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arcane-trail · 2 years

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What is Paganism?

The term Paganism has been evolving for almost two millennia, so there is understandable confusion about what Paganism means. It has always been an umbrella term that includes within it many different faiths and practices. In this post, we are going to talk about what Paganism is (and isn’t) and explore some of the most important branches of modern Paganism (also known as Neopaganism).

Origins of the Term Paganism

The term Paganism was coined in the fourth century by Christians living in the Roman Empire for anyone who did not follow Christianity or Judaism. It comes from the Latin word paganus, which means country dweller. The implication was that these were “country bumpkins” stuck in old ways and not yet “wise” to the modern religion of Christianity. The Roman Empire officially converted to Christianity in 313 CE.

In the Middle Ages, while Islam was also viewed as a non-Pagan religion, the term Paganism continued to be used to refer to anyone who did not follow a religion based on a biblical god. It carried the derogatory connotation that Pagans worship false gods and are barbarians.

But in the 20th century, the term Paganism was reclaimed by various groups that follow religious beliefs or practices associated with pre-Christian religions. The group includes polytheists that continue to worship non-biblical pantheons, animists, magical practitioners, nature worshippers, and more.

The term Neopaganism is often used to distinguish these modern Pagans from our ancestors, who would have never referred to themselves as Pagans. Christians created the term Pagan to create “us” (biblical religions) and “them” (non-biblical religions) categories. This would not have been meaningful to our pre-Christian ancestors or to Norse warriors and Egyptian priests for whom Christianity was just one more religion.

It is worth noting that while Medieval Christians would have referred to religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism as Pagan, they aren’t included in the modern definition. These organized religions, which are dominant in many countries, fall into a class of their own.

Definition of Neopaganism

It is difficult to define Neopaganism because so many different people today identify with the term Paganism. It is possible to identify some characteristics that are common to most Neopagans, but don’t necessarily apply universally.

Pagan religions tend to be non-organized in that they are followed by an individual practitioner or small community rather than being a hierarchical institution like the Catholic church. But there are exceptions; for example, Hermetic orders tend to be small but very hierarchical organizations.

Pagan religions are often polytheistic, either drawing on ancient divine pantheons or following an animistic approach, which recognizes divinity in action within the world without necessarily naming it. Pagans can believe in these gods in a literal sense or as a metaphorical tool for relating to powers that are beyond our comprehension.

Pagans tend to believe that everything is sacred, especially nature, and that we can tap into the spiritual energy of the universe through meditation, invocation, rituals, witchcraft, and various other practices.

In most cases, it is an individualistic path. You choose which deities and beliefs speak to you personally, and you are responsible for creating and following your spiritual path. This very often links to a strong moral code, as you are responsible for your actions and their consequences. Pagans often identify with the idea that you can feed the universe with positive energy or diminish it with negative energy. You attract the kind of energy that you project, and what you receive mirrors what you give.

As we have already said, these characteristics do not hold true for all Pagans, but they are ideas that most Neopagans will identify with.

Branches of Neopaganism

So, if there are various branches of Neopaganism, what are they?

It is impossible to provide a complete and comprehensive list, first because we would be here forever, and second, since it is a personal and individualistic belief system, there is no limit to the number of variations that can exist.

But below, we will look at some of the most popular forms of Paganism that are most widely recognized in the Neopagan community today.

Reconstructionist Religions

Reconstructionist religions attempt to reconstruct ancient religions in the modern world. Pagans of this brand might choose to worship the Greek gods, follow the ritual practices of Egyptian priests, or walk in the footsteps of Druids.

Probably the most well-known reconstruction religion is Norse paganism, also known as Heathenry, which is the belief in the old Norse gods, including Odin, Thor, and Freyja. While exactly how this is done is individualistic, enough people identified with this type of Paganism that Asatru was created in Iceland in the 1970s to provide a common banner under which they could identify as an interest group. It is now recognized around the world.

Magic working is not a necessary part of modern Norse paganism, just as it was not in ancient times when only a few people were Volva (Seidr witches) or runemasters (workers of rune magic). But runic divination is a popular practice in modern Heathenry.

Wicca

Wicca is probably the type of Paganism most represented in pop culture (think The Craft and Charmed). It is a modern witchcraft practice, often but not always associated with the veneration of a great mother goddess and her consort, often but not always portrayed as a horned god. It can be followed by sole practitioners or coven groups led by a high priest or priestess.

Modern Wicca is credited as being founded by Gerald Gardner in the 1930s, and followers of his teachings are known as Gardnerian Wiccans. But today there are many different branches, both formal and informal.

Modern Wicca draws on what is known from historic witchcraft and magic rituals. But it is a thriving and evolving practice in which invention and following your intuition are encouraged.

Non-Wiccan Witchcraft

Not all Pagans who identify themselves as practitioners of witchcraft consider themselves Wiccan. Many follow a more shamanistic or nature-based approach to witchcraft without reference to organized elements such as covens or priests. These, usually sole practitioners, are often referred to as hedge witches.

These practitioners have a lot in common with Wiccans in their use of certain symbols and elements and closely following the cycle of the year and the phases of the moon. Grimoires and Books and Shadows are often used to record knowledge.

Hermeticism

The term Hermeticism originally referred to a religio-philosophical system based on a small number of writings known as Hermetica which gave birth to scientific approaches to magic in the form of practices such as alchemy. But Hermeticism has since become a term for those who engage in “high magic” or ritual magic, usually within a body or organization with specific teaching and hierarchies.

Probably the most famous example of these is the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an organization dedicated to the study of the occult, metaphysical, and paranormal. It is a spin-off of Freemasonry and incorporates the hierarchies and secrecy of that order. There are tests to enter new parts of the order and learn new secrets. For a number of years, the famous occultist Aleister Crowley was associated with the order.

Animism

Animism differs from other types of polytheistic paganism in that it does not necessarily feel the need to name or identify deities. Animism accepts that there is a divine or spiritual force at work in the world and it can be seen in aspects of life. But they can appreciate and be thankful for these forces without anthropomorphizing them into deities.

Animists often believe that the gods of polytheistic religions are cultural constructions designed to help humans better understand and engage with these forces. They may choose to engage with certain traditional polytheistic gods as a way of engaging with the elements of the world they consider most important.

Secular Paganism

Secular paganism could also be called a nature-based religion. Secular pagans do not necessarily believe in certain deities and could be Polytheists, Christians, Atheists, or anything in between. The core belief is that we are part of nature, rather than masters of it, and that we should live our lives with an abiding love and respect for nature.

Secular Paganism often mixes meditative and ritual practices designed to better understand and control the self with a world view based on science.

Eclectic Paganism

Eclectic Paganism is kind of a “catch-all” term for those who don’t fit into other types of Paganism. This is for people who identify with the general principles of Paganism but haven’t tied themselves to a single belief system or set or practices.

For example, they might believe in the mother goddess, but not practice witchcraft. They may feel a deep spiritual connection with the universe, witch manifests in practices such as reading Tarot cards, and cleansing spaces with incense and herbs, but may not necessarily consider these practices linked with any kind of divinity.

Eclectic Pagans often have broad interests in terms of researching different new age practices and approaches. They may also identify with Paganism aesthetically through gothic-style fashion.

Meso-Paganism

Meso-Paganism is a term used for practices that are a result of mixing non-Christian religions with Christianity imposed by conquerors, missionaries, or both. Haitian Voodoo and Candomblé in Brazil are probably the best examples, in which African deities are syncretized with Christian Saints and elements of Christian religion are incorporated into traditional rituals.

While many of the characteristics of Neopaganism apply to Meso-Paganism, followers and practitioners are less likely to identify with the broader Pagan community. These are traditional religions passed down through communities, rather than sought out by individuals. So, while they may not be the dominant religion in a certain place, they have this in common with religions such as Hinduism.

What kind of Pagan are You?

While this whole post has been dedicated to trying to define and categorize Paganism, what it really equates to is following your own spiritual path outside of the biblical context. There are no rules about what you have to believe and practices that you have to engage in. It is all about finding your own spirituality and expressing it in a way that works for you.

But we would still love to know what Paganism means to you! Let us know in the comments section below.

[Full blog post here]

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sluttywonwoo · 1 year

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instead of you [part five] || l.mh

pairing: [best friend’s brother] lee minho x college!reader ft. han jisung

summary: you didn’t expect to spend your summer pretending to be your best friend’s girlfriend- then again, you didn’t expect to fall for your best friend’s brother, either.

warnings: swearing, mentions of sex (18+ mdni)

word count: 3.4k

a/n: revamped my tom holland series from my main blog ( @wazzupmrstark ) to try and motivate myself to finish it!! ; i know minho is the chef of the group but just suspend your disbelief for this series and pretend it's jisung

series masterlist | early access to the next chapter on ko-fi

“This would be a lot easier if any of us spoke French,” Felix grumbled, lugging his suitcase awkwardly down the cobblestone street.

“I took a couple of classes in high school,” you offered.

“Can you read this map?” Jisung’s dad asked, handing you the comically large sheet of paper.

The only reason they weren’t using their phones’ GPS was that the international data plan wouldn’t be activated until the next day, leaving the six of you to fend for yourselves without technology until midnight. It had been a small oversight, but it had left you wandering around the streets of Paris for over half an hour already.

You held the map in front of your face and examined it closely, trying to decipher where you were in relation to the buildings and landmarks on the page. You knew the hotel was on the corner of Place de la Concorde, but you weren’t sure where you were.

“I know ‘rue’ means street,” you said nervously.

All of the Hans were looking at you expectantly. You felt like the responsibility of getting everyone to where they needed to be was on your shoulders now, and the pressure was making you sweat.

“Do you know what ‘rue’ we’re on?” Felix asked impatiently.

“Do you see a street sign?” you countered, trying not to come across as frustrated as you felt.

“We’re on Rue Saint-Honore,” Jisung said gently. “And the intersection of this street and Rue Saint-Florentin is a few meters in front of us.”

“Oh, then our hotel is just a few blocks up the street! We were just one street up from the one we needed to be on.”

You handed the map back to Jisung’s dad who tucked it into the pocket of his backpack and smiled.

“Perfect, you lead the way, y/n.”

“Your dad and I will be in this room, 313. Minho and Felix, you’ll be right next door to us. And Jisung and y/n will be on the end in room 317,” Nikki explained as she distributed the keys to each pair.

“You know why they put us in between them and Jisung,” Felix muttered to Minho under his breath as he made an obscene gesture with his hands. Minho chuckled quietly and nudged Felix’s shoulder with his own, earning identical glares from you and Jisung.

“Yeah, we’re the buffer,” Minho agreed, subtly sizing you up from beneath his gaze.

“Behave.” Nikki warned her sons

“No promises.”

“Listen to your mother, boys,” Dom, their father, piped up from behind his wife.

And that was it. They departed down the hallway towards their own room and left the four of you standing in the hallway by yourselves.

“Well, we’ll let you two… settle in,” Felix said pointedly with a raise of his eyebrow.

“I hate you,” Jisung grumbled.

“What are older brothers for?”

“We’re twins. And I was born first.”

Felix just shrugged. “Like I said.”

Jisung turned away from them to face you. The boys’ voices faded into the background as they retreated down the hallway to their own hotel room.

“Sorry about them.”

You smiled reassuringly. “You’ve been gone for too long. They have to make up for lost time.”

“Yeah, but I wish they wouldn’t make gross jokes in front of you.”

“That’s sweet, but have you forgotten that I used to make those same jokes about you and your exes?”

“I wish I could,” he groaned.

“Some of my best comedic work.”

“That’s not saying much.”

You ignored the jab and took the room key from his hands.

“I know they don’t mean any harm,” you reasoned. “One day, when you meet someone for real, the three of us will never give you a break about it.”

Jisung blinked. “Can’t wait.”

“Me either,” you hummed in agreement.

You turned and led the way to your room with Jisung trailing on your heels. The door unlocked on the first try and the two of you stumbled into the room together, immediately dropping all of your belongings onto the carpeted floor.

You gasped at the sight before you, barely registering the click of the door behind you.

The room was gorgeous, but you were focused on the view outside. The curtains on all of the windows were drawn and the windows themselves were ajar so that the natural light and fresh air could filter in. You had seen dozens of movies that took place in Paris, but none of them captured the true beauty of the city. Haussmanian buildings stretched as far as the eye could see and the tip of the Eiffel Tower peeked out behind the gray roofs in the distance. The entire city looked like it had been wrapped in tea-stained parchment paper, balanced on the line between film set and history. You could hear the bustle of traffic and vendors from the streets below, reminding you that this was not some sort of dream and that you were actually there.

Behind you Jisung was setting your suitcases on luggage racks against the wall, having already had his fill of the view apparently.

You threw yourself onto the bed and sighed loudly, shifting your attention onto your best friend who was organizing the contents of his backpack.

“What’s the plan?” you asked

“You didn’t read the itinerary, did you?”

“I skimmed.” He shook his head in exasperation. “You can’t expect me to have memorized everything on there!”

“No, but I thought you would at least read today’s schedule!”

“You didn’t read it either, did you?”

You both stared at each other momentarily before Jisung broke out into a grin and you threw a pillow at his head.

“I knew it!”

“We’re a mess, aren’t we?”

“I’ll look at the schedule,” you offered. “I still have the email.”

You rolled over to reach for your backpack and fished your phone from the front pocket. Jisung waited in silence while you scrolled through your inbox and read over the itinerary.

“We’re free until tomorrow morning,” you said.

Jisung’s shoulders sagged in relief and he plopped his body down onto the bed next to you.

“Thank god.” He gave you a defeated look. “It hasn’t even been a whole day and I’m already exhausted of my family.”

You liked spending time with the Hans, but you understood Jisung’s sentiment. They weren’t your family, and so you didn’t have to use much social energy or patience with them. But family vacations were familiar events to you. And there was only so much family time a person could take.

“I know the feeling.”

“I’m glad I have you with me,” Jisung admitted. “I love them, but I couldn’t spend two months alone with them.”

“Is that why you picked a school abroad?” you asked, realizing you had never really talked about it with him before.

“Kind of.” He rolled onto his side to face you. “Felt like it was the only way I could become my own person.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that, without being dramatic, it’s a little hard to escape my family’s influence- especially where we live.”

You were still lost, but your eyes were beginning to feel heavy so you just nodded.

“Have you ever felt like that?” he asked, voice starting to sound distant.

“I think so…”

It felt like you had just blinked when you opened your eyes again, but the room had turned dark. You couldn’t tell what time it was, but the moon was hanging low in the sky, casting light onto the water beneath it. Jisung was still beside you and he had fallen asleep as well. The sound of his gentle breathing filled the silence. You both had dozed off on top of the bed without any blankets which had caused you to roll yourself into a ball in your sleep. You stretched out, groaning at the stiffness in your muscles, and reached over to the nightstand to check your phone.

It was well past dinnertime by now, but you knew that you and Jisung needed to eat something. You shook his shoulder gently to wake him.

“Hm?”

“It’s after nine, Ji,” you whispered. “Are you hungry?”

He nodded. “Is anything open?”

“I’m sure we’ll find something. Do you want to ask your brothers if they want to go with us?”

Another nod.

Fifteen minutes later, you and all three of the Han boys were downstairs standing on the street just outside the lobby. No one in your group knew Paris well enough to know where they were going so Jisung just pointed in a direction and shrugged.

“Did you fall asleep too?” Minho asked as you walked along the sidewalk next to the Seine together.

Felix and Jisung were a few strides ahead, leading the way in front of you. You could faintly hear them bickering about directions, but were trying to tune them out as best you could.

“Almost immediately.”

“Me too.”

“I wanted to get out and see some of the city today, but my body had other plans I guess.”

“You’ll see plenty of the city tomorrow,” Minho assured you. “And the next day and the next. Trust me, you’ll be sick of this place by the time we leave.”

“How can anyone get tired of Paris?”

“Once you get over the art and the scenery, you remember all of the colonization and it becomes a lot less special.”

“Well when you put it that way,” you mumbled under your breath, ignoring the way Minho laughed at you.

“It’s still a cool city. France is just…”

“The worst.”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“How many times have you been?” you asked.

“To Paris, or France in general?”

“Either.”

“A few.” He said it casually, but you had a feeling he might have been lowballing it.

You were about to ask him another question when the two of you were interrupted by a man in a black vest with a stack of menus in his hands.

“Madame, vous et votre petit ami- voudrais-vous manger ici?”

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” you said instinctively, “uh, but I guess that doesn’t matter. Do you guys want to eat here?”

It was the only restaurant open on the whole block and everyone was hungry so it was an easy decision. You let the man pull you inside with Minho on your heels and Jisung and Felix trailing not too far behind.

Once all four of you were seated he distributed a handful of English-printed menus before returning to his post outside where he could drag more wandering tourists into the café.

“Do you want something to drink?” Jisung asked you, flipping the menu over.

“What do they have?”

“Here,” he said and leaned over to show you. “They have a lot of wines, a few domestic beers, oh they have a tequila sunrise-”

Across the table, Minho raised an eyebrow and smirked at you. You averted your gaze immediately, cheeks burning.

“We can share one,” you suggested meekly.

“Sounds good. What are you guys getting?”

“Beer,” Felix and Minho replied simultaneously.

Jisung shook his head. “Predictable.”

“What about food?” Felix continued, unphased by his brother’s remark. “All I’m seeing is fondue.”

“It’s a fondue place,” Minho pointed out and turned the menu around to show Felix the title.

“Thanks, mate, couldn’t have figured it out without you.”

“What does y/n want? She’s the guest.” The three boys turned and looked at you expectantly. “No pressure,” Minho added.

“Um,” you paused and glanced over to your fake boyfriend. “JIsung knows what I like. And I’m sure he knows what you both like. He can choose.”

You mouthed a sorry to your best friend, but he brushed it off with a smile and nodded.

“I can do that.”

The food came out almost immediately after it was ordered, as nearly everything was meant to be prepared by the diners, and the drinks followed shortly after. Jisung had ordered a white wine and swiss fondue for the table along with a red wine broth to cook the meat and potatoes in.

The restaurant was relatively empty. Your party and one other were the only people in the entire place, aside from the servers and the bartender. The man who had pulled you inside was still working the sidewalks underneath the red and white striped awning hanging over the door, but the night was visibly winding down for everyone in the neighborhood.

Vendors had started folding their sandwich boards and latching their shutters. Every time you looked across the street a couple more lights in windows had gone out. Inside, servers began folding tablecloths and stacking chairs on top of each other, all while encouraging you to take your time eating. But as soon as Felix noticed the first table being cleared all four of you started shoving food into your mouths as fast as possible. It didn’t matter that everything was being doused in scalding hot liquid, you would just have to deal with the first-degree burns later. The time pressure had also caused everyone to attempt to “flash cook” their food- which just meant turning up the intensity on the Sterno and cooking everything for half the recommended time. tom

“We’re not going to get food poisoning, right?” Felix asked as he cut into a piece of what could be classified as maximum rare steak.

Jisung shrugged. “Probably not.”

“What do you mean ‘probably not’?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“You’re the one with a degree in culinary arts!”

��I don’t have a degree yet,” he clarified, correcting his twin.

“Okay, but you’re studying culinary arts.”

“Yeah, and there’s a reason you’re supposed to cook meat for a specified amount of time so let’s just not think about it.”

Felix pursed his lips, but didn’t say anything else.

“How’s your sunrise?” Minho asked with a grin. He had stopped eating just to ask you that question. You were half-tempted to stomp on his foot.

“Good, why?” Jisung answered for you.

“No reason. Just curious.”

Minho paid the bill without a second thought. He pretended not to hear you when you offered to pick up the tab while Felix and Jisung gave you dirty looks. They even yelled at you when you tried paying for yourself. God forbid you ever tried to get any of them a Christmas present. There was no winning with these boys.

Jisung held your hand on the walk back to the hotel. His entire body was warm from the alcohol, but his hands were especially warm because they always were. It was one of the little things that made him your favorite person. Whenever you were cold you could just grab one of his hands. Even if you weren’t particularly chilly, the warmth still was still comforting and familiar. Felix wasn’t wrong when he said you and Jisung were always all over each other. You were always holding hands, which is probably part of the reason so many people thought you were dating.

Your thumb circled the small scar on the back of his hand absentmindedly as you strolled along the river. He’d had it since before you met, but you knew the story. Something about learning how stoves get hot the hard way.

The walk took a little longer than it should have because you had aimlessly wandered around to find dinner and didn’t keep track of your route, but you picked up on familiar landmarks eventually and used your best judgment to lead the way. You said your goodnights to the boys in the elevator and parted ways in the hallway.

“I hope you’re ready for tomorrow,” Minho said as he held his keycard up to the sensor on the door next to yours. It sounded more like a warning than anything else.

You turned back to Jisung. “It won’t be that bad, right?”

He shrugged noncommittally and squeezed your hand. “It’ll be fine.”

“How do I look?” you asked and turned away from the mirror to face Jisung.

It was the next day, and the sun had barely risen, but everyone was scheduled to be downstairs at 7:00 for the days’ activities. Today was the first day that you were required to wear a matching shirt with the rest of the Hans and while you hadn’t been excited about it, it wasn’t so bad now that you were actually wearing it.

Jisung’s mom had designed shirts for each leg of the trip, which had taken up a considerable amount of room in your luggage but saved you the hassle of having to pick out an outfit every day. Today’s shirt was a bright red, Nikki’s favorite color, and it had a picture of the Eiffel Tower on the front. On the back, it said ‘HVC’ which apparently stood for Han Family Vacation. The shirt was a little big on you so you had tucked it into your jeans so that it wasn’t completely swallowing your figure.

Along with your t-shirt and jeans, you were also wearing… Nikes. The tennis shoes and jeans combo really completed the tourist aesthetic, but you were taking comfort in the fact that everyone else would be wearing the same thing too. You’d tied a red bandana into your hair to keep it out of your face which made you look kind of like a Girl Scout, but you already looked like an elementary schooler with your ensemble so you figured you might as well keep it.

“I feel like this is a trick question,” Jisung admitted.

“Wrong answer.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “We’re all wearing the same thing, y/n, we’re all going to look stupid.”

“Yeah, but I still want to look cute!”

“You always look cute.”

You gave him a look. “You know what I mean. I’m supposed to look girly and feminine and put together!”

“Says who?”

“I just… assumed you would want me to,” you said with a shrug. “I thought you’d want me to be, you know, cutesy and- for your parents?”

“When have I ever been into those kinds of girls?”

You rolled your eyes. “Oh right, I forgot you have a ‘not like other girls’ complex.”

“You know what I meant. I just want you to be yourself.”

“I don’t think you mean that.”

“Well, the PG version of yourself.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

“You’re already acting like you’re in love with me, I don’t think your talents extend past that.”

“Ouch.”

“I’m just saying, our entire act would fall apart. You’re barely believable as it is now-”

“What part of ouch did you not understand?”

“Sorry.”

You blew out a breath and put your hands on your hips. “Should we go downstairs?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Nikki and Dom were already in the lobby when you and Jisung got down there and Minho and Felix followed shortly after. Everyone looked blindingly bright with their matching shirts on and you were already getting looks from other guests.

Dom announced that everyone would get breakfast somewhere close by on the way to the sights so that you’d save time. No one was in much of a mood to talk since it was so early, so you just followed Jisung’s family quietly as they made their way out of the hotel together.

The sun was peeking out from behind the skyline now, casting a soft glow onto the cobblestone streets. The park across from where you were staying was already bustling with the day’s activity. Nearly all of the benches were occupied by people enjoying pastries or coffee. Picnickers were speckled throughout the grassy areas on blankets they had brought from home, some reading books, some playing fetch with their puppies. Others were busy walking their dogs or going for their morning runs.

Observing everyday life in the places you visited was one of your favorite things about traveling. Inserting yourself into the rhythms and routines of each city, watching small interactions between strangers, something about it made you feel at home even though you were an outsider.

The feeling crept up on you as you watched a jogger stop to pet a dog, calling it by name and bending down to scratch it behind the ears. Jisung had resorted to pulling you by the hand each time you got distracted, tugging whenever you paused for a second too long so that you wouldn’t lose his family walking ahead of you.

You thought he must be getting annoyed with how many times he had to remind you to keep moving, but every time he pulled you caught him smiling at you out of the corner of your eye. He’d shake his head in exasperation or make a point of sighing loudly but kept whatever he was thinking to himself. It was weird not to be sharing every little thing you were thinking with each other, but you had the feeling that you’d have to get used to that from now on.

iou tags: @sluttywoozi @gimmeurtmi @phobia0325 @fwess @hipsdofafangirl @galaxleeknow @urmomma0324 @bangmechanpls @102598s @farfromsugafanfic @ritzy-roo @dimpledsatan @bvselines @wonderfulshinee @imwithurmother @smollquokka @rosexjimin @skizzel @endzii23 @lady-lena @kwanisms @ch4nniebang @lilramennoodle @babyphotos0325 @kpflyn @dearalice @sojohns @mistlitmoonlight @yoontaethings @babebatter @mal-lunar-28 @shy-kisu @zerefdragn33l @downbadreading @sana-within-you @saquso @bunnispaces @reianagarcia @hyunehans @imtoooyoungforthisshit @i8rsie @honeslykindahorny @214racha @hgema @chillllllli @vixensss @smhlino @feiyaa @borahae-reads @bigbearenergy @hoodiesandicedcoffee @darkacademic2512 @y00nzin0

add yourself to the taglist here!!

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daily-kohane-azusawa · 3 months

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Day 313! Hmm… you know a Kohane goes to Kamiya au would be pretty cool.

Her chance encounter with An would probably still happen and she might even recognize An (depending on which class she’s in) though that would also mean that she wouldn’t have met Minori at all (or any of the girls at Miya girls).

She’d definitely develop an odd admiration of Tsukasa due to how much confidence he has in himself (joining Toya in the “Tsukasa is cool actually” club).

I like the idea of her being in 1-B with Toya and Nene it would be the quiet kids class. Her getting voice lessons from Nene would also be pretty cool (she’d have those on top of practicing with vbs).

#project sekai #proseka #vbs kohane #kohane azusawa

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usbotthrills · 2 years

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It’s time, I’m gonna prove to you all how BORIS is in love with Theo…

Now, let’s start with the fact that they clearly feel PHYSICAL attraction

I think that Boris’ excuse that they ‘needed girls’ is honestly the worse reason he could have given, based off of the fact that it’s clearly NOT true.

On page 273, Theo talks about the fact that Boris had ‘actual sex with a girl’ (and I love the fact that he had to be specific it was a girl but anyways-). Not ONLY that but later on Boris obviously starts dating Kotku, proving that he clearly wasn’t lacking in girls. This means that they didn’t fuck out of any sort of loneliness or desperation, because they wanted to.

ALTHOUGH, I know, I know. So what? Physical attraction doesn’t equal love. Just because I daydream about that one guy in my classes doesn’t mean we are on our way to getting married.

WELL, in the case of Boris, he clearly cares about Theo, at least to some capacity. We know that Boris is always there to comfort him when he has nightmares, which clearly doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. Theo even admits on page 313 that ‘Boris never seemed annoyed or even very startled when I woke him.’

Furthermore, Boris is always the one that initiates platonic contact, often draping his arm over Theo and pulling him closer.

And finally, you have to admit that they clearly get on well with each other. It says that they are ‘attuned to each other’ and could tip each other into hysterics.

Now these things on their own may not point to love, but all together I think that there is FAR too much evidence to ignore here.

Thank you for listening *bows*

#the goldfinch book #boreo #you know it’s real #Theo decker is gay #Boris pavlikovsky is bi #you cannot change my mind #also sorry to all my marauders followers #I’ll give you content I promise #boris pavlikovsky #the goldfinch #theodore decker #the goldfinch analysis

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grailfinders · 10 months

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Grailfinders #313: Percival

today on Grailfinders we’re finally getting back into the swing of things with one of the guys who actually found the grail, Percival de Galles. He’s an Oath of the Crown Paladin because of course he is, but he’s also a Hexblade Warlock to get a little bit eviler thanks to his holy spear. I don’t trust those pointy bastards after singularity six I don’t care how many good deeds this one’s done.

his build breakdown’s below the cut, his character sheet’s over here.

next up: Tamamo’s not

Race and Background

Percy’s background gets a little funky in the lostbelt, but for our purposes we’re summoning the og Percival, who’s just a normal man. Just an innocent Human. that gives him +1 in two stats like Wisdom and Charisma, as well as a boost to Animal Handling and the feat Heavy Armor Master, reducing all incoming physical damage by 3 points per hit while wearing heavy armor. look at that man’s tits, I 100% believe they could stop arrows.

Other Percival is of course a Knight of the Order, giving him proficiency with Persuasion and Religion. man literally watched a guy get raptured, I’d take his word over a priests’ at this point.

Ability Scores

Percival’s highest score should be in Charisma. look at him. look at that beautiful boy. do you really think he could do you wrong? and that’s how he gets ya. after that is Constitution. shielding others with your body is all fine and dandy, but I’m sure you’d like to survive doing so, right? third is Strength- it’s weird we’re saving your main attacking stat for third, but you’re fighting to protect others more than doing big damage. don’t worry, the damage will come. fourth is Wisdom, you need to be a little discerning to live in a faerie world, after all. that means your Intelligence isn’t too great- he’s got a head for strategy for sure, but I don’t think schools were fantastic in faerie Britain or sixth century england. finally, dump Dexterity. you mostly wear heavy armor anyway, and we had to give you some kind of weakness. that’s also why the lance of longinus is an actual lance in this build. a spear would be easier, but we’re already making a paladin/warlock build, let’s not push things too far or the DMs might get antsy.

Class Levels

1. Paladin 1: if we’re gonna have that heavy armor, we’ve gotta start off in the heavy armor class. as a paladin, you get proficiency in Wisdom, Charisma, Athletics, Insight, and not a billion things at once! yaaayy!

you also get a Divine Sense, letting you know the location of nearby celestials, fiends, and undead a couple of times per day. that’s probably why obebe doesn’t stick around too long in Londinium, huh? you can also lay on hands as an action, healing peeps and curing dizeeps. or poisons. you get 5x your level hp per day, and you can spend 5 points to heal a poison or disease.

2. paladin 2: at level two you get your Dueling Fighting Style for an extra two points of damage with a one-handed weapon. unlike most weapons, the lance doesn’t get weaker when you wield it one-handed. that being said I guess you can pick the Great Weapon Fighting style if you expect to be off your horse more often than not but why would you ever do that? that’s why we’re giving you the horse in the first place! in the future.

you can also cast Spells now, using your charisma to prepare and power them. I like Protection from Evil and Good on account of it protecting you from fae, very important stuff, but since you can swap out your spells every day, it’s not a huge issue. it’ll give your extraplanar enemies disadvantage on attacks and give you immunity to their charms, frightens, and possessions. you also get command and compelled duel for free! the latter’s kind of redundant, but you can only challenge stuff once a short rest, so it’s cool.

if you’d rather go on the offensive, you can use your spell slots to power a Divine Smite instead, dealing radiant damage alongside your usual stabbing. get it now before wotc rolls out their “we’re ruining everything” patch!

3. Paladin 3: at level three you can finally swear your life to your king, becoming a paladin of the Crown. as a crownadin, you can channel divinity in two ways, either issuing a Champion Challenge to everyone nearby, keeping them from moving too far away from you if they fail a wisdom save until you are knocked out, dead, or more than 30’ away from them. you can also Turn the Tide as a bonus action, giving every bloodied creature within 30’ of you whom you choose a little bit of extra hp.

speaking of health, your Divine Health makes you immune to disease, so have fun never having to worry about covid. god I wish that was me. you can also Harness Divine Power once per day, spending your channel divinity to regain a spell slot. your CD recharges on short rests, so having that extra spell or smite can be really useful!

4. paladin 4: at level four you get an ability score improvement, so bomp up that strength to really huck that spear around. right now its just a regular lil dinky lance, but don’t worry. ï̵̳͍̺͛t̵̡̪͎̹͊̏̚'̴̤͍̞̿s̷̫̥̀̔ ̸̥͔̟̘̺̾̌̐͋̋c̵̨͎͚̬̏̋̈́́̄ͅo̵̺̞̾̆m̵̬̹̮̓̾ͅì̸̧͈͚̬̾̅n̵̨͕̰̅̂͋͗̿͜g̶̮̹̪͋́͊͊

5. paladin 5: fifth level paladins can make an extra attack each action for two attacks at a time! you can also shield an ally with warding bond to take half their damage for them, or you can fairy out the truth with zone of truth. you can also find steed now, so bam. horse. mission complete. you can also turn your lance into a magic weapon if u really wanna, but we’ll get something more permanent later.

6. paladin 6: sixth level paladins can make an aura of protection around them, adding their charisma modifier to all saves you and your buddies make as long as you’re conscious. it’s kinda like charisma, in a way. I mean it’s literally your charisma, but we’re referring to the FGO skill here.

7. Paladin 7: a seventh level crown paladin can use their Divine Allegiance as a reaction to take all the damage a nearby ally would instead. if you use this with warding bond, this will actually delete half the damage an effect was supposed to do, though you can’t reduce any damage you take from this with your heavy armor.

8. Paladin 8: at eighth level you can bump up your Charisma for stronger challenges, auras, and other spells. trust me, this’ll be worth it.

9. Paladin 9: ninth level paladins don’t get anything too special innately, but your third level spells are pretty cool. Aura of Vitality lets you use your bonus action to heal a creature each turn, while Spirit Guardians lets you summon an angel to protect you. That’s not necessarily in-character, but it’s cool enough you can probably twist “protection of the grail” to justify it. you can also remove curses, create food, or even revive fallen party members with third level spells. all in all, a super useful level!

10. Paladin 10: at tenth level, you make an Aura of Courage that blocks allies from being frightened near you. though some may fake it just to shelter against you.

11. Paladin 11: our final level in paladin, level eleven gives you an Improved Divine Smite, letting you deal extra radiant damage with each attack for free. now it’s starting to look like a real sacred spear! speaking of…

12. Warlock 1: since you’re wielding a semi-sentient spear that gives you extra power, that makes you a Hexblade warlock! with this, you become a Hex Warrior, which doesn’t do too much to help you, but it does let you pick one weapon a day to use your charisma to attack instead of your strength or dexterity. obviously we intend for you to use this on your lance, but it can apply to any non-two-handed weapon. lances have the special property, not two-handed, so we’re all good!

if you really want a wolf dead, you have to hit it with a Hexblade’s Curse. with this, you can spend a bonus action to curse someone for a minute, during which you can add your proficiency bonus to attack rolls, have a doubled chance to crit, and killing the target heals you.

you also get another set of spell slots which use your charisma, but these recharge on short rests! I’d pick up Blade Ward to give yourself resistance to physical damage for a turn. it takes an action to cast, but when you’re soaking up hits for an ally, it’ll help a lot. Friends is also a great cantrip to grab, Percy just seems like a really personable guy. faeable? whatever.

for your leveled spells, Shield is always useful. an extra five AC for a whole round, plus immunity from magic missile. you can also make a Wrathful Smite as a bonus action, dealing psychic damage instead of the usual radiant and making a creature frightened of you for up to a minute if it fails a wisdom save. shield is, unfortunately, somatic, so we can’t use it too easily just yet, but we’ll get it ready in time.

13. Warlock 2: second level warlocks get Eldritch Invocations, allowing you to customize your eternal servitude to a talking stick. we’re saving one for next level as per usual, but Beast Speech will let you talk to Kuntry pretty easy. I’m like 90% sure you can talk to her in the lostbelt because she’s a faerie, but whatever!

also if your DM lets you ride your horse like you’re using your own movement, pick up Expeditious Retreat to make your ride truly magical, letting you spend a bonus action to dash instead of your main one. or even with your main one, if you truly feel the need for speed.

14. Warlock 3: at level three you take on the Pact of the Blade¸ the only pact hexblades ever seem to take for some reason. you can also take the Improved Pact Weapon invocation now, so we’ll explain the whole shebang at once. you are now able to summon a magical weapon of just about any kind to your hand as an action. it counts as a +1 weapon, though you can attune another more powerful magical spear to your pact if you want- the ritual for that takes an hour. you can also cast your spells through the weapon as though it were a focus.

you can also cast Shatter now to blow stuff up. your noble phantasm is anti-fortress, so it would feel weird not having the option to break walls.

15. Warlock 4: at level four you get another ASI so max out your Charisma for the strongest… I mean, everything really.

you also get a spell and a cantrip this level but tbh they’re not super important to the build, go with your heart.

16. Warlock 5: at level five warlocks can cast third level spells, like Tongues. speaking to everyone was a pretty jesusy sort of thing to do, and you’ve got his blood all over your spear, right? good enough reasoning tbh.

you can also Eldritch Smite now as a bonus action, adding a little force damage and knockback to your next attack by spending a warlock spell slot. now you can perform the legendary triple smite! set up a spell smite on your previous turn, then eldritch smite and regular smite on your next turn! 100% satisfaction guaranteed.

17. Warlock 6: at level six a hexblade warlock can create an Accursed Specter by killing a humanoid, turning it into a specter that follows your commands until the end of your next long rest. this ability is the sole reason we don’t go higher in hexblade that often, but everyone in LB6 is either a fae or a construct, so he might be able to do this, I guess?

yeah this is entirely because we need other stuff down the line, please ignore this level. aside from getting Intellect Fortress that’s pretty cool. it gives you resistance to psychic damage and advantage on mental saves for up to an hour. Percy’s got good magic resistance; this is a known fact.

18. Warlock 7: at seventh level you get fourth level spells, plus a new invocation. Fiendish Vigor isn’t anything too fancy, just lets you add some temporary HP to yourself for free. the real winner this level is Staggering Smite, which adds psychic damage to your lance and forces a wisdom save. on a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attacks and checks for a turn, and it also can’t make reactions that round. perfect for getting another ally out of harm’s way.

19. Warlock 8: for your last ASI, grab the Tough feat for an extra 38 HP now, plus another two at level 20. the one real downside of this build is we couldn’t focus on constitution as much as I’d like in a tank, but this will help a lot.

your spear can also emit a Sickening Radiance, which deals radiant and exhaustion damage in a 30’ radius around a point you pick, while also preventing creatures in the area from being invisible. just don’t get too close to the spear while you’re doing this, and- oh, you have to hold the thing to use it? that’s rough.

20. Warlock 9: ninth level warlocks get fifth level spells, and if Rhongominiad can make a Wall of Light so can Longinus. we also finally get your invincibility skill thanks to Tomb of Levistus. Once a short rest as a reaction to taking damage you can seal yourself in ice, giving yourself 90 temporary HP to block the hit. Until your next turn you have a vulnerability to fire damage, can’t move, and are incapacitated, so this will drop your challenge. Still, living to fight another day usually trumps keeping an enemy who almost killed you around. all these effects end when the ice melts at the end of your next turn.

sure it’s not literal invincibility, but that’s almost a whole wizard’s worth of body armor you can pull out at will!

Pros and Cons

Pros:

having a maxed out charisma stat plus a champion’s challenge makes you great at locking enemies in place, forcing them to focus on you instead of your squishier party members. you’ve also got tons of ways to reduce the inevitable damage from doing so, with heavy armor master dulling any physical hits and your huge save bonuses keeping you from getting too hurt by magic.

when it’s time to attack, you can hit hard, with three smites in a single attack and a doubled chance to crit from your hexblade’s curse giving you some serious firepower against the big boss. if you can manage to get advantage, that gives your attack whopping 1 in 5 chances at critting.

Normally paladins only really have physical and radiant damage to work with, rendering them pretty useless against anything that resists the latter. thanks to your little dip into eternal servitude, your damage variety is a lot more well-rounded, making it easier to hit whatever you’re fighting.

Cons:

lances are bad. if your DM’s fine with the multiclassing here just stick to a spear- having disadvantage on anything within 5’ of you sucks.

Tomb of Levistus is a powerful survival tool, but it eats up one of your turns and breaks a lot of your spells and effects. if you were already having trouble surviving against something you challenged, I doubt your party will be thrill that you let it loose while you chill for a bit.

you have a slim margin for error. you don’t have a ton of spell slots to use, and your best features only work once per short rest, so if you play sub-optimally you can seriously waste a lot of your potential. no pressure, I’m sure you’ll do great against the infinite Morgan army.

#fgo #fate grand order #D&D 5e #DND #Paladin #Warlock

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dangus-doo · 1 year

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I draw a pen doodle every day until I forget

Day 313: Core Class Bumblebee (Transformers: Buzzworthy Bumblebee)

I’m still playing with my paints from Yesterday, and I wanted to paint a little dude I got recently. Core Class Bumblebee is a cutie! I like him a lot, and I wish that more bumblebee designs were boxy.

#pen and paper #drawing every day #drawing exercise #penandink #transformers #ballpen #ballpenart #ballpoint doodle #ballpointpen #acrylic painting #acrylic #tf fanart #tf bumblebee #transformers gen 1 #tf g1 #macadam #macadams #transformers bumblebee

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stagefoureddiediaz · 1 year

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911 and the number 3!

I haven’t had time to rewatch just to find all the 3′s and I know there are lots of other 3’s lurking in season 1-5 (and probably some I’ve missed in season 6), these are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head so if you know of any drop me a message and I’ll update this post. I’m going to add it to my pinned post so it will be easier to find going forward!

Season 2

2x01

Buck hasn’t seen Maddie for 3 years

we see 3 photos of Eddie for his calendar submission

2x09

Hen is one of 3 women to graduate from the fire academy

Season 4

4x05

3 other Evans in Bucks class at ht fire academy

3 years of Daniel being in and out of hospitals

4x14

3 minutes out from the hospital

Eddie now has technically got 3 gunshot wounds (its 4 if you count the shooting as two separate wounds - front and back but as they are from the same gunshot I’m counting it as 1!)

Season 5

5x06

Buck calls Eddie 3 times when he run out of the hospital to find him doing compressions on Mitchell

5x08

kids mistakenly thinks he’s in room 318 on the 3rd floor

the room he’s actually is the 3rd one on the left

5x17

Ramon has 3 stents in his arteries and had the surgery 3 years ago!

Then we go to town in season 6 where there are 3′s wherever you look!!

Season 6

There is also the fact that in season 6 all the families in 911 are split into 3’s - Athena Bobby & May, Hen Karen & Denny, Chim Maddie & Jee-Yun, Eddie Buck & Chris, (and Michael David & Harry off screen) and we have been seeing lots of families of 3 on calls.

6x01

girl at stadium has 3 on her shirt

Eddie counts to 3 with the pilot of the blimp

Buck asks to be lowered 3 feet

330 square feet to the cabin on the cruise

3 tries for Buck to get Bobbys lasagne recipe right

3 times the charm for Maddie (3rd time is not the charm) watching a film with Chim

3 girls that may is roomed with

Athena gets to Hens at 3:15

3 shifts that Hen will be covering or Bobby

6x02

3 red flags in the garden

3 tomato plants

the finals Hen takes determine if she gets into her 3rd year

Eddie counts to 3 when they separate Angelo and Ron

Lev dies at 16:43

its ‘almost 3’ when Karen wakes up Hen

6x04

‘on 3’ when they pull the tree off the birdwatcher and then again when getting him on a backboard

3 pictures on the Diaz fridge

unit 313 are chasing the car Chim is in

Buck hasn’t seen Connor in 3 years

the sorority was founded in 1963

6x05

when saving Vincent from the purple foam there are 2 ‘on 3’s’

3 times Maddie accessed the call log shown on screen and all accesses have 3’s in there time stamps

6x06

18 July 1983 was the date Karen knew she wanted to work in space exploration

Karen works on the 3rd floor

63-31 is the vote to repeal DADT

6x07

Speed demons 3 poster on Felisa’s wall

the web search has a whole bunch of 3s - 3 items found, all 3 bracelets have 3’s in their descriptions

3 chairs on the beach - in Eddies scene with Felisa

Shannon died 3 years ago

the date is the 3rd on Bucks watch when he looks at the time

6x08

get 3 turkey legs - Hen at the Ren Faire

Christophers dance is going to last 3 hours

6x09

fireworks fight boys - 3 of them lost parts or their hands

triple homicide at the murder house! - 3 girls who actually died in a car accident

chim looks at 3 blogs

Josh is ‘pranked’ for 3 days and George had his appendix out 3 years ago

6x10

family of 3 with 3 beach chairs

The Buckley-Hans arrive in 3′s as the Buckleys (Buck Philip and Margaret) and the Han’s (Albert and Mr and Mrs Han) and then there is Maddie, Chim and Jee-Yun

3 minutes until the baby is brain dead

oct 3 on poster on Denny’s wall

3 red belts (on Chim, Eddie and Buck)

Buck is hanging for 3 minutes

3 minutes out from the hospital

there is also the more general one of Chis having nearly lost a parent 3 times (Eddie twice and now Buck) - not including Shannon as Chris actually did lose her!

#all the 3's #911 and the number 3 #911 and 3's #911 theories #they're going to town on them in season 6 #I'm still not sure whatit all means #but it means something!!!#911 on fox #911 fox #911onfox #3 is the magic number #hit me up with any you spot!

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pluckysidekick · 1 year

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I’m back with Part 2 of my in depth breakdown of The Maiden’s Rage, Episode 2 of Nancy Drew Season 4. Part 1 is here. When I rewatched closely I realized how much was packed into every frame, hence this ridiculously detailed analysis. Starting Part 2 with the moment Ace accidentally splashes Nancy with the poisoned water.

Trigger Warning:

TW: I will be going into the transformation Nancy goes through that leads to abusive language and behavior toward Ace in this post.

Kennedy posted this monitor shot where they captured the moment of contact perfectly.

Now why Nancy is affected the way she is, is still in question. She posits later that it’s because Logan’s frame of mind latched onto her. But why? If the poison is related to the sins of the past - does Nancy not have any? Or is she somehow channeling one of her Hudson forefathers? And did she take on this persona not just because of Logan’s repressed memories, but because of her high handed treatment of Ace? It’s not the same as what she becomes of course, but she did take away his agency in the name of protecting him.

This car scene of course evokes the 3x13 forecast scene. The contrast of their happiness in the forecast and their strife here - even before the whammy takes hold - is painful. I do love how Ace stands up for himself and doesn’t let Nancy go unchecked as she continues to stonewall him.

Now when Nancy leaves Ace behind after they visit Logan, if you notice, he’s doubled over. He’s in shock at being left. She leaves Ace on the side of the road, where in 313 she cradled his body. This time he’s alive, but psychically injured by her toxic behavior.

Jade and Nick’s date was super awkward but they are adorable together. I’m interested to see where it goes. I love Fanson and would like to see them come back together, but I really like the friendship George and Nick are developing too.

When the whole crew come together it’s always gold. The way everyone just so casually accepts that Nancy has a supernatural thing going on, even Nick, is priceless. He’s come a long way from the scene in 206 in the same kitchen when Ace was about to autopsy the lamia (a classic Nick reaction shot).

Speaking of Ace, while there are some very difficult moments in this episode for him, his taking offense at the idea of he and Nick being classed with toxic dudes was so meta for me. One of my favorite things about this show is that our male heros are not traditional alpha male types (and we love them for it). The characters actually acknowledging this within the story is awesome.

Of course Nancy (and Kennedy) gets to go full on comedy here with the Nan-spreading. Kennedy’s performance is so effortless in this episode. She is so convincing as Bro-Nancy it actually makes us uncomfortable as the episode goes on. Seeing her treat sweet Ace this way is as heartbreaking as it is hilarious, especially in the tenuous space they are in right now with their relationship.

I swear the writers are reading fanfic 💀. The scene preceding this where George and Nick are so respectful of each other is the polar opposite of Nancy’s whammy induced behavior here. There are tons of great GIFs from this scene and of Nancy’s jealousy.

Now this is the moment where Ace has had enough. It’s beautifully played by both actors - look at their contrasting expressions. Ace, ever the respectful gentleman, simply walks away. The torture he’s been put through in season 3 and so far in this season is really too much for one person. That apology had better be good (we will discuss later!).

This was one of my favorite moments in this episode - Bess assuring Ace that his feelings are valid, and their Platanchor-ness is a beautiful thing. Still - we hear Ace excuse Nancy’s behavior here, mirroring the way victims of abuse sometimes try to rationalize their treatment. Ace saying he would “put on the armor” is a clue to what’s about to happen.

This entire fight scene is tough to watch (for me anyway), but it was masterfully done by all involved. The setup of a domestic scene with Ace in the traditional feminine role and Nancy as the abusive male partner was so real - from Ace’s body language (holding his hips, opening the oven, looking downward), to Nancy’s quick progression from conciliatory (“how can I make us OK?”), to suggestive (“I’ll tell you all about the time we did get together”), to accusatory (“are you rejecting me?”), to Ace’s soft voice and firm “I’m done”, it’s simply devastating.

The actual fight is fast and furious. It certainly evokes the Ace and Bess sword fight from 215, with Ace defending himself without hurting Nancy, but it’s more personal, and honestly for me more upsetting because we’ve been waiting so patiently to see them together.

While the fight is of course supernatural poison-induced, the issues of Nancy and Ace’s power imbalance, and their natural tendencies (Nancy to boss, Ace to be passive aggressive), are real, and I hope we get to see them work on them throughout the season. I truly believe they are soulmates and perfect for each other - but that doesn’t mean they are perfect, and they will need to navigate their relationship to have the amazing life together we all want for them. I am confident we will get to see come to fruition.

The quiet desperation and absurd politeness here - so perfectly Ace!

There is so much more, including that incredible final scene, but alas will have to wait for my final 402 post, becuse I had too much to say and too many screencaps!

I highly recommend @likestosolvethepuzzle’s take on Ace’s POV during and after the fight, Not this Nancy. While it generally follows the show, it also goes deeper into the same issues I’ve discussed here (we’ve had a lot of conversations since the show aired), and gives us the insight and some slightly tweaked scenes with a resolution that I really love. 10/10!

Update: Part 3

#nancy drew #nancy drew cw #nace #ace [redacted]#ndcw #Nancy drew season 4 #Nancy drew s4 #4x02 #kennedy mcmann #alex saxon #nancy drew spoilers

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paganimagevault · 9 months

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Ancient Sogdian letters 1 & 3, about the year 313 CE. Miwnay and her daughter, Shayn, write to husband/father Nanai-dhat. According to Vladimir A. Livšic, Miwnay's name means "Little Tiger" and her husband's name means "Created by the Goddess Nanai". I'm not sure what Shayn's name meant.

"'From her daughter, the free-woman Miwnay, to her dear mother Chatis. I am very anxious to see you.'

History rarely remembers the little people. Our history books are full of stories of kings, queens, and conquerors; of influential men and wealthy people who lived in gilded castles. But the rest of us are forgotten.

The lives of countless ordinary people -- people who loved and lost and struggled and died – have been completely forgotten. To them, their lives were the most important thing in the world; but today, no one even remembers their names.

That’s what makes a box full of 1,700-year-old letters found in the Chinese town of Dunhuang so incredible. Because in that box are two letters written by an ordinary woman named Miwnay.

They’re a rare glimpse into the life of the Sogdian people who, in 313 AD, were living under Chinese rule. But more than that, they’re a glimpse into the love and pain that filled the life of an ordinary woman – one of only a few who will never be forgotten.

This wasn’t a polite formality. Miwnay’s letter was a plea for her life. She was trapped in Dunhuang, a town miles away from anyone she knew. Her husband had dragged her there three years ago, but now he was nowhere to be found.

He’d abandoned Miwnay and her daughter, Shayn, and hadn’t left them a penny to support themselves. And now Miwnay and her little girl, who had once been the pampered family of a wealthy merchant, were starving to death.

“I live wretchedly, without clothing, without money,” Miwnay told her mother. “I ask for a loan, but no-one consents to give me one.”

She hadn’t seen her husband for years. He’d even stopped writing. Miwnay had given up on waiting. Her only hope now was to get out of this town and get back to her mother’s home – the only place she’d ever felt at home.

For a woman with an absent husband in the year 313 AD, though, leaving Dunhuang wasn’t an easy task. By the laws of her land, Miwnay wasn’t allowed to leave unless her husband gave her permission.

Sogdian women, like Miwnay, were second-class citizens in Dunhuang. Their homeland, Sogdia, had once been a province in the Persian Empire; now, though, Miwnay was living in China’s Gansu province, just outside the frontier wall that divided China from the rest of Asia. And there, the Chinese made the rules.

Many of them ended up being a sold into sexual slavery. It was a common fate for Sogdian women, especially the poor. They would be bound up and sold off to the wealthiest Chinese, who had the legal right to beat them, tie them up, and do anything they wanted to do them.

Miwnay, in a way, had been lucky. She’d married a Sogdian man named Nanai-dhat, a merchant who’d placed his home on the Silk Road. There was a good chance that he was a wealthy man – the Sogdians, it’s said, were experts at making a fortune through trade.

By law, if she couldn’t get her husband’s consent, she would have to get the consent of his closest relative, a man named Artivan. But Artivan had refused, and no one would help her. Everyone she turned to told her the same thing: “Wait. … Perhaps Nanai-dhat would come.”

But Nanai-dhat wasn’t coming. Nobody knew where he was – and if Miwnay couldn’t get out of Dunhuang, there was a chance she’d end up like those other poor women, left with no choice but to sell their daughters as slaves.

Miwnay’s other letter, directed to her husband, Nanai-dhat, opens with a long stream of gushing platitudes, almost as if her husband were a God:

“To my noble lord and husband Nani-dhat, blessing and homage on bended knee, as is offered to the Gods. And it would be a good day for him who might see you healthy, happy, and free from illness, together with everyone; and sir, when I hear news of your good health, I consider myself immortal!”

All that over-the-top praise, though, was just what was expected in Sogdian culture . As soon as they were out of the way, Miwnay got vicious:

“I would rather be a dog’s or a pig’s wife than yours!”

Miwnay’s family, she reveals in the letter, had begged her not to follow her husband to Dunhuang. She’d tagged along, though, starry-eyed with love, only to be abandoned. Nanai-dhat hadn’t written to her in a long time. The only letter she’d gotten from him was a chiding, reminding her “how to serve the Chinese.”

But that was Miwnay’s greatest fear. If Nanai-dhat didn’t come back soon, she and her daughter – females who had once enjoyed the life of freedom in a wealthy man’s home – really would become servants to the Chinese.

There was a post-script on that second letter, added by Miwnay’s daughter, Shayn, that seems to have been written a little later. Everything Miwnay feared, it seems, had come true. Shayn writes:

“We have become the servants of the Chinese, I together with my mother.”

A family friend named Farnkhund had ruined them. Miwnay had hoped that Farnkhund would take her and her daughter out of Dunhuang, but Farnkhund let them down. He had built up an incredible amount of debt from the Chinese, though, and now he was on the run, and the Chinese soldiers were trying to hunt him down.

Miwnay and Shayn had inherited his debts. Shayn was a peasant girl now, watching over a flock of animals to survive.

When the man in their family left, they’d lost everything. And, as women living in the 4th century Gansu, they were forbidden to do anything about it.

Nobody knows for sure what became of Miwnay and Shayn. Those two letters are the only clues that they were ever even alive.

Miwnay’s letters, though, never reached their destinations. They were intercepted by a Chinese guard and locked in a box on the frontier wall , hidden away and forgotten until an archaeologist found them in 1907.

Miwnay’s mother never read her daughter’s plea for help. Her husband never read Shayn’s note telling him what had become of his family. And whatever fate greeted them when it was all done was likely a dark one.

But there was still one hope. In her letter to her mother, Miwnay revealed that there was still one person looking out for her:

“I depend on charity from the priest. He said to me: If you go, I will give you a camel, and a man should go with you, and on the way, I will look after you well.”

Perhaps the holy man who’d given her clothes to wear and food to eat went through with his promise. Perhaps he gave her a camel and a man to help her sneak past the guards. Perhaps she made her way home to her mother and lived out a peaceful life, back among her family.

The only thing that we know for sure is that Miwnay accomplished one incredible thing: she made her story heard. Though she could never have expected it, Miwnay managed to make her life one of the few that is thought of more than a thousand years later.

Miwnay, like all people, died. But her story is remembered."

-Mark at Ancient-Origins, 'Heart Wrenching Letters Reveal the Traumatic Life of Miwnay, A Sogdian Woman in China 1,700 Years Ago'

Translations of the two letters (translation by Prof. Nicholas Sims-Williams, University of London):

"Sogdian Ancient Letter No. 1 [Verso] From her daughter, the free-woman Miwnay, to her d[ear] mother [Chatis].

[Recto] [From her dau]ghter, the free-woman Mi[wnay], to her dear [mother] Chatis, blessing and homage. It would be a good day for him who might [see] you healthy and at ease; and [for me] that day would be the best when we ourselves might see you in good health. I am very anxious to see you, but have no luck. I petitioned the councilor Sagharak, but the councilor says: Here there is no other relative closer to Nanai-dhat than Artivan. And I petitioned Artivan, but he says: Farnkhund ..., and I refuse to hurry, I refuse to ... And Farnkhund says: If your husband’s relative does not consent that you should go back to your mother, how should I take you? Wait until ... comes; perhaps Nanai-dhat will come. I live wretchedly, without clothing, without money; I ask for a loan, but no-one consents to give me one, so I depend on charity from the priest. He said to me: If you go, I will give you a camel, and a man should go with you, and on the way I will look after you well. May he do so for me until you send me a letter!

Sogdian Ancient Letter No. 3 [Verso] From (his) daughter Shayn to the noble lord Nanai-dhat.

[On another part of the verso] From (his) servant [left unfinished].

[Recto] To (my) noble lord (and) husband Nanai-dhat, blessing (and) homage on bended knee, as is offered to the Gods. And (it would be) a good day for him who might see you healthy, happy (and) free from illness, together with everyone; and, sir, when I hear (news of) your (good) health, I consider myself immortal!

Behold, I am living ..., badly, not well, wretchedly, and I consider myself dead. Again and again I send you a letter, (but) I do not receive a (single) letter from you, and I have become without hope towards you. My misfortune is this, (that) I have been in Dunhuang for three years thanks(?) to you, and there was a way out a first, a second, even a fifth time, (but) he(!) refused to bring me out. I requested the leaders that support (should be given) to Farnkhund for me, so that he may take me to (my) husband and I would not be stuck in Dunhuang, (for) Farnkhund says: I am not Nanai-dhat’s servant, nor do I hold his capital. I also requested thus: If he refuses to take me to (my) husband, then ... such support for me that he may take me to (my) mother. The leaders say: Here in Dunhuang there is no other relative closer than Artivan, (but) Artivan [say]s: Farnkhund ... whatever ... to do for you. If(?) I(?) (had) no guarantee, no protection, my father ... I have become ... not ... How much more would I have ... by my father if ... a servant of the Chinese! A free man ... who found ... and ... keeps (his) clothing in good condition(?). And you write (your) bidding to me about everything in ... so that I should ... you and I should know how to think, and if I do not ... you, then you write to me so that I should know how to serve the Chinese. In my paternal abode I did not have such a restricted ... as with(?) you. I obeyed your command (lit. took your command upon my head) and came to Dunhuang and I did not observe (my) mother’s bidding nor (my) brothers’. Surely(?) the Gods were angry with me on the day when I did your bidding! I would rather be a dog’s or a pig’s wife than yours! And for me ...

Sent by (your) servant Miwnay. This letter was written in the third month on the tenth day.

[Added in the margin] From (his) daughter Shayn to the noble lord Nanai-dhat, blessing (and) homage. And (it would be) a good [day] for him [who] might see [you] healthy, rested (and) happy. ... I have become ... and I watch over a flock of domestic animals. Differently to you, I had a ..., and ... went out. I am ... and I know that you do not lack twenty staters(?) to send. It is necessary to consider the whole (matter). Farnkhund has run away; the Chinese seek him but do not find him. Because of Farnkhund’s debts we have become the servants of the Chinese, I together with (my) mother."

#sogdiana #slavery #sex slavery #ancient history #history #old letters #archaeology #ancient literature #iranian

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