#// like i try not to reflect too deeply about the things we may or may not have in common

[loveemagicpeace]

Some Astrological Things

Your chart :

Upper half- having the majority of planets here suggests orientation twards the outside world and public life.

Lower half- having the majority of planets here suggests a life away from limelight in a more private life.

East- having the majority of planets here suggests a focus on the self.

West- having the majority of planets here suggests focus on relationships.

🫧Unaspected planets plays a key role too. It represents an inner drive that the person may find difficult to connect to or feel in control of. Aspect patterns reflect a complex inner pattern.

☀️☁️Neptune opposite Sun might reflect a sence of loss in connection to father and therefore a longing for masculine power.

🏝️Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus transits take at least one year from first to last "hit". They bring the most profound events and changes. Jupiter, Saturn, and Chiron transits can also have deep impact but are shorter.

🥑Transit aspect: Venus - Uranus, it can give the feeling that we have fallen in love with someone but we don't know why. Because it happens in such a strange and unpredictable way. But when we fall in love under the transit of Venus - Pluto, we feel love very deeply and in a way that we have never experienced before - which can mean that the feelings last forever. Pluto transits is almost always very deep and then many times we come to some realization and transformation that changes our life.

If you have planets in Taurus, feeling rushed can bring anxiety, if planets in Sagittarius, stress comes from having to fit yourself into a pre-set plan.

Belief🌠

💫Fire -Of the four elements, fire is the most naturally attuned to the idea of belief and the more planets you have in fire signs the more you might be comfortable with believing in something you cannot see. Air -On the other hand, air tends to be the cynic, needing a logical argument and trying to apply rationality to matters of faith. Earth is the pragmatist, perhaps more given I to living life in the here-and-now - or perhaps God is to be found in nature rather than floating on a cloud. Water is usually content with the unanswered questions that abound in religion; for a watery person, it does not need to be neatly worked out, as long as it makes sense inside.

Party🌉

🎸🍦The Sun and Jupiter - both have a celebratory feel to them - or at least, whatever signs and houses they occupy in your chart will say something about what, or who, brings out a sense of good will, generosity, and playfulness in you. Because these two planets are most inclined to where you find fun and light.

With the Sun in the 7th for instance, you can make other people feel special and golden. Sun in 4th house your family can give you a lot of support and light. Jupiter in Sagittarius or Leo might naturally lean towards joviality and good cheer - Jupiter in Capricorn or Virgo might be more circumspect but are more likely to keep the party budget under control.

Fire and air signs will show energy more outwardly and will be more ready to party. Water and earth signs tend to be more introverted.

🩷Childhood and Memories⛵️🧸

Water and fire signs are most connected to memories and to always renewing or remembering them. There is also a lot of connection with childhood. Most of the time, Leos are looking for childish energy and doing teenage things. They never really grow inside. Cancers often still like cartoons or toys that are related to their childhood.

Relationships🫀

7th & 8th house -These are the relationship houses, reflecting how you feel about emotional commitment. The 7th suggests a contract and a part of you encountered through the partners you choose. The 8th takes you into emotional entanglement on a soul level. If you have pluto here means you will always feel like you want to be in control of the relationship. With moon here you may feel that your emotions depend on your partner or you may quickly become attached to him

🍓Venus, which represents the relationships we have, also influences us by showing what we value most and what creates a problem in the relationship. Venus in Sagittarius wants a partner with a sense of adventure, passion, life, optimism. Venus in Capricorn values commitment. Venus in Pisces appreciates someone who expresses emotions, is spiritual. Venus in Gemini appreciate someone who talks a lot and has spontaneous energy.

🫧Astrology suggests we have choices - no matter how "fated" or beyond our control a situation may seem, it suggests we can alter our reality through a change of perspective, using imagination to re-vision our approach. Symbols do not tell us precisely what to do; instead they open our creative awareness and invite participation as co-creators of our own destiny.

✨Ig- bekylibra✨

-Rebekah⛵️🌙

#astrology #energy #zodiac signs #planets #my notes #astrological houses #astrology observations #things

[luveline]

hi jade! :-) have you written any tasm!peter x pregnant!reader blurbs? (if not, you should write one where he finds out reader is pregnant and is very anxious about it pls pls plssss <3)

hi upon reflection i can't tell if you wanted reader to be anxious or peter so sry if I chose wrong ha!! ty for requesting!! —tasm!peter comforts freshly pregnant!reader when she worries <3 1.6k

You missed your period two weeks ago, and you'd been excited, you and Peter both had, but your pregnancy test gave a negative. It might've been slightly too early at the time to take one, reflecting back. Or maybe you should've taken a more accurate test.

Because it's been two weeks since then, and the pregnancy test in your hand is positive. You got one of the fancy ones after a strange feeling while standing in the pharmacy, staring at different boxes. It's a digital test that cost too much money, and it says loud and proud: Pregnant 3+. 

You're more than three weeks pregnant. If you think about it, you're likely four weeks along, just a week before the heartbeat could begin. 

And of course, you really want to be pregnant, you and Peter are newlywed but long in love, you'd been trying for this and that negative test upset you at the time, but this is a different kind of upset. You're suddenly and deeply worried. Your heart rate starts to climb. 

"Hey?" Peter calls, a room away but hearing so brilliant he may as well have his ear to your chest. He doesn't usually listen to you and especially when you're in the bathroom, but his spidey sense alerts him to stuff like this, panic out of the ordinary, potential danger. "What's wrong?" 

"I think you'll have to come in here," you say gently. 

"Yeah, I'm coming." 

Bedsprings creak. There's a low step up into the ensuite, and you'd left the door open. Within seconds he's standing in the doorway, frowning at you where you're perched on the lip of the bath. 

He sees the pregnancy test, sees your pinched brows, and assumes the wrong thing. "Hey, sweetheart. It's alright. You don't mind trying again, do you?" he asks, teasing lightly. "Sometimes it takes time, you know? You've been trying all those things to make it stick. I read that stressing out can actually prevent–" 

"No, Pete," you say, turning the stick to show him. You smile despite your nerves. 

He takes the test. His hands start to shake, his excitement like a shot of adrenaline, but he looks between the test and your fear and he tries to hide it from you. "You're not happy?" he asks. 

Peter doesn't put down the test. With his empty hand, he takes your face into a warm palm. 

"I– I–" You have the jitters, and your stomach hurts, and everything that was scary about pregnancy didn't seem to matter when you were trying because it was gonna be your baby, his baby. "I don't know what's wrong, I thought I knew how I felt, it's not that I don't want this." 

"Woah…" His hand smooths down to your shoulder. "Can I give you a hug?"

You hurt your arm trying to pull him in, yanking it up weird with the swiftness of it as you grab his back. Peter hugs your head to his abdomen with less force. 

"It's okay," he says, leaning down to kiss your temple. 

"Sorry–" 

"No, don't be! You don't have to feel one way about it, just don't panic. I got you." 

"Not panicking, I just– I'm pregnant." 

"You are," he says, giving you another kiss. He can't seem to hold any of it back then, his grip on you tightening, his kiss turning to a handful. "I love you. I love you so much. I promise whatever it is that's freaking you out is something we can take care of." 

"I want it," you promise. 

"I'm glad," he says, turning your head up, kissing you on the lips. You catch a glance of his glassy eyes. "I'm so happy." 

If Peter thought you weren't pleased about all this you know he'd pull it back, but he's happy enough to calm the anxiety. At least, enough to calm your racing heart. Dread stays at the pit of your stomach next to joy. It's much louder. 

"I think I'm really scared about everything changing," you say, voice like you're being squeezed. 

"Sweetheart." Peter pets your shoulders. "Me and you need to go lie down, I think."

"Where's the test?" you ask. You want to look again, to be sure. 

He takes it from his pocket and passes it back. You have no idea when he put it away. You stare at the tiny digital screen, 3+. 

Peter basically carries you to the bed with his impressive and annoying strength like you don't weigh a thing. He fluffs the pillows, pulls back the sheets, and tucks them over your curled up body with infinite care. "You want something to drink?" 

"I don't want to cry," you say instead of answering, feeling the hot sting of tears as it builds behind your eyes. "I want to be happier, I promise, I am happy." 

Peter sits down next to you. He puts his head next to yours on the pillow, so when he talks, the exhale of his words kisses your face, "You know, I'm like, going crazy right now. I'm so fucking happy I don't think I could explain it to you, I want to be the dad to your baby, I want to live here with you forever and have kids and dogs and sit on the big porch with you at the end of the day while they run around in the grass, but–" He laughs bashfully, his eyes slipping closed as his nose tip touches yours. "But I want what you want, you know? If you're not ready for a baby like you thought, that's not a crime. We can wait. I can wait as long as you need me to." 

"No… Peter, I do, I'm just– I'm pregnant." You said that already, but you failed to explain. You try again. "I'm worried about being pregnant, I– I already feel sick. That's why I went to get the test, and I'm scared of how hard this is going to be. I still want this, though. I swear, I want it." 

"You don't have to worry," he says, though he opens his eyes, and leans back. "I know it's going to be really hard and that there's gonna be moments where you feel like shit and want it to be over, but I'm gonna be with you that entire time. I'll do literally anything you need or want me to do. I'll stand on my head," —you start to cry, rare and fat tears— "I'll make this as easy as possible on you. If worrying about how hard it is is what's stopping you from being excited, then you can put all that weight on me. Trust me to worry about it for you." 

He wipes your cheeks with his hand, index finger ghosting the delicate skin under your eye. 

"You promise you're gonna look after me?" you ask, already knowing the answer. 

"I swear on my life." He doesn't seem offended that you need reassurance, hugging you, his hand sliding up and down your side and nudging your shirt with each stroke. 

"Okay," you say, taking a deep breath. "Okay." 

The excitement comes slowly at first like a puncture, but it weasels out, and you rub your eyes with a wet sounding laugh. 

"Happy?" he asks. 

You laugh louder. "Really happy, Pete." 

He laughs with you and hugs you flush to his front, your stomachs touching, your hearts separated by fat, muscle, and little else. He hugs you so hard you swear you can feel his heartbeat. 

"Whoo!" he shouts, your loser. Ecstatic. "Shit, baby, you're gonna have a baby!"

"We," you amend. 

"Yes, we!" he agrees, pulling away, taking your face into his hand as he had but with half the concern and twice the excitement. "This is awesome. Let me give you the world's biggest kiss and then we'll go celebrate, okay? We'll have a really great dinner and I'm gonna treat you to whatever you want, alright? Some pyjamas from Uniqlo." He beams as he adds, "We need to go to the pharmacy. You need prenatal vitamins." 

"Forget vitamins. We're gonna have to stop eating take out every Friday," you say. 

"Do we really need to?" he asks, playfully whining. 

"Maybe. I'm definitely gonna need to eat more salad. And the vitamins might be a good idea, actually." 

Peter smiles. He kisses you rather gently considering what he promised, not the world's biggest but maybe the world's most loving. He pulls away, kisses you again like he can't help it. He does that twice, before crawling backward off of the bed to find you both clothes to wear. 

"Come on, my pregnant sweetheart. You're finally eating for two, maybe you'll actually be able to keep up with me now." 

You giggle and wipe the last of your worried tears away. "Sure, if I were having octuplets." 

"We'll find out," he says, tossing a pair of pants at your feet. "Come on! Or… take your time. I guess I have to get used to you being slow." 

"I'm not that pregnant."  

Peter leaps across the sheets to give you another kiss. You shriek with laughter, kissed until your cheeks are aflame and you're a thousand times more happy than you are anxious. 

#tasm peter parker #tasm peter x reader #tasm peter parker imagine #tasm peter parker x you #tasm peter parker x reader #tasm x reader #peter parker x reader #tasm!spiderman x reader #tasm!peter x reader #tasm!peter imagine #tasm!peter parker #tasm!peter parker x reader #tasm! peter parker x reader #spiderman x reader #peter parker oneshot #peter parker blurb #peter parker imagine #peter parker x you #peter parker x y/n #spiderman x you #spiderman fanfiction

[denial-permanente]

Hi there,

I’ve been a follower of your for quite a while and have to say I admire the dynamic you and Tom share, and the strength and closeness that your base relationship reflects.

I send this seeking your opinion, and I apologize if you’ve already answered this before.

I find myself in a precarious situation where I have, slowly, yet steadily and surely, become interested in chastity. For me, and I say this with as much honesty as one can, my interest in this isn’t fetishized as is more Domme focused. As in, I do not find myself interested in the idea because it gets me all hot and bothered (despite the fact that it does), but is more my desire to offer my Domme something I know I have not fully internalized and am fully comfortable with. Its beyond my comfort zone but that is where growth and magic take place. I will want yo say that my apprehension or anxiety are not because I don’t want to be thrown/throw myself into the deep end, but a nervousness about the realities and challenges of how it will play out if that makes sense? It’s sort of a ‘careful what you wish for’ kind of situation.

I am currently seeing a very special woman who is very much on the dominant side of things and we’ve talked about some aspects that our dynamic would involve. We have discussed orgasm control, and she has made it clear to me that this is an expectation she has of me, but chastity is yet to be discussed.

We have been nurturing a very beautiful connection in our relationship, but the thought of her potentially wanting me in chastity and wanting to wear my key on her neck for the world to see (even if fee pick up on it) makes me a little nervous. I feel like that would break me as a submissive, it would make me realize my place infinitely more deeply and would bring me into a state of submission that is beyond what Im used to or know what to expect from.

So I guess my question is: why do you think Im feeling this way and do you think I should override this nervous and just surrender to that desire of hers (as it comes up) fully? I know these are questions only I could answer but I appreciate your experience and take on this greatly.

Thank you in advance :)

Like a lot of men, you may be way overthinking all this. You're seeing a domme, you have chemistry, and things are going well. And instead of just enjoying all this you are worried that things will go... too well? 🙄

First of all, she may not even want to wear one of those ugly keys. I'm sorry... I know a lot of you men get all hot and bothered but we are not 14 years old here. Those keys are ugly and no woman wants to wear one especially if they are dressed up.

Second, she wants to control your orgasms. That is perfectly acceptable with or without a cage. By asking... demanding that she take control of your orgasms she makes sure that your desire is focused on her and not on your penis. I told my husband many years ago that I wanted all of the control over that and even in times when he was not caged he took that very seriously. To me it represented a huge commitment... and women love to see commitment from men.

I guess what I'm saying is to forget about the cage. That is... the cage is not to prevent orgasms, it is to prevent accidents and temptation... both yours and hers.

🔒Tom here. This is a point that gets overlooked a lot: cages do not prevent orgasms, they simply make them inconvenient. Long before my permanently locked status, I considered it a personal challenge to refrain from unauthorized orgasms. Once, my wife had me going for over 15 very difficult months, no cage. And it's true - women love their men to show commitment.

I also think that you're overthinking this. Orgasm control is a step, wearing a cage for her is another step. I understand that guys can have mixed emotions of love/hate/fear over orgasm control/denial, but instead of approaching it as something taken away from you, try looking at it as a sacrifice you are making for her.

#chastity question

[nanomooselet]

My Brother's Keeper (I)

So, uh, I have seen the complaints that Stampede is "poorly-written". Often enough, really, to get... somewhat overly bent out of shape about it. Stampede was my entry into the story and I may have mentioned once or twice that I like it. You know. Just a little. This is not to say it's without its flaws, but it's technically very skilful, at least to my eyes. It's just… skilful in roughly twenty-two minute chunks, so it crams a whole lot into those chunks.

Vash tells Wolfwood he can "see [kindness] in his eyes" half an hour tops after hitting him with a truck. It's assumed that they're relying on previous characterisation of the two to carry this beat.

They're not.

See, animated shows or films (and definitely in the case of Stampede) aren't only written. They're story-boarded, rendered, scored etc. and all the parts interlock with the other parts. It has to be taken as a whole: spoken, written, visual, musical, situational, compositional. These are twelve instalments of a single story where everything in it develops, comments on, or reflects what lies at the work's thematic heart, but you have to figure out how. It's not going to explain it to you. If the relationship between two characters appears strange, that's because there's more to it. And whenever you see something in it that visually echoes something else in it, get out your pasteboard and stick in two thumbtacks connected with string because the show's letting you know it's important.

Now, because I viewed Stampede first, my reaction to this part was very much like Wolfwood's ("???") but the more of the show I watched, the more sense it started to make, and the more I appreciated what it did for Vash's characterisation. Having since read the manga, in my opinion the boys aren't at all interacting like they're accessing past-life memories. Vash is too busy silently reeling over Jeneora Rock and dreading his confrontation with Knives to keep up the whacky act that the older WW pierced. Wolfwood is too young and trapped by his own hurt to empathise by seeing through Vash's false smiles.

There's something else going on with these two, and if you think carefully, it's clear what it is. There were two loved ones that Vash lost tragically early in life, and we can assume it's not Rem he's thinking of.* The heart of this series is "the song of the brothers."

Whose side are you on?

I have to choose.

Lo and behold, through that lens the character interaction made a whole lot more sense. And I want to talk about how.

So, according to the show's language, right from his very first appearance Wolfwood has a connection with Knives.

In the ensuing scenes/episodes, it was then clear to me that Wolfwood isn't just connected to Vash's brother. He's a representative, serving as a sort of understudy while Vash journeys to confront the real thing. Anything and everything Wolfwood does or says is with that role in mind, because he's either playing along or fighting against it. It dictates his development as the show unfolds. He's got a job and he'll do it, but which of the twins' agendas is he ultimately serving as he does? Even he can't yet be sure.

This is a significant change. It has a huge effect on Wolfwood's characterisation; it's why he comes across as less confident, more surly - he's rebellious, but conflicted and immature. In the manga, the first time we meet Nick he's (mostly) his own man and he (mostly) makes his own decisions. While he isn't honest about his agenda, he is trying to temper Vash's idealism for honest and well-meaning reasons, albeit in a bitchy way. When he reveals himself, throwing down the coin halves, you feel the man is protesting too much so it'll make what's coming easier on Vash. Despite how deeply the two came to love each other they couldn't communicate their forgiveness, but Wolfwood is at his core a good man first who lost his way, then finds it again in Vash. **

Again by contrast in Stampede, Nick's identity isn't his own to shape (yet). He standing in for Knives, and he doesn't much like it. He does know more about the actual shape of things than the reporters - for instance, he doesn't bat an eyelash when Brad mentioned how long they've known Vash. So he can readily talk with Vash and test his convictions. They basically both know each other's biggest secrets already, so they don't have to make a whole production of getting to know each other.

But standing in for Knives is also why the introductory aw-look-he's-nice-really scene is so quickly revealed to be staged. Knives is the primary antagonist, not a neutral agent - he's the most dangerous and personal opponent the protagonists face. He's also cruel, controlling and manipulative. His "help" is anything but. Any gift he seems to freely give, like a protector, will either extract an awful cost down the line or have some hidden purpose (if he isn't "solving" a problem he himself created). Approach with caution.

(You know how Nick did something no one asked him to do then hit Vash, Meryl and Roberto with a massive bill for it like a dick? You know how he then violently rescued them from a situation he himself engineered so they'd have gratitude? Those are Knives's most basic manipulation tactics, when he isn't just hurling verbal abuse: I help you/I love you so I'm entitled to take this from/do this to you. Wolfwood is causing problems on purpose by acting out because it's funny, and knows he won't get whatever he's demanding. Knives thinks he's helping, and rarely hears when he's told "no".

Also, both the English and the Japanese have Roberto calling Wolfwood someone who kills with a smile on his face. He doesn't, really, but we have met someone else who does.)

That means like every other character, Wolfwood isn't quite himself. Not yet.

And that's actually awesome. Because it speaks to who the other characters are - specifically, about Vash.

(Part II)

(Part III)

(Part IV)

(Part V)

(Part VI)

(Part VII)

* OR COULD IT BE, as inevitably assumed on tumblr when two men are in proximity, unspoken romantic desire????

I'm not saying it can't be a factor, but it doesn't explain why they start having discussions over their principles like they've known each other for years. Or at least, to me it doesn't. As I've said I don't ship them. If you disagree, it's totally fine! Hear me out and decide for yourself. There's no reason to believe both can't be true.

** By what's coming, I mean the same development that eventually comes to every iteration of Wolfwood. You know the one. And by "they loved each other" I don't mean necessarily mean romantically. My personal belief is that there were mutual feelings along those lines, but they're both too emotionally reticent to acknowledge them and might not have regardless. But that's just me!

#trigun stampede #trigun meta #vash the stampede #nicholas d. wolfwood #millions knives #not sure when to add the next part #there are at least three more. maybe four. help it's so long #day? two days? #tristampparty #meta: my brother's keeper

[torialefay]

Moon in Sagittarius 🚩🚩

toxic-ish!minho x fem!reader angst; (based on astrology) 🔞

✨ synopsis: your boyfriend minho doesn’t do well with being told no. he is objectively toxic, but eventually becomes less terrible.

✨ word count: ~2k

✨ 2nd part in my Minho as Your Boyfriend Astrology Series (check my masterlist for full series)! together, let’s take a look into minho’s natal chart to see what type of boyfriend he would be!

✨ i will give a brief synopsis of what each chart placement means throughout the series (for all my non-astrology friends out there <3) and how that would affect lee know in a relationship

✨ author’s notes:

(1) i do brief compatibility readings w/ skz members! if interested, send your natal chart to my inbox, as well as which member you’d like me to read for OR if i think there is one member best suited to you <3 (i am verrrrry much behind on these, but feel free to send them. may take a few weeks)

(2) the aspects in this reading are based solely on my opinions and interpretations! nothing about a person is set in stone simply because of astrology. please don’t use anything i say as canon :)

✨warnings: toxic minho, slightly suggestive at the end

Moon in Sagittarius:

• The Moon is the ruler of emotions. It is also who you could feel yourself to be, if all was stripped from you. Many people relate it to the “psyche” or the unconscious. It represents the parts of ourselves that are most fundamental, that we may not even understand. It also reflects our “baseline” energy that we radiate while sitting quietly, being content with our own company. It is the part of ourselves that we really want to be SEEN and understood, even if we do not see or understand it ourselves.

• Sagittarius is the mutable fire sign. They are passionate people who are deeply intrigued by the world around them. They are known for needing a sense of freedom and individuality. They do not like to be tied down. In the same regard, they value exploration, adventure, and meeting new people. They see others as unique individuals and can likely meet them wherever they are at emotionally. Sagittarius people are quick thinkers, witty, and fun-loving.

• Long story short: Moon in Sagittarius people can often have light-hearted, often shifting emotions. They do not like to feel like they are pinned down to any one place. They do not like being told what to do. They will, however, bring a fun element to any time of relationship- platonic or romantic. They are fiercely loyal and passionate about those they love. They do not always feel comfortable with their emotions, so they tend to be flighty and try to run away from this. This is not a great coping mechanism and can lead to a lot of problems in expressing themselves emotionally and what they need from someone else.

As your boyfriend:

• Minho takes you on the most fun, most elaborate dates ever. He’d always find cool new things to do. And of course, he’d want to take his favorite person with him.

• He loves going home with you to meet your parents and learn more about where you grew up. He may have a nature that doesn’t come across this way, but he would inherently love getting to understand you better and see new places.

• He wants to travel with you!!! He will take you literally anywhere you want to go. And when you do, it’s just your own little world. Just the two of you.

• You have the most intellectual conversations ever. He has a lot of abstract ideas about life, and he isn’t afraid to talk to you about them. He likes to know the way you think about it too.

• You have a core group of friends that you hang out with as a couple. It’s not too big of a group, but getting together with them and having a night to cut loose is super important to him. And he loves the fact that he gets to do it with you.

• Friday night, you started to get excited as you heard the keys jingle in the lock of your shared apartment with Minho.

• Today had been a really tough week at work, and all you wanted to do was have a nice relaxing weekend with your boyfriend to decompress.

• Well, if we’re being honest, you felt like you’d crumble away to nothing if you didn’t get it. The stress was that bad.

• “Hi jagi,” Minho greeted you as he came through the hallway to the living room where you were sitting.

• “Hey honey! Please come sit with me. I need to rant about my day,” you pouted.

• He pulled a wide smirk across his face. “Well now you sound like me,” he teased.

• He walked over to the couch and plopped down next to you, letting his hand rest on your thigh.

• “Okay, what’s going on?” he asked.

• “So you know how I told you about the girl I went to high school with who just started at work? The one that’s a bitch?”

• Minho laughed. “You think everyone you work with is a bitch.”

• “You do too,” you stared at him.

• “I do not! Jisung is alright,” he smirked again, knowing that one would get an eye roll out of you… And it did.

• “Anywayssss, that girl. I’m already overwhelmed with stuff I have to get done to meet my deadline at the end of this month, and then she strolls up asking if I can help her with all of her shit too. Knowing damn well how busy I am. I see her over there laughing her ass off on the phone all day long. If she’d stop, then maybe she’d get something done. And THEN, after I told her I couldn’t because I had a bunch to work through as well, apparently she went to one of the main managers and complained that I wasn’t a good co-worker. Saying that apparently I should ‘give her a hand since she’s new’… I mean who goes to a manager with that shit and doesn’t even do a damn thing all day? All she does is gossip and talk shit. So NOW, I have a meeting with our manager Monday morning to talk about it, AND she’s spreading this all around that ‘I’m so horrible to her.’ Like genuinely, the only thing keeping me sane right now was knowing that I was coming home to you.”

• “Aww honey, I’m sorry.” Minho took your hand in his and brought it up to his mouth to plant a kiss on the back of it. “I can cook or we can order some food in and have a good night together. Whatever you want to do tonight. Just let me know what you want.”

• “I don’t want you to have to cook. I really just want you here with me. Maybe we could order some take out and then do a movie? I’m just super drained. Maybe tomorrow we could do something more fun.”

• “Tomorrow? I have plans with the boys. Felix, Jeongin, and I planned a camping trip for the weekend. It sounded like fun. But whatever you want to do tonight, we’ll do.”

• You shot up off the back of the seat. Surely you heard him wrong.

• “You’re doing what tomorrow?”

• “Going camping with Felix and I.N…”

• “Well, it would have been nice if you’d talked to me about that sooner… Or, I don’t know, maybe have just asked?”

• “Asked what? Asked if it was okay?” Minho scoffed.

• “Well, yeah?” you replied, furrowing your brows in confusion and frustration. The fuck is he being like this?

• “Sorry, I didn’t know I needed to ask for your permission to hang out with my friends,” he said sarcastically.

• “It’s not ‘asking for my permission.’ I’m just asking you to check in with me first- to talk about it...- is that so awful?”

• “I mean I would say that telling me that I either am allowed or aren’t allowed to see my friends is pretty awful. I’m an adult, y/n. You’re not my fucking parent.”

• Your blood was boiling at this point. The last thing you wanted to do was to “parent” him. But goddamn, wouldn’t it be nice for him to just see if maybe you needed him for the weekend? Or maybe if there was something he forgot was going on? Or to just let you KNOW about it? Jesus fucking Christ, here we go again.

• “I’m not trying to ‘parent’ you. I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m just asking that you COMMUNICATE with me what you want to do so that I know in advance… And to be honest, I really don’t want you going.”

• “Here it is,” Minho rolled his eyes with an annoyed smile. “You always do this. The second I mention wanting to spend time with the boys, you’re suddenly all disapproving,” he let out a strained, sarcastic chuckle before clearing his throat. “I’m sorry if you ‘don’t want me going’, but you don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do.”

• Minho let out a deep breath before putting his hands on his knees and using the pressure to pull himself to standing. “I’m going tomorrow. Let me know I guess if you want to spend time with me tonight.” He looked down at you before walking away to the bedroom.

• And then, the house went quiet. For a long time.

• At that point, you’d decided to just give up. Your boyfriend was a conceited asshole and there was nothing you could do about it. You were upset, but you knew that crying wouldn’t help. After all of this shit, you just wanted to sleep.

• Problem: Minho was in the bedroom. You were too exhausted to fight anymore, now not even hungry to think about dinner. Instead, you just balled yourself up on the couch and went to sleep with a resentful heart.

• An hour later, Minho came creeping out of the bedroom to find you lying peacefully on the couch. He bent down next to you.

• “Jagi,” he whispered, brushing his hand along your shoulder.

• “Jagi,” he said again, a bit louder this time. You stirred a little bit.

• “Honey, please wake up. I need to talk to you,” he said as he saw your eyes slowly open, a confused look coming over your face.

• You took your time to sit upright. Another conversation about his little "boy’s trip" was the last thing you wanted right now.

• “What is it?” you mumbled grumpily.

• “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier.”

• You didn’t say anything back. I mean, what could you say? It was the truth.

• “And I’m going to work on that. To work on talking to you about things better, I mean. Maybe I can have a hard time doing that sometimes.” He never would admit when he was wrong. But this was a start.

• You just looked at him, trying to give him a facial expression for him to go on. You weren’t satisfied yet.

• “And I decided I’m going to stay home with you instead. You need me more than the boys do.”

• “Okay, you don’t have to do that, Min. You can still go, but I just needed you to understand where I was coming from.”

• “And I do understand now. That’s why I’m staying with you. I made up my mind. That’s what I want to do,” he said with a proud smile.

• You let out a soft chuckle. “You’re always gonna do whatever you wanna do, huh?” you joked. You finally flashed him a smile. The first smile you’d had all night.

• He just looked at you with a grin, giving a little bit of side eye. “If that’s true, then what if I wanna do you?”

• You tried to tease him by pushing him away, giggling a little in the process.

• “You better cut it out,” he said, pulling himself back to you until he was hovering right in front of your face. “I get to do whatever I want, remember?” He smiled as he inched his lips closer, but stopped himself right before letting them touch yours. “I made my mind up. I’m gonna do you. Whatever I say goes, Jagi.”

———————————————————————

✨ author’s note: moon in sag has a lot of wonderful aspects as well, i just chose to write on the more angsty side of things :)

✨ if you enjoyed, please consider liking, commenting, and/or re-blogging <3

#lee minho #lee know skz #lee know fanfic #lee know angst #lee know imagines #lee know x reader #lee know #skz imagines #skz x reader #stray kids imagines #stray kids x reader #stray kids scenarios #minho stray kids #minho imagines #skz minho #minho x reader #stray kids minho #minho #lee minho angst #lee minho x reader

[titleleaf]

so many words about historical men's corsetry

(This got way too long to send via Discord -- Dangimace in the Renegade Bindery server asked about men's corset sewing/resource recs so here is my half-assed and non-exhaustive rundown. Most of my historical sewing is focused on fashions of the UK, US, and Europe for the second half of the 18th century and first half of the 19th century, so that bias is reflected here; also disclaimer overall that "menswear"/"womenswear" are socially constructed categories and real people's bodies have always looked a wider variety of ways than fashion and other social forces would dictate. I sew historical garments with enthusiastic disregard for the historical gender binary and I'm barrel-chested, thick-waisted, and narrow-hipped no matter what I'm wearing.)

Onward, lads!

Ok wrt men's corsetry: there's a whole lot of fogginess around how historical men's corsets were constructed for a bunch of annoying reasons but that means there's lots of possibilities to explore in pattern drafting and project planning. Stays and other stiffened body-shaping garments have a whole complex conceptual relationship to the body basically as soon as they start appearing. 16th and 17th century garments do a whole lot of shaping (both compressing and building up) for men and women alike, but things really kick off in the 18th century in terms of the symbolic weight placed on stays and (later) corsets. Whole lot of stuff about gender, social class, race, fatness, morality, etc. getting projected onto these garments. So I'm a little leery about people taking obviously satirical illustrations of fashion-victim dandies or Gross Corpulent Libertines getting laced into corsets as truthful and indicative of the way men were really dressing -- scurrilous gossip and exaggeration are both a pain to sift through if we want to know which men wore corsets, what kind, and why.

In the very late 18th/early 19th century corsets were part of the repertoire for achieving highly fashionable shapes in menswear. (Along with a whole lot of padding.) They weren't mandatory for all dudes, but for fashion-forward dandies and equally fashion-forward military men, male corsets/stays were definitely a thing. The whole Romantic-era pigeon-breasted, narrow-waisted silhouette can be emulated by shapewear worn beneath the clothes, pads in the garments themselves, or both; in addition to waist reduction it helped to maintain smooth visual lines underneath close-fitting garments.

(look at these minxy 1830s dudes and their tiny waists)

As the century goes on the desired menswear silhouette becomes boxier and less fitted, and male corsetry recedes into the background; we start to see patents and advertisements for men's corsetry, so they still seem to have been worn, but there's a lot more language around vigorous manly athleticism and supporting the structures of the body. It can be hard to tell whether a particular piece is intended to be worn primarily for some medical purpose or for its perceived aesthetic benefits. This is giving me such flashbacks to trying to find post-surgical compression garments.

(Side note: there's also a vigorous tradition of fetishist writing about corsetry all through the 19th century, in fairly mainstream channels, which is fascinating. Due to the relatively private and deeply horny nature of fetish tightlacing we don't necessarily know as much about what those same letter-writers may have "really" worn at home, but I hope they were having fun.)

I've seen very few specifically men's corsetry patterns from historical pattern-makers-- not even really big names like Redthreaded. I sewed my 19thc menswear corsets from the men's underbust pattern in Laughing Moon Mercantile #113 which afaik is speculative rather than reproducing a specific historical garment, but it's not too different from the women's late-19th-century underbust patterns in the same pattern pack.

(image credit: LMM)

However, a lot of underbust and waist-cincher patterns from more general historical patternmakers could be made suitable with some minor alterations. Here I'd also rec books like Jill Salen's Corsets: Historical Patterns And Techniques and Norah Waugh's Corsets & Crinolines, though their focus is definitely on womenswear and you need to be relatively comfortable scaling up or drafting from pattern diagrams.

The structural features and desired results for a man's corset are pretty much the same as any other corset (back support, compression in some areas, etc.) even when the desired silhouette is different; commercially-created patterns are drafted with the expectation of certain bodily proportions so like with all corset-sewing it's important to make a mockup for fitting purposes. (I ended up liking one of my mockups so much I finished the process and made it a whole separate corset.) I don't know much about this area but I seem to see a lot more belt-and-buckle closures and criss-crossing straps in corsets designated as being for men -- this might be a byproduct of gendered differences in how people got dressed, but it might be nothing.

There's some weird and wonderful historical examples, both extant and in images -- I appreciated this post at Matsuzake Sewing, "A Brief Discussion Of Men's Stays", and its accompanying roundup of images on Pinterest though the tone wrt historical fetishwear corsets in the blog post is a little snippy. I really want to make a replica of Thomas Chew's 1810s corset (which you can read more about here at the USS Constitution Museum) but it incorporates stretch panels made with a shitload of metal springs and I'm not ready for all the trial and error trying to replicate that.

(image credit: USS Constitution Museum Collections)

There's a pretty rich vein of modern men's corset patterns which seem like they could be easily pattern-hacked for historical costuming purposes, like these with shoulder straps from Corsets By Caroline or DrobeStoreUpcycling's waist cincher which also looks like it could be altered pretty easily to cinch with straps and buckles like some 19thc men's corsetry does. This pattern for a boned chest binder in vest form by KennaSewLastCentury is also really cool but I didn't get a chance to sew it pre-top-surgery. (I think I've also seen someone who made a chest-compressing variation on Regency short stays, but I can't find it now.) 

In general a lot of underbust and waist-cincher patterns should work just fine for silhouette-shaping without much bust/hip emphasis -- my usual resource for free corset patterns (Aranea Black) recently took down all her free patterns but they're definitely still circulating out there. For general fashion purposes the sky is the limit and there are a lot of enthusiastic dudes in corsets out there. This Lucy Corsetry round-up shows a variety of modern corsetiers'  styles designated as being for men or more masculine silhouettes (including a SUPER aspirational brocaded corset with matching waistcoat made by Heavenly Corsets that I'd love to sew a historical spin on) and you can see some commonalities and possibilities for body-shaping.

I can also give some more general corset-sewing resources but I'm very much in the learning process here and I'd love any recs or input from people more experienced in pattern-drafting and corset-sewing.

#historical sewing #more information than you perhaps require #long post

[littlehollyleaf]

So are we talking about the Bible quote on the Gabriel!fly matchbox?

It's from Job - a nod to Crowley and Aziraphale's adventures with him no doubt

Specifically Job 41:19 "out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out"

So. Idk if this was once a common verse on matchboxes. I know there was a famous brand called LUCIFERS, as a play on the concept of 'light bringer' - cos matches bring light, yeah? Those had bible verses on I believe, but idk if it was this one. Even if not the same though, this Job verse does a similar thing to the Lucifer match brand - referencing sparks of fire cos that's what matches create (we're gonna circle back to this fyi, but there's other stuff first, hold on).

Now, obviously the box was used to contain the essence/identity of GABRIEL.

But it also acts as something of a visual representation of the very CONCEPT of an angel's essence/identity being something that can be removed and stored elsewhere. AND of the idea that the outside appearance of something (or someone) doesn't necessarily give an accurate/truthful indicator of what is inside - there are no matches in this matchbox, for instance.

The quote on the box also doesn't describe Gabriel. But that doesn't matter because, actually, Gabriel is never in the box is he? He takes the fly out before transferring his essence into it.

So. We have an empty box, representing the idea of angel essence/identity as removable from its... casing/packaging.

And this empty box describes something (someone?) from whom sparks of fire leap from.

If you look up the whole of Job 41, it turns out it's god describing what's referred to as a LEVIATHAN to Job.

Apparently there's speculation this refers to a crocodile. But a quick Google tells me various Bible annotations describe the creature as a GIANT SERPENT.

...a giant serpent

from whom fire leaps

and whose 'eyes are like the eyelids of the morning'

Hmm.

But the box is empty - the essence/identity/truth of this creature/being/person the outside is describing is not where the packaging suggests it should be.

...perhaps because, as with Gabriel, the essence/identity/truth of said creature has also been removed and stored somewhere else?

OR is it less literal than that? More of a metaphorical suggestion that the creature/angel/being Crowley is labelled as has never truly been HIM? The box is empty because who Crowley is does not fit in a box - he has, in fact, spent much of his existence trying to ESCAPE being put in a box, being labelled, ESPECIALLY by god/Heaven.

So, this little box has started to represent quite a lot now I think. The idea of angel essence/identity, but also maybe just identity in general? The idea of someone's identity not always matching their physical appearance. The idea of someone's identity being defined/limited by the descriptions/opinions/words of others. The idea of wanting and trying to escape the confines of an inaccurate and forced identity (give me coffee liberty or give me death).

Then, if that wasn't enough, on top of that we have that little added extra of matchboxes with bible verses infamously being known as Lucifers... (said I'd circle back!). Not as important as the rest I feel. BUT - if anyone wanted a little extra fuel for the 'Crowley as Lucifer' theory, this could fit... in a deeply symbolic, close reading, metafictional way?

In any case, what I'm getting at here is this box as reflecting the forced identities that Heaven/God persistently try to trap angels (and anyone really) into. And how it is possible to remove yourself from said box.

...am I taking this too far? Haven't tried any full on media analysis in such a long time...

This is the whole of Job 41 for reference (think there may be more in it relating to Crowley, and perhaps Aziraphale and their relationship too, plus GO!Heaven, that I'm overlooking):

Job.41

[1] Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

[2] Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

[3] Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?

[4] Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

[5] Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

[6] Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?

[7] Canst thou fill his skin with barbed iron? or his head with fish spears?

[8] Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

[9] Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

[10] None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

[11] Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

[12] I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

[13] Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?

[14] Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

[15] His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

[16] One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

[17] They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

[18] By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

[19] Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

[20] Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

[21] His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

[22] In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

[23] The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

[24] His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

[25] When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.

[26] The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.

[27] He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

[28] The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

[29] Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

[30] Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

[31] He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

[32] He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

[33] Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

[34] He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

#i like to over analyse #good omens meta #good omens 2 #good omens cinematic storytelling #character study: crowley #heaven is a dystopia #you need to stop playing

[youhideastar]

WujiWatch: CQL Rewatch Episode 12

So recently this meta about Jiang Cheng by @travelingneuritis rolled across my dash again, to my delight, and it made me think more deeply about the scene from this episode where, while Cloud Recesses is under attack, Lan Xichen tries to send Lan Qiren away with the Lan Sect’s books. As Lan Qiren correctly points out, though, that is not on: Lan Xichen is the sect leader, so even if no one else survives, he must, because otherwise, the sect itself will die. I assume this scene doesn’t exist in the book, because Lan Xichen is not the sect leader at the fall of Cloud Recesses there, so it’s interesting to think about why the writers included it in the drama. And since the meta linked above was fresh in my mind when I rewatched this episode, I couldn't escape the feeling that this scene is actually meant to reflect on Jiang Cheng. Hear me out!

You should read the whole thing, because it's excellent, but as relevant here, @travelingneuritis’s meta says: “Jiang Cheng’s willingness to lay down his life in Yiling to prevent Wei Wuxian’s capture was noble, loving, generous– but it was not proper for him to do because, as sect leader with no heir, his survival was more important than Wei Wuxian’s. His act of love was personal and therefore indulgent.” Framed like that, it's hard not to think of Lan Xichen’s attempt to sacrifice himself for Lan Qiren—another attempt by a sect leader to sacrifice himself for a loved one when annihilation of the sect is a very present threat—as somehow related. But how?

Well, first, the scene lays out precisely the in-universe rule the post references: straight from the mouth of Lan Qiren, Mr. Rules himself, we hear unequivocally that the sect leader’s job is to survive and that it is improper for him to instead prioritize his loved ones’ survival. But second, I think the fact that Lan Xichen tries to do the same darn thing in fact normalizes Jiang Cheng’s societally improper but loving decision. Lan Xichen is, especially in the pre-resurrection episodes, very much portrayed as both a Very Good Guy and a Responsible Grown-Up. In fact, in the Cloud Recesses Arc, being the Responsible Grown-Up whose presence means that nothing can be really all that wrong is like, his whole function (well, that, matchmaking, and delivering exposition). If Responsible Adult Lan Xichen, too, when the chips are down, chooses a person he loves over the future of his sect, then I think we’re meant to see that tendency as natural and, indeed, inevitable.

I can certainly see some counterarguments, however: first, there’s a filial piety aspect here that’s not present in Jiang Cheng’s decision, since Lan Qiren is Lan Xichen’s elder and the person who raised him; and second, uh, in the post-resurrection arc, letting his personal feelings get in the way of his better judgment and thus revealing himself to not be the Responsible Grown-Up is going to be Lan Xichen’s new whole thing. So arguably this scene is just foreshadowing, instead. (I don’t see a big difference based on the fact that Lan Xichen has Lan Wangji as his heir; as Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren acknowledge in this scene, they have no idea where he is at this point and he may already be dead, so relying on him to carry on the sect is at least as dubious as Jiang Cheng relying on his sickly sister or non-bloodline head disciple for the same.)

Of course, the other meaningful difference between Lan Xichen’s sacrifice and Jiang Cheng’s is that Lan Xichen tells the person he loves what he’s trying to do, thus giving Lan Qiren a chance to refuse that sacrifice—which he does.

Man, this got so long—I ran out of space to talk about Mianmian the Political Operative saving Jin Zixuan’s bacon! Hopefully there will be another opportunity.

#the untamed #meta #wujiwatch #lan xichen #jiang cheng #cql

[itsclydebitches]

Obviously Nina and Maggie are meant to parallel Crowley and Aziraphale. I don't even need to argue that because Nina outright says it: Crowley is the "hard-bitten one" (like her) and Aziraphale is the "soft one" (like Maggie) who are facing similar relationship stumbling blocks. Just to hammer it home, they're both queer couples with Nina calling Maggie "angel" as a pet name.

I'll come back to that parallel in just a moment. First, I've seen some great meta regarding their justified anger at being paired up for celestial "amusement" and how that reflects the lack of agency humans have in Heaven and Hell's endless attempts to start Armageddon; something that Aziraphale, specifically, may be able to change. (Which, you know, highlights the nuance of this decision. Can he totally fix the broken system from within like he believes? No. Can he, like Gabriel, keep the hosts of Heaven from decimating Earth in the immediate future? Quite possibly.) Nina and Maggie are absolutely right and have every reason to be angry, however, they are missing the context that Crowley and Aziraphale didn't try to pair them up for the hell of it—though it's perfectly understandable why it would come across that way. How are they supposed to learn and understand the intricacies of this plot, especially when Crowley is literally shooing them out the door and telling them to forget everything? Regardless, the audience knows the full story and thus we can see how their subplot mirrors Aziraphale's love for Crowley, beyond the obvious, textual parallel.

Because why is he pairing them up? To keep Crowley safe. Himself too, but the dual nature of that motivation—what helps you automatically helps me and vice versa because we're in this together—just highlights how Aziraphale is approaching the "us" here. He pulled Crowley into the Gabriel debacle because he a) recognized that helping him was the right thing to do and b) knew he needed his partner to succeed. Sure, we could blame Aizraphale for setting it all in motion, but even without knowing that hiding Gabriel was helping to stave off the next Armageddon, Crowley recognizes that Aizraphale was right to help someone, even a someone who told his best friend to shut up and die already. He has a whole (hilarious) apology dance about it. So they're doing this together, as they should. They commit to hiding Gabriel together. They cast the miracle together. They tell lies to their bosses together. All of which ultimately leads to the subterfuge of, "That celestial energy? Just helping two humans fall in love! Oh shit, now we've actually got to accomplish that..." They mess around in Nina and Maggie's lives to try and keep their own loved one safe. Their love is a direct byproduct of Aizraphale and Crowley's.

Of course, they still have every right to be angry about that manipulation, regardless of the fact that it's leading to something they both want and is for the "greater good." However, I think it's crucial that we didn't get a scene that said, "You were wrong to mess around in our lives! ... but we're so glad you did because we're totally in love now and everything's perfect 😊." Maggie and Nina aren't together at the end of the season. They, like Crowley and Aziraphale, care for one another deeply but aren't yet in a place to make that love explicitly romantic. Here, we get a bit of a reversal where the Crowley equivalent—Nina—is the one who needs time and the Aziraphale equivalent—Maggie—is the most verbally devoted, prepared to wait for however long it takes, kinda like how Crowley has waited 6,000+ years.

Nina: I can't start seeing Maggie! When I'm ready, I hope she'll be there, but there isn't any guarantee. Maggie: There is. Nina: You're not helping, angel.

Both Nina and Aziraphale are, at their core, grappling with abuse. For Nina it's the abuse of a romantic partner. For Aziraphale it's the abuse of an institution. The difference is that Nina has gotten out, notably by having her partner dump her. We see throughout the season that Nina cannot let her go, despite knowing that they're bad for each other and despite others telling her as much. She's too deep in the relationship and shows no signs of getting out on her own, even when an objectively better option (Maggie) is right there, begging her to take that step. Nina needed to get dumped in order to achieve that growth. Aziraphale, in VERY sharp contrast, is roped back in by his abusers. Whereas Nina is granted harsh freedom in the form of a key under the mat, Aizraphale is coaxed further into the relationship he likewise isn't prepared to leave, offered what appears on the surface to be a way to fix everything he cares for. Do we think that if Nina's partner had instead texted something optimistic, complimentary, and full of the promise of change that Nina would have listened to her Crowley equivalent here (Maggie) and confidently cut her off? I don't. I think she would have gone straight back to what's familiar, convincing herself that this time will be different. Because that's how abuse works.

From the audience's perspective, Nina and Maggie's conversation is a warning to Crowley, though one he's not yet equipped to understand (as evidence by him doing the opposite of all their advice with Aziraphale). They say, "You powerful beings manipulate us too casually" and Crowley doesn't get how desperate Aziraphale is to fix that as archangel. They say, "I needed to be forcibly freed from my abuser before I could even consider someone I truly love" and Crowley doesn't see how Aziraphale is not just still under his own abuser's thumb, but is getting pulled further in. They say, "Even now that I've seen how much better things can be I'm not ready. It doesn't matter if I love her. It doesn't matter if I'm free. I need time to recover before I can move on to the next step" and Crowley doesn't get that at all, instead kissing Aziraphale rather than continuing to wait like Maggie. That kiss was hard for me to watch because it's abundantly clear how uncomfortable Aziraphale is. He doesn't kiss back. His hands are spasming rather than holding Crowley close. "I forgive you." That's not because he doesn't love Crowley, it's because he's not ready. Nina would have reacted the same way if Maggie had kissed her in the immediate aftermath of escaping her abuse and Aziraphale isn't in the aftermath of his. He's deeper than he's been since the start of the show.

The more I think about it, the more clear it is to me how their relationship and that final conversation was a blueprint for what was about to come. They're in a much better place than Crowley and Aziraphale are. Nina is free of her abuser. No one needed to explain that they had romantic feelings for one another. Crowley, meanwhile, "doesn't understand" until seconds before Aziraphale walks back through the door. No one is trying to keep them apart with the fate of the universe hanging in the background. Yet despite all this, Nina still says, "I'm in no way ready" and Maggie responds, "I understand. I'll wait."

Crowley couldn't wait anymore. Which is understandable and, tragically, is actually part of the solution. One of the things they need to do is talk about what they're "really feeling," so he does that. But unlike Nina, Aizraphale is still in his own abusive relationship and unlike Maggie, Crowley takes the truth too far, kissing him before he was equipped to accept that. Of course the season had to end the way it did. It's not just in character for them both, it validates the OTHER characters functioning as their parallels.

#Good Omens #Good Omens spoilers #Good Omens 2 #Good Omens 2 spoilers #GO2 #GO2 spoilers #mymetas #ineffable husbands #air conditioning

[drdemonprince]

Dear dr. Price,

A follower pointed out your book Unmasking Autism to me and said it was a life-saver. I have put in on my birthday wishes list.

According to lists on the net, I am supposed to reflect on whether I am behaving in a way that is aims at others' needs or my own and so on. This is precisely my problem. I am closer to 50 than to 40 and have probably been masking for over 40 years. How can I know what type of behaviour is learnt? What is ingrained? Is it possible that I have passed the window where I can still find natural conduct?

If you could see your way clear to answer my concern, I should be much obliged.

Kind regards,

Maarten

Hi Maarten!

Thank you so much for your question. While I understand deeply the desire to try and sort out which elements of yourself are naturally you and which elements are learned behaviors linked to a lifetime of trauma, in actuality there is no separating them. There is only one you. You have only lived one life, and it was the (at times very challenging and invalidating) life that you had. Humans are social beings, it almost makes as little sense to thing of humans in individual terms as it does to discuss ants without talking about colonies. Who we are is social, interpersonal, relational, and interactive.

The good news about that, however, is that who we are and how we feel can change, so long as our circumstances do. To some degree, masking and inhibition may always feel natural to you. I've been utterly fixated on unmasking both personally and professionally for years now, and while I've opened up a lot and learned many communication skills, my default mode of operating is still always to clench up. I will probably carry that reflex inside me for all of my life. That reflex has helped me. That reflex has saved me a great many times. It's just also hurt me and cost me a ton. And these days I try to accept all of that, and accept myself as the mutable, fragile, self-protective, sensitive being that I am.

I think it is far easier to focus on small behaviors and desires (and not-desires) than it is to worry too much about who we "really are" who we "would have been" in a completely alternate reality where we hadn't suffered the experiences that we have. Thinking about a fully liberated and unfiltered alternate self is enticing, I fantasize about who I'd have been in a better world all the time, but that person does not exist, and never did, and never ever would have.

Neurotypical are harmed by neuro-conformity pressures too. Capitalism, white supremacy, and the gender binary restrict how all people behave today pretty severely. Nobody lives fully free right now. This might sound bleak, but it's also a fact that unites us, and thinking about it gives me some hope. It helps me realize that I'm not uniquely boxed inside myself and separated from other people -- I'm suffering from the exact same forces that all people do, just in my own way.

I'm not uniquely broken. Neither are you. But we are irrevocably shaped by our life experiences. Instead of trying to change who we are, or find some inner true self, which is a daunting task, I think that instead, we can just practice saying no to things that make us uncomfortable, asking for the changes to our environment that we do need in order to feel comfortable, sharing what we feel, and taking time regularly to take stock of our lives and figure out what it is that we want and we wish for. It starts small.

Little phrases like "I don't like that," "I don't feel good," "I'm not interested in talking about that," "I'm going to go do something else," "Here's what i believe," "I don't agree with you," "I really need [thing]," and "I want to build a life with more room for [thing] in it" are some places to start. Truly, the more you get in the practice of saying such things, the better you get at noticing how you are feeling, and the more feelings and wants and not-wants you become able to self advocate for. It's not about becoming a new person, or throwing off the mask in one go. It's a skill, and anyone can develop a skill. You might as well make the rest of your life better. No amount of suffering in the past condemns you to needing to feel shitty about your desires forever.

[vivaciousofficiall]

3 Level Up Tips You Can Start Today!

Hello ladies,

I’ve decided to share 3 level up tips that could really assist you on your self development journey.

These tips might sound different from your everyday tips but one thing i’ve learnt is that most people go for the easier tricks that just conceal rather than fix.

As a woman of high value you must be willing to go through the journey & not the low hanging fruit.

I am constantly learning new ways in which I can be better & of course help you be better too.

Enjoy :)

1. Inner work

Before we get into skin care, working out & all that juicy stuff let’s talk about INNER WORK.

What is inner work?

Inner work is a process of taking control of your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, habits & transforming into a better version of yourself.

The truth is you can buy all the charlotte tillbury you want but if your inner world is a mess then your outer world will reflect such.

Beauty can’t save you,

Money can’t save you.

Power can’t save you.

We’ve all seen certain celebrities act in very surprising ways & we wonder how someone with such wealth, beauty or influence could act in such a manner.

Truth is if you're a mess and you become wealthy, all that will remain of you is a mess with money.

Whereas if you develop qualities like integrity, discipline, and honesty, your riches will enhance those qualities even more.

Inner work is the process of going inside oneself deeply to confront our problems, spend time with them & heal. (Usually what we’re avoiding)

It’s easier to blame your ex & find a new man.

However you will find yourself in this negative loop of constantly "attracting" toxic men till one day you sit with yourself & realize that you’re the problem.

Ouch.

How does inner work improve your life?

As i mentioned earlier, your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. If you’re constantly struggling in your relationships, your finances, and/or mental health then inner work would be most beneficial to you.

Ways you can do inner work

1. Therapy.

2. Coaching.

3. Shadow work

4. Meditation

5. Journaling.

Why is Inner work crucial?

In order to be a successful woman, you need to know who you are, what your values are, what your strengths & weaknesses are.

You must have a certain level of emotional intelligence & control.

You must be able to communicate with people properly.

You must be able to take constructive criticism without getting overly triggered.

You must learn how to handle tough situations like an adult.

= inner work.

2. Nutrition

You are what you eat

Everyday you make a decision on whether to heal yourself or hurt yourself based on what you consume.

Do you know what most people aren’t doing? eating right. If you want to have big results then you have to do the things most people aren’t willing to.

Research how poor eating habits is one of the leading causes of the ailments we suffer from today.

Listen, i can come on here and tell you to develop a 9 step skin care routine but that is not going to solve your problem.

If you really want glowy glass skin, you must work from the inside out.

Is it easy ? no. Will you be a pro immediately ? no. Start small & be consistent.

It’s time to start incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your meals.

It’s time to start eating more whole grains.

It’s time to cut back on refined sugar.

it’s time to cut back on dairy.

It’s time to start your day with a green smoothie.

It’s time to cut back on the fast food!

It’s time to eat foods that nourish, energize & heal you.

3. Personal Grooming

Personal grooming is essential on this journey. It is a form of self care. Showing up for yourself is how you slowly build self esteem.

No matter what people say, i wholeheartedly believe in looking good.

I know certain people may say it’s superficial or vain but personally i disagree.

it’s only superficial when you’re not doing your inner work & trying to overcompensate by hyperfocusing on your appearance.

There’s a big difference.

5 Tips & Tricks ;)

1. Hygiene is everything. Brush your teeth thoroughly, scrape your tongue, floss, shower regularly, shave, invest in good a deodorant, moisturize your skin, take care of your nails & oil your scalp.

2. Invest in good quality clothing: Quality > Quantity. Get your color analysis done. Invest in good undergarments.

3. Skin care : Start with the basics then build up. Cleanser. Moisture. Toner. Serum. Spf.

4. Etiquette: Many people dislike this word and think it denotes someone who is insincere or pretentious.

While I'm not advocating altering your personality to fit a particular perception, you would need to make some changes if you wanted to live a particular lifestyle.

Xoxo, Vivacous.

#divine feminine #high maintenance #femininity #self care #spirituality #high standards #high value woman #black girl luxury #feminine journey #goddess

[mongoose-bytes]

I love how much variety there is in form finding. No matter how much we try to categorize it down to a science, everyone is going to be biased and have different interpretations based on their culture and life experiences. Even for analytic forms, different behaviours may be interpreted differently from person to person.

It’s so deeply ingrained in personal reflection and how every individual views themself and the world around them and just can’t operate under strict rule sets. There’s guidelines and suggestions, for sure. But the fact that everyone has their own unique experiences and interprets things in whatever way works best for them is something that I love a lot about daemonism.

I personally am not a fan of things like astrology and personality types because there’s so little grey areas and room for the vast variety of personal experiences people can have that impact their lives. It just feels far too rigid to me.

At the end of the day, daemonism is about you and your daemon. Your own life, thoughts, feelings, and experiences. And the lens through which you view the world. And while how other people view you also comes into play, no one is going to know you better than you know yourself.

#daemonism #ew gross I’m being mushy but I just feel so much love for the concept #discussions

[daisychainsandbowties]

What was your writing process for the Alien fic? Did you start with "scene where Ava wants to leave, Bea wants her to stay" and backfill events from there? Something more chronological that you then reorganized? Some magical third option? I love your writing style and am deeply curious about it.

so my writing process for most things is kind of like if you built a cathedral by doing the roof first, then like half the belltower and then the pews and then the glossy flagstones and then the paintings on the walls, and then the walls. with Alien AU i wrote maybe 6k of it back when i posted a snippet in May, and i started by writing the line that remains the first line of the fic.

from there i wrote maybe most of the “present-moment” avatrice scenes in one afternoon, which of course are now scattered across the fic. what i tend to do (indulgently, perhaps) is allow myself to meander off into tangents and flashbacks pretty much whenever i want. i can write in a disciplined, linear way, but i find it dull. to me a narrative is like sticking your hand into a drawer and groping around, unearthing matchsticks, dust, old coins and maybe Peter Pan’s lost shadow. i just find that more enriching and i write to entertain myself, so 🥰🥰

i didn’t actually reorganise anything; what i did do was bulk out the chapter so that, like space expanding, that initial 6k avatrice scene ended up far-scattered across the fic, with other scenes dropped in between where i felt they wanted to go. but in terms of how the fic flows the parts i wrote all followed each other from the get-go. to me they naturally follow each other, speak to each other. i tend to scatter a bunch of threads as i write the story and then tangle them all together toward the end, moments speaking to each other across thousands of words. it doesn’t always work out, but when it does it's the best feeling.

i tend to bounce around in a given chapter when i’m writing as i encounter tricky sections or just lose interest in a particular scene for a while, so i let myself work on, say, the scene where Beatrice burns her hand and then immediately jump forward to the scene where Lilith goads Ava into hitting her. that stops me from stagnating just because a turn of phrase is evading me.

i actually wrote the last line in May, but it took me a while to accept that it was the last line. that was a fun lesson from me writing poetry; that sometimes a poem starts after the first stanza and sometimes it ends when you kind of want to keep wringing its neck for meaning, but you have to let it do that and trust that you've said enough to have said something, and let the poem open instead of trying to weld it shut. i feel like sometimes prose should do that too; not try to answer all the questions it raises, leave you a little bit aching for more.

on that note my writing style is very much inspired by how i write poetry. up until last november i’d stopped writing prose pretty much altogether, and i was a lot worse at it than i am now (writing upwards of 300k of gay fanfiction will do that to you apparently) but i still can’t shake the narrative instincts that i get from being video game spec'd for poetry exclusively. there’s a very good quote by Ocean Vuong about fragmentation & linguistics in poetry which i think is a bit of a reflection of how i approach prose:

“I think this manner of breaking towards meaning is how we often live. We don’t live cohesively; we live in fractals, we live in fragments. We don’t live in a plot point. I think poetry is mimetic of that status of being human. We text in utterances. We speak in bursts. We pick up conversations that occurred hours before. Our most meaningful discourse happens in pieces, in broken ways. Our most difficult conversations happen in these ways, like for queer folks, coming out to our parents. And when we apologize, it’s rarely in a complete sentence. For me, fragmentation in language is perhaps the most human moment of our speech. For poetry to be so comfortable with that, to be so capacious with how grammar peters out and how it needs to be resuscitated towards new modes I think is a mimetic of how we’ve always been living. I think there’s a certain honesty in the ability of poetry to consider breaking not as a flaw but as a strategy, a kind of technique.” (read the whole article here it’s really excellent)

i do find the sort of eggshell structure of Alien au – broken, but still recognisable as an egg – to be really satisfying and thematically rewarding, but oddly, as with a poem, i do tend to write it “technically” chronologically, but in fragments of itself sort of rearranged ahead of time. i think a lot about my fics before i write them (though because i am me i do this mostly without noticing that there's any thinking going on) so by the time i get to that point, sitting down and writing, i have largely unbeknownst to myself a very good idea of what i want to say.

#anon #i hope this answers your question! #and sorry it took me so long but this was really very interesting to think about! 🥰 #wn alien au

[khoipyan]

shaken and stirred!

(GI) diona!like reader x octavinelle trio

(diona is a character from genshin impact. for more information, you refer to this wiki page.)

warnings; gn!reader, reader is not diona herself, just similar. READER WILL NOT BE A CHILD LIKE DIONA! can be seen as platonic or romantic, im not writing about diona!reader's daddy issues im sorry :sob: reader is not stated to have cat features in this (ears, tail), sorry :( i can write for a partial cat reader sometime else though ^_^

notes; im very tired and sleepy skull BUT I LIKED THIS IDEA TOO MUCH TO PASS IT UP LMKODHIUHD i got a bit too self indulgent in azul’s whoopsies ALSO THERES AN OMORI REFERENCE IN ONE OF THE PARTS!! see if you can find it >:)

azul ashengrotto

you can... mix anything into a drink and it'll still taste good? even butterflies, conches and lizard tails..? well, you know... if you need a job—

first thing he does once he hears about this is try to get you to do a contract with him, of course! you don't want your magic, and he can give you something you actually want. however you just narrow your eyes at him, cross your arms and sigh. this isn't magic; it's actually a curse.

is appalled at the fact you could call such an ability, a skill! a curse. he would die to have that skill. however, he softens just a bit when he hears your story.

"when i was younger, i believed in the spring fairy. i spoke my feelings and poured out my soul to the moon reflected on the water's surface... on my seventh birthday, i heard a voice talk to me. surprise surprise, it was the fairy herself! that was the day i received the blessi— i mean, curse." you explained.

it was silent for a few seconds.

"you don't have to believe me, but you're the one who aske— STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!"

besides your curse of making the best drinks ever, your tsundere-like personality really confuses him. VERY.

you offered to walk him to his dorm one time while you both were hanging out in the library, fearing that he may get lost or something of sorts. when he told you that he was fine by himself, you shot him with a:

"whatever! i wasn't worried at all, i just wanted to make sure nothing happened to you so that you wouldn't blame me."

...????././??

azul has yet to understand by what you mean with your confusing and contradicting sentences, but he's willing to try! after all, you seem to care for him with actions, not words.

jade leech

you picked the wrong guy to be a tsun-tsun with, i'm telling you that.

picks up an interest with you right away, but keeps it confidential to himself for a week or two before approaching you to learn more.

the first time you two met is when he caught you scheming how to take down the wine industry... in which you told him to leave immediately.

“oh? what do we have here?”

"H-HUH? DON'T LOOK AT MY PLANS! AAAGHH, GET OUT-"

although he knows it’s probably not possible, jade has to admit that he admires your burning rage passion in taking down the wine industry.

haha, remember what i said about him being the wrong guy to be a tsundere with? well, he teases you SO much and pretends to be a complete saint about it. you absolutely CANNOT catch a break from him but hey, you brought this upon yourself!

(not really, but we all know how jade is…)

he notices very quickly under all the light slaps to his arm and the ‘cross arms and turn away’ motions that you seem to care about him very deeply. how interesting.

and for this, this must be what he loves the most about you.

…

oh well, it’s a shame that the show must go on. after realizing this (which doesn’t take too long), he uses it as even MORE material to tease you with.

jade feigns sadness, but it’s getting hard not to crack a smile at your exasperated expression. “i thought you were concerned about me getting hurt just now, were you not?”

“SCREW. YOU! I HOPE A PIANO FALLS ON YOU!”

“ouch. so hurtful… at least you didn’t wish that i had fallen down the stairs.”

floyd leech

just like his twin brother, floyd's interest with you is almost instant. you can make beverages out of anything? even the most nastiest things to ever exist? and your personality makes you even BETTER for him to target you.

when he heard about your ability, he absolutely convinced you to make drinks with him and give it to the people at mostro lounge. one, he wanted to see if it was true. two, MAYBE he needed an excuse to slack off from work.

to floyd’s surprise, it was true; anything you made into a drink was surprisingly delicious. floyd even had to try it for himself, because even he doubted you for a second.

tries convincing you to join mostro lounge. aww, why not?? come ooon! you can make money, make delicious drinks for customers AND he gets to mess around with you on shifts!

he laughs when you tell him about your plans to destroy the wine industry.

what’s so funny, floyd? stop laughing! this is a serious matter—

so playful yet teasing with you, especially seeing how annoyed and frustrated you get when he does something that even slightly inconveniences you.

“give me my textbook back!” you’re chasing after floyd in the halls. it’s bad to run, but you need your book back!

“when you catch me!” floyd responds, running at a fast pace.

ultimately thinks it’s so cute to see you deny how you care for him. floyd is smarter than he makes out to be, he knows. he acknowledges the times you get flustered when he compliments you, or the worried glances you spare him when he’s having a bad day.

he appreciates you so much! even if you do punch him a bit hard sometimes, he’ll always be sure to playfully bite back (but be more gentler, of course).

— due to be edited at anytime —

#writing!🍤 #did you find you omori ref? mwahaha. #twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #floyd leech #azul ashengrotto #jade leech #twst jade leech #twst jade #twst azul #twst azul ashengrotto #twst floyd leech #twst floyd #floyd x reader #floyd leech x reader #jade x reader #jade leech x reader #azul ashengrotto x reader #scrib.bles🫧

[lairofdragonagelore]

Solas sharing Lore - Part 2

This post is focused on what Solas says about the lore of the world of DA series. It's not about Solas as a character [although I would try to explore his nature as a way to understand the nature of the Elvhen and the spirits]. Since Solas is one of the living elvhen who knows the truth of what happened with the Evanuris and the Tevinter expansion after the fall of Arlathan, I consider his words one of the most valuable ones in the series. He does not lie, but omits what he doesn't want to speak about or adds technicalities that make his statements true yet misleading if we don’t pay attention to the context. Unlike Flemeth, he speaks with less riddles, so I considered worth listing all the knowledge he shared with the Inquisitor in order to have a reliable information of how “the world” of Thedas truly works.

The list of topics related to the lore shared by Solas is

Dreamers and their powers

The Elvhenan and the Dalish

The Demon/Spirit Nature

Solas’ Personal quest [deeply related to Spirit’s nature and his own]

Solas’ nature

The Fade and the Veil

Magic

The Orb

The Evanuris and worshipping

Organisations/Institutions/Empires

The Blight and the Grey Wardens

Maker

Miscellaneous Knowledge

Trespasser Revelations

Solas sharing Lore: Part 1 - Part 2

The Fade and the Veil

The tears in the Veil allow spirits to enter this world physically.  Small tears occurs when magic weakens the Veil or when spirits cluster close to an area that has seen many deaths.

When spirits press so tightly on the Veil, a dreamer can slip across it.

The Circle defines the Veil as a barrier between the Fade and the Waking world. For Solas, this is an oversimplification but he doesn’t elaborate. Then, we can conclude that the Veil is not a “mere wall” between the Fade and the Waking World. It makes sense in my opinion. The nature of the barrier isolating the Black City seems to be more different than the Veil and the main reason why Solas created the Veil. 

Solas defines Fade not as a place but as a state. Spirits would enter this world and be part of them like a river. [Honestly, Solas' explanation is a bit poor in my opinion].

The Fade reflects this world or its memory.  The history of Thedas is reflected in the Fade, and this is a key lore concept in my opinion: things that happened in the past may have a proof in the Fade due to its reflection, including the event that Solas hid underground, the sphere of fire, and the assassination of Mythal.

Due to the reflections in the Fade, Solas speaks of  Ostagar, and sees the complexity of Loghain’s emotions, telling us that he may have been a man who craved power for his daughter and for protecting Ferelden, but also was a man who refused to let his army be slaughtered by the darkspawn just because royal whims. Solas is not saying it explicitly, but he keeps telling us that everything, specially motivations, are complex things that are fed by different desires and purposes. And like in the section of “Solas’ Nature”, he keeps telling us that everyone, even “villains” have personhood, and are “humans”, with flaws and virtues.

Blackwall: You've seen many things in the Fade, how do you know they're true? Solas: I don't. Everything in the Fade is a memory and memories are all too easily muddied. Just like your history books, they contain truths, but reason and sense are required to extract it.

Solas explains that the Fade is a guidance but in the end, it’s a reflection of memories that can be inaccurate. One needs to be sharp and use reason to distinguish the truths.

Cassandra: You say you've witnessed past events in the Fade, Solas--or the memories of them. But the Fade distorts reality. Surely it cannot offer a true reflection of what occurred. Solas: Are your own memories any different? The truth is never precise, regardless of where you are.

Of course, we are also informed that we should not worry about the “Truth” reflected in the Fade to be inaccurate, because the truth seems to depend on other things. If DA series has taught us anything is that the perception of the truth depends on the narrator, and Solas is pretty aware of it.

Cole: You don't need to envy me, Solas. You can find happiness in your own way. Solas: I apologize for disturbing you, Cole. I am not a spirit, and sometimes it is hard to remember such simple truths. Cole: They are not gone so long as you remember them. Solas: I know. Cole: But you could let them go. Solas: I know that as well. Cole: You didn't do it to be right. You did it to save them. Inquisitor: Solas, what is Cole talking about? Solas: A mistake. One of many made by a much younger elf who was certain he knew everything. Cole: You weren't wrong, though. Solas: Thank you, Cole.

Here we can see again Solas’ warrior nature, who had to take hard decisions and now he deals with Regret. Cole says that Solas created the Veil to save “them” [the elves], and Solas recognises it was a mistake, because created this world where people are disconnected to the Fade in ways that feel like tranquils, and elvhen lost their immortality.

Other bits of info we have from the Trespasser DLC [the screenshots and the details are in the section “Trespasser Revelations”]

After the death of Mythal and sealing the rest of the Evanuris, Solas created the Veil out of necessity. Any other alternative was worse.

He repeats and implies several times that the Veil is protecting the world from a big danger that will destroy it. This implies that he is doing what he is doing to save the world, since the danger once sealed will return anyways.This is important because so far Bioware wants to present him as the Big Selfish Evil, who only thinks in returning to the old world of the Elvhen, not caring about the current world, when in reality, there is no way to save this world in his eyes, simply because the ancient sealed evil will return.

The Creation of the Veil destroyed the elvhenan civilisation, which were deeply entangled with magic: their cities were made out of magic related to the Fade, which fell apart when the two worlds were forced to be separated by a Veil.

The immortality of the Elves seems to be related to the Fade too, so when the Veil was created, the elves lost their immortality.

Magic

Solas implies that human magic and elvhenan magic is the same kind of power but used in different ways.

He claims that magic is a legacy from the elvhenan [when the elves were immortal].

He dismisses the bad reputation of blood magic. What matters is how it's used, which puts in question a lot of beliefs that Tevinter and the Chantry have been repeating over centuries.

Blood magic is forbidden in the modern world of Thedas, so it’s practised only by criminals performing crimes or the Tevinter to fight each other for power. He is implying that through the use of Blood Magic only as a mean for power it has lost the other potentialities it has. This reminds me the curious codex [Responsible Blood Magic] we find in The Still Ruins where we are informed for the first time that Blood Magic can be used to heal a strong illnesses at the cost of the life of the person who is casting it. Maybe blood magic can be a strong healing magic, but that knowledge has been lost due to its criminalisation and exclusive use for power and control.

Elvhen were similar to spirits, so they were immortal. This was a side-effect of magic: the fact that they used magic that required years to cast turned them naturally into immortal in order to be able to cast it. All of this brings me the impression that Solas is talking about Uthenera or the song that Cole refers to when speaking about Solas: the elves have a song to them related to magic and their connection to it.  There is an unending symphony. More details in Songs and elements that sing and whisper in DA Lore.

Vivienne: Corypheus is a complex creature. To draw upon so many different sources of power. He has his own magic, he draws from the blight, the artifact he carries is elven… And now, he uses a demon to create a false Calling to fool the mages. Solas: The false Calling was blight magic. The demon merely amplified its power. Vivienne: This ancient magister is like a man drinking from three wineglasses at once. Solas: And one of the glasses is poisoned.

Vivienne: You disapprove of Corypheus using the magic of the blight, Solas? Solas: Every intelligent creature should. Vivienne: Yet you raise no objection to the Grey Wardens using blood magic? Solas: Blood magic is no worse than any other. Properly used. But the blight... The blight corrupts everything it touches. Those who believe themselves capable of using it safely are mad. Vivienne: I understand that Grey Wardens are connected in some way to the blight. Solas: Then that explains why we saw no old men at Adamant.

Solas also has some bits of info about the Blight Magic. Clearly, still in DAI we have blood magic and blight magic that I’ve been fearing for a while to be retconed in some ways. According to Solas, Blood magic is not a dramatic, evil magic. He is not opposed to it, since it may have strong bening effects that the ignorance of this world lost them to the ages. But the Blight magic is a big No for him. He despises it and despises any living creature who embraces the Blight for any reason [Magisters, Grey Wardens].

He describes the Blight as it “corrupts everything it touches” and feels a lot like Elgar’nan fury, which destroys everything it touches [The Judgment of Mythal ]. I always wondered if the Blight is not a corrupted version of an Evanuris power, such as Elgar’nan’s, specially since his fury and the fire sphere hidden underground seem to have this element of anger in common. More details about this in Ancient Elven codices; Vir Dirthara.

Inquisitor: What happens to these "weak" mages? Augur: Their teachers [spirits/gods] stay with them and the other gods watch them both, so neither soul turns sick. If one does sicken, or the mage stands in risk of harming the hold… One day, they do not wake in their bed. It is very sad. It is what must be done. Solas: It is kinder than what happens in many mage Circles.

Sigrid: It has taught me with patience and kindness since I was a child, frightened of the fire I could suddenly call down. Solas:  A great comfort. But you are no longer a child. Sigrid: Some mages need the help of a god all their lives. Solas: Very well. Perhaps, however, ask yourself if it is help you need, or companionship.

In the DLC of Hakkon we learn how the Avvar deal with their mages: they remain in community and are willingly possessed by gentle, kind spirits who work as teachers. The mage in this way avoids any possession of malign spirits, while leaning to control their powers. There is also an implication that this possession brings comfort and companionship. They even have a successful process to de-possess the mage in question. This is mind-shocking. We were always told in all the games and books that removing the possession was impossible. Only in books we learn about an exceptional de-possession [Fiona]. Even Marethari Talas, who has an ancient knowledge of Dalish mages, tells us that removing a possession is very rare, and when it happens, the creature remains like a beacon, attracting spirits for future possessions. Nothing of this happens among the Avvar.

Their relationship with the spirit is so strong that, eve if the Mage is weak, the possession will not be reversed in order to protect the mage and the hold. This is so amazing: the avvar mages remain inside a community that values them, that depends of them [let’s recall that Avvar move all the time among holds and live preparing to endure the winter, which is always challenging, so the use of mages may be key in the survival of the community]. Although mages are dangerous, the Avvar keep them in the safest possible way. When the mage or the spirit may be corrupted, other spirits that remain vigilant of the permanent possession will inform the augur of the community and he/she will kill the corrupted mage. This prevents further corruption of the spirit [so they avoid situations like Justice-Revenge] and do not endanger their community gratuitously [while not torturing their mages into a kind of slavery as some Circles do]. Honestly, this is the smartest way to work and incorporate your mages in your society, without  risking too much any of the parties. The only thing you need is to trust in the spirits and feed the positive ones. This is impossible in the modern Chantry which catalogues any spirit as a demon.

Solas approves [and sometimes he is even surprised of] the use of spirits and the way mages are treated among the Avvar. He considers it kinder than in most Circles.

Blackwall: What happened at Redcliffe, have you ever seen its like, Solas? Solas: The distortion of time? I have seen magic accomplish many things, but ... no, that is new.

With this we assume that Solas did not see distortion of the time through magic before. Personally, I think this is strange, because we saw Ameridan being able to delay magic, and due to the visual effects of it, we also could suspect that Ameridan was a kind of “rift mage” [same as Solas]. So, in principle, it seems natural to think that rift mages are able to distort time to a certain extend, or at least, only delaying it. We also know that Ancient Tevinter were able to stop time [The Still Ruin] and so far we know, everything that Tevinter did was, in part, because they stole it from the Elvhenan, so I don’t know if this was an overlook from the devs, or there is unrevealed lore here.

Cassandra: Solas, I assume you know it's possible to reverse the Rite of Tranquility. Solas: I did hear of what you learned, yes. Cassandra: I know of only one mage thus cured, and... he had no control of his emotions. He was distraught. Do you think that would have passed? If the Tranquil are cured only to end up thus... Solas: They would be a danger to themselves and others, yes. It is difficult to say. In your Vigil, you were Tranquil for but a moment. They have suffered much longer. Such control is like a muscle, atrophying without use. Given time it might be restored, but until then... Cassandra: That may be a risk we are obligated to undertake. Solas: They will be grateful... even the ones who do not survive.

Solas claims that tranquils can be cured and can recover their emotional stability as normal mages. This makes me wonder in Solas’ comparison of this world as a place “filled with tranquils”: If the Veil is destroyed, Thedas will pass through a process similar to what Tranquils suffer when cured. This connection with the Fade in the world of Thedas may cause out of control in many, but at the end, they will be grateful, even those who did not make it. At least, this is the vision of Solas, and probably the main source of “chaos” that will happen when the Veil collapses.

Vivienne: I confess, Solas, I expected you to be back at the Temple of Mythal. Some powerful magic yet remains there... if it can be trusted. Solas: For once, we agree. Many relics were lost for good reason. Vivienne: You explore the Fade to ferret out such secrets, do you not? Solas: When I awaken each morning, all I have with me are those secrets. The power at the Temple of Mythal is tangible, potent... and far too easy to misuse. Vivienne: We are not so different after all, my dear apostate. We both believe magic must be limited safely. Solas: Only a fool would ignore such a stark reminder of the destruction of an empire.

We know that Solas understands that power in a group of people is a recipe for abuse and disaster, while power and secrets entrusted to one selfless person can be done with positive results. He has been that person for millennia, since we know via the codex Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads that he has hidden a terrible magic underground in order to avoid others to know about it [details in “The Death of a Titan”] or even to avoid the creation of its reflection in the Fade [it may be related to the barrier that surrounds the Black City].  I personally think that his line of “relics were lost for good reasons” may be related to the Red Lyrium Idol.

Also, Solas and Viviene claim the Temple of Mythal has a strong remain of magical power. I’m not sure if we can assume it’s related to the humanoid figure we saw emerging from the Well of Sorrow when Corypheus tried to chase after the Inquisitor.

The Orb

Solas was confident that the orb would resist a tremendous blast

Since the anchor is the energy of Solas’ orb in the Inquisitor’s hand, it seems reasonable that it would help him not only to focus in his dreams, but also to manipulate the Veil in the way the game allowed them. Certainly Solas may have not predicted the consequences of having all his energy in someone else’s hand.

After Haven, Solas discloses the details of the orbs:

The orb contains power accumulated for ages. Later, we will know it’s his own energy accumulated [ potential explanation in Forbidden Oasis: Solasan Temple], or Fade energy related to him. Part of this is implied in the Forbidden Oasis: Solasan Temple, where parts of “souls” or fragments of Fade return to the Inquisitors because they have the Anchor and want to be “whole” again.

Unlocking the orb caused a blast that destroyed the Conclave. Solas was counting on this to kill Corypheus. He is genuinely surprised that the magister survived.

The orb enhances the abilities of the person who holds it, so this implies that the elvhenan orbs allowed an increase of power [and therefore, of the perception of Divinity which was deeply related to magical powers].

When solas has a private conversation with the Inquisitor in the balcony, we can suspect that Solas is surprised of knowledge he doesn’t know: how the Anchor is reacting inside a mortal body.  By the nature of the questions he makes we can infer he is wondering if that power, his power, changed the Inquisitor’s mind, morals and even soul.

Due to the hesitation in his words “You show a wisdom I have not seen since….” I suspect his mind is recalling Mythal [the wisest Evanuris, according to all the more or less reliable codices we found, and he also describes her as wise: “the voice of reason”]. So we can assume that the friend!Inquisitor may remind Solas of Mythal.

He highlights the subtlety in the actions of the Inquisitor and their understanding of the world [this only happens if the Inquisitor has a sharp, curious mind willingly to ask questions, hence Solas’ constant approval]

If the Inquisitor has a bad relationship with Solas, this scene works differently, and Solas simply reinforces his biases against the race of the inquisitor in question.

Other bits of info we have from the Trespasser DLC [the screenshots and the details are in the section “Trespasser Revelations”]

The Anchor of the inquisitor is a mark given by the Orb of Fen’Harel,

The Orb of Fen’Harel gathered Fade energy for a millennia.

Solas let his agents guide Corypheus to his orb, expecting him to die when he unlocked its power. He was not counting on Corypheus knowing how to master effective immortality.

The Evanuris and Worshipping

Solas: You have seen a great deal of battle. Blackwall: We all have. Solas: Not all, not like you. You live and breathe war. You understand it. It is home to you. Blackwall: What's that supposed to mean? Solas: I intended no offense. We have both seen terrible things. We have watched death and destruction render that which we love unrecognizable. It is calming to see something familiar in another.

Blackwall: You spoke of seeing death and destruction. Did you fight in a war? Solas: There are struggles across Thedas at any given time. I doubt you would have heard of it. Blackwall: An elven skirmish? Solas: In a manner of speaking. You? Blackwall: I was a soldier. And I... well... you know how it is. Solas: I do indeed.

Blackwall and Solas speak about war, and this highlights Solas as a former warrior/soldier, who reinforces the idea that war is a terrible thing that destroys what it’s loved. This may imply all his fight against the elvhen would-be god Evanuris.

Solas says in here that there is no connection between the Old Gods dragons turned into Archdemons and his people “in Thedas lore”. The last clarification makes me suspect that, it is true that there is no lore in Thedas making the connection, because there is a high chance that this knowledge was lost or “Forgotten” to the ages. And the fact that the Forgotten Ones are as mysterious as the Archdemons, one start to suspect, only through a discarding process, that they may end up being related. 

In videos of low approval paths [here] we see how much resentment, disapproval, and disdain Solas has for those who think they are gods and want worshipping. We know that he may have had a bad story with Falon’Din, one of the most vicious Evanuris who wanted so much worship that would attack other Evanuris to earn those followers [Temple of Mythal: Part 2, Humanoid Dirthamen]. In these conversations one cannot stop thinking that maybe Solas is speaking while thinking in Falon’Din.

With low approval, Solas implies that worshipping is a lie and he dismisses the power that it gives. He claims that things like Pride, Defense, Love of Family or even the concept of the Inquisition are real things to use as tools for inspiring hope. While worshipping--making people believe one is a god--is a way to keep them ignorant, and he has a raw hatred to those who force ignorance [and the control associated with it] upon the people, as we saw in the section “Solas’ Nature” or when we see his opinions about the Qun.

After the quest of Winter Palace, Solas tells us that he has missed court intrigue. Which I think says a lot about his methods during the Rebellion he led against the Evanuris. When we asks him if he was in a court, he hesitates, as few times he does. He was not expecting that question. The answer is a bit generic and I’m not sure it gives any lore information about the Evanuris except for the fact that, it seems, they also played intrigues similar to the Orlesian Game, and there is a chance that the Evanuris were divided in groups that rivalled one another.

After the quest of the Well of Sorrows, if the Inquisitor drank from the Well, we can explore different options that give really bland hints of Solas’ time with the Evanuris:

From Solas’ words we can infer that once you are a creature of an Evanuris, all what you do will be for them, even unconsciously. You “give up a part of yourself”.

Drinking from the Well made the Inquisitor bound to Mythal. It’s not clear how this bound works once the Evanuris in question is dead.

I’m surprised how Solas despises the fact of the Inquisitor being a servant of Mythal [he calls them a “Mythal’s creature”] even though he deeply respects and loves Mythal. However, it makes sense if it removes the individuality of the Inquisitor. Solas will always want all creatures free to make their own choices and deal with the consequences of them. In this case, the Inquisitor becomes a puppet of Mythal, from Solas’ point of view.

Solas says explicitly that the elven gods existed, but they were not gods but some powerful entity. “Legends start from something”, and I think this line is worth keeping in mind all over DA series.

Solas curiously asks what the inquisitor will do with the power of the Well once this is over. Depending on the branch picked, Solas provides small bits of info:

If the inquisitor says that they will put things in the way they were before, Solas will be grateful and will drop a line that seems to be his inspiration in DA:D “You honour the past and work to recover what was lost, even if the cost is high. I respect that, and I am indebted to you for the reminder”  [which makes us infer that, at the end, it was the Inquisitor who "reminded” Solas to do what he is going to do in DA:D.

In another option where the inquisitor says that once all this is over the wisdom of the Well will be shared with all the Inquisition to avoid arrogance; Solas’ answer is very curious; I think it speaks of what he experienced when Mythal was killed: “You think to share your power, to avoid the temptation to misuse it. A noble sentiment… but a mistake. One selfless man may walk away from the lure of power’s corruption… no group has ever done so”. This line speaks deeply about Fen’Harel story, I think. 

The way it’s spoken sounds like “personal experience”, which makes me wonder if maybe this reflects Mythal’s story about destroying the titans, removing/draining their hearts, and creating orbs with them that, as we can see with Corypheus and Fen’Harel’s orb, these artefacts gave them god-like powers.  Maybe Mythal thought it was good to share it with the rest of her fellow mages, to avoid any misuse, and in the end, they used that power against her, killing her. Again, this is only a speculation guided by the codex Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads. More details about this train of thoughts in “The Death of a Titan”.

If the Inquisitor asks him why this interest in your decision of what to do with this power is so important, Solas answers that it’s because Regret [in Tevinter Nights we know that Solas has been feeding a demon of Regret, so these words are deep and important for him, they speak of his raw wound], “there are few regrets sharper than watching fools squander what you sacrificed to archive.” We also know that Flemeth has a good amount of regrets too, that may or may not be connected to this, according her words in the altar of Mythal in DA2.

Another interpretation is that Solas regrets deeply the state of the world. He broke and sacrificed his old world in which he lived with spirits [what he loves the most] to make the elves free. But when he woke up, he saw a world that had forgotten completely the subtle ways of the spirits. “It’s like walking among tranquils”. And like he says in Trespasser to a romanced Inquisitor, the Dalish not only forgot everything, they kept the worst parts of the past, the slavery proudly tattooed on their faces, and in their Tales, Fen’Harel became a malign figure, instead of a rebel to inspire disobedience when needed. No wonder the spirit of Regret is so big in Tevinter Nights.  

In another branch of the conversation Solas speaks of the Evanuris with certainty, forgetting his usual line “I saw it in the Fade”:

The Evanuris were arrogant and fickle, warred among themselves.  

They had feuds and vendettas.

If the inquisitor speaks of controlling the Inquisition once they shared the power of the Well with it, Solas says, “You will be the first among equals. Good”. He seems to approve the option in which the power is shared, but it has to pass your judgement first.

Another option that reflects Solas’ personal experience with the Evanuris: if the Inquisitor promises not to return to the way things were before, but push forward, Solas asks him from personal experience: “would you sacrifice all just to gamble and hope the future will be better? […] what if you wake up to find that the future you shaped is worse than what was?” It’s such a bitter question if we think this is how young Solas thought about his actions back then. This question is so personal that he uses the verb “wake up”, giving us an obvious detail that he is speaking from his own, personal, painful experience

Bitterly, Solas says “such confidence” if you bet on the future. He clearly does not believe is worthy. His own experience tells him that this option is always disappointing and tragic. 

While in a similar branch, if the inquisitor says “if that happens, it happens”, Solas gets the same idea than in the previous branches: “You have offered hope that if one keeps trying, even if the consequence are grave… that someday, things will be better.” It’s not something you “reminded him”, but it seems to follow the same line than the answer of keeping the old ways. This puts some responsibility on the Inquisitor about the actions that Solas will take in DA:D.

Solas: So, Seeker, your Inquisition grows. Cassandra: It was never my Inquisition, Solas. Solas: You did the brutal, thankless work putting the wheels in motion.  Do you feel no regret at letting that power pass to another?  You surprise me again, Seeker. Cassandra: Your opinion of me must be very low to surprise you so often. Solas: Not low, but realistic. Very few, however honorable, release power they have won.

In the same line of thinking than previously, we can see here that Solas seems to have a well known experience of this situation with the Evanuris: those who acquire power, never releases it. Except for the honourable ones. I may speculate that maybe Mythal spread her power once she discovered the power of the Titans. Since she is always described as honoured by Solas, it makes sense to link this with what he is saying in this banter.

Dorian: Solas, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. The elven city of Arlathan sounds like a magical place, and for my ancestors to have destroyed it... Solas: Dorian... hush. Empires rise and fall. Arlathan was no more "innocent" than your own Tevinter in its time.  Your nostalgia for the ancient elves, however romanticized, is pointless. If you wish to make amends for past transgressions, free the slaves of all races who live in Tevinter today. Dorian: I... don't know that I can do that. Solas: Then how sorry are you?

Solas has little patience for the romantisation of the past coming from Dorian [or the Dalish in general]. He states plainly that empires rise and fall. He compares Arlathan with Tevinter, so we are being informed that this city was a disaster in slavery and power-hunger. Curiously, it’s the city where the first elven Grey Warden shared knowledge about in order to create the Joining, meaning that this city made use of Blood magic, and it is where the humans think blood magic was originated [check Tarohne, the Fell Grimoire, and Xebenkeck]

Other bits of info we have from the Trespasser DLC [the screenshots and the details are in the section “Trespasser Revelations”]

He tried to free his people from the slavery of the Evanuris.

He freed all those who wanted to join him.

When the Evanuris went too far [he says it was caused by the death of Mythal, but we suspect it has something to do with the event he hid underground in  Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads] he sealed them, and created the Veil, destroying the world of the Elvhenan.

We may relate the death of Mythal with the angry sphere of fire that seems to be hidden with vines in  Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads.

Mythal was the best of the Evanuris. She cared for her people, and was a “voice of reason”. In Altar of Mythal, we learn that she was the embodiment of motherhood and Justice but also of Vengeance in a very curious way that makes me wonder how much of Elgar’nan exists as a single entity and not as another face of Mythal, considering how silent he is in general in most the lore we find in DA series.

The Evanuris killed her in their lust for power.

The Evanuris had to be sealed and banished, but not killed. Solas claims that they are not easy to kill, implying that they may have some mechanics of immortality. Maybe it’s similar to Corypheus. So far we saw this mechanism with Flemeth: she needed to leave a piece of herself inside an object and then be released to return to life.

The Evanuris are remembered as Gods because the legend grew: it started with a War [we assume it is the War against the Titans which endangered the elvhenan civilisation]. “The war breeds for a desire for simplicity”, making things white and black, good and evil. After the end of that war, the general became respected elders, then kings, and finally gods.

Organisations/Institutions/Empires

Cassandra: I noticed, Solas, that you did not seem surprised by what I uncovered about the Seekers. Solas: No? They are an organisation. Cassandra: You think organisations to be inherently corrupt? Solas: Given enough time, yes. To survive, an organisation must devote resources to maintaining itself. Those resources inevitably accumulate until the original purpose, however pure, is all but lost. Cassandra: You make the Seekers sound like a mindless beast. Solas: A beast, no matter how mindless, will die and give way to a successor. An organisation is eternal. There are always corrupt men who hoard power for their own gain and there are always honourable men who hoard power to fight them.

Here Solas explains how the nature of the organisation itself is doomed to corruption: noble purpose or not, the hoard of power will always cause and unbalance that not all people can endure in an honourable way. 

Solas: I heard about your organisation, Sera. I am impressed. Sera: Is this a trick? Solas: Hardly. But it is an opportunity. You have already divided your group's membership. That is wise. No one cell can betray all your secrets. The next step is to establish a rhythm. When your enemies pursue, you vanish. When they become complacent, you harass them. When they are weak, you strike in earnest.

Solas: Once you have the aristocracy weakened, Sera, you will have to redirect your lieutenants. Sera: Oh, this again. All right, what am I doing? Solas: Some of your forces, valuable until now, have no interests beyond creating disruption. Chaos for its own sake. They must be re-positioned where they can do no harm, or removed if necessary. You replace them with organisers willing to build a new system and carry out the ugly work that must be done. Sera: What? Why? What ugly work? Solas: That is up to you. Do you wish to disrupt the nobility, secure a title? Or change the political structure entirely? Sera: None of it! I don't want any of that!

Solas: I do not understand you, Sera. You have no end goal for your organisation. Sera: Nobles get rattled, and people get payback. I play in the middle. Solas: Why not go all the way? You see injustice, and you have organised a group to fight it. Don't you want to replace it with something better? Sera: What, just lop off the top? What's that do, except make a new top to frig it all up? Solas: I...forgive me. You are right. You are fine as you are. Sera: You hurt my head sometimes, Solas. Solas: Yes, I have been known to do that.

Solas’ advice to Sera about her organisation speaks a lot of what must have been his own organisation of followers of Fen’Harel [in the past and in the present]: they are divided in small cells, following a rhythm of attack, and any member who only wants disruption will be eliminated [as we saw it with Felassan]. Solas’ rebel nature can be seen so easily in these banters, he wants deep root-based change, modifying the structures that are corrupted from the core itself, however, he find himself lost at the lack of purpose in Sera’s organisation.

Solas: I find the fall of the dwarven lands confusing. Varric: What's so confusing about endless darkspawn? Solas: A great deal, although that is a different matter. Dwarves control the flow of lyrium. They could tighten their grip on it. Varric: It's hard to get the attention of the humans when the darkspawn aren't up here messing with their stuff. Solas: You're active in the Carta. You know your people could tug the purse strings. You could claim sovereign land on the surface, or demand help restoring the dwarven kingdom, but you don't. Varric: You're not saying anything I haven't said myself, Chuckles. Orzammar is what it is.

Solas: Is there at least a movement to reunite Orzammar and Kal-Sharok? Varric: What is it with you, Chuckles? Why do you care so much about the dwarves? Solas: Once, in the Fade, I saw the memory of a man who lived alone on an island. Most of his tribe had fallen to beasts or disease. His wife had died in childbirth. He was the only one left. He could have struck out on his own to find a new land, new people. But he stayed. He spent every day catching fish in a little boat, every night drinking fermented fruit juice and watching the stars. Varric: I can think of worse lives. Solas: How can you be happy surrendering, knowing it will all end with you? How can you not fight? Varric: I suppose it depends on the quality of the fermented fruit juice. Solas: So it seems.

Varric: All the "fallen empire" crap you go on about. What's so great about empires anyway? So we lost the Deep Roads, and Orzammar's too proud to ask for help. So what? We're not Orzammar and we're not our empire.  There are tens of thousands of us living up here in the sunlight now, and it's not that bad. Life goes on. It's just different than it used to be. Solas: And you have no concept of what that difference cost you. Varric: I know what it didn't cost me. I'm still here, even after all those Thaigs fell.

Solas: You truly are content to sit in the sun, never wondering what you could've been, never fighting back. Varric: Ha, you've got it all wrong, Chuckles. This is fighting back. Solas: How does passively accepting your fate constitute a fight? Varric: In that story of yours—-the fisherman watching the stars, dying alone. You thought he gave up, right? Solas: Yes. Varric: But he went on living. He lost everyone, but he still got up every morning. He made a life, even if it was alone. That's the world. Everything you build, it tears down. Everything you've got, it takes. And it's gone forever. The only choices you get are to lie down and die or keep going. He kept going. That's as close to beating the world as anyone gets. Solas: Well said. Perhaps I was mistaken.

Solas also speaks to Varric trying to infuse in him the need for “bringing back the ancient Dwarven empire”. Solas is mirroring his own desire in Varric. Because he is ancient, he knows the true story about the Dwarves, the “true cost” of the fall of the Dwarven Empire, and it seems to be as dire as the Elvhenan fall. However, he finds that Varric values more people than empires and pieces of history. Being the last of one’s kind is not as important nor tragic for Varric, than a life without friends and stories. This keeps Solas thinking.

The Blight and the Grey Wardens

Solas: The Wardens see themselves as the world's defense against the Blight, do they not? Blackwall: Yes... why do you sound so skeptical? Doesn't everyone know this? Solas: When an Archdemon rises, they slay it. What will they do when all the Archdemons are slain? Blackwall: Retire? Solas: Without Archdemons, there can be no Blights. Is that the reasoning? Blackwall: Right. Where are you going with this? Solas: Nowhere. I hope they are correct.

In Solas’ style, he is not saying explicitly that this general knowledge is wrong, but he places seeds of question. He implies that the end of the Archdemons will NOT end the Blights.

Solas claims that nothing in any lore connect his people [and I suppose he is referring to the Elvhenan] to the Old Gods that became Archdemons later. Sadly, the clarification of “in any lore” makes this line a bit useless for us. We already know that there is no lore in Thedas connecting these two groups of entities, but it doesn’t mean they are not; DA series is, after all, a story about multiple unreliable narrators. 

Mythal certainly had an interest in keeping Urthemiel uncorrupted, and it’s hard to believe that Flemeth would allow this if Urthemiel would have been one of the Evanuris that killed Mythal. Why would Flemeth save Urthemiel if Urthemiel was part of the plot to kill her? Clearly, there is a relationship between the Old Gods and the Evanuris, but it’s really hard to guess because, as Solas said, there is no lore helping us to connect them yet.

Solas simply knows that Corypheus’ dragons is not an Archdemon, nor an old god. So, once more, we have a subtly detail that implies Solas, and the elvhenan, may have had some relationship with the Old Gods to understand and know this with such confidence, even though it’s impossible to guess it with no hints given at all.

Solas suspects that the unique powers of Corypheus come from the Blight, the rest from the orb. When it comes to their effective immortality, one can see the analogy of what Flemeth did when she died, and what Corypheus or the Archdemons do. It’s similar but not the same. Flemeth needs to personally put a piece of herself in an object. If she doesn’t do this beforehand, it seems that she dies permanently. Corypheus, instead, does not need any preparation. His body jumps to any blighted creature, destroying it [as it happens in DA2 even though later, in DAI, it was retconned in order to state that the dragon had a piece of Corypheus that allowed him these jumps]. Maybe it’s the same mechanism, but due to the Blight it was corrupted and has extra enhancements. This procedure is not super clear. We can see its common details but they are not clear in lore. 

After the quest of Adamant Fortress, Solas enrages as few times we see him when the plan of the Grey Wardens is disclosed: they were creating an army of demons to go after the remaining Archdemons in order to kill them all.

For Solas this is more dangerous than binding themselves to demons. He claims that using demons is a tool and nothing more [here]. The true problem of this plan is to destroy the last two Archdemons: he literally says “The blight is not something one smugly outsmarts”. This once more gives us the idea that the Archdemons are “guardians” of the Blight, they are preventing something worse from happening. 

In [here] Solas straightforwardly says “ the real problem of Thedas IS the Blight”, not Corypheus, not the red lyrium: the Blight. And he emphasises again in a subtler way that ending the Archdemons will not end the Blights. He talks about the Magisters Sidereal as fools that went to the Golden City for power and ended up unleashing the Blight in this world.

Solas seems to never put in question that the Old Gods are Dragons.

He reinforces the idea that killing all the Archdemons is a bizarre attempt to prevent the Blight. And in more than one occasion he claimed it will release something worse than the Blight.

The metaphor he uses to describe the Grey Wardens shows what a great mistake killing all Archdemons could be, and how the whole world will “fall” in this attempt.

Clearly Solas does not approve what the Wardens do, and the less their numbers, the better in his opinion.

In low approval, he tries to deflect the fact that he may know more about the Blight, using basic logic: he reinforces the idea that choosing to corrupt themselves by drinking blood of darkspawn is not better. Now… it’s curious he speaks here in the open about the Joining process as if it were well known by everyone. Unlike any other non-Warden creature, Solas knows what the Joining procedure entitles.//

Cassandra: Solas, the dragon Corypheus commands - could it truly be an Archdemon? Solas: One assumes that if it were, we would be facing a Blight. Cassandra: So what is it, then? A corrupted dragon, simply another darkspawn? Solas: It is connected to Corypheus. Such a relation goes beyond mere control - it is a bond. Cassandra: It makes you wonder if that's all the Archdemons themselves are: pets to beings who no longer exist. Solas: I would not go as far as that. This dragon is a replica, spawned from a creature who aspires to greatness. No more.

We learn that Corypheus’ dragon is a bonded animal. Solas dismiss the idea that this is the usual procedure that Archdemons show. I’m not so sure how to understand the last line: is the dragon spawned from Corypheus? A piece of himself? Does this part imply that the Archdemons have nothing of the like?

Cassandra: Solas, what do you think this Corypheus actually is? Solas: A darkspawn, as he appears. Cassandra: But what of the orb he wields and the dragon he commands? This is no ordinary darkspawn. Solas: His true advantage is the red lyrium. It is corrupted by the Blight as he is, thus taps into its power twofold.  Whatever he was before, that is what makes him dangerous now.

Varric: Give them some credit, it's not like you can study the Blight safely. I may not like everything they've done, but without the wardens, we'd all be blighted by now. Solas: They've bought us some time, I will grant them that.

However, Solas seems to recognise that the procedure of the Warden, despite being far from ideal, is what delayed a wild spread of the Blight in the world.

Maker

Cassandra: I know my abilities do not come from the Maker, as I had once thought... Solas: Your abilities declare the world real. Who, if not the Maker of this world, could grant such a gift? Cassandra: You believe in the Maker? Solas: I am always open to new ideas.

Basically, Solas is telling that Cassandra’s abilities are a gift of a “Maker”. If we trust in Solas’ words, and we also remember the following lines of lore:

Templar abilities work as “reinforcements of Reality”. 

Lyrium also has a propriety of reinforcing reality. It may be implied that Templars have stronger abilities in this way when consuming lyrium.

Titans shaped the world and reality itself. Hence their blood do the same.

Titans were the sharpers of this world.

So, if we combine all these pieces of lore, I wonder if Solas is not implying that the “Maker of this world” is, in fact, a Titan. This would put in equivalence a titan with the Maker. This also would fit Andraste’s story of meeting the Maker, who is presented more like a Titan than an entity of power without shape [for more details, read Andraste 1 in Chant of Light - Part 1].

It’s also true that these skills were given, as we learn later, by a spirit of Faith that touches the Seekers. This would put in equivalence a spirit with the Maker. Sadly, by only following and reading Solas’ words we can’t guess if the Maker that Solas is referring to is a spirit or a titan. 

Solas says that seeking godhood, to prove oneself as such, is madness or a lie. In a way he is implying that there are no gods in the world of DA.  Hence why he appreciated the idea of the Maker: an idea that does not claim godhood at all. It inspire people who want to follow it, but in the end, it does not serve to a creature that will use this power in their advantage Let’s remember he hates worshipping [read the section of “Evanuris and Worshipping”].

Cassandra: Solas, if you do not mind me asking, what do you believe in? Solas: Cause and effect. Wisdom as its own reward, and the inherent right of all free willed people to exist. Cassandra: That is not what I meant. Solas: I know. I believe the elven gods existed, as did the old gods of Tevinter. But I do not think any of them were gods, unless you expand the definition of the word to the point of absurdity. I appreciate the idea of your Maker, a god that does not need to prove his power. I wish more such gods felt the same. Cassandra: You have seen much sadness in your journeys, Solas. Following the Maker might offer some hope. Solas: I have people, Seeker. The greatest triumphs and tragedies this world has known can all be traced to people.

Solas basically says he is open to new ideas, but he doesn’t seem to truly take seriously the concept of the Maker. He respects that the Maker does not need to prove his own power, as the Evanuris did. He also seems to imply that similar process that happened with the elven gods [mages who grew in legend to become “gods”] happened with the Old Gods of Tevinter. 

Cole: They can only return to the Maker if they become real. Why can't they be forgiven as they are? Solas: People say they lack the ability to learn or grow. Cole: Yes. Solas: But the more contact you have with this world, the more ability you gain. Cole: Why would they want to prove the Maker wrong? He's already far away. Solas: It isn't about right and wrong. It's about attention, when you think you have been forgotten. Cole: And rolling the ball so it goes in the hole.

This cryptic banter seems to state two things clearly: the Maker is “already far away”, and the Maker is something you return to if you “become real”. And we know that reinforcement of reality is always a thing related to lyrium, and most of the time, related to Titans. So once more it feels that part of the “Makers” we read in Cole may be referring to a Titan.

Miscellaneous Knowledge

Old ruins

Solas saw Barindur, a city which is a Fantasy Pompeii that predates the foundation of the Tevinter Imperium. In the lore of DA, we know a legend that says that the city disappeared when its king turned away an envoy from the High Priest of Dumat [The Lost City of Barindur]. With Solas’ words we see the legend grew from a tragic episode: it was not Dumat who destroyed the city, it was a natural disaster [eruption of volcano].

This speaks of a Thaig that an earthquake exposed it. We can potentially make a weak connection between earthquakes of this magnitude and Titans stirrings. We know through Valta that there was another stir of a Titan in history which may have been caused by deep alterations in the Veil and destroyed the thaig Heidrun [The Descent – The Deep Roads]. It’s likely that the incursion of the Sidereal Mages in the Fade caused this earthquake so deep that exposed a Thaig. Maybe it was the original place where the first horde of darkspawn poured out. He describes how the dwarves tried to defend a child making a circle around them. Beyond these speculations I can’t say more about this memory. 

Solas visited Flemeth’s abandoned hut’s reflection in the Fade. He claims the “world fears her return”. It sounds ominous as if he were talking about Mythal’s return, and her “reckoning that will shake the very heavens”.

He met a matchmaker spirit that guided love in a small town.

Solas met the spirit that the Alamarri called “the shadow goddess”. Because of this spirit, the Alamarri crossed the Frostback Mountains, escaping from it.  Solas says this spirit walks the Fade along the tundra, weeping, lonely, and forgotten. Then he assures us that this spirit was preying on the alamarri.[“she drove her prey away”]. He claims that the Ferelden developed as a consequence of this spirit. I feel there is a good important piece of lore here, because it may explain some of the bad shape that the map of Thedas has at its West, but it’s so brief that it’s impossible to squeeze out more speculations. 

Not to read too much into it, but this sounds like another Forgotten One [we don’t know how many truly are, after all]. As ancient elves, they were “more spirit” than bodies, so it makes sense to be described as “ancient spirit”. Solas claims this spirit was undisputed king of every land he discovered, and represented an emotion that the world has forgotten. Maybe peace? Or maybe forgiveness? Mutual understanding? I mean, we can make a long list of  forgotten emotions in the convoluted world of Thedas and still we will not be sure about it.

Another interpretation is that this emotion is something from the time of the Elvhenan, an emotion related to the elvhen and their unique nature. We know they were everywhere on Thedas before the creation of the Fade [Sera’s banter with Solas], and with the fall of this empire, this sentiment--widely spread--died with it. Now nobody remembers it. 

Old memories from the Fade

He saw a savage human horde [would he mean Avvar or Chasind?] singing to keep formation. We know through Shartan 1 in Chant of Light - Part 2, that the alamarri tended to sing songs while marching. We also know that the Avvar pull a similar trick to keep spirits in the battlefield to help them.

He emphasises the detail of the harmony [and once more we see the pattern of the songs and music and harmonies when it comes to elves perceiving these things]. Their cause was hopeless, and sang a song that made the spirits weep. This memory, if I have to relate to it to any, may potentially be one of the many marches that Andraste’s people did, or the Nevarran armies against the Neomerian in Threonides 5 and 6 from Chant of Light - Part 1.

First time a dwarf emerges and sees the sun. The dwarf cries, not because the light but because he is leaving the Stone. This memory could represent any dwarf, including Fairel. It is too generic to be pointed out unequivocally.

Here, he relates the memory of a Qunari baker, who changes some rations in the ingredients as a gesture of rebellion. I think this is very telling of Solas who, if he embodies any concept, is rebellion itself. Originally he may have been Wisdom/Pride [hence his name Solas=Pride] but over time, out of necessity to help his people, he changed and became Rebellion too. So he treasures rebellion in any form, even in this one memory, absolutely secret to any qunari but himself.

Dorian: Solas, that little flare you sometimes do with your staff... You're redirecting ambient energy to your personal aura? Solas: Yes. The effect clears magical energy and creates a minor randomized barrier to impair incoming magic. Dorian: Fascinating. It's a Tevinter technique. I've never seen anyone in this part of the world do it. Solas: The technique is not Tevinter. It is elven. Dorian: Oh! That means we... never mind, then. Solas: But do go on about the wonders of Tevinter magic.

Dorian: That orb Corypheus carries... are you certain it's of elven origin, Solas? Solas: I believe so. Why do you ask? Dorian: There are paintings in the Magisterium's archives of men holding similar orbs. They were depictions of a time long before the magisters. The ancient Dreamers, perhaps. The texts called those orbs "somnaborium"--"vessels of dreams." Could they be the same thing? Solas: Perhaps. The humans of ancient times took much from the elves. Dorian: And Corypheus isn't far removed from the time. Hmm.

Solas very explicitly says what we have been noticing all over Thedas: Tevinter always had a lot of elven arcane knowledge, even in the smallest details like magical techniques as well as artefacts of great power. Tevinter has co-opted and has been claiming as its own a lot of elvhen magic since ancient times. 

Solas: Our people used to be here. Sera: Pfft, you say that everywhere. Solas: It is more true than you want to believe.

This means that elvhenan were everywhere, in the Fade but also in the Waking World when there was no Veil separating the two regions, which makes sense if we think in Mythal’s Temple: it has been there since before the war against the Titans.

Solas: Is it true that the entire dwarven economy relies upon lyrium? Varric: Mostly. We've got the nug market cornered as well. Solas: And the dwarves of Orzammar have never studied lyrium? Varric: If they have, they certainly haven't shared anything up here. Why? Solas: It is the source of all magic, save that which mages bring themselves. Dwarves alone have the ability to mine it safely. I wondered if they had sought to learn more. Varric: The folks back in Orzammar don't care much about anything but tradition.

This implies that there is more to lyrium than what we believe, apparently. Or maybe it’s just Solas wondering if the Dwarves would have realised it was Titan’s blood had they studied it.

Solas: I am sorry to have bothered you with my questions about your people Varric. I see so much of this world in dreams. Humans, my own people, even qunari. Dwarves alone were lost to me, save scattered fragments of memory where some spirit cared to watch. Now I know why I see so little. Varric: And why is that? Solas: Dwarves are the severed arm of a once mighty hero, lying in a pool of blood. Undirected. Whatever skill of arms it had, gone forever. Although it might twitch to give the appearance of life, it will never dream. Varric: I'd avoid mentioning that to any Carta, Chuckles. They might not take it the right way.

This line seems to hide more about the nature of the Titans than what it looks like. If this is the case, Solas is describing indirectly a Titan as a “hero”, defeated, bleeding, and maybe even incapacitated. His words also seem to imply that this incapacity is severe, they can’t return to what they were, and their lack of dream ability is permanent.

Trespasser revelations

The mark of the inquisitor is a mark given by the Orb of Fen’Harel,

Solas was first “Solas” [Pride], then he changed his purpose. We can even interpret that this happened in the way he says that spirits change purpose: through the interaction with other people. I imagine that Solas seeing The People suffering may have changed him, so he turned into Fen’Harel [something along the lines of Opposition and Rebellion, see codex The Rebel God], which has some degree of pride, after all. However this new name was given by the Evanuris, he did not pick it.

He is not a “piece” of Fen’Harel, like Mythal is in Flemeth. This elf we see has always been Solas, after he took his current shape, I guess.

He tried to free his people from the slavery of the would-be-gods, aka The Evanuris,

He freed all those who wanted to join him.

When the Evanuris went too far [he says it was when they killed Mythal, but we suspect it has something to do [too] with the event he hid underground in  Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads] he sealed them, and created the Veil, destroying the world of the Elvhen.

We may relate the death of Mythal with the angry sphere of fire that seems to be hidden with vines in  Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads.

Mythal was the best of the Evanuris. She cared for her people, and was a voice of reason. Despite of that, Solas will always be angry and oppose the Inquisitor who drinks from the Well of Sorrow and becomes a servant of Mythal.

The Evanuris killed Mythal in their lust for power.

After the death of Mythal, and the seal of the rest of the Evanuris, he created the Veil out of necessity. Any other alternative was worse. I always like to highlight this, because this shows that Solas tried to pick the less damaging option. He always tries this, the problem is that there are not many good options to pick from.

The Creation of the Veil destroyed the elvhenan civilisation, so deeply entangled with magic: their cities were made out of magic related to the Fade, which fell apart when the two worlds were forced to be separated by a Veil.

The immortality of the Elves seems to be related to the Fade too, so when the Veil was created, the elves lost their immortality.

He repeats and implies several times that the Veil is protecting the world from a bigger danger that will destroy it. This implies that he is doing what he is doing in DA:D to save the world, since the danger sealed in the past will return and destroy everything anyways.

The Evanuris had to be sealed and banished, but not killed. Solas claims that they are not easy to kill, implying that they may have some mechanics of immortality. Maybe it’s similar to Corypheus’. So far, we saw an analogous mechanism with Flemeth: she needed to leave a piece of herself inside an object and then be released magically to return to life.

The Evanuris are remembered as Gods because their legends grew: it started with a War [we assume it is the War against the Titans which endangered the elvhenan civilisation]. The war breeds for a desire for simplicity, making things white and black, good and evil. After the end of that war, the general became respected elders, then kings, and finally gods.

After the creation of the Veil, Solas “lay” in dark and slumbered [he did not call this Uthenera because it was not final] to recover from the effort. History passed and he awoke, still weak, a year before the Inquisition was formed.

He wants to restore the elvhen world, even if it means to destroy this one. On the other hand, in combination with what he said previously, if this world is slowly losing the ward that has been protecting it from the big danger he hid with the Veil, it’s just a matter of time for this world to fall.

Solas takes no pleasure in destroying this world to recover the old one.

The Orb of Fen’Harel gathered Fade energy for a millennia.

He let his agents guide Corypheus to his orb, expecting him to die when he unlocked it. He was not counting on Corypheus knowing how to master effective immortality.

Solas says that had Corypheus died as he had planned, he would have entered the Fade with the Anchor. This implies that Solas is not able to enter the Fade physically anymore, and holds the idea that there seems to be a duality or a separation between Solas-elf and Solas-wolf. We also saw in many codices and the murals that the Wolf figure of six eyes seems to be roaming the Fade, vigilant, while Solas is in the Waking World. This also bring to my mind the line of Cole: “He broke the dreams to stop the old dreams from waking. The wolf chews its leg off to escape the trap.” I don’t know how much of this line may be referring to a potential separation of Solas’ nature into two, leaving the “dread wolf” in the Fade [or more likely in the inner side of the Veil preventing the entrance to the Black City], as a guardian.

The destruction of the world with the fall of the Veil is more metaphorical than real. It’s not like the Waking World will “fall apart” in the literal ways as the Shattered Library did. However, it certainly will be a place with a lot of spirits and demons in a world where the Chantry taught everyone to see a spirit and think in a demon, so it’s most likely that a huge amount of spirit will end up reflecting that, causing “this world to burn in raw chaos”. The “destruction” of this world is not as physical as words seem to imply, but simply  a great amount of demons everywhere given the bad, terrible education that the Chantry spread everywhere. Certainly the Avvar will be as chilling as always, lol.

Solas acknowledges that his role as a leader of a rebellion always implied dirty hands. It was the price to fight mage-kings. He recognises he has been used a lot of people in hopeless battles.

When he awoke in this world, it felt to him as if the world were filled with tranquils.

He recognises that he did not perceive the people of this world as people at first, but the more he saw the struggles and the humanity of each living creature throughout DAI, he recognisef their personhood. If Solas is your friend, he will claim it was you who showed him the personhood of the living creatures of Thedas and that there is value in this world. He recognised he was wrong in his previous impression.

Like all organisations, Solas says that the Inquisition suffers betrayal and corruption.

Solas now controls the eluvians

#solas #fade #the fade #veil #mages and magic #magic #elven orb #evanuris #the blight #blight #Grey Warden #maker #alamarri #spirit #Spirits #elvhen #elvhenan #dwarves #titan #titans #Archdemon #Old Gods #barindur #flemeth #mythal #tevinter

[mercyisms]

wld love for u to expand on your thoughts about asian jewish mercymorn?? my beloved hater girl

(:<<<< i was delighted to receive this ask and rolled it around in my brain for days and days, even though the real answer is "i'm silly and i like to have fun." to preamble: very, very generally, i think it can useful to have fun with white characters in works written by white novelists. i think it can be a lot of fun, too, to see a fancreator re-interpret a work into a culture they know a lot about and bring out different textures or tensions. but i also think it’s fun to reconsider specific characters (sometimes especially the ambiguously raced ones) and tease out tensions that might feel interesting or ones that somebody without cultural context may have overlooked. i like resisting the idea that whiteness is the default or a neutral default.

though! on the flip side and despite routinely joking that augustine being canonically blonde is a hate crime against me somehow, i also recognize that, for example, augustine’s whiteness (or presentation towards whiteness) seems intentional and is doing work in the text. (when i joke about john always having one six foot plus blonde around, it’s funny! but it’s also reflecting something the text is engaging with with regards to race.) so, anyway, that man can stay white. but to speak, at last, to our beloved hater girl. i think the first thing that opened the door for me is one of the initial descriptions we get of mercymorn.

The face beneath the icy parti-coloured hood was a prim, virginal oval; much in shape and feature like the shape of a saint’s face in a portrait, or a death mask. The nose and jaw and forehead were all carven and serene, and therefore had the same indifferent dullness of a well-formed statue.

i am fairly certain tamsyn is consciously trying to evoke one of the infinitely funny and also very beautiful medieval paintings or sculptures of the virgin mary (etc.) (divine conception: difficult mode, am I right, lads?). but for me, the refrain of mercy’s oval face is a great example of a descriptor that isn’t exclusive to whiteness. very practically, when i started looking for references to make humble sketches of mercymorn, i first turned to michelle dockery (expressive eyebrows! a face that can be cold and severe but then melts into heartbreaking, childish expression!) and then more and more to (an aged down!) kim seo hyung. (for the record, when i make stabs at augustine, i am usually drawing on a richard ii era fiona shaw, with dashes of young peter capaldi and perennially ancient jeremy irons. recently, my go-to for cytherea has been ophelia-era—of course—helena bonham carter.) but it’s rooted in more than just me dicking around in procreate. the idea of an asian mercymorn became more compelling to me when i considered how that would change the texture of her character. to try and be as brief as possible, there, as you may well be v familiar with yourself, are longstanding stereotypes of (largely east and south, but it all gets homogenized) asian immigrants being depicted as cold and unfeeling robots, as excelling only at rote memorization and lacking critical thinking or social skills, as being dangerous or suspicious or obnoxious over-achievers, and as, depending on the day, being too sexy or utterly sexless. (i am not claiming any of these are unique to the very broad category of ‘asian,’ just setting the table.) and i think mercymorn becomes really compelling reinterpretation and rebuke to expectations if she is asian. because she is so many of those things: overachieving med school graduate; someone who (though she seems to have excelled at the magicky part) gift comes from stubborn, rote memorization; someone deeply repressed; someone who is told and believes herself to be unfeeling and inhuman (”Every time you’ve said that I did not understand the human heart, that I was unfeeling, that I only knew worship without adoration”)—but is also a disaster of emotions, despite it all, and is driven by incredibly messy emotions and whose skills (the memorization, the drive to overachieve, even the repression) come from this vast and terrifying well of emotions that even she can’t really look at head-on. before mercymorn, i don’t know that i had seen these tropes reworked in exactly this way or thought to rethink these stereotypes in this way, and so that’s some of what mercymorn-as-asian does for me. (obviously caveat that i’m very strongly drawing from a north american context and i totally confess to not knowing what stereotypes are present in new zealand! but anecdotally through friends in australia and england, these stereotypes certainly seem present throughout the globe, and i would not be surprised if they were also present in nz. but just recognizing that!) i also, personally, find this a lot more satisfying than just going off tamsyn’s canon sheet and being like, yeah, got it, isaac is the one canonical east asian. that’s nice! that’s lovely! but it doesn’t really do anything for me or the narrative. i’m not upset about it! but the lyctors, those who lived pre-ressurection and lived closest to john and carry some of their biases with them, are people who have been shaped by a society where race is very present. vs. the younger 10,000 years out gen who ostensibly (though of course they are in a text written here and now) live in a “post-racial” society, at least from what we see within the house system. (i mean, i say this, but then i also feel like... have u met east asian christian converts. there is some eighth house energy there is all i will say. so, again, i just like to have fun.) re: the jewish thing, i am a hater girl myself and cannot like catholics have anything not ever (hashtag joking, tbc) and a) would love for a foot in and b) as myself and others have pointed out, mercymorn would love to kvetch, she’d be so good at it, she understands it implicitly and she deserves to have a community to kvetch with and c) as i think the inciting post for this ask pointed out she’d be so good at saying ‘oy vey’ and d) idk i just think it’s even funnier if a lapsed jewish woman and a nun walk into a bar and then kiss. in general, i also feel a vested interest in opening the door for mixed race readings of characters and one’s that, again, reinterpret or add to the texture of that character’s presence in text and are done in a thoughtful, fun, interesting way. i could possibly say more but i think this is enough for right now!! maybe!!! sorry this took me so long!! uhh but that’s a taste into my thought process, anyway, for how i like to interpret and reinterpret les lyctores and specifically best beloved hater mercymorn m. nolastname i love u. it is (obviously!) not the definitive or only interpretation, but is the one that currently speaks deepest to my soul. but i do love to see all kinds of interpretations and reinterpretations of our beloved necro-cast.

#i kept trying to make tags and tumblr kept eating them so tags tk pray that this posts #2 #3 #4 #5 #asks #anonymous #mercymorn the first