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#source: death on the nile
North: Do not allow evil into your heart, it will make a home there.
Pitch, seeing Hans and Anna hold hands: If love can't live there, evil will do just as well.
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incorrectthenanny · 1 year
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Niles: Miss Babcock, if you die, do you want to be buried or cremated? Like, if you were hit by a bus today, what do I do?
C.C.: Go after the bus driver and make them pay for what they did to me. Avenge me, Niles. Avenge me!
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tinyelephentalchaos · 2 years
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I’ve been reading His Dark Materials, somewhat slowly, after having watched the show. I also saw the movie when it came out, what, 12 years ago, maybe?
Thinking about the guard and what their dæmons would be. Also what gender/sex: it would make sense, with most if not all of the guard being queer, and Andy… possibly being older than the concept of gender as we know it (are non-binary dæmons a thing? Also what do we know about neolithic conceptions of gender?) for them to have dæmons of the same gender… Though, would this go against the theme of them being the same as everyone else, since same-gender dæmons are rare...? Plus, the intersection between dæmons and sexuality is murky re: gender, given Pullman's answer to "could a character's dæmon being the same gender as them mean they're queer?" was "maybe", iirc.
Anyways, we know that they were born several centuries-to-millennia apart, so it wouldn't be that strange if they all happened to have same-gender dæmons, but it might make them stand out in public...
Anyways, here's a list of the guard and their dæmons, Lykon's is unnamed as of now because I have very little idea of where he could be from, or what language he would have spoken, aside from the Greek name he took.
Andy has a saker falcon, called Nyx (Νύξ "night"). That's not their first name, just as Andromache isn't Andy's: they remember the starting sound of each other's name throughout the millennia, bits and pieces of PIE which they speak amongst themselves and Quỳnh. Well, now, with her dæmon.
Quỳnh has a blue krait, named Tâm (from 心 "heart"*), who coiled herself around Andy's shoulders after Quỳnh was lost and never let go.
Nile had thought, at first, that Andy just.. had two dæmons. Why not? Here's this immortal warrior who claims that they lead an army of four people, has been a god, etc. They can have two dæmons, it's fine.
Nile's just... trying not to let her mind break, thank you very much. So, she's just accepting whatever at this point.
Lykon had a painted dog, who alongside him in, uh, whatever-post 331 BC/pre-1099 AD. (I'm begging, Greg/Victoria/Gina, give us a more concrete timeline.) When they disappeared, that's when Andy and Quỳnh knew he wasn't reviving.
Joe has a lion named Mahaad/Liyana (مَهّاد/لِيانَةٌ "comforter"/"tenderness"**) who preferred a rabbit form when he was a child.
Nicky has a wolf with a winter coat because fluffy wolves are adorable, named Concetto/Rossana ("Conception (of Jesus)"/"Dawn/Bright Star"***).
The two have long abandoned any sense of taboo around touching each other's dæmon: brushing past them on missions, cuddling with them during downtime: Mahaad/Liyana will often laze around in the kitchen while Nicky cooks, stretching their neck so Nicky can scratch their chin as he passes by their sunspot, and Concetto/Rossana'll rest in Joe's lap while he draws. As it was, it took Nile that entire first weekend to figure out who's dæmon was whose, not helped that they respond to each other's names. Nicky explained it like this when she asked: "Over the centuries, we've become intertwined, our souls bound together as one. Why shouldn't we call our dæmons by the same sounds, or touch them with our own hands?"
Booker has a polecat with white-ish markings on their face and body named Jules/Chloé (French form of Julian/French form of Chloe****).
Nile has a fox sparrow with russet feathers named Seth/Lucy (from Hebrew שת "Appointed"/Latin Lux "Light"*****). I feel like both are appropriate given Nile's probably Protestant background.
All of the immortals, minus Nile and excluding Quỳnh as an outlier since she's been separated from Tâm for centuries, can separate from their dæmon to some extent. Andy often asks Nyx to scout for the group, and while they tend to slow down for the duration of separation beyond ~ 20 meters, they no longer experience pulling (separation from one's dæmon) as everyone else. (But Tâm'll coil closer around Andy's shoulders, regardless, whispering soft nothings in whatever language she can think of.)
Joe and Nicky, meanwhile, if they can help it, will go with one another's dæmon if they need to separate. So that they can take comfort from the other shape of their soul, and know their first soul-form is protected above all else. When other circumstances arise and they're separated from both their dæmons, they look to each other for comfort through the pulling.
Booker ( like Ms. Coulter), can go the longest time apart from his dæmon without a shared goal or someone else to rely on. It's... not great, and he tries not to do so often simply because it's noticeable and he's trying to pretend, at least, that he's relatively happy, but it's a useful skill especially when there are tight spaces or small openings in a structure.
The first time this happened, actually, was while he was dying his first deaths. Jules/Chloé left to find some kind help, after the first few days. Ended up finding Andy, Joe & Nicky, and lead them all back to Booker. Of the others in the guard, Jules/Chloé is the closest to Andy and Nyx, simply because the pair were the first the dæmon had seen in weeks.
Lastly, as to Quỳnh, Tâm and separation: when Quỳnh was taken in the iron maiden, both Tâm and Nyx were held in another part of the dungeon, as the captors thought that would weaken their powers. So, she's been apart, not only from Andy, Joe and Nicky, for the past 400-500 years, but from her dæmon, too. The Pulling alone was excruciating, halfway down to the bottom of the ocean, she died from it alone. Yet, coupled with the drowning, the riviving, the snippets of dreams... when she finally escapes, Quỳnh's barely clinging to the last shreds of her sanity, and that's only because she knows Andy's been looking after Tâm-- their bond, though stretched to its last threads, still exists and she just knows Tâm's been safe 'til 1812, when she first glimpses her again. She goes peacefully to death that time. What should she care of her own suffering if her dæmon is truly safe? And then she revives, again and again, and she recalls her rage...
---
Sources on names that I'm pretty sure are accurate, but again, please correct me if they're not:
*https://www.behindthename.com/name/ta13m/submitted
**https://quranicnames.com/liyana/ and https://quranicnames.com/mahaad/
***https://www.behindthename.com/name/concetto (masculine form of Concetta, unrelated to the Italian word meaning concept or the English word meaning conceit. Spelled the same though, and is a cognate of Concepción) and https://www.behindthename.com/name/rossana and https://www.behindthename.com/name/roxana
**** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloe
***** Gen. 4:25, New Revised Standard Version and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius
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zanderlisle · 5 months
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Because I struggled to find information on the Sudanese genocide, here's a collection of info I've found, complete with sources and ways to help.
Note: Most of these stats are coming from October of 2023, and numbers have climbed since. Content warning for genocide, war crimes, sexual violence, and more. Please correct me on anything you notice is incorrect.
In April of 2023, the Rapid Support Forces attacked Sudanese Armed Forces bases across Sudan. including the Sudanese capital Khartoum with a population of 6,344,348. While this was initially described as a war between the RSF & SAF, it quickly became a matter that murdered, injured, & displaced millions of civilians. The most notable of the casualties - actress Asia Abdelmajid, singer Shaden Gardood, and former football player Fozi el-Mardi with his daughter Alaa. el-Mardi's wife. Zeinat Ahmed Othman was also wounded by a bullet.
There have been over 9,000 deaths, 12,000 injuries, and 5.4M displacements. There have been a total of 55 foreign deaths from the countries of Ethiopia (15), Syria (15), Congo (10), Eritrea (9), Egypt (2), The USA (2), India (1), and Turkey (1). Journalists and humanitarian workers have been injured, killed, and/or detained.
As of July, there have been 88 reports of sexual assault against women in Sudan blamed on the RSF. Activist Hala al-Karib stated that war rape had become an everyday occurrence with both fighting parties participating.
Over 1.3M people have fled Sudan as refugees. "The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that 1,200 children had died from disease outbreaks in refugee camps in White Nile State since May. In Central Darfur, the head of the Hamidiya refugee camp said at least 43 children had died in the camp since July. UNICEF also estimated that the conflict had led to the number of children being out of school in Sudan to rise from seven million prior to the fighting to 19 million in October 2023." - War in Sudan 2023 Wikipedia
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An imminent epidemic of cholera and a collapse of the healthcare system - How to help: donate to SAPA at https://sapa-usa.org
Women are at risk of sexual violence (especially in areas like Darfur) - The Darfur Women Action Group has a donation link AND sample emails to send to your officials They also accept volunteers with media experience
Menstruation doesn’t stop due to war. - Donate to provide Sudanese girls and women with menstrual products
Another IMPORTANT organization currently providing direct medical care in a few states including Khartoum
will hopefully update with more reliable links or resources Also check
@Hometaxsd on Twitter (X) and eyesonsudan.net for other reliable donation sites
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https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65284945…
https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65467934…
https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65585746…
https://apnews.com/article/sudan-war-military-rsf-conflict-khartoum-f12975eb72c830ed86ed6a7a49e9658d…
https://dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/violations-against-journalists-in-sudan-war…
https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/dtm-sudan-monthly-displacement-overview-october-2023…
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4296896/diplomat-says-15-syrians-killed-amid-clashes-sudan…
https://theguardian.com/world/2023/may/07/eritrea-accused-of-forcibly-repatriating-civilians-caught-up-in-sudan-fighting…
https://abcnews.go.com/US/2nd-american-dies-amid-violence-sudan-state-department/story?id=98877370
dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/more-than-40-children-die-in-central-darfur-camps-as-fighting-escalates…
https://dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/19-million-children-in-sudan-are-out-of-school-says-unicef
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkish-toddler-killed-in-ongoing-clashes-in-sudan/2875179
bnnbreaking.com/breaking-news/egyptian-doctors-killed-in-sudan-conflict-buried-in-backyard/…
https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65821597…
https://africanews.com/2023/09/19/un-raises-alarm-over-child-deaths-in-sudan-as-health-crisis-deepens/…
https://aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/2/fighting-reignites-between-sudan-army-rsf-in-khartoum
The linked source is a more detailed Twitter thread of Sudan's timeline starting in December 2018 by Kandakat_alhaqq.
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writers-potion · 3 months
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Plant Symbolisms 🌱🌿🪴
Flora have a special corner in literature.
Starting from the Greco-Roman period when certain plants were representative of gods (like olive trees for Athena), plants have meant more than just a source of food or pleasure.
Lotus - Symbol of creation, rebirth, and the sun. The blue lotus represents spiritual enlightenment, while the white lotus symbolizes purity.
Papyrus - Represents prosperity, growth, and regeneration, often associated with the Nile River and the goddess Isis.
Mandrake - Associated with love, fertility, and aphrodisiac properties.
Poppy - Symbol of sleep, healing, and regeneration, often associated with the god of sleep, Hypnos.
Rose - Represents love, beauty, and the goddess Aphrodite.
Jasmine - Symbol of sensuality, love, and spiritual growth.
Palm - Represents victory, triumph, and eternal life, often associated with the god Osiris.
Acacia - Symbolizes resurrection and the afterlife, linked to the god Osiris and the Tree of Life.
Cornflower - Represents fertility, abundance, and regeneration.
Anemone - Symbol of protection, healing, and renewal.
Anemone, garden: Forsaken.
Almond, flowering: Hope.
Balm: Sympathy.
Bamboo: The emblem of Buddha. The seven-knotted bamboo denotes the seven degrees of initiation and invocation in Buddhism.
Bay leaf: I change but in death.
Bell flower, white: Gratitude.
Bluebell: Constancy.
Broken flower: A life terminated, mortality.
Buttercup: Cheerfulness.
Calla lily: Symbolises marriage.
Campanula: Gratitude.
Carnation, red: Beauty always new
Chrysanthemum: I love.
Clover, white: Think of me.
Clover, four-leaved: Be mine.
Cinquefoil: maternal affection, beloved daughter.
Convolvulus, major: Extinguished hopes or eternal sleep.
Coreopsis, Arkansa: Love at first sight.
Crocus: Youthful gladness.
Cuckoo Pint: Ardour.
Cypress tree: Designates hope.
Daffodil: Death of youth, desire, art, grace, beauty, deep regard.
Daisy: Innocence of child, Jesus the Infant, youth, the Son righteousness, gentleness, purity of thought.
Daisy, garden: I share your sentiment.
Dead leaves: Sadness, melancholy.
Dogwood: Christianity, divine sacrifice, triumph of eternal life, resurrection.
Fern: Sincerity, sorrow.
Figs, Pineapples: Prosperity, eternal life.
Fleur-de-lis: Flame, passion, ardour, mother.
Flower: frailty of life.
Forget-me-not: Remembrance / true love.
Furze or Gorse: Enduring affection.
Grapes: represent Christ.
Grapes and leaves: Christian faith.
Harebell: Grief.
Hawthorn: Hope, merriness, springtime.
Heartsease or Pansy: I am always thinking of you.
Holly: Foresight.
Honeysuckle: Bonds of love, generosity and devoted affection.
Honesty: Sincerity.
Ivy: Memory, immortality, friendship, fidelity, faithfulness, undying affection, eternal life, marriage.
Jonquil: “I hope for a return of affection.”
Lalla: Beauty, marriage.
Laurel leaves: Special achievement, distinction, success, triumph.
Marigold: Grief or despair.
Morning glory: Resurrection, mourning, youth, farewell, brevity of life, departure, mortality.
Mystic rose: Mother.
*some of these flower symbols have Greek or Roman origins but were also used in ancient Egyptian culture.
If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸
🖱️References
https://www.proflowers.com/blog/plant-symbolism-guide
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/396668679699365428/
https://lilysflorist.com/blog/the-symbolism-of-flowers-in-literature-and-poetry-a-look-at-the-hidden-meanings-of-blooms-in-classic-texts/#:~:text=Rose%20%2D%20Represents%20love%2C%20beauty%2C,and%20the%20Tree%20of%20Life.
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ancientcharm · 29 days
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Antinous, the beautiful young man who gave his life for love to emperor
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Antinous was favorite and lover of emperor Hadrian.
"Antinous died in Egypt after falling into the Nile, according to what Hadrian wrote or, according to what really happened, because he was offered as a sacrifice. Hadrian was a great enthusiast of all kinds of divinations and enchantments. Thus, Hadrian honored Antinous - because of his love for him or because he would have agreed to die freely - since the voluntary surrender of a life was necessary for to achieve what he intended." -Dio Cassius
"The reason for this would have been that Hadrian wanted to prolong his life and that upon asking a magician to take his place, everyone backed off but Antinous offered to do so." -Aurelius Victor
Emperor Hadrian (reign: 117-138)
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Born on January 24, 76, he was the nephew of his predecessor, Trajan. He was married to Vibia Sabina, grandniece of Trajan, with whom he had a terrible relationship but curiously he loved his mother-in-law, Salonia Matidia (Trajan's niece) like a mother. He is the third of the so-called "Five Good Emperors", however Hadrian was the only one of the five who was not popular either among the people or in the Senate, because:
He was the one who stopped - forever - the expansion of the Empire. This was not welcomed at that time because territorial expansion was the soul of Rome since its founding.
He was the first to wear a beard, something that the Romans associated with barbarism and "weird people", only some gods would look good with a beard. Later this Hadrian novelty became fashionable in Rome.
He used to have sudden attacks of anger becoming aggressive, and hours later he would lament bitterly and try to repair any damage done. This "bipolarity" was seen as a non-Roman attitude.
No one before or after him toured the entire empire as Hadrian did, which is why he is known as 'The Traveling Emperor'. His endless tours were not well regarded by the Senate.
His relationship with Antinous, considered inappropriate because he was not a slave and Hadrian had him in public concubinage
But despite everything, he was a good emperor; That's why he ruled without problem for 21 years
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Unfortunately there are no historical sources about the life of Antinous but, thanks to his sculptures, it is known that he was a very handsome young man. As a teenager - but let us remember that the notion of adolescence did not exist in the ancient world - he met Hadrian in Bithynia. From that moment until the day of his death, when he was around 20 years old, he did not separate from Hadrian.
What really happened on the Nile
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Antinous as Osiris- Vatican Museums.
After listening to a lecture and reading, I discovered that shortly before the death of Antinous, the emperor began to feel ill to the point that he feared an imminent death. But as was his custom, instead of looking for medicine, he looked for magic spells in the East.
When he arrived in Egypt with Antinous on October 24, 130, the arrival coincided-and was not so coincidental-with the beginning of the religious ceremony commemorating the death of Osiris, drowned in the Nile and then resurrected by his wife Isis. During the days of the commemoration, death and resurrection of Osiris, Isis was invoked in healing incantations.
Cassius Dio's suspicions are the same as other Roman historians as well as modern ones, because the death of Antinous was coincidentally during that religious ritual.
But those same historians agree that it was not Hadrian who asked Antinous to sacrifice himself. As the Roman historian Aurelius Victor wrote, he asked a magician for the sacrifice, but that man and the others backed away, so Antinous voluntarily decided to enter the Nile.
After the death of Antinous, Hadrian founded in Egypt the city Antinoöpolis in his honor. According to Dio Cassius, this was the reason for the sacrifice: "Since the voluntary surrender of a life was necessary for to achieve what he (Hadrian) intended, to found that city."
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Cassius Dion's statement confuses me and seems very strange to me. Why would an emperor need the voluntary sacrifice of a life in order to found a city? It is very likely that Antinous really believed in those practices, that is, he believed that by doing that, his emperor could heal and live longer. Hadrian deified him, and I think Hadrian founded the city Antinoöpolis in Egypt because his beloved Antinous died there.
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romanceclub-lovers · 3 months
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Romance Club news recap...
Song of the Crimson Nile
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❓Reader: Why did Amen invite Eva to the capital? If everyone understood that this would not happen...
✅Remy: Amen wants to believe that the situation can be resolved, he fell in love with a woman for the first time in 30 years, he is not the most clever in these matters and wants to find a way out, the fact that he cannot see in Eva what he sees in other dark magicians gives him hope.
Source: Song of the Red Nile
Soulless
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Wincy shared with us the age and height of the favorites and the main character of the story Soulless...
Threxio
Age: 30 years old in human form; 500+ incubus age.
Height: 190cm
Threxia
Age: 30 years old in human form; 500+ age of succubus.
Height: 175cm
Walter
Age: 25 years
Height: 195cm
Cynthia
Age: 25 years
Height: 170cm
Vincent
Age: 30 years
Height: 185cm
Elliot
Age: 35 years
Height: 187cm
Ava
Age: 25 years
Height: 168cm
Vyxaria/ MC
Age: 26 years old in human form; 200+ age of succubus
Height: 180cm
Source: rc_hot
Heart of Trespia
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📣 List of bugs fixed
Heart of Trespia
In episode 15:
1. The development for relationships with Gisella and Wyatt has been lowered. You can see whether your relationship is sufficiently developed during the scene at the castle in Rajahili, if your branch is not with the characters who are present in the scene. If you have a love story with Reinhold, Delia or Vanora, if your relationship with Wyatt and Gisella is sufficiently leveled, you will get a friendly scene with them.
If Gisella and Taki die anyway, it means you didn't improve your relationship with them enough as you progressed through the story.
Correction of errors in episode 16:
1. Fixed an error in the branch with Wyatt if the MC is pregnant and the player selects “Trust his decision.” Wyatt will not disappear now and will be present until the end of the story.
2. The paid scene of a conversation with Wyatt about the wedding is now available only if the required development of a relationship with him has been reached.
3. Fixed a couple of minor errors that do not affect the course of the story.
Visual errors have also been fixed.
1. Sprite of animals along the branch with Reinhold;
2. Lack of smiles from guests;
3. The absence of a hand reaching forward in the cutscene of Wyatt’s death;
4. Reinhold has no scar;
5. Wyatt's ending with the kids. If they are not married, then there will be no crown now.
Soulless:
1. In the paid scene with the drunk man, we now get 2 mastery stats and added dialogue that is otherwise missing;
2. Now for choosing an illusion we will also receive 2 mastery stats instead of 1.
Source: rc_hot
Alexander Jester "Psi" 🧬
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Answers a few questions on his VK platform...
❔ How are you?
✅- Thank you, as usual.
❔ I would like to ask if you plan to develop the world of PSI in future stories? With other characters, characters and plot, but within the framework of this universe?
✅- There are no plans for this yet.
❔ Ivo to some extent admires and would even say deifies Lou. Is his special interest due to the fact that the main character is psionic or does he like her as a person?
✅- The perception of such moments is always very subjective, and I prefer to give the player the opportunity to form their own vision and assessment.
❔ One question still haunts me. In the episode 2x8 route with Jonas, who ended up paying for the cocktails?
✅- History is silent about this.
PS: Did they pay? 🙃
❔ How do you feel about The Hunger Games? Are you familiar with films or books?
✅- Familiar with films. The first part is interesting. Light, bright.
❔ I remembered the scene with Claude in season 1, tell me, will there be consequences for those who took it?
✅- I don't give spoilers.
❔ About Alexander’s (Jester) personality: sometimes I even doubt whether it’s a girl hiding under a nickname.
✅- What caused the doubts?
❔ I’m lying there, reading the answers and the only question is why everyone is talking so formally... well, like, hello in every message 🤔 I don’t know, probably it’s just unusual, as if I’m writing in those. support...
✅- Hello, thank you, goodbye, please, excuse me - it’s not difficult, and not simple, not official. This is just politeness to strangers. There are many guests, everyone has different personal boundaries.
❔ Alexander, you also have a fairly large audience, quite worthy of being called a fandom. What would you call it? Okay, what would you call us?)
✅- I think this should happen somehow differently, more naturally.
❔ I have a question: what do you think of the style of Dune?
✅- Beautiful, atmospheric.
Source: Jester VK page
Art: вересковый мёд
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JLRRT’s Favorites
Includes only works that I’ve read, watched or listened to. Some works are out of date or contain errors, but are still included for their enjoyable writing or other strengths. This list will be updated as I find new media I like. Feel free to recommend more to me!
Biographies
Antony and Cleopatra, by Adrian Goldsworthy (review)
Augustus: First Emperor of Rome, by Adrian Goldsworthy (review)
Augustus: The Life of Rome’s First Emperor, by Anthony Everitt (review)
Brutus: The Noble Conspirator, by Kathryn Tempest (review)
Caesar: Life of a Colossus, by Adrian Goldsworthy (review)
A Companion to Julius Caesar, anthology, ed. Miriam Griffin (review)
Julius Caesar and the Roman People, by Robert Morstein-Marx (review #1, review #2)
Cato the Younger: Life and Death at the End of the Roman Republic, by Fred Drogula (review)
Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome’s Greatest Politician, by Anthony Everitt (review)
Clodia Metelli: The Tribune's Sister, by Marilyn Skinner (review)
Fulvia: Playing for Power at the End of the Roman Republic, by Celia Schultz (review)
Marcus Agrippa: Right-hand Man of Caesar Augustus, by Lindsay Powell (review)
Scipio Africanus: Rome’s Greatest General, by Richard Gabriel (review)
Servilia and her Family, by Susan Treggiari (review)
Sulla: The Last Republican, by Arthur Keaveney (review 1, review 2)
Tiberius Caesar, by David Shotter (review)
Tiberius, by Robin Seager (review)
Classical Sources
Catiline’s War, by Sallust (review)
The Jewish War, by Flavius Josephus
The Twelve Caesars, by Suetonius (review and discussion; see also my Suetonius tag)
Other Nonfiction
A Companion to the Roman Republic, eds. Nathan Rosenstein and Robert Morstein-Marx
The Last Generation of the Roman Republic, by Erich Gruen (review)
Latin for All Occasions and X-Treme Latin by Henry Beard
Horrible Histories: The Rotten Romans, by Terry Deary (middle grade audience)
Roman Homosexuality, by Craig Williams (review, chapter summaries)
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard (review, timeline from the book)
The Storm Before the Storm, by Mike Duncan (review)
Comics
Cardinal's art and comics on Tumblr
The Cartoon History of the Universe series, by Larry Gonick (graphic novel; Roman history starts in Volume II; review)
The Dead Romans Society on Tumblr
Historical Fiction Books
Augustus, by John Williams (review)
The Cicero Trilogy (Imperium, Lustrum, Dictator), by Robert Harris (review)
The City War, by Sam Starbuck (review)
Cleopatra: Daughter of the Nile, by Kristiana Gregory (middle grade audience; review)
Masters of Rome series, by Colleen McCullough (review)
Roma soy yo, by Santiago Posteguillo (review)
Roma Sub Rosa series, by Steven Saylor (review, suggested reading order)
Podcasts
The History of Rome by Mike Duncan
TV, movies, videos
Fulvia y Cleopatra, dos destinos cruzados - Spanish docudrama (review)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Hannibal’s March on Rome, Smithsonian Channel
Historia Civilis Youtube Channel
Invicta Youtube Channel
I, Claudius, BBC
Last Days of Pompeii, Amazon Prime Documentary
Meet the Romans with Mary Beard
Murder in Rome, BBC Timewatch
Overly Sarcastic Productions Youtube Channel
Rome: Empire Without Limit with Mary Beard
Plays
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
See also:
Things I look for in history books - my tips for evaluating whether a book is reliable
Warning signs of fascism in history media - also by me, with additional antifascist resources.
Disability studies for ancient Greece and Rome
White supremacy, racism, and decolonizing classics studies
Women in Classical Antiquity (list of scholarly sources)
Queer Classics: A Speculative Reading List
LGBT Meets SPQR
Lesbiantiquity: "A zine-anthology of Greek & Latin writings about women loving women"
Resources for learning about Black history
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stirringwinds · 1 year
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Do u have any headcanons about Rome or the other ancients
i do! here are some of them:
Rome is the Italybros' father, not their grandfather. Children are sometimes bittersweet omens for nations; your beginning is a harbinger of someone else's end.
When he was still a republic, the Battle of Cannae during the Punic Wars against Carthage was the moment Rome most feared dying for real. As the Carthaginian general Hannibal proclaimed; "I swear to arrest the destiny of Rome with fire and steel"—that put some real fear into young Rome's heart.
Persia (aka the Achaemenid Empire) is at least 3,000 years old—they and modern Iran are the same person. Another ye olde helltalia, like China.
Germania's real name is not Germania: he is one of the many Germanic nations that existed; as historically, Tacitus' concept of "Germania" is more of a Roman construction—they didn't see themselves as a single unified "Germanic" cultural or political entity. So, Tacitus' Germania? Much like Herodotus: father of history, father of lies, perhaps...
Yao's earliest memory is of walking along the Yellow River. It's one thing he has in common with many other ancient nations; rivers feature heavily in their earliest sense of being: Rome (the Tiber), Sumer (the Tigris and the Euphrates), Ancient Egypt (the Nile) and Olmec (the Coatzacoalcos, in modern Mexico) being some examples. Yao thinks of the Yellow River as being both life and death; the fertile silt on the banks that would be the lifeblood of his civilisation, but also the source of devastating floods throughout his history.
Yao rather respected Rome, Persia/Iran and India a lot more than his other neighbours; Rome being called da qin(大秦)or "great qin". Almost a sort of "oh, there's another empire at the opposite end of the (then) known world just like me." Bit of a difference from how at various points, Yong-soo and Kiku got much less flattering names. Today, many things have crumbled under the sword of time, but there's still Roman glassware he has from that long-gone time of the Silk Road that linked Rome and China—as well as all the other cultures in between—together.
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Round 3!
If you recognize the movies hiding behind the decoy titles, please do not give identifying details about them in the notes.
Movie n°1: Sources of the Nile
After a young woman's botched mission ends in two deaths, she is violently assaulted and kidnapped by an old woman who forces her to spend time with her gang of senior citizens. They like to read, watch sports, and reminisce about the good old days. Two are welcoming and optimistic, but the other two are bitter and miserable and project all their own problems onto the young woman. Eventually she bonds with them and picks them up from an unscheduled medical appointment, totaling a car in the process.
Movie n°2: A Matter of Revolutions
After committing multiple homicides an amnesiac with no arms or legs wakes up from a years long coma millions of miles from home. Guided by the ghost of a dead friend, he has to help a feuding group escape nuclear annihilation.
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jahsontodd · 11 months
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✨rating pedro pascal characters based on nothing but costuming (non-exhaustive)✨
considerations:
*real housewives voice* thats my OPINION!!! also subject to change upon reflection, just going off my current feelings. 
not really discussing whether the costuming is good or bad for character, context, or source material but just how much I like them if that makes sense. 
some of these costume designers knocked it out of the park but would I be a little grumpy if I went on a date and they showed up in a walmart denim button up and ripped their $300+ jacket to shreds? Yes. Was that costume absolutely perfect for Joel? Yes again.
Mostly discussing costuming in context modern/21st century settings. The Mandalorian+GOT+ etc. in part two?
Minimal discussion on hair+cosmetics, only really when it applies to the whole look
Javier Gutierrez: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Rating: 10/10
Crew:
Paco Delgado: Costume Designer see also: John Wick: Chapter 4, Death on the Nile, Jungle Cruise, Cats (2019), Split, Les Misérables 2012 (and many more he’s booked and busy)
full cast and crew
Comments: 
They did not have to go so crazy on these outfits!!! 
Why does one of my favorite looks apparently not even appear in the movie!?
every look is so *chefs kiss*
I feel like mustard yellow is such a good color on him. 
Like call up those people on tik tok who make nonsensical categories like “strong winter” “ambivalent fall” and find out why mustard yellow always works.
The palette is a cute mix of like warm bricky colors like red, brown, mustard yellow mixed with baby blue and eggshell white. its actually perfect. 
What really makes him stand out is the fact he accessorizes. 
Lots of men don't accessorize because they don’t think its important - they couldn’t be more wrong. 
It’s one of the many injustices of the world that a man’s outfit looks 10x better by adding one necklace or in this case- pinky ring.
Do I like the sunglasses? No. But I like that they are there. 
Obligatory hair mention: The hair looks great. With longer hair becomes more responsibility, ie sometimes the part is a little too deep making the front pieces have a combover look. This is only when its messy though so that may have been the point?
If I included every outfit I liked it would just be a slideshow of the whole movie so I picked my favorites 
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Javier Peña: Narcos
Rating: 10/10
Crew:
Bina Daigler: Costume Designer (season 1) see also: Dumplin’, Tár, Mulan (2020), 1899
María Estela Fernánde: Costume Designer (season 2-3) see also: Narcos: Mexico, Queen of the South, Hell (El Infierno)
Mayra de Abreu: Wardrobe Supervisor (season 1) key costumer for (season 2-3) see also: Narcos: Mexico, The Head of Joaquín Murrieta (La Cabeza de Joaquín Murrieta)
full cast and crew
Comments: 
Can you tell I like 70s inspos?
Its unique but true to someone who grew up in RGV and now on his own
ie good luck getting him out of boots. you can’t do it
When he dresses up in s1+2, damn i love a tan suit! 
Its very formulaic, but not to the extent that it looks like he bought 7 colors of the exact same shirt. He’s pretty much always wearing a short sleeve button up and fitted jeans. which makes the times he isn’t stand out
ie the tan suit. what can i say i am an american who is up to date on politics i always defend a tan suit when i see one
also occasionally breaks out this like tan vest situation? 
I think it’s a good balance between like clearly not being inspired by like their “current day” but not so 70s that it would be odd. It’s kinda timeless. 
He tends to follow one of my outfits rules: max 3 colors
Rules are meant to be broken obvi 
But I do feel like as a general rule of thumb and since he doesn’t wear a ton of patterns, wearing more than three colors starts to make an outfit look random and not put together
For Javi, this usually means 
color 1: *shirt color* 
color 2: pants (pretty much just blue or black, he does throw in some brown pants) 
color 3: brown (pretty exclusively wears brown belts/shoes)
Short note on hair/grooming: I love how season 1 has some more length in the back and generally has a shaggy sort of look? By season 3 his hair is more cropped probably bc of his new role. 
Something about the extra length in the back makes him look young- not in the sense of like actual age but maybe looking more hopeful or green, even when dressed up 
Also every so often you can see when they mess up the stick on sideburns. It tickles me.
He’s a menace to society. And he knows it 
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Pietro Alvarez: If Beale Street Could Talk
Rating:  8/10
Crew:
Caroline Eselin (Caroline Eselin-Schaefer): Costume Designer see also: Moonlight (2016), Father of the Bride, Troop Zero, The Underground Railroad
full cast and crew
Comments:
We don’t see much and what we see! Is so good
This deep deep red is very nice and I like that is a monochromatic look (I don’t think we see his pants in the movie but collecting pics for this I saw the pants are the same color) 
It also has my favorite type of collar- that extra pointy extra long collar. 
And he *drum rolls* accessorized! Its only a necklace but the choice to have it OVER the shirt, over an already perfectly monochrome outfit makes it pop
The things that bring it a little down for me is, well, there is only one scene to work with so it feels wrong to rank higher than projects with multiple outfits, and the grooming
The mustache didn’t have to be so thin. 
Hair wise I don’t understand why we always have to exaggerate the side burns to achieve the “deep sideburn” look. 
I feel like we could still make the hair look “of the time” by taking some of the weight from the sides and leaving it up top and working with his natural side burns (even if that means making them darker, just not necessarily longer)
Even though I get the hair of the time was very um... spherical
side note: everyone in this movie is dressed spectacularly. I am appreciating through the tears in my eyes
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Jack Daniels: Kingsman: Golden Circle
Rating: 7/10
Crew:
Arianne Phillips: Costume Designer See Also: Don’t Worry Darling, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Nocturnal Animals, Kingsman: The Secret Service
Full cast and crew
Comments:
Have I watched in full? Maybe a few years ago? I remember the first one quite clearly bc the water filling up the bedroom scene YIKES!
The snowsuit is so good. It’s functional, it’s sassy. It has one of my favorite western top details I don’t know the name of but the little patch details on the front of the shoulders. 
Who’s idea was it for the belt buckle to be a FLASK!!! thats gold
I love a color SCHEME!!! 
brown leather deserves love
The rain boots- a practical choice in the middle of like the least practical movie ever? Leave him in cowboy boots you cowards
Like oh the grounds might get muddy he needs rain boots. His belt buckle was a flask guys be real
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Marcus Pike: The Mentalist
Rating: 5/10
Crew:
Amanda Friedland: Costumer Designer See also: 13 Reasons Why, House of 1000 Corpses, Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles, Fight Club, Clueless,
Scott O’Leary: Costume Designer See Also: The Rookie, Lucifer, Supergirl, 21 Jumpstreet
full cast and crew
Comments:
Have I watched in full? No. I caught a few episodes it was when it was airing but I don’t think i could tell you a single plot line 
(there is a LOT of FBI Department of Pseudo Psychology shows ok)
I do remember in one of his early eps they use the murder house from Nightcrawlers.
*Abby Lee voice* you didn’t stick out to me
Very government employee of you to wear ill fitting suits
Not to be irrational but v-neck t shirts don’t rub me the right way. 
This is a completely personal ick that I don’t expect anyone else to agree with. 
I just ~~ just do a crew neck you know? 
Maybe WHY I don’t like it is because its very 2010-2014. 
Which, in Marcus’ defense, just makes v-neck t-shirts something of the time 
Does nothing crazy with his suits, but nothing that makes me cover my eyes either 
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Joel Miller: The Last of Us
Rating: 6/10
Crew:
Cynthia Anne Summers: Costume Designer See also: Swan Song, The Babysitters Club, Snowpiercer, A Series of Unfortunate Events (2018), Apollo 18
Full cast and crew
Comments:
Joel we get it you are nOT like other girls 
It makes sense for who he is. 
And who he is is someone who is not thinking about how much cunt he is going to serve with his outfit that day. 
unFORTUNATELY.
His pants ARE suspiciously fitted. Not so utilitarian when it comes to pants are you Joel?
But! I love the big coat. Could live in the big coat. The big coat deserves an award
The best part of the big coat is the main defense against the simplicity of Joel’s outfits are “oh it’s the apocalypse” or “oh he’s not thinking about that” 
Really? bc this is a SHEARLING lined coat. Do you know how quickly those fluffy shearling/sherpa etc. liners start to look like shit? if its a real shearling lining (the one he uses is real) you need to avoid getting it wet and store in dry areas. 
I am not even talking about price here! Because I have already explained why I think its not that weird to have people wearing expensive clothes 20 years into the apocalypse. 
Its the utility of having a shearling lined coat when you don’t have a closet full of DampRids
No way he had it in Boston since they only travel with regular sized backpacks. He saw it, liked it, wanted it, got it. 
He got that coat for the cunt of it all, you can’t convince me otherwise. 
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Thank you so much for coming on this ride with me it was a fun exercise to look at just the clothes and not my feelings toward the character/movie/show. 
Who should I do next time? I have plenty of more thoughts hehe
~Tags for amiges who wanted to see this post!~
@fuckyeahpedropascal​ @simpingcowboy​
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scotianostra · 20 days
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April 27th 1794 saw the death of James Bruce, the explorer at Larbert.
At six feet four inches in height, James Bruce was an impressive figure. An explorer, archaeologist and brilliant linguist, he travelled across North Africa, Crete, Syria, Egypt and Ethiopia He is best known for his exploration of the sources of the Nile, reaching the headstream of the Blue Nile in 1770.
Some historians believe that Bruce, while being recognised for finding the source of the Nile, he was actually in Africa on a secret personal mission to Ethiopia to locate a sacred religious relic, the Ark of the Covenant.
The explorer apparently charmed and gifted his way through a land usually hostile to foreigners. On his black horse Mizra, Persian for ‘scholar’, he trekked across treacherous terrain and Ethiopia’s flat-topped mountains. He brought a telescope so large it required six men to carry it.
Bruce arrived at Ethiopia’s imperial capital Gondar during a smallpox epidemic. His knowledge of medicine gained him entry to the court – where he would remain for almost a year.
James Bruce had relationships with many women in Ethiopia, including the Princess Esther. He later described this period as “one of the happiest moments of my life”.
At court, Bruce boasted of his own lineage, declaring:
“My ancestors were the kings of the country in which I was born, and to be ranked among the greatest and most glorious that ever bore the title of king.”
This was not just him boasting, his family were indeed descendants to King Robert.
On returning to London Bruce’s tales of Ethiopia, recounted at dinner parties and gossiped about in letters, were met with disbelief. He became a figure of ridicule, mocked by contemporaries such as Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. Ultimately, he would be laughed out of London.
There were, perhaps, ulterior motives for Bruce’s rejection by ‘polite’ society. In her book Plotting To Stop the British Slave Trade: James Bruce and His Secret Mission to Africa, Jane Aptekar Reeve reveals that Bruce belonged to a secret network of British slave trade abolitionists.
The Scottish cartoonist Issac Cruikshank made James Bruce a caricature, depicting his story of the “Abyssinian Breakfast”, in disbelief of Bruce’s claims that Ethiopians took live cuts of meat from cattle. This was later proven to be true, as indeed were his other stories that saw him ridiculed.
For a man who must have been in grave dangers during his adventures in Africa, he had an inglorious death, he fell down some stairs in 1793 and died at his home in Kinnaird, and is buried in a graveyard I visit now and them at Larbert Old churchyard near Falkirk.
Pics are of the cartoon I mentioned, and his rather unusual memorial at Larbert, which I read last year id due to be restored soon, hopefully.
Much more on the man here https://www.historic-uk.com/.../HistoryofSco.../James-Bruce/
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incorrectthenanny · 1 year
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C.C.: Sorry I'm late. Hope I didn't worry anyone.
Niles: We just figured you were dead.
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lovelikedestiny · 11 months
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For @socialanxietyrabbit<3 I hope some blind!Nicky can cheer you up a little.
Tip-tap. Tip-tap-tip-tap. Tiptaptiptap.
The rain creates an unique symphony of sound, each droplet of water forming a different tune as they’re pouring their life-spending beauty over the world. Jewels of the sky. Crystal and glass, so fragile and yet unbreakable. 
Nicky tilts his head a bit more to the side, fully immersing himself in the masterful piece nature is only playing for him. A private concert meant to be cherished. Meant to remind mankind of the humble gifts their environment offers them every day. Meant to make them aware what they have been blessed with and what they tend to forget in the fast paced daily routine. When they cannot even take a tiny fragment of time to themselves to simply breathe and exist. 
That’s precisely what Nicky is doing at this very moment. He is.
Letting his mind wander without aim or intention, relishing in the various sounds, smells and other sensations he can perceive during this magnificent cloudburst. 
The air tastes vivid and promising with a hint of lightning’s tingling electricity, the rich earthiness of the forest surrounding their current residence, and the sweet humidity of the rain Nicky is listening to.
He can smell the trees more clearly through the extreme moisture, distinguish the whiff of delicate moss and comforting resin. It’s the promising tale of summer, already speaking of days filled with kind sunshine and mild evenings under a sky Joe likes to describe to him as a kiss between night and day, moon and sun, before he kisses Nicky, because “you’re my moon in darkness, habibi, how can I kiss you not?”. 
Nile simply describes the sky as purple.
The raindrops sound differently when they splash on leaves, a staggered rhythm created as they get unexpectedly caught by branches in various heights on their way down. On the rooftop of their safehouse it resonates constantly, almost like a monotonous lullaby, and on the meadow it is nearly quiet like the rain wouldn’t want to wake the sleeping flowers, thriving in its fall. 
Nicky is so engrossed in harking to what mother nature is telling him that he misses Joe’s soft, unhasty footsteps approaching behind him, and only registers his presence by his scent having accompanied him for centuries, the whiff of freshly brewed coffee, and a gentle touch on his shoulder.
He doesn’t flinch, though.
“Thank you,” he says as Joe places a warm mug in his outstretched hand, letting his fingers linger longer on Nicky’s knuckles, caressing the sensitive, thin skin.
“Not for that.” Joe’s voice is drenched in the honey of love and Nicky wants to tell him that he will thank him every day as long as they live for his mere presence and each smile Joe gifts Nicky with which he may not be able to see but can feel whenever he maps his beloved’s face with his hands.
Nicky only smiles, because Joe knows his trail of thought, savoring the cinnamony steam of his hot beverage.
It is strange how the pure simplicity like Joe being aware of the way Nicky prefers to drink his coffee - black with just a touch of cinnamon - can have so much power to make his heart stutter in his chest.
The real source for the comfort seeping into his bones and erasing the last remains of the past mission however, is the missing taste of copper in the air.
Joe has freshly showered and the clean, soapy scent of an unharmed body without the sticky, overwhelming thickness of blood and death lets Nicky relax with a silent exhale of relief.
On their job this morning, in the crisp, breathtaking cold of dawn, Joe had been shot three times while shielding the abducted children with his body to protect them.
A heart too big for this world.
Even though it hasn’t been the first time one of them has died and it certainly won’t be the last, Nicky had still waited in agony next to Joe, anxiously spending the dragging on seconds it took his husband to heal listening for a sharp inhale or feeling for the onset of his heartbeat under shaking hands, pressed to Joe’s chest.
The physical reminder of this nightmare may be swept away, down the drain, but Joe’s missing breathing and warmth have persistently taken root in Nicky’s own chest. A parasite in its own form.
Joe and he sit and drink in silence for a few minutes, content with each other’s company, shoulders touching, thighs plastered together. Nicky is focused intensively on the sounds Joe creates, not paying attention to the rainstorm anymore - cooling blows in his mug, sipping the hot fluid, black like Nicky’s own, but with precisely three tablespoons of sugar. Focused on any signs of discomfort, a tense shift of Joe’s posture, a suppressed hiss of pain, an uneven breath.
He perceives none of that but one reassurance is left for the sake of Nicky’s soul.
The hand he holds out to the love of his life moves hesitantly, almost timidly, and his voice is nothing more than a whisper. “May I?”
Joe hums fondly before grabbing Nicky’s wrist, slim artist fingers curling protectively around delicate bones, to guide his palm to the place where Joe’s heart is reliably and strongly beating in his ribcage.
“You never have to ask, Nicolo.”
Joe places his own hand on Nicky’s, sensing the familiar thump of the other half of his soul, the rhythm engraved in his very bones.
And finally, finally, the last trace of unease diminishes, melting away under the sheer devotion Joe radiates like a cozy campfire with his warmth.
Nicky’s own personal sun.
“I’m okay,” Joe promises him and crosses their fingers until their palms are slotted together like a perfect matching puzzle.
“I’m glad you are,” Nicky replies, allowing the smile that tugs at the corners of his mouth to come into bloom.
Joe kisses the top of his thumb, letting Nicky’s breath hitch with a faint touch just like this, and continues to press his lips to each of his fingertips. “I was worried about you.”
Incredulously Nicky moves his head to the side, a twitch of confusion, and instinctively tightens his grip on Joe’s hand. “About me? You got shot,” he reminds him softly, oh so softly as to not rouse the begone horrors of today. “You died, Yusuf.”
“But I know how it feels for you and I am sorry it happened this morning, hayati.” 
The uncertainty. The suffocating vines of nothingness. The overwhelming thorns of fear. The helplessness of listening, praying, for a noise of life. The disorientation.
Most of the time, Nicky doesn’t miss his sight. How could he miss something he never had? But whenever the other half of his soul dies, he feels so utterly lost it frightens him, shaking him to his core. How dependent he is on sound. 
Spending seconds without an indication of Joe coming back to life, returning to a world they both share, is excruciating. Torture. Making his handicap more obvious to him which ignites a spark of self-hatred in him that comes with the dangerous feeling of being useless.
Nicky stays silent a little too long, prompting Joe to scoot closer to him, bridging the last minimum of free space between them, so that their whole sides are pressed together. Sharing warmth and comfort like life-spending oxygen.
“I’m sorry,” he repeats, more gentle this time. The real apology behind it brushes gossamer over Nicky’s cheekbone. 
I’m sorry for leaving you.
Nicky shakes his head no, an automatism because he never has to apologize for something he has no power over. 
A heart too full of love.
“It wasn’t your fault,” he points out, setting his mug carefully down on one step of the stairs they’re perched on to use his free hand to touch Joe’s face, cupping his beautiful jaw like something infinitely precious.
Joe smiles, lips curling into the beloved shape under Nicky’s thumb. “It wasn’t yours either.”
Yes. Because I hadn’t got your back. Because I couldn’t protect you. Because I was useless.
“You led the children to safety.” Joe has guessed where his bad thoughts have dragged him. Of course he has. “You did great, Nicolo.”
I didn’t do enough.
He doesn’t voice it, though, Joe can read the words clearly on his face anyway and makes an unhappy guttural sound.
“You saved them,” Nicky points out.
Joe doesn’t respond to that but the stiffness in the atmosphere gives Nicky enough indication. As he withdraws his hand from Joe’s face, letting it fall limp in his lap, Jow draws a pattern onto the skin of the hand he is still holding. Each brush of his fingers conveys another emotion Joe is wordlessly communicating to him. Pride. Trust. Devotion. Support. Concern. Heartache and sadness for the troubled thoughts on Nicky’s mind.
“Doesn’t change the fact that you did great, ya amar. We saved them. Together.” Needless to say, Joe knows of these moments of doubt and self-consciousness Nicky experiences from time to time about his missing sight. And as always he does what he can do best: show Nicky his love.
You’re not worthless, their first kiss tells him.
You’re worth something, the second says.
You're worth everything, the third and final kiss expresses.
Exhaling deeply, his nose buried in the safe crook of Joe’s neck, Nicky stays for a few minutes, allowing the supporting words of his partner to wash over him, plucking the seeds of self hatred out of his heart before they can sprout.
Joe holds him without disrupting the pleasant rush of the rain weaving a protecting cocoon around them. Hiding them in their personal little bubble. For now.
“How can I make it up to you?” Joe eventually wants to know tenderly, not for Nicky’s but his own sake, his own guilt for contributing to Nicky’s feelings although he certainly is not to blame.
Nicky moves his nose slowly across Joe’s mouth, following the curve of his cheek until it boops slightly against Joe’s, causing the latter to huff in amusement. 
“Enjoy this concert with me,” he invites him with a lopsided smile.
Relaxed, Joe settles back, reaching for his mug again, but not breaking their skin-to-skin contact one. “It would be my pleasure, tesoro. What is it called, if I may ask?”
“The lullaby of the rain.”
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foulbearobservation · 8 months
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hm. I'm gonna have to do a full rewatch of all 3 Branagh Poirot movies but I think A Haunting in Venice is gonna turn out to be my favorite of the bunch.
They made a ton of changes to the source material (agatha christie's lesser known halloween party) but I do generally like what they did with it. If I were a book purist I'd be deeply unhappy, but I'm more of a vibes based critic so I'm not upset by it lmao. It's a very good cozy fall mystery movie. There's a touch of the supernatual that gets explained away in a very agatha christie ass way (said affectionately). Hard to figure out who the killer is, just enough red herrings that you think you've got it before you realize you absolutely don't. great screenplay and clever writing (somewhat surprising coming from the man who brought us the hot mess of death on the nile)
I think the reason this one worked the best is that it had the least amount of A list actors there being A list actors, if that makes sense? It had a few bigger names but nobody on the level of the other films. (Michelle Yeoh is the exception, but she can actually act so I wouldn't group her with the other A listers.) (Tina Fey is also the exception because her character was meant to be flat and one dimensional)
I think this was the most well shot of Branagh's Poirot films, the color grading is especially nice compared to the mountains of dull cgi marvel films I've been watching recently.
overall 8/10, fun movie, -2 points for branagh's accent
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poirott · 1 year
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Kenneth Branagh filming A Haunting in Venice
Italian media released more great photos of Branagh shooting the 3rd Hercule Poirot film on January 7- 10 2023 in Venice, Italy.
In a market scene filmed with co-star Riccardo Scamarcio (and a group of extras dressed up as journalists), Poirot is seen walking away from them, a beige box under his arm. The box has "VENIER", "Cafe pasticceria", "Venezia" and "Buranelli" written on it. Chocolate treats (praline)?
The latest photo batch taken during filming on January 10 shows Poirot in an apron and a new type of rounded hat that is different than his usual Homburg hat. He is working in what appears to be a garden. Is Poirot finally living out his dream, cultivating his own vegetable marrows? If so, it may be a reference to book canon and his scene in Death on the Nile where he shares the dream with a perplexed Mrs Otterbourne. Poirot says he has his eye on a cottage where he hopes to retire and garden one day. The film A Haunting in Venice is set after Poirot’s retirement.
Source: Sky TG24 (© IPA/Fotograma), TGCOM24 (© IPA), GettyImages.com (© Stefano Mazzola/GC Images)
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