unattainablesky - Tumblr blog

unattainablesky · 1 year

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Reblogging to add that I recently updated this story with a bibliography of sources that can be found online for free. You can find it as chapter 11 of the story, if you want to hop on over to AO3, but if not, I’ve reproduced it here.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert twelfth-century central Asia and wouldn't claim to be—like many a fan, I just find history and historical fiction interesting. Some folks in the comments expressed an interest in learning more about some of the topics in the story, so, I don’t know, I thought I’d put this together in case anyone was looking for resources. I had a lot of fun researching this story, and I hope you find these sources and my DVD-commentary-esque annotations helpful.

Second disclaimer: This bibliography is not complete; I left off anything that would require buying a book or finding it at a library, or anything that’s behind a paywall. Some other works I did not include on the list because they did not meet the criterion of "online for free" but which I consulted in writing this story include Alfarabi's Philosophophy of Aristotle, trans. with an introduction by Muhsin Mahdi; Augustine's Confessions, trans. Henry Chadwick; Stephen Epstein, Genoa and the Genoese, 958–1528; Islamic Central Asia: An Anthology of Historical Sources, ed. Scott C. Levi and Ron Sela; Svat Soucek, A History of Inner Asia; Turko-Mongol Rulers, Cities and City Life, ed. David Durand-Guédy; Other Routes: 1500 Years of African and Asian Travel Writing, ed. Tabish Khair et al.; Seb Falk, The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science; and Nawal Nasrallah, Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq's Tenth-Century Baghdadi Cookbook. And let's get real, our old friend Wikipedia was a big help as well.

Astronomy and science

LJS 37 Ikhtiṣār lil-maqālāt min kitāb Uqlīdis. / [اختصار للمقالات من كتاب اقليدس]—an Arabic abridgment of Euclid’s Elements from the early twelfth century that gave me some visual inspiration of what a scientific text from the period might look like!

The Interactive Sky Chart at Sky & Telescope, which was really helpful for me in comparing the constellations present at the same time in Bukhara and Genoa. I make zero claims to having been accurate about what those constellations would have looked like in early July 1120, though!

In this video from the British Museum, curator William Greenwood gives a helpful intro to how to use an astrolabe, which was useful for me because I promptly forgot how to use an astrolabe immediately after every scene I wrote or outlined about astrolabes.

Hossein Zamaniha, “Comparative Study on the Theory of Form and Matter and Its Role in Aristotle and Avicenna's Cosmology.” The ideas in here didn’t really make it into the story—I’m not really conversant enough in philosophy or cosmology to make that work—but I liked imagining Yusuf and Nicolò doing this kind of comparison when trying to figure out their immortality.

Flora Vafea, “Al-Bīrūnī: The Plate of the Eclipses.” This article was key for me in the planning stages, and later when I was trying to figure out the specifics of what Nathaniel was doing. I knew I wanted the story to be a mystery, and I knew I wanted it to have something to do with medieval science, because I’d just finished reading The Light Ages and was on something of a medieval science kick, but this gave me a solid project for Nathaniel, Yusuf, and Nicolò to be working on together.

David A. King and Julio Samsó, “Astronomical Handbooks and Tables from the Islamic World (750-1900): an Interim Report.” Super useful for getting a sense of what a medieval astronomy handbook from the Islamicate world might contain!

Atilla Bir et al., “The Production Guide for the Zarqaliyya (Universal Astrolabe) in the Work of Abu al-Hasan al-Marrakushi”—a great overview of an astrolabe manual by a thirteenth-century astronomer, complete with explanations of how a universal astrolabe works and a lot of diagrams and pictures.

Ptolemy's Almagest, trans. G. J. Toomer—one of the most famous and influential scientific works ever written, and gosh darn is there a lot of really interesting stuff in it. I’m in no position to contextualize it, not knowing enough about the history of science, but I was still really excited to find an English translation of it online.

Aristotle, On the Heavens, trans. J. L. Stocks, The Internet Classics Archive--really interesting philosophical discussion of the composition of celestial bodies.

Book production

Mouse & manuscript—a series of brief lessons on the codicology of manuscripts from the Islamicate world, put together by the Universiteit Leiden and plentifully illustrated with examples!

Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah, translated by Franz Rosenthal, on Islamic Philosophy Online—the whole book covers a lot of ground, but I mostly looked at the chapter on book production here.

Shahab Ahmed’s “Mapping the World of a Scholar in sixth/twelfth century Bukhara: Regional Tradition in Medieval Islamic Scholarship as Reflected in a Bibliography,” which is a really interesting article analyzing the intellectual influences of a writer in medieval Bukhara based on a rare example of a bibliography citing his sources—you can get it from Shahab Ahmed’s Academia.edu page here.

Faith & Fable: Islamic Manuscripts from the Cambridge University Library: A lot of this is about the collection itself, but it also has some great visual references as well as introduction to different kinds of scripts, discussion of page layouts, and info on some major medieval authors.

Annemarie Schimmel, “Islamic Calligraphy”—An absolutely gorgeous intro to Islamic calligraphy published in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, with 67 images of calligraphy both on paper and on art objects such as tiles, sword blades, and ceramics.

The Shahnama Project--this could probably also have gone under poetry, but it also offers images of many incredibly beautiful manuscripts. Basically, it's a project at Cambridge cataloguing manuscripts of Ferdowsi's Persian epic Shahnameh, many of which are luxury copies with lavish examples of Persian manuscript illustration.

Bukhara

Bukhara: The Myth and the Achievement, ed. Attilio Petruccioli. I can’t overstate how incredibly helpful this book was or how lucky I felt to find it online. The chapters by Richard Frye, Heinz Gaube, and Firouz Ashrafi were particularly important for me in trying to work out the basic history, layout and water system of the city.

Richard N. Frye in general was a great resource. You can find his translation of Narshakhī’s The History of Bukhara, a book by a tenth-century Sogdian historian, here, and his 1965 book Bukhara: The Medieval Achievement *cough* in places on the internet, but a short and helpful article by him is available open access as part of a special issue of the journal Cahiers d'Asie Centrale: “Early Bukhara”

An Introduction to Uzbekistan, an online module compiled through the Ohio State University. The page on Islamic culture in the medieval period was particularly helpful for me.

“Gateway Cities of Uzbekistan on the Great Silk Roads,” UNESCO Silk Roads Programme, https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/countries-alongside-silk-road-routes/uzbekistan--helpful not only for situating Bukhara among the other cities in what’s now Uzbekistan but also for a more general sense of what a city would look like at this time and place.

Bukhara on Advantour—In addition to descriptions of the city’s attractions, some of which are very old, there’s also a history page, part 9 of which gives a helpful little overview of the 11th-13th centuries.

“Āl-e Borhān,” Encyclopedia Iranica, for background on one of the city of Bukhara's leading spiritual and civic families during the twelfth century.

This history of Bukhara’s Jewish Quarter, which also contains some more general history of the Jewish community in Bukhara up to the present day as well as many images.

“Kalon Minaret,” about one of Arslan Khan Muhammad’s building projects.

Barakatullo Ashurov, “‘Sogdian Christianity’: Evidence from architecture and material culture,” which was helpful for at least giving some idea of the possible presence of a Syriac Christian community in Bukhara in the twelfth century. In retrospect I kind of wish I’d done more with the description of the layout of the church, but hindsight is 20/20.

Food

“A Primer on Medieval Islamic Food” by rhipiduridae: a wonderful, informative and well-organized overview of primary sources, regional differences, and important ingredients of cuisine in the Islamicate world.

Basira Mir-Makhamad, et al., “Qarakhanids on the Edge of the Bukhara Oasis: Archaeobotany of Medieval Paykend”—an archaeological study of 9th-century remnants of food found at Paykend, a city near Bukhara that had already been abandoned in the twelfth century. It’s so cool—they found chickpeas, lentils, barley, apricots, and melons, among other traces. You can find it online here.

Uzbek National Cuisine: one of my strategies for thinking about food options was to compare sources on medieval cuisine in the Islamicate world with modern Uzbek cuisine to find places of overlap or similar ingredients…and then think about what I personally thought sounded tasty.

Medicine and philosophy

Metaphysics by Aristotle, trans. W.D Ross, The Internet Classics Archive--The famous Latin commentaries of Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, and John Duns Scotus on the Metaphysics don’t come around until the thirteenth century; Nicolò, on the hunt for a philosophical explanation of his immortality, would have encountered it in Arabic translation and the commentaries of al-Fārābī and Ibn Sina (Avicenna).

Ibn Sina, The Metaphysics of the Healing: A Parallel English-Arabic Text, trans. Michael E. Marmura (you have to make an account to check it out from the Internet Archive, but it’s free!). Not actually Ibn Sina’s big medical work, The Canon of Medicine, but rather from The Book of Healing, which covers topics like astronomy and logic.

Poetry

The Mufaḍḍaliyāt: An Anthology of Ancient Arabian Odes, ed. and trans. Charles James Lyall—this is a significant collection of early Arabic poetry compiled in the 8th century CE, and a valuable source of information on pre-Islamic Arabic life and literature.

Ibn Nahwi, “al-Munfarijah (The Poem of Relief)”—I have nothing particularly clever to say about this poem, written by 11th century Sufi sheikh Ibn Nahwi, I just thought it was really beautiful.

Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī, The Quatrains of Abu'l-Ala, trans. Ameen F. Rihani—an old-timey translation, like most of the ones one can find online for free, but this one has the advantage of rhyming, which really made this collection of quatrains stand out to me. I’m always super impressed when people can incorporate poetic effects into translations.

Miscellaneous history and visual inspiration

“Central and North Asia, 1000–1400 A.D” of the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History at the Metropolitan Museum of Art—a brief and helpful timeline of the various political dynasties in the environs of Bukhara as well as examples of tiles, textiles, and manuscript leaves.

al-ʿIqd al-Farīd (The Unique Necklace) by Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih, translated by Issa J. Boullata—an 9th/10th-century adab book (i.e., a book of culture and references you'd need to be a refined person) that I wish I’d gotten to do more with. It’s got it all: poetry, political thought, history, witty anecdotes, discussions of manners and ethics, the whole enchilada.

Letters of the Crusaders, ed. Dana Carleton Munro--There’s a lot someone could get out of a book like this, but mostly what I used it for was to get a feel for what a letter in this time period might have looked like.

I found names to be a particularly challenging hurtle early on. I ended up doing a lot of surfing across Wikipedia, looking for famous writers, scientists, and politicians from different places in the twelfth century who could lend realistic names to the characters, but finding a name for a Tangut horse merchant from 12th-century Xi Xia was really tricky for me. I eventually found Xiao Luming’s name in Jinbo Shi’s “Tangut Documents of Household Registrations” from the book The Economy of Western Xia: A Study of 11th to 13th Century Tangut Records, available open-access here.

Dilnoza Duturaeva, “The Qarakhanid World,” in Qarakhanid Roads to China: A History of Sino-Turkic Relations—I thought this was a useful general overview of where the Qarakhanids, who ruled Bukhara in 1120 under the Seljuqs, fit into a larger geopolitical context. The whole book is open-access on JSTOR, which is awesome.

Susan Jane Staffa, “Medieval Cairo: A Socio-cultural Study of an Historic Urban Center of the Near East.” This dissertation isn’t about Bukhara, but it was helpful for me in envisioning how a medieval city in the Islamicate world might have run, and answered a key question for me: is it plausible for the purposes of my story for Bukhara to have had police in 1120? I think so.

James W. Allen, “Nishapur: Metalwork of the Early Islamic Period.” This is published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was a great resource for thinking about the kinds of objects you might expect to find in a household around the Bukhara Oasis in the medieval period.

Welp, that's all I can think of! Thank you so much to everyone who's taken the time to read this story, and I hope all the medieval Bukhara enthusiasts out there enjoy this update!

My entry for this year’s Old Guard Big Bang! Featuring astrolabes, a mystery, and some fabulous art by the wonderful mific, which you can find on AO3 here. Seriously, go and check out the art, which is so amazing and detailed and atmospheric! Thanks both to mific and to the BB mods, and, while I’m at it, thanks to all the IRL friends who have been listening to me ramble about this story for the last few months!

Summary: It’s 1120, and Yusuf and Nicolò are living in Bukhara, having gone into business together copying books. Everything would be perfect, if only Nicolò could get himself to stop pining over Yusuf. But then Nathaniel ibn Isaac, a Jewish physician from Córdoba, comes to them seeking someone to help him complete a manual for an astrolabe plate he’s invented. Nicolò enjoys the job, until someone starts making attempts on Nathaniel’s life. Now his life, Yusuf and Nicolò’s secret, and their corner of the scholarly community in Bukhara are at risk until they can find the would-be killer.

#the old guard #medieval miscellany #portrait of the artist as a young fan

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unattainablesky · 1 year

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Fanfiction Writing Asks

Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

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Free space - asker can come up with any writing or fic-related question they want!

#it is entirely possible that the last time I did a meme was in 2009 or 2010 #but by golly i finished my fffx and I'm feeling like frolicking a bit #memes

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unattainablesky · 1 year

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This is such a cool video--definitely recommended for fans of frame tales and visual storytelling!

youtube

Title: حكواتي (storyteller)

Song: "Café" by Yasmine Hamdan (remix by Acid Arab)

Fandom: Three Thousand Years of Longing

Summary: “My story is true. You’re more likely to believe me, however, if I tell it as a fairy tale.”

My Festivids 2022. Vid also posted to AO3.

See my other videos here or on Tumblr. And as always, thanks to @unattainablesky for beta magic!

#fanvid #recommendations #festivids

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unattainablesky · 1 year

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my 2022 wrapped tog ficrec list

Hi. I know tthe fandom has quieted down a lot last year, but great many fics still came out and i wanted to spread some love and shoutout some of my favourites. I am only including fics that were completed in 2022, so no wips, just to make it easier to narrow down. All of these writers also wrote multiple other fantastic fics i could have or wanted to rec but i thought to just include one from everyone so this list is not a mile long (which it already is). Take this as an endorsement to go check out their other stuff too though!

Also of course i have by no means read everything there is in the fandom, (my reading is very heavily J/N centric and i recognise that) and there are a lot more fics that I thought were fantastic that i just could not fit on this list anymore as it got so long. This is by no means trying to be definite best of list, just stuff that hit me particularly hard this year, which is of course very personal and subjective.

With that out of the way, here are some of my fave things i read in the old guard this fandom this year:

bluetigerlillies/ @non-un-topo - chronos

M rated, Team fic, Andy centric. A fantastic medieval mystery fic set right after when Andy and Quynh first meet the boys. I think andy's characterisation and her internal struggles are really well written and I really really love the mystery here. I think the plot is just fantastic and the amount of effort spent on writing and historical research really shows. I love love love this one.

liadan14/ @bewires - in a million years (will the stars align?)

E rated, Nile centric, main couple is Nile/lykon. with cameos from the rest of the team. Canon tl post merrick fic & also a lykon lives au. A fantastic take on what if lykon had lived and what if he and nile had fallen in love. starts as funny but is also very heartfelt. I really loved Nile's characterisation here AND the take on what lykon could have been like. I really would love more lykon lives aus i think. Just fantastic!!

@captainshakespear - you're nobody til somebody wants you dead

G rated, Nile centric plus Copley, plus cameos from the others. An au where Nile becomes a spy ala kim possible and Copley is her handler. Just so much fun, I love Nile's characterisation so so much and she's incredibly relatable here. somehow being in your 20s just feels like that spy or not. I love this fic

@raedear - world enough and time

G rated, Team fic. Canon tl post movie. Joe and Nile have a deep heart to heart while Nicky and Andy go to the dentist. Simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious, this is a really fantastic and i love the juxtaposition between the two scenarios taking place. I love all of them so much.

@flightsofwonder - storms to come

G rated, Andy and Nicky centric. Canon tl post movie. Andy gets injured and Nicky tries to help her with her wounds but has a panic attack about it. I really just love how tender and realistic this is. Andy's immortality would have shook the everyone in the family to their core. They love her SO much, and she loves them. And i love this fic.

@aphroditestummyrolls - The Plea of Cepheus

Gen, Joe & his father Yusuf is born premature and is on the verge between life and death. his father is showing him the stars since it might be his only chance. Just an absolutely heartbreakingly tender and wonderful fic about joe and his baba. Tore me to shreds in the best way

@kaydeefalls - catch you when the current lets you go

T rated, joe centric, with the rest of the team included Cannon tl historical fic. Yusuf falls of a cliff into the Yellow River and has to find his way back to his family and his love. I just really enjoyed Yusuf's pov and characterisation here. I think the situation is interesting and exactly the kind of stuff that I love reading about when it comes to these characters. I love introspection and historical settings, and this does both so well.

strangehighs/ @queen-shuri - a dança, a roda, a festa

T rated, original character who is interacting with J/N. Outsider pov set in Brazil in the 70s. I love outsider pov fics like this and i love the idea of joe and nicky bringin hope to young queer people throughout the ages. it just warms my heart so much. i also think that the time and place is presented beautifully and vividly here. Just a really fantastic fic overall.

@gallifreyburning & @takiki16 – if never again if every day

E rated, J/N centric especially at the start but other team is extremely heavily featured too, especially Andy/Quynh in 1099 and Nile in 2021. Post merrick nicky from 2021 swaps places in time with his freshly immortal self from 1099 and plot happens. What more can I say about this fic that I haven't said already. yeah I am reccing it again, this thing finishing was my best fic moment of the year. Absolute eternal classic to me. Just incredible writing and characterisation from start to finish and if you have not read it please do yourself the service and do it now. truly thee fic of all time.

These were mostly either single character centric or team centric fics or ones I just felt like fit together in one section. (and yes, a lot of these are yusuf centric fics i know, i am a just a simple man with a blorbo.)

There are more exclusively Joe/Nicky fics under the cut because i know not everyone is interested in fics with just those two and this was getting so long i could not bear to put it on your dashes as it was. it felt like a reasonable place to put the cut. However, I love all of these fics so so dearly as well and they're just as heavily recommended as the ones above!

@maddielle - hold my cigarette while it’s lit (let it burn ya, baby)

E rated, J/N, with cameos from the rest of the team a delightful musician AU where Joe is a beautiful and untouchable rock star, until he isn't. I really like the way Nicky's internal conflict is written in this one, and i just adore this joe. Also one of the songs referenced in the author's notes was in my spotify wrapped because i just loved it that much.

tam_cranver / @unattainablesky - the plate of eclipses

E rated, J/N. A beautiful canon tl mystery fic, set after Joe and Nicky have become friends but before they're lovers. I absolutely adore the slow building romance and the characterisation of the boys in this one, but also the way the setting and time period just comes to life in this story is absolutely breathtaking. Also the mystery plot is fantastic.

@knoepfchen - though my soul may set in darkness (we will rise in perfect light)

E rated, J/N. with cameos from the rest of the team A vampire/werewolf AU where they don't realise they've loved each other many times before when they meet in modern times. I really really love the unique blend of magical amnesia and supernatural creatures story! I love Joe and Nicky's characterisation here and i always adore fics that span many different ages and versions of them. It's romantic and heartbreaking and hopeful and very very good.

@kushielsmercy - cabinet of nonperishable curiosities

T rated, J/N. Canon tl fic of introspection between joe and nicky about who they are, who they have been, and how much they reflect or even are each other. This fic kind of broke my brain when it came out just because i thought it was so perfect. Exactly the kind of stuff that makes me love this ship so much. I find thinking about the ways the two of them are the same so incredibly compelling and this fic does that just perfectly.

@rupzydaisy - Chi è la? (Sei tu.)

T rated, J/N. Canon tl fic with snippets of Joe and Nicky's life throughout the years, centred around on how much they resemble each other and how well they work together. I am admittedly biased as those are all of my favourite things AND this fic was written for me so I am predisposed to love it to bits, but I genuinely do think it is fantastic and i really really recommend it!! it's so good!!

mellyflori/ @werebearbearbar - everything i've got (belongs to you)

E rated, J/N. Modern AU centering joe and nicky and their families. The sequel to the much beloved "there's a trick with a knife". I continue to love the way the boys are characterised here but I have also fallen in love with their families in this series. I think the plot is fantastic and very emotionally satisfying. I love this series a lot.

asifnotbound - the deaths of nicolo di genova, in ascending order of sexiness and descending order of actual dying

E rated, J/N, Based on the series about sexy saint Sebastian paintings, i think this is one of my all time favourite nicky fics. At times grim and heartbreaking, at times funny, other times deeply romantic, and often very very sexy. Also just super well written. I just love their characterizations so much. Poor nicky goes through so much. I love him. I love this fic.

@yusufsmoon - love, for you

M rated, Joe centric A short but devastating look into young Yusuf's romantic troubles. I love love love fics about canon tl Yusuf before he became immortal and this is a great example of one. It deals with how intense and romantic yusuf is so well I think. I love it so.

superblackmarket - a cat of the country

E rated, J/N. with cameos from other members of the team, Canon tl fic set in Cairo during the arab spring but centred around a very pissed off cat that joe and nicky have adopted. I love the characterisation and I think the angle of this story is unique and compelling. I think you can really tell how old and world weary, but also caring and loving Joe and Nicky truly are. And i love their bastard cat

LydeNicoKITE/ @nicolodigenovas - crown on my head

T rated, Yusuf centric J/N. with cameos from other members of the team. A really gorgeous and romantic fantasy/fae au with some magical amnesia. I really enjoy all of the world building that happened here, and I love yusuf's pov in this. His confusion and how conflicted he is. If you're into fantasy romance you should definitely check this out.

squintern / @chinchillinator - hooked on a feelin'

G rated, J/N. Joe is a mermaid au. This is so cute and funny and their chemistry in this is really fantastic. I love the misunderstanding/courting situation happening here and look i just love joe. so so much. And this fic!!

#well i am just tickled pink #new year's resolution: read and comment on more fics #i never know if I'm doing Tumblr etiquette correctly but I think commenting in the tags is the done thing #gotta put this in the 'pick-me-up' folder #portrait of the artist as a young fan #the old guard

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unattainablesky · 1 year

Audio

A fanmix for aphroditestummyrolls’s lovely story Color and Light, for the Old Guard Big Bang 2022. If you like lush, gorgeous fairy tale romance, mosey on over to AO3 and check it out!

#the old guard #fanmix

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unattainablesky · 1 year

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Check out this amazing art! I was so lucky to have the wonderful mific illustrating my Big Bang fic this year. I’m in awe at all the rich detail in the background and borders and depictions of the characters--this was such an inspiring collaboration for me. You can find this wonderful art on AO3 as well.

Fandom: The Old Guard (Movie 2020) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Characters: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Additional Tags: Fanart, Digital Art, Traditional Media, Islamic References, Alternate Universe - Historical Summary: Illustrations for Tam Cranver’s beautiful story “The Plate of the Eclipses” about love, astrolabes, and intrigue, set in 12th century Bukhara.

#the old guard

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unattainablesky · 1 year

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Summary: It's 1120, and Yusuf and Nicolò are living in Bukhara, having gone into business together copying books. Everything would be perfect, if only Nicolò could get himself to stop pining over Yusuf. But then Nathaniel ibn Isaac, a Jewish physician from Córdoba, comes to them seeking someone to help him complete a manual for an astrolabe plate he's invented. Nicolò enjoys the job, until someone starts making attempts on Nathaniel's life. Now his life, Yusuf and Nicolò's secret, and their corner of the scholarly community in Bukhara are at risk until they can find the would-be killer.

#i did a thing #portrait of the artist as a young fan #the old guard

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unattainablesky · 2 years

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#i for one am amused

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unattainablesky · 2 years

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Ooh, very nice! I haven’t bought a lot of regular sparkling water lately--my brother has gotten me hooked on Spindrifts--but I may need to go pick some up and introduce some new mocktails into my rotation!

Also, while I’m at it, I might as well write down my take on the (now discontinued) Violet Drink at Starbucks. My steps in attempting to recreate it were 1) Steep and chill some Tazo’s “Passion” tea, or some other tea with hibiscus in it, 2) Muddle some blackberries in simple syrup (I used blackberry syrup for extra berry-ness, but I also have an above-average quantity and variety of flavored syrups in my kitchen, and regular simple syrup would certainly get the job done), 3) add in the chilled tea and some ice, and 4) stir in some coconut milk. Idk if it tastes exactly like Violet Drink did, since it’s been a while since I got one of those at Starbucks, but I think it’s pretty tasty.

#I for one am a fan of food #Drinks count as food right?

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unattainablesky · 2 years

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@Fanfic writers:

My friend send me this link, is a series on a profile on Ao3 (tumblr) that has different tutorials to insert things to fanfics via html code, I thought I would share bc it’s really cool

Lists of tutorials:

How to make images fit in mobile browsers

This is a tutorial/live example on how to make large images fit on mobile browsers but remain normal size on desktop browsers.

How to mimic letters, fliers, and stationery without using images

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic the look of letters, fliers, and stationery (as well as other forms of written media) without using images. For all your epistolary fic needs.

How to make a “choose your own adventure” Fic

This is a tutorial/live example on how to create a "Choose Your Own Adventure" fic. While this has been explained before (see here), this particular tutorial shows you how to use a work skin to hide the next parts from the reader until they click through to get to them.

How to make linked footnotes on Ao3

This is a live example of how an author can create linked footnotes in their work with only a little bit of HTML and no workskins required. This is best viewed by clicking "Entire Work". While I've included the actual coding in bold and italic once you click "Hide Creator's Style", there's a more detailed explanation here.

How to change text on Ao3 when the cursor is hovering over it (or clicked on mobile)

This a tutorial/live example on how to have text change or appear once a cursor is hovering over it. Helpful for pop-up spoilers, language translations, quick author's notes, etc.

How to mimic author’s notes and Kudos/Comment buttons

Anonymous on tumblr: do you have a skin that would mimic the author’s notes and review/kudos buttons section from the end of a fic? the desired effect being that the fic could go on after the “end” of the fic, so after the author’s notes and review/kudos buttons

Here's a tutorial/live example to do just that, with some of the buttons actually functioning. I'll explain more inside!

How to wrap text around images

This is a tutorial/live example on how to align images to the left or right of the screen and have text wrap around them.

How to mimic email windows

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic email windows on AO3 without the need to use images.

How to make ios text messages on Ao3

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic iOS text messages on AO3 without the need to use images. There's also a chapter on how to have emojis displayed on AO3 as well.

How to make Customized page deviders

Bored with the default page dividers? This is a tutorial/live example on how customize your page dividers with no images needed (though I do show you how you could use images if you wanted to do such a thing).

How to make invisible text (That can be highlighted)

This is a live example how to make invisible text that can only be seen by highlighting the text. Tutorial is included in text, and you can always leave comments about questions you may have.

MOBILE USERS: Sadly, this probably won't work for you, since highlighting in a mobile browser is different than web. I've tried correcting this, but have yet to find a solution.

How to make a rounded playlist

Original coding and design is from layouttest. I make no claims for it, just tweaked it so it will work on AO3.

How to create notebook lined paper on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of lined notebook paper in their work. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

Sticky notes on Ao3 without using images

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of sticky notes (aka Post-Its) in their fic. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

How to make deadpool’s thinking thinking boxes on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of Deadpool's thinking boxes in their fic. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

How to make newspaper articles on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of a newspaper article in their work. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

#note to self

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