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jenchan-writingmultis · 19 hours

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Twisted Wonderland Boys x Fem Reader in their respective Fairytales (Series)

(Kalim's Part)

Previous part (Azul)

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A/n: I forgot to add Vil omg, I'll write about him along with Malleus, I just wanted this out cause I enjoyed writing this so much, and I couldn't wait to post it! I hope you all like it! Kalim here is based on the Sultan in Aladdin so not the villain, but I didn't want to leave him out. Content Warning: This Fic will be tagged as 16+ since it is a bit suggestive along with mentions of Gorey themes (Azul), it’s very vague. I haven’t finished Book 6 and Book 7 because I’m stuck in Tartarus, but they’re not done here yet. Potential Inaccuracy in Indian Tradition, Indian and Greek clothing, if ever you see inaccuracy about it, please let me know, I only did a bit of research about it. The reason for potential OOC was cause I mixed both the classic Villains with the personalities of our beloved boys. You have a child with Kalim here!

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First Batch would be: Riddle, Leona, Azul

Second Batch would be: Kalim, Idia, Malleus

List of Villains interconnecting with each character:

Kalim = The sultan Idia = Hades

─────❅───── Kalim: You didn’t know why you were sitting down on an extravagant throne, a dozen of people looking upfront and bowing to your presence when you awoke, feeling a gentle touch on your face, you stirred up from your slumber, looking at your side. Seeing Kalim in the flesh except, he looked more mature than your Kalim.

“My love are you feeling alright?” he traces his fingers lightly on your cheeks, careful not to smudge the makeup you were wearing, you didn’t pull away, but you kept staring at him, admiring his adorning features, earrings twinkling under the light, showing real gold on it, Kamar bands knotted gracefully around him, he looked the same except he seemed more kingly than your little boyfriend.

“Kalim?” you murmured, moving your hand, wanting to touch his hand which he took notice before smiling, he traced his fingers on yours. “You fell asleep during our daughter’s birthday” he clarified, suddenly confused why you looked surprised.

“Daughter?” you asked, the sari that adorned your figure, jewelry around your clothing as you stood up, hands squeezing a bit of your flesh in attempts to keep yourself calm in a stressful situation, Kalim took notice as he stood up with you, placing his hand on your waist and drawing you closer. "Ladies and gentlemen," he captured the attention of each guest, you two look like the perfect couple in each of family member there, "my wife seems to be feeling a bit under the weather. Please continue to enjoy the party! we'll be back shortly. “With that, he signaled the band to start playing music.

“My love, what’s wrong?” he asked gently, letting you go as you looked at him, you were confused and lost, where are you? Why do you have a daughter, wait YOUR daughter with Kalim right?

“Kalim” you fidget a bit, “Are we married?” you ask, your fingernails look really tempting to bite right now.

"Of course," he said almost immediately. "We got married on your 20th birthday." Cupping your cheeks, he pulled you closer and gave you a gentle kiss. “Our daughter will get candidates from different families, you arranged it a few hours ago” he continued, when you kissed him back he felt relieved, you’ve been acting weird ever since you woke up from your sudden nap.

“I…” Feeling conflicted, Kalim couldn’t help but worry, He pulled away giving you a bit of space “If you want, we can cancel the candidates for now,” while that was frowned upon due to the disrespect, he’s not the one to force your kid with him to marry, although he would be happy if she found a lover and get married.

You had an inkling of what happened, vaguely remembering that potion you and Deuce created and exploded on your face, with the timeline, your first guess was it was the future, but you were younger/older than he indicated.

“We can take a break and rest,” Kalim kissed your hand, “I don’t want the guests to see you in such a state,”

Despite this Kalim potentially not being your Kalim, he was sweet. In your real world, he could be overbearing at times, but he always tried to improve and not treat you like a servant. This older version of Kalim seemed to have successfully overcome that habit, putting your needs first before his own desires.

"I’m fine” You showed a bit of affection by kissing his cheek, which made his heart beat faster, it was a gesture you often do with him that got him all flustered. “We should go back, I don’t want our daughter to feel abandoned there,” you said jokingly, making Kalim chuckle.

“She’s doing great honestly, she got your face and my personality” referencing to his extrovertedness when he was younger, and he still is, just more tamed.

You wouldn’t mind this dream of yours, after all, Kalim was still the same, the only downside was the sudden shove from being a commoner to a Rani, but it was a change you’re willing to adjust for… till you get back to your world, hopefully.

(Idia's Part) ─────❅───── A/n: here you go! ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა @wisteriarose214

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #kalim x mc #kalim al asim #twst kalim #twst x reader #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #kalim x reader #fluff

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writingquestionsanswered · 5 days

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Hi,

'm writing a novel set in the 1900s, including scenes from WW1. Any tips on maintaining accuracy for that period and writing in the style of novels from that era?

Authentic Portrayal of a Historical Era

If your story is set in another time and place, you'll need to do some research to make sure you get the details accurate. Luckily, there's information available online, in books, and on YouTube of just about every historical era in every place.

I want to take a moment to stress the importance of place, because life in early 1900s New York City would have been a little different from life in early 1900s Sacramento, for example. Likewise, life in an early 1900s Scottish village would be quite different from life in an early 1900s Indian village. So, make sure your general research pertains to the country of your story's setting, and that your specific research is geared toward a specific village, town, city, or region--or at the very least (if your specific location is imaginary) the closest real world proximity. Likewise, it's also very important to take socioeconomic status into account, because once again, life for an early 1900s socialite and her family in Manhattan would be quite different from the early 1900s life of a farmer in rural Manitoba.

When you're doing your research, you'll want to pay close attention to the following details:

-- societal rules and norms -- rules and norms around love and marriage -- role of culture and religion -- clothing, architecture, decor -- food and drink -- music -- customs, traditions, festivals -- typical occupations -- treatment/roles of women -- treatment/roles of children -- typical home life -- government and justice system -- transportation, tools, and weaponry -- notable "pop culture" and current events -- slang, idioms, and popular sayings -- important mythology, folklore, and urban legends

YouTube is a great resource for documentaries and documentary style videos to get a good breakdown of particular topics. Like, for example, let's say one of your characters is a wealthy New York socialite. There are videos on YouTube that will show you how a wealthy American or British woman (for example) would dress in the early 1900s. Likewise, you can watch a video about World War I or anything specific to WWI that you want to learn about.

WQA’s Guide to Internet Research Researching a Historical Topic Setting Your Story in an Unfamiliar Place Writing About Difficult to Research Topics

Happy researching and writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

#wqaadvice

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chakotaybodypillow · 10 months

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CHAKOTAYS TRIBE !!!!!! PLEASE READ IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HIS TRIBE!!!! I'VE DONE RESEARCH TO TRY AND FIND THE ANSWER!! <3

What the hell even is Chakotays tribe??? Would it be a surprise that there is an answer to that? What tribe he was based on has been questioned for a while and I’ve only seen a few people come close to a proper answer. I’ve seen people say that he is of Navajo/Dine descent or Ojibwe. I wouldn’t say any of those are wrong as his “traditions” were all over the place it made it hard to tell. Our first bit of evidence is the location he and his father traveled to in the episode “Tattoo”. Now this is my least favorite episode in Voyager, almost as worst as TNG’s Code of honor lol. So, it’s always hard to watch and I haven’t done so in a while, but I do remember they said they traveled to Central America. Obviously, this makes up a few different countries and tribes, but the most predominant Nation in this area are the Maya. I’ve been doing tons of research on this matter, and its literally impossible to compare Chakotay’s tribe to an individual Maya tribe. This is where the writers used the “Hollywood Indian” stereotype because its just all over the place. Other than the location, a few things that gives it away is the name of his tribe. They call themselves the “Rubber Tree People”. If you are familiar with Mesoamerican history, you would know that this is what “Olmec” is roughly translated to. Linguists were able to translate it from the Nahuatl word “Olmecatl” meaning “the rubber people who live on this land”. The rubber tree also plays a significant role in Mesoamerican tribes. The rubber from the tree was used to make the ball for the sacred game of “ulama”. Which played an important role of in the creation story in the Popol Vuh about the Hero Twins. The Olmecs came before the Maya and Aztec, but a lot of Olmec culture influenced their own. Whether or not Chakotay’s tribe were direct descendants of the Olmecs is unknown to me. It wouldn’t make much since historically speaking, but it would fit the narrative of the episode “tattoo”. Another indication would be one of his decedents, Ce Acatl. Ce Acatl Topiltzin was a real person who was a ruler of the Toltecs. I’ve only read a lil bit bout him so I won’t speak on what he did or who he was until I’ve done more research. Finally, one of the other MAJOR indications to me was in his short background story of pathways. I am aware that these are not canon, but it gives a glimpse into what the creators had in mind while creating theses characters. The literal first page is his father recounting a story from the Popol Vuh, and he’s talking about the Hero Twins, Seven Macaw, and the Maize God. My mind was blown when I read that, cause I started research about this a few yeas ago and was using clues from the show and figured since I had read the book before and didn’t remember any significant information about his tribe, there wasn’t any point to open it up. I read the book again at the beginning of the year and lost my mind. All of my answers were there lol. But it confirmed what I already knew. I felt hella proud cause I took the long way to get an answer and was still right. Anyways there’s still sooooo much to say about this and I’m working on a well put together paper explaining why the customs and traditions they gave him were wrong or confusing. I hope people will read cause I put a lot of research into it. I also have what I think to be some good lore that could fix a little bit of the damage that was done. More on that later though 😊.

#captain chakotay #chakotay #commander chakotay #peepaw chakotay #star trek voyager #st voyager #star trek #stvoy #papa chakotay #ignore spelling mistakes lol #robert beltran

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flagbridge · 30 days

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Raoul de Chagny uniform inspiration, and general Raoul Navy musings

élève-officier ("elof") at the Borda in Brest, 1880s.

British Sub-Lieutenant (equivalent of an Ensign in the US or French Navies), approximately 1860 (by Ann Mary Newton)

Graduating students and faculty of L'Ecole Navale on board the Boarda, 1891

As some of you know, I love writing Raoul. My next projects after All Vows ends are mostly Raoul-centered, and I'm pretty deep in my research. I’ve tumbled absolutely headlong into researching La Baille (nickname for the French naval academy), and it’s amusing how across time and distance, so much of initial military training is unchanged. Even though I cosplay Christine, Raoul actually ends up being the character who I give most of my own life experience because I am, in fact, a Sailor. When I'm writing Raoul POV about being at sea, I sometimes use my own journal entries from past deployments when I was underway on the USS NEVERSAIL somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

I get a lot of questions about Raoul's uniform, so I'm sharing some of the above (hello talented artists, could we PLEASE get more Raoul Navy Phanart, I am BEGGING YOU)

élève-officier ("elof") at the Borda in Brest, 1880s.

This is exactly what Raoul's midshipman uniform would have looked like. As you can see from the photo from 1891, the uniform from that time and even a decade later is the same. Naval uniforms, especially dress uniforms change very infrequently. My dress uniform that I wear in 2024 is the same one that was designed by Mainbocher in 1941!

The term "élève-officier" translates literally to "student-officer", although most translate it as "officer candidate", which isn't inaccurate. They were then classified by year, so a first year student would be an élève-officier fourth class. However, the British and American term for a naval cadet is a "midshipman" which is often abbreviated to "mid". So "elof" is basically directly translated to "mid". However, there was an additional naval trainee rank, called "Aspirant". This was assigned to the naval cadets when they embarked for their tour du monde on actual warships. It's a unique rank that's basically a desgination that the individual is a senior at the academy--like a "Midshipman First Class", the term to describe seniors at the US Naval Academy.

2. British Sub-Lieutenant (equivalent of an Ensign in the US or French Navies), approximately 1860 (by Ann Mary Newton)

I couldn't find a good picture of a young/junior officer from this era in the French Navy but FUN FACT! The French Navy underwent a uniform shift in 1883. The officer uniform was largely unchanged, however, that short coat and triangular hat that we often associate with the end of the age of sail was phased out as a dress uniform. So it's possible that Raoul had a dress uniform very much like this around the time of Phantom of the Opera, but it was on its way out. The rank is accurate though! So if Raoul went to the opera in uniform in about 1881? This is what he would have looked like.

3. Graduating students and faculty of L'Ecole Navale on board the Borda, 1891

The uniforms were the same when Raoul would have graduated, and that is the Borda that is mentioned in the book. In my head this is Raoul's senior class photo (even though it's 10 years later), complete with a few guys who have no idea what's going on and aren't looking at the camera.

PotOmer Day 15: HEADCANON/Raoul Navy Uniform Musings

Between April 23 and June 11, I am posting 49 days of POTO content to mark the Omer, except on Shabbat. Previous days below the cut line.

Day 14: GIFSET-Ethan Freeman bows to the monkey.

DAY 13: LEROUX: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GASTON LEROUX (Ethan Freeman Reads Leroux)

Day 12: FANFIC: All Vows Chapter 38: my longfic that will be concluding at the end of May.

Day 11: (no post, Shabbat)

Day 10: FANFIC: All Vows Chapter 10 (Catch Up)

Day 9: ADAPTATION: Ghost of Zariya Hollow

Day 8: HEADCANON: Christine's Swedish Accent

Day 7: COSPLAY Hannibal Slave Girl Bodice Construction

Day 6: GIFSET: Raouls who make choices appreciation post

Day 5: PHIC UPDATE: All Vows Chapter 37! (And a bonus gif of Lily and Jon)

Day 4: (No post, Shabbat)

Day 3: GIFSET: Cape Twirl Comparison, Current West End Phantoms ('23-'24)

Day 2: BRAINWORM: "Ne Me Touchez Pas"

Day 1: GIFSET Robyns/Kerhoas: The Kiss

#potomer #phantom of the opera #poto #raoul navy #naval history #raoul de chagny #raoulcore #maritime history #the raoul navy #am wrting #research #queued

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rainesol · 7 months

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TWST OC :3

Canon Disney character oc! He's based on Kaa from The Jungle Book.

Name: Kshoshurankha Kaasura

Nicknames: Ksho, Whale Shark-Chan, Monsieur Serpent, Maneater

Age/Year/Birthday: 17, Second year (Class 2-D), April 12

Pronouns: He/Him

Club: Board Games Club

House: Savanaclaw

Homeland: Providence Thicket (Rainforest region)

Description-

Kshoshurankha is an immensely large young man, at around 30+ feet long. As a Naga, he adjusts his 'standing height' based on who he's talking to, typically placing him at around 6-7 feet tall. He is the TWST equivalent of Indian. His upper body appears slender, and he has dark skin and long black hair. His eyes are a bright yellow, with vertically slit pupils. His scales are a light brown, with dark green-brown patches, similar to an Indian rock python. (He also has a permanent :3 face due to being a python (and dimples where his mouth stretches back to))

Kshoshurankha wears the school button-down, with a Savanaclaw sweater (Imagined to be from a 'winter uniform') rather than the school blazer. He leaves the top button of his shirt undone, and does not wear a tie. His hair is naturally a little wavy, much more visibly so when in the humidity of the rainforest.

His teeth are sharp and pointed, but lacks real fangs due to being a constrictor. His main body is quite thick and muscular due to this, however he's considered to be an average size for his species. He is often seen looking tired. I imagine he cannot take similar potions to the merfolk students, as the sudden reduction in organ size, and rise in body temperature is too much strain on him. He can move just fine as long as he takes breaks and keeps out of the way.

Personality/Character traits-

Kshoshurankha is very soft spoken, his voice quite quiet in contrast with his intimidating size. He finds it very funny to frighten the other students, which regularly works due to his inhuman strength and the fact that most of his threats aren't too far-fetched. He is a surprisingly good babysitter, though. He often watches over his RSA friends younger brother, and takes a mentor role in the same way the original Kaa does.

Kshoshurankha is a fierce environmentalist, and cares deeply for the natural world and the rainforest where his village is located, going as far as to threaten loggers and poachers who endanger it.

Kshoshurankha is relatively skilled with a longbow, and knows many wild herbs due to his mother being a doctor. He is also trilingual, speaking the main language ingame (English/Japanese) Hindi, and 'Serpentine' (A fictional language spoken by Nagas in his lore)

Kshoshurankha is sometimes quite clumsy, misjudging his size and weight, often getting stuck in gaps, and breaking things such as tree branches. This is because he is used to much bigger and stronger trees. He is significantly less active than most Savanaclaw students.

His unique magic 'Trusted Friend' allows him to put people in a very docile, sleepy and agreeable state

As per use, feel free so send any questions :3 (Please I have snake brainrot) I also plan on making a lore file for nagas in my universe, so feel free to borrow info if you also have a Kaa-based oc!

#twst oc #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland oc #twst #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #savanaclaw oc #kshoshurankha kaasura

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yaeggravate · 5 months

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What are your thoughts on the seer Kaeya theories that were going around? Cause apparently I have many thoughts that I'm trying to keep from spamming you with lmao basically there's him not being a seer and his network really is that good (but not good enough to tell him about the nations wide treasure hoarder scheme), him being a seer (same issue as before), having only vague premonitions (which is funny cause he uses them as stories to spook kids), or he DOES have seer information it just isnt his own (second hand and why he had to lure out Dain for confirmation). Each have some merits but all still have some pretty glaring issues as well that it's hard to tell which way the story is going to go.

oh i have MANY thoughts about this (warning: it's a long read)

IS KAEYA A SEER?

PART 1: HINTS OF OMNISCIENCE

from the very beginning we are told and shown kaeya is very knowledgeable.

勇敢的小伙子班尼特对这位无所不知的大哥信赖有加. Bennett, a brave young man, has a lot of trust in this big brother who knows everything.

in kaeya's official chinese profile, bennett trusts kaeya as his omniscient big brother.

kaeya's constellation is a peacock. the tailfeathers of peacocks have spots resembling eyes. kaeya's namecard in cn hints at kaeya having many eyes…

孔雀漂亮尾羽上的花纹很像是永不闭上的眼睛。所以凯亚并非少了一只眼睛,而是 The patterns on the beautiful tail feathers of a peacock resemble eyes that never close. So Kaeya isn't missing an eye, rather... [he has many of them].

fischl's voiceline about kaeya is as follows:

Fischl: His nature is obscure, his fate a mystery, and his speech a vexing tapestry woven of both fact and fiction… Perhaps he and I share the burden of mystical sight…

NOW i want to make it clear that fischl is actually important to understanding kaeya. kaeya is in part based on the indian prince baby from midsummer night's dream. midsummer night's dream in german is mittsommernachtstraum, which is the inspiration behind the name of fischl's princess outfit, immernachtstraum. princess fischl seems to have existed in teyvat, as seen in the description for midsummer courtyard:

With the fall of the ancient lost civilization, the once prosperous and magnificent Sommernachtgarten was also buried underground, leaving only its ancient trees and stones to remember its past glory.

sommernachtgarten is in turn mentioned in the book flowers for princess fischl. this book is published by yae's publishing house just to add more to how suspicious this all is.

what the connection here is, i really cannot say, but for now fischl's voiceline about kaeya should NOT be taken for granted.

PART 2: SEER, POET, KING

let's look into the possible meaning behind the name "kaeya".

MANDATORY DISCLAIMER: there are many possibilities for what "kaeya" might mean so please don't take any of this as fact. however, i have no doubt the creative team are aware of the many meanings behind his name and could possibly be playing around with that. i would too, if i were a writer.

some of sumeru's mythology draws inspiration from the shahnameh, the book of kings, which is a persian epic. in kaeya's hangout he plays prince qubad, opposite frasiyav. i have talked about this before, (see: the bottom reblog) and how i suspect frasiyav might represent irmin. i believe qubad's namesake is either kay qubad or kay qobad. however, the character kaeya is playing is based on siyavash, son of kay kavus, (and future son-in-law of frasiyav 👀 but let's leave that discussion for another time). these are all characters from the shahnameh. siyavash and qobad belong to the kayanians.

KAYĀNIĀN (Kayanids), in the early Persian epic tradition a dynasty that ruled Iran before the Achaemenids, all of whom bore names prefixed by Kay from Avestan kauui

so, could "kaeya" actually be derived from this dynasty's epithet "kay"? let's take a look at what kauui can mean:

As an epithet of kings and the reason the dynasty is so called, Middle 𐭪𐭣 and New Persian kay(an) originates from Avestan 𐬐𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬌 kavi (or kauui) "king" and also "poet-sacrificer" or "poet-priest".

Kavi is the Indo-Iranian term for “(visionary) poet.”

i'm oversimplifying it but basically kay can stand for seer, poet, king (not to be confused with soldier, poet, king). all of these terms are connected to kaeya.

king: alberich literally means elf king, or ruler of elfs, and kaeya has been foreshadowed to be royalty

poet: kaeya has taken poetry "lessons" from venti and this even comes back up again in his hangout…with venti again

so if we follow the pattern the seer part would also apply to him, right?

Their poems are made by their thoughts (mati, etc.), and they send their “poetic visions” (dhī) into the divine world.

this is very interesting because it reminds me of the venti route in kaeya's hangout titled: Poems Dedicated to the Wind AND of dainsleif's character description. the text is a prophecy in the form of a poem given by a self-proclaimed prophet.

The confluence between the past and future. The original calamity had been overturned, yet the island in the sky set the earth to burn. Chalk pursues gold, in this time inopportune, the eclipse is swallowed by the crimson moon. The future must atone for bygone mistakes, as the bond familiar falters and breaks— of the same blood, elders and the youth… Such is the cycle of the world, in truth. Dain, what is that strand of blonde hair to you? Someone you must kill? Or the object of your penitence? —A self-proclaimed prophet.

now, i'm NOT claiming kaeya wrote this or will say this to dainsleif, but my point is that there is a connection between seers and poetry.

(HOWEVER, the fact that the text refers to dainsleif as dain denotes a friendship between the speaker and dain, (remember dainsleif is literally named after kaeya's sword, there's no way they won't become friends), and self-proclaimed prophet implies the speaker isn't well-established as a prophet yet 👀. furthermore, kaeya references the second part of the prophecy (which is likely about him) in his hangout.

Kaeya: History always repeats itself. Kaeya: Perhaps there's an inept god out there deciding everyone's fates… much like the Akademiya student drafting Darbil's scripts. Kaeya: Yep, "inept" is a good word for it. Honestly, it might even be a little too civil to describe a god who turns fathers against their sons and is bent on endless warmongering… don't you think?)

now, because kaeya tends to lie a lot, it's hard to tell if he's actually good at writing poetry. the poem he wrote to venti sucked major ass, but since kaeya likes to mess with venti bc he knows he's barbatos, this was most likely on purpose.

the talent books kaeya uses are the same as venti's: the ballad books. here's the description for philosophies of ballad:

Poetry is the soul of the land of the wind. Poetry is the manifestations of the desire to spread the word.

SOUNDS AWFULLY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE JUST ESTABLISHED ABOUT "KAY" AND POETIC VISIONS… getting waaay off track here but i think we can safely connect kaeya to seer, poet, king.

PART 3: THE BURDEN OF MYSTICAL SIGHT

bet you're probably thinking, "seer kaeya needs more evidence than hearsay and etymology". let's think back on it: has kaeya ever shown any hints if foresight? well, that's a bit harder to figure out. it certainly does seem as if kaeya knows more than he should. before we go any further, i propose two interpretations of seer: a prophet OR someone who can see beyond the limitations of the world, like a melusine.

alright, let's list all the times kaeya showed off his huge brain:

a) he knows venti is barbatos. to be fair, this isn't that hard to figure out for anyone who looks too closely; venti is complete shit at hiding his identity. but the question of how and when exactly kaeya came to this conclusion remains unanswered.

b) kaeya could sense the abyss mage in the temple of the wolf but the traveler and paimon did not. in the same vein, he could also sense dainsleif spying on him. this might have something to do with the corruption or some type energy inside of them, but who knows, maybe kaeya has eyes in the back of his head. edit: muted-honey pointed out that back in the windblume festival, kaeya could sense a suspicious individual (rosaria) behind him from his right side 😮‍💨

c) kaeya probably knew alice was the one who was behind the golden apple archipelago from the start. also not that hard to figure out, plus he's met her before so he knows what she's like. but then why did he pretend to be in the dark the entire time?

Kaeya: Huh? Did I ever guess what was going on, you ask? Kaeya: Haha… not a chance. I'm much too naive, I was in the dark the whole time.

WHO WOULD EVEN BELIEVE THIS OBVIOUS LIE 😭

d) the tcg cards. hoo boy. kaeya left a deck of cards inside the cat's tail for the traveler to use, apparently he didn't even touch the cards.

Diona: Uh, a customer left it behind a few days ago. But he wasn't even playing the game while he was here. Diona: Eh, it's already been a few days and he still hasn't come back to claim them. Who knows, maybe he left them here on purpose…

this is never explained or brought up again. how did he know the traveler would need a deck of cards??? WHY DID HE EVEN DO THIS???!

e) kaeya knew idyia was an oceanid all along. nothing groundbreaking here, but kaeya's attempts to downplay his perceptiveness is reminiscent of the alice situation.

Kaeya: So our General was the first to notice? It seems like she's more perceptive than she lets on… Eula: I'd say the same about you, Kaeya.

f) kaeya was expecting the the traveler to show up in the caribert quest. this is also never explained or brought up again. he even went so far as to wait every single day for them to show up. this is interesting because it could mean that whatever foresight kaeya received simply isn't detailed enough. think the stone slates from the fontaine prophecy; it only showed the stopping points but not the journey.

g) if you pay close attention, kaeya mentions luck/chance/fate a LOT. especially when he runs into the traveler, like 'how unexpected', 'didn't expect to see you here' etc. i'm not going to go back to collect every instance, but trust me it's enough that it reaches mona levels. even his death voicelines reference this…

Fallen II: That was unexpected…

yeah why was that unexpected kaeya? because you already know you're not supposed to die yet or what?

PART 4: NABU MALIKATA, NICOLE, AND KHAENRI'AH

now let's go back to the kayanians again, because there is something very interesting about them…

The word is also etymologically related to the Avestan notion of kavaēm kharēno, the "divine royal glory" that the Kayanian kings were said to hold.

kavaēm kharēno means khvarenah. the kayanians possess khvarenah! i already go a bit in depth here about the in-game notion of khvarena and how kaeya or his mother could've possessed this.

the tl; dr is that khvarena are born from nabu malikata's body. this was then fashioned into a divine bird which i only recently found out could've been a peacock. (see the post i linked, specifically the addition.)

this is important, not only because kaeya's constellation is a peacock, but because NABU MALIKATA was a prophet, nabu even means prophet!

IF kaeya has the khvarena inside him, could he be able to divine the future as well, albeit to a lesser extent than a visionary?

so that's the nabu malikata of it all, let's move on to nicole. as you know, nicole's teacups are found in dawn winery. i do believe this a deliberate choice: every other witch is given an incredibly elaborate looking teacup but for nicole they chose to reuse the dawn winery teacups.

then they even put kaeya in the same shot with the teacup during his hangout! could not have dropped a bigger hint here!

nicole is a visionary, a guide, a disembodied voice, could it be that she is actually whispering in his ear, occasionally providing him information? it doesn't seem likely as nicole only shows herself when a significant change has occured, but we can't rule out the possibility just yet. or is the teacup simply a hint that like nicole, kaeya is omniscient?

now about khaenri'ah… don't take my word for it but i believe khaenri'ah could be derived from "priestess/priest of the winds" in arabic.

priest of the winds (kahin riah) كاهن رياح priestess of the winds (kahinat riah) كاهنة رياح

most likely they chose this because of the anemoi gods (the cardinal winds) being attested as "priestess/prophetess of the winds" in mycenaean-greek.

The earliest attestation of the word in Greek and of the worship of the winds by the Greeks, are perhaps the Mycenaean Greek word-forms 𐀀𐀚𐀗𐀂𐀋𐀩𐀊, a-ne-mo-i-je-re-ja, 𐀀𐀚𐀗𐄀𐀂𐀋𐀩𐀊, a-ne-mo,i-je-re-ja, i.e. "priestess of the winds".

it says priestess but ijereja can also mean PROPHETESS. does this also not remind you of what we discussed before, of the poems/visions written to the wind?

khaenri'ah does have connections to divination. king irmin is based on odin. odin hung himself from the world tree yggdrasil to gain extensive knowledge about the world, sacrificing his eye in the process. the description for the quest item silver twig references this legend;

"Trees" also symbolize wisdom. In one of the legends, a sage hanging upside down on a tree had acquired the knowledge of how to inscribe runes and control sacred words, and thus followed the kingdom established along the tree's roots, eventually gaining a glimpse of the secret of the cosmos.

now based on what we know of odin, i think this sage was irmin and not deshret. HOWEVER, we should take note of how the sage's gender is made unclear… 👀 in any case, this makes it likely irmin posesses foresight, or at least acquired the means to divination. is kaeya covering his eye a hint that he's in a similar situation?

looking at the other khaenri'ahns we have in game, it seems pierro is also quite knowledgeable. however, one explanation could be that he's using columbina to divine the future since she's a seelie like nabu malikata.

dainsleif claims to have knowledge of fate itself and i think it has to do with the blue irminsul lines on his body… these lines resemble the branches of irminsul and the dragon queller, azhdaha's tail. in the description for the dragon-queller, they call this energy moonlight.

A strange tree whose branches flow with clear, cold moonlight.

we've established kaeya attracts crystalflies towards him, and crystalflies are drawn to elemental energy and leylines… should be noted that a TON of crystalflies can be found in the vourukasha oasis, which is filled with khvarena. if dainsleif is infused with this irminsul "moonlight", could kaeya also possess this then?

if he does could this be why he has extensive knowledge of many things? why he could sense dainsleif and the abyss mage? why he was placed in mondstadt (moon city)?

back to your original question: is kaeya a seer? let's review the evidence presented to us:

characters call him omniscient or suspect he is

kaeya's name could mean seer

kaeya is VERY observant, to the point where it seems like he has 4D vision, but attempts to downplay it

kaeya is connected to several important figures who are prophets

that being said, i can't confidently say kaeya is a seer… but based on all of this, it would be pretty weird if he wasn't.

#.txt #kaeya alberich #lore bytes #this got really long sorry also dw about sending me spam messages even if it takes me eons to reply i read them all!#it's not spam if it's about kaeya

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murfpersonalblog · 12 days

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IWTV S2 Ep3 Musings - Armand & Lesmand & Nickistat (Spoilers)

We got the Armand backstory! 😭 The first half of this ep had me screaming at my screen, cuz Armand's a effing LIAR; I was rolling! 🤣

We were already told 1000 times by Assad & Sam that Armand's trying to make himself seem as sympathetic as possible. That is SUPER important, cuz although he's my favorite book character, Armand is a effing MENACE in IWTV, TVL, QotD, and TVA.

Ok, they've clarified my confusion about the weird 1556 date, cuz it implied that Armand MET Lestat in 1556, which is entirely wrong.

So I'm glad my suspicion/hope was correct, that the date was out of context. 1556+239=1795, which tracks with what Les said in S1.

So Lestat met Armand ONE year after becoming a vampire. (No wonder AMC!Armand dish-ragged him, LOL!)

No duh, if you've only been a vamp for a EFFING YEAR. (I looooove the Time-stopping Gift! So happy to see it used again--the horses are especially impressive.)

This seems like Armand's taking Marius' place as Lestat's mentor (Armand WISHES, lol). And it's kinda smacking of narcissist!Lestat using him then dumping him once he'd learned what he wanted, like Daniel & Louis implied later in the ep. (He even grabs Armand's hand & drinks w/out asking; mighty bold! Ok sure, he kissed it first, but still!?) But their dynamic is SO different in the books.

I have a looooot of issues with AMC!Magnus.

Excuse you!? Language! 😤

Armand wanna be called "Daddy" so bad. 😂

BULL.

EFFING.

CRAP.

AMC/Armand officially butchered how awesome Magnus was--he was never a Child of Satan/Darkness, or in a coven--he was a human alchemist who STOLE the Dark Gift from Rhosh's fledgling Benedict!

That means nothing, if you don't explain that Lestat is Rhoshamandes' great-grandson, and that Magnus was a WIZARD. 😒 And Armand said Les' turning was "MAYBE" a horror show? 🤨 How does he not know, if they were so close? 🙄 And how would he have even known Magnus was his Maker?

Oh no. "Come to me" was ARMAND'S theme the whole time!? 😱 Thanks, I hate it. 😭😂

LESTAT SAID KISS MY ARSE!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I mean, I would, too-the CoD/S lived like bums! The reason Magnus was so friggin rich and had all that money he gave to Lestat was strictly cuz he WASN'T a penniless bum like the other coven vampires--he hid himself away in his TOWER. (If we don't get the Lesmand tower scene Imma be so mad.) He had no Maitre/Master.

NGL, I expected the Children of Darkness/Satan to be WAY filthier. :P

So Armand really IS Indian then? As in Roma/Ukranian/Russian?

Sadly, they didn't speak on Lestat's Harlequin mask being Blackface. But woah. "Dervish" as in Muslim ascetics & mystic dancers? So was 1700s!Armand Catholic or Muslim? Is that what he thought of Lestat back then? Or what 2022!Armand thinks of him now? If the latter, Armand converted to Islam....WHEN???

Armand glossed over EVERYTHING that went down with Nicki. He seems to imply that Les got with Nicki AFTER they met, which is beyond untrue. (And not a word about Gabrielle being there for all of this mess--MIGHTY SUS.)

We know Lestat loves his gay panicking needy alcoholic bottoms.

THE FRENCH GIRLS ARE FIGHTING.

Oh lovely. More racists--I'm not even surprised; I never liked Nicki in the book anyway; bye Felicia. 🙄

Iiiinteresting way AMC/Armand gave Nicki's abduction. (Again, no Gabrielle--MIGHTY SUS!)

And LAWWWWD, lemme find out Armand was telling the truth abt him & Les knocking boots in their theatre box on some exhibitionist kink while vamp!Nicki mean-mugged from the orchestra. 😭

So Armand's still to blame for Nicki's death, but not cuz of the darkness of "self-loathing," but jealousy cuz Lesmand were an item? BISH PLEASE! 🤣

(TBF, Loumand still blames Lestat, saying he "abandoned" Armand & Nicki & the coven. Which...is not entirely true. Lestat gave Nicki the Theatre, but didn't want to be part of it or Armand's coven, so he left with Gabrielle, but still kept tabs on everyone via Eleni. So whatchu mean??????)

LOUIS SUICIDE WATCH, stop playing with me, AMC! I want to see these vamps greet the sun and "taste the fire"! (And they had the NERVE to put the commercial break there; I see you, AMC.)

They were SHOWING OFF Armand's Fire Gift in this episode--oh yeah, Louis DEFINITELY got it from him; I'm convinced now. (I'm still waiting to see if Santiago has it, too; I hope to god not though.)

Lestat was a MENACE! XD "It's a fallen tree." What a brat!

The Lesmand eye-f**kery was INTENSE--Samothy was serving~!

Don't you DARE tease me like that, AMC! YES! I want 2022!Lestat in that Dubai penthouse by the end of this season, PLEASE. 🙏🙏🙏

What does all that say? Looks Latin or French? And WTF is Armand doing biting himself? (Reminds me of Louis with Jonah.)

This is why I'm convinced that the whole "Rashid" ruse in S1 was strictly for Armand & Dan's benefit, cuz in QotD Armand specifically said Daniel was the only mortal who knew his name & lived.

Chile, this episode was A LOT, and that was just the first 20 frikkin minutes, wtf.

#interview with the vampire #iwtv season 2 spoilers #the vampire chronicles #the vampire armand #lestat de lioncourt #the vampire lestat #iwtv tvc metas #must see tv #the hype is real

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triviareads · 9 months

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Things I Learnt at Nisha Sharma and Xio Axelrod's book event:

Xio started her writing career writing Buffy fix-it fanfiction AND as a tumblrina

Nisha does, in fact, believe Moghul Express has the best Indian food in Jersey (which… LIES, the correct answer is Bombay Talk) and she's found a way to incorporate it in every one of her romance novels

They spent a solid 5 minutes hyping Sierra Simone (as they should) and apparently, Sierra has a lipstick case shaped like a dildo (God bless her)

Xio also has a band and writes music, which is amazing (one of her newer series is about a girl group)

Nisha started her romance career as a Nancy Drew/Frank Hardy shipper (because fuck Ned)

Nisha is also a childhood friends-to-lovers skeptic

Katee Robert uses Barbie dolls to recreate sex poses for her sex scenes and this is semi-standard practice in the industry apparently

Also, everyone please check out the #23for23 challenge here: https://www.23for23.net/

It's all about putting your money where your mouth is when it comes to reading and supporting BIPOC authors who are writing BIPOC characters and even if you can't read 23 more books this year, I urge everyone to think harder about the diversity of the authors and content you are consuming and consciously try to diversify your bookshelves. I've technically met the challenge this year already, but I'd like to be more intentional about seeking out diversity in my romances.

#romance novels #nisha sharma #xio axelrod #23for23

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talesfrommedinastation · 8 months

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Author's Note: The Indigenous Future

I would be remiss if I did not mention the indigenous elephant in the room within ‘Far Past the Ring’.

As you might have gathered, much of the background of both Medina Station and the three original characters are deep within First Nations/American Indian backgrounds*.

(left to right: Dr. Sjael Drummer, Camina Drummer, and Dr. Tanke Drummer)

I have written both Sjael and Tanke Drummer as being of mixed Ojibwe descent through the Drummer side of their family, as is their cousin, canon Expanse character, Camina Drummer (Cara Gee, her actress, is Ojibwe First Nations, though whether or not Camina is in the show is not confirmed). Additionally, Timon Chapelle, Tanke’s husband, is of mixed-Metis descent as well. More about the land practices of Medina Station and the indigenous heritage it is drawn on can be read in my previous piece on the matter.

While researching for this work, I dug into the local history of the land I live on, which, coincidentally, is the unceded land of the Anishinaabe people. I am a settler, but I take deep pride in the place that I reside. I find it a responsibility as a citizen of my country to do so.

(The region of the various Anishinaabe peoples, taken from Wikipedia. The author is not going to directly tell you where they are personally located)

As you might have guessed, the Kind Man (a form that the Protomolecule has taken in order to communicate with both Omega and James Holden) uses the form of Tanke and Sjael’s deceased father, Dr. Aki Drummer.

(Image: Dr. Aki Drummer, drawn by the author in a quick sketch)

Aki is a Belter man of Ojibwe descent, who, while his story is not fully explored in this piece, does recall and use his heritage to better understand the nature of the humans that he serves as a physician, and later on, the Protomolecule uses to better understand the humans creating contact with each other from across the stars.

The Kind Man also tells Omega the story of the Legend of the Bluebonnet, which comes from the Comanche tribe of Texas, another American tribe who made the prairies of the United States their home for time immeasurable. The Kind Man mentions that, although he is not Comanche, he understands the story. The tale is a legend of a young girl’s sacrifice to save her prairie home and her people ... .the story that Omega will find herself repeating at the end of ‘Far Past the Ring’.

(Image from 'The Legend of the Bluebonnet', by Tomie DiPaola. copyright Puffin Books)

The Kind Man also repeatedly uses a word in Ojibwe, one that, when I heard its meaning from James Vukelich (Ojibwe-Turtle Mountain) made me stop, write it down, and listen to his podcast episode again. I immediately knew this word would become a part of the story.

(If you can, please give his work a listen. He is a wonderful speaker.)

That word is Gidinawendimin, one word that means, ‘we are all related’. Vukelich goes into detail about how it is not only the people, but the animals, earth, water, all of life around us. And I could not help but think–”Holy hell, this is the thesis of the story.”

So, why am I rambling on about all of this?

Because indigeneity has its role in our future, and I tried my best to not only reflect that in this story, but because I staunchly believe in it as well.

The Belters are the people who helped build the solar system in ‘The Expanse’. They worked and lived in space to the point where many of their bodies can not survive normal gravity. Throughout the series, they face issues regarding access to water, air, and so many things that we often take for granted. They are seen as less than human in their own native environment of the Belt, and are often discriminated against by citizens of planets like Earth and Mars.

Additionally, in the Star Wars universe, the clones are copies of a man from Mandalore, portrayed by an indigenous actor, and whether or not their indigeneity is canon in the show, I prefer to see it as such.

I want to be under the impression that, like in the real world, the dehumanization of indigenous peoples has irreparable damage to culture and heritage, to say nothing of the social bonds between people.

This is known as intergenerational trauma, and is explained beautifully here in a video from Australia.

Fiction can be a powerful metaphor. In this case, this trauma rings through the clones within the Star Wars universe, and if they survive into greater society, will be a burden that their people will carry. Their descendants. The clones were people bred to serve one purpose, that of violence and war, and expected to be expendable machines, not as humans. They were stripped of culture, family, and heritage, and find themselves broken and lost when their use to the government is no longer sustainable.

It also isn’t lost on me that another character played by an indigenous actress–the incomparable Bobbie Draper, played by Samoan-Kiwi actress Frankie Adams–suffers a similar fate in The Expanse. She’s used by her government and tossed aside. But Draper rallies, finds camaraderie in others, and is able to be part of a team that saves the universe.

She, like some survivors of systematic abuse, is able to help others navigate through the challenges of finding oneself again thanks to her own experiences. This is especially seen in her friendship with Hunter in Far Past the Ring, whose own trauma comes out in painful paranoia, anxiety, and rage that almost destroys everything he loves.

When common grounds are found, and alliances are made, a powerful voice of continuity and fortitude can be forged. With that, challenges, enemies can be fought, battled, and won. With friendship and the strength of rebuilding and reconnecting with culture–and respecting those of indigenous people–we can move forward.

We are all related.

I wrote all of this on the eve of September 30th, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, the country that brought us The Expanse.

(Taken from National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day - Waterloo Region District School Board (Waterloo Region District School Board)

This day is to commemorate the thousands of children of indigenous heritage who were taken from their homes, stripped of their culture and heritage. Many of them never came back to their families and homes. Thousands died.

It is only in recent history that this is acknowledged.

Similar instances also occurred in the United States, Australia, and countless other nations where indigenous people and their cultures were seen as an alien threat. They were not seen as fellow men, but as a part of the land that needed to be eradicated, controlled, and wiped out.

But survival happened. Still happens.

I hope that is reflected here, in a fictional story about the future…where the descendants of indigenous people use their skills and culture to push their people forward in our solar system.

Who forge friendships and alliances, who work to heal their trauma with the strength of their fellow man.

Who work together to stop a terrible empire from destroying their home.

I am a settler in the United States on the shores of Michigami, but I am a firm believer that the future of humanity lies within indigeneity. We will not reach the stars without it.

I have humbly done my best to reflect that in this story.

Miigwich.

More information can be found here:

National Day of Truth and Reconciliation: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html

James Vukelich’s website: https://www.jamesvukelich.com/

Ojibwe Rosetta Stone: https://www.culture.aanji.org/language/ojibwe-rosetta-stone/

*=I use both terms here, as the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe people, as well as the Metis, are located in both the United States and Canada. Cara Gee herself is Canadian.

#indigenous #first nations #native american #national day of truth and reconciliation #michigami #ojibwe #orange shirt day #canada #great lakes #the clone wars #the expanse #the bad batch #fanfiction #crossover fanfiction #indigenous languages #tech x sjael drummer

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bm-blog01 · 1 year

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Casting Mystery: Banita Sandhu

Last year the casting for three new Original Characters was announced by the Bridgerton official account, we have very little information to go on who they are and how they fit in to the show, but it is not those three that have got some parts of the fandom excited, but rather the (unannounced) casting of Banita Sands.

According to Banita's agent website she is playing a character called Sita Malhorta, and is listed as a recurring character in Season 3. As fans speculate on who Sita Malhorta may be, and wonder why she was not announced with the other new original characters, two main theories have emerged.

Sita Malhorta is a code name for Sophia Maria, the names of book character Sophie Beckett. If this is the case then this means the viewers will be introduced to Sophie in S3 and Benedict will finally have his season in Season 4.

Sita Malhorta is Kate's mother, and she will appear in some form of flashback or dream sequence. If this is who the character is then that will mean we would be getting more than one flashback / dream sequence of Kate and her mother as Banita is listed as recurring and will likely be in multiple episodes. This will please fans of Kate due to the lack of attention many feel her character received during her own season.

There are two further theories I have seen, however, these do not appear to be as popular as the first two.

Sita Malhorta will be the nanny for baby Edmund. I find this theory unlikely due to her being credited with a first name and surname. In the credits for the show, with the exception of a select few, none of the staff for any of the houses are credited with names, even ones that have speaking roles (such as footman John). So the fact that Banita is credited with a name, and listed as a recurring character I do not think she will be domestic staff, unless she is Sophie.

The final theory is that she is a cousin of Kate's. I am not sure where this idea came from, except the fact that Banita is Indian. I also don't see a reason for a cousin of Kate's to be present in London during the season for multiple seasons, this will again give Kate a storyline centred around a family member as opposed to her having a storyline that is focussed on her and her growth as a character.

My personal view is that one of the first two theories are the most likely.

If she is Kate's mother, I can see an arc with Kate perhaps having dreams of her mother, this can be as a result of her becoming pregnant, or just being anxious in her new role. Whilst it will be unusual for such a storyline to go over multiple episodes, it isn't unheard of as in Season 1 Simon's flashbacks lasted more than one episode.

However, I think the most likely of these theories is that she will be Sophie, but her character (for S3 anyway) will be called Sita Malhorta. Rather than it being a codename from the production, I think the name will be a pseudonym Sophie uses in order to remain 'hidden' and the reveal of her real name will potentially be in the final episode. This could be a good tactic for the show to use, essentially hiding Sophie in plain sight of the viewers. For this to work however, she will need to meet Benedict in a different way to how she does in the books, in order to attempt to throw the viewers off the scent. Though with many in the fandom thinking she will be Sophie maybe this subterfuge will no longer work.

Of course, with all my theories, I could be completely wrong, and she is just another debutante who appears at a few balls, and has no connection to any of the Bridgertons at all.

I would be interested in your view.

#Benophie #Bridgerton Season 3 #Sophie Beckett #Sophia Maria Beckett #Sita Malhorta #Banita Sandhu #Benedict Bridgerton

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indierpgnewsletter · 1 year

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New Games on Itch.io - January!

This is a post from the Indie RPG Newsletter! Before we get to the games themselves, let me talk about itch.io for a minute. The website was designed for selling videogames but the indie RPG scene adopted it like a hermit-crab chancing upon a toy truck on the beach. This has led to some strange problems. The RPG category is called “physical games”, for example. More generally, it’s a bit confusing to navigate for the average customer.

So why has this eccentric site become the host of this glorious explosion of indie game design and creativity? I can’t say for sure. Maybe its because it was designed as a protest against Steam and turns out that DriveThru has a lot of the same problems. Maybe it’s because the site makes it incredibly easy to publish games. Maybe it’s just a coincidence - a quirk of luck, just network effects compounding into something greater.

But regardless, there’s cool stuff everyday on that site - a LOT of cool stuff. So here’s my attempt at curating the games that came out in January. I found these games either by browsing the site or through people notifying me with this form. Now the important disclaimer is that I haven’t read or played most of these games. This list is me excitedly pointing out things in the shop window, take it in that spirit. My taste is idiosyncratic, so please publish your own lists! And maybe send me a link, I’d love to see them!

Itch.io January Roundup

blasé monotony by Apri describes itself as “a duet game about having conversations while bored at work” but that description hides this dramatic second act. An astronaut and someone in the control room start talking and then things start going wrong… (Free/PWYW)

Lost & Shelved by Donogh McCarthy is a solo game about a librarian finding strange and ephemeral things in the pages of returned books. I’m a sucker for anything about librarians and Donogh McCarthy is a real indie darling as far as I’m concerned.

Undisturbed by GGoldmen is a solo journalling game about dissecting human cadavers. Seems like a very thoughtful game on a grotesque subject! (Free/PWYW)

A Sage’s Salary by krushna is a solo game about a student and their sage. From an Indian designer, sages aren’t neutral figures - they’re a caste. Which makes this more interesting! I started playing but haven’t finished my playthrough of this.

Apocalypse Roadtrip by Mynar Lenahan is a forged in the dark game where you dodge “roaming Kaiju, military bombings, otherworldly cryptids, UFO fleets, and other survivors (friendly and not)”. That sounds like a good time!

5 Act Play by K-Ramstack is a solo roleplaying game where you create a 5 Act Shakespearean play based around prompts.

Dice of War by Torsten Kaltenecker is a comic game about “battles, historians and intellectual disagreements”. Um, yes! Also bonus points for “sulking in a dignified way is recommended”. (Free/PWYW)

The Belles of the Ball is an adventure by boyproblems for Heroes of Myth and Mettle. “A masquerade ball, an ancient mysterious city, a wealthy man playing at vigilante, and the Zool Chamber of Commerce. It's a party you won't want to miss.” (Free/PWYW)

Conflictus Ad Astra by Gabriel Ciprés is an expansion for the very cool (and free) game Space Knights, which is a kind of PbtA Warhammer where each player controls their own legion. (Free/PWYW)

Cold Decisions: The Cult of Namenlos by Mundos Infinitos is a “cult simulator” and honestly, enough said.

Honourable mentions: A complete, final version of Apocalypse Frame, the fast and tactical mecha game, came out this month. Also, D12 and Delve is a dungeon-delving RPG in 12 words by WH Arthur where your character is a business card.

#indie rpg #ttrpg #rpg #ttrpg community #ttrpg design

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khaleesiofalicante · 6 months

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Dani, help me turn my new work place into something more 🌈?

I recently started working at a local bookstore. It's a small place, but very charming and inviting. However it's in a dire need of more LGBTQIAP+.

Since I'm also responsible for bringing in new books to the store, I already got the two TEC books, all 5 volumes of Heartstopper and the two books of Aristotle and Dante.

So, Dani. What do you recommend me to get? It can be any genre, really.

I just saw this! I'm sorry, it got lost in the ask box.

Congrats on your job and it sounds so cool and fun! And kudos to you for making the bookshop gayer yay.

Instead of recommending you specific books, I'm going to direct you with broader suggestions instead.

More Than Just MLM - Make sure to have more than mlm books. Most popular LGBTQ books are about gay relationships and it's important that we make books about other queer people accessible too - especially queer woman! For instance, check out Alice Osmen's other works. I'd recommend Loveless (about asexuality) among others. Here is a list of book recs about Lesbian and Bi women. A list of trans books by trans authors. A list of books with asexual main characters.

2. Pick Non-Famous Authors - Don't just have the famous books by famous authors (like Heartstopper or whatever else). Sometimes famous books are expensive and some queer people (Especially teens) have to buy these books from the money they've saved up and can't afford all of them. Make sure to have books by smaller authors who are also good because these books might be affordable.

3. Find Accessible Books - I'd also recommend that you find books that have audiobooks versions and for readers who are not comfortable taking a physical copy home. So even if they can't buy it, you can say 'hey you can look up the audio book etc). This is also important for queer people who are blind or dyslexic. Here is a list of queer audio books that are freely available on Spotify.

4. Looks for Writers and Stories from Diverse Countries - Make sure the books you have aren't just about white queer people. And no, I am not talking about something like firstprince where one of them is poc. Mixed race queer couple stories are becoming a trend (not a bad thing but I can and will write a thesis on it later) but what I mean is that we need to promote more queer stories that are about queer people who live in countries other than the US and UK. For example, a queer story from India written by an Indian author - not just 'about' an Indian. Similar, a queer story about a Mexican trans woman, written by someone from Mexico, etc. This is so very important! Here are some LGBT books published by different authorise from different countries.

5. Find Books For and About Adults - Don't just go for YA books. I know YA books are more popular in queer media. But sometimes older queer adults prefer to read about older queer people. Sometimes young queer people want to know what it's like to be an adult queer old. So make sure to branch out more than just YA books. Some of the lists I've shared above already has many adult books (when I say adult I'm talking R rated but rather it's about adults - not teens).

5. Don't Stick to Romance - Make sure to have different genres, not just romance. Not all queer people (or cisgender people) want to read queer romance. Make sure to have different themes and genres including mystery, drama, poetry, short stories, etc. Here's a list of queer sci-fi and and fantasy books.

I know you can't get ALL of these - especially because it's a small place. But as I've said I can't recommend you which books to buy. (Other than Loveless hehe) But I hope these notes are helpful for you (in general) when you're trying to get more books in the future.

ALSO - everyone please reblog/reply with your fave queer books to help annie out 💙

#books #lgbtq #queer #support #queer literature #queer books #lgbtq books

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