#nox now lumina

[xbornvillainx]

1. A véspera de Natal da Asabi foi um exagero, como de praxe. Ela estava desconfiada sobre as temperaturas durante o evento do Expresso Polar, então foi preparada: botinhas para neve da Dior (um patrocínio do belíssimo @boogeymcn), um casaco de pele (presente de alguns anos atrás do @devilsadvocvte), uma calça quentinha e esse chapéu que também serve de aquecedor de orelha. Quem a visse, acharia que estava indo, de fato, para o Polo Norte, já que as temperaturas no Maine estão beirando as negativas agora.

2. Na véspera do ano novo, ela estará com um modelo novamente elaborado pela @osdoisladosdecruella. Brilhante, cintilante, como a própria Fada Negra. Louboutins que também possuem pontos de luz e o colar adorável que ela ganhou de @perfectillusicn.

3. Shantal chegou após o Natal. A bebê de três anos foi vestida com um casaco Fendi, um vestido Chanel e botinhas da Chanel Baby. Tinha também uma touquinha e um cachecolzinho, mas ela é uma bebê bastante arisca e que não curte muito ficar toda empacotada. O tio @dantezhng até tentou acompanhar a bolinha, mas desistiu de tentar colocar os acessórios de volta nela quando a Shantal abriu o berreiro e arremessou a touquinha longe.

#nox now lumina #vai ter post sobre a bebê dps do natal!!! mas no ano novo ela já tá com mamai #cshqs:holidaylooks #sim a botinha da mia colucci!!! #a edit de centavos pq to morrendo de sono eh isto

[txwitchery]

Breaking a Spell

From Horace’s Epodes, this is a recitation which begs the curse-caster to relent and take it back. This is to be used if you are truly at your wit’s end or if you have been cursed because you had it coming. 

Perhaps someone has placed some kind of hex or curse upon you and now, you wish to break it. If you find physical evidence of this hex or curse--such as a sigil, a charm bag, or some other physical marker--then great! You can burn that alongside an offering as you say the following petition. If not, simply burn a generous offering to the gods while stating the following:

iam iam efficaci do manus scientiae, supplex et oro regna per Proserpinae, per et Dianae non movenda numina, per atque libros carminum valentium refixa caelo devocare sidera, parce vocibus tandem sacris citumque retro solve, solve turbinem. dedi satis superque poenarum tibi: fugit iuventas et verecundus color reliquit ossa pelle amicta lurida, tuis capillus albus est odoribus. nullum a labore me reclinat otium, urget diem nox et dies noctem neque est levare tenta spritu praecordia. ergo negatum vincor ut credam miser, Sabella pectus increpare carmina caputque Marsa dissilire nenia. quid amplius vis? o mare et terra, ardeo, quantum neque atro delibutus Hercules Nessi cruore nec Sicana fervida virens in Aetna flamma: tu, donec cinis iniutiosis aridus ventis ferar, cales venenis officina Colchicis? quae finis aut quod me manet stipendium? effare: iussas cum fide poenas luam, paratus expiare, seu poposceris centum iuvencos, sive mendaci lyra voles sonare: ‘tu pudica, tu proba perambulabis astra sidus aureum.’ infamis Helenae Castor offensus vice fraterque Castoris victi prece adempta vati reddidere lumina: et tu--potes nam--solve me dementia, o nec in sepulcris pauperum prudens anus novendalis dissipare pulveres; tibi hospitale pectus et purae manus.

(Already I surrender to your potent knowledge, and as a suppliant I implore you, by the kingdom of Proserpina, by the immovable powers of Diana and by those books of spells that can call down the starts that are fixed in the sky, please stop those sacral words, turn back that swift spinner, turn it back! I have paid the penalty to you enough and more than enough: my youth has fled, the healthy flush has left the sallow flesh that clings to my bones, and your unguents have turned by hair white. No respite releases me from my labour, night follows day follows night and it is impossble for me to breathe deeply and ease my strained heart. And so in my misery I am compelled to believe in that which I denied: that Samnite charms rattle my chest and Marsian chants split my skull. What more do you want? Earth and sea I burn! Hercules smeared in the black gore of Nessus did not burn this hotly, nor do the Sicilian flames that flourish in boiling Etna! Will you keep scorching me like a factory of Colchian poisons until I am but dry ash, swept away by the harmful winds? What end awaits me and what price? Tell me: I shall gladly pay what penalty you demand! I am ready to atone, whether you require  one hundred cattle, or if you want my deceitful lyre to sound out, ‘you chaste woman, you upright lady, you will walk through the heavens a golden star yourself.’ Castor incensed at the wrath of infamous Helen and Castor’s brother were both won over by prayer and returned to the bard the sight they had stolen from him. You--for you have the ability--free me from this madness, you who are not some old woman who knows how to scatter the ninth-day ashes at paupers’ graves; yours is a kind heart, and pure hands.)

Scatter the ashes of your curse and your offering outside where you do not often go. Make right what you have done wrong. 

[lumina-chronicles]

The Lumina Chronicles (A Writeblr Intro-Post Thingy)

Okay so, I love character asks/tag games and interracting with the writeblr community, but I realized I only sporadically talk about my work and my characters. I figured it was high time I compile everything in one easily accessible post. 

I’m not entirely sure the best way to go about this so I’ll try my best. Have mercy on me and please feel free to ask any questions you may have! 

This is going to be a stream of conscious BEAST so I appologize in advance for any and all typos, and for all the times I’ll no doubt bounce around and probably forget things. In order to not clutter up dashes and make everyone hate me, everything will be under the cut :) 

_____________

THE STORY

(credit to the amaaaazingly talented mari_gdraws on instagram for this stunning cover. Go commission her, its worth it.)

First thing’s first, this is a Portal Fantasy. If you don’t know what that means, think Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Wizard of Oz, any story where someone from our world gets transported by magical means (usually by accident but not always) to a fantasy world. 

Second, I have been working on different variations of this series for over a decade. I started writing the first itteration of this concept when I was a 13 year old weirdo who thought I was the greatest thing to ever happen to writing. (Hint: I wasn’t. I still am not, but at least I’ve grown enough to recognize that.) I may share snippets of the original 2009 draft sometime, but be warned its steaming hot garbage. Good for a laugh though. tl;dr, I’ve been working on this story for too long, but these characters are my babies and I refuse to quit until I give them the story they deserve. 

ELEVATOR PITCH 

MAGGIE is a college girl who just wants to paint, stuck in a fantasy world with more ties to her life than she realizes. KINDLE is a wayward dragon dealing with PTSD, an obsessive fairy queen, and a stalling rebellion. ELLE, who wants nothing more than to find her missing best friend, is stuck babysitting (not literally) an angel (literally.)

^^^^^This is the really bad summary I have up on wattpad. The story is so much more than this but I’ve never been good at simplifying, hence 100k+ words of novel. 

WHAT THE STORY ACTUALLY IS

Blood vs Bonds. (What really makes a family?) 

A central cast who were children during a massive, life-altering war, now trying to pick up the pieces. 

Found Family goodness out the wahzoo. (There is a mermaid adopting you as we speak. Her name is Faye and she’s your mom now, welcome to the family.) 

A fox and a tree dating. They’re lesbians. I love them.

Not at all thinnly veiled bashing of imperialism, nationalism, and racism.

A few heavy concepts that I feel don’t get enough attention in media (pm me if you’d like to know since I don’t feel comfortable elaborating here, I’ll provide trigger warnings before explaining anything in-depth.)

The greatest bromance of all time, between a tired gen-Z nerd and a literal angel who doesn’t know how electricity works. 

Said literal angel becoming obsessed with pokemon. 

A moody dragon who loves to bake, and his ghost bff judging your every move. 

A dozen angsty conversations masquerading as a fantasy novel.

On the subject of masquerades, one of those happens too. What can I say, I’m weak. 

The slowest of slow burn ships. 

Time travel shenanigans.

Me, pouring all of my love and tears and blood into one singular project for over a decade, unabashedly celebrating every trope I love and telling the story teen me needed. 

_____________

THE WORLD

So this is the map of the “known world” for the planet I refer to as Ragilora. This name is never used in the canon of my stories and it stems from an inside joke, but its a lot easier to say than “*gestures vaguely* The Planet.” 

I am one of those authors who writes several unconnected series all set in the same fictional world, but for now, since I’m only talking about the Lumina Chronicles, we’re focusing on thiiiiiis chunk of the map right here: 

This chunk of land (which 13-year-old-me dubbed “The Shadow Realm,” 18-year-old-me expanded to the “’much more impressive’ Realm Under Twin Shadows,” and 22-year-old-me just refers to as “The SR”) is the only location we pay any attention to in the Lumina Chronicles, which (surprise, surprise) focuses on the conflicts between Lumina and the territories surrounding it. 

Important side note, Ragilora has two moons, hence the “twin shadows” thing. The moons come up a lot over the course of the story, especially since one of the cultures (Nox) believes their queen is a reincarnation of one of those moons. 

MOST IMPORTANT LOCATIONS

LUMINA

The human kingdom ruled by the Lousvar family. Self-important racist a-holes who took over most of the realm during the Orphaner’s War nine years ago. King Jareth Lousvar (the aformentioned Orphaner) hasn’t been seen in years, so who’s really running the nation? Your guess is as good as mine. That’s a lie, of course I know. 

IGNUS

Once the private, gorgeous desert home of the dragons, ruled by the Danthragnir clan. They were the main targets of the Orphaner’s War, and now Ignus sits as mostly unoccupied ruins. The dragons who surived the seige now live in hiding or are enslaved in Lumina. Their religion is my favorite of all the cultures in the story, and I’ll talk to you about it if you want, but I don’t wanna ramble here lol. 

NOX

The queendom of the fairies, not rules by any particular family. The current queen in Lydia D’Norse, Queen Lydianna Chrysanthus D’Norse, Mother of Her People, the Moon Made Flesh. This is the territory of magical moon-worshipping lesbians. Fairies are great, they’re my favorite race in the Lumina Chronicles. 

SPECIES/RACES

Human- Just your standard, magic-free human. Identifiable by their brown eyes. Any skintone/haircolor that can be found in nature. (A rare few have other colors for eyes, but that just means they aren’t fully human and will probably be shamed for this fact.) They hail from Lumina. Average height 5′9″.  Average lifespan 70-80yrs.

Dragon- Generally dark skinned with dark hair, identifiable by their Firestone (a comination of red/orange/gold/black that shifts and flickers like flames) eyes. Basically firebenders who can transform into the giant, winged lizards you think of when you imagine dragons. Almost all dragons have black scales in dragon form, though some have dark red or a sandy brown. From Ignus. Average height 6′6″, Average lifespan 80-90yrs. 

Angel- Generally pale skinned with either black or blonde hair, identifiable by their blue eyes and the fan of feathers behind their ears. Angels are a highly intelligent, long-lived species with massive feathered wings (either irridecent black if they have black hair, or white if they have blonde hair.) All angels have perfect recall and photographic memories, which is helpful for their self-imposed job as the Realm’s unbiased recordkeepers. They soulbond (explained in more detail further down.) From Aeterna. Average height 6′, Average lifespan 180-200yrs. 

Merfolk- All varieties of skintone and hair color, identifiable by the colorful scales around their green eyes (and the eyes themselves if living in a situation where scales ahve been forcibly removed.) While preferring to live out the majority of their lives underwater, merfolk must travel to land to reproduce. While on land, they have legs. As soon as their feet come in contact with water, they go back to having a tail. All merfolk wear skirts on land regardless of gender (could you imagine wearing jeans and accidentally stepping in a puddle and then your legs try to form into a tail with the fabric between them? Ouch.) From Siaboras and the surrounding waters. Average height 5′4″, Average lifespan 70-80yrs. 

Fairy- Generally pale skinned, all fairies have long pointed years, silver hair, and violet eyes. While they no longer posess wings, all fairies have the ability to produce a mind-altering magic known as “venom.” This venom is administered to a target through contact with the fairy’s skin, and can produce results ranging from euphoria and hallucinations to severe pain, memory alteration, and even death. Results depend on the specific fairy and the dosage of venom. A pregnant female fairy can produce a hazy purple cloud of venom outside their body to better protect themselves and their unborn child. Use of fairy venom as a recreational drug is outlawed (doesn’t stop fairy dens from popping up all over Lumina’s slums though.) From Nox.  Average height 4′9″, Average lifespan 45-50yrs. 

Shifter- All varieties of skintone and hair color, some that may not occur in humans. Identifiable by their golden eyes. While dragons mostly occupy their human form and can shift into giant lizards, Shifters are animals who can take human form. Their human form in some way resembles their animal form. Most prefer to be in their animal form and only take human form for the purpose of hunting larger prey or communicating with other species/variants of shifter. Others have chosen to completely integrate themselves into non-Shifter society and spend the majority of their time in human form. From the Wildlands. Average height 5′9″, Average lifespan 70-80yrs. 

Dryad- All dryads have brown/bark-colored skin and leaves for hair. Depending on the type of tree they come from, the length/thickness/color/style of this leaf-hair can vary. When a tree has fed off the magic of the realm for long enough, they develop the ability to take on a human form, and can shift between that and their tree form. They can feel emotion and learn language just as all other species/races, but they tend to be slightly more detached by default. From the Wildlands. Average height (in human form) 6′, Average lifespan uknown. A dryad will live as long as their grove lives. If their human form in destroyed, they can be replanted and will eventually regrow. 

OTHER IMPORTANT INFO

A few notes, mostly on sexuality in the Shadow Realm: 

- Bisexuality is considered to be “the default” just as heterosexuality is treated in our society. There are still people with preferences for one gender or another, but most just assume that if you don’t specify otherwise, you’re bi. 

- All angels are some variation of Ace/Demi/Gray-sexual. They mate for life in a process known as “soulbonding” to the first person they are sexually intimate with, literally joining their lifespans and spirits forever. 

- Soulbonded partners can communicate telepathically and access a shared memory-bank, including access to skills and languages. 

- It is perfectly valid for an angel to choose never to soulbond, and some choose to soulbond with a beloved friend rather than a romantic partner. 

- Dryads have no sex organs and are genderless by default. Some choose to present as feminine/masculine or use pronouns, but that’s a matter of preference and not neccessity. 

- All species can interbreed, but there are no “mixed-breeds.” Meaning if a dragon and a mermaid were to reproduce, the results wouldn’t be a mer-dragon  with the abilites/traits of both parents, the resulting child would be either a full-dragon or full-merfolk depending on the sex of the parents. 

Expanding on the above point, each species is either male or female dominant, with dominant meaning which sex of parent determines the species of their child with interbreeding. Dragons, Shifters, and Humans are male dominant. Angels, Merfolk, and Fairies are female dominant. Examples: 

Male Human + Female Dragon = human child (with red-tinted brown eyes) 

Female Human + Male Dragon = dragon child (with slightly duller firestone eyes)

Female Human + Male Fairy = coin-toss child (because humans are male dominant and fairies are female dominant, this duo would cancel each other out and the child would either be a fairy or a human.) 

_____________

THE CHARACTERS (aka the real reason I made this masterpost) 

all character art by needlessly_cryptic

NARRATORS

The three protagonists of the series. Maggie is our portal-hopper, having travelled from our present day world to the fantasy world of the SR. Kindle is one of the few surviving dragons and has never known any world but the SR. Elle, also from our world, spends the whole book in our world trying to figure out wtf happened to Maggie, while also dealing with Marc (an angel from the SR who came to our world around the same time Maggie vanished.) 

^ Magdalyn, she/her, Human, 20yrs old. Heterosexual. ^

^ Kindle, he/him, Dragon, 22yrs old. Asexual. ^

^ Estelle, she/her, Human, 19yrs old. Bisexual. ^ 

ELLE’S PARTNER IN CRIME 

Formerly of the Abandoned Order, now trapped in our world with no idea what to do or how to get back. He gets his own segment because I can’t really put him anywhere else. (Those are feathers behind his ears.) 

^ Marcellus, he/him, Angel, 20yrs old. Biromantic Asexual. ^

THE ABANDONED ORDER 

A ragtag group of former war-orphans and child-soldiers trying to pick up the pieces after the war’s end, and finding the strength in each other to take back their stolen home lands from the oppressive kingdom of Lumina. Kindle’s family. Maggie’s... well she’s not quite sure. 

ALLIES

^ Faye, she/her, Mermaid, 26yrs old. Bisexual. Soulbonded to Seraphim.^ 

^ Carlyle, he/him or they/them, Ghost (former human), forever 20yrs old. Biromantic Asexual. ^

(A note on Carlyle: they can only be seen/heard by Kindle and later Maggie.) 

^ Pina, She/her, Mermaid, 17yrs old. Lesbian. ^

^ Em, She/her, Dryad, ???yrs old. Lesbian. Married to Inari. ^

^ Rhiannon, She/her, Angel, 24yrs old. Biromantic Demisexual. Soulbonded to Isidor. ^

^ Izzy, He/him (trans), Fairy, 23yrs old. Heterosexual. Soulbonded to Rhiannon.^

ENEMIES(?)

^ Lydia, she/her, Fairy, 18yrs old. Bisexual. “Soulbonded” to Seraphim. ^ 

^Ser, he/him, Angel, 25yrs old. Biromantic Asexual. Soulbonded to Faye Lydia.^

^ Jakoby, he/him, Shifter(snake), 27yrs old. Lydia-sexual. ^ 

^ Nar, she/her, Shifter(fox), 23yrs old. Lesbian. Married to Emrys. ^ 

LUMINA

The children of the victors. Are they all as bad as their parents, or will they become part of the change and strive towards a better future? *shrug* 

^ Cas, he/him, Human, 20yrs old. Bisexual. My son. ^ 

^ Rainette, she/her, Human, 17yrs old. Heterosexual. Betrothed to Favaro. ^ 

^ Juju, he/him, Human, 24 yrs old. Gay. Bodyguard to Prince Cas. ^

^ Tobi, he/him, Human, 18yrs old. Bisexual. Bodyguard and boyfriend to Princess Raini. ^  

^ Ander, he/him, Human, 21yrs old. Gay especially for Julian. ^ 

^ Favaro, he/him, Human, 22yrs old. Asexual and Aromantic. Betrothed to Princess Raini. ^

PRECIOUS CHILD WHO ISN’T INTRODUCED UNTIL BOOK TWO

^ Khatalanya, she/her, Dragon, 16yrs old. Lesbian. In love with VENGEANCE. ^

_______________

IN CONCLUSION

this really was a dumpster fire lol. If you would like to know more about specific characters or races or aspects of my world, feel free to ask! I’m gonna link this to an easily accessible part of my profile somehow. But yeah, mostly just admire my children. I love them all, even the horrible ones. 

#writeblr #intro post #wip: the lumina chronicles #am writing #fantasy #my ocs #art #not my art but my babies

[themartianmixer-blog]

Karen O and Danger Mouse drop new song ‘Woman’

The track is their second single from the upcoming album ‘Lux Prima’ to be for release on March 15.

“‘Woman’ came like a bolt out of the blue when we were in the studio,” said Karen O in a press release.

“We did a first pass where I was blurting unintelligible words and Danger Mouse and I were like ‘Dang! That was intense. What’s that word I keep saying? Woman.’ The atmosphere was volatile with it being just after the election. A lot of people felt helpless like you do when you’re a scared kid looking for assurance that everything is gonna be alright. I like to write songs that anyone can relate to but this one felt especially for the inner child in me that needed the bullies out there to know you don’t fuck with me. I’m a woman now and I’ll protect that inner girl in me from hell and high water.”

Stream ‘Woman’ on Spotify | Apple Music Pre-order ‘Lux Prima’

‘Lux Prima’ Tracklist: 01. Lux Prima 02. Ministry 03. Turn The Light 04. Woman 05. Redeemer 06. Drown 07. Leopard’s Tongue 08. Reveries 09. Nox Lumina

Follow Karen O and Danger Mouse on Instagram

#newmusicfriday

[alexandras-adventures]

Harry Potter Blog Post 13

Hi everyone! Episode 6 of The Pensieve Podcast is out! You can listen to it @ https://anchor.fm/alexandras-adventures! It is all about book 6 of the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. We had a great conversation about the Unbreakable Vow, the Malfoy’s, and Bill Weasley. If you haven’t listened to it, make sure to check it out!

Now for this week’s blog post:

Is “Avada Kedavra” a Real Curse?

The killing curse is the worst of the three unforgivable curses; use of any of these against another human brings a life term in Azkaban. Harry is the only known person to survive the killing curse. The curse derives from a phrase in the ancient Middle Eastern language called Aramaic, “abhadda kedhabra”, meaning “disappear like this word.” It was said that this phrase was used by ancient wizards to make illnesses disappear. The phrase is also one likely origin of the magical word abracadabra.

Which of Voldemort’s Cohorts Comes from India?

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, we are introduced to a large snake that stays by Voldemort's side named Nagini. Something interesting that I learned in this chapter is that Nagini actually has a Royal bloodline and an important role in mythology. Naga is sanskrit for snake and Nagi the word for a female. In Buddhism and Hinduism, nagas are a race of semi-divine snakes with great powers. Female nagas are known as nagini. 

What is the Most Important Language for Wizards?

The answer is Latin.  Many spells, charms and curses are simply Latin words. For example, lumos means light, and nox means darkness. Latin is used in other places in the series. Mad Eye Moody was once an auror. In Latin, aurora is another word for light. It makes sense that an auror is a person who fights darkness. Additionally, Hogwarts’ motto is Latin: “Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus,” which means “Never tickle a sleeping dragon.” 

Below are more examples of spells and what they mean in Latin.

Accio: summoning charm -- in Latin, accio means to call or summon

Deletrius: Makes things disappear -- in Latin, deleo means to erase or destroy

Expecto Patronum: Produces a patronus (guardian) -- in Latin, expecto means to throw out and patronus means guardian

Expelliarmus: Disarms an opponent -- in Latin, expello means to drive out or expel and arma means weapon

Imperio: puts the subject under the wizard’s complete control - one of the unforgivable curses -- in Latin, impero means to order or command

Source: Colbert, David. The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter: A Treasury of Myths, Legends, and Fascinating Facts. Lumina Press, 2001.

#alexandrasadventures #alexandrasadventurespodcast #Harry Potter #harry potter and the half-blood prince #harry potter books #harry potter movies #bill weasley #the unbreakable vow #the malfoys #the pensieve podcast #avada kedavra #imperio #azkaban #voldemort #lord voldemort #india #nagini #latin #lumos #light #dark #nox #auror #Mad-Eye Moody #hogwarts #accio #expecto patronum #expelliarmus #podcast #applepodcasts

[lumonicsgallery]

Abstract art is the emancipation of the mind. It is an explosion into unknown areas. Sometimes I’m working on fifteen or twenty pictures at the same time. I do that because I want to – because I like to change my mind so often. The thing to do is always to keep starting to paint, never finishing painting. (1947) The stuff of thought is the seed of the artist. Dreams form the bristles of the artist's brush. As the eye functions as the brain's sentry, I communicate my innermost perceptions through the art, my worldview. You know how fussy and particular I am in painting. I am ever removing the paint and repainting the spot until I am completely exhausted. - Arshile Gorky (April 15, 1904 – July 21, 1948) born Vosdanik Adoian in Turkish Armenia (now Turkey) #gorky #arshilegorky Lumonics is a performance space, gallery, sculpture studio, and art school based in Denver. It is among the first and longest-running light art studios  in the US, beginning in 1967. _____ Visit our #LumonicsGallery Instagram page, devoted to Lumonics art _____ IRL art and Unique One present: MOTION, an all animated digital art show. This collection of over 24 Colorado based artists and collectives represent an active reimagining of the traditional gallery space. Our inspiration draws heavily from immersive, experiential environments such as ARTECHOUSE, teamLab / チームラボ,and Pixel Forest. We hope to promote a container to ask questions around how to capture artists value beyond the canvas, and step into a space where artists can present their artwork in its native digital form as fine art. We encourage patrons to interact with the art, actively participate in making your next favorite memory, experience art in a new way; and ultimately to collect art and support artists in a new way. Contributing artist Rebecca Ann Gerhard studio name says it all: Make Ideas Move. To find more info about collecting NFTs and digital art, please read Opensea.io NFT bible. Exhibit flyer art credit to contributing artists @eceertrey and Bryce Cakes Exhibit artists: A.L. Grime WAVEFORM.exp @kaios Deep Space Drive-In Nox Lumina - FKA T̶e̷n̷s̷t̸r̶i̷i̶p̸ Scott Young Elaine Alonzo Sofi Rami @aatypic + (at Lumonics School of Light Art/lumonics Light & Sound Gallery) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNsqgg8FURX/?igshid=1l037ukgw8hyi

#gorky #arshilegorky #lumonicsgallery

[evarenity]

Now I don't know if you answered this or been asked this before so while the time I have internet. Who is Cael? Like what is his character like? I was going through the Swords and Magic Blog than I saw him so I got curious.

First of all, no one’s asked about Cael, so you’re good. :3

Cael Tempus is one of Nox’s ancestors and the one who brought together the original Seven Sages. Personality-wise, he isn’t fully developed, but he’s negatively affected by the Holy War that starts when he’s a teenager and he loses a lot of close friends in the first battle. He is also quick to seek revenge, so he’s kinda dangerous. He’s also met Lumina while she was still living with her brother hehehe :>

Hopefully that gives you a good idea on who Cael is. :3c

#He really isn’t fully developed and I’ve kinda forgotten about him for a while oops #Swords and Magic #Cael Tempus #ultra-nova-chan #ask

[joncrawford]

Best of COVID-2019: (Late) 2019 End of Year Wrap-up

Even though we’re well into 2020, most of us would probably swallow a pill that makes us forget the year so far. With a new job, I got too busy to do an end-of-year wrap-up of my picks for the best albums, movies and shows of 2019, so assuming you’ve swallowed your Hindsight Pill™ (get it?, cause hindsight is 20..ok, fair if you stop reading now) here’s my take on the best music, movies and shows of 2019. Maybe you’ll find something to make the rest of quarantine a little better.

ALBUMS

Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten on Spotify

It’s hard to find a better album this year. It’s heartfelt, gentle in places / wild in others, it pushes her sound forward from her more folky records of the past and gives us the opportunity to gaze into this sensitive she-hulk of an artist’s soul.

Favorite Track: Jupiter 4 - Jupiter 4, a song by Sharon Van Etten on Spotify

Lux Prima by Karen O on Spotify

This concept album by Karen O (“Yeah Yeah Yeahs”) and Danger Mouse (“Broken Bells”, “Gnarls Barkley”) can best be described as a record composed by badass feminine superhero from the future who has a nostalgic fascination with soundtracks from 70s European love story films. It’s phenomenal. The chord progressions are unusual and interesting. The vibe is consistent throughout. It’s a great record to listen to intentionally or a perfect soundtrack to a day outside with friends.

Favorite Track: Nox Lumina - Nox Lumina, a song by Karen O, Danger Mouse on Spotify

Lana Del Rey - “Norman F*ing Rockwell“ (censored for my mom)

I get it. You stopped following Lana after “Summertime Sadness”. She’s not your jam. She’s vapid. There’s something about her appearance that you don’t like (Didn’t she get her lips done?). She doesn’t make serious music. Here’s the thing though: You’re f*cking wrong (censored for mom). LDR is one of the most prolific songwriters and performers we’ve got. This artist has evolved with each album and the songwriting keeps improving. This is her best album to date. The lyrics take on deeper themes than her prior records and any ego on previous submissions seems to have been replaced by a general comfort in herself and the discomfort of her experiences and relationships (fictional or not). This is also her release with the lightest touch. She’s not pushing the LDR persona anymore, she’s being herself — take it or leave it. It’s her, your little Venice B!tch (censored for mom). Hi, mom!

Favorite song: Venice Bitch, a song by Lana Del Rey on Spotify

Phoenix by Pedro The Lion on Spotify

This is my favorite artist’s first studio album in 15 years. (!!!) It’s not technically fair to say that because he released several color records in the interim. As a largely one-man show, the DNA was very much the same. But this is a true return to form for the the man known as David Bazan that I’ve been following carefully for 20 years and have seen live too many times to count.

This is a concept album (most of them are) about his experience growing up in Phoenix, AZ. But it’s more about growing up than about Arizona. I got goosebumps and watery eyes the first time I listened carefully to the lyrics of “Yellow Bike” which tells about the experience of getting your first bicycle as a little boy around 1990. For me, this was the apex of my childhood. Absolute freedom and the ability to easily join any pack of desperado bike kids.

The album hits hard with the catchy hooks, introspective lyrics, challenging topics and excellent production & instrumental performances only using standard rock staples like guitar, bass and drums (with a couple quick appearances of an organy synth).

Lyrics, melody & a great beat. This is a fantastic rock album.

Favorite song: Yellow Bike, a song by Pedro The Lion on Spotify

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish on Spotify

Much has been written about this wunderkind. You know her. It’s a great album. She has a promising career ahead of her.

Favorite song: when the party’s over, a song by Billie Eilish on Spotify

SOUND & FURY by Sturgill Simpson on Spotify

This album slays. It’s a badass rock album. If you don’t know Sturgill Simpson, he’s technically a country act… BUT! He’s entirely rejected the conventions of modern country with its shallow lyrical content, right-wing dog whistling and computer-assisted faux harmonies. He sings about psychedelics, his problems with religion and also covers 80s synth-pop in country ballad fashion. Well, forget all that for this record. It’s a banger. This record sounds like Waylon Jennings was cloned 100 years in the future and brought back just to record a ZZ Top album. Major leap for this artist. One of the best of the year.

Favorite song: Make Art Not Friends, a song by Sturgill Simpson on Spotify

ANIMA by Thom Yorke on Spotify

We’ve had a complicated relationship with Thom Yorke’s solo work. As the lead singer of Radiohead, we’ve had to give deference to literally anything with his name on it. But his prior solo works have waded into the avant-garde and we’re entirely listenable in a casual way throughout. This has changed. This record is a masterwork. In fact, it demanded a beautiful short film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (“The Master”, “There Will Be Blood”) released on Netflix earlier in the year featuring no dialogue and Thom and his wife is choreographed love affair starting during a mundane commute. My favorite track is the most peaceful and introspective on the album.

Favorite song: Dawn Chorus, a song by Thom Yorke on Spotify

Fear Inoculum by TOOL on Spotify

It’s TOOL’s first album in 13 years. WHAT. It’s fantastic. Worth the wait? Hell no because that’s too long to wait for almost anything. There are people with Snapchat accounts that weren’t alive when “10,000 Days” came out (2006). 728,000,000 people (presumably, all TOOL fans) died since their last album. I can’t, in good conscience, condone the deprivation of 3/4 of a billion people like that. But it’s SO good. This is metal for people that don’t like metal (I don’t really like metal).

Favorite song: Pneuma, a song by TOOL on Spotify

Screamer by Third Eye Blind on Spotify

I may be literally this bands only fan still paying attention, but I don’t care. They’re still writing fantastic tracks. This was one of my heavy-hitter bands in high school. I learned every song from their first two albums on the guitar. Then I stopped paying attention for like 13 years. In 2016, I ran across a new single by the band and went in with a lot of trepidation. Most bands from your high school years should probably leave it there. There's nothing worse than a band desperately trying to stay relevant with weak ass releases well beyond their shelf life (cough Goo Goo Dolls –– They've put out 4 albums in the last 10 years. 🤦‍♂️) But then I heard Third Eye Blind's pro-Black Lives Matter track “Cop vs. Phone Girl, a song by Third Eye Blind on Spotify” released in 2016. Go back and listen to that one. It's not only catchy as hell, but it's got a gut punch of a message about how shitty is it to be a well-meaning black student in a white-dominated power structure that's supposed to be a safe place like school.

Well 2019’s “Screamer” doesn’t disappoint either. It’s all the same energy and hooks of the band’s early sound with an updated feel and sensibility that still feels like a relevant rock album. All the same things you came to Third Eye for in the past is right here waiting for you on “Screamer”. I know I’m gonna get some flack for this one, but…shut up.

Favorite song: Ways, a song by Third Eye Blind on Spotify Bonus points if you catch the “Outside Lands” ref.

i,i by Bon Iver on Spotify

Short review for people who know how to pronounce the name correctly: It’s a Bon Iver record. Listen to it.

Longer review: It’s pronounced “Bone ee-VAIR” based on the French bon hiver, meaning “good winter”. If this is news to you, here’s a nugget from an interview where the main figure in the band explains it:

When I was living up north I wrote a letter. I’d come across a story about this Alaskan town that the people, the first snow of every year, they come out of their houses and gather in town square. They hug and kiss each other and they say “Bon Iver.” I was like, “whatever that is, that’s cool!” … Then I found out how it’s spelled and it was sort of disappointing. I didn’t like how it looked. It didn’t have any emotion. Looking at it didn’t make any sense. I wanted to look at it and feel something. It was sort of a compromise. I sorta wanted it to be like “Bon Iverre,” sort of like how I saw it, but that didn’t look good either, so I just decided to chop off the “h.” Bon Iver | Pitchfork

OK, now that you’re caught up. I guess you haven’t been paying attention, but Justin Vernon or Bon Iver (DBA) is one of the luminaries of the music industry. This grammy-winning dude-band has collaborated with Kanye, Jay-Z, James Blake, Travis $cott, Poliça, Ani DiFranco, Vince Staples, Eminem, Bruce Hornsby and more. But if you need me to explain any of this to you, do yourself a favor and go back and listen to his other 3 studio albums. Every one of them is treasure.

Favorite Song: Hey, Ma, a song by Bon Iver on Spotify This song makes the top 5 of all the tracks he’s released.

MUSIC - Honorable Mentions

Amyl and The Sniffers by Amyl and The Sniffers on Spotify

Two Hands by Big Thief on Spotify

I vs I by Alex Ebert on Spotify

Face Stabber by Thee Oh Sees on Spotify

Infest The Rats’ Nest by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard on Spotify

MOVIES

Hail Satan? (Hulu)

JustWatch

Hilarious look at a group trying to make Free Speech really free.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Duh. Also I got low-key obsessed with cults after I watched this.

MONOS

Incredible Spanish language drama about child soldiers in South America. Great acting by unknowns.

Green Book -Duh

Duh. Won an Best Picture.

Parasite

Duh. Won Best Picture.

Joker

Duh. Won life.

Greener Grass

JustWatch

The weirdest movie I saw all year. Bizarre and hilarious. Written by the two actresses who star.

Apollo 11

INCREDIBLE documentary about the first moon landing mission featuring a ton of footage I’d never seen and assembled into such a magnificent narrative. You feel like it’s happening in real-time today. The last time mankind was united around one hope.

SHOWS

The OA - Season 2 (Netflix)

This was one of the most beautiful creations I’ve seen. Epic followup to the first season which seemed like an impossible act to follow. Netflix canned the show, but there’s still hope it will get a resurrection through another venue.

Watchmen (HBO)

This is a sequel to the critically acclaimed graphic novel from the late 80s. You should read the novel first. As stated two sentences ago, this is a sequel set 34 years after the events of the novel.

The Boys (Amazon)

This is the first realistic superhero story. Why have we always assumed that those with superior or supernatural powers would be intrinsically good and seek to served mankind? Regular humans don’t even act like that toward each other. In this world the soops are like paid athletes and are secretly total pricks. Well made and begging for a second season.

Chernobyl (HBO)

Haven’t seen this? What is wrong with you? It’s in the top 5 highest rated shows of all time on IMDB. One thing I’ll note is that it did a good job separating the characterization of the soviet people from the soviet government. The everyday soviet people in the story came out looking like heroes while the government lived up to its reputation. It made me a lot more curious about soviet history which has led me to other movies, books and Wikipedia rabbit holes. Watch this for the historical value, at a minimum. It’s not as gory as you might be afraid it is.

Love Death + Robots (Netflix)

I love sci-fi and I love weird animation so this just brought it home for me. The episodes are often short and sort of feel like Twilight Zone episodes, each with their own mini narrative or moral lesson. Each episode is made by a different creator or team, so the variety is part of the curb appeal. Great binge material.

#lateMusicReviews musicReviews

[celestial-reflection-ask-blog]

How old is everyone?

Lilith: Ohhh boy, we’re going to be here for a while… I can tell this will require some fourth-wall breaking.

To start things off, our world’s timeline doesn’t line up with yours. In our world, it’s 2021, whereas you’re about two years behind us. That being said, you’ll likely be confused when I list off the years when everyone was born and see that everyone’s age doesn’t match up with what it should be in 2019. Oh, and we’re in the middle of May now.

Alrighty…

First off, Luteus is the oldest out of all of us. He was born in April 2000, so he’s 21. Now, some of us graduated from high school in 2020, and Luteus was among the 2020 graduates. Why? He was held back twice in high school because he chose to slack off and skip classes, haha.

Nox, Wolfie, Namida, Faye, Lumina, and Divina were all born in 2002. Nox and Divina were both born in January, but Nox is twenty days older, so Nox is the oldest, Divina being the second. As of now, they’re both 19. So is Lumina, whose birthday is in February. Faye, Wolfie, and Namida have their birthdays after May, their birth months being August, September, and November respectively. They’re 18 right now.

Sidus, Sora, and Ciela were all born in 2003. Sidus’s birthday is in April (like Luteus’s), so he’s 18 now. Ciela doesn’t have her birthday until very late June, and Sora’s isn’t until late November, so they’re both 17.

Teres and Neonia are kind of weird cases. Teres is an android and wasn’t born under “normal” circumstances. He says he’s been active for about 10 years, but he has the appearance and mindset of a very young adult, so it’s probably safe to say he’d be about 18. As for Neonia? Her birthday’s in September, but she apparently doesn’t remember when her birth year was…? Considering that she graduated from high school in 2020, she’s probably around 18, provided that she hasn’t been held back a year or two…

Grey and I are the youngest. Grey was born in March 2007, so he’s 14, and I was born in May 2008, and I’ll be turning 13 on the 24th! :3c

Phew, that was quite a mouthful! Hopefully that all makes sense, and now you know that we’re a bunch of rowdy teenagers who are skipping school to save the world! ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ

#((Phew! That was a long ask...)) #Lilith Tenebris #ask #anonymous #text post

[xbornvillainx]

ATUALIZAÇÃO NO INSTAGRAM @azurasabi. Legenda do vídeo:

Bom dia, pessoal! Arranjei um cantinho com um pouco de sol nesse inverno para gravar esse vídeo rapidinho e dizer a todos vocês que estou bem. Andei meio sumida das redes sociais porque, como alguns sabem, estive no hospital. Foi uma situação meio complicada da qual não quero falar no momento, mas tive todo o suporte necessário. Agora estou empolgada para o Natal e pretendo retomar normalmente minha agenda no ano que vem! Estou com muitos projetos rolando e estou ansiosa para compartilhá-los com todos vocês... No mais, espero que estejam aproveitando as festividades e dando suporte à Inside Out com a minha parceria. Vou precisar desse apoio, porque... Eu não queria dizer nada ainda, mas a família Azura vai aumentar em breve! Será que vou dar conta do desafio?

Enfim... Logo tem resenha nova no blog e a última edição do ano no site da Glamour. Vamos falar um pouco sobre os visuais Grinch do povo nessa época do ano? A gente se vê por lá!

♥️ 200 mil pessoas curtiram isso.

#extras #nox now lumina #eu vi essa carinha de quem acabou de acordar e queria muuuuito usar hehehe #instagram

[lumina-chronicles]

Ask an ye shall receive! Id like to know Seraphim and Faye and Lydia because why not?

Convenient you chose those three, because they are heeeeeeaavily involved with each other. I’m filling this out for all three of them at once, in order.

BASICS

Full Name: 

Ser: Seraphim Villiers-Talsin 

Faye: Faye Talsin-Villiers 

Lydia: Queen Lydianna Chrysanthus D’Norse

Age: 

S: 25 

F: 27 

L: 18 (but fairies mature like, 2x faster than other species so Lydia is basically the oldest of the group) 

Gender: 

S: Male 

F: Female 

L: Female

Sexuality: 

S: Biromantic Asexual 

F: Bisexual 

L: Heterosexual

Species: 

S: Angel 

F: Mermaid 

L: Fairy 

OTHERS

Family:

S: Marcellus (younger brother), Faye (soul-partner/wife), Lydia (”wife” due to fairy mind-magic)

F: Lyra (twin sister, deceased), Seraphim (soul-partner/husband) 

L: Rein (older brother, deceased), Erebus (older brother, deceased), Seraphim (”husband”), Nyx (infant son) 

Birthplace: 

S: Samsara, a village in the northern nation of Aeterna. 

F: somewhere in the Keldan Sea. 

L: Sheede, the capital of Nox, the fairy kingdom. 

Job: 

S: Currently, husband/pet to Queen Lydia. Formerly, rebellion leader. 

F: Currently, Seamstress/Servant to Queen Lydia. Formerly, battlefield medic.

L: Queen of Nox.

Phobias:

S: He isn’t really in much of a mental state to have fears right now. (He used to be afraid of losing Faye but, well, he doesn’t remember her existence at the moment soooo…) 

F: Heights, her loved ones suffering, the situation she’s currently in. 

L: Being alone.

Guilty Pleasures: 

S: See above. (It used to be baking) 

F: Painting. 

L: Reading romance novels.

MORALS

Alignment: 

S: Lawful Neutral

F: Chaotic Good

L: Lawful Evil (she also kinda is the law) 

Sins:

S: Pride, Sloth

F: Envy

L: All of them, but especially Lust and Greed. 

Virtues:

S: Patience, Justice 

F: Charity, Diligence, Humility, Kindness, Patience, Justice (she’s just A Good Girl) 

L: Diligence

THIS OR THAT

introvert/extrovert:

S: Introvert

F: Extrovert

L: Extrovert

organized/disorganized:

S: Organized

F: Disorganized

L: Organized

close minded/open-minded:

S: Open-Minded

F: Open-Minded

L: Close-Minded

calm/anxious:

S: Calm

F: Anxious

L: Anxious

disagreeable/agreeable:

S: Disagreeable

F: Agreeable

L: Disagreeable

cautious/reckless:

S: Cautious

F: Reckless

L: Cautious

patient/impatient:

S: Patient

F: Patient

L: Impatient

outspoken/reserved:

S: Reserved

F: Outspoken

L: Outspoken

leader/follower:

S: Leader

F: Follower

L: Leader

empathetic/unemphatic:

S: Unempathetic thanks to his cultural upbringing, but he’s trying (being a mind-slave has sorta put that on hold) 

F: Empathetic

L: Unempathetic

optimistic/pessimistic:

S: Optimistic

F: Optimistic

L: Pessimistic 

traditional/modern:

S: Traditional

F: Modern

L: Modern

hard-working/lazy:

S: Hard-Working (but not at the moment) 

F: Hard-working

L: Hard-working

RELATIONSHIPS

OTP:

S: Serafaye, Serafaye. Seraphim and Faye are my favorite couple in the entire series and they aren’t even the main couple. 

F: ^^^^^ 

L: None. Lydia doesn’t deserve love. 

OT3:

S: I don’t have any canonical polyamorous couples, but I would ship Serafaye with their mutual friend Carlyle 

F: other than the ot3 listed above, I wouldn’t be opposed to a ship of Faye with Maggie and Kindle. 

L: Lydia, Karma, and Suffering. 

BROTP:

S: Seraphim and his brother Marc are actually a really fun dynamic to write. 

F: Faye and Kindle are bffs for life. 

L: none. 

NOTP:

S: Seraphim and Lydia

F: Faye and Jakoby 

L: Lydia and Seraphim, Lydia and Kindle, Lydia and anyone she looks at. 

________

All of these characters come from my fantasy series The Lumina Chronicles

#the lumina chronicles #my wip #Faye #Lydia #Seraphim #Serafaye