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cheriecelestial · 1 month

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Batboys as Desi Films

𝐃𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

Raj and Simran meet during a trip across Europe and end up getting stranded in the middle of nowhere after they miss their train. Despite their initial clashing, they fall in love. However, Simran’s traditional father has arranged her marriage elsewhere. Raj must win over Simran’s family to marry her, leading to a series of heartfelt moments, comedic misunderstandings, and ultimately, a dramatic climax where love conquers all as the couple fights for their happiness against societal norms.

Dick is so raj coded with his quips and charisma. Their chaotic banter and chemistry is off the charts. Any Indian who hasn’t watched this gets their desi card revoked immediately, I don’t make the rules. This movies fits Dick’s dramatic flair perfectly.

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐝

Goliyon ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013)

The modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” set in rural Gujarat, India. It follows the love story of Ram, from the Rajadi clan and Leela, from the Sanera clan, who belong to rival gangster clans engaged in a long-standing feud. Despite the enmity between their families, Ram and Leela fall deeply in love, leading to a tragic and tumultuous journey filled with passion, violence, and sacrifice.

It fits Jason’s love for guns and classics. An absolute visual treat with cinematography and all the songs are absolute bangers.

𝐓𝐢𝐦 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞

Jab We Met (2007)

Aditya, a heartbroken business tycoon, someone who was dwelling in the lowest ebb of his life and was almost on the brink of giving it all up, aimlessly boards a train to escape his depressing life. On his journey he meets Geet, a talkative and vivacious young woman. Geet is on her way to meet her boyfriend, but her plans go awry, and she ends up stranded. Aditya, feeling sorry for her, decides to help her get to her destination safely. Along the way, they encounter various adventures and challenges that bring them closer together. Despite their contrasting personalities, they develop a deep connection. However, when they part ways, Aditya realizes his love for Geet and sets out to find her. In the end, they reunite, realizing they are meant to be together.

Grumpy x sunshine. The OG green flag. Epitome of ‘if he wanted to,he would’. Makes my chatterbox heart happy because of how much I relate to the FL. Favourite comfort movie of all time. ML kinda looks like Cillian Murphy’s scarecrow. “I like you a lot but that is my problem, you don’t need to worry about it.” Their fights and his little sassy comebacks and rants were so cute and fun to watch.

𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞

Jodhaa Akbar (2003)

The Mughal emperor Akbar, seeking to forge political alliances, marries Jodhaa, a Rajput princess. Initially a marriage of convenience, their relationship evolves as they learn to respect and love each other. Jodhaa struggles to adapt to Mughal customs, especially with their cultural and religious differences but her courage and integrity win Akbar's admiration. Despite conspiracies and opposition, including from Akbar's own court, their love prevails. The film explores the transformation of a young ruler, initially groomed for ruthlessness by his mentor Bairam Khan, into a wise and compassionate emperor who values mercy, diplomacy, religious harmony and cultural acceptance. Akbar's realization of the importance of religious tolerance, showcased through his abolition of discriminatory policies and his respect for all faiths.

The arranged marriage tag and the ‘raised as a weapon but softens and shows more compassion out of respect and love for his empress’ tag fits demonhead!Damian so much. The way he said mashallah after he pulled off her veil in the middle of a sword fight >>>>. I love how it captures the essence of India’s rich heritage and diversity. “Why seek paradise ? It is before me now.”

𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞

Khoobsurat (2014)

Milli, a free-spirited and eccentric young woman becomes the physiotherapist for a royal family. She brings her lively yet clumsy personality into the conservative royal household, shaking up their structured lives. It clashes with the formal atmosphere of the palace, especially with the stern matriarch, Nirmala Devi. Despite initial resistance, Milli's unconventional methods bring joy and laughter into the lives of the family members, including the brooding prince, Vikram. As Milli navigates the challenges of fitting into the royal household, she also finds herself falling in love with Vikram, leading to a series of comedic and heartwarming moments.

Very cliched (well it is a Disney film) and the second hand embarrassment is unreal but sometimes after a long day all you need is a feel-good cheesy rom-com. Oh to sit next to Fawad Khan in a red convertible while gazing lovingly at him. I like how she emphasises on improving the patient’s mental health to help him heal. Incase you haven’t noticed already, cold brooding™️ x silly goose is my favourite character dynamic.

𝐀/𝐍 - I’ll be honest with y’all, this was to satiate my desire of writing x desi! reader cuz I don’t have enough motivation or time to do it T^T

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thewulf · 21 days

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Together || Aragorn

Summary: Request - So I'd also thought of something with Aragorn where the reader is also an ranger and the group meets her someday on their journey to Mordor as she takes him down unexpectedly as she thinks they're enemies, so she lands on top of him with a sword on his neck and in that moment he falls for her immediately... Read Rest Here

A/N: Okay had a blast writing this one. Happy birthday anon, hope you enjoy it :)

Pairing: Aragorn x Reader

Word Count: 4.1k +

TW: Violence, orc violence, poison, death, blood, crying, angst, lotr warnings

Under the canopy of ancient oaks, the dense forest of Eriador hums with the life of creatures both small and menacing. Among them you move silently, cloaked in the hues of earth and leaf. As a ranger of great skill your keen eyes scan the underbrush for signs of your quarry. For days you have been on the trail of a band of orcs. Their clumsy passage through the woods an affront to the quiet sanctity of nature. With every soft step your hand rests near the hilt of your sword. Your long-time trusted companion in the ever-lonely wilds.

As the sun begins its descent, casting long shadows through the trees, your pursuit leads you to a clearing where the tracks are fresher. Much more hurried. Crouched behind a bush your eyes narrow upon the sight of figures crossing the distance. It was a mixed company, not of orcs, but of men, an elf, a dwarf, and others you cannot readily identify from your hidden vantage.

Driven by a mix of caution and curiosity you watch them, your mind racing with possibilities. Could these travelers be allied with your foes? Perhaps orchestrating the movements of the orcs for darker purposes? The presence of such diverse races together is unusual, but in these troubled times alliances are formed in desperation.

Deciding that the risk of letting potential enemies pass is too great you prepare an ambush. As the group nears you leap from your cover, swift as a shadow at dusk. Your target was the tall, commanding man at the forefront. Before he could react you tackled him to the ground with your sword at his throat. The shock in his eyes mirrors your own fierce determination. You’d managed to take the entire group by surprise.

"Who are you and why do you travel with such company through these woods?" you demand. Your voice a low whisper against the rustling leaves.

Before the man can reply, a powerful voice booms from behind you, "Peace, Y/N! Lower your weapon. These are friends, not foes!" Your eyes crinkle in confusion with your name that you kept so well hidden spoken so freely.

You turn slightly with your blade still pressed to the man’s throat to see an elderly man with a staff. He was dressed in a long grey cloak. His eyes twinkle with a mix of amusement and stern rebuke. He extends a hand in peace, "Forgive the suddenness of our meeting. I am Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey. You have nothing to fear from us my dear child."

"How do you know my name?" you snap as the tension raised in your voice. Few knew of your existence as you preferred the solitude of the forest to the company of towns and taverns.

"It is my business to know much that goes on in this world. Especially when it concerns those who could alter its course," Gandalf answers with a calm that seems to weave peace through the air itself leaving you rather confused by his words. Wizards, you could never understand them with their riddles.

With a frown you turn back to disheveled man sneering at him, “Tell your elf to lower his bow and then we can talk.” You pressed the blade into his neck further careful not to draw blood but to show you meant business at the same time.

The man nodded, “Legolas, please.”

The elf in the group with his bow still pointed in your direction now lowers it and steps forward. “We mean no harm to you or your lands. We seek only passage and perhaps some aid. This quest carries great weight." The elf called Legolas spoke right to you.

His words seemed sincere. They carry a sense of shared purpose. While you're still on edge the immediate threat of the group seems to wane. You slowly stand, sheathing your sword with reluctance. The man you had pinned—Aragorn, as Gandalf introduced him—rises, brushing off his cloak, his gaze never leaving yours. A mix of embarrassment and admiration passes between you.

Gandalf steps forward trying to smooth over the tension. "Aragorn leads us on a quest of great importance," he explains. "And from what I see your skills could aid us greatly. What say you, Y/N? Will you join the Fellowship and lend us your strength?"

You hesitate as your duty to your own lands weighing heavily on you. "I cannot abandon my watch. The darkness grows and my lands need protecting."

Aragorn steps forward. His expression earnest. "I understand your duty for I too am sworn to protect the lands of men in the north. But this quest... if we succeed, all lands will be safer, including yours. We need your strength and skill. I ask you not for my sake but for all our sakes."

Looking from Aragorn to Gandalf and Legolas, you're torn. The sincerity in Aragorn's eyes is compelling and there's a resolve there that speaks of his immediate respect and admiration for you. After a long pause, you nod slowly. "For the greater good, then. I will join you. But we must ensure my lands are safeguarded in my absence." It was no easy choice but even you knew you could hardly handle the orcs now… if it got worse there would be no land for you to protect.

"Agreed," Aragorn replies with a smile, a small, knowing curve of his lips. "Together we will protect all our homes. Walk with me and I will explain this further.” And so, you did.

As you walked alongside Aragorn away from the ears of the others except maybe Legolas, his voice takes on a solemn tone. He speaks of a great burden and a journey that began long ago in the quiet shire of the Hobbits.

“A darkness grows in the East under the shadow of Mordor, where the Dark Lord Sauron forges his malice into a single form,” Aragorn begins. “A ring, one of power and despair, lost for ages has resurfaced. It was found by the most unlikely of creatures—a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins.”

He tells you how the wizard Gandalf uncovered the truth of this simple golden band. It is the One Ring, through which Sauron can conquer all of middle earth. But it is also his one point of vulnerability.

“The Ring must be destroyed,” Aragorn continues, “and that can only be done in the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged.” His gaze meets yours, impressing upon you the gravity of their task. “A Fellowship has been formed. A company sworn to protect Frodo on this perilous path. For without the Ring’s destruction… darkness will consume our lands, leaving no corner of the world untouched by its ruin.”

He pauses allowing the weight of his words to sink in. “This is our quest to see the end of the Ring and the fall of Sauron. And now you are part of this story, part of our hope. For alone we cannot stand, but together we might prevail.”

The immensity of Aragorn's tale seems to echo through the silence around you. As the responsibility and peril of what lies ahead sinks into your heart. "This is... more than I expected," you confess. Your voice betraying a mix of awe and trepidation. Shadows have been a common adversary in your solitary ranger life but the thought of a single ring holding the fate of all life in middle earth is overwhelming in the worst way.

Aragorn watches you with eyes that have seen the weight of the world but still hold a glimmer of hope. "It is a lot to take in," he acknowledges with his voice a steady presence amidst your inner turmoil. "But remember every meaningful journey begins with a single step. We do not choose the times we live in only how we meet them."

His words meant to comfort kindle a spark of resolve within you. "Then we walk this path together," you say finding strength in his unwavering resolve. "I've fought to keep darkness at bay from my corner of the world. Now it seems I shall extend my watch over the wider lands of middle earth."

Aragorn's eyes soften and a smile plays at the corner of his mouth, a rare break from his stoic mask. "With your help I believe we stand a chance. Let us go forward with hope in our hearts and a steadfast will," he says with a firm belief underpinning his words.

As you start to walk back towards the Fellowship Aragorn's tone lightens once more and he casts you a mischievous glance. "And I must say, for someone so adept at navigating these wild lands your skill at catching us unaware is remarkable," he jests. A playful note in his voice. "Even the elf’s keen eyes did not see you coming, which, I assure you, will be a source of friendly jest for many years to come."

The tension that held you moments before unravels into laughter. The absurdity of the situation finally coming forward. "I'll remember to tread lightly next time—or perhaps not," you respond with a chuckle.

From a distance, Legolas, whose elven senses miss little, looks up from his conversation with Gimli. He casts a mockingly indignant glance toward Aragorn. His eyes speaking silent volumes of an 'I heard that.' His feigned glare dissolves into a smile. Acknowledging the jest with the grace and good humor characteristic of the Woodland Prince.

The shared laughter and Legolas' playful acknowledgment bridge the space between you helped to weave the Fellowship closer together in mutual affection. It's a light-hearted interlude, reminding you all that despite the daunting path ahead you are surrounded by companions who will share the burden with unwavering support and moments of joy.

As you all move forward the sun dips below the horizon and the journey of the Fellowship grows richer by one more warrior. In the fading light Aragorn walks beside you, your strides matched. It was a simple silent acknowledgment of the bond beginning to form. Blossoming from the unexpected encounter that could very well shape the fate of all.

The Fellowship continues its perilous journey through Middle earth. The days meld into each other each bringing its own set of challenges and trials. You find your place among these diverse companions. Your skills as a ranger becoming invaluable as you navigate the treacherous terrain. Whether it's finding safe passages through impassable woods or tracking the movements of distant enemies your expertise does not go unnoticed.

Legolas often joins you on scouting missions. His feather light footfalls barely stirring the leaves. Gimli, the dwarf, though gruff, begins sharing tales of the deep mines of Moria with a relish that only grows with your attentive silence. Even Merry and Pippin find ways to lighten your load, often bringing you sweet, wild berries they gather along the way. Aragorn watches all of this with a thoughtful expression often playing across his face. In dangerous moments when shadowy figures loom and the threat of orcs feels ever-present, he stays close. His protectiveness is subtle, a guiding hand at your back, a cautious glance that lingers just a moment too long. You notice the unspoken bond growing stronger with each passing day.

As the journey presses onward Aragorn finds himself increasingly drawn to your strength and resilience. He respects your independence, the way you move through the forest, part of its shadow and light, yet he feels a burgeoning desire to protect you. It’s a feeling that stirs deep within him, unbidden yet persistent.

One bitterly cold night as the Fellowship encamps in a secluded glen your turn at watch finds you shivering against the chill. The fire is but a low glow as its warmth insufficient against the piercing cold. You hug your cloak tighter around your shoulders. You hear the soft approach of footsteps too heavy to be of Legolas.

Aragorn appears by your side his face etched with concern. Without a word he drapes his own, heavier cloak around your shoulders. The warmth from the cloak that was still holding the heat of his body, seeps into your chilled bones.

But you shake your head at his actions. "You'll be too cold," you protest trying to shrug off the cloak back onto him.

Aragorn shakes his head gently pushing the cloak back over your shoulders. "I'm used to the cold. I’m from the north you are not," he insists softly. "Keep it. It's more important that you stay warm."

Gratefully you wrap the cloak tighter around you as Aragorn settles beside you. "Tell me of your lands," he says quietly. His voice inviting you to share more than just the cold night air.

"My home," you begin. Your voice warming as you describe the hidden valleys and towering forests of your land, "is secluded and wild, full of ancient trees that seem to touch the sky. There are streams that sparkle with the clearest water you've ever seen and fields of flowers that bloom so vividly they look like a painter's canvas."

Aragorn listens intently. His eyes reflecting a growing fascination. "And the creatures," you continue, "are as varied as the plants. From the smallest bird to the majestic stags that roam freely… each adds to the life of the forest. It's a place where the world feels untouched, preserved from the scars of battle and time."

As you speak, Aragorn's gaze deepens as if he can see the very landscapes you describe. "It sounds beautiful," he murmurs looking straight at you as you spoke so lovingly of your home, "a land worth protecting."

Encouraged by his interest you lean into him, seeking warmth in more than just his cloak. Aragorn wraps an arm around you making sure to pull you closer. In the shelter of his embrace, the cold feels a world away. The moment feels suspended in time, your breaths mingling, hearts beating a steady rhythm.

Nestled in the safety of Aragorn's arm feels right even if it’s so foreign to you. You stay like that for the remainder of your watch with the warmth of his presence and the cloak combined keeping the night's chill at bay. When dawn paints the sky with hues of pink and gold, you, and Aragorn rise, knowing that while the journey ahead is fraught with peril, the warmth between you will carry you through the darkest times.

As the days stretch and the challenges of your journey with the Fellowship intensify the bond between you and Aragorn deepens with each shared glance and whispered word. The lightness in the air is palpable. Especially when the hobbits, Merry and Pippin, exchange amused looks or giggle softly whenever you and Aragorn share a tender moment.

One cool morning as the camp stirs awake and prepares for the day’s trek, Aragorn approaches you with a shy demeanor that you've come to cherish. In his hand is a small, intricately carved wooden figurine. “I made this for you,” he says presenting it with a modest pride. “It’s a bird from your forest.” The craftsmanship is exquisite. Somehow he captured the spirit of the wilderness you hold dear.

Moved by this thoughtful gesture you examine the figurine closely, the details meticulously rendered. "Thank you, Aragorn. It's beautiful. More beautiful than the bird itself," you say sincerely. At this, a blush creeps across Aragorn’s cheeks. It was a rare sight that makes him seem almost boyish, his usual composed exterior softened by your appreciation. Surprising both him and you, you wrap your arms around him in a quick, heartfelt hug—a rarity for you, as you've never been one to initiate physical touch save for cold nights.

This closeness that has enveloped you both is fortified not just through acts of tenderness but also through the trials that test your resolve. During a perilous trek through a narrow gorge, a sudden crumbling of the path catches Aragorn off-guard. Reacting with the swift instincts of a seasoned ranger you grab his arm and pull him back from the brink of a deadly fall. Eyes locked with a rush of shared relief and unspoken thanks passes between you. "Thank you, Y/N," he breathes out. His hand squeezed yours in a lingering, grateful touch.

This moment cements your mutual reliance and it's not long before it is tested again under more dire circumstances. As the Fellowship faces an overwhelming assault at the gates of an enemy stronghold, the chaos of battle quickly ensues. Amid the clash of steel and shadow you find yourself momentarily overwhelmed. Panic rising in your chest as an orc nearly breaches your guard. In that critical instant Aragorn is there, his presence a calming force. "Stay strong, Y/N. I am here with you," he whispers fiercely. His words cutting through the din of battle making sure to anchor you back to the moment.

Revitalized by his words you fight with renewed vigor, but the battle tests you further. As you engage a formidable orc chieftain his massive blade swings at you with lethal force. You parry, but the strength behind the attack staggers you. Before the orc can strike the final blow, Aragorn intervenes with a desperate shout deflecting the deadly arc just inches from you. Saving your life twice within a matter of a few moments apart. Together you rally, your movements fluid and fierce and with a powerful combination of strikes you bring the towering foe down.

The battle's intensity doesn’t immediately fade, but as it does Aragorn's hand finds your shoulder. His grip was firm and reassuring. His eyes alight with the fire of battle and something deeper meet yours. "With you by my side I believe there is no battle we cannot win," he declares his voice thick with emotion of the battle and nearly losing you. As you and the rest of the Fellowship take a moment to regroup and recover it’s clear that what you and Aragorn share has evolved beyond companionship to something profound. With each step forward towards the dark heart of Mordor your bond strengthens.

As the harsh landscape of Mordor stretches endlessly before you, the air thick with the stench of doom and the ground scarred by countless battles, the Fellowship readies itself for what everyone understands to be the final confrontation. Amid the chaos of preparations and sharpened swords you and Aragorn find a brief respite behind a jutting crag, a momentary shield from the surrounding turmoil.

Aragorn looks at you carefully. His eyes reflecting the storm of emotions raging inside him—hope, fear, determination. “We have come far, haven’t we?” he says softly. Almost lost in the clamor of the encampment.

“Yes, farther than I ever imagined,” you reply feeling the weight of every mile traveled and battle fought in your bones. “And through it all your presence has been my anchor.”

He takes your hand. His touch steady and sure. “And I will remain by your side,” he vows, “through whatever may come. No matter the darkness that lies ahead… we face it together.”

You nod. Your resolve fortified by his words. “Together,” you affirm, squeezing his hand, the word a silent oath between you.

As you both turn to face the battlefield the ominous shadow of Mount Doom looms in the distance. A stark reminder of the task yet unfinished. The air vibrates with the tension of imminent conflict. As the Fellowship lines up ready to engage the enemy forces, the battle begins with a deafening roar.

The clash is brutal. A maelstrom of steel and shadow as both sides pour their fury into each other. Amidst the chaos your focus narrows to the figures around you—Aragorn fighting with the grace and fury of a born leader. His blade a flash of silver in the dim light.

In the middle of it all the ground shakes violently underfoot. A tremor that sends many stumbling. A profound boom rolls across the battlefield echoing from the direction of Mount Doom. The combatants pause, uncertainty halting their movements as all eyes turn towards the source of the disturbance.

As if by a miracle a great light bursts forth from the mountain. A blinding flash that pierces the shadowed sky. The Ring, the source of so much pain and darkness, has been destroyed. You feel a surge of relief so intense it momentarily takes your breath away. Aragorn's face lights up with unrestrained joy as he turns to you, laughter bubbling up from deep within. "They did it! Sam and Frodo did it!" he shouts his laughter mingling with his words. A sound so full of relief and disbelief that it's contagious.

Around you the enemy falters, confusion and fear taking hold as the reality of their defeat sinks in. The forces of darkness begin to retreat, their will broken by the destruction of the Ring. As the battlefield quiets the dawn begins to break casting the first gentle light over a world freed from tyranny. You and Aragorn embrace each of your laughter mixing with tears of joy. The sound a vivid testament to the overwhelming relief of the moment. “We’re really here,” you giggle with utter relief, “it’s truly over!”

Rejoining the Fellowship your laughter continues, shared amongst friends who have become family. Watching the new day unfold the group shares a moment of elation. The shared laughter a release of months of tension and fear. With the shadow of the past dispelled, hope shines anew on the horizon promising a future filled with peace and renewal. Together with Aragorn at your side, you step forward into a world reborn.

As the harsh landscape of Mordor fades into the distance behind you replaced by the rolling hills and lush greenery of Gondor the Fellowship's journey reaches its conclusion in the grand city of Minas Tirith. Here, amidst the grandeur of the White City, the coronation of Aragorn, the rightful king, takes place—a moment of triumph and renewal for all of middle earth.

The first light of dawn paints the spires of Minas Tirith with a golden hue. The city awakens to a day of profound significance. The air is filled with the sounds of celebration; the streets are bustling with citizens and allies from across middle earth all gathered to witness a historic moment. Today Aragorn will be crowned King, an event that promises a new era of peace and prosperity for the realm.

Throughout the city banners flutter in the breeze, their vibrant colors a stark contrast against the white stone of the city. The coronation ceremony itself is nothing short of magnificent, held in the open air where the morning sun casts a regal glow over the assembled crowd. Aragorn stands before them, a figure of strength and hope, his voice resonant as he speaks the oaths of kingship.

After the formalities as the echoes of the last trumpet fade into the cool air, the new King Aragorn is surrounded by well-wishers and dignitaries each eager to pay their respects. But his eyes scan the crowd for only one face – yours. With a smile that speaks of shared secrets and promises kept he excuses himself from the throng and makes his way toward you.

You meet him halfway, your heart swelling with pride and love as you look upon the man who has overcome so much to claim his rightful place. Aragorn’s expression softens when he sees you, all the weight of his new role momentarily forgotten. “There would be no joy in this day if I could not share it with you, my Y/N,” he says. His voice was low, meant for your ears alone. His hands reach out gently cradling your face. “You have been my courage when fear would take me. My light in the darkest of times. And it is my greatest hope that you will stand by my side, not just today, but always, as my queen. Together.”

Your eyes brimming with tears of joy, meet his gaze. All the noise and celebration around you fade into a hushed silence. Overwhelmed by his words your heart answers with a silent nod, affirming your shared future.

Aragorn’s eyes flicker with a mixture of tenderness and passion as he leans in. The world holds its breath as his lips finally meet yours in a kiss that is both a seal of everything past and a promise of everything to come. It is deep and passionate, conveying years of struggle, sorrow, victory, and an unbreakable bond.

As you part with his lips, breathless and flushed, the world comes rushing back. Cheers rise around you as a joyful noise that celebrates not just a king’s coronation but the love and unity that stands as the true foundation of his reign.

Hand in hand you stand by Aragorn as he faces the people of Gondor, now truly his queen in spirit and soon in title. Together you look out over the sea of faces, over a land that, at last, can dream of peace. And in this moment you know that every step, every sacrifice, has led to this perfect beginning.

(Taglist Sign Up): @loving-and-dreaming @kmc1989 @memeorydotcom @matisse556 @buckylov3r @taygrls @ah-blossom @hardballoonlove @rosiahills22 @djs8891 @guacam011y @illisea @il0vebeingdelulu @hiireadstuff @kenn-spencerswifey @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @dnfhascorruptedme

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just-a-new-gi-writer · 1 year

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How about the Acolytes playing different friendship-breaking games like Monopoly, Uno, Ludo, and some sort of non-digital version of Mario Party? Lmfao imagine them squeezing into ridiculous-looking race karts for a live Mario Kart. Or perhaps an obstacle course to resemble Fall Guys challenges. Everyone has no plans of losing because the prize is a date and a guaranteed romantic kiss from the Creator, the lil shit that proposed this silly Teyvat Olympics.

A/N: Welp, this is one of those times where the story kinda got away from me again. This one's a two-parter, so I'll finish it later on.

Word Count: 2668

CW: None?

Masterpost

taglist @iyohme

=== === ===

It had all started so simply.

During a meeting you were dragged to with a handful of business leaders in Liyue (where they bowed and scraped and tried to cultivate your favor), you introduced them to a game you liked: Diplomacy. You thought it would have been a good fit for them- strategic thinking, cooperation, learning how long to trust people. It took a bit of setup to create a map that would work and it took a while to remember and relay the rules to the different players, but as soon as they understood the rules, they began digging into the game and exploring the layers of complexity underneath it all.

You quickly saw alliances form and melt, deals get made and backstabs performed, promises made and broken. It was all in good fun, they each knew, and all part and parcel of the game and how it played; something their Creator enjoyed and wished to share with them.

The night came to a close, and the business leaders returned to their homes. The next day, they returned to their businesses, bringing the game with them and spreading the rules to whomever was interested. By the end of the week, it had spread north to Mondstadt, crossed the sea to Inazuma, and reached the Akademia’s halls. By the next, it had taken root in those places and spread like wildfire among the population.

It was many different things to the people. For most, it was a fun diversion. For some, it was a problem to be cracked and analyzed, something to theorize over and experiment with. For others, it was a means to use their diplomatic skills, to promise, probe, and plead, to balance, barter, and betray.

It could have been left there. It could have just been a fad that might have burnt itself down to a simmer some time later.

But you had to make that one innocent comment.

In Mondstadt, a game was brewing between a few individuals of poor rapport. Diluc, Kaeya, and Jean stood against a few Fatui agents, each side assured that they had the best player. Three against two, they set about searching for the last two players they’d need for a full game. Childe was talking to you when they asked him to join.

“I couldn’t,” he raised his hands defensively and dismissed Jean’s offer. “Really, I’m not interested.”

“Oh?” you raised an eyebrow, “Why not? Don’t you have a reputation to uphold?”

He smiled but shook his head. “Were it a different kind of combat, Your Grace, there would be no chance for me to turn it down.” He took a sip of his drink. “I’m more the tactical than the strategic type.”

“Anyone could win,” you said. “Tell you what. You show me a good game and win, and I’ll do you a little favor.”

Childe froze, the cup falling from his hands and the drink spilling over the table. He shoved his chair back and turned as he stood, marching over to the few people setting up the board, slamming his hands on the table. “Count me in.”

He lost, horribly. He barely managed to last four turns before a coalition of Jean, Diluc, and one of the Fatui agents wiped him off the board. The game continued with Childe sitting on the sidelines and glaring at the one agent that betrayed him, the victor was found and celebrated, but that playful promise of yours planted another, more dangerous seed.

When the game of Diplomacy spread throughout Teyvat, smaller tournaments blossomed shortly afterward, to find the best of the players in each nation. A few enterprising individuals came up with the idea to host an international tournament, one that drew from southeastern Teyvat. While it boasted a hefty Mora reward for the highest-placed victors, the real prize was the prestige of being the uncontested winner of the Creator’s game.

And then you had to insinuate that you might personally reward the overall winner.

If your game spread like wildfire, you may as well have doused all of Teyvat in gasoline.

The past energy which people had before paled compared to the newfound desire to chase after even the slimmest chance of the Creator’s pure attention, rumored though it may have been. These last games burned with fervor and conviction that few had seen before, refining the pool of players from scores to dozens, then to the handful of furious semi-finals, from which the seven finalists emerged.

And today, the champion would be determined. The host, the state of Liyue, had spared no expense for this final game. The same building in which you had first shared your game had been secured to host the finals. The map was printed on gold-lined silk, each region painted in rich, vibrant pigments, lavishly detailed and seemingly rising off from the sheet. The counters for the different nations’ armies and navies, hand carved from priceless gemstones and inlaid with gold.

Spectators slowly filtered in as the start time drew near. Nobles, aristocrats, and merchants from Monstadt to Sumeru (and some from further afield) flocked to watch the match play out and gathered that morning. Many took the chance to socialize and build connections but many more hoped to catch the eye of their Beloved Creator that morning.

You were brought to the hall while the sun was still rising; only you, Adjudicator of Fates, could suffice to usher such an important game. You were ushered in with the warmest welcomes from all parties and highest fanfare, paraded around to the different important peoples: sages from Sumeru, nobles and their scions from Mondstadt, you even had the fortune to meet the Yuheng and the Raiden Shogun themselves before being ushered to your seat, in the middle of the side of the table.

Each of the invited nations showed off their own players and allowed them to take their seats: first Jean, who would play Mondstadt, sat off to your left, then Diluc, playing Natlan. Next was Yae Miko playing Inazuma, then Ayaka playing Snezhnaya. Alhaitham sat opposite you and played Sumeru. Finally, the players from Liyue entered, the most lavishly-dressed of the players: Yelan, playing Fontaine, sat to your right; and Ningguang, playing Liyue, sat to your left.

As the players took their seats, Keqing stood and addressed the crowd, welcoming them all and thanking them for their presence. She thanked the tournament organizers for their work on the events, past and present. Lastly, she turned to you and thanked you for sharing this game with them and allowing them to partake in its joys and sorrows. Her thanks given, she declared the finals to have begun.

The game entered its first phase and the players broke to meet with each other and plan their alliances. Everyone scrutinized who went to talk with who, which people the other players wanted to speak to, and how the dealings were going. Jean took Yelan aside and tried to make some earnest dealings with her, Alhaitham argued with Ningguang, and Diluc and Ayaka spoke with each other, hidden off in their corner of the board. Yae Miko sat back and kept an eye on the dealings, keeping secret just who she was eyeing as an ally or a target.

As discussions broke down between Ningguang and Alhaitham, Yae rose and asked to have a word with the latter. Ningguang went to request Jean’s ear, then Yelan tried to make a deal with Ayaka. On and on the diplomatic dance went until the time for the first round was called and the players returned to their seats to submit their orders.

You read, adjudicated, and executed the orders, shuffling the armies and navies across the map. The players eyed each move in turn, sometimes glaring at another player when a deal failed to materialize.

The second round of discussions quickly started, Alhaitham angrily pulling Yae aside, Jean hurrying over to speak to Yelan. Ningguang, without anyone to immediately turn to and make deals with, went to speak with Diluc and Ayaka.

The diplomatic maneuvers continued, and even you could start to see the lines being drawn. The drag-out four-way war between Sumeru, Inazuma, Liyue, and Mondstadt was in full swing: Liyue was fighting with Mondstadt and Sumeru over their border cities while Inazuma was looking for any opening to exploit, but Jean was trying to break the stalemate by getting Fontaine to commit an army. On the other corner of the board, Natlan, Snezhnaya, and Fontaine had some token battles, but the first two were otherwise beginning to encroach upon the rest of the board.

The diplomatic plays ended and the orders were submitted. Again, you dutifully relayed the orders and played them out.

The minute you finished shuffling the pieces around with your divine powers, comments between the players started flying.

“Jean,” Alhaitham looked at her pieces, speaking quite openly, “I find your stance towards Yelan quite curious. I thought you said it was in your best interest that we build our forces against Ningguang.”

Jean cleared her throat. “A strong accusation, considering you rebuffed that plan of mine. You said she was working with Guji Yae, but now that it’s clear that the latter is trying to steal a foothold beneath our noses, we agreed–”

“Excuse you?” Yae cut in, “I offered quite amicable terms to you, as many eavesdroppers can attest. If you’re looking for a scapegoat, might I suggest the person who has been playing you both?” She glared at Yelan.

“Your age must be blinding you, Guji.” Yelan steepled her fingers. “Your intentions are clear, but there are far worse dangers on this board–”

Ningguang interrupted her. “Worse than you violating our agreement to keep Huaguang clear? You should know better than to violate trust.”

“Yes, even worse than you saying you were willing to strike into Wolvendom on false pretenses.” Yelan turned to the two players on her right. “Our two dear players of Natlan and Snezhnaya are being quite quiet and chummy with each other.”

“Now, now,” Diluc said, “just because we’re not engaging in the madness of the eastern side of the board is no reason to throw accusations.”

“We would like to assure you,” Ayaka added, “that you all have plenty enough on your plates. Is it quite wise to send accusations so blindly?”

“I’m not sending empty accusations,” Yelan said, her voice sharpening, “I’m saying you two clearly have an alliance and are planning to sweep the board. We need to band together to–”

“Certainly not! See, we’re struggling over these border regions- quite difficult to be allied while you’re fighting each other.”

Ningguang interrupted, talking to Yelan. “I think it’s clever how you deflected criticism over your double-dealing with Alhaitham and Jean.”

“And I think it’s beginner-level squabbling,” Alhaitham said, “trying to deflect attention like that. Did you promise Windrise to Guji Yae for her help?” He looked over at Yae. “Sorry to say, I don’t think Ningguang is a sharing type. Might I suggest–”

“Really, Alhaitham?” Yae smiled at him. “Letting a little early-game betrayal get to you? I’d suggest not letting those crumbling alliances hurt your poor feelings too much. Might I suggest growing yourself some thicker skin?”

Jean stood up. “And might I suggest that you stop provoking everyone around you! You promised that you would help me past Dragonspine, yet now you’re playing nice with Ningguang!”

“Not to mention,” Alhaitham added, “that you made a similar offer to me, then started attacking me out of the blue. Watch, you’re going to start probing the Guili Plains soon enough, aren’t you? No one on the eastern coast can trust an Inazuma player.”

Yae laughed. “Oh, but do tell me how that front between you and Ningguang is going. Oh, that’s right, your little gambit south of the Chasm hasn’t exactly played out in your favor, has it? And you, Jean, darling, just stay in your corner of the board over there and let the more important nations play things out, yes?”

“Enough, Yae.” Ningguang sent her a glare. “Unless you have mastered the art of silent communication, it seems like you too lack strong alliances.”

“And you’re facing two fronts of conflict. If I don’t sweep in to secure those precious supply centers, you three will just keep swapping them back and forth to no end. Someone has to come out ahead in all this and it might as well be me.” She smiled as she looked in your direction. “I can already taste my victory and the sweetness of your lips.”

“Okay,” you cut in, “that’s enough time for the diplomatic phase. It’s time to write and submit orders.” You sat back in your chair. A productive diplomatic phase, all things considered! When an accusation or an agreement are just as important as moving a piece on the board, flying accusations are to be expected. Few can resist the allure of collecting all one’s allies to wipe an opponent from the board.

The turn passed mostly uneventfully. Skirmishes occurred, armies were forced back, territory changed hands. In the next diplomatic phase, though, there was a notable shift in tone between the characters. The players engaged more steadily with their allies; instead of a complex dance to test the waters, the lines were drawn on the battlefields- on the map and in their minds.

In the orders of that turn were the expected exchanges of Snezhnaya and Natlan, a concession of land from Mondstadt to Fontaine. But there was a further surprise- one of Alhaitham’s armies had been brought to Inazuma by Ningguang’s ships and captured a supply center on Watatsumi Island. When you read the orders aloud, it raised eyebrows from the other players on the board except one.

Yae Miko did not wear her usual smile the rest of that turn. When the players broke to discuss their next moves, she made a surprising choice of who to pull aside to deal with- Jean. They spoke in harsh, hushed voices. Deals were presented then discarded in short order until Yae said something that gave Jean pause.

You were intrigued and there were few in the audience, players included, that missed your interest. All eyes rested on those two players as they returned to the table and submitted their orders. You could feel things grow more tense as you read out the players’ orders one by one, until you read one of Ningguang’s fateful orders.

“Fleet in Central Line of Storms convoys Mingyun Village to Narukami Island.”

It only took a quick glance at the source province to confirm that the army counter was carved from aquamarine and belonged to Jean, not from Ningguang’s cor lapis. The room’s attention slowly turned to Yae and Jean.

Jean finished her drink and set her cup down, avoiding looking right at Yae. She spoke quietly. “I was offered quite amicable terms.”

The audience murmured and chuckled at her response, many likely having their own comebacks against the kitsune, but the rest of the orders were delivered to near apathy from the audience. Once a major betrayal began, there are few who could resist the allure of watching a player’s territory be devoured by their neighbors and erstwhile allies.

The last of Inazuma’s supply centers fell a turn later and with that, Yae Miko had lost.

As the turn ended, Keqing stepped forward and called for the game to pause- while things had just begun to turn interesting, they were out of time for the morning session. Lunch was ready to be served and few wanted to be kept waiting; besides, while many had come here to see the region’s finals of the Creator’s game, many more had come to vie for your attention.

The Yuheng took your arm after you rose and led you forward, the players following right behind, and the audience slowly following afterwards. Only Yae Miko remained sitting at the table, turning one of the amethyst counters in her hand.

#the brightest minds in west Teyvat #laid low by their Thirst for the Creator #sorry Yae #maybe next time don't simp for Them so loudly #sagau #self aware genshin #genshin impact #genshin cult au #yandere genshin impact #ask response

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tamiisnthere · 4 months

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Crossover Universe Maps and some Lore

I finally got around to writing some Lore about my Crossover Universe. I have to say that it will change over time, because I have constantly changed it over the years.

I admit that there won't be much, such as the whole history and culture, because I probably can't do good worldbuilding, I mostly do it for fun. Still I'm still ashamed of it...

I also have to mention that most of the islands have some parts of the lore of my favourite video games (since it's called Crossover Universe of course :P).

So anyways... Enjoy? ╮(￣～￣)╭

The Crossover Universe is actually a multiverse that connects several alternate universes in order not to damage their main timelines.

Planet Thansuokria:

The new residents named the planet Thansuokria, which was said to be larger than Earth. This water planet has several islands separated by stormy oceans. No one knows why individuals from any universes and timelines end up here. For some it's a great change, for others it's a disaster and they wish to return. Some think that Thansuokria may be an afterlife, as most of the residents have arrived shortly before dying or falling asleep, but this is largely denied.

Here is a smaller part of Thansuokria where the story takes:

Islands:

Azerwias (Warcraft) - The largest diverse island, the main residents of which are from Azeroth, Outland and Draenor. Relations between the Alliance and the Horde are usually very tense and they try to gain as much territory as possible. Nevertheless, both sides were able to make a peace agreement, but it is not known how long it will last.

Cross Island (Assassin's Creed) - An island owned by the Templars and Abstergo as the main base and ruled by a dictatorship. The Templars manipulate the Alliance so that they can eliminate their enemies easier and gradually expand their Order to other islands. Either way the Assassins try to stop them…

Fouria (Left 4 Dead) - Originally it was a holiday island, until one day an epidemic broke out there causing a zombie apocalypse. Today it is a strictly forbidden place where experiments are carried out to eliminate the virus. Fortunately, the virus did not spread further and a vaccine was even invented, which created immunity in the vaccinated. But the vaccine could no longer help the infected and new mutants were created from them, which managed to leave the island and reach other areas.

Mann Islands (Team Fortress) - Islands with an endless war between two companies RED (Reliable Excavation Demolition) and BLU (Builders League United). The arms company Mann Co located in it's city makes money from their war, but is even interested in doing business with the Alliance and the Templars, the Horde considers them as dishonest cowards. RED and BLU have mercenary teams that attack each other to get the rarest resources to make their products. Most mercenaries enjoy their jobs for the money and/or even the enjoyment of the combat, though there are exceptions who are there involuntarily.

Whirlsand Ruins (Warcraft, little bit) - A desert island that is impossible to live. This place is the main home of the bronze dragons guarding the center of the island. Some believe they guard timetraveling portals, as the bronze dragons of Azeroth are known for traveling and protecting time. It's still a mystery…

Pure Kingdom (OFF) - A mysterious island inhabited by humanoid beings called Purifiers who may have a probable connection to The Batter. Their kingdom isolates itself from other factions and refuses to form alliances or create wars because they consider them as impure. Rarely, red-eyed individuals have a curse that allows them to turn into a monster and threaten their surroundings. They are often exiled for this, as the Purifiers believe that the curse can spread among others and hope that the exiles will perish beyond the borders of their kingdom. But it's not always like that, and the cursed Purifiers can find a new home in an unknown world…

Island of Eagle (Assassin's Creed) - The hidden island of the Assassin's Brotherhood, where they only live in the secret small town Accipiteria and the rest of the island is wilderness, so that their archenemies the Templars will never find them. It had been going like this for a many years since they entered that world, unfortunately one day they were attacked by the Templars, destroyed their town and captured or killed several Assassins. The survivors managed to escape in the south to safety.

Havaykia (Crossover, made this island since childhood) - An isolated island that rebuilds a sanctuary for those who have fled their homelands and can live here in peace. It is mainly known for the diversity of inhabitants from other islands living in harmony and the exotic colorful wildlife. Since Havaykia does not support wars and colonization, several factions are still interested in getting this territory for themselves, but the inhabitants of the island defend their rights to freedom.

Oceans and Seas:

Waves of Silence - It got its name from the waves, which for a mysterious reason cannot heard any sounds.

The Proud Waters - Ships of important personalities and politicians who enjoy sailing expeditions often sail along these waters.

The Whispering Depths - Legends say that in this sea at night there are whispers of sailors who died in storms during their voyages.

Sea of Lost Souls - It is infamous for the high number of lost ships. At first, no one understood why, until eventually they discovered that this sea has the largest number of marine reptiles like mosasaurs, which attack smaller ships and hunt sailors. They believe that mosasaurs hunt on ships because they often mistake them for their usual prey (whales in this case). Fortunately, they managed to find a safer way to cross to the other side of the sea.

Ocean of Unknown - The most dangerous ocean on the planet. Nobody knows what lies behind the aggressive waves and storms. If anyone tried to find out, they never returned. Some people think that Thansuokria is flat, but in fact the part of the ocean where they live is just the tip of the planet's iceberg.

The Heart Sea - Named after the shape of the heart. There is a diverse ecosystem and a rich coral reef with both modern and prehistoric animals.

Island Havaykia:

An island with a very varied nature and a diverse population. Several mountains and waters are named after the area's most common animal or shape, such as the Dragon's River or Cheetah's Valley. Havaykia is mainly known for the occurrence of modern and prehistoric animals and plants and rare creatures such as hypogryphons and griffons. Around the island there are several smaller islands that are strictly protected by law due to the occurrence of endemic species of fauna and flora, such as Moho's Island located close to the Small Coral Reef. Even though the population is diverse and coexisting, discrimination still exists unfortunately.

Cities, Towns and Villages:

Ashte'quel - the capital and largest city of Havaykia, where all races and factions coexist peacefully.

Falahnaar - the city of Kaldorei, which is quite similar to the now destroyed city of Darnassus from Azeroth. The Night Elves tend the wilderness and a gigantic tree called Kaldrassil.

Oakheart City - the city of former Alliance's fighters. It is the oldest city of Havaykia, where the first inhabitants settled. It is named after the occurrence of oak forests with heart-shaped leaves.

Greentree - the harbor city, where the best fishermen of the island live.

Mardual - the city of former Horde's warriors who see war as a dishonest and pointless fight for territories that do not belong to them.

Warpeace - the oldest city from the Horde's side. The city got its name from a small civil war due to food shortages, which luckily ended without fatal consequences.

Raptoria - the village of trolls, which is known for important breeding of several genuses and species of raptors.

Peatgor - the city covered with peat. It is known to archive the historical writings of Havaykia.

Red and Blue Forts - the both cities of former mercenaries from both teams. Even though they are no longer fighting each other, there is still tension and discrimination between them.

Sahrasaeida - the village near an oasis and a popular resting place for travelers.

Faenanor - the school village of druids, where newcomers learn new skills of druidism.

Strix - the Kaldorei's village, known for its important breeding of birds of prey and owls.

Gepardia - the village later becoming a town. Residents do projects to protect the cheetahs, but other endangered species and the environment on the island.

Cheetah's Valley:

Cheetah's Valley is mainly a savanna area known for the highest population of cheetahs. This is the most peaceful and safest place on the island, but it's not always like that. The climate is mostly mild and the savannah part of the valley experiences high temperatures in summer and snow in winter at higher elevations.

Points of Interest:

Entrance into the Valley - The only land entrance to the valley, as Pecker's Hills and Falcon's Highlands are often dangerous to pass through. Herds of animals often pass through it.

TaE Family's Ranch - Home of the TaE Family, which is not just like a family, but also like a small community that is outsided by society. They raise domesticated hadrosaurs and small feathered theropods, but also help injured and abandoned animals. Since there is nothing there that would attract the other factions, the Templars still plan to take over their ranch and could use it to create a new position for Abstergo. Of course the TaE Family fights back and for this they later form an alliance with the Assassins to save their home.

Assassin's Hideout - The new home of the Assassin's Brotherhood since the destruction of the Accipiteria. They settled in Falcon's Highlands to keep the Templars from getting to them and started training new novices. Assassins travel all over the island on missions to make the island a better place with more freedom.

Palins Farm - A farm owned by the Palins Family, who are family friends of the TaE Family and trade supplies with each other. The Palins Family work honestly and as a result they usually have the best vegetables and fruits grown in the valley.

Survivor's Saferoom - A shelter located not far from Gepardia where the survivors live. They keep their distance from others as they have had interactions with the Infected and can be carriers until they find out the vaccine exists. Still, they decided to hunt down the Infected so as not to endanger the innocent.

Cheetah Sanctuary - Rescue center for cheetahs and other animals and educate the public about fauna, ecosystem and environment.

RED & BLU Camps - The camps of both teams, where the mercenaries came to find available materials for production, which is illegal in Havaykia.

Infected's Refuge - A hidden place within the borders of Pecker's Hills, where the Infected and mutants hide from the civilization that wants to eliminate them.

TaE Family's Ranch:

Ranch Entrance - A stone arch welcomes visitors.

TaE Family's House - A large house where 25 people can live there.

Workshop - There they are created and repaired as fences, furniture and wooden decorations.

Warehouse - Food grown there is supplied.

Food Garden - Fruits and vegetables are grown, which are in charge of Elphina, Tarion and Relante.

Hadrosaur's Barn - A stable where hadrosaurs such as Parasaurolophus, Lambeosaurus, Olorotitan, Corythosaurus and Tsintaosaurus are housed, but also smaller dinosaurs such as Dryosaurus and Leaellynasaura. There are incubators for eggs dropped by females and stall boxes for babies.

Hadrosaur's Enclosure - Herbivorous dinosaurs graze and live like in the wild. On the left side of the enclosure, there are three lookouts through which you can safely observe the dinosaurs.

Lily Lake - Water source for enclosure residents and fun fishing.

Mini Raptor's Enclosures - Two aviaries where Microraptors and Archeopteryxes are kept.

Cerato's Enclosure - The enclosure of TaE Family's tamed Ceratosaurus named Cerato (I'll probably change the name later because it's a bland name for Ceratosaurus), which was raised by Clara.

Veterinary Building - Injured and sick animals are treated here.

Recovering Enclosure - An enclosure for treated animals to recover, so that they can later return to nature.

#so... I apologize for saying yesterday it will take a long time bcs I thought I would lose motivation shortly but luckily it stayed #it's not perfect but I'm glad that at least I wrote something #tamiisnthere's artwork #tamiisnthere's fanfic #Crossover Universe

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grayrazor · 8 days

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I really don't like the recurring idea that if the Federation and Klingons go to war, the Klingons run roughshod over the Federation and can only be defeated by a deus ex machina.

It feels very conservative, very Red Dawn or Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, that a liberal bureaucratic state is weak and womanly, and will be inevitably dominated by a strong manly warrior race.

If anything, it'd be more reflective of what we know now about WWII, the Cold War, and after, if Klingon aggression is mostly a bluff.

They know the Federation massively outclasses them in terms of population and industry, and are ruining their own economy dumping everything into the military in the hopes that the Federation doesn't realize it too.

"The Federation says they're all about peaceful coexistence, but what if they're lying? How would we survive?"

Section 31 was created to explain how how such a pacifist organization as the Federation could survive with hostile empires on all sides. I think it’d be better if it was really just because the UFP is such a diverse alliance, it inherently has more population and industry than the many single-race empires.

If on a full wartime footing, the Federation should probably win simultaneous wars against the Klingons, Romulans, and Cardassians even if just by burying them in starships and soldiers.

I give Discovery a lot of crap for this, but much as I love DS9 they were really bad about buying into the whole "hard men making hard decisions win wars" idea, both in terms of portraying the Federation as needing the occasional war crime to survive, and in terms of the Terran Empire being overrun by the barbarians after they became more progressive.

#star trek #politics #economics #war #star trek the next generation #yesterday's enterprise #star trek deep space nine #way of the warrior #star trek discovery #the vulcan hello #battle of the binary stars #cold war #russia #nato #fall of rome #section 31 #in the pale moonlight

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berniesrevolution · 1 year

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IN THESE TIMES

For nearly 40 years, Berlin Nightclub has set itself apart through its progressive, come-as-you-are atmosphere, late-night dance floor extravaganzas and bold, diverse drag performances. Now, workers at the club are seeking to set Berlin apart in a new way — by becoming the first nightclub in Chicago’s gay enclave with a unionized staff.

According to Jolene Saint, a bartender who has been working at Berlin for more than six years, on February 28th, workers at Berlin filed for union election with UNITE HERE Local 1 — a union representing more than 15,000 hospitality workers in Chicagoland. Two days later, staff notified management of their decision.

Saint says workers’ decision to unionize is “not personal, it’s not because we hate anybody — it’s because we know we could have better working conditions.” Two of Berlin workers’ key priorities resemble those of most union drives: better pay and healthcare. Saint, for instance, currently makes $9 an hour plus tips as a bartender, and does not receive health insurance from the club — both things she’d like to see improve. Workers In These Times spoke to said they would also like to see improvements such as proper breaks and consistent scheduling.

Yet other demands at the club have to do with its nature as a queer bar in a time when those spaces are under threat. As homophobic and transphobic rhetoric and violence increase nationally, Saint says she and her coworkers are also worried about violence coming towards the club from the outside. Workers In These Times spoke to mentioned security improvements they would like to see, including proper uniforms for all security staff as well as cut-proof jackets. Chelle Crotinger, who has been part of the club’s security staff for about five months, says they want to use the union as a way to ensure that security team members receive more in-person de-escalation and standard self-defense training.

“People often say that gay bars or queer bars are community spaces,” Saint says. “If they want to live up to that promise, they need to take care of the people who are making that happen … so that we can make people feel welcome, and loved.” Leo Sampson, who has been working at Berlin since fall 2021 and performs at the club as drag king Luv Ami-Stoole, sees fighting for the union as an act of community care.“In a time where the political climate is so anti-drag and anti-trans, I think it’s important to remember we are all we’ve got is this community and we have to support each other,” he says.

Berlin’s union drive follows other recent efforts to improve conditions in Chicago’s queer nightlife scene. During the summer 2020, Chicago drag queen Jo MaMa and other local drag performers held a Drag March for Change, which drew 15,000 protestors. In the wake of the march, a group of performers formed the Chicago Black Drag Council, which held town halls to address racism in the nightlife scene in Northalsted and launched a mutual aid fund for BIPOC nightlife workers. Since then, workers at two of the city’s largest LGBTQ nonprofit organizations, Howard Brown Health Centers and Brave Space Alliance, have been fighting to unionize, which Sampson says has made the community more aware of labor issues. On Friday, members of Howard Brown Health Workers United joined Berlin workers on a picket line outside of the club. “We’re sort of inspiring each other to fight for what is right,” he says.

Crotinger sees their union drive as a way to help ensure Berlin remains a safe space for future generations amid larger-scale systemic attacks on queer and trans people. “In queer communities, we don’t really have the privilege of relying on legacy because it’s largely been taken away from us, whether it’s been through legislation or been through neglect of medical intervention for the AIDS epidemic,” they say. “I feel it’s our responsibility now … to establish something that is going to last beyond us.”

(Continue Reading)

#politics #the left #in these times #lgbt #lgbt community #workers rights #organized labor #organizing #progressive #progressive movement

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dailyanarchistposts · 28 days

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Khomeini’s Conquest

The months following the fall of the Shah was a springtime of revolution, a period of conflict and social struggle that provided a challenge to the new authorities. When workers returned to work, in many industries they did so under the control of the shoras (workers councils). Political organizations, suddenly free to operate after years of repression, began to flourish. Neighborhoods self-organized under the control of local committees. Universities became bases of left-wing opposition. The provinces were in rebellion.

How could such a broad based popular movement, with the oldest and largest left in the Middle East, result in the establishment of a clerical theocracy? While repression played a large role, the full story is far more complicated.

While the proletariat was strong and militant enough to overthrow the regime, they were not in a position to assert their hegemony over the movement. Moreover, almost immediately after the fall of the Shah, conflicts began to manifest within the coalition of revolutionary forces. While the movement was broad and popular, its leadership was drawn from the petit-bourgeoisie of the bazaari-clerical alliance. The problem for the new regime would therefore be to somehow establish undisputed political hegemony over this diverse patchwork of revolutionized groups, as well as the masses more broadly.

It was not merely through extreme violence in the streets that Khomeini and his supporters were able to solidify their leadership over the popular movement. Certainly, they did employ lumpen-thugs (calling themselves the Hezbollah) to attack opposition rallies and break strikes. But their success was equally due to ideological manipulation. If there was one overarching ideological trait of the 1979 revolution it was anti-imperialism. Far more than an outcome of some religious revival or resistance to modernity, the Islamic ideology of the day assumed the form of a Third Worldist populism, one which would become so hegemonic over the revolution that all questions relating to it would eventually be seen through its prism. This was especially the case for the left, who contributed to this ideological confusion. It was through the manipulation of anti-imperialist ideology that the Khomeinist clergy was able to secure and maintain its hegemony over the revolution.

A key factor in Khomeini’s ability to rapidly gain control over the movement lay in the near-total political vacuum that existed under the Shah’s dictatorship. The entire weight of the regime’s repression had been turned against the communist movement and the secular nationalists. For the masses of rural people who flooded into cities during the decade preceding the revolution, their traditional community having been disrupted by the land reform, the mosque was often the only place where they could find remnants of that community. However, mosques were not neutral, but under the control of the cleric, who found in this newly dispossessed population a ready audience. These cultural affinities were fused with a utopian-populist ideology that promised to end corruption and inaugurate a period of justice, uniting the various classes into an abstract people.

It is often suggested that the regime of Muhammad Reza Shah was hostile to Islam, or was pursuing a program of radical secularization. This is inaccurate: like his father, he was more interested in bringing religion under the control or service of the state. Although he sought modernization and national development, his approach to religion depended on how it served the state. For the Shah, the main enemy was the communist and left-wing opposition. Although the Pahlavi regime certainly promoted a nationalist ideology that emphasized the pre-Islamic past, the regime was not averse to using Islam when it served its purposes. It pursued a strategy that would be replicated throughout the region, encouraging religious ideology to counter the popularity of the Left. While the full repressive and propagandistic force of the state was wielded against the left, the Islamic forces enjoyed an incredible freedom, and even encouragement. Far from closing down mosques, the last Shah funded more mosques, prayer halls, and religious services. So long as they did not directly challenge the state or the monarchy, they were free to operate. This was especially the case if they directed their ire against godless communism. Many of those clergy who would be important figures in the Khomenist movement during the 1979 revolution featured prominently in magazines and newspapers, and regularly appeared on radio and television. Of course, there was repression against the religious political opposition, but only of groups that directly opposed the regime. Those figures who stayed away from direct discussion of politics were given room to maneuver, which was unthinkable for the left.

Khomeini’s intransigence and relative freedom of expression while in France soon made him the symbolic leader of the revolution — proof that symbols, when invested with enough power, become powers of their own. Khomeini enjoyed a network the communist movement could only dream of, with a strong following among middle and lower ranking clergy. As tapes of Khomieini’s speeches were widely shared and distributed, mosques everywhere soon became a platform for voicing dissent. During the revolutionary insurrection of 1978–79, the neighborhood committees that would later serve as an important base of the revolution were organized out of mosques in which the cleric was in control. These were increasingly controlled by a centralized revolutionary committee composed of Khomieni’s supporters. Those that had remained independent were soon brought under control. These committees soon began to organize militias.[19] Over time, these committees were all brought to heel, usually through violent repression. What they couldn’t dominate by means of loyalists, they broke through frontal repression. But it was in Kurdistan where the autonomy from the central government was maintained the longest. This partially explains the repression that the state has always levied against the people there, who never fully accepted the Islamic Republic.

On November 7th, 1979 Khomeinist students took over the American Embassy. The crisis came at a perfect moment, when economic problems and frustration with the revolution was beginning to grow. One cannot understand the hostage crisis unless one recognizes that it was less about conflict with the US than about defeating the domestic opposition, particularly the Marxist guerrilla groups. It had the dual outcome of both forcing the resignation of the liberal nationalist provisional government and defeating the radical left, who still battled for hegemony over the anti-imperialist revolution. Prior to the hostage crisis, the new regime had no intention of opposing the United States. In this sense, the embassy takeover was the anti-imperialist spectacle perfected: by drawing attention away from the struggles taking place in the rest of the country, students who only recently would have been seen by their Marxist counterparts as religious fanatics and rectionaries could now present themselves as the vanguard of the anti-imperialist struggle. In this way, the crisis helped the religious factions defeat the left and secure their hegemony over the revolution.

From 1980 to 1983 the state launched a “cultural revolution” with the intention of purging the universities and educational institutions of radical left influence. Schools were shut down, faculty purged. Resistance was met with severe repression, leading to fierce battles between leftist students and Islamist thugs. The same was the case with the worker’s councils in the factories, although in this case the initiative lay with the left-wing parties. Although the councils developed spontaneously out of the strike committees organized during the mass strike of 1978–79, they enjoyed the participation of the Left, who were invited to play a role in their direction. Whereas those workers councils that were dominated by the Khomeinists often tended to be corporatist in ideology, the more radical worker’s councils were democratic in nature.

This difference points to the decisive question — by no means unique to Iran — of the internal diversity of the working class. The rapid and uneven character of capitalist development over the previous decade had created a significant though not unsurpassable chasm, a phenomenon common to many nations in the global south, particularly where development is marked by advanced technology, as opposed to more primitive forms of accumulation. This chasm meant that there was an important cultural difference between “new” and “old” workers, one that the Islamists played upon and used against the left and working class movement. There was a marked difference between the newly-proletarianized manual laborers or unemployed workers and second generation urbanites, who enjoyed different sources of entertainment and tended to support the secular parties of the left. This included white collar workers, but also “skilled” workers in modern industries including oil, gas, and petrochemicals, which were central to the state and economy. Similar differences existed at the level of education, as well as in lifestyles. The clergy played upon this difference with their ideas of cultural imperialism. Imperialism was affiliated not merely with the rule of capital, but with all facets of Western culture, Marxism included. The upper sectors of the working class were characterized as Westernized, a trend consistent with Third World populism elsewhere, particularly in nations that are not among the farthest flung regions of the periphery and underdeveloped, but which are developing more rapidly in the direction of the global system.

Like fascist regimes before them, the Khomeini regime used disorder to establish order. They did not merely conquer the state but also seized power in the street, through the action of their revolutionary committees. By 1983 they had defeated all their political opponents. From the beginning, the Islamic Republic always incorporated a segment of the population into its police apparatus to surveil and repress the rest of the population. This policy allowed it to channel the cultural resentment of the lumpenproletariat into the regime’s repression, and marked an important departure from the preceding regime.

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goingrampant · 2 months

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The Mean Girls musical remake has a general political problem caused by them overtly trying to be more progressive than both the first film and the play, meaning that whatever they do in the movie is specifically a statement and can't be excused by the nastiness of the setting and characters. They went to great effort to excise the meanness of the girls and any jokes that could be read as off-color (even at the expense of lyrics rhyming), while inserting cultural diversity and general political progressivism, so the film's political content is a didactic assertion of what is to be taken as good and correct. And that content is fatphobic, transphobic, and antisemitic.

The original film's concept was that Cady tries to infiltrate the Plastics (the mean girls) to destroy them from within but actually assimilates and becomes a mean girl, ending up Regina's match because she can out-mean her, and then must relearn how to be nice. As part of her takedown of Regina's reign, Cady attacks Regina's ability to influence people as a traditionally attractive older teen girl by tricking her into eating weight-gain supplements to make her fat. This is fundamentally antagonistic to fat girls but falls into a grey area where the whole setting is nasty, and most of the characters are cutthroat. It's literally in the name: Mean Girls. However, the second film goes to such efforts to sanitize everything and keep Cady likable while pushing political progressivism that the retention of the idea that Regina loses her attractiveness and becomes a figure of ridicule when she gains weight makes the film aggressively fatphobic. The film actually changes a detail to be more progressive, associated with racial politics, where Cady's parents originally had the weight-gain supplements to give to starving Africans, and then the new film has it that they had it to give to sick elderly people. They were concerned that the plot might be problematic enough to change that detail but retained laughing at Regina being fat and indicating she can no longer be seen as hot.

Similarly, the film's emphasis on gay-positivity in contrast to the original film, which was criticized for only implying Janis might be a lesbian, makes the transphobic jokes stand out as especially pointed. In the first film, Regina slanders Janis by spreading a rumor she's a lesbian, when it's left ambiguous if she is or isn't. In the second film, Janis comes out as a proud lesbian before Regina slanders her for being a stalker. That progressive portrayal of Janis' sexuality and reduction of Regina's homophobia combines with the positive portrayal of Damian as an out and proud gay guy, who has a very flamboyant personality in the new film, and the musical film's Broadway atmosphere to make a general assertion of strong gay positivity. This is the context in which two new jokes lead us to laugh at teen boys who transgress gender norms: Damian trying to use female names in French class before being put in his place by a female teacher, and sexual harrasser Jason being revealed as not as manly as he pretends when Regina pressures him to use a natural feminine voice.

In the first case, there's a weird idea put forward that being gay is good and being trans is bad. Damian is very well accepted in his environment as a gay guy, but his assertion of a female identity, a sort of drag persona, is framed as an obnoxious disruption that the teacher absolutely must put her foot down to stop. It's kind of a terf point, like the producers studied what was popular in the left and determined LGB Alliance was popular, so they could treat trans people as problematic while building up gay people to appeal to the left. Notably, the scene represents a change from the original aggressive white woman German teacher whose nature alluded to Nazism. The remake makes her a legitimately annoyed Asian woman French teacher who frames Damian's gayness positively while putting her foot down when he crosses the line and disrupts the gender binary.

In the second case, Jason is built up as unlikable so that his humiliation is cathartic, putting a sexist in his place. Regina is able to use her meanness for good. It is framed as a progressive, feminist change. It is also fundamentally transphobic for centering Jason's feminine natural voice as more real than his gender expression, whose reveal undermines any hope he has as being seen as an effective man. He is put in his place, humiliated righteously as a victory for women. There are parallels to trans men and transphobic feminism. Jason could be a trans man or, at least, stands for the idea of trans men as a naturally feminine man who takes steps to assert a traditionally masculine gender performance and is told by the progressive, feminist authority figure that he needs to cut that out and reveal how he is naturally ineffective as a man, so no one lets him interact with them like a traditional man. It’s a terf message.

As for the antisemitism, it concerns the erasure of Gretchen's Jewish identity. There's a brief reference to Jewish culture in the first film when she mentions celebrating Hanukkah, and her name implies an Ashkenazi heritage. The play's actress has overt Ashkenazi features. It's not a big deal but clearly part of the plot. The musical film both removes that and replaces it with Hispanic culture, Gretchen now Latina as an apparent means of inserting racial and cultural diversity like changing fellow mean girl Karen from a white girl to an Indian girl. The implication is that being Jewish is an aspect of being white and necessary to get rid of when cleaning out all the white supporting characters for progressive racebending. There are, of course, Hispanic Jews, but the previous versions of Gretchen are Ashkenazi as an ethnic identity, which may or may not be counted as white, depending on the circumstances. However, it's not just an alternate way to portray a white person, and there’s a whole ethnic identity that could be played up for the diversity angle, the erasure of which contributes to a general atmosphere of antisemitism as well as the antisemitic idea that Jewish identity can be dismissed as part of whiteness when making a progressive statement against white oppressors. We can see elements of that in the leftist antisemitism targeting Jews for perceived association with white colonialism.

(When I complained about this Jewish erasure on Twitter, Jewish film critic Danielle Solzman commented that she was aso bugged by that but forgot to mention it in her review.)

The Mean Girls musical remake is a mess for various filmmaking reasons, but the most insidious and disturbing aspect of it is its reactionary politics presented as progressive. It presents itself as containing a general atmosphere of fun, progressive content but then contains harmful political points. I am sure that the people behind this thought it was progressive, that this was the way to make money by appealing to the left, but that just shows how much the left must clean up its own adoption of harmful ideas.

#mean girls #mean girls 2024 #fatphobia #transphobia #antisemitism #leftist antisemitism

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wealmostaneckbeard · 9 months

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D&D World Building

The Continent is split between The Iron Oligarchy, Tribes of the God-Corpse Woods, and The League of Pact-Cities.

The Iron Oligarchy

A dwarven-giant industrial/trade conglomerate. Their territory covers the tallest mountain range in the Continent, Vulkan's Gift, as well as large swaths of the Underdark. Profits are split 50/50 between small and big kin, as the ancient contracts dictate (Which must never be violated lest ruin come to all who signed it). Big Kin are fire, stone, cloud and thunder giants, as well as their Goliath servants. Small kin are Hill, Mountain, and Deep Dwarves as well as Rock/Deep Gnomes. As their name implies, most iron goods sold across the Continent are produced in their forges. The Oligarchy use their wealth to maintain a professional army supported by mercenary auxiliaries. Standard oligarchy army formation consist of one or two giants hurling projectiles over slowly advancing shield-wall fighters commanded by war-priests of Vulkan. Mercenary Goblinoids and Drow provide much needed fast/stealth attack power. Experimental clockwork fighters and (slightly) more reliable Golems are kept in reserve for special occasions. These forces are necessary for the defense of the Oligarchy's forges, mines, and trade convoys against raiders as well as more disturbing threats. Soldiers who have earned many honors might be invited to serve at the Oligarchy's Planar Gate. These honored champions may go on expeditions to the elemental planes of fire and earth where rare materials can be extracted.

Tribes of the God-Corpse Woods

It is said that long ago a deity was killed in a particularly gruesome fashion, it's remains scattered across the Continent. From it's dismembered flesh a great and resilient forest grew up. Tribes of Humans, Orcs, Elves, and Forest Gnomes patrol this forest alongside Ents/Dryads, Lycanthropes, and Fey guardians. While the tribes can unite together against common enemies they are divided by beliefs regarding the future. The Singers of Spring believe that The Deity will be reborn from the earth and bring about a new evergreen age. These followers prosthelytize for the protection of the woods, the benefits of having a connection to nature, and the arts of druidic magic. The Zealots of Summer cite numerous blighted grounds within the forest where the undead rise as evidence that The Great One was undergoing some dark corruption and had to conflagrate itself before it was too late. These followers are militant slayers of evil but are willing to make sacrifices and compromises for the greater good. The Revelers of Fall believe that there is a Coming Pantheon of Gods waiting to be summoned if the right conditions are fulfilled. The Revelers search for mana infused places across The Continent where they perform experimental rituals ... which have been responsible for one demonic outbreak, two separate births of benevolent small gods, and an islet tainted by The Far Realm's influence. The Prophets of Winter believe that the God-Killer is still out there somewhere, sated for now but could be roused to destroy the world if someone does something REALLY foolish. The prophets give orders to assassins to ensure that the only one who knows how to awaken the God-Killer is the soul-scrap of the Nameless Dead God that the prophets secretly commune with. A single Tribe of the God-Woods can have many members of different races and beliefs, making the whole Tribe seem highly unpredictable to outsiders in both combat and diplomacy.

The League of Pact-Cities

This alliance consists of 5 diverse urban centers linked by magical infrastructure and political ties. Serendipity is the nominal capital of the League and home to a large population of Githzerai and Flumphs who draft works of arcane legislation. Kraken's Bane is a half-sunken port kept busy with sustainable fishing/trade (and an occasional monster hunt) that's inhabited by various oceanic races such as Tritons and Sea Elves. Drakkenhope is a holy city for Dragonborn and Kobolds, where priesthoods of Tiamat and Bahamut see to the needs of the masses as well as blessing delvers who search the Ever Shifting Catacombs for dragon eggs to return to the surface for hatching. Recurrent Wing is a flying city filled with Air Genasi, Aasimar, and Aaracrocka residents who work at yards where skyships are built and maintained. The city of Harvestville is (obviously) the bread basket of the Pact, home to Goliaths, Humans, Halflings, and Earth Genasi who work their supernaturally fertile crops year round. The Pact-Cities rely on four tiers of Security Teams to deal with threats of escalating proportions: Beast Control Teams are locals equipped and trained by the Pact to handle outbreaks of hostile creatures. Anti-Brigand Teams take down corrupt officials within city boundaries and criminals that retreat outside them. Combined Arms Teams are highly trained casters and warriors, deployed via magic anywhere deadly precision force is required. Finally, Massive Crisis Teams can fortify locations and prepare citizens quickly for the onset of military invasions or planar incursions. Teams are encouraged to recognize each other's authority, knowing when to step in and help, or step back and ask for help.

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fantasyinvader · 8 months

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Last night's post didn't quite sit well with me. Something seemed to be missing, and as it was shaking around in my head today it clicked into place with something else. And then, it began clicking with more stuff, to the point it explains some of the weak parts of the writing such as the recruitment and no one ever challenging Edelgard.

I'm going to go over this again. The basis of this was the Crest of Flames and who bears in the game. We have Nemesis, Edelgard and Byleth all having it, alongside it's origin Sothis. The thing was how Nemesis had people believing he was a hero despite historical texts making him out to be a tyrant.

“Under the tyranny of ruthless disorder, the people endured a long period of suffering. The vile Nemesis, who proclaimed himself the King of Liberation, delighted in war and bloodshed. Rather than rebelling against his persecution, the people of Fódlan fell to his depths in a mad scramble to attain power through murder and theft.” The History of Fodlan Part 1.

Adding to this is Seteth's own claim against Edelgard following taking the Bridge. However, his statement is subject to localization changes.

Seteth: It is clear that Edelgard is not some cruel emperor who holds her people in a vice-like grip. There is something more driving our foes.

This line is pretty consistent with translations into European languages, but translating the Japanese, Chinese and Korean all reveal that something was added to it. Their lines are more “Edelgard isn't just/ is more than a tyrannical Emperor...” It does point to how there seems to be something else at play with her troops fighting to the death and unwilling to retreat. The lines saying she isn't cruel or ruling with an iron fist are added. And the thing I connected it to was how before taking the Bridge wegot a letter from Claude, saying that there was something about Byleth that made him trust them.

Claude's Letter: I don't know exactly why, but I feel that I can trust you. So I'm going to do just that. To that end, I propose an exchange.

Claude's symbolism points to his Poison/Flame being aversion or hatred. As he makes out in his supports, he's adverse to religion and is shown to blame the Church for keeping Fodlan isolated resulting in his outsider status. He's not willing to fight with the Church here, won't ask them to join him at Gronder and doesn't leave the Alliance and Failnaught in their care after he gets his ass kicked, but he is willing to create a diversion for them so that they may take the Bridge in order to march on the Empire (ironically, if he had joined them the Church wouldn't have suffered the same level of casualties, being able to join him at Gronder and preventing the Alliance army falling to pieces. On top of that, considering Dimitri sent an envoy seeking support at well, if Claude had done this we would have ended up with Church, Alliance and Kingdom united at Gronder. But then again, if Dimitri had waited than chances are the Empire would have steamrolled the Alliance and marched on Garreg Mach due to the lack of chaos there... really shows how important the three-way clash at Gronder really is. Byleth is only able to defeat Edelgard because Dimitri and Claude acted on their respective poisons/flames of ignorance/delusion and hatred/aversion.). Yet despite this, in SS where he never really interacted much with Byleth but is still willing to help them out despite his neutral stance (though Edelgard has begun attacking the Alliance so that neutral stance doesn't hold up much.

Alois Part 1 Death Card: Disappeared after the battle of Garreg Mach, in an engagement between Imperial and Alliance forces.

Likewise, Hopes has Edelgard imply that her attraction to Byleth is a result of their Crests interacting. So the main take-away here was that the Crest of Flames seems to attract people to it's bearers. Nemesis was a tyrant, yet people still viewed him as a hero following his death. The people of the Empire are against the war, yet we got Seteth's above observation that they refuse to surrender or fall back. And then we have Byleth.

Attraction does seem to be a fitting word for it. The third poison/flame is greed or attachment, while the Japanese name for Crimson Flower is Safflower. Safflowers, a type of thistle and therefore a far cry from a red rose meaning love (thanks again translators), symbolize attraction and say that the giver is trying to ensnare a relationship or good luck. You could also argue that by naming the route Safflower, the developers make it an attractive path of thorns and therefore it's a sinful route.

I argued that when you looked at those unable to be recruited, it seems to suggest that the influence of the Crest of Flames does not seem to override free will. Dedue's loyalty to Dimitri prevents him from joing Byleth outside of AM, even when he survives storming the palace with them, and you can't do much with Gilbert outside of that route either. Catherine, Seteth and Cyril won't go against Rhea, while Flayn will abandon the Black Eagles if they go Flower. Hilda notices something is up with Edelgard during the school year and refuses to join her as well. Claude and Dimitri won't join you in Silver Snow for already explained reasons, while Edelgard breaks her attachment to Byleth and the Academy to go through with her plan. Hubert won't leave Edelgard and her Crest of Flames' side, while Jertiza can't be recruited in the main game (but his relationship with Mercedes allows him to do so in Azure Gleam. As his mental status hasn't deteriorated quite as much at that point). Byleth themself is pointed towards Edelgard, and will only join her due to having enough of a support level with her and on top of that abandoning their class for a week at her request. Even then, Byleth can still opt to not join her.

But here's what clicked for me today. Remember that FEH comic where Edelgard went looking for “pawns?” What was her criteria again? “I need people easy to manipulate, with low sense of self...” and abandons the plan when she deems it too much trouble after seeing that the Fallen units have too strong-willed. Strong-willed, I feel is the point here.

It takes a strong-will to ignore the attraction to the Crest of Flames, and the fact that Edelgard seems to recognize this shows she banks on this. All the people who fight for her do so because they're weak-willed.

Let's go back to Nemesis for a second. Notice the use of the word “persecution,” yet the document acts like rebelling against him considering the disorder, war and bloodshed of his rule as it would be the most sensible course of action. Instead, the people followed his example which in turn led to Emperor Wilhelm starting the War of Heroes, intent on unifying the continent, stopping this madness, and crushing clans that sought to increase their own power and instead installed a meritocracy based around, according to the Hanneman/Dorothea support (though again, altered in the translation to make the following Hanneman's own definition of merit rather than the ideals he sought to embody), knowledge and protecting the people. What's more, when we fight Nemesis Claude has this line when fighting an Elite (his ancestor).

Claude: Hey... Can you speak?

Reigan: ...

Claude: Just puppets controlled by Nemesis... Well, they're the strongest puppets I've ever known.

That last map is know as "For the Freedom of Fodlan."

Then we look at Edelgard. We know she's targeting the faith, but a NPC in Flower reveals that in doing so has created unrest within the Empire. A line removed from the translation mentions an “information campaign,” but that's not the end of it. Ferdinand and Lysithea's Paralogue also reveals people are against the war but being conscripted in order to fight...and executed if they resist.

Lysithea: Correct. And he (Arundel) imposed even heavier taxes on the people, squeezing them painfully dry. The people were conscripted for duty. Any who opposed were killed on the spot.

Then look at Edelgard's support with Balthus in Hopes, where she lays out her goals.

Edelgard: I've set out to unite all of Fodlan. I've started a war over it. That means destroying any who oppose me and protecting all who stand with me. If you believe in me and share my ideals, I will never abandon you.

So, Edelgard is willing to destroy any who oppose her, only protecting those who believe in her and support the ideals she, in her own words, is hopelessly committed to. We have Hubert killing those who oppose her in his endings, with his Shamir ending mentioning rebellions against Edelgard being put down from the shadows. Imperial soldiers kill all that don't surrender. We know the people are conscripted to fight, executed in at least two regions (Hymr and Arundel) if they resist, and the commoners are oppressed according to an Edelgard-aligned Shez. Yet people still fight for her, unwilling to call her out or back down.

Edelgard is linked to the idea of hegemony, which means something (such as a political state) having dominant influence or authority over others according to Merriam-Webster. Dominant influence, and Edelgard is looking for people who are “easy to manipulate, with a low sense of self” while being turned off by those too strong-willed. She shares the same Crest with Nemesis, whose followers are mindless puppets in Verdant Wind's last map. They both are characterized as oppressive tyrants, persecuting the people and pushing the remaining people into following their beliefs. We even have some starting units say in Scarlet Blaze that Edelgard asked them to join and they said yes without thinking.

Dorothea to an Edelgard-aligned Ferdinand: Oh, Ferdie. You opposed Edie for so long... I had real hopes for you, you know? Now you're following her. Is that your duty as a noble? Follow your master when they say to heel?

We see characters aligned with Edelgard acting in ways that goes against who they were in White Clouds. Ferdinand above is one such example, ditto stuff like Petra saying she is the will of the Emperor. Edelgard herself makes opposing her a choice her enemies made.

Edelgard: This has nothing to do with where you were born. That we are fighting now is only a result of the choices you've made. So I'm going to give that the response it deserves. I will crush you with everything I have!

Edelgard seeks the weak-willed, and crushes those who oppose her. See what I'm getting at here? The Crest of Flames Edelgard bares doesn't just attract people to her, it manipulates them unless they have a strong enough will. Nemesis was the same. This is likely why the Agarthans gave her that Crest, as they weren't expecting to find the Sword of the Creator, linked to the Crest of Flames, in the tomb of Seiros. They expected to find the remains of Seiros, remains they could have made into a relic attuned to Edelgard's natural Crest. Instead, they make the Crest-stone weapon Amyr with a Creststone of Maurice, linking it to The Devil tarot. The Devil depicts people standing before Baphomet, a devil with curved horns, wings, boobs and making the same hand sign Edelgard's staff does in Flower's ending, and through the influence of that devil become more like him. It's symbolizing Edelgard can make people more like her just by being around her, and as FEH seems to indicate she knows this.

Stay around her too long, you get folks like Monica and Hubert. This could even apply to Hopes!Claude working with her, and how the Alliance members will accuse Claude of betraying the Alliance if he points out she attacked them and fights against her. Or you get cases like Byleth post-Flower, fighting to bring about “true peace” while Caspar's Japanese ending with Dorothea outright says the Empire is invading other countries through expeditionary warfare. Hell, look at what Edelgard says when Byleth is affected by the loss of their father, crying for the first time in their life. For Byleth to be ready when she's ready to move forward.

But what about Byleth and Sothis, you might ask? I think they're supposed to be using that power in another manner. Rather than directly control or influence people, they merely act as a guide and teacher. Look at what Emblem Byleth says in Hopes. Their level is called The Instructor.

Byleth “Depending on the wielder, power can be used for good or evil with equal ease. That's why the heart of the one controlling the power is important.”

That's Byleth's big lesson to Alear, one that Seteth also says in Houses. Now look at what Byleth needs to recruit people.

A B support with them, or,

Enough proficiency with two fields they want to be taught in or,

A vagina in the case of Sylvain.

Either Byleth has to have a close relationship to them, or they want to be taught by Byleth. Or Sylvain being horny. That's enough for them to join Byleth. If Byleth flees the Holy Tomb with Edelgard, they will join her side in the war. If Byleth rejects Edelgard, everyone but Hubert will and they'll come to Garreg Mach to reunite at the promised date. But you can't recruit people who weren't your students post-timeskip. They'll fight Byleth to protect their country. Their will is stronger during the War Phase, unable to be swayed.

Sothis wasn't forcing people to do anything back in the day, but that's probably how the Agarthans saw it hence why they view non-Agarthans as less than human. But it's not like Sothis couldn't manipulate others if she wanted to, look again at Hopes!Claude fighting against Edelgard. Likewise, Byleth's willpower is enough that Sothis can't take complete control of their body. She could have just brainwashed the Agarthans into playing nice if she wanted to, but she didn't.

What's more, look at Byleth's flag with the Crest of Flames. The devs called it the Fire Emblem of the game, representing the belief everyone has in Byleth. Belief, while Edelgard wants to crush those who don't believe in her.

It's the heart of the wielder, how that power is used, that's important. Edelgard uses it to twist people in service to her ideals, Sothis and Byleth uses it to guide the people like a Bodhisattva. Claude and Dimitri can attest to the effectiveness of this in their routes, routes that like Silver Snow lead to a changed Fodlan according to Flayn's endings whereas Edelgard's approach is supposed to represent Hadou. Rule through military force.

But this also means that the Imperial forces you fight, the guys who won't back down or surrender, they're not in control. Their free will, while weak, is compromised by Edelgard, unable to defy her orders. They're mere pawns under her control. It just kinda shows that Edelgard isn't making a world for the weak, she's making the world weak. Anyone with the will to oppose her is killed, that's the Fodlan she seeks and she's not even going to stop at Fodlan according to Caspar's endings. She wants to rule the world, says so herself at the end of Azure Moon.

Yet despite this, the party doesn't want to kill her. They want to offer their hand to her, make her see the light, but in the end her refusal to budge makes it so they have to kill her. One last example of either Dimitri or Byleth's will being enough to do what needed to be done, rather than let her kill them.

Don't be a pawn. Do the right thing, no matter how much it stings. Fight Edelgard for a brighter tomorrow.

youtube

#Youtube

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scifimagpie · 2 years

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Hey Tumblr, Queer Found Family Space Opera Book? *LIMITED TIME - FREE, GAY BOOK*

Oct 26th - *Edit to edit* I reopened the giveaway. 7/20 copies are claimed, so you have another shot at grabbing The Meaning Wars (book 3, see below) FOR FREE! Oct 25th - *Edit* The giveaway period for the promo has ended! However, the omnibus - including books 1-5, the complete story - is available on Amazon on Nov 10th. If you're short on funds, message me, because I'm also in need of reviews for that!

The omnibus

Check out the gorgeous cover.

advised.

And if you're more of a binge reader, you might be into the omnibus, which will be out November 10th.

Amazon.com: The Meaning Wars Complete Omnibus: A Queer Space Opera eBook : Browne, Michelle , Kyselova, Kateryna: Kindle Store

Two best friends looking for love.

An oppressive interstellar government.

Adulthood has never been so stressful...

For the first time, all five books in The Meaning Wars are united as a complete collection. In this queer space opera featuring a diverse cast, a found family navigates the politics of revolution and freedom.

Join Crystal, a wormhole engineer, and Sarah, an English Literature graduate with a chip on her shoulder, as they try to find romance and friendship - while an oppressive interstellar government watches their every move.

As Crystal deals with her faltering marriage, Sarah makes risky career decisions - by doing what's morally right. Running from the surveillance state of the Human Conglomerate, will the Interfederation's multi-species alliance prove their salvation? A crew of old friends and a union of renegade space pirates may be their way out. But first, they have to save rebel icon Patience Ngouabi from arrest and certain torture - and make sure they all get out alive.

Fans of Ruthanna Emrys' A Half-Built Garden and Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series will love the cosy yet intense adventures of this crew of misfits fighting for political and social justice.

So yeah, please take a look at it. It's full of gay, diverse characters, there's disability and mental health rep, and the protagonists are in their thirties, rather than being fresh-faced teenagers. (There's nothing wrong with fresh-faced teen protagonists, but it's nice to read about life after age 25 sometimes.)

*Original post*

So like most indie authors, I'm in dire need of reviews - and I'm also trying to get some eyeballs before I release the omnibus edition of my soon-to-be-finished series.

It's a queer, found family space opera about politics and trying to do the right thing while falling in love (and dodging a massive, oppressive interstellar government).

It's basically tailor-made for you, Tumblr. Because I love you.

The best jumping-on point is actually book 3, and that's the freebie!

Grab it here: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/LkNADD9I

Worlds collide and peace shatters in Book 3 of The Meaning Wars…

On the way to a new wormhole-building gig, Crystal and her husband Jai fight over the future of their family. But the safe haven of their base is paradise compared to Pluto. Recovering from her imprisonment, Sarah and her cousin Toby try to scrape their lives back together and stay out of trouble on the icy planetoid. Rebel leader Patience Ngouabi's actions have triggered a growing insurrection on the colony planet of Indus, and the shock waves have reached even the Solar system's worlds. Both Crystal and Sarah will have to decide between uneasy peace and constant danger - if they get to choose at all.

Content advisory: this book contains references to abuse, sexual scenes, torture, and mental health issues. Reader discretion is advised.

And if you're more of a binge reader, you might be into the omnibus, which will be out November 10th.

Two best friends looking for love.

An oppressive interstellar government.

Adulthood has never been so stressful...

Fans of Ruthanna Emrys' A Half-Built Garden and Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series will love the cosy yet intense adventures of this crew of misfits fighting for political and social justice.

Enjoy, please share/reblog, and let me know if you grab a copy/copies!

Edit: it is free on kindle until Oct 25th!

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auduux · 2 months

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Sick rn

Started feeling like shit yesterday and now it's worse but i've been reminiscing about pokemon so I decided to dig out my old region from the depths of my mind. It's been like three years since i've talked about this.

It's called Rubilaxia, I named it after where Evangelyne found Dally and Rubilax in that one episode. Props if you get the reference.

I'm not sure if this is still an au but it's an au where pokemon used to be used as the dogs of war. They were used, hunted, tamed, and bred specifically for war and combat. Rubilaxia used to be allied with Alola during that time, as they aren't that far apart, but the alliance fell once Alola stopped using Pokemon for brutal combat and tried getting them to switch as well. They threatened Alola after deciding they were asking too much and too often and Alola broke off the alliance. They've remained passive.

They are right in the middle of Alola and the Decalore archipelago but very far off from both. They are surrounded entirely by ocean and going from there to Alola would take a month by boat and up to nine weeks on a pokemon, and that's with no stops at all.

Rubilaxia is, technically, consisted of three different archipelagos that are not very far off from each other but they are one continent and considered a nation as a whole. Each archipelagos consist of eight to six smaller islands and one main island which is the largest and where their government stands. Each one has different rules and laws as well. On larger matters, the three leaders work as a whole.

They are all surrounded by some kind of odd condition that makes travelling to and from them by water and air extremely difficult and the equivalent of a death trap. All three have large spiked rocks that protrude from the depths as well as smaller ones that come just shy of the surface but will fuck up a boat or pokemon. The water isn't shallow at all, the rocks are just tall as fuck. If you capsize or fall of into the water, the tides will throw you around until you drown and/or get ripped to pieces. There's also multiple tidepools because of the constantly changing and fighting tides.

Grielur, the smallest of the archipelagos, is a desert. All of its islands. Despite being surrounded by water, they are constantly plagued by drought and lack of water. They are the most primitive and least diverse of the three but make up for it in brutality. They are, however, nowhere near the most brutal. There is no way to collect water from the sea as there is either dead drop cliffs or sharp rocks coming from the islands edges to form somewhat of a dome around the island. The heat of day is hot enough to melt off skin and there is no way to ward it off. The cold of night is extremely frigid but will only cause frostbite if you aren't protected properly, or venture out for too long. The people and Pokemon have, recently, resorted to drinking Pokemon and human blood. The types of pokemon that reside there are ground, light, rock, fighting, flying, electric, fire, poison, bug, and normal.

Dury is the second largest and surprisingly, nicest to outsiders. It is constantly storming and never stops, causing frequent floods and turning most of its woodlands to swamps and grasslands to marshes. Oddly enough, the smallest island there never rains, but it's also never night. No one lives there, but a very specific type of pokemon lives there and is regarded as the god of the sun. The types that reside there are water, ground, rock, electric, poison, bug, psychic, dark, normal, ghost, and grass.

Smuong is the largest, always snowing. It has glaciers everywhere, most commonly lining the edges of islands, large mountains, and dead drop cliffs off the islands. It is the most military and brutal of Rubilaxia. It is also home to the Szmynov family, the family with the most authority over Rubilaxia. They rule in a monarchy and whatever they say goes. The current head of family is on her deathbed and her firstborn son and daughter are currently fighting over authority. They're twins, though technically the son is older. By five minutes. The types that inhabit these islands are ice, dragon, flying, ghost, dark, steel, ground, poison, water, electric, fire, fighting, psychic, fairy, and rock. It is also home to the Pokemon regarded as the god of the moon, which has been in possession of the Szmynov family for centuries.

Each of the leaders are a "gym leader" as well. Gyms there fight to the death and none of them, except for the Smuong gym, allow outsiders to fight because they know the connection they have with their Pokemon and would rather not deal with a sobbing outsider. Viktor(the son) finds amusement in it.

The mc is from Alola and is a 20 year old man who had always wanted to visit Rubilaxia. Why? Who the hell knows. He's a professor, and was finally allowed to go there for a field trip after begging the chairman enough. Why? Who the hell knows. (Spoiler alert he and Viktor start dating by the end)

If anyone wants to make anything based off this, like art or a written work, be my guest. I'm probably not going to turn this into a fanfic but you're free to try and create fakemons for the islands if you want.

#no i have not reached my peak of dumbassery #writing #writeblr #writers #writers on tumblr #archive of our own #pokemon #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #fanfic writers #fandom #fake region #fan region #wakfu

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thetruearchmagos · 1 month

Note

So its 6 am and I am sleepless, so I'ma tell you a bit aboout Mesoamerica and the Maya, and it may or may not be coherent.

So, one of the major things people don't understand is that unlike the Aztecs, the Maya were not, in fact, a single polity, but rather a continuous range of culturally similar and interrelated cities from the (current) south of Mexico to the north-west area of Honduras. Each city had its own rulers, its own patron gods, its own symbols, and its own history. These cities and rulers waged war and alliances against each other, conquered and were conquered, and gained or lost influence in the area over a time span of over 1000 years.

For example, take Copan. Copan was first settled and ruled by non-Maya people, and a small kingdom established. Around 400 A.D, the original inhabitants were invaded and their ruler overthrown by K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo', a lord from the Maya city-state of Tikal to the north. K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' was supported by the Tikal ruler, Siyaj Chan K'awill II, and married a royal woman of the local ruling family to cement his legitimacy. As a result, Tikal and Copan were allies, and K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' was further able to exert control (and tribute)over another nearby city-state, Quiriguá.

However, centuries later in the 8th century A.D. the king of Quiriguá, K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat, rebelled against Copan and allied with Calakmul, another powerful city-state. During the brief war that followed, the 13th king of Copan, Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, was captured and beheaded in Quiriguá. Due to Calakmul's powerful military might, Quiriguá was not attacked in response, and Copan decreased in influence, eventually falling entirely during the reign of its 17th king.

So... This is late...

BUT!

Oookay, so, two roughly connected thoughts.

First of all, yes. One thing I absolutely hate in 'popular' history is how prevalent the idea of monolithic and singular 'civilisations' is, or at least how it feels like that sometimes. The term civilisation itself is something I've always had trouble wrapping my head around, but hearing from the horsekeeper's mouth about the actual, deeply complex and ever shifting nature of this particular people, I think, has added to my understanding of that particular concept. Having recently read a bunch of stuff about ancient Greece in the era of the Peloponessian War (and starting a book on the rise of Macedonia), I kinda felt that it was a shame that it's easier for people to understand the diversity and sheer complexity of a Western 'civilisation' as compared to a foreign, New World one.

This neatly leads me to my next thought: god, the historical 4X genre is just fucked, at least in this particular subject. It's almost certainly an overreaction, but it feels like the very concept of monolithic and unitary civilisations acting in concert gets propagated through stuff like this, which erases the very real and fascinating nuance that defines political and social organisations in real history.

So.... Thanks for taking the time to write this up! It was utterly fascinating and very informative, and I hope whoever sees this takes more note of your work than my limited, tired commentary.

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angelasscribbles · 2 years

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Secrets Chapter 6: Revelations

Series: Secrets

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Liam, Riley x Drake, Leo x Madeline

Rating: MA

Warnings for this chapter: mature themes

Word Count: 2,057

A/N: This is the last chapter ya'll! I wrote this little miniseries in a week lol! I hope at least a few of you enjoyed it and forgive my little diversion from the main series that have been in progress for months! I promise, I am still working on them!

My other stuff: Master List.

The wedding had been beautiful, and Riley had made a stunning bride. Of course, she was always stunning. Liam felt sure he had married the most stunning woman in the world. She was gorgeous, sexy, hilarious, witty, and brilliant. There was really nothing more he could have asked for out of an arranged, political marriage. If he suspected her of fucking the head of her security detail, well, that was a minor detail. Concessions were always to be expected when negotiating international alliances. She was handing him the alliance with Monterisso, delivering a state of the art spy network as a wedding gift, and carrying the future of Cordonia in her belly. That was his child growing inside her.

He could have ended up with a loveless, sexless marriage to a dull, humorless woman with nothing to offer but her pedigree. Sex with Riley was explosive, and if she wasn’t in love with him, well, they had mutual respect for each other, a close friendship and their political aspirations were perfectly in synch. No, he could not have asked more from an arranged marriage. She understood what was expected of a queen and she had more than lived up to his expectations, exceeded them actually, so he was willing to make some allowances to accommodate her hobbies.

He circulated through the guests at the hastily throw together reception. Only those closest to the crown had scored an invitation.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”

“Lady Madeleine. How are things with you and my brother?”

“Cut the crap, Liam. I did what you asked. I’m here to collect. I was promised a high ranking position in your administration.”

“I don’t know how you got my brother, the playboy prince, to actually fall in love but you more than held up your end of the deal. Name your price.”

“I told you; I want a position in your administration.”

“What position?”

“Royal communications director.”

“Done. Come by my office in the morning, I’ll have the paperwork drawn up before we leave.” He was looking forward to the honeymoon.

“Don’t you want to hear my qualifications?”

Liam smirked at her as he tipped his champagne flute in salute, “No need. You’ve more than proven your usefulness and earned your post.”

He had no idea if Madeleine actually loved his brother. He didn’t think it mattered. It wasn’t the first time Leo had thought he was in love. Leo’s affections were fickle. It had just been good luck for him that Riley hadn’t drawn his attention.

Liam found Riley’s father at the bar when he went to refresh his drink.

“You were smart to put the king provision in the marriage contract.” Liam told his new father in law, “I appreciate a man with foresight.”

“Well, your brother isn’t known for his dedication and stability. I needed to protect my daughter.”

Protect his powerplay was more like it, but Liam didn’t say that. What he said was, “I am grateful for that provision, as it allowed her a way out.”

“Yes,” the duke agreed, “It was brilliant of her to exploit it.”

“Her? No, getting Leo to abdicate was my idea.”

“What do you mean it was your idea?”

“She shared a copy of the contract with me. I had my lawyers look it over, so she would know what was in it.”

“Huh.”

“What?”

The duke shrugged, “You know she studied at Oxford, right?”

“Yes. And?”

“She studied law. Contract law, specifically.”

“Did she?”

“Yes.”

“So, she already knew what was in that contract?”

Liam’s new father in law guffawed as he slapped him on the back, “Son, she helped draw it up!”

The newly minted crown prince slid a thoughtful gaze over to his new wife who was busy charming his parents. He shook his head with a slight smile upon his lips. She had maneuvered him into stealing the throne out from under his own brother and made him think it was his idea. Brilliant. Further proof she’d make the perfect queen to rule beside him.

Thirty minutes and several networking encounters later, Liam sidled up to Drake and followed his eyes to Riley who was twirling on the dance floor with yet another duke, “She’s magnificent, isn’t she?”

“What?”

“My wife.”

“I guess.” Drake replied stiffly.

“She’s not just breathtakingly beautiful, she’s smart, funny and she’s fucking amazing in bed.”

Drake slid a sidelong glance at Liam, “Why are you telling me this?”

"You’re her guard, and my best friend. I’m entrusting you with her protection, but I need you to understand what that means.”

“I know how to do my job, Li.”

“Hm.” Liam hummed noncommittedly before continuing, “Any man would be lucky to have her on the basis of her physical attributes alone, much less her wit and humor. But something most people don’t seem to be aware of is just how politically valuable she is.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, the alliance with Monterisso is crucial, of course. Cordonia has the riches and Auvernall has the military might, but have you ever heard the phrase knowledge is power?”

Drake nodded.

Liam continued, “Monterisso’s tech isn’t just about drones and military hardware. It’s about spy equipment and networks, state of the art long distance listening systems and experimental cloaking devices. Knowledge is power. I trade in secrets. Riley comes with the means to control and manipulate information.”

That wasn’t the only leverage Riley came with, but Liam wasn’t ready to divulge that information yet.

“I’m aware of the political implications of your marriage, Li. I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but I will uphold the vows I took as a guard and the oath I swore to her, and to you. Your wife is safe under my watch.”

“Oh, I know she is. You’ve more than proven that.” Liam said cryptically. “We all have our secrets, Drake. Me, her….you.”

Drake turned his head at the tone he heard in Liam’s voice. “If you have something to say, say it.”

Liam slid his gaze away from Drake and back to Riley on the dance floor as he casually stated, “It’s a funny thing. Neville hasn’t been seen since the night of the gala for the French delegation.”

“So?”

“So, didn’t you leave the palace that night?”

Drake went rigid, but he gave away no other reaction, “I had the night off.”

“Indeed. An impromptu trip to your cabin no doubt. Lake Kenna is amazing this time of year.” And a perfect place to dispose of a body. He let the unspoken allegation hang in the air between them.

Drake’s jaw clenched as he regarded his oldest friend, “What are you trying to say, Liam?”

Liam shrugged, as his eyes ran across Drake’s body, “I’m saying, she can keep her….secrets, but those secrets can never interfere with her duty to the crown, or to me.”

“Understood. But I didn’t need the reminder.” Or the implied threat. He supposed it was nice to have the husband's permission, even if it came with a very thinly veiled threat about discretion and staying in his own lane.

Liam slapped his friend on the back as he walked away, “Good man.”

He found his new bride, “Enjoying the reception, love?”

“Yes, but I’m going to need to slip away soon.”

Liam took her in his arms and murmured in her ear, “Go. Change clothes before you come back. I’ll tell everyone you wanted out of this elaborate, formal gown. They’ll understand.”

There was one last thing Riley would deliver to him.

“Perfect. Thank you. I’m going to meet with my contact now.” She slipped discreetly from the room, leaving Liam to cover for her.

She entered the abandoned guard tower.

“Riley!” Relief flooded his voice, “I was worried you weren’t coming!”

“As if I’d miss an opportunity to see you!” She told him with a teasing smile.

“Your marriages have really put a crimp in our friendship. I don’t see you nearly often enough!”

She laughed, “We will always be friends, and once I’m crowned queen, I’ll find a place for you at court if you want it. But you were right about Leo. He wasn’t fit to rule.”

“You seem to have found a way around that particular glitch.”

“Well, I still need Cordonia’s coffers for my little venture.”

“So, you moved the pieces around the chess board.” He nodded, “It’s what you’re best at.”

“Liam will be a good king and he’s a far better husband than his brother was.” She replied thoughtfully.

Her companion raised an eyebrow, “Should I be jealous?”

“Maybe a little.” She told him truthfully, “I didn’t expect to enjoy him quite this much. But you know I will always love you. No one can take your place!”

“I hope not.”

“Did you bring the documentation?” She asked.

“Right here.” He held up a manilla folder stuffed with paperwork, “This is everything you’ll need to take the throne from Bradshaw and Isabella.”

She took the folder and flipped through it, “My original birth certificate, check. But it isn’t enough that the former king of Auvernall was my biological father, as you know, a bastard can’t sit the throne, I need more.”

“Keep going.” He told her.

She flipped through more documents, pulling two free, “Yes! My parent’s marriage license and their illegal annulment!” An annulment was only valid in Auvernall if the two parties in question had not consummated their marriage. She was living proof that her parents had, in fact, consummated their marriage. She held everything in her hands that was required to show that she, and not Isabella, who was two years younger than her, was the proper heir to the throne.

With her particular area of expertise, she could take the throne through legal channels, without bloodshed. But the international court battle would be expensive. It was the entire reason she had chosen the crown prince of Cordonia for her marriage alliance. Her mother only thought it had been her idea. Riley had known that she would need the Rys fortune to fund her bloodless coup of Auvernall. Leo hadn’t been up to the challenge; she’d realized that early on. She hadn’t bothered to tell him any of her secrets, setting her sights instead on the more capable brother.

Liam was different. Liam had understood instantly what it would mean for Cordonia to have the military might of Auvernall under its control. Together, they would rule the two largest, most powerful nations in the region, with the third, Monterisso, in their back pocket.

The child she was carrying was heir to not one, but two thrones.

She laughed giddily as she replaced the documents in the folder and sat them on a table so she could wrap her arms around her coconspirator, “Thank you, you’re my hero! You have never failed me!”

“And I never will.” He replied as his arms went around her.

It was the source of his greatest disappointment that he hadn’t been highborn enough to wed her. He wasn’t royalty and he wasn’t even the first born son of his house. But maybe it was for the best, he’d never been the mastermind of their schemes. He was better working in the shadows to support her ambitions. He’d always been happy to be her sidekick, her backup, the Goose to her Maverick. It had been that way since they were children, when he’d spent summers in Monterisso with his mother’s family. That’s where he had first laid eyes on her at the age of six, and he’d been in love with her ever since.

Recruited by her brother, he’d become part of an international spy network, positioning him perfectly to assist her with her now grown up endeavors. No one in his home country had any clue that his party boy antics were just cover for his very real career in espionage.

He pulled her closer as he whispered, “I love you, Riley. I always have and I always will.”

“I love you too, Max.” She melted into his embrace, “Now get me out of this dress, if we hurry, we can have a proper reunion before I’m missed.”

She was showered, changed and back at her wedding reception within the hour, dodging Drake’s questions about where she had been and delivering the news to her husband that all their plans were coming to fruition.

~Fin

#secrets #angelasscribbles #trr #the royal romance #choices stories you play #cfwc fics of the week #choices fic writers creations #liam rys #drake walker #the royal romance fanfic #choices #intrigue #fanfic #why choose

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hamelin-born · 3 days

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Vampyr Fanfic Recs

Because I my interest in this criminally small fandom is making a Grand Resurgence. Warning: I'm fond of Reid/McCullum, so most of said fics will probably incorporate said pairing.

A Fragile Alliance by Little_vesuvius

Jonathan Reid’s been stuck in a time loop since he started trying to resolve the epidemic of the Blood of Hate.

Notes: The Big Kamehameha of this fandom. Seriously. It is so good, incorporating both eldritch powers and characters who are so painfully human that it hurts in the best of ways - just be sure to read all the warnings first!

Anything and everything by Terion! These stories are seriously *good*; there's a handful of pairings and a very diverse range of stories.

Useful Enemies by Desired_Mistery

Apex predator, his ass. This one is fucking dense. Usually, newborns would have been crushed by a few trained cadets. Somehow this 'Jonathan Reid' managed to be the most powerful vampire in London-- and the stupidest.

Duality by Devcord.

Jonathan turned McCullum in a fit of anger. He tried to make up for what he had done, then realised it might not be as big of a mistake as he thought it was.

Gut Feeling by StopTalkingAtMe

“Whatever happens to me, kill them. I want those bastards dead for what they’ve done. Promise me.” For a moment, Reid’s face remained impassive, then he gave a sharp nod. “I swear it.”

Obsession by Taera

It all started with a single spark. And then, before Geoffrey could fully understand what was going on, he was falling. And he wasn't alone.

In the Court of the Tattered King by StopTalkingAtMe

The last time Jonathan Reid fought with Geoffrey McCullum he spared his life and left him human. Perhaps that wasn’t the way things were meant to go.

Notes: Seriously, CHECK THE WARNINGS.

Thought Contagion by Itsalwayssunnyit

All the reports and documents on the process of becoming a vampire provided little comfort when it was Geoffrey McCullum’s time to rise into this cursed existence. Jonathan Reid doesn't make it any easier, with all his grief and anger and pain bleeding into McCullum's consciousness in an unsteady stream of invasive feelings. Naturally, something's got to be done about it.

Ideals, by ThorneInYourSide

Notes: A WIP series featuring dark!Reed/McCullum, some smut, and a lovely bittersweet (current) ending that *always* gets to me.

Silent Confession by linndechir

After more than a decade together, Jonathan had been trying to get used to the thought of Geoffrey dying one day. The last thing he expected was Geoffrey deciding to use Jonathan's blood to turn himself instead.

#vampyr #fanfic rec

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fearsmagazine · 2 months

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GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. Pictures

SYNOPSIS: In the undiscovered stratum of Hollow Earth, Kong embarks on a quest to find a family. His discoveries, however, accidentally unleash the most formidable threat humanity has ever faced. Simultaneously, Godzilla is stirred into action by a signal transmitted by dwellers of Hollow Earth's lower realm. Jia, the last of Skull Island's Iwi, also perceives the signal. Kong and Godzilla, aided by Mothra, join forces in response to the call, determined to overcome the threat. This journey delves deeper into the histories and origins of these Titans, as well as the enigmas of Skull Island and beyond.

REVIEW: During my childhood, my local cinema's Saturday Matinee frequently showcased the newest Toho giant monster film. The Kaiju are again on the move as Godzilla, Kong, and Mothra form an unprecedented alliance in this latest American adaptation of the franchise, facing a formidable Titan threat in a thrilling spectacle reminiscent of classic buddy team-ups and certain elements of the "Planet of the Apes" mythology. The film promises an epic, action-packed giant monster battle royale.

I would have thought more elements from the Apple+ series "Monarch"ould be integrated into "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." However, the story begins shortly after "Godzilla vs. Kong." Kong is depicted as a more relatable character with new and intriguing additions to his fighting techniques and arsenal. His seasoned gladiator-like demeanor is evident in his facial expressions and movements within the Hollow Earth arena. Godzilla maintains his aloofness and cold-blooded nature, though he does receive a few more significant moments later in the film.

The human characters' personal dramas underscore the significant threat to the surface world. These dramas are often juxtaposed with lighter moments, creating a dark comedic tone. The narrative falls short of achieving a truly epic feel but introduces rich new elements to the Monsterverse mythology. However, there are some unanswered questions regarding the villain and his minions, such as their motivations for moving certain stones.

The narrative also has a Jules Verne-esque quality, given the diverse cast of characters with distinct specialities and personal relationships. While there may be a few logical inconsistencies towards the end of the film, the focus on action and adventure ultimately overshadows these issues.

The production values in this film are nothing short of breathtaking. The state-of-the-art visual effects, photorealistic textures, and seamless integration of various elements create a visual feast for the eyes. Some of the most challenging elements, such as intricate hairs, realistic water effects, and detailed creature scales, are executed with such precision. My analytical mind was initially engaged, but at some point, I found myself carried away by the visual spectacle, immersing myself in the cinematic journey.

The production designs are equally impressive, with stunning sets and meticulously crafted costumes. The soundtrack is an eclectic mix of pop songs, including "Welcome To My World," "Twilight Zone," and "Was Made For Lovin' You," juxtaposed with orchestral pieces reminiscent of composers such as Nino Rota and Tangerine Dream. This unique combination adds a layer of excitement and energy to the film, creating an immersive audiovisual experience.

The actors who survived the last film, plus a few new additions, totally sell the magic, wonder and terror of this computer generated reality of the Titans. Actress Kaylee Hottle steals the show as Jia. She provides such a sense of wonder and empathy that adds to a viewer’s engagement with the film. The rest of the actors have a specific part/character to play and keep it fresh without becoming cliched.

Despite its traditional summer blockbuster feel, "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" is surprisingly scheduled for a late March release. This new installment in the Monsterverse Mythology provides an exciting and thrilling journey, fulfilling the expectations of fans and delivering more. Though Godzilla takes a backseat to Kong in this narrative, it's likely that the king of the monsters will have his moment in the spotlight in future installments or the series. The film caters to both newcomers to the franchise and dedicated fans of these American films and the iconic Toho universe, offering Easter eggs and references for the latter group.

CAST: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, Fala Chen, Rachel House, Ron Smyck, Chantelle Jamieson, and Greg Hatton. CREW: Director - Adam Wingard; Screenplay - Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slater; Based on the characters owned and created by TOHO CO., LTD; Monsterverse Mythology Development - Barnaby Legg; Producers - Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric Mcleod, Thomas Tull and Brian Rogers; Cinematographer - Ben Seresin; Score - Tom Holkenborg and Antonio di Iorio; Editor - Josh Schaeffer; Production Designer - Tom Hammock; Costume Designer - Emily Seresin; Visual Effects Supervisor - Alessandro Ongaro; Creature Design - Legacy Effects & WĒTĀ Workshop Limited; Prosthetics & Special Effects Makeup - JMB FX Studios. OFFICIAL: www.godzillaxkongmovie.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/GodzillaXKong/ TWITTER: twitter.com/GodzillaXKong TRAILER: https://youtu.be/qqrpMRDuPfc?si=F6aV-MAEmhz2yPVv RELEASE DATE: In theaters March 29th, 2024

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

#film review #movie review #godzilla x kong: the new empire #warner bros pictures #toho co #legendary pictures #monsterverse #adam wingard #rebecca hall #dan stevens #kaylee hottle #sci-fi #monster #joseph b mauceri #joseph mauceri

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