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archived-daydreams · 1 year

Text

— First love, late spring.

Summary: what does it feel like, to fall in love with them?

Characters: Jing Yuan, Dan Heng, Gepard, Kafka, Bronya, Serval, Asta x gender neutral reader.

Word count: 1.2 k.

Tags: fluff.

Author’s note: my debut writing for Honkai Star Rail ! I know Jing Yuan hasn’t been released yet, so his part is just personal interpretation; all in all, these are just some sort of little headcanons I wanted to try imagining and writing down, I hope you enjoy <3

Reblog to support your favorite authors ! It helps more than likes.

JING YUAN

Falling in love with the Cloud Knight general feels like returning to a home you still hadn’t realized how much you’d longed for.

His calm presence draws you in, a melodious and crackling hearth beckoning you forward in shades of gold and skies at sundown. To stand beside him could be compared to entering a secret forest, where the moon rises as she kisses the dipping sun on the cheek as they meet at dusk. Birds chirp happily, as if revealing the songs your heart likes to play when you are with Jing Yuan, the heat in your cheeks, a manifestation of the firework embers lighting up the starry twilight. The general puts his arm around your shoulders, bringing your form closer to his, fluffy argent hair tickling the side of your neck.

You lean into him, the sunset looks a little brighter when your lover’s lips graze your temple.

And when his big calloused hand intertwines its fingers with yours, you know with him, anywhere is paradise.

DAN HENG

Scarlet maple forests feel more magical underneath the stars.

In the same way, pieces of every story and memory that constitute the wielder of Cloud-Piercer take form before your eyes as you make your way starwards.

Not one for many words or idle conversation, Dan Heng shows you the emotions he conceals to the public in small actions, starlit fragments only the one who dares to rummage between the layers of crimson leaves will uncover. Shielding you from unexpected enemies, helping you up and down the platform of the express, throwing a blanket over your shoulders when you inevitably pass out on the couch after running around with March… And when, still halfway into your realm of dreams, you call his name, a keen eye may spot on the express gurad’s cheeks some of the carmine usually adrift in the breeze in the autumn months.

Then again, if could be just your sleepy imagination…

Perhaps. is the lingering “what if” echoing on your mind.

GEPARD

The steady rock amidst a tumultuous ocean, relentless waves colliding against its silvery surface, time and time again.

Yet the rock does not yield.

Much in the same way the captain of the Silvermane Guards is your white-hot anchor in the blizzard.

No matter how hurt you are, Gepard stays.

No matter how drained and wasted your last breakup left you, his strong arms embrace you, the biting gales futile against his hold.

And maybe, taking notice of your own (and his) feelings might take you a while.

But Gepard Landau’s heart only knows loyalty.

So he waits.

For you to realize, for the sun to finally shine, and mark the path from you to him.

Because argent tends to reflect the skies, and only when the morning star deigns to shine, can the cobblestones tying you together gleam.

You take a step, and you know Gepard Landau is your only destination.

KAFKA

Exhilarating and with “danger” spelled in boldened capitals, that is how romance with the Stellaron’s Hunter feels.

The rational part of you warned you this was a bad idea, yet, as they say, sometimes, the heart wants what it wants.

Freedom prevailed that night, and your lips met the Interastral Peace Corporation’s most wanted’s.

It could have been the drinks you had, against your better judgment, the sweet intoxication of the alcohol in your system and of the temptation of her, a ticking bomb combination.

But caution is thrown to the wind the moment Kafka wraps her priced coat around your shoulders, her lips sensually whispering in your ear, promises of a million idyllic tomorrows together already tangling in the messy yarn ball of your mind.

But who are you to refuse? Or how could anyone, for that matter? When her painted lips envelop yours under the infinity of the firmament?

BRONYA

Dignified, smart, and the picture perfect image of what a heir should be like.

However, what is hidden beyond that icy facade of flawless poise?

Your sweet lover, a girl who enjoys the sound of tranquil nights and hurried steps by morning, someone who lets herself daydream to the faint music coming from Golden Theater.

A beautiful and enchanting contradiction, a storm of opposites you can’t help but get lost in, from the pretty curls of her lucent hair, to her determined gunmetal gaze.

Who would have thought, you think with a tender smile, as your hands run through her steel moonlit tresses, that you’d get to win the heart of the Heir to the Supreme Guardian of Belebog?

Leaving a soft kiss to the crown of her head, you lay down beside her in bed. With a last look out the window at the slate sky, you close your eyes.

The lyrics to a ballad swirl in your mind, probably coming from Golden Theater.

In the dim light, you find your girlfriend’s hand.

That night, Bronya Rand would be the actress in your oneiric plane, her heart, yours alone.

SERVAL

Electrifying and magnetizing, akin to a violet horizon right before a storm. The thunder in the distance makes your every hair stand on end, yet you can’t help longing for something more.

Afternoons helping Serval out at Neverwinter Workshop always end with you sitting before her, wide smile aglow on your features as she picks up her electric guitar. You always loved the way her sapphire eyes sparkled when she talked about this or that new song she was composing, but actually getting to see her perform for you alone… that’s enough to get you giddy.

Her painted nails strum the cords with ease, each of them bending at the workshop owner’s will, as lightning seems to take command of your heart, its thundering pace and the melody she plays seamlessly dancing to the beat of a fervent tango.

As the sky throws its indigo shawl over the lovers, the blonde gazes at you, a pretty (and unusual) rosy tone on her cheeks, a silent inquire for your thoughts about her new piece.

After all, you’re always the first one to hear every new song she comes up with.

ASTA

The girl who used to dream of naming stars after herself finally found a star that will always orbit around the fiery sun she is.

Her crystalline eyes look up from the papers she was sorting out until moments ago, her lips curving up in a crescent not unlike the one she used to observe, when she spots you.

Two cups of coffee in hand, you sit beside her, your head leaning on her shoulder. Your hand catches hers over the table, prompting her to stop the frantic scribbling of her pen.

And the instant her opalescent gaze meets yours, she is breathless, a nebula the color of her hair spreading through her cheeks. Her pen falls out of her grasp, the words she never seems at a loss for, failing her.

As they do every time when it comes to you.

But who could blame her? When she’d trade every galaxy and celestial body in this universe and the next for a millisecond next to you?

The lead researcher of Herta Space Station closes her notepad.

For now, work can wait.

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david-talks-sw · 1 year

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What's 'Star Wars' about?

A while ago I got an 'Ask' that concluded with "what is Star Wars about, if not the Jedi, right?" And weirdly enough... I have to disagree.

I mean... to me? Yes. Star Wars is about the Jedi. A Jedi-less, Sith-less, lightsaber-less Star Wars movie or series will struggle to get me on board (which is why I was surprised that I loved Andor so much).

But if you read everything George Lucas said, if you think about the Jedi's place in his two trilogies... they're not front and center, right?

Sure, there's Luke Skywalker... but he's a learner, in the Original Trilogy. Same goes for Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, in the Prequels. They're going through character arcs.

Otherwise, the Jedi are either used as mentors to the protagonist...

... or to deliver exposition...

... but they're mostly vectors Lucas uses to present his thesis.

Functionally-speaking, the Jedi are important in that they embody the Buddhist philosophies the movie's themes are based on.

But when it comes to the plot, they're secondary. That's because the the themes of these films are bigger than the Jedi themselves.

So the question becomes... what's are the themes?

The primary goal of the Star Wars films is to inspire kids to start thinking outside the box and teach them a set of values and psychological motifs that have been passed down through mythology and fairy tales.

These values can be summed up in the dichotomy between greed and compassion / selfishness and selflessness / pleasure and joy.

We all have both aspects and need to strike a balance between the two. After all, being greedy ultimately comes from fear and being afraid can happen to all of us. Problem is, unchecked fear can lead to anger, hate and a whole lot of suffering.

The more selfish you are, the more you want things and the more you're afraid that you'll lose everything you have, you'll get angry when someone tries to take it and that will hurt everyone around you.

In other words, fear is the path to the tempting/addictive Dark Side.

Thus, seeing as we'll be inevitably tempted by the Dark Side and give in at some point (because nobody's perfect), we should aim to be as selfless and compassionate as possible for our own good... but also for the greater good, because we're all connected to a life energy. You can call it Qi or God; in Star Wars it's known as the Force.

As such, we all form a symbiotic circle and working with that in mind is better than putting ourselves first and draining from everything and everyone around us.

But we also need to be careful because there will be people who give in to that selfish side and will try to control everything. When the time comes, we must stand up for what's right.

So that's Lucas' thesis.

If I had to sum them up, the six movies illustrate it as follows:

The Prequel Trilogy is about the consequences of greed, explored through Anakin on a smaller scale and the Senate on a larger one.

The Original Trilogy shows the triumph of compassion, through Luke, Leia & Han and the Rebellion's fight against the Empire.

Lucas talked about it multiple times, the Prequels are about how Anakin becomes Darth Vader and how the Republic becomes the Empire, and in both those cases, it happens because they're greedy.

The Senate is greedy in the more classical sense. They could give a shit about "symbiosis", no they're taking bribes, letting corporations dictate policy, using loopholes to keep themselves in power and halting any meaningful progress out of fear that the new status quo will conflict with their own self-serving goals.

Anakin's greed manifests in a different way. He turns to the Dark Side because of his attachment. He wants to stop Padmé from dying... but not because he wants to save her, rather he wants to save himself from feeling the pain of loss again and will do anything to not have to live without her, her own wishes and the natural cycle of life and death be damned.

In both cases, they cave under pressure orchestrated by Palpatine, but nobody puts a gun to their head. They make a deliberate choice that comes from a selfish place, and neither one takes personal responsibility for it, they blame others, the Separatists in the case of the Senate and the Jedi in Anakin's case.

The Republic becomes an Empire with thunderous applause, betraying the people it was meant to protect.

And when faced between doing something he knows is right and giving in to his selfish desires...

... Anakin elects to do the latter, thus betraying his family and leaving the Force in darkness.

These selfish choices impact the galaxy as a whole, including the only characters in the trilogy who were doing their best to be compassionate and live in symbiosis: the Jedi, Padmé and Bail.

These champions of the Light Side are stuck playing catch-up or helplessly witnessing the events unfold, throughout the trilogy. They're playing by the rules and Palpatine uses this to his advantage.

Thus, as the galaxy tears itself apart because of Palpatine's manipulations, the Jedi and Bail are ignored and gradually weakened until they're either rendered irrelevant or killed.

A new order is born, one built on blood, lies and greed: the Empire.

But a new hope remains.

While before, the Jedi and people like Bail stood alone as everything around them became willfully corrupt... now, a Rebellion inspired by their legacy has banded together to overthrow the current order. But they don't fight for power or personal glory, they fight for altruistic, compassionate reasons. There's a sense of general responsibility that moves them, they're all doing their part.

On a larger scale, we focus on the Rebels, who are tired of seeing people suffer and decided this needs to stop. They have gone from being passive, to proactive.

On a more personal scale, we see the evolution of Luke, from naive farmer to a hero, and guess what? More and more selfish people - like Han or Lando - are inspired to join the Rebellion, after seeing the exploits of Luke, Leia, or even Ben.

It all culminates in the final film, wherein:

The Rebels band together with the Ewoks - literal teddy bears whom the Empire, in their arrogance, never even considered to be a threat - to destroy the Second Death Star and free the galaxy from imperial tyranny.

At the same time, Emperor Palpatine pressures Luke, who is tempted by the Dark Side like his father was.

But instead of giving in to his selfish desire to kill Darth Vader for all the horrors he's done...

... he finds the strength to rise above it, instead showing compassion for his father, which, in turn, inspires Anakin to do the same.

He faces a choice, like he did in Palpatine's office, two decades prior...

... and this time he chooses right.

Children teach you compassion. Anakin lets go of his fear and anger, and saves his son at the cost of his own life, finally bringing balance back to the Force.

Good triumphed over evil. Its champions achieved victory by being selfless, hopeful and fighting together / helping each other.

And that's it, that's how the movies thematically tie together.

As you can see, the Jedi aren't that directly impactful on the overall plot, because it revolves around Anakin, Luke and the respective factions/institutions around them.

But what the Jedi do bring to the table is their ability to teach and inspire others, both in-universe and out. They're spiritually impactful.

The Jedi are the epitome of compassion, and it's partially through them that George Lucas teaches his values to the audience.

#to be clear: Star Wars doesn't HAVE to be about all this #This is just me trying to summarize what Lucas said in all his interviews and speeches #The post-Lucas Star Wars transmedia franchise made the Jedi more central than they were originally meant to be; especially in the Prequels #You see this in interviews from current SW creators /writers #but also small stuff like renaming the Prequel era “Fall of the Jedi” when it was originally named the “Rise of the Empire” era #meta #george lucas #star wars #jedi order #the force #anakin skywalker #luke skywalker #prequel trilogy #original trilogy

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avocado-writing · 7 months

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following on from that, what would you say are the ineffable husbands kinks are? What's their favourite things to do in bed, we all know they eat pussy like it's their last meal, but what other things do they like?

SO GLAD YOU ASKED

crowley:

praise kink. you tell him he’s a good boy/girl/demon and he melts under you.

hair pulling. look, sometimes he manifests it long for a reason. he likes when you bury your hands in it and tug.

he has a dirty mouth that runs a mile a minute. “you like that, don’t you? a demon stretching you out. i bet you can’t wait to be filled with my come…”

however, prefers to bottom. whether your dick is real or silicone he’ll ride it and look beautiful as he throws his head back in rapture.

aziraphale:

wing kink. aziraphale loves to have his huge, fluffy wings out and let you touch them. they’re very sensitive and you can get him off just by carding your fingers the right way through his feathers…

loves missionary, but that’s just because he enjoys whatever position lets him look into your eyes while you’re making love. he wants to see how you react to his every thrust, every caress.

surprisingly into toys. his corporeal form is able to achieve all sorts of pleasure and why should he deny himself it, deny either of you it? whether it’s a vibrator or a paddle or a clamp, that Angel has a draw that will keep you busy all night long.

loves aftercare even if the scene wasn’t that rough. he just enjoys holding you in his arms, or being held.

together:

they like to dp you so they can feel their cocks together in the same hole.

both have a massive creampie kink. they love to watch their cum drip out of you, especially when it’s mixed together.

cuddlers. they love to cuddle. aziraphale likes to be sandwiched in the middle most so he can wrap an arm around you and crowley and pull you flush to his soft, sated body.

hope that scratched an itch, anon!

#aziraphale x reader x crowley #crowley x reader x aziraphale #crowley x reader #aziraphale x reader #ineffable husbands x reader #good omens x reader #avo answers

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indigovigilance · 7 months

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This has been eating at my brain for 5 minutes, but why does aziraphale wear reading glasses sometimes. Is it for aesthetic? Is it their eyesight? Help

Hi @electronicturtlepaper, thanks for the ask! I gave this some thought, and I propose four reasons that Aziraphale wears reading glasses:

Aziraphale imagines himself having a 50-year old human body

He likes doing things the human way

They are integral to his enjoyment of art

He uses them to communicate with Crowley

Expanded arguments and evidence, as always, below the cut:

Aziraphale likes to imagine that he is a 50-year old human.

I think there's a little bit of a tendency to think of the ineffables as being superhuman. They are, but not the way Superman or Wonderwoman are. We get the best illustration of this in S1E6 when Crowley is driving through the M-25 inferno:

Crowley has something no other demons have, an imagination. Right now, he's imagining that he is just fine, and that a ton of burning metal, rubber and leather is a fully functioning car.

We know from this Season 1 scene that Crowley's imagination manifests reality; in this particular instance, it is to defy the laws of physics, to keep his body from discorporating and his car from falling apart.

Even though the way it's being used feels "super," we can see how the mechanic of "imagination manifests reality" could be used in the exact opposite way by someone who likes to think of themselves as a homely, affable pillar of the community that has owned the bookshop on the corner for as long as anyone can remember. We see other ways this manifests, like not being able to keep up with Gabriel while jogging:

He could think of himself as a battle-ready soldier, but he doesn't. He thinks of himself as someone who likes culture, good food, and fine clothes; cardio doesn't really play into that, so his corporeal form manifests accordingly. By the same token, he's an avid reader, and as far as his Whickber Street neighbors are concerned, has spent all day, every day reading books for the past no-one-knows-how-long; how would he not need reading glasses?

By sheer power of imagination, Aziraphale has manifested himself into needing corrected vision.

Aziraphale Likes Doing Things the Human Way

Keep in mind that this is the angel who absolutely did not fool Nefertiti with a single caraway seed and three cowrie shells, but he sure did put his whole entire soul into learning prestidigitation from the best human magicians of their day, and took French lessons so that he could ask his aunt's gardener for a pen.

Wearing reading glasses to read is part and parcel to a 50-year-old man running a bookshop. Miracling himself some Lasik eye surgery would be cheating, just like using a miracle to make the farthing vanish in a sleight of hand trick. In order to do something the human way, all the normal human handicaps must apply, including myopia.

Aziraphale's Enjoyment of Art is Enhanced by Wearing Glasses

I also think that Aziraphale considers wearing eyeglasses to be an integral part of the human experience of the joy of literature; reading a novel without peering at the page through silica lenses framed by metal wire would be like eating sushi without dipping it in soy sauce. The experience would be incomplete.

But, then again, look at this dork:

He's wearing his glasses to listen to music. Clearly this isn't necessary or even helpful (but as someone who has taken off their glasses so they can listen better to somebody, I can assure you it's very human). So this tells us that Aziraphale's glasses are, among other things, his "I'm enjoying art right now" accessory.

This is further reinforced in the following beat, when he's opened the door, and he's not wearing his glasses anymore:

So sometime between turning off the gramophone and opening the door for Gabriel, he took off his glasses to signal that he has quit shastakovich.exe and is returning to "normal adult responsibilities" mode.

Aziraphale Uses His Glasses To Communicate

...and we know exactly who he learned this from: @goodomensgifs credited for this wonderful gifset, hereafter incorporated by reference because my computer is so mad at me rn and can't handle loading gifs.

Crowley uses his glasses to communicate his emotions a lot. He uses them to show vulnerability. He uses them to show contentment. He uses them to threaten. He uses them to show that he is wounded and defensive. He uses them to demonstrate that he is or is not willing to talk. Aziraphale has learned from the best.

The first time we see Aziraphale leverage his lenses this way in Season 2 is when Crowley returns to the shop after their fight about Gabriel. When he's alone, waiting for Crowley to return, Aziraphale isn't wearing his glasses:

but quickly puts them on when Crowley walks in the door:

Quite a few analysts have published metas on equivocation (@cobragardens and @ao3cassandraic, maybe we should start using an #equivocation tag? Because this is becoming a recurring topic), which I incorporate here by reference. Crowley and Aziraphale have had to learn to communicate without saying a lot of things out loud, and glasses are playing a role in that.

By putting on his glasses, Aziraphale has just put up a big "I'm feeling hurt and defensive" sign; at the same time, Crowley takes his glasses off, to signal that he's ready to talk. Aziraphale peers through his glasses while he's pretending to ignore Crowley, reinforcing that his glasses are assisting him in demonstrating his umbrage.

Aziraphale finally takes his glasses off to tell Crowley that his "you were right" wasn't a good enough apology:

At this point in the conversation, the angel is allowing himself to be more vulnerable and show just how upset he is.

This evidence is taken from limited samples, but it fits with the general dynamic of the characters observed elsewhere.

Thanks for the great prompt, I never would have done this exploration otherwise but it was very rewarding.

Good Omentober!

~~~~~~

If you liked this, you may like:

Clothes + Equivocation = Romance by @cobragardens

The Colors of Crowley by @cobragardens

The Golden Lion by @cobragardens

Angel Pinky Rings by yours truly, @indigovigilance

...and any fan is welcome to drop an analysis request in my askbox!

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #glasses #equivocation #ivoc #indigovigilance answers asks

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will-o-the-witch · 2 years

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Jewish Angel Work

I don't see a bunch of writing about angel work in general, and what I do find is often heavily Christianized! I wanted to talk about what angel work can look like from a Jewish perspective.

(Gentiles may interact and enjoy, but understand that this is for educational purposes and not an invitation to appropriate! 🤍)

A Jewish-Specific Perspective

Judaism views angels in ways other traditions may not share! Some examples:

Angels aren't former humans. They are their own distinct beings just like demons, cows, land spirits and butterflies. People who pass away, even children, are not considered "angels returning home." These angels have specific forms and looks depending on the type, some more humanoid than others.

Angels don't have free will. This does not mean they are held hostage or can't have their own personalities, but their will is an extension of HaShem's Will, serving a specific role in making that Will manifest. Kind of like employees in a corporation doing their tasks!

They don't have names. Or at least, they don't have names we're supposed to know or ask for. They may be incomprehensible to humans, or maintaining a level of anonymity as to not distract from HaShem. Either way, asking for a name is often discouraged in traditional texts.

They AREN'T all here to help you. While it all serves a Divine Will and is therefore Good in the grand scheme of things, many angels serve completely neutral functions from a human perspective. Some could even be considered harmful to humans, the most prominent example being HaSatan. (Even still, HaSatan isn't seen as a true villain. He's just doing his job.)

Some of them are ONLY here to help you! Historical Rabbis were big on the concept of guardian angels. The Talmud says "Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, 'Grow, grow.'" (Midrash Rabba, Bereshit 10:6.) Every living creature, including you, has a guardian angel to help you along your path. Some translations say the angels hit the grass, and that's not the only story of angels smacking things, so that guidance isn't always gentle, but it's always in the right direction.

Types of Angel Work

Spirit guides. Like mentioned above, guardian angels can help encourage you to "Grow! Grow!" and keep you on a path in line with spiritual health and lovingkindness.

Communing with HaShem. Gd is extremely esoteric. Angels help us send and recieve messages in an easier-to-conceptualize way! Meditation and prayer can also play into this. Beyond every-day applications, angels can also appear unexpectedly with important messages.

Communicating with other spirits. As angels are often messengers, I also think it's helpful to call upon their aid when working with other spirits!

Working with angels of various functions. Modern day Rabbis often marry angelic theology with scientific phenomena, with angels overseeing the process. By that extent, we could ask those angels for help/guidance when relevant!

Protection. Psalm 91, often recited for protection, depicts HaShem commanding angels on your behalf to guard you in all ways. One bedtime prayer names the four archangels to surround us.

Shalom Aleichem is traditionally sung on Friday nights before Shabbat dinner. It invites angels of peace to basically come and hang out with us during shabbat, then to leave in peace once shabbat is over. Many arrangements also make a good lullaby.

Other Notes

Metatron (מֶטָטְרוֹן) is a specifically-Jewish angel who gets appropriated a lot in spiritual circles. He does not appear in the Tanakh, but is mentioned in the Talmud and largely fleshed out in kabbalistic literature! (Islamic literature does mention him by different name, ميططرون, Mitatrun/Mitatrush. Solidarity.)Lots of people recognize Lilith as closed, but the same attention hasn't been given to Metatron. He's a very complex and ambiguous figure worth a whole post of his own so I won't get into it here!

This post is by no means comprehensive! This is just a very "quick" overview of a very rich field of study.

Further Study

On My Right Michael, On My Left Gabriel: Angels in Ancient Jewish Culture-- Mika Ahuvia

A Gathering of Angels: Angels in Jewish Life and Literature-- Morris B. Margolies

Ascending Jacob's Ladder: Jewish Views of Angels, Demons, and Evil Spirits-- Ronald H. Isaacs

#angels #angel work #angel magic #spirit work #jewish #jewitch #jewitchery #jewish witch #angel magick

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reegis · 4 months

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THE LORE INFODUMP WAS SO COOL!!!! Can I ask about the demon hierarchy? Like, are there demons that are roughly equivalent to the Seraphim in ranking/power? Also I'm curious about the other Seraphim

TYSM?????(!!!) i have put Way too much thought into this im so very sorry this is also super long..

Demon hierarchy is basically a complicated echo or shadow of angelic hierarchy??,, when the angels attempted to overthrow God (and failed, obvi) they were cast from Heaven into the Other- no longer angels, not even human. Angels rely almost soley on their holy power to See and to physically Manifest, so the newly formed demons lacked form, sight, and were almost entirely mindless.

From the Other, which became “Hell” as humans call it, the demons (blinded and mindless as they were) could sense the faint flickers of holy light emanating from human souls and sought them out like a moth to flame.

Lacking form, at first the demons were able to do little beyond sow distrust or cause minor accidents. but with every soul marked and corrupted they realized their power grew- not holy power, as they had been seeking, but some twisted equivalent- and their own hierarchy began to appear. (As their original ranking was lost when they fell, it isnt known if their Former angelic ranking plays a part in their Current demonic ranking… although most redemption-arc demons claim to have been originally of a higher angelic rank, so who can say)

Lower level angels are mostly ephemeral, lacking true form but leaving a marked impression, and lowest level demons are the same. They can influence and whisper, provoke crowds into a killing frenzy, but lack a true form or real impact. They mainly subsist off of mindless violence.

Mid level demons are able to manifest, though briefly, and like all demons cannot create their own Eyes so they are often terrifying to behold. This semi-corporeal form allows them to create greater paranoia and general chaos than their lower counterparts but still lacks any real finesse

High level demons are the only ones capable of integrating into high society and pulling long cons. They are capable of possession (altho the body Will begin to rot if they inhabit it for too long) and some can convincingly create a human form with “eyes” that passes for human under a glamor

^^ all higher demons that “pass” in human society (with glamors) and the way they emulate “eyes”

The highest ranking demons are probably roughly equivalent to the Seraphim?? not in term of individual power alone but mainly due to their spheres of influence.

in terms of the 7 Seraphim-

theres the wrath of god (hadeon) charged with punishing humanities sins,

theres the love of god (demonte) bearing God’s love for humanity,

theres the eyes of god (einya) who watches and records humanity over the eons.

Theres the hands of god (?) who both held a hand in creating and still creates for humanity

the sorrow of god (?) charged with forgiving humanity, over and over and over again.

Then there are the two missing Seraphim, the throat of god (?) prophesying humanity, and the feet of god (?) the emissary of humanity who once walked among them.

#IM SORRY I LICHERALLY SAID I WOULDNT BE SPAMMINF & YET HERE I AM…#i have designs 4 hands & sorrow too but they arent like. Finished finished #& the other 2 are missing for Plot reasons #ty for asking lets french irl #💖💖💖💖#(/j!)#asks #my art

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transmutationisms · 1 year

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do you have any insight on roman and incest? i know that in succession, business = fucking and at some points all of the sibs talk about fucking their dad as in one upping him business wise, but ceirtain comments roman makes are obviously different. i've been rewatching s3 and he joked about repetedly entering his mother's vagina at ken's birthday, in that same episode he tells shiv that she's mad logan doesn't want to fuck her anymore bc he's fucking roman now... also when he tells her she can be his sexy secretary when he takes over, and many more examples

and this last episode when he was listening to that edited video of logan over and over, i know i'm not the only one who thought he might start jacking off... i guess my question is do you think roman has any actual incestuous desires? and if not, why does he say these things? is it attention seeking? trying to make people uncomfortable?

first of all, the jacking off undertones of that deepfake scene were absolutely there on purpose. i mean, what logan is 'saying' in that clip echoes the sort of dirty talk gerri used to provide, and the reason for that is because the whole driving force of the roman-gerri affair was him getting her to say things that logan used to say about him. gerri was always a daddy proxy for him; it was always about him jacking off to the way his father verbally degraded him, but then combined with gerri's willingness to serve as an actual business mentor for him, something logan would never do because he was frankly just disgusted at roman as a general rule.

which is to say: yes, roman has some genuine incestuous desire for his father, to the same degree that anyone else with a negative oedipus complex does. and this is central, i think, to the critique of the nuclear family that runs through succession. these psychoanalytic complexes are products of that family structure, which is itself embedded within the capitalist mode of production. roman's subconscious desire to fuck/marry his father is, the show suggests, just a more overt manifestation of the standard dysfunction that inherently plagues the social form of the family. it's elevated because of the degree of control logan asserted over roman, even well into adulthood, and the way his wealth and corporate power created that dynamic. but the suggestion here is not that the roys are uniquely incestuous or that roman is intrinsically a pervert; it's that family structures, which are capitalist structures, create this type of psychosexual (under)development. it's freud if he slayed (was friends with wilhelm reich and gilles deleuze).

i don't think we have any textual reason to think roman has incestuous desire for his other family members. he talks like that for a handful of other reasons. with the caroline stuff, he's partly just responding to shiv and logan accusing him of wanting to fuck her (logan does this because he thinks roman is a pervert but can't consciously face the fact that he's, like, gay for real, so his catholic brain goes straight to He's A Boy Who Wants To Fuck His Mother; shiv makes these accusations partly for similar reasons of seeing roman as dirty / perverted / abnormal and having no other explanation, and partly because she's deflecting from her own glaring caroline issues).

with the shiv stuff, this is sort of central to their relationship—that they both make crude sexual comments to each other. it's part of how they negotiate that rivalry-camaraderie thing. it's almost cute. also, most of these comments are so off-base that they're not actually bothered by them; it's noticeable when one of them actually crosses a line (like shiv saying "some day you're actually going to have to fuck something").

overall roman's relationship to his own sexuality is fraught, partly because of logan's homophobia and resulting surveillance of roman's sexual expression, and partly because of roman's relationship with his body. also, like his siblings, roman grew up in the middle of the sexual violence corporation. he doesn't really know how to think about sex in any way besides as a violation, and this is reflected in how he talks about it. he uses incestuous or sexually crude jokes as a way to deflect from certain emotional intimacies, to present himself as disgusting so that he can pre-empt other people making him feel that way, and as a way of conveying his sense that he's at the bottom of the hierarchy and is emotionally, physically, and sexually vulnerable.

#you eat me i eat you

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inconspicious-random-thoughts · 13 days

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I think it’s more straightforward than that.

It’s not “Angels worshipped good and shielded all from evil.”

It’s “Angels worshipped Good and shielded all from Evil.”

Capitalised. That God is Good. The concept of goodness, its embodiment in the same way the Grim Reaper is death, or how the Sins are all embodiments of concepts (Asmodeus also literally being Lust, not figuratively). So Evil is Evil, an actual being Good’s Angels kept at bay, until Lucifer and Lilith gave Eve the Apple, and the Root of Evil took hold of her, making her its embodiment and forming Hell, a domain of its own to rival Heaven. With Lucifer’s true job being that of the jailkeeper, to prevent Evil from attaining enough power to overtake creation. Charlie and Vaggie meaning well but being oblivious to the truth of the world, since their superiors never told them the whole truth, since it didn’t seem they needed to know, or it was assumed they must.

Hello there.

It’s not “Angels worshipped good and shielded all from evil.”

It’s “Angels worshipped Good and shielded all from Evil.”

In the subtitles, its not capitalized. I am one of those people who has trouble watching and hearing something if I can't read it. lol.

But I won't deny the possibility of human error of the person doing the subtitles. The subtitle of one of Alastor lines was messed up. The subtitle saying it a lot less hot instead of fun, So we know mistake can happen. I honestly prefer the literally version of the capitalized.

Capitalised. That God is Good.

I full hearted agree that the "good/Good" representation in this still is God. I love how Good is taken more feminine features. Then the stereotypical male God because of whole biblical "Adam was made in God image" thing. But the show already shown different takes and not biblically accurate but its own universe that was inspired by it. Tho, one can argue they are genderless since they are celestial beings similar to Good Omens. They just take an image and "have to put an effort" for the genitals.

So Evil is Evil, an actual being Good’s Angels kept at bay, until Lucifer and Lilith gave Eve the Apple, and the Root of Evil took hold of her, making her its embodiment and forming Hell, a domain of its own to rival Heaven.

I agree that angels had to fight her to keep her (and possibly minions...I mean there were angels...so Good counterpart would have similar powers to have agents? )out. This as, I say this...I have the funny image meme "let me in" but with Roo with Heaven.

I like to consider Roo and Eve as two separate bodies. Because it was shown that Roo was standing next to Good before Adam and Lilith was created. That Roo already was an embodiment that manifested of evil. Since good and evil can't really exist without the other.

But one can argue that those were just illustration to represent. That Good and Evil had no true body yet. That they were omnipresence and exist. Similar to air. It exist, it around you but no true form. One can say Evil took on a form when Eve committed the first sin. But I don't oppose ideas and theories that Roo has latched onto Eve as some type of host. It would explain why Eve been MIA so far.

Personally, I like the idea that the physical forms manifested as the sin were committed. Then only grow larger and stronger as more people commit them. For example, Beelzebub came into existence then the act of Gluttony happened opposed the sins taking bodies as host. Then she grew more powerful each time time as people committed those sins through all of time. Roo falls into this category too.

I suspect that something happen to Roo that she missing a corporeal body or is somehow imprisoned which why she sort of laying low at the moment and pulling strings with deals to have servants and other minions. She still a force to be reckoned with and is slowly working toward on getting a suitable body and freedom.

Eve may play a role with Roo for sure. Either, she been with/is Roo this entire time or play an upcoming role in Roo strategy.

With Lucifer’s true job being that of the jailkeeper, to prevent Evil from attaining enough power to overtake creation. Charlie and Vaggie meaning well but being oblivious to the truth of the world, since their superiors never told them the whole truth, since it didn’t seem they needed to know, or it was assumed they must.

I already fully believe in jailkeeper Lucifer. Lucifer 100% knows about Roo. Not by simple knowledge because he once was an Angel of Heaven. He directly had to dealt with her. A high chance the direct reason why Roo has to lie low. Lucifer had somehow trap/imprison/weaken/rid of Roo body (you can't really destroy evil...but maybe its form to keep it from getting stronger?)

That Roo is not really secret but something Lucifer doesn't want to talk about. Or maybe it IS a secret because it somehow strengthen her. Like how a name has power in some fables? So, Roo truth became a myth over time because it was commanded or an unspoken rule not to speak of Evil... Which is why Charlie and Vaggie would be clueless about Roo beside being a "fairy tale villain." that Lucifer and Adam/Sera mention when they were younger. Charlie and Vaggie being shocked and scared to realized that Roo is real.

You know we are going to have Vaggie do a backstory of Roo like she did with Alastor in the pilot.

Roo will probably do something to Lucifer to at least temporarily weaken him or trap him. So out princess will have to step up and come to power. Something/someone has to make her go full power and something/someone has to prevent Lucifer from swooping in and saving the day every time. That trope of ultimate power saving the day would get old real fast. Who better then Roo to take Lucifer down (hopefully only temporary)

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mister-a-z-fell · 9 months

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I've finally worked up the nerve to ask this, so here I go:

What's it like having wings?

What an interesting question! It depends whether you mean the corporeal manifestations of wings that fit with our more human-looking corporations, or the wings of our ethereal forms. The former are probably easier for you to relate to, being physical and therefore more akin to your limbs. Their motion feels something like breathing; to spread one’s wings is immensely satisfying, like the sort of yawn that squeezes your eyes shut and cracks your jaw.

They sense and are sensible; that is to say that they feel the sun’s heat and the feather-stirring breezes, and — in the same way you might close your eyes, yet unerringly touch the tip of your finger to your nose — one knows where they are in relation to one’s form. I could stretch out my wingtip and brush a mote of dust from a bookshelf without disturbing anything else arrayed there (not often, though. A faint patina of dust is part of the bookshop ambience).

When not manifest, they still exist in — you don’t have the word. Let’s call it The Place Where Wings Go. We still feel them, albeit in a muted, abstracted sort of way, and their movements translate into the physical world. Hunched shoulders, a little wriggle of delight, a proud stance? Our wings are raised defensively, or fluttering, or spread wide.

They don’t moult in the way a bird’s wings do, but plucked or damaged feathers replace themselves and grooming generally prevents minor damage progressing into something that mandates the shedding of a feather. Having one’s feathers brushed and smoothed is very soothing, and Upstairs it’s not uncommon for angels to develop informal preening circles, where those mutual needs can be conveniently tended to.

Does that satisfactorily answer your question?

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mercyofmurdock · 1 year

Text

The Ghost In Me (I)

Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x Military!Reader (Callsign “Tokyo”) (Slow Burn)

Warnings: Canon Typical Violence, Canon Typical Gore, Explicit Language

Word Count: 4.0k

Summary: You are called in to assist the 141 in a very sensitive mission that requires your very specific skill set. However, you find yourself inexplicably drawn to one particular member who seems to share the same ghosts as yourself.

———

Some ghosts never leave you. They stare you down in the night, at the corner of your vision, an ever present reminder of the past you cannot change. They could be flashes of memory: people you’ve wronged, people you’ve hurt, or they could be other, more sinister apparitions.

Your ghost never took on the form of a person. It never once became corporal but you remained hyper aware of it nonetheless. The dark shape that watched you every night did just that, watch you. The manifestation of your guilt your therapist had said, the guilt of a woman who maimed without hesitation, who would pull the trigger at the slightest of opportunities. That was all part of the job; the killing, the torture, the constant fear that each mission would be your last. You knew deep down that you would never escape that dark shadow that loomed in the peripheral of your night time vision.

———

The scent of pine and snow hit you with a blast of cold air as the plane doors opened. The freezing temperatures put your senses on high alert as they crashed through any ounce of tiredness left from the journey. The shouting of orders filled the air but felt muffled as you stepped off the plane and your boots hit the compacted snow of the floor. The air felt crisp and fresh as you moved away from the petroleum fumes of the plane. Your pack felt heavy on your shoulder as you made your way off the runway and into the main base.

Snow covered TEMPER tents lined a rough gravel path through the clearing in the forest. From the insignias on the tents, you could tell multiple nationalities were represented leading to more questions than answers. Soldiers milled about, stomping their boots to regain feeling in their feet before ducking into tents or continuing about their day. You eventually came to a tent marked ‘COMMAND’ and turned inside.

The metallic tang of an electric heater hit you as you dropped your bag to the floor and rezipped the front of the tent. A few tables had been set up along the edges, piled high with a variety of screens and computers. Towards the back of the tent, a few people stood around a large table, deep in discussion. They turned to face you as you approached.

“You must be Tokyo.” A woman said as she turned to face you, her hand outstretched, “I’m Kate Laswell - I hear that you’re going to be very helpful to us in these coming months.”

“Affirmative ma’am. I was told to report directly to command as soon as I arrived to be briefed on my duties - if you’re not busy we can get started now.” You looked to the men behind her, one of them was facing away from you and the other was regarding you with a steely expression.

“You don’t beat around the bush do you? But yes we can get started. These are two of the men you’ll be working with whilst on mission. Commander Graves here joins us from the US military and Captain Price from the SAS.”

“Well I’ll be damned, Tokyo in the flesh.” The man who had been facing away now turned to look at you, a smile on his face.

“How have you been John?” You smiled back as he approached and embraced you in a hug.

“You two know eachother?” The other man, Graves questioned.

“Tokyo here got me out of a tight spot in Budapest once, delivered me some key intel that saved me and my squad. Bloody saved the mission she did.” Price laughed.

“You flatter me John, I was just doing my Job.” You turned back to face Laswell who was regarding the encounter with a bemused expression. “What do you have got me this time?”

She turned and beckoned you to the table, ontop a map of Germany and Austria placed, small pins connected major cities and military bases throughout the area.

“Two months ago, we received intel that illicit nuclear weaponry was being passed around the arms dealing circuit. We were unaware as to how operational the weapons were but as you probably know we have to take these kind of threats seriously.” She looked up at you and then motioned to Graves. “Graves and his team received intel that one of the private militia groups they had been tracking had gotten their hands on some of these nuclear material with the aim of distributing it around the country. Their entire network went dark three weeks ago along with several other groups of interest. They’re planning something big and we are brutally unprepared for the fallout of the use of these nuclear weapons.”

“Where do I come in?”

Graves stepped forward at this, turning to lean back on the table. “Two days ago my team intercepted communication that one of the high-ranking members of our militia is being transported through the black forest tomorrow. We’ll capture the asset but we’ll need you to get the information out of him. Price here said you’re our best bet.”

Price spared you a small smile before looking away. You knew that you were the best at your job, that was a given, but it was still uncomfortable to admit just how good you were.

“I can get anyone to talk. You’ll need to give me any and all information on the asset to read up on and I’d like to be in the field when we launch the assault. I’ll see if there’s anything else there I can use against him.” You looked to Graves who nodded.

“If that’s okay with your team Price? It’s your squad so it’s your call.” Price looked at Graves and nodded.

“Then it’s settled, the assault team leaves at 0900 hours tomorrow so you best use the rest of the day to do your homework. You’re bunking with Price’s team so he can show you to your tent.” Laswell motioned to Graves who stood up straight and walked over to where your bag was, hoisting it over his shoulder and motioning for you to follow.

You spared one last look at Laswell and Graves before bracing yourself to enter the winter’s cold again.

———

“If you think about it, there’s only so many ways we can piss off Graves before we get sent away.” A Scottish voice proclaimed as Price opened the tent flaps.

“Fuck off Soap, it’s just some snow get a grip.” Another, much deeper voice replied.

“Enough of that now lads, we’ve got a guest.” John shouted into the tent. You turned back from fastening the tent flaps back together and took stock of the inside.

“Tokyo, this is 141, 141 this Tokyo.” He turned to let you past and get a good look of the men inside. One man stood by the foot of a bed, his mohawk and cheeky grin immediately put you at ease. On the bed next him, a man in full tac gear and a skull mask sat up, even seated he was a hulking man and his brown eyes pierced you from behind his mask. At the other end of the tent, another man was washing his hands.

“I’m Soap but you can call me Johnny, sweetheart.” The man with the mohawk introduced himself and shook your hand. He was the Scottish voice from earlier.

“Soap.” Price sent a Soap a warning stare.

“Chill out Captain, I’m just messing about.” He smirked before sending you a wink and walking back over to what you assumed to be his bunk.

You shifted your weight from foot to foot, waiting for the other two men to introduce themselves. You had a vague idea of who the masked man in front of you was, after all the Ghost was a legend to everyone. Yet you will waited for him to speak up.

“I’m Gaz, nice to meet you - the Captain here has told us all about you.” The third man in the room said with a smile. It seemed genuine enough so you returned his friendliness with one of your own.

“All good things I hope.” You joked as you turned to face the Ghost. “And who are you?”

He didn’t reply immediately, just turned his face to look you up and down, his assessing brown eyes seemingly judging if you were a threat or not. The breath in your throat hitched slightly as you met his gaze.

“I’m Ghost.” Was all he offered before turning back to whatever it was he was doing before. You felt your shoulders deflate at his curt response.

“Well now that we’re all introduced, I’ve got to head back to Laswell. I’ll make sure the files get sent here so you can have a start on them, make yourself at home because you might be stuck here for a while.” John nodded his head almost in warning to the others before he dipped out of the tent. His exit let in the briefest of cold gusts but it was enough to make your hair stand on end.

“Welcome to the 141.” Soap called as you sunk into your bunk.

———

Your eyes blurred as you read the same line on the file again, trying to find anything that might be of use in the interrogation tomorrow. Night had fallen so you worked by one of the electric lamps in the tent, it’s constant buzz grating your ear drums.

“Have you eaten yet LT?”

You startled upright and turned to face Soap as he entered the tent. He held two MREs in his hands, one outstretched towards you. You took it with a nod before closing the file and moving to the small basin at the back of the tent.

“Thanks. I get so caught up in my work sometimes that I lose track of time completely.”

“I’m the same, I’d probably be dead by now if I didn’t have the guys out there looking out for me.” He came to stand next to you as you added water to the heat pack to make the meal, you silently offered your hand out to fill his heat pack up too and he obliged.

“They seem… nice.”

“You mean Gaz and Price seem nice.” Soap corrected as if he had read your mind. “Ghost will grow on you, don’t worry, he’s just a little cold when you first meet him. I can promise you he’s a softie under all that armor.”

“I’ve heard stories about him, the man is a legend. I mean isn’t he legally dead?” You handed Soap back his now warm MRE and gestured for him to follow you to the small table in the corner of the tent.

“Ghost is a ghost in all senses of the word. He’s a demon on the battlefield but after all he’s been through I don’t blame him. I don’t even know the half of it but what I know would be enough to drive me to the brink - I don’t know how he does it.” Soap admitted as you sat down.

“Well it will be interesting to see him in action.” You admitted as you set a timer for the MREs. “But what about you? Last time I worked with Price he was with an entirely different team. How did you end up working with him?”

“Ah, that’s a long story. But I’m sure you know all about reshuffles and that - Price actually requested the three of us for his squad so that’s how we officially came together. We’ve run a few ops before but never anything of this scale.” He leant back in his chair and rested his boots on the table. “What about you? How did you meet Price?”

You let out a long sigh, joining him in leaning back in your chair.

“I’m sure by now you’ve been informed as to what my particular skill set is. The SAS drafted me in to get some information out of a particularly stoic yet important asset. All of their interrogation techniques had failed so they called me in. It took me 17 minutes to break him and the information he gave me was pivotal to the squad being able to make it out alive.” You made eye contact with Soap who only nodded. “After that we’ve worked together on a few ops but nothing of that magnitude. I don’t usually work with the same operatives multiple times.”

“We’ll we’re more than glad to have you join the team. Just stick with us in the field tomorrow and we shouldn’t have any problems. It’ll be a walk in the park.”

The timer on your phone dinged and the two of you focused your attention on the slop in front of you.

———-

The operation was not a walk in the park.

From the second contact was made the mission was flipped on its head. The barrage of gunfire, the stink of gunpowder, the metallic taste of blood. You were pinned between Soap and Ghost, your own gun near empty and a bullet embedded deep in your arm.

“LT we need to move now!” Soap shouted as he returned gunfire to the enemies on the other side of the truck.

“If we can make it to the tree line we’ll have better cover and a better chance at an extract.” You groaned and tightened your grip on your wound. “Fuck”

“Negative, we won’t be able to get an evac if we’re in the trees. We need to clear them out in order for the heli to land.” Ghost cut in, he fired off a few more shots before reloading. “Tokyo you need to stay down and stick on me. Soap you try to regroup with Gaz and Price.”

“Roger that LT. I’ll see you two on the other side - give me some cover will you?” Soap then turned and sprinted away from the truck towards the last place Gaz had been spotted.

You let out a shout of pain as you turned to hold the back of Ghost’s tac best, earning you a quick glance from him.

“I’m fine, I’ve had worse.” You assured him as you positioned yourself to get ready to move.

“Good because you’re pivotal to this operation so I need you out of here alive.” He then grabbed your arm to place it appropriately on his vest. “Don’t let go and don’t let me lose you.”

“Affirmative sir.” You responded, looking up at the hulking man and meeting his brown eyes through the mask. He was regarding you with an odd stare which was quickly cut off by an explosion from your right.

“Fuck it, let’s move, stay tight on my six.”

He stood up and you followed, keeping close to his back. The shriek of gunfire could be heard as well as the whir of helicopter blades from above.

“Is that one of-“

The helicopter exploded above you.

“TAKE THAT YOU SLIMY BASTARDS.” The twang of Soap’s accent could be heard followed by a whoop from Gaz.

“Glad to know they’re alive at least.” You attempted to joke as you and Ghost dived behind the debris for cover.

“Don’t say anything just yet, we’ve still got to get out of this mess.” Ghost grumbled as he fired off a few more shots, “How is your arm holding up?”

You spared a glance under your blood soaked hand and then to your torso.

“I need you to apply pressure to the wound whilst I make a tourniquet.” You looked up at him expecting some response but instead he quickly complied with your order, holding your wound so you could use your free hand to free some gauze from your pack and tie it tight around the wound.

“You good to go Tokyo?” Ghost looked up at you as you finished tying the not, flexing your arm a few times to check if it was secure.

“As good as I can be.” You leant down to release your pistol from your thigh sheath and looked back at him.

Ghost nodded and grabbed your hand to position it on his back.

“Let’s get out of here. Keep tight.”

——

The rhythmic hum of the ventilation system and the consistent dripping from the ceiling had been your idea. Monotonous sounds helped break a man, forced their mind to crack and wilt under pressure. It was exactly what you needed.

“Let’s start with your son.” You slid a polaroid picture across the table. It featured a young boy, blonde haired, green eyed like his father in front of you. The picture was a telescopic shot of him playing in what seemed to be a playroom - he looked vulnerable, alone.

“What about him?” The man in front of you cooly asked. He seems oddly at ease, leant back in his chair and regarding you with his head slightly tilted.

“He goes to Hedenberg International School, am I correct? Along with your daughter, Alexandra?” You posed the question although you both knew it was a way to show off how much you knew.

“And that has to do with this interrogation, how?” The head was no longer tilted. Bingo.

“Three of my men are currently inside said school, with express orders to pull the trigger if you so much as breathe wrong.” You pulled out your first threat. When you had first started, you’d pull your cards, play them close to your chest; but now you’d learnt. Throwing them straight into the deep end threw assets off kilter, made them panic, made them more likely to cooperate.

“You’d risk the public outcry of killing two innocent children, all to get information out of me? Pathetic, you’ll have to try harder.” He snorted, but you could hear the slight panic in his voice.

Smiling, you slowly sat down in the chair opposite him. Deliberately taking your time to leaf through the folder in your hands, not replying to his taunts.

“Is that all you’ve got?” He was leaning forward now. His fatal mistake.

“Tell me where the weapons are and I won’t execute the plan.” You didn’t even look up from the file but you could feel his agitation.

“I won’t tell you anything. If you get to my children then they’ll die swift deaths. If they get to my children then they will suffer.” He was rationalizing with himself now, you could almost hear his brain tick.

Your gun was pulled and shot before he could even lean back. The bullet connected with his knee cap and you could hear it shatter. The guard behind you jolted and made a small whimpering sound.

“YOU SON OF A-“ The man screamed as his hands went to his now shattered knee. “I’ll tell you NOTHING.”

“So what about Gunther Richt. Says here that he runs your little operation.” You continued as if nothing had happened. You spared a glance up at him, a grimace was etched onto his face as his head lolled back in pain. “Gunther. Richt.”

He looked at you as you repeated the name.

“Go to hell.”

———-

The beep of the various computers in the command centre greeted you as you walked in. Laswell stood over the table whilst Graves looked on in silence, Price was nowhere to be seen.

“They’re moving the weapons through Austria at 1700 hours tomorrow. I’ve sent a list of checkpoints they’ll cross through to the data analysts to best plan a route.”

The pair jolted up as you spoke and turned to look at you. You knew you looked a state, blood stained your hands and uniform, a splatter crossed your face and your combat knife was missing from its sheath.

“And the asset?”

“I got all we needed out of him, I handed him off for disposal.”

Laswell let out a visible sigh of relief, leaning back on the table.

“How long did it take you to break him?” Graves stepped forward, he regarded you with a look of what seemed to be awe - it was off-putting.

“I was in there for just over 30 minutes. There’s nothing else he knows that will be of use to us. All of the audio recordings have been sent for redaction and are being transcribed as we speak. They’ll be sent to your tablets as soon as they are ready.”

You looked at Laswell, she simply nodded and straightened up.

“Go get yourself cleaned up lieutenant, there’s more work to be done yet. You’re dismissed.”

You bowed your head slightly at the pair before turning and walking out of the tent.

A few mumbles and stares followed you as you made your way through the camp. Everyone knew what you did, everyone knew what you had done but you’d done this a thousand times before and you weren’t about to let the states get to you now.

The 141 tent came into view and you pushed your way inside. The crew lay in various states of relaxation, bandages littered their bodies but they were alive and well.

“You look like shit LT.”

Soap pushed himself into a seated position as you entered, he had attempted to put on a smile but you could see the worry in his eyes.

“I feel like it too.”

You walked to your bunk and picked up the supplies you would need before walking to the back of the tent where a small portable shower had been hooked up behind a curtain. Soap didn’t push any further and you were glad. You wanted nothing more than to wash the day away, scrub the red off your skin, pull the dried blood from under your nails.

As you pulled off your black overlays and threw them in a bucket of water, you caught a glimpse of the black shape in your periphery. It was watching, and you watched back.

———

By the time you had left the makeshift cubicle, most of the 141 had headed to the mess tent. All that remained was Ghost on his bunk, he sat on the edge, staring forward as if waiting.

“You didn’t feel like joining them?” You gently questioned as you made your way past him.

“It gets better.” Was all he said. You threw him a quizzical look over your shoulder to find him looking up at you.

“What does?”

“The darkness, I know it follows you like it follows me. I saw it in your eyes when you walked in earlier.” You let your shoulders deflate as he continued, “Just remember that you’re on the right side of this.”

“What does yours look like?” You asked, you didn’t expect a response to such a personal question so turned back to your bunk.

“Myself.”

You whipped your head back, Ghost was standing now, much closer to you than before. From your position you suddenly were very aware of how tall he was. His broad shoulders seemed to dwarf you but you stood your ground.

“Mine just watches, I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s like a shadow of myself.” The last part came out as a whisper, you knew he had heard as his head slightly tilted.

“Interesting.” Was all he said before he walked past and exited the tent.

You let out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding.

———

A/N

A bit of a filler chapter to introduce the story today! This is going to be a SLOW burn but I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it!

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ghostregulusfest · 2 years

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Schedule:

👻 Prompting Opens: 20 October 2022 👻 Claiming Opens: 20 November 2022 👻 Submissions Due: 20 January February 2023 👻 Posting Starts: 23 January February 2023

About:

This is a fest for the Regulus fandom. We welcome all genres, and all ships (or lack thereof) with Regulus set in any universe. All we ask is that Regulus is a ghost! Spooky, fluffy, out for revenge, saying goodbye one last time, able to manifest corporeally—as long as you focus on some form of ghost!Regulus, then we’re happy! All types of fanworks are eligible—fic, art, podfics, graphics, or moodboards. Collaborations welcome!

Rules:

👻 All fics must feature ghost!Regulus 👻 All participants must be 18+, no exceptions. 👻 Minimum word count is 1k, no maximum. 👻 Fics are not required to be beta read OR sensitivity read, however, we highly encourage it. 👻 All creators must have an AO3 account. 👻 This is not an anonymous fest, so chatting about your creation is encouraged! 👻 We ask that all fanwork is new, complete, and created especially for the fest (so no WIPs, sequels/prequels, or previously-published works). 👻 ALL tropes are accepted. This includes dead dove, however, your fics MUST BE TAGGED PROPERLY

Prompting:

👻 Prompting opens on the 20th of October 2022 at 12 pm CDT (what time is that for me?) 👻 You may submit as many prompts as you want. You do not have to be creating a work for the fest in order to post a prompt. Anyone can prompt! 👻 You can either prompt anonymously or include your name with the prompt. 👻 Prompt format will be as follows:

Prompter name: Ship: Prompt: Special Requests/Squicks: (this is where you list any extra prompt details, or squicks you may have. Please be aware that the person claiming your prompt is not required to adhere to these)

👻 Unless specified otherwise, we will assume all prompts are open to all ratings. 👻 Self prompting is welcome, but you don’t need to send in a form - when claiming opens just put the details into a claiming email to us along with the same prompt info as above and we can add it to our records!

Claiming:

👻 Claiming opens on the 20th of November 2022 at 12 pm CDT 👻 Prompts will be awarded on a first come first served basis. 👻 Each prompt can be claimed once for fic, once for art, and once for other fanwork. 👻 Please choose your top three prompts when claiming, in order of preference (i.e. your top prompt as prompt choice 1, second choice as prompt choice 2, etc) as they will be awarded in this order. You are not required to fill out all three prompt choices. 👻 You can only claim one prompt at a time. If you finish your prompt, you may claim an additional prompt. If you have finished your first prompt, and wish to claim another, please email your header to [email protected] and let us know you wish to claim an additional prompt, before submitting another claim form. 👻 If you claim a prompt and subsequently feel unable to complete the work, please inform us as soon as possible so that we can free the prompt up for another writer/artist. We understand that life can get in the way! Unfortunately, however, in such circumstances, you won’t be eligible to claim a further prompt for 2022. 👻 Collaborations are welcome! Please include details for all claimants in one claim form. 👻 You will receive an email within 24 hours confirming your successful claim. Please respond to this email within 72 hours to confirm your participation in Ghost Regulus Fest.

Creating:

👻 For fics, there is a minimum word count of 1000 words and no maximum. 👻 Submissions must be completed works. All creations must be individual works. All creations must be new and complete. 👻 Fics and art should use the prompt as inspiration, but feel free to interpret it in your own creative way. 👻 We encourage you to be inspired by the prompters’ additional details, but these are not required to be incorporated into the creation. You may also wish to take into consideration your prompter’s squicks when creating, but this is not a requirement, however, we ask that you do not gift the creation to the prompter if you are not taking the squicks into consideration, and as always, be sure to tag your work appropriately.

Submitting:

👻 Once you have completed your fic, it’s time to submit! 👻 Submissions are due on 20th January February 2023, but if you are finished before this date, you are welcome to submit then. 👻 When your work is ready to be submitted, please fill out the following header and email it to [email protected]

Title: Creator/s: Rating: Word count (if applicable) : Art medium (if applicable) : Run time (if applicable) : Warnings/Tags: Prompt #: Summary: Link to Ao3:

👻 All creations must be posted directly to the AO3 collection. Link will be given in claimin confirmation email. 👻 You are required to add the fest mod account as Co-creator when uploading your submission. This is primarily so that we can change the posting date. We will not make changes to your fic, and will remove the mod account for reveals. 👻 Be sure to include all appropriate warnings, tag your work correctly. 👻 Please contact the mods if you have any issues posting your work.

Extensions:

You can contact the mods at: [email protected]. If you need an extension, or have to drop out, please let us know by email. Please do not be afraid to reach out about this, we are always happy to hear from you!

Posting:

The mods will post your creation on the scheduled day. We do not release the posting schedule as this is subject to change.

Further information:

For general questions about the fest don’t hesitate to contact the mods. That’s what we are here for. But keep in mind that we’re operating in multiple time zones, and have to juggle our real lives with the lure of fandom. We won’t be available 24/7, but we always aim to respond within a reasonable timeframe.

Please note that should there be any disputes regarding the interpretation of the rules, the decision of the mods will be final.

👻 love from your mods

#ghost regulus fest #ghost!regulus #regulus black #regulus arcturus black #hp fests #regulus fest #regulus fic #regulus fanart #regulus fanfiction #regulus deserved better #jegulus #bartylus #jegulily

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midnightactual · 1 year

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How Zanpakutō Are Made

We have enough pieces of the puzzle to guess how zanpakutō are made and how and why zanpakutō spirits manifest the way they do. I'm going to outline it for you presently.

We're told in chapter 540 that:

Asauchi are created in the same way as White was: many different Shinigami souls are used to create them; both are examples of what I call a "Cyber-Hollow".

With natural Hollow evolution, Hollows will eat other souls (with all of these being "interned" rather than destroyed) and each other until they gain enough "mass" to become a Gillian, all of which look and act totally identical. Asauchi are actually essentially Cyber-Gillians. They too look and act identical, as we're shown in chapter 523:

Ōetsu goes on to call them:

This is akin to how an individual Gillian can become just about anything when it transforms into an Adjuchas, after one soul achieves supremacy over the others. Now there's an interesting point to make here: Ōetsu claims White was made from the souls of many Shinigami, whereas Kaname says in chapter 532 and 533:

Now it could be that this is yet more singular/plural confusion in the translations here, but Kaname seems to be suggesting that White was made from a single Shinigami.

At any rate, White's purpose is confirmed in Kaname's second statement: White was meant to infect Shinigami as it did Masaki. It is, in effect, a Hollow equivalent of a zombie carrier for a zombie virus, a refined "bioweapon" compared to direct infection with the Hollowfication agent as seen in TBTP; Kaname & Co. were basically playing Umbrella Corporation from Resident Evil or Weyland-Yutani from Aliens and creating Bio-Organic Weapons for military purposes. The infection vector being through bites is more readily controlled and less dangerous to the operators than the original form of a loose agent. This is again confirmed by chapter 529:

Whatever the truth is with regards to Kaname's construction of White, it's sort of immaterial as Ōetsu tips his hand: his Asauchi are made from many Shinigami souls layered together. Before we go on to the obvious problem of "Where does Ōetsu get the souls from?" we should finish up with the distinction between asauchi and zanpakutō. Our first clue is in chapter 522:

You can visually see the difference between the two entities. Asauchi are "blank", zanpakutō are "actualized" and can seem extremely human. He goes on to openly mock Ichigo and Renji's inability to distinguish them from Shinigami:

We get told in chapter 523 that:

This hints at the full story, as does chapter 529:

Until finally, we're told the truth in chapter 540, right before and after the comments about White:

So we need to take a step back and clarify something here as Ōetsu is being sloppy: Zangetsu is not White, or the remnants of White. White did not "enter" Masaki. Kaname tells us directly that White is a Hollow with "the ability to convert others into Hollows like itself," emphasis mine. White infected Masaki and Masaki began to Hollowfy, a process arrested by Kisuke. So what Ichigo absorbed was not White, but rather... Hollow Masaki.

This, plus her Quincy blood, fused with his Shinigami powers from Isshin. This is "the will and destiny Ichigo inherited." In a very real sense (in the same sense that Ichigo is Masaki and Isshin's flesh and blood) Hollow Masaki is Ichigo's zanpakutō.

Certainly puts the "I will protect" lines during the fight with Ulquiorra in a different light, doesn't it?

It was never about Orihime. It isn't, "I will protect her," in the original Japanese, it was only, "I will protect," and it is Zangetsu speaking about Ichigo. This is confirmed by 1. Zangetsu almost immediately taking several actions that threaten to kill Orihime (and Uryū) and 2. by Tensa Zangetsu later saying during Dangai training that the things Ichigo wants to protect are not what he wants to protect. Orihime almost dies during the fight because Zangetsu doesn't care about her, just like Zangetsu doesn't care about Karakura, as we're told in chapter 429 (admittedly also involving the sentiments of "Zangetsu", that is to say, not-Yhwach, which is also why Yhwach claims to be Ichigo's "father" later on):

In a very real sense, "Full Hollow Ichigo" can be read as Hollowfied Masaki protecting Ichigo yet again. Don't believe it? This parallel from chapter 680 ain't for nothing:

The Quincy power was mingled with the Hollow power because both were Masaki.

In another sense though, Zangetsu is Ichigo, as chapter 221 shows up with Ichigo beginning to dehollowfy Zangetsu into himself:

This presages the final revelation of the reforging of Zangetsu in chapter 542:

Now, we can all readily see that Ichigo's backstory is extremely convoluted compared to every other Shinigami's, but from his example we can generalize the truth of how an asauchi becomes a zanpakutō. It lies within two statements from Ōetsu:

"I used the asauchi just now as a trigger to extract this zanpakutō from within you."

"… And became your zanpakutō."

Again, Ōetsu is being a little sloppy in his terminology here, but we can divine the basic truth: your zanpakutō (essence) is something that's inside you all along. The asauchi is simply a mechanism for drawing it out and materializing it. So if you ever wondered why Tōshirō already has Hyōrinmaru in his soul in chapter -16, that's why:

The essence of a zanpakutō comes from within, not from without. In some sense, Hyōrinmaru is and always was part of Tōshirō. The same is true of every other Shinigami as well. (The correct way to think about Kusaka, if one credits that movie, is therefore that he shared an essence with Tōshirō.) It is the form of it that changes... on exposure to an asauchi.

To recap:

all Shinigami have a zanpakutō essence within them already

an asauchi serves to draw out this zanpakutō essence and fuse with it, creating a zanpakutō sword

this zanpakutō sword can manifest a zanpakutō spirit, its own personification

At this point you should be wondering: why do zanpakutō spirits look so different from their wielders if they are their wielders?

Well that's very simple: they're mixed with the asauchi. Remember: the asauchi is a collection of Shinigami souls (or parts of them, it's not clear). The essence of a zanpakutō is absorbed from the wielding Shinigami, creating a new entity. But that collection of Shinigami souls still has a massive influence on the manifestation of the completed zanpakutō, thus its radically different appearance and personality. These come from some kind of amalgamation of the souls used to create the asauchi.

Ichigo did not have this issue because there "was nobody else" influencing the expression of his zanpakutō (except the shard of Yhwach, which was also dormant until his powers woke up). Zangetsu simulated a normal zanpakutō using Hollow mask matter, but there were no "outside influences" in the form of an asauchi to change his appearance or behavior, hence why he's a mirror of Ichigo. Not so with every other Shinigami.

(This is bolstered by the assertion by Kubo that when someone else comes into possession of a deceased Shinigami's zanpakutō, although it can be completely overwritten, there is sometimes a "mixing" where the current owner's aspects mix with the previous one's.)

In other words, just like an asauchi is a Cyber-Gillian, a zanpakutō is a Cyber-Adjuchas. The wielding Shinigami provides the dominant soul to bring the component souls of the asauchi into order and advance their evolution to the next step. However, whereas natural Hollows become more animalistic as Adjuchas, Cyber-Hollows become more human as Adjuchas. This is why Ichigo and Renji couldn't tell the difference between all of Ōetsu's zanpakutō and Shinigami.

This also strongly suggests that the zanpakutō essence already residing within oneself is also what is unleashed via Hollowfication. It's simply that in Hollowfication, this essence is twisted and corrupted by the loss of heart, whereas in an asauchi-release, it's kept whole and pure. This in turn suggests that the zanpakutō essence is essentially a personification of the individual's will. This will be important momentarily.

So now we know how this process occurs once someone is handed an asauchi. But where do the components for asauchi come from? Well...

As @uraharashouten has recently noted, the Maggot's Nest is a prison exclusively for Shinigami who are believed to potentially be future problems. It's essentially the Shinigami equivalent of a CIA black site used by Minority Report's Pre-Crime Division.

Notice also what Kisuke says here in chapter -106:

The Maggot's Nest is not Kisuke's main responsibility, nor is it where people who have done normal crimes end up. There is an entirely separate facility for those, which is his main duty, and the Maggot's Nest is just a side-gig. That's why it's such a rinky-dinky little jail. We know of exactly one big prison in the Seireitei: the Central Great Underground Prison. That was his actual main job (although that facility is likely under Central 46's direct supervision, not the Onmituskidō/2nd Division). This is why Kisuke's punishment in TBTP was to be depowered—the warden of the CGUP would know too much to be imprisoned within it.

Now, why would you put the pre-crime prisoners in a separate facility from the normal crime prisoners? Because you want to do something else with them, of course.

Haven't you ever thought it was weird the Maggot's Nest looks more like a psych ward?

I'm going to move a little faster now. We get told in Can't Fear Your Own World, volume 3, chapter 21:

Oh-Etsu had initially planned to hold back the thing by turning him into a full Asauchi, but the Soul Reaper was still in the process of doing that research and was not capable of entirely erasing individuality in those days, so the monstrosity ended up becoming a demonic sword with the ability to devour his own wielder’s konpaku.

We're told in Spirits Are Forever With You that it takes much more time for Azashiro to assimilate people than objects, because their reiatsu resists the effects of his Bankai. As is usual, everything in Bleach is a test of will. So, in other words, the Maggot's Nest exists to break down a Shinigami's will:

This way it's much easier to erase their individuality before shredding their souls and forging asauchi out of them. The listless and broken cannot resist.

Which in turn ensures that the soul of the wielder of an asauchi will always be the dominant soul and properly inject their zanpakutō spirit into it. It's like a rigged version of a Gillian where a particular soul will always effortlessly dominate the others, regardless of how strong it is. There is no competition as in wild Hollows. Even the weakest Shinigami can subjugate an asauchi. And when that soul is strong enough...

They will all acknowledge it and submit automatically.

So there you have it: potentially dangerous Shinigami are mentally broken before being turned into asauchi, those asauchi then draw out an inner zanpakutō essence in a Shinigami and actualize it into a weapon, eventually forming its own "person" which is the same-as-but-different-from the wielder. All of the unsightly Hollow aspects of this are conveniently hidden from all parties, and no Shinigami ever suspects that they're using tame Hollows made from their dead comrades.

It's all nice and "clean".

#Out Of Character #Bleach #Meta #Long Post #Blood TW

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riacte · 6 months

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More Hermitgals Precure AU brainstorming:

After False transforms for the first time (to save the school), she’s suddenly unable to do it again, and she spirals into insecurity. She’s supposed to fight alongside Stress, but because she couldn’t transform the second time, Stress had to fight on her own

False knows Cleo wants to transform but lost the ability, and False is the one who has the ability but somehow can’t do it, so she feels she’s letting Cleo down. This self-imposed “burden” makes False feel worse about herself

False admits she only became student council president because no one wanted to do it (well, no one competent wanted to do it) (MCC leading flashbacks), and she’s not sure if she’s the best choice because she’s quiet and guarded, but she wants to contribute to the school

Something something about False taking up leadership roles because no one wanted to vs Ren being born and raised to be a leader of his kingdom -> she thinks hers is not a noble cause because she kiiiiinda got herself elected out of spite (at other people’s incompetence), but they tell her that regardless of her motivations, ultimately she’s still doing a good thing and contributing to change

But for Precure, she thinks Stress is way better at it because she picked it up so naturally. At the same time, False knows she’s the chosen wielder of the blue precure power, and she can’t just give it away

Eventually, she regains confidence and decides to fight for what she believes in. Stress stretches out her hand to False with a big grin and goes, “Let’s transform. Together ♡~” [insert dual transformation sequence]

The big bad, the ultimate evil, is this thing called the Algorithm. Yep, they’ve been fighting against the Algorithm the whole time. It can be an AI like Moebius in Fresh— humans at the Corporation serve the Algorithm because they think it knows best, but in the end, all the humans at the Corporation are slaves to the Algorithm.

🤡💀 I know this is typical of me buuuuuut we can name the smaller villains after social media (again) 🥺👉👈. Ticktock. Tumbler. Stanley Twit (yeah it’s him again ÙwÚ). Instagone. Weed-It (although I feel Reddit has less of an algorithm). Or something idk

(There can also be some cheeky references to AI soulless recreations because the metaphor about stealing the Genesis Block for corporate greed is Right There)

Ren gets possessed by his own darkness at some point. It’s different from Stress’ possession because Ren was tired of being helpless and summoned his cold, “evil” self. He turns grey and speaks differently like some Bad King Ren / Grimdog / Red King mashup. But everyone misses their lil doggy and they convince Ren it’s okay and he doesn’t need to be callous and unfeeling to protect his friends.

Bonus points if Ren turned evil after sacrificing himself to save his friends -> death always seems to do Things to him

Sir Joe of the Hills was an esteemed poet / scholar in the Hermit Kingdom and he created Cleo’s power from research— that’s why Cleo is the only one tied to a fairy partner.

The reason why the Hermit Kingdom didn’t unleash the pink/blue/etc powers (and had Joe make up a power) was because those powers (I’m imagining they manifest in the form of keys, Fresh Precure style) are pillars that hold up the kingdom, but when they were attacked, the kingdom fell anyway and the keys would have better use (to awaken the precure instead of protecting the kingdom. The bad guys are mainly after the Genesis Block which is in possession of Ren and co, so they need the legendary warriors to protect the block.)

When Ren and Iskall fled, they took the pink and blue keys. The bad guys were trying to attack Ren, so knowing he’s the bigger target, Ren gives the Genesis Block and the keys to Iskall. But the blue key is like “fuck it, someone’s gotta protect this doggy” and sticks with Ren.

Half of the green key is still holding up the Hermit Kingdom, but eventually they decide it would be put to better use if they made a precure from it. Gem takes half of the green key and goes to the human world, the Genesis Block fixes the other half and gives her the power to transform.

The yellow key was lost after the fall of the kingdom but it magically appeared to revive Pearl and give her powers

The whole key thing is so they can “unlock their potential” (think Shugo Chara), like they absorb the key in their heart and out comes a glowing blob (representing their soul / individuality / creativity) that falls into their transformation item (whatever that might be). When False couldn’t transform, that was because she couldn’t manifest the glowing blob even though she had a key.

OG Cleo didn’t have a key— just Joe and her transformation item (that got broken). But after rescuing Jhost and the ~power of friendship and creation~, the Genesis Block creates an orange key for her, but it’s also ~special~ so she still needs Jhost to transform. It’s a Joe+Cleo two in one deal. This is purely because I don’t wanna exclude Cleo from the keys and the idea of “unlocking potential” 🥺

Idk what the transformation item is— I considered watches (Yes 5 style) simply because I reallllly liked those butterfly watches. Since the theme is creativity, I suppose everyone could have a different item. Like Stress can have a perfume bottle (for the flowers). Someone can have a watch, a mirror, camera, compact, etc

#precure au #ria.txt #long post #weeeeee precure :)#although tbf the henshin items are usually based on the fact that it has to look like a fun toy for the merch to sell

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semi-imaginary-place · 2 months

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post 251 jjk thoughts

Sukuna going through it this week. (poor tummy mouth D:). I think he got punched in the soul like 5 times or however many hits Yuji got in. Tongue ripped out, stabbed, cut, hand ripped off, kicked a few times, losing control of megumi's body and his cursed energy, still regenerating from gojo. and then Maki comes in with the steel chair

My new prediction is Sukuna's gonna eat Yuta

Was thinking about Yuji more and he has both blood manipulation and soul manipulation? "Which one is his cursed technique?" is what I was questioning until I remembered Sukuna get both slashes and fire arrow.

Was Yuta/Rika eating the finger the best narrative use of the 20th finger? Eh I don't know, but it's certainly not the worst. Yuta eating Sukuna's finger worked, dude's the most beat up we've ever seen him and Maki's coming in with the folding chair.

sukuna's cursed technique?

I heard one hypothesis where his technique is to store and use the properties of cursed items to explain kamutoke.

I personally like that his ct is cooking or fire arrow and slashes are from his canabalizing his conjoined twin, because they are thematically and aesthetically relevant to Sukuna but it really is a mystery as of now. I hope whatever Gege reveals is a satisfying answer although I know that whatever it ends up being people are going to complain.

Sukuna only has one technique, and it's Fire Arrow. It's powerful, but imprecise and inefficient, so he studied jujutsu fundamentals religiously to refine it. His solution was an Ultimate Binding Vow, carved onto his own soul to forcibly restrain Fire Arrow into a practical form: Dismantle, with Cleave being a subtechnique refined from Dismantle. That Binding Vow manifests as his tattoos, which show up wherever his soul is, regardless of his body. He releases the limiter with Fuga (Open) to access the original form of his technique. Closed, it functions like a high pressure water nozzle, forcing the power of Fire Arrow through a minimal path. Explosive fire becomes a short-lived, hyper-concentrated arc of infrared radiation, invisible to everyone except Mahoraga (adaptation) and Kashimo (EM spectrum). Cursed spirits can't put Binding Vows on their own souls the same way because they're not structured like human souls. Sukunas' understanding of cursed energy and its relation to the soul is what makes this Ultimate Binding Vow possible, and also what allowed him to mold his body to optimize his jujutsu. Four arms and two months are obvious, but four eyes gives him supreme depth perception and peripheral vision to judge the distance of his Dismantles. (CaughtMeALurkfish)

That makes a lot of sense that only fire arrow is his ct and the slashes are him being very skilled with cursed energy, fire arrow in under binding vows that restrict it's form. We've already seen Sukuna get pretty wily with rules lawyering binding vows from his domain expansion to enchain with Yuji. corporate tax lawyer sukuna. He's also extremely knowledgeable about jujutsu and cursed energy. Like early on Gojo wacked a can with just cursed energy no cursed technique so pure cursed energy manipulation is possible.

#jjk #jjk spoilers #jjk 251

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96percentdone · 8 months

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I've been ruminating on fandom lately. Criticizing fandom at all will get you barraged by very defensive fans who will accuse you of hating fun, not understanding creative expression, and being an art snob, and I am about to go a LOT harder than most of the posts I've been exposed to, so in an attempt to preemptively curb that indignance: I like fandom. I have written fanfics, and theory posts, and meta, and I've reblogged countless fanart. A lot of what I engage with or have made meets the standards I'm about to critique, and I understand completely that for many, fandom is a hobby. People would like to escape from the struggles in their lives. They find comfort in the media they love, so they immerse themselves it. It can be hard to make anything in this capitalist hellscape, so if you've achieved something at all, it's a miracle. I get it. I really do. I'm not an art snob; I think it's fine if things aren't that deep, and they're primarily wish-fulfillment. I have some grievances with the critics too, and they'll come up. This post isn't about you specifically; it's bigger. Fandom content suffers a lack of substance because of superficial engagement with the source material.

Many fandom critical posts on this website bring up shipping culture as the reason everything is samey and uninteresting, often referencing ao3 in specific. I sympathize with these posts, I also find shipping prominence can be fairly tedious when you want to read ANYTHING else, but why is it when complain about fandom, we point the finger at fic? Why do we use shorthands like "he would not fucking say that," and drop ao3 tagging conventions, and mention fanfic websites? Have y'all LOOKED at the fan art you reblog? A lot of it is just posing and kissing. If you wanted to analyze it for any further meaning, I don't think you'd get very far. I am not positioning fanfiction as superior; as everyone points out, a lot of it is repetitive and derivative, but let's not pretend that this is a fanfic exclusive issue. We can take it further out! Look at the absolute state of meta. Most analysis is done in service of promoting a headcanon or a ship if it isn't just a theory wildly speculating an explanation for an unresolved or ambiguous plot point. We're gonna include those guys who make power scaling rankings, filling out the wiki, etc too. They're fans! Everyone agrees those people aren't engaging with the text in a deeper way, but that doesn't make them NOT fans. It is the way their appreciation manifests the clearest! We're all fans; we are doing the same thing in just a different form.

Most of what gets popularized I all these spaces is based on a strictly literal understanding of the work; it's about plot events and how characters relate to it and one another, and the meaning people get out of it—from shipping to theorizing to memes to tierlists—never goes beyond that level. If people don't know how to look for themes, to interpret symbolism and examine the construction of a work to see how it contributes to how the whole is operating to affect them, because their education on how to do it sucked shit, then obviously they won't. But I don't think that's enough to explain the heart of the problem.

Critics will bring up the fandom wash cycle, an analogy for how way fandom will spend more time engaged with itself than the source material, and perpetuate its own tropes and fixations ad nauseum. This is true in any fanspace you can spend your time in, including those "who would win" bros. I hear this, and I think of social media, the place most of fandom lives now. People making original work often talk about how their stuff never gets any attention compared to fandom stuff; the biggest fandoms are sprawling franchises with corporate entities behind them. Social media algorithms promote what is already popular, what will generate the most clicks, so you stay online and make their corporate overlords more money. It is the depth of human experience streamlined into easily digestible chunks.

You're spent because life is hard and the world sucks and the only relief you can find is in the media you love. You don't want to expend a lot of energy today, so you'll consume or create ship centered content, or fan theories, or memes and gifs. You'll wonder who would win in a fight. Even without social media, people feed their own algorithms, because the system is designed to encourage it. Fandom is part of a larger whole.

If fandom will ever be more than what it is, you have to be willing to put in the work to fix it. Criticism won't cut it. As the saying goes, be the change you want to see in the world. Create what you want to see, use what you make to teach what might be lacking, seek out more of the things that look like what you want fandom to be (I assure you it exists), not just what you already know. Fandom is perpetuated by fans. Being a fan doesn't make you predisposed to creating cyclical, watered-down content. Every fan has a rich internal life with a whole host of experiences that should inform both how they make their works and how they read it to begin with, because they're people.

People are far too diverse to be defined by an algorithm; maybe with enough effort, we can write a new one.

#hope.txt

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