-Every time Luke talks to Ahsoka or asks her a question while he is near his father, Vader goes stiff and inches away as unobtrusively as possible. Which is not that unobtrusive. Is he . . . scared of me? Ahsoka wonders.

-Fourth, Bane also didn't expect Ventress. Bane ends up very very dead and Vader and Ventress wastes no time gathering further evidence of Palpatine's betrayal.

-Luke and Vader vacillate about when they can confront Palpatine. They take turns getting all ansy about just flying to Coruscant and killing him, especially after it was clear that he is behind most of the attempts on Padme's life when she is sent out on Senate missions and the chips in the clones heads and the whole kriffing war. But given that everyone still likes the Chancellor and not enough clones are free from the chips in their heads, they decide not to risk it until they are certain they can not only beat him but burn his plans down with him.

-Sometimes Vader argues that they should leave some of Palpatine's plans intact. The Republic is a corrupt bloated beast. The Jedi Order easily fell prey to the Sith and they are in need of reforms. The Empire wasn't all bad. They had some very nice capital ships after all. Luke usually stops what he is doing when Vader starts on those thoughts and grabs his father by the arm and suggest they go flying or racing or, oh look Father, have you seen a ship of this model in this condition before? Why don't we take it apart together and make it go faster?

-Luke is not interested in ruling the galaxy. Luke is pretty sure that if Vader thinks about it, Vader knows that Vader shouldn't be ruling the galaxy. He won't enjoy it at all, Luke is sure about that. Luke has realized that his father is happiest, is at peace, when he can protect the people he loves, when he can take action in the face of the things that threaten the people he love, when he can be open and accepted for being just that. Luke is also pretty sure after meeting his mom that she wouldn't appreciate being given the galaxy to rule by her future Sith husband either. (Vader argues that Padme would be great as Empress. He is sure she could see the wisdom of it and she would be so great at it. Luke breaks out the big guns and suggest the two of them soup up a starfighter with future technology). As much as the Republic has serious problems (Sith infestation being one of them and slavery and corruption and apathy for the needs of sentient etc. etc.) Emperors are not the solution.

Luke wishes Leia was here. She would know what to do.

#sw au #star wars alternate universe #luke skywalker sweet cinnamon roll #luke and vader #father and son save the galaxy #ahsoka tano #ventress

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egyptroyal · 1 year

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"Do you think I don't travel by myself?"

Zezanne asked them, sensing their worry about leaving her all alone. She was worried for them. After all, they had been traveling together for a while, so them wanting to stay on Earth for a bit was- at least from her knowledge - a bit of a tricky readjustment.

#c: empress needle #v: tbd #er: starter #er: open #er: queue su namun

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amytanworld · 7 years

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Exclusive Excerpt: Julie C. Dao’s Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

First drawn to storytelling when she was eight, devouring Nancy Drew, Anne of Green Gables, and Choose Your Own Adventure books, Julie C. Dao will publish her debut novel, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, next month. Blending East Asian mythology with classic fairy tales, this dazzling YA fantasy features a girl grappling with her own darkness, a demanding god, and a callous magic fueled by eating the hearts of men. Dao shares an exclusive excerpt with Goodreads.

There was another room on that upper level, one of which they never spoke. It had once stored valuable tools: vats for cooking dyes, bamboo dowels for drying fabric, and boxes of needles, thread, and scissors. Guma had once made a bitter remark that her parents must be rolling in their graves now that she had turned it into a sanctuary for her unspeakable craft.

Not so very long ago, the Hou family had been tailors of rare and cunning skill with clients from across the continent of Feng Lu. Desert dwellers journeyed endless miles, bearing cobweb-thin silks to be woven into veils against the sun. Hunters brought furs down from the mountains for hoods and cloaks, telling tales of beasts the flatland folk had only heard of through legend.

Fanciful stories spread of how the Hou tailors would stitch in luck and goodwill if one paid well; underpay, and they took revenge by weaving in an impossible-to-satisfy itch, a harelip for one’s firstborn, or a jealous husband. Guma’s parents coyly courted these rumors, which brought in money for feasts and music lessons for their daughters, but took care to dismiss the gossip when asked directly. It would not do to own up to such abilities, not when family members had been executed for less in the past. A streak of magic had plagued the Hou blood for centuries, one that only recent generations had managed to suppress through willpower and discipline.

“Hypocrites,” Guma sneered whenever she spoke of her parents, “denying the very gift that brought them their fame.” Where the rest of her family had sought to curb and smother their magic, Guma embraced it with religious fervor.

Now, Xifeng followed her into the room, each of them carrying a tallow candle. It was so small, they barely fit inside together, but Guma had managed to squeeze in all she needed for her secret trade. Dried plants dangled from the ceiling, polluting the air with a venomous odor, and carvings and oddly shaped rocks covered the walls. On a crooked shelf lay a collection of rusted knives and bowls stained with vile fluids. And in the center of this dark den was a blood-spattered table, beneath which Guma had hidden her most treasured possessions.

She spread the contents of a small oak box on the table as Xifeng watched: nineteen rectangles of fine yellow wood, depicting images in burgundy-black ink. They showed emperors and empresses, crowned dragons, barren rice fields, and a monk raising a skull above his head. Xifeng could not read them herself, but she knew they concealed depths of meaning, each layer of truth peeling back to reveal an even more convoluted answer. And the messages shifted again when combined with other cards.

As she studied the images, her aunt limped around the room, lighting more candles and a large pot of incense. With the door closed, the poison-sweet fumes wrapped curls of thick, heady fragrance around her. Xifeng hated the smell, which made her light-headed and prone to strange dreams while awake, but Guma insisted on the incense for every reading. Whether it was because she enjoyed Xifeng’s discomfort or needed the scent for her art, she never made clear.

The foreign deck of cards had come to Guma many years ago. Since then, she had given up the traditional wooden sticks preferred by most seers, favoring blood truth. She had taught Xifeng that the spirits of magic were reluctant to release answers without a blood sacrifice first.

Guma shuffled the cards and turned them facedown, reaching for a knife. Seizing Xifeng’s left hand, she flipped the palm upward and sliced the base of her index finger. Xifeng did not flinch when the blade bit into her flesh, knowing how Guma detested weakness. The incense seemed to help, blurring the pain as a line of blood spilled randomly across several cards.

Guma turned the bloodied rectangles over with a smile. These were the same six images the spirits selected for Xifeng whenever the cards drank her blood. And drink they did, for the droplets had already begun sinking into their grain.

“I told you,” her aunt gloated, tapping the first card, which showed a withered field. Beside it, the second card depicted a steed with a sword embedded in its heart. “The barren rice field means hopelessness, unless paired with the horse as it is here. When the spirit is gone, the body nourishes the empty earth. You are resourceful. You will find a way around hopelessness, and create something out of nothing.”

More familiar words. More promises of talent, of a greatness Xifeng longed for desperately but could not find inside her, no matter how hard she looked.

She worried her lip between her teeth, bending over the horse card to hide her doubt from Guma. The point at which the blade entered the steed’s body seemed to gleam. She imagined its heart bursting upon impact, the lifeblood spilling from its body, and felt the urge to lower her lips and drink before it was wasted.

Lifeblood, the essence of the heart, contained the most powerful magic in the world. Guma had taught her to revere the heart, for even that of an animal was enough to perform complex spells. Depending on the skill of the wielder, one could summon and communicate with others who knew this forbidden magic, or even cast a glamour over oneself to compel and attract.

Xifeng moved on to the next two cards. One showed a lotus opening beneath the moon, and the other displayed a man with a dagger in his back, shreds of flesh clinging to the blade.

“Fate finds you alluring,” Guma said, tapping the lotus, “but do not be fooled. It is you who are its slave. Let no one stand in your way. If they face you, your beauty will entrap them. If they turn away, you will stab them in the back.”

A scowl creased Guma’s face when she saw the fifth card. On it, a handsome warrior rode into battle with a bloodstained chrysanthemum, a keepsake from his lady. The slope of his shoulders was like Wei’s, and Guma pushed the image away without comment. This card was the reason she didn’t punish Xifeng more severely for seeing Wei, for it foretold that he would play some important role in Xifeng’s life, whether her aunt liked it or not. The bamboo cane stung but did not stop them from meeting in secret, and Guma knew it.

Sacrifice.

The word seemed to echo in the darkness as Xifeng studied the warrior’s bloody flower. That was the meaning of this card, Guma had explained once. A relinquishing of something—or someone—dear, as payment for greatness. Xifeng tore her eyes from it, unwilling to think just now about what or whom she might have to lose.

And there it was again: the sixth card, showing the back of a woman’s head, uncrowned, the dark spill of her hair like a stain.

“The Empress,” Xifeng said.

Guma watched her through narrow eyes as she took in her future. This card reigned above all others; this sliver of wood showed Xifeng’s true destiny. This was the greatness for which she would have to pay.

You can read the rest of the story when Forest of a Thousand Lanterns hits bookshelves on October 10.

posted by Hayley on September, 11

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nicolet2017 · 7 years

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Fundamentals Lectures - Silk

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colors.

Silk is produced by several insects, but generally only the silk of moth caterpillars has been used for textile manufacturing. There has been some research into other types of silk, which differ at the molecular level. Silk is mainly produced by the larvae of insects undergoing complete metamorphosis, but some insects such as webspinners and raspy crickets produce silk throughout their lives. Silk production also occurs in Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants), silverfish, mayflies, thrips, leafhoppers, beetles, lacewings, fleas, flies, and midges. Other types of arthropod produce silk, most notably various arachnids such as spiders.

Several kinds of wild silk, which are produced by caterpillars other than the mulberry silkworm, have been known and used in China, South Asia, and Europe since ancient times. However, the scale of production was always far smaller than for cultivated silks. There are several reasons for this: first, they differ from the domesticated varieties in colour and texture and are therefore less uniform; second, cocoons gathered in the wild have usually had the pupa emerge from them before being discovered so the silk thread that makes up the cocoon has been torn into shorter lengths; and third, many wild cocoons are covered in a mineral layer that prevents attempts to reel from them long strands of silk. Thus, the only way to obtain silk suitable for spinning into textiles in areas where commercial silks are not cultivated was by tedious and labor-intensive carding.

Commercial silks originate from reared silkworm pupae, which are bred to produce a white-colored silk thread with no mineral on the surface. The pupae are killed by either dipping them in boiling water before the adult moths emerge or by piercing them with a needle. These factors all contribute to the ability of the whole cocoon to be unravelled as one continuous thread, permitting a much stronger cloth to be woven from the silk. Wild silks also tend to be more difficult to dye than silk from the cultivated silkworm. A technique known as demineralizing allows the mineral layer around the cocoon of wild silk moths to be removed, leaving only variability in color as a barrier to creating a commercial silk industry based on wild silks in the parts of the world where wild silk moths thrive, such as in Africa and South America.

Genetic modification of domesticated silkworms is used to facilitate the production of more useful types of silk.

Silk fabric was first developed in ancient China. The earliest example of silk fabric is from 3630 BC, and it was used as wrapping for the body of a child from a Yangshao culture site in Qingtaicun at Xingyang, Henan.

Legend gives credit for developing silk to a Chinese empress, Leizu (Hsi-Ling-Shih, Lei-Tzu). Silks were originally reserved for the Emperors of China for their own use and gifts to others, but spread gradually through Chinese culture and trade both geographically and socially, and then to many regions of Asia. Because of its texture and lustre, silk rapidly became a popular luxury fabric in the many areas accessible to Chinese merchants. Silk was in great demand, and became a staple of pre-industrial international trade. In July 2007, archaeologists discovered intricately woven and dyed silk textiles in a tomb in Jiangxi province, dated to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty roughly 2,500 years ago. Although historians have suspected a long history of a formative textile industry in ancient China, this find of silk textiles employing "complicated techniques" of weaving and dyeing provides direct evidence for silks dating before the Mawangdui-discovery and other silks dating to the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD).

Silk is described in a chapter on mulberry planting by Si Shengzhi of the Western Han (206 BC – 9 AD). There is a surviving calendar for silk production in an Eastern Han (25–220 AD) document. The two other known works on silk from the Han period are lost.[10] The first evidence of the long distance silk trade is the finding of silk in the hair of an Egyptian mummy of the 21st dynasty, c.1070 BC. The silk trade reached as far as the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. This trade was so extensive that the major set of trade routes between Europe and Asia came to be known as the Silk Road.

The Emperors of China strove to keep knowledge of sericulture secret to maintain the Chinese monopoly. Nonetheless sericulture reached Korea with technological aid from China around 200 BC, the ancient Kingdom of Khotan by AD 50, and India by AD 140.

In the ancient era, silk from China was the most lucrative and sought-after luxury item traded across the Eurasian continent, and many civilizations, such as the ancient Persians, benefited economically from trade.

Silk is also a natural fibre and it is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm moth. Silk is prized for its fragility and luxury and can be very expensive. Silk is popular among the luxury items due to its unique texture and lustrous appearance. It requires frequent dry cleaning and hand washing is strictly prohibited for silk. It also gets creased and can be damaged if exposed in sunlight. Thus silk must be carefully handled. Silk's absorbency makes it comfortable to wear in warm weather. Its low conductivity keeps warm air close to the skin during cold weather. It is often used for clothing such as shirts, ties, blouses, formal dresses, high fashion clothes, lingerie, pyjamas, robes, dress suits and sun dresses.

#cp35%

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