I love AOS Star Trek and therefore I hate AOS Star Trek. The destruction of a whole ass planet as a plot device is my least favorite trope. Thank you for giving us good dad Sarek and some respect for Spock's Vulcan identity, now can we see more of that please? The loss of Vulcan wasn't enough rage fuel for Spock, we had to fridge Amanda too? Why didn't all the surviving Vulcans immediately collapse from the psychic damage? Feeling a few hundred Vulcans die from far away was enough to have Spock in pain in TOS, how are they even functional? Benedict wasn't a bad villain but why oh why is he Khan. The tie-in comics make it worse don't @ me. Can we see the CATASTROPHIC repercussions the destruction of Vulcan obviously has had on the Federation? They were founding members! You're telling me it didn't spark a gigantic war against Romulus? Can we stop equating Starfleet with the Federation? Why is Admiral Marcus trying to have a war against the Klingons like they're the threat when by all accounts EVERYBODY should still be crapping their pants about the Romulans? What is Spock Prime doing about that, considering he's the one who was building bridges with them in his own reality? Why is it implied that there's only those 10 000 Vulcan survivors left around when by all account there should be millions of them (everybody who was off planet at the time + the Vulcans who didn't live on the planet). Could we see New Vulcan? Spock Prime's vow of not altering things is the biggest plot contrivance bs ever - he already gave them transwarp beaming and the timeline was already irreparably fricked up before he showed up. Why not warn them about say, Sybok, the Borg, all the weird galactic threats, or needing to go get some whales from the past? That might come up! Khan's blood can RESURRECT PEOPLE. Spock/Uhura is objectively delightful, now can we stop with the snogging and have some proper Vulcan finger kisses? Hey, how about we see like one Andorian and one Tellarite instead of random alien designs thrown into a blender and splaterred on background characters? Why do Klingons and Qo'noS look like That. There are approximately 194 different methods of time travel in Star Trek with wildly inconsistent consequences - sometimes it creates a new timeline, and sometimes it's a loop and sometimes it rewrites your own reality. Are you telling me trying ANY ONE OF THEM to save Vulcan wasn't an option? The slingshot one lets you rewind your own timeline without branching out! DO THAT! ANYTHING! OVER SIX BILLION PEOPLE DIED!

Anyway it's so sweet that Spock gave Nyota his mom's necklace and also can you believe how cool his fight with Khan is? Spock Prime is awesome, I love him so much. Still can't believe a third of Beyond was a whump fanfic/buddy comedy with Spock and McCoy!

WIP Big Bang 2023 Round Starting April 1st!

What is the WIP Big Bang? Good question! This is a Big Bang with one goal in mind: to clean out your fanfic drafts folder. These are stories that were unfinished for whatever reason, that authors returned to and completed, and the art that goes with them!

Please read our FAQ/check out our schedule for more details.

question that came up bc of the fic talk: where do your other char's perceptions of nyra differ drastically / what biases and preconceptions affect their view of her and her actions? what do you always keep in mind when writing her from a different pov, so that despite their different opinions, her 'nyra-ness' still shines through easily?

(i know this is a lot for all of your ocs so feel free to cherry pick, i just love the way you make different narrations work and unique character voices are one of your big strengths in writing imo <3 and nyra's just such an interesting character for different view points bc she has such a big commanding divisive personality!)

(also bonus: same questions for cass if you want?)

BRO THIS MADE ME SMILE SO FUCKING WIDE THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU LIKE SEROTONIN GO BRRRR

Like you made my evening ;;;;;

But to actually answer the question! As is to be expected, not everyone likes her. I take extra care to not go 'oh charismatic lady whomst is universally adored' because I find that approach to be limiting in a lot of ways. I like to read/write character driven stories, so it's actually good if not everyone likes each other. Please don't all like each other.

So here's a little choice that I will exclude Siona, Ren, Sanne and Liv from - Siona because she genuinely doesn't have a concrete opinion of Nyra beyond the fact she's a good commander and ally to the sylvari as Trahearne's girlfriend, Ren because we see it in fic and because she rejects preconceived notions as much as she can, Sanne and Liv because I need to refine those (aka write more about her from their pov.)

El - He obviously dislikes her. They're the two sides of the same coin in a lot of ways, they're too similar to get along, and they're equals in a lot of regards as well. But things really went to shit when she killed Trahearne, which he can't forgive her for, and he faulted her for his grief for a long, long time (he did try to kill her in Maguuma. He would've tried to kill her if she came to see him when he was trying to resurrect him.) And in true El fashion, if he hates you, nothing you do can ever really be good - or if you do one (1) thing right, he won't ever tell you. They're on marginally better terms now, not really at each other's throats, but not really friends either. They can work together at least and there's a lot of spark that can easily turn into a housefire between them still but they're getting better at it.

Mirka - She met Nyra back when she was an adventurer and the two had a brief fwb situation. She saw the instinct to chase her legend, to put it in norn terms, in Nyra from the get-go and envied her for it; it was what Mirka herself forced herself to like because all norn do it, until she had Kov and settled in her homestead. I really think she was kinda jealous of Nyra for that, but she didn't have it in her to actually dislike her for it. No, she fell for the charisma, but wasn't as easily swayed because she too is a strong presence, only less explosive and more stable. It was this understanding that makes her have a hella lot of respect for Nyra; she's successful at something Mirka herself tried to do and failed and she doesn't have an ego to be butthurt over it. She's gotta respect that.

But what I always keep in mind when writing about her from another beeb's pov - Nyra will always, always take center stage. You can't miss her; she will try, by virtue of being herself, to dominate the scene. Some kids match/fight her on it - Ceasefire comes to mind for it, as we're talking Nyra and El there; some go take it in stride - this Mirka and Nyra fic comes to mind (which is funny bc this is not a fic centered on her, she just opened her mouth and took up the first portion of the thing.) That's her ego working, for better or for worse.

And she absolutely is a divisive figure. She's the type of person you are most likely to have strong opinions on. Ruby and I recently theorised she has Leo somewhere in her chart.

But also. Nyra, Cass and El make up my 'big personality' triumvirate so here is....

Cassposting on main

I'll be more vague here than I was with Nyra as my extended verse is still a WIP. But I have written a few fics where he is perceived. Firstly, my joke that he's every rare gene in one man absolutely stays. He's someone you can't really miss in a crowd. But what surprised me was how a lot of the time, he doesn't strike you visually first; he's loud, and you first hear him then you see him, if that makes sense?

He spent a lot of his childhood and teen years hiding so now he takes up space, a lot of it, even if his self-esteem doesn't let him see it for what it is a lot of the time. There's a certain discord between how he perceives himself and how he's seen by other people. He has deep insecurities, sure, but I wouldn't say he's faking confidence to cover them up either? His cover is sarcasm, refusing to take things seriously and verbal aggression/conflict, not confidence, which is genuine.

(You could say he's his mother's son there in a way as well.)

As to preconceptions, it's a bit of a complicated issue given the reputation Wayfarers have, and he's a proud Wayfarer. He's also generally a bastard, so that gives people an idea of him that negates his gentler, kinder side. Because he is capable of great kindness and loves deeply, he loves taking care of people, he's very protective over them, very affectionate and considerate, and a lot of people don't get to see this bc he has a hard time trusting people and because he behaves like an absolute asshole 80% of the time.

I have spoken a bit about the Red Wayfarer persona before, but this is exactly what this is. A persona, part of him but not the entirety of him, something he constructed to as a defense mechanism, even if it can be harmful to himself.

He's genuinely funny and entertaining, though, so that one stays.

As to what I keep in mind when writing him from others' pov, one thing I always keep in mind is that 1) he will talk, and 2) that he will say random shit. I mean talk a lot. He likes the sound of his voice too much. And the randomness of what he says is just you not expecting him to say it in this particular moment.

It's things like this:

“Turns out he also hates Wayfarers on principle so he got cursed water from a Wayfarer’s gods-damned hair fall down from the sky right on his small fucking head. Woooosh. He’s angry about it, of course, but he can choke on a crab for all I care. I’m having fun.”

I swear that line took me out when I was writing it. Writing him is a lot of fun actually. He also tends to speak in hyperbole a lot, so that's part of the fun.

Devil May Cry new office goods are here!

https://twitter.com/lovely_coron/status/1563012588060872704?s=21&t=vrVRo7IGK7OYvzFltv2BDQ

Father's love

One of my favourite things in The Trials of Apollo are the parallels between Apollo and other characters, the prime example being Meg's relation with Nero and Apollo's relation with Zeus. The fact that seeing how cruel and manipulative Nero is towards Meg helps Apollo finally admit to himself that Zeus is abusive father and a tyran is just so special to me.

I love them, I love those books and I hope that with The Sun and The Star on it's way, more people will read toa cause it's a very good series and I hate how underrated it is.

Rome’s 'Lost' Imperial Palace 'Domus Tiberiana' Reopens

Until recently a crumbling and off-limits ruin near the famous Colosseum, the Domus Tiberiana palace — built in the first century AD and beloved by Nero — hopes to once again take its place as one of the city’s top tourist attractions.

The ancient palace sits on Palatine Hill — the city’s oldest hill, overhanging Rome —from where imperial dynasties ruled for centuries. But over the years, the site fell into disrepair and in the 1970s, the Domus Tiberiana site was shut due to the structural instability of some of the ruins. The closure left behind what many Romans described as a “black hole” in the capital’s archaeological heart.

Now, after a six-year makeover, the palace has reopened its doors as a “diffuse museum,” with findings and frescoes scattered across the site to provide visitors with an insight into the palace’s ancient grandeur.

And it was grand. The Domus Tiberiana was Rome’s first imperial palace, built by the emperor Tiberius who combined and incorporated the pre-existing noble mansions built on the hill. Occupying over four hectares, the palace featured residences alongside large gardens, places of worship and rooms for the emperor’s Praetorian guard.

As the seat of Rome’s power and politics, Domus Tiberiana held a prime location, high above the Palatine and Roman Forums, offering its occupants a “balcony view of the city.” Over time, the Domus was embellished and enlarged by other emperors including Nero, who was crowned on its steps aged just 16, in 54 AD.

Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum’s archaeological park (in which Domus Tiberiana falls) and lead archaeologist on the renovation, said that ancient antiquities, many exceptionally well-preserved, were unearthed during the project.

The artifacts — bright stuccos, frescoes, amphorae, potteries, looms, terracotta, and divinity statues related to the cults of Isis, Dionysius and Mithras — offer visitors a trip through time, said Russo.

“They make this place — formerly (inhabited) by aristocratic families, then Roman emperors — feel alive again,” she said. “There are seven exhibition rooms full of extraordinary finds, starting with those preceding the original construction of the palace when aristocrats lived in mansions before Tiberius subsumed them into the Domus.”

Among the newly-exposed and frescoes are some of the earliest paintings of lemons (considered an exotic fruit in Ancient Rome, as they hailed from the Far East) and a depiction of a gladiator, proving that the era’s gladiatoral games were appreciated by rich families, explained Russo.

The imperial palace remained in use until the 7th century, when it became the papal residence of John VII. In the mid-16th century, the aristocratic Farnese family — who were powerful local landowners — built the lavish Orti Farnesiani gardens on the site, adorning it with ornaments and sculptures of nymphs, satyrs and fauns.

“This monument speaks of history,” Russo added. “We have restored (Domus Tiberiana) to its past splendor, but more work lies ahead.”

Indeed, painstaking efforts have been made to blend old and new. A series of majestic, reddish-brown vaulted arches that greet visitors having been carefully reconstructed with the same materials as ancient Romans used in the past.

“What makes this revamped Domus unique is the architectural style,” said Russo. “We managed to use original materials to reinforce and strengthen the handmade 15-meter (50ft) tall front arches (which run alongside the palace’s) ancient paving.”

It has certainly caught the public’s attention. Since reopening at the end of September, Domus Tiberiana has attracted some 400,000 visitors, a “huge success,” said Russo, adding that she believes that this incarnation of the Domus Tiberiana offers visitors the most “evocative” visit in generations.

Archaeologist and scholar of ancient Rome Giorgio Franchetti saidN that, in the reopening of the Domus Tiberiana complex, Rome has “recovered a lost jewel.”

“The Palatine Hill has always been the stage of Rome’s power politics,” he said in an interview. “Tiberius likely chose this spot to build the palace as it was where his family residence stood. There aren’t many places like the Domus Tiberiana where you can really breathe the past.”

By Silvia Marchetti.

To me, Dante's level of attractiveness is tied to how much of an uncle he is. In Dmc 1, he may not know he's an uncle, but the universe definitely does and he's got all of the cringe/cool uncle jokes. He's hot, but he's not quite there yet. 5/10

Dmc 2 has 0 attractive Dante vibes. There are no jokes, no intentional cheese, and he's too quiet and stone cold. If I didn't already know he was an uncle, dmc 2 gives no indication that he is, unlike dmc 1. The only thing he's got going is his look. 1/10

Dmc 3 is interesting in that he's too young for his jokes to feel like uncle jokes, but he's definitely what I imagine your uncle was like as a young adult. 7/10

Dmc 4 is where he's at true attractive status because not only does he know he's an uncle, he leans into it right away. As soon as he saw Nero bite his gun he knew he had a new family member. He mocks Nero's sword by fake revving the Rebellion. 10/10

Dmc 5 Dante has surpassed the chart and has reached divine uncle status. He's at prime uncle age of over 40. His ex provocation taunt is just a drunk uncle at his nephew's wedding. And now Nero knows everything so it's very likely when he returns he will truly take advantage of tormenting Nero the way only an uncle can. He's very attractive. 10000/10

Nighttime

Heavy footsteps slowly made their way up the stairs, the clanking sounds echoing through the silent hall as they drew nearer on the steel grated walkway.

The owner of those boots didn’t care it was nearing midnight, nor did he seem in a hurry. He took slow deliberate steps, knowing he had an audience who were all listening with bated breath. He knew most would still be awake, at least those with a guilty conscience, waiting, waiting for the inevitable, and praying for the footsteps to pass by their cell.

Lucas too lay wide awake, facing the cell door, seeing the drawn out shadow draw nearer through the bars.

He racked his brain, trying to remember if anyone else had drawn Nero’s attention today, had done anything to deserve a nighttime visit. When he couldn’t think of any – the day like all others had passed in a hazy blur – he tried to remember if there was anyone locked away in solitary.

Two out of three options he came up blank and the third option became very real all of a sudden.

Would it be him? Would this be his first visit, finally finding out – unwillingly – what happened behind those closed doors, what caused the begging and the screaming, what was the prime cause for the impeccable record of this prison’s stats for good behaviour?

Something heavy started forming in his stomach, something that spread to all his limbs. He shifted on his bed, the flimsy mattress barely protecting his bruises from the harsh, cold metal underneath, and kept a close watch on the shadow that now drew nearer.

Had he done anything today? Besides being his usual nuisance? He hadn’t talked back (hadn’t had the chance, really), mouthed off, or tried to instigate a fight. All in all, a quiet day. So by that logic, he should be safe. Should. But he knew Nero didn’t need a reason. And that he could hold onto a grudge, coming back with punishment for something that happened days ago. He relished in the false comfort and striking when the victim thought he was safe.

Yet everyone awake was now thinking back on their sins, severely questioning their safety, and praying they would be spared that night.

The shadow was now right outside his cell and he was sure he just made eye contact with the beast. Either time slowed or the man had stopped. But then he blinked and the shadow had passed his door. Clanking footsteps following in its wake.

His shoulders relaxed. And Lucas found himself exhaling his dread.

A couple cells ahead the footsteps stopped. Sounds echoed through the hall, a lock springing open, the creak of the door; the soft prelude. Then soft begging and sobs, whispered pleads. A harsh command. Then quicker footsteps, stumbling along with Nero’s marching, another choked off sob, whispered “please, please, no, I’m sorry, please, I’m so sorry!” as they got closer.

"Quiet."

The begging stopped instantly.

The command wasn’t made out of concern to others, nor to not disturb their night’s peace or to remain undetected. Begging just was useless here.

Lucas saw the two dark figures go past, noticing how Nero used his favourite method of transportation: a vice grip on his victim’s neck and simply pushing them along.

A door slammed shut. Then there was silence.

Lucas pressed his pillow over his head, tried to calm his beating heart, to convince himself the storm had passed and he could go to sleep. Unfortunately, he knew the silence was a short lived one.

That it would soon be filled again. By muffled distant screams.

-

Continued here

one day i will read the second dmc novel..

I have watched the 2009 Star Trek at least three times but I'm still confused on some points. Some of them, I'm aware, are just "the writers didn't think this through," but taking the movie seriously, I have some questions.

WHY was the whole fleet in the Laurentian system anyway? Do we know?

Did Vulcan have an automated defense system with codes and everything like Earth had, and if so how did Nero get through it?

Did Vulcan have ANY defenses, in fact, but the eight Starfleet ships from Earth?

The AOS looks much more modern and shiny than TOS. Is that just aesthetics, or are there any specific technological developments in the Kelvin timeline that don't exist in the prime timeline yet?

It's for a fic of course 🤫

Fic: Kirk never joins Starfleet and the Nero events happen without him there

Me: *thinking about Spock Prime alone on that ice planet not getting a chance to see Jim again*

i had complete faith after a near total team wipe that our dark knight couldve gone 1v1 with ascian prime but unfortunately it mechanically could not have happened with the amount of damage you have to put out

Info: Nero is mindlessly focused in on Spock - on *hurting* Spock, even more so than just killing him. And he recognized Kirk "from earth's history". So he MUST know alllll about Spock & Kirk being the ultimate dream team, BFF's, fucking like bunnies, what have you. And now he's got Spock's captain here, beneath his hands. What better way to get revenge?

But of course, he'd want Spock to SEE. I'm sure Nero would feel the need to explain, in explicit detail, exactly why it's Spock's fault that he's chosen to (whatever you pick, pervy, violent, etc.) poor Kirk. I think it'd be interesting to have BOTH Spock's reactions. Not to mention Kirk's. I can see Kirk maybe being all indignant - WTF, you're torturing me to hurt Spock? But he doesn't even like me! Or perhaps he'd get a funny look on his face as he realized just what those feeling/memories he'd received from Spock Prime's meld were.

And then! Rescue! And awkward aftermath. Anybody? Pretty please?

(thread)

Fill: 1/1

Part One Part Two + Sequel Part One Part Two

Author: hitlikehammers

Archive Link: One Two + One Two

Provo a cercare tra gli scaffali qualche cd che possa fare al caso mio. Qualcosa di riflessivo, meglio se strumentale, che tenga compagnia a me e al libro che sto per iniziare a leggere.

Poi lo sguardo cade sulla pila di vinili appena comprati in uno di quei mercatini di brocante e moderariato che trovi la Domenica nelle cittadine della Provenza e che ancora devo mettere in ordine. Ne spunta dal mucchio uno doppio, dalla copertina vagamente anonima, rispetto alle altre, come quei volumi rilegati di certe enciclopedie che uno non ha mai aperto.

La dicitura semplice semplice, su uno sfondo tutto nero, dice già tutto: "Uriah Heep Live January 1973". Leggo i titoli sul retro della cover. Una scaletta tremenda e una tentazione troppo ghiotta. Partono le prime note ed e' come quando si ha in mano una istantanea scattata con la Polaroid. Poco a poco prende forma, voi che pensate al momento in cui l'avete scattata avendo il timore di aver sbagliato luce o di avere mosso troppo il braccio. Poi tutto ad un tratto compare il soggetto di quello scatto. E voi che pensate: " si, proprio come me l'ero immaginato."

Per oggi il libro può aspettare.

E pensare che cercavo altro.

@ilpianistasultetto

Storia Di Musica #316 - The Black Crowes, The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion, 1992

La musica rock americana a fine anni ’80 è un calderone emozionante di vibrazioni che ribolle in continuazione. In quegli anni ci sarà una straordinaria concentrazione di visioni musicali, che a seconda della zona dell’immensa nazione prende dal passato per proiettarsi nel futuro. Se per esempio a Seattle la tradizione viene usata per fare a pezzi il vecchio e diventare occasione per buttare fuori tutta l’ansia del periodo, nel profondo Sud è il trampolino di lancio per catapultare nella contemporaneità il rock “classico”. La storia di oggi ci porta in Georgia, ad Atlanta, dove i fratelli Robinson crescono in una famiglia nella quale, nei decenni precedenti, la musica ha regalato qualche soddisfazione: infatti il padre, Dan, arrivò addirittura in classifica con un singolo, Boom-A-Dip-Dip, nel 1959. I fratelli Robinson, Chris alla voce e Rich alla chitarra, prima si avvicinano al punk, ma ben presto trovano molto più stimolante il rock anni ’60, sia quello tipico delle loro parti, il southern rock dal suono caldo e coinvolgente, sia il rock blues anni ’60 portato negli Stati Uniti dai gruppi inglesi. La prima formazione si chiama Mrs. Black Crowe’s Garden, ma nel 1988 cambiano nome in The Black Crowes: diventano localmente richiestissimi nei club di Atlanta e dintorni, dove li nota un emissario della A&M che fa registrare al gruppo dei demo. Non se ne fa nulla, ma una sera a sentirli suonati c’è George Drakoulias, famoso produttore e talent scout, che li segnala alla persona che in quel momento è il produttore più interessante del paese: Rick Rubin. Sebbene non suonino metal, la specialità della Def American di Rubin, i ragazzi suonano meravigliosamente nel loro mix di vecchio e nuovo, un rock solido e arricchito di soul, gospel e passione, e vengono messi sotto contratto. Tutta questa passione si percepisce già dalla copertina del loro primo disco, Shake Your Money Maker (1990): prodotto da George Drakoulias, si rifà nella grafica del titolo e nella foto a quelle mitiche dei gruppi british blues di 30 anni prima, fa pensare ai Faces e ai primi Rolling Stone, e il dubbio scompare sentendo con che voce si presenta Chris Robinson: un mix selvaggio di Rod Steward e di Mick Jagger, il suono potente e solido di brani come She Talks To Angels, Twice As Hard o la superlativa cover di Hard To Handle di Otis Redding. Il successo arriva quasi inaspettato: milioni di copie vendute e una fama crescente, frutto anche delle stupende esibizioni live, pirotecniche e imperdibili, che convincono pure gli spettatori delle band metal della Def American a cui sono chiamati ad aprire i concerti.

Nel 1992, in un paio di settimane, registrano il loro secondo album, chiamati all’arditissimo compito di replicare il successo del primo: ma sin dalle prime note, The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion, che prende il nome dal titolo di un inno di William Walker, un pastore battista dell’800, non delude le aspettative e sarà un disco epocale per bellezza e successo. È sempre la copertina che rivela la nuova strategia della band: i musicisti sono fotografati in bianco e nero facendo intuire che stavolta più che il rock blues inglese è la tradizione del southern rock alla Allman Brothers Band e Lynyrd Skynyrd ad essere di ispirazione. Con l’innesto di Marc Ford alla seconda chitarra (il resto vedeva Johnny Colt al basso, Steve Gorman alla batteria e Eddie Harsch alle tastiere), il suono diventa più pieno e pastoso, l’aggiunta di cori femminile rimanda alla grande tradizione Soul, l’affiatamento generale e le doti da cantante di Chris Robinson, davvero convincente, ne fanno un disco che schizza in vetta alle classifiche, con 4 singoli numero uno nella classifica di Billboard, record rimasto per anni imbattuto. La travolgente Sting Me apre il disco, seguita da Remedy dove si innalza il piano di Eddie Harsch a cadenzarne la ritmica . Thorn In My Pride, un super blues, come No Speak No Slave, ha echi zeppeliani (amore mai nascosto, dopo anni la band registrerà un live nientemeno che con Jimmy Page in persona). Bad Luck Blue Eyes, Goodbye è una ballatona ariosa e stupenda, come Sometimes Salvation, dove Robinson canta alla maniera straziante di Janis Joplin. Hotel Illness è il brano più immediato, come la bellissima My Morning Song. Chiude un omaggio a Bob Marley, Time Will Tell, che sigilla con una struggente natura gospel un disco che si ascolta tutto d’un fiato. Dopo l’ennesimo tour a mille e pieno di soddisfazioni, cambiano produttore e pubblicano nel 1994 Amorica: però più che per le canzoni è ricordato per con la famosa copertina, anche censurata, di un primo piano di un succinto slip a stelle a strisce che appena copre un pube di una donna nera. La band, dopo vari avvicendamenti (il più famoso fu l’allontanamento di Marc Ford come secondo chitarrista, per i gravi problemi di dipendenza da droghe di quest’ultimo) pubblicherà un altro grande disco, By Your Side del 1999, e continuerà una strepitosa carriera live nei più grandi festival e con collaborazioni prestigiose (oltre al già citato Page, anche i mitici Dead) ma i dissidi tra i fratelli, anche economici, porteranno ad una serie di liti e reunion, intramezzati anche da un ottimo disco, Warpaint del 2008, fino allo scioglimento del 2015.

Nel 2019 però l’inattesa svolta: prima l’annuncio di un tour celebrativo di Shake Your Money Maker, poi lo stop per la pandemia Covid-19, ma dal 2022 nuove date e addirittura un nuovo, inatteso disco, che uscirà la settimana prossima, il 15 Marzo 2024, dal titolo che è un programma: Happiness Bastards. Quando uscì, oltre 30 anni fa, Shake Your Money Maker (che è il titolo di un classico blues di Elmore James) la band era considerata la next big thing del rock a stelle e strisce, persino all’esordio musicale band dell’anno 1990 per la rivista Rolling Stone. A distanza di anni si può dire che in parte hanno disatteso quella speranza, ma hanno lasciato degli esempi di musica genuina e viscerale che sembra quasi stridere con tutto quello che in quegli anni diventerà preponderante.

As I scream into the void seeking a Narek RPer to play against, I have finally caved and must explain why I want this Romulan loungelizard to be more popular. (It won't happen, but I can dream.)

Reasons I like Narek as a character that nobody but me gives a shit about:

Let me preface this with a fact about me: I know Romulans.

I've RPed as Nero for almost two straight years in a large game. I've basically learned Rihannsu back to front for the endeavor. The person who played my Ayel and I both dumped countless hours into developing grammar and extrapolating cultural rules. We were dedicated to making them as believeable and accurate to canon as possible.

I have the whole timeline of the destruction of Hobus/Romulus down to memory. I know about all the neat little tidbits and trivia from comics and adjacent materials etc, etc.

This is to say: I have read and written quite a lot about Romulans in my time. I am very familiar with how they work and what data is available to draw from when writing them.

We do meet a few rank and file military Romulans from time to time, however. So we know how the general military operates in direct contrast to the Tal'Shiar. Caution and secrecy is sort of baked into their culture, which makes a lot of sense given that they're constantly at war with basically everyone, but they aren't (generally) unreasonable people.

In canon Trek, Romulans are often a little over the top with the sneaky-backstabbing-untrustworthy-nonsense. They're almost comical with how much scheming they do, but most of the Romulans we meet in canon are Tal'Shiar. The Tal'Shiar are known, pretty explicitly for the depth and breadth of their sneaky-backstabbing-untrustworthy-nonsense. It's kind of their whole deal, apart from mnhei'sahe (literally the ruling passion honor).

Narek, however, was a child when Hobus went supernova. He is from the very last generation that had any living memory of Romulus. (Elnor is also from this generation and they are great foils for each other, but that's another essay.) Narek is from a (presumably) respected family of--if not Tal'Shiar then Military--operatives. His aunt held high rank, his sister did as well, and both were inducted into the Zhat Vash, an organization that worked so quietly and efficiently that even the famously paranoid Tal'Shiar thought they were a myth. They orchestrated catastrophes and manipulated Galactic law to their ends, one of their members was the head of Starfleet Security and Narissa was on a personal basis with her.

Their underlying culture is present, but it isn't explored very deeply in any one canon source. Taken collectively, however, it is just as substantial as Klingon Battle-lust or Ferengi Capitalism.

Nero was a break from the norm, not because he was vengeful, but because he was the first non-military Romulan we'd ever really seen. His designs, the tattoos, the crew of his ship with their very un-Romulan loyalty, the way he talked and sought equivalent exchange of lives (mnhei'sahe), was a wealth of Romulan culture that we hadn't ever seen. He was a regular Joe, had a regular non-Military job, trusted and worked with aliens to try and save lives. His failure (not his fault) was something he absorbed and sought to rectify in the Romulan way.

Nero was super interesting both for how much detail he cast on Romulan culture, and in how he slotted into the Prime Timeline. Nero was a guy desperately clinging to hope, to the last vestiges of his civilian life, but he was cut free by the destruction of Romulus and set adrift. The only anchor he had in the AOS timeline was his honor and the driving need to balance the scales and restore it.

Narek, however privledge his family was, was a washout. He was a failure. We know he wasn't Zhat Vash, and whether he was even Tal'Shiar is up for some serious speculation. He doesn't act like military officers, and only seems to be play-acting as a Tal'Shiar, miming his sister when it suits him.

Narek may have had authority on the Artifact, but it was probably by dint of Oh granting it. We never get any clarification whatsoever about his rank or dayjob, just that he is fully devoted to helping the Zhat Vash. He is analytical, prepared, but he is not good at thinking on his feet and clearly does his planning off screen. He's meticulous but not especially skilled at hiding or regulating his emotional state. He is far less aggressive and stalwart than just about every other Romulan we've seen...except for Nero.

He was literally a placeholder sent to keep tabs on Soji. He didn't even arrive until Narissa had failed to capture Dahj. That Narek managed to get close to Soji, that he discovered her dreams and correctly surmised what they are, was more luck than skill. Before his assessments the Zhat Vash knew that Dahj (and Soji) could be activated out of their cover, but they assumed that they could capture them. They probably assumed they could torture the data out of them, if not dissect them and rip out a harddrive.

Narek found an easy way to get right to the information they needed. His attachment to Romulan culture is his puzzlebox--Before Nero we had never met a Romulan civilian and before Narek we have never met a cultural Romulan who plays with a toy, we had never seen a child's toy like that. Of course, the puzzlebox (Tan Zhekran) was a mechanism to illustrate his thought process, to make the differences between Narissa and him very apparent, but it was also something from his childhood (presumably). It's a weirdly personal affect for a Romulan and he fidgets with it almost constantly. It's a tell, something he shouldn't have, and it makes him accessible on an emotional level.

Narek is a civilian.

He's a civilian in a family of spies and operatives, raised alongside his sister on the same stories, with the same care. There's no way a Zhat Vash didn't have a family home on Romulus. While Elnor is a nice example of the new generation of Romulans, Narek is one of the last examples of what is used to mean to be a Romulan. He saw Romulus and escaped with all his surviving family when it as it was destroyed. Narek was raised on Romulan tradition (private names for family), Romulan stories about the end of the world, and he is haunted by them because he knows they're true, they're real. His sister and aunt have seen it, seen the message that drives people mad, about Ganmadan. His living relatives have dedicated their lives to preventing it and, even if he isn't actually Zhat Vash, he does the same.

Narek is a failure, by his culture's standards, by his family's standards, but he is also the only one of them who lives in the end.

He's a civilian who is trying, desperately, to avert another Romulan apocalypse. He has already lived through one and somehow this next one is even worse. Like Nero he sees the writing on the wall--but instead of doubling down on the traditional sneaky spy shit, he tries something new--unlike Nero, it works! He makes headway where nobody else could.

Unfortunately, it's kinda fucked up, but he then gives up everything in the pursuit of this goal. (Which to him, seems like a noble one.) Narek gives up who he is (by playing at being Tal Shiar), his safety (he has no idea what Soji is capable of or what might set her off, they only have records of Dahj killing a dozen agents before being blown up), and eventually resigns himself to killing the woman he's fallen in love with (the baseline requirement for giving out his real name). He does it all for the greater good, to save people and he doesn't seem to make much of a distinction between Romulan and other organic lives. He has his little plans, tracking La Sirena in a single cloaked ship, hiding his presence to tail them, firing on them despite being wholly outmatched, allying with Sutra however temporarily, trying to sway Soji again, turning to Rios, Raffi, and Elnor for help--he's willing to do anything because he's terrified that everything is about to end and it will be him who failed to prevent it.

The very last shot we see of him, after his plan to detonate the transmitter fails completely, is him on the ground being dragged away by the Coppelius androids. He doesn't posture or threaten, doesn't say ominous shit like the other Romulans we're used to--He begs. He claws at the ground, trying to stay, and he begs. He pleads with Soji, calls her his love, tries that last ditch hail mary because it's all he can do. He fails his task and she's the last person he can reach out to and, in the end, despite the very real threat to her life, Planet, and Picard, Soji smashes the transmitter. The apocalypse is averted.

Narek failed but he also succeeded. His aunt is dead, Oh has been outed as a traitor, and his sister is killed by Seven of Nine. In a cut scene, apparently, Narek was supposed to be arrested by Starfleet. So he's facing (at the very least) retribution from the androids and the ExBorg. Starfleet is very likely to arrest and interrogate him, if not imprison him indefinitely since he has ties to the Zhat Vash and, subsequently, will be on the hook to explain the Utopia Planetia disaster. Soji hates him, for good reason, and his homeworld is long gone. Narek has nothing...but the world was saved.

Narek is singular because he's all about needing and interacting with other people, he has no real authority, nobody he commands. He's a civilian (insofar as any Romulan can be) and is a soft, emotional boy who hangs on to his childhood toys. He's driven in equal parts by fear and a deep sense of failure, like everyone else in the show, and he takes the steps that seem right and necessary to him (also like everyone else on the show).

Narek was a great contrast against Elnor in every possible way--from his evasiveness to his fear of death--and he was a great foil for Soji. On Coppelius, Soji's terror clouds her judgment and she very nearly does terrible things to protect herself. Her actions, her opinions, her hesitation were all driven by fear. The ends seemed to justify the means. She reflects Narek's state for the whole show. Season 1 is about finding safety and meaning.

Narek is afraid for the whole duration of the show and his choices all reflect that same desperate need to find permanent safety, to live. Soji exists on the peripheral of that with the Ex-Borg, and as a synthetic, and then she falls headlong into it after his betrayal. Narek regrets trying to kill her and the symbolism of his losing that box, of him trying to kill her in a room that is so very culturally Romulan, right after telling her his name, makes it very clear that killing her is killing some piece of himself. But the ends justify the means. He can and will give up everything to save the world.

And his last line in the show is desperately pleading with the woman he loves as he's dragged away.

Then we never see him again or get anything resembling closure for Soji or Narek.

Which I will be big mad about forever, because they didn't even get the bare minimum acknowledgement and closure of "moving on and living life is paramount because it is finite and beautiful ". Nope. Nothing. I'm furious forever.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. I hope if Star Trek Legacy happens we get Narek as a sort of...side character creeper informant ala Garak. I also hope we get Soji on Seven's Enterprise because I love her.