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celaenaeiln · 1 month

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opinion on songs from Moana being used for dick? (Eg. How far I’ll go, Where you are and I am Moana)

Let's do this!

How Far I'll Go

How Far I'll Go is my guilty pleasure!

Listen, I'm so happy that Dick adores the stuffings out of family and friends and loves them with all his heart but please, I just need one self-indulgent piece of writing where he just abandons everything, takes a break, and goes on a long self-discovery journey via a roadtrip or something. Sometimes I feel like he's too busy being a part of everyone else's self-discovery journey that he doesn't get to enjoy what he wants to do. How Far I'll Go is a cumulation of Dick being the leader and taking on the leadership role while sacrificing his own needs. The lyrics express a longing for exploration and pushing boundaries, which also aligns with Dick's journey from Robin to Nightwing.

Furthermore, Dick Grayson's robin is characterized by a sense of adventure and exploration-

Detective Comics (2016) Issue #1000

literally.

And this need for adventure is what Moana and this song is all about. It's a craving, a desperate urge to go beyond the known and explore. Dick's known for his willingness to explore new territories, both physically and emotionally, often venturing into the unknown to protect his city and his loved ones.

The song is also about his desire for independence because like Moana, Dick Grayson grapples with his desire for independence while also feeling a sense of duty to his family and community.

It's actually a cycle. In the song it goes-

Every turn I take, every trail I track Every path I make, every road leads back

-and this is just a reflection of Dick's internal conflict between his personal aspirations of happiness and living his life vs his responsibilities as a hero and his duties as a leader of his community and the pillar of his family.

Where You Are

Where You Are is literally what I think Bruce wishes he could do to Dick lol. Except he's acting as the village and the father, not the grandma.

Don't walk away Moana, stay on the ground now Our people will need a chief, and there you are

These lyrics in particular -

🤌

*takes a deep breath in*

Now why does this sound familiar? :/

oh right, Bruce tells Dick that he needs a Batman whenever he's gone and he also tells Dick that his place as Robin is by Batman's side. This is also practically word-for-word what Cass says to Dick about his responsibilities of Batman.

Mainly this song is about sacrificing personal ambitions and desires to fulfill your duties.

That's right, we stay We're safe, and we're well provided And when we look to the future, there you are You'll be okay In time you'll learn just as I did You must find happiness right where you are

I don't think this song really needs any more explanation about how it's related to Dick because Dick's life practically embodies this song. It's sacrifice upon sacrifice he's done in order do his duties as Dick Grayson and Nightwing. This is his Eldest Daughter Syndrome song.

(Also just realized that without the background music this song is creepy af. Imagine the batfam singing the lines to him in a dark room where he hallucinates them. It's like a gothic horror story.)

I am Moana

Ooof. "I am Moana" is Dick Grayson's contant identity crisis song. In like every comic he's like "I was robin, I was nightwing, I was amnesic, I was Agent 37, I was Batman. But now I know that I am Dick Grayson."

Look at the lyrics-

I know a girl from an island She stands apart from the crowd She loves the sea and her people She makes her whole family proud Sometimes the world seems against you The journey may leave a scar But scars can heal and reveal just Where you are

The people you love will change you The things you have learned will guide you And nothing on earth can silence The quiet voice still inside you And when that voice starts to whisper "Moana, you've come so far" Moana listen, do you know who you are?

Who am I? I am a girl who loves my island And the girl who loves the sea, it calls me I am the daughter of the village chief We are descended from voyagers Who found their way across the world They call me

I've delivered us to where we are I have journeyed farther I am everything I've learned and more Still it calls me

And the call isn't out there at all It's inside me It's like the tide Always falling and rising I will carry you here in my heart You'll remind me That come what may I know the way

I am Moana!

Just replace girl with boy, add correct context, change Moana to Dick Grayson and boom! There you have him. "I am Moana" is Dick's Agent 37 arc.

Grayson Issue #1

"Dick, you've come so far" Dick listen, do you know who you are?

Grayson Issue #20

#dick grayson #nightwing #bruce wayne #batman #tim drake #jason todd #damian wayne #cl anon asks #cl asks #thanks for the ask!

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dreamofmetoday · 1 year

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ASTRO BASICS #2: UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE ASCENDANT (RISING SIGN) REALLY IS

the ascendant is the window to your entire natal chart. it is the window in which the native "looks out" of to see the world and in which others "look in" to see the native.

it is the worldview, philosophy and chosen life map of the native, the ascendant is what your soul chose* for you to aid you in this lifetime so it is through the ascendant in which the natal chart operates.

in more grounded terms this means the ascendant affects the native's entire approach to life, what they think is the correct way to live and what they think is valuable in living a fulfilling life.

because the ascendant is our chosen life map it means the solar return ascendant is the main focus of a solar return - the sign your solar return ascendant is in shows what you will be forced to focus on throughout that year.

you will usually have a deeper understanding or appreciation of the sign the ascendant was in when you solar return ends, having learnt the lessons you needed to. often you will also meet someone important that has their sun or moon in the same sign as your solar return ascendant that affects you in some way (even if they're only in your life for that year), or you will suddenly begin dealing a lot more with someone of that sign.

while the ascendant is complex, you can find the main themes of the ascendant simply by looking at what house the sign rules:

aries - first house: the self - assertion and expression of the self, beginnings, habits.

taurus - second house: self-worth, money, earthly pleasures (food, sex, material belongings), comfort, luxury, security, five senses, habits and work ethic.

gemini - third house: thinking, opinions and communication, theory work, siblings and close friends, community and neighbours (what's "close” to you), early education, short trips.

cancer - fourth house: where we come from, early life that shaped us (what shapes us - emotional and psychological foundations), self-care, home, family, subjective thinking, comfort zone and comfort (coziness).

leo - fifth house: joy, hobbies, creativity, romance (courtship stage), fun, games, spontaneity, sex, children, self-expression, vacations, gambling, fashion, drama and theatrics.

virgo - sixth house: service to others (needing to feel useful), being served, health and disease, fitness, pets, work habits, daily routine, organisation, analytical thinking, co-workers, work environment, self-improvement, labour, enemies, sacrifice (“selflessness” house).

libra - seventh house: one-to-one relationships, attraction and repulsion, sharing, politics, blind spot (where we are self unaware).

scorpio - eighth house: intimacy and merging (including sex), other people's resources and shared money, death and transformation (rebirth), taboo, mystery (and deception), deep emotions.

sagittarius - ninth house: experience, expansiveness, higher education, religion and philosophy (continued learning and search for meaning - the need for something bigger than one's self), travel, wisdom, ethics, cross-cultural understanding.

capricorn - tenth house: career, achievement, longterm goals, purpose, public relations, public perception and social standing, reputation (needing a "brand" - what we want to be seen as), responsibility, authority figures.

aquarius - eleventh house: collective consciousness, groups, friends (acquaintances and networking), organisations, hopes, dreams, wishes, society and social awareness, technology and internet, humanitarianism, idealism.

pisces - twelfth house: dreams, unconscious, subconscious, spirituality, secrets, sacrifice, solitude, enemies, confinements, hidden things, self-undoing, confusion, karma, deep emotions, impressionability.

i recommend checking your previous solar return ascendant and asking yourself where life kept taking you and what you learnt, seeing how it relates to you - i believe this can help give you deeper understanding of the ascendant overall, both natal and solar return.

*even if you don't believe in life before earthly life or past lives, it is good to keep this in mind when considering how the ascendant works.

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aho-dapa · 2 months

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Tbh there's something about the way Ichigo, Kisuke, and Sōsuke are all reflecting off of each other in canon

Like this is sooooo influenced by my random uraichizen thoughts but

Like, considering Kisuke's Bodhisattva allegory with Guanyin/Kannon and his knowledge of the world, the idea that he preserves the status quo of the worlds by not actively doing anything in comparison to Sōsuke (from what we can see). He is a Bodhisattva in this sense. He's seen the truth, he teaches others the truth or hints at it because true Enlightenment can only be with the self. But.

Then there's the actual consequence of SS and what shinigami have to do to maintain the balance. Kisuke opposes Sōsuke and his views not because he believes it's right, but because he believes that the destruction of the worlds is not acceptable. It's a necessary evil.

Sōsuke has an ego with him wanting to become God, but there's also something almost tragic about his arc with reframing it from his perspective of Soul Society.

Soul Society is not a good place. Honestly horrible to live in. Especially when we find out that they sacrifice souls to hollows and vice versa in the name of balance.

Tbh, I ended up asking myself, from this viewpoint, is the Soul Society really worth protecting? Because it's goal is not about protecting people, but protecting the balance. Can the shinigami claim ignorance? Should they even be allowed to when they are complicit in destruction of lives? What would 'life' actually be considered in this universe? Do hollows deserve life as humans do? Except the SS ultimately sees both as a means to an end, hollows are just more of an obstacle.

Effwctively, shinigami are content sleeping on a bed of ground bones. I can see Sōsuke thinking this from a biased perspective.

But he's also not some savior either. He's arrogant and has a callousness to him that conflicts with this more sympathetic view of him.

His anger at Kisuke for knowing the truth of the world and not trying to change it seems genuine. There's an air of hypocrisy to his character I can't shake and it makes me wanna know more about why. Like the question of the greater evil vs the lesser evil.

Except Ichigo. He steps forward, finally knowing himself in full, to defeat Sōsuke, to defeat Yhwach, yet I can't help but feel like he's still so ignorant of the world he lives in. If he learned about their horrors, could he truly stand by in shadows waiting as Kisuke does, or would he become like another Sōsuke, for whatever reason. Or would he become a different path?

Sōsuke is also related to illusion and water, a reflection. We never see his bankai and I would even go so far as to think that he own powers don't work as they do in canon. There's still too many unknowns about him for me to be confident in them. But Ichigo’s own insights about Sōsuke's loneliness is just... it's so tempting to build off of that.

Because those feelings are likely a reflection of Ichigo from when he was a young age and his own confusing powers may have brought only more loneliness instead of understanding or connection.

I can't help but think that Kisuke represents Stagnation and Sōsuke represents Progess. Except poth come with an unsavory taste in the mouth. Kisuke waits, likely works towards a goal, bit it's far too slow for the people that have already suffered because of the world. Sōsuke steps forward, also hiding until he's sure of his strike, and he probably would have won if not for Ichigo. What is Ichigo then?

The only part of the Soul King that's named is his heart, which can bring about miracles, things unexplained due to emotions and desires. It acts similar to the Hōgyoku. Ichigo speculates that Sōsuke may have actually wanted to lose to him and that's... also a lot of implication about Sōsuke's character. There's also the idea that Sōsuke may have built Ichigo up. To what? Defeat him? Stand by his side? To make him less lonely? Or are these Ichigo’s unreliable feelings, are they simply Ichigo’s own reflected onto Sōsuke?

Both of Kisuke and Sōsuke's plans and views come with a price. And Ichigo remains ignorant, but he stills fights for everyone to not pay that price, even his enemies.

In a way, it's like Sōsuke decided to pay a huge price upfront to pay back later, Kisuke is frugal and making sure to balance everything while moving forward but that means people can't attain true wealth within their lifetime. Yhwach decided to destroy the concept itself despite that it means everyone will then have to pay that price.

Ichigo, is just, bursting through all of that. But he's also only one person. And idk, that feels important to how change must be made collectively when it's about a whole society. All Ichigo does is step forward, with other people, like the beginning of a wave.

Like, this is the end of the post but SŌSUKE AND KANAME??????? That alone needs a whole thesis and how it informs both of their characters since the only person Sōsuke actually trusts out of everyone is Kaname

#using their firsts name because I've been planning a fanfic 😭#is uraichizen even a thing??#uraichi #aiichi #uraaiichi then??#bless restore drafts fr was gonna lose this all trying to figure out sōsuke and kisuke's ship name 😭😭#ichigo kurosaki #kisuke urahara #sōsuke aizen #kurosaki ichigo #urahara kisuke #aizen sōsuke #bleach

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teejaystumbles · 3 months

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Talk to me about BtOM and/or its sequel? I've seen some of the webcomic and would love to know more

Hooo boy! Thank you so much for your interest! This is going to be a long post! BtoM is my original webcomic, set in the Aztec empire in the 15th century, before the arrival of the Spaniards. It's not trying to be historically accurate but I did quite a lot of research at the time to get cultural stuff and place settings right. It features, as main characters, Metztlitototl, a boy who fell from the sky; Mictlantecuhtli, god of death; Tezcatlipoca, god of, heh, a shitload of things LOL, and his highpriest Itztli, a human. They try to navigate their feelings for each other while finding out where Metz came from. It's a gay love fantasy drama. (while I and the characters often refer to Metz as a "boy", he is not underage) I came up with the basic story idea over twenty years ago and developed it over the years (with the help of a writer who is not part of it any more) into a fully fleshed out story. At the moment it spans six full chapters with about 30-40 pages each; the seventh and last chapter is still unfinished. I have taken huge breaks over the years, coming back to it again and again. I have always promised that I will one day finish it and I still intend to keep that promise. The shutdown of smackjeeves had me loose my main platform for hosting the comic and while I have plans to make my own website, at the moment it's hard to direct people to where to read it easily. That's why I set up a new tumblr for it, but editing all the pages and making the posts is also a huge effort I struggle with. (So sorry!!! I will try and be better!)

It's hard to share stuff because it's a comic script, not a novel, but I'd like to share something from chapter seven, Mic and Itztli trying to figure out who or what Metz actually is-

Itztli is sleepless, he roams the temple grounds restlessly, deep circles under his eyes. He coughs violently and spits but doesn't see the blood mixed with his spit. At dawn he comes upon a secluded area where a fire must have been burning not long ago, a qualming brazier and lots of footprints make him curious. He inspects the scene and finds almost but not completely erased drawings in the earth, depicting... Metztlitototl? What is the meaning of this? Is that... the boy? "It is as I thought." Itztli whirls around at the voice, and Mic stands before him (not the skeleton, but the "nice" Mic). Itztli squats down immediately, heart pounding. "Lord of Mictlan." Mic ignores him. He looks around, sees traces of burnt incense, and even a feather of a bird, hinting at a blood sacrifice. Without looking at Itztli, still studying the area, he says: "Tell me about the night you found him."

The sequel is a very indulgent PWP that has them figuring out their feelings even more and basically all four of them end up in a polyamorous relationship haha. It was my pleasure project to write when the mood struck and has reached the same length as the main story document (oops LOL)

My favourite is not the main character Metz but Itztli, my precious poor boy who'd do anything for his capricious master. He's probably the reason the sequel exists because they needed more space to flourish <3

The main characters, Metz and Mic, are soft and lovely and I love them to bits but they are also, well, easy. Also, Mic is obviously inspired by Dream. My teenage self had a type (and still has). xD

Feel free to ask me more detailed questions! I will endeavour to post more comic pages soon!

#teejaystumbles #btom #wip ask game #original character

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vizthedatum · 2 months

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CW: self-immolation is a sacred testament that cannot be silenced (Free Palestine)

During my current spiritual awakening as a scientist, healthcare data scientist, writer, and varied-trauma survivor, not only am I growing into myself, I am growing into what it means to truly be a citizen of the world.

I grew up Hindu, and I only really connected with it spiritually to my core after a series of traumatic events I faced in this lifetime, including events I brought on myself.

Being spiritual has brought me so much peace. However, I am still living in a world, where there is so much turbulence, where there is so much suffering.

In so many religions and spiritual practices, the concept of worldly suffering is heavily discussed. Everyone has their own justifications and their own way of mitigating (or propagating) suffering.

In this post, I will be addressing the genocide of human life in the Gaza Strip, along with the various other genocides that have plagued my lifetime, including the Rohingya genocide. The following topics will be mentioned as well: the constructs of hierarchy that somehow lesson some people's lives and elevate others, self-immolation as a spiritually grounded form of protest when your soul cannot find another way, suicide and attempted suicide, complicit-ness, and generational and worldly abuse/trauma.

When Aaron Bushnell self-immolated on February 25, 2024, I avoided the news even more than before.

I fully understood why he did it, but it also brought back memories of the time when my brother, in his teenage years, went behind his high school to self-immolate. He failed and went to the hospital with burns. This suicide attempt was one of several that he would face for most of his life.

Aaron did it out of protest to Free Palestine. My brother did it out of an intention to commit suicide because not only did he not want to live, he did not feel wanted in this world.

What makes a person not wanted? What compels whole swaths of people to either protest or support mass murder?

These are some of life's big questions, huh?

Spiritually, I consider self-immolation an act from the soul. My belief stems from my worship of the matriarchal depiction of godly being from Hinduism. She is known by so many names: Mahadevi, Devi, Shakti, Ma, Mahamaya, etc.

One of her forms is Sati. Later, "sati" became the name of the self-immolation practice that widows perform on the pyre of their husband's body, during his funeral.

The term, "sati," stands for nobility and truth in Sanskrit. It's not literally about self-immolation - it's about standing up for what you think is right and being very clear about what is suffocating you to the point of your soul being burned alive.

In short, Sati's story is about her protest of her husband, Shiva, not being respected by her family. She marries Shiva - her godly companion through every reincarnation of the Mahadevi - and her father doesn't like it.

Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu are the male counterparts of the "holy trinity of Hinduism" - they're considered *the supreme Gods.*

Her father prepared a ritual sacrifice event (a yajna) and did not invite his son-in-law. There are so many details to this - including that her father was human (well this is contested since he was a part of Brahma) and had devoted himself to Brahma, that all these figures were among the early humans (and gods) in Hindu mythological lore, and that despite factuality the stories are metaphors and descriptions of the layered nature of humanity.

Sati wanted Shiva to come, but he refused since he wasn't invited. Sati instead went to the yajna and she was humiliated by her entire family. Her husband's name was also tarnished.

She couldn't take it - not only was Shiva in the same class of deitic prolificness as Brahma, Shiva was her husband.

She threw herself in the fire of the yajna and self-immolated. She sacrificed her life's energy to go back into the universe or higher power, because she could not stand for this injustice.

Shiva became so stricken with grief and anger, he destroyed the yajna (later the yajna was restored) and threatened his father-in-law's life.

He took his wife's body and wandered around. 51 pieces of Sati's body fell to the earth and became what is known as the Shakti Pithas.

These 51 sites are in South Asia, and people still pay pilgrimage and worship at these sites.

I've personally only been to one - the one in Kalighat where my maternal family line lives. I'm a strong worshipper of Kali Ma, and I believe she spoke to me there, amongst the crowds, when I was 25.

The number, 51, is contested of course - but that's not the point.

The reason why Hindus make pilgrimage to these sites is because of her great sacrifice. It was a test of divinity.

She recognized what was important to her and that Shiva was indeed a supreme deity - and then she sacrificed her own supremeness to both defend him and herself.

In South Asia, self-immolation is spiritually considered a noble act of protest due to this story (and so many other stories).

Unfortunately, it becomes a problem when people are FORCED to self-immolate (as in the case of the sati practice where it's rooted in misogyny and patriarchy) or when people are COMPELLED to self-immolate due to lack of community and mental health resources (such as in the case of my brother).

I don't think it becomes noble or truthful in those instances, even if there are hints of the truth underlying these issues.

I think back to Sylvia Plath in these cases sometimes - she committed suicide by suffocating herself in her oven. Her poetry and words will probably inspire generations upon generations. But I understand why she did it - I am of the opinion that she was surely abused by her husband and traumatized by the lack of support from her community. In short, I believe her husband (whose second wife died from the same method of suicide) was abusing her in the form of narcissistic, sociopathic, or psychopathic abuse to the point where she felt suffocated. Since she could not bring herself to break free, she suffocated herself.

And in the case of mass genocide where a person who has dedicated his life for the protection of humanity (Aaron was a serviceman of the United States Air Force) - I can see why he had to stand up for what he believed to be noble and true.

It's hard to look away when someone so young gives up his life for a cause. I think that was precisely the point. He knew he had power as a young, white man serving a militaristic force in America.

There are so many people who are doing nothing in the face of all of these mass genocides in the world. I don't think it is fair to leave the concept of human suffering up to the higher power.

It is not the higher power's job to fix this for us. I believe that to my core.

Being silent about human suffering is being complicit in it.

I know that many people are not able - or they don't even know - to have an impact on the lessening of suffering. But we must do what we can. A quote I often quote on many, many occasions is by Angela Davis: she says: “Sometimes we have to do the work even though we don't yet see a glimmer on the horizon that it's actually going to be possible.” Do something, take inspired action - don't be silent. You don't have to self-immolate, but please consider the sacrifice and the severity of the situation.

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arya-skywalker · 3 months

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Atoms singing to the void (Arcane fanfic)

Summary: Something calls to Viktor through the Hexcore. Something dark and powerful. Something within him answers back. Viktor reaches out for help before it’s too late, seeking an alternate path.

Notes: Written for the Seasons Skirmish event, for saminating’s prompt “virus/corruption”. This was a fun excuse to explore a bit of Void!Viktor before the second season comes out! Hints of league lore, but I also took a few creative liberties. Hope you enjoy!

Tws: chronic illness, canonical character death (technically), partial possession, manipulation, nightmares, derealization, guilt, grief, questionable science/medicine, human experimentation (partially self-inflicted), amputation, body horror

AO3 Link

~*~

Viktor blinked, disoriented. There was no ground, yet he was standing. A glowing purple fog surrounded him. Dark tendrils like a tarred web were the only discernible landmarks in the endless mist. A strange gurgling-warbling-clicking echoed throughout.

“There you are. I was wondering when you’d show up,” a disembodied female voice said.

That sounded like—

“Sky?” Viktor spun around, searching for the voice.

“Right here, silly.” Sky smiled, appearing from the fog and walking towards him. “What did I tell you about fixing your sleep schedule?”

Viktor stared at her. “How is this possible? You shouldn’t— I saw you— your—“

“Does it matter? We’re here now. You’re overthinking.” Sky looked exactly as she had before she turned to ash.

“I’m sorry,” Viktor blurted. Whatever this was, however this happening, he had to say it. Once the words started, they kept tumbling out. “I… the Hexcore… I did not think it would take a life. I thought you had gone home for the night. I thought I was alone, that I was the only one at risk. I never wanted anyone to be hurt. I am sorry I did not notice you. That night and… before. You did not deserve to pay the price for my mistakes. It should have been me.”

Sky shook her head. “There is nothing to apologize for. I live on, here.” She smiled again, an eager light in her eyes. “Don’t you feel it? The power of this place? The energy? The magic? Everything you wanted can be yours. I can help you get it.”

Viktor took a breath, and realized his lungs were clear. There was no tightness, no urge to cough. The energy she spoke of surged through him. The possibilities at his fingertips were endless. “How?”

“The Hexcore. You were right, Viktor! You were always right. I knew from the moment I met you that you would do wonderful things!”

Viktor frowned. “But it hurt you. I cannot risk that it will hurt others.”

Sky took a step closer. “Piltover never accepted you, never respected you. With the Hexcore, you could bring the city down. Make those arrogant pilties worship the ground you walk on and beg for your mercy. The Undercity could rise above.”

His stomach dropped. He took a step back on the non-existent ground. “You are not Sky. Neither of us would want that. What are you?”

Her expression went cold. “You never asked. You barely took the time to know me. We were both ignored, pushed aside, looked down on. Don’t you think they should pay for that?”

Perhaps he didn’t know her as well as he wished, but this… this seemed a step too far. Sky had always been kind, gentle, patient. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Viktor tripped over the tendrils, barely catching himself before he could fall. “You are not Sky,” he repeated. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Not-Sky tsked. “You are smarter than we thought,” she said, her voice echoing. “I am her memories, the memories that exist within what you call the Hexcore. She did truly care for you, you know, and you ignored her at every turn.” She tilted her head to the side. “We want knowledge, power, the same things you want. We can help each other. All it takes is sacrifice, more blood and more…” She paused, as if searching for the word, “Shimmer.”

“And if I refuse?”

“One way or another, you will join us. It would be best if you did so willingly. Think about it.”

Everything vanished in a bright purple flash, followed by a deep darkness.

Viktor jerked awake with a violent cough, hitting his leg on the desk. His heartbeat, the thrumming of the Hexcore, and the pulsing of his altered limbs were in perfect sync. Perhaps it was only a nightmare, but something about it felt far too real.

~*~

“You want the secrets of magic? I can show you,” Not-Sky offered. “I have access to memories of many mages over the years. Join me, and those memories will be yours as well.”

Brief flashes of runes and mages passed too quickly to follow. The tantalizing glimpse left him wanting more. Yearning to understand, to harness the power for good. No books could replace the first-hand experience of a master. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, one that very few could possibly see.

But the price was too much. This thing that he created was far too volatile to be trusted. He couldn’t.

~*~

Viktor worked in the lab during his waking hours. Testing equations and rune combinations, sketching designs, tinkering with whatever was on hand. He carved more rune-plates, although he wasn’t exactly sure what for. They could always be useful for something, or so he told himself.

After coughing blood into a handkerchief, his altered hand tossed it at the Hexcore. An offering, however small. He wasn’t sure if he meant to.

The Hexcore absorbed it and spun faster, its light glowing brighter. It almost sounded like a laugh, echoing and garbled.

~*~

The infinite purple fog was replaced with a vast landscape. A dark sea stretched out in the distance. Everything was twisted, metallic with an inner purple glow. There were creatures too, mutated beings made of the same substances; with too many limbs or not enough. Some had human parts mixed with animal or insect, but none seemed natural by any means. The ruins of a city, growing spines and bioluminescent fungus, somehow alive but not. Everything about it was wrong, corrupt, otherworldly— but there was a strange beauty to it beyond the horror.

“See? This could be Piltover,” Not-Sky said, gesturing to the spires. “Help me take it. Let me recreate it. The people will never harm you again. Those that are left will see you as a god, honor you with the respect you deserve.”

Viktor shook his head, dread pooling in his stomach. “This is not what I want. Stop. Please.”

Not-Sky only smiled. “I know you, Viktor. I see into your mind. Deep down, I know you want to see them suffer as your people have suffered. I can make that happen.”

“No!” Viktor wrenched himself free of the vision. His altered limbs burned. He screamed.

~*~

Viktor couldn’t sleep. Every time he left the lab, he found himself right back again, trapped under the unnatural light of the Hexcore. It whispered to him, promises of power and knowledge and life unending. Sometimes he came up with excuses to be in the lab, something he had to work on, something he needed to finish before he ran out of time. Other times it was as if his altered limbs were drawn to it like a magnet, dragging him back against his will. His mind was foggy, dreams and reality blended together. He swore the tendrils were spreading across his body, slowly but surely. He was running out of reasons to defy it.

~*~

There were far too many Council meetings in Jayce’s opinion. War or peace, weapons or treaties, profit or lives, round and round in circles they went and nothing was ever decided— even if the solution seemed obvious to him. How could a government function like this? Mel should have known he didn’t have the mind for it, but now the city’s fate was his responsibility.

Jayce took a breath and opened the door to the lab, Hextech hammer in hand. He had made a promise. He intended to keep it. “Viktor?” he called, squinting in the odd purple light. Gods, how could he work in this darkness?

“I do not want to play these games,” Viktor said dully, hunched over his desk like a gargoyle. His complexion was ghostly pale in the unnatural light, his frame skeletal.

A chill went down Jayce’s spine. Something was very wrong. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong?”

Viktor scoffed. “One day you are Sky, another you are Jayce. I know neither are returning.” The words cut like a knife. He had waited too long.

Jayce rushed to his partner’s side. “Viktor, it’s me! I’m right here. I’m sorry. I know I should have come sooner, but… I’m here now.” He reached out to put a hand on Viktor’s shoulder.

Viktor froze, then blinked up at him. “You’re… here.” His expression flickered from confusion to relief to panic. “You should go. It isn’t… isn’t safe.” He tried to shove Jayce’s arm off, but his strength was frighteningly little.

“I told you I’d destroy it. Is that still something you want?” Jayce asked, lowering his voice but making sure to meet Viktor’s gaze.

Viktor nodded, cautiously. As if afraid of his response.

Jayce flashed a reassuring smile. “Then that’s what I’ll do. Stay back.” He backed away and lined up his shot. If anything could destroy it, surely a blast from the hammer would do the trick. If not, they would find another way. He took a breath and pressed the trigger.

Viktor screamed, an anguished bloodcurdling sound, and suddenly lunged at him. The hammer was thrown off course as he fell. The blast hit the ceiling with a resounding crash.

Jayce landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him. Viktor clawed at him with mindless fury. There was nothing in Viktor’s eyes but an eerie reflection of the Hexcore’s glow. Rubble from the ceiling rained down on them both.

“Viktor! It’s me!” Jayce tried to pry him off, heartbeat hammering in his ears. “I don’t want to hurt you, Viktor. Can you hear me?”

A beat passed. Another. No recognition. Viktor’s cold hand reached for his throat. They’d both die here if he didn’t do anything. Jayce shoved harder, throwing him off and flinching at the thud when Viktor hit the floor.

Viktor scrambled away, panting, eyes wide but finally human. “That… was a terrible idea. Never do that again.” His shot a glare at the Hexcore, then turned back to Jayce. “We need to go. Now. Carry me.”

“What the hell was that?!” Jayce snapped, rubbing his throat.

“I will explain later.” Viktor grabbed his hands, positioning them in a way that would not harm him. “The crutch too. Do not let go. Whatever I do, whatever I say, do not put me down until we are safely away from here. Understand?”

A million questions flashed through his mind, but Viktor’s desperate terrified gaze silenced him. Jayce nodded and carefully picked him up, holding him close. Despite being noticeably thinner, he was strangely heavier as well. Jayce stopped just long enough to let Viktor grab the crutch, then started to run.

Viktor squirmed and thrashed in his grip, kicking and hitting at every opportunity. Jayce only held on tighter, praying that he wasn’t hurting him. Eventually, Viktor stopped fighting, going limp in his arms. Jayce sighed in relief.

Not sure where else to go, he brought Viktor home, setting him down on a guest bed. Jayce sat by his side, waiting for him to wake.

~*~

Viktor slowly drifted to consciousness. He was in a bed. A soft bed. With soft sheets. That couldn’t be right. Was this another dream? The Hexcore trying to seduce him with luxury? He laughed at the thought, then coughed, jerking to full wakefulness. Not a dream. The dreams were the one place he didn’t feel pain.

“Viktor! Thank gods you’re awake. I’m here.” Jayce put a hand on his back, offering a glass of water with his free hand.

Jayce. Jayce was here. The real Jayce, not an illusion-dream-puppet of the Hexcore. Viktor ignored the water, clinging to Jayce and burying his face in his chest. Jayce was real. This was real.

Jayce held him close. “It’s okay. We’re safe,” he murmured. Viktor focused on his voice, the rise and fall of his chest, the warm arms around him. Nothing like the Hexcore. The Hexcore could not even pretend to care.

“I’m sorry,” Viktor mumbled finally. “I’m sorry.”

Jayce pulled away enough to look at him, concern in his eyes. “Something happened back there, but we can figure that out later. When was the last time you ate?”

Viktor blinked. Time had lost meaning to him, other than the fact that he was running out. What day was it? “I… I don’t…” he trailed off, aware of the hunger gnawing at his stomach.

“We’ll get some breakfast, then we can talk, alright?”

Viktor couldn’t find a reason to argue with that.

The food helped. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a warm home-cooked meal. It was heavenly. Beyond what he deserved.

“You deserve the truth,” Viktor said, once there was no other excuse to wait. “Please do not interrupt. I know it will be difficult to hear.”

He took a breath and told Jayce everything. The way the Hexcore took his blood, Shimmer, being able to run for the first time in his life, Sky attempting to save him only to lose her life, the nightmares. How he felt stuck in the lab, unable to be away from the Hexcore for long. How the Hexcore had sent agonizing pain and taken over his altered limbs when Jayce tried to destroy it. He apologized, hoping Jayce would understand but knowing he was beyond forgiveness.

Jayce was silent for a moment longer, absorbing the information. “Gods, Viktor. That’s… I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you. It wasn’t your fault.” He was too kind. Too forgiving.

“Don’t.” Viktor held up his hand. “Don’t start. Do not try to excuse my actions. What I’ve done cannot be undone and I must live with it. My actions led to Sky’s death, and I nearly killed you. I cannot let that happen again. Heimerdinger was right; it could destroy entire civilizations and we must stop it before that happens.”

Jayce ran a hand through his hair. “How? What do we do next?”

Viktor hesitated for a moment, glancing out the window. “I need your help to get across the bridge.”

Jayce nodded, eager as always to be helpful. “Of course. Where are we going?”

“You are only going to the end of the bridge. I am returning to my… acquaintance from the Undercity. This madness is partially his fault, and if anyone can fix it, he can.” Or make it much worse. But Jayce didn’t need to know that part. He had enough to worry about. If Jayce knew the dangers that awaited, he’d never let him go. It was better this way.

“Alright. If you’re sure…” Jayce said. Viktor nodded.

As they walked, Viktor felt the unmistakeable tug of the Hexcore pulling him back. He only clung tighter to Jayce, gritting his teeth. Just a little further. There was nothing he needed in the lab, and every reason to avoid it. He didn’t want to go back, he needed to get to the Undercity.

The enforcers gave him a wary look, but Jayce’s presence was enough to let them through, as he had hoped. They walked in silence until they reached the end of the bridge.

“Well. I suppose this is it,” Viktor said, bracing himself on his crutch.

“I could still come with you—“

“No, Jayce. You stick out far too much. You think you are being stealthy, but everyone in the Undercity will only see an easy mark— or worse, a governmental figure they could use as leverage. It is better for me to continue on my own from here.”

Jayce rubbed the back of his neck. “That bad, huh?”

“You have many posters, Jayce. You are a symbol.” Viktor paused, then cracked a smile. “At least they are flattering. Even as a drawing you are undeniably attractive.”

“It was Mel’s idea,” Jayce protested, blushing slightly at the praise. “… but I get it. I won’t go any further, promise.”

“Good.” Viktor nodded. “I will send a message-tube when I am able. I am unsure when that will be, but do not set foot in the lab until I tell you to. The Hexcore will likely still be dangerous even if we manage to sever the connection. I will not return Topside until it is destroyed.”

“But you will return, right? We will see each other again.” Jayce was looking at him with those impossibly-large puppy eyes.

Viktor forced a smile. “Of course. Someone has to keep an eye on you.”

“I mean it. I’m not losing you, Viktor. This can’t be goodbye forever.”

Viktor sighed. “I will do my best to not die in the meantime.” He hesitated, then added, “But if this is the last time… Thank you, for everything. Despite the illness, my time with you has been by far the best years of my life. I would not trade it for the world.”

Jayce nearly crushed him in a hug. “You saved my life. I wish I could do the same.”

Viktor held on, savoring his touch one last time. “You already have.”

For a few minutes, they simply stood there, neither wanting to let go. Viktor ultimately was the first to pull away. “It’s time. Hold off the war for as long as you can, that would complicate things.”

Jayce nodded. “I’ll try. Just come back to me.”

“As soon as it is safe to do so. Farewell, Jayce.” Viktor turned and limped off to the Undercity. He didn’t look back— if he did he might never leave.

The trek down to the cave was more difficult than he remembered. His altered leg threatened to drag him down at every step. The air that he used to breathe every day of his life now burned with every breath. The rocks were slick, a fall at the wrong step could be deadly.

Still, he continued. One step at a time, one breath at a time. Despite the pain.

Finally, finally he reached the mouth of the cave, coughing and leaning heavily on his crutch.

“I take it the experiments did not go as you wished?” Singed asked. At least he had the decency to wait for the coughing fit to subside.

“No. Your Shimmer made it worse. You are going to fix it.” Viktor glared at him with as much energy as he could muster.

“Is that so?” Singed tilted his head to the side. “Do you often find yourself in fits of rage after the experiment?”

Viktor opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again, the doctor’s question taking him off guard. “Why do you ask?”

“The variant I gave you was meant to be without the…. more savage side effects. If that was not the case, I must find the miscalculation. Most unfortunate.” He turned to his notes. “I can mix another, perhaps less potent.”

More experiments. More test subjects. Was that all he was to the doctor now? It didn’t matter. Viktor shook his head. “No. I did not come for more Shimmer. I am done with the Hexcore. You are going to help me mitigate the results.”

“I warned you that you may not like the path ahead.”

“You said they would despise me. I do not care about that. Topsiders hated me since the moment I set foot in their gilded city. This is different.”

Singed made a noncommittal hum. “Perhaps. What exactly do you believe I can do to ‘fix it’?”

Viktor limped over to the blood-stained table, heaving himself onto it. “Remove the altered flesh. All of it. I know you can.”

“Show me. Tell me what happened.”

Viktor removed the glove and his pants, showing his altered limbs. He explained what happened, but kept only to the strict facts. He left out the nightmares, the crushing guilt. The doctor wouldn’t care about the emotional toll. It wasn’t worth wasting air on bringing it up.

“Fascinating.“ Singed took his altered hand, turning it over and inspecting it. “Are you certain you want it removed? This is truly extraordinary. It could be the breakthrough we need.”

“I am certain,” Viktor insisted. After a moment, he added, “You may keep the… parts… after if you wish. I don’t care.” He didn’t want to know what Singed would do with them, but destroying them completely would be difficult if not impossible.

“Very well. Is there anything else I should know?”

Viktor reached into his jacket pocket and handed over his journal. “I have designs for prosthetics, if that has any bearing on how you perform the surgery. Feel free to peruse the other notes if you wish.”

The doctor paged through the notes. “Impressive. Have you tested any of these designs?”

“Prototypes, nothing more. I did not have time to take them with me.”

“If all goes well, there will be time to test the designs later. Do you have any other requests?”

“I wish to keep my mind in tact and be able to continue my work, to help people. I do not care for appearance as long as I am functional.” His gaze drifted to Rio in her tank, his throat tightening. This process would not be pleasant. “If I must go into suspension… do not drag it out too long.”

“I will do my best. You will live.” Singed placed a hand on his shoulder, light and cold but the closest the doctor could get to comforting. “Are you ready?”

Viktor took a shaky breath and nodded. This was the only way. “Do what you must.”

The pinch of a needle in his arm was the last thing he felt before the world went dark. The dreams couldn’t reach him.

When he woke, it would be a second chance to make things right. It had to work.

#aryaskywalker writes #arcane league of legends #arcane fanfic #jayvik #viktor arcane #jayce talis #singed arcane #hexcore arcane

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a-slut-for-smut · 8 months

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Nanamin deserves better than Mei Mei

Don’t forget how creepy she is towards Ui Ui

Ya know, I really wish people were more willing to think critically about the stories they consume vs taking every at face value. Sure, when you see something questionable in a story, question it, but immediately writing off the story/story element as “problematic” just because you don't like it or triggers you is such a disservice not only to the storyteller but also yourself by stunting your own media literacy skills.

As ive addressed why NanaMei pair well in previous asks, i'll focus more on the controversy revolving around Mei Mei because its something i really want to get off my chest. The more i think about the arguments made against her the more i get these puritanical and anti feminist/non-conformist vibes from them and its really concerning to say the least.

She's Greedy/Selfish

Yes, shes money hungry. She shamelessly honest with what she likes and what she wants; she has a personal code/credo and stanchly follows it and its hard not to respect that energy. She's motivated and grounded in a way that seems out of place in the 'sorcerers must protect humans' fantasy world, but in the real world? Of course we'd look out for our own self-interest/preservation- shes as real and relatable as they come. She's logically driven (vs emotionally) and honestly if she was a man i bet the fandom wouldn't blink an eye (and prob would slobber all over him) but as always God forbid women have a strong sense of self and refuse to conform to the patriarchal ideals of what a woman should be.

THAT panel

A lot of the fandom screaming in*cest & p*edophile for this panel and i'll admit not surprised it raised eyebrows but not really reading this as sexual. Yes theres nudity, but body language makes it pretty obvious if nudity is sexual or not and well, its not- and how the first thing fandom thinks is "omg they f*cked" because shes topless or whatever is very telling. It's not a stretch to think she would be comfortable with nudity and a sense of propriety seems out of character with someone as shameless as her. She probably splurges on 1000 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets with all the money she makes, who wouldnt regularly sleep nude on those?

As for UiUi its inferred he used his CT to escape/save their lives directly before, all the more reason he would be tired. Mei Mei even apologies for waking him, implying his CT exerts him and he should rest for the day. Ui UI’s “oh my how shameless!” is said in surprise, indicating he probably blacked out after his CT and woke up fully clothed in bed with her, NOT that he’s tired from having a wild night banging his sister 🙄

I wonder about the japanese dialogue and if there is any nuance/context lost from the english translation, but I interpreted her "Do you not like me that way" was in reference to the shamelessness of her personality, essentially asking him "do you not like me the way I am?" and not her nude body because the translation used "that way" vs "this way", the latter being suggestive. And the fact that they shared a bed to sleep didnt seem OOC given their close familial dynamic.

Sibling Relationship

Its established in-universe that they are "calculating", so naturally they work very much in tandem as far as motivations go and re-enforced from what we seen in their battle tactics. Clearly Mei Mei is offense and 99% of the time can handle any issue on her own, but for that 1% she cant? Thats where Ui Ui steps in.

Ui Ui would never be in danger if Mei Mei is around, and fandom seems to ignore this fact when they say Mei Mei manipulates him to self-sacrifice himself (and her crows) for her benefit. If Mei Mei is fighting and her life's at risk, yall think Ui Ui (or the crows for that matter) stand a chance?? Maybe if he could teleport away himself which is what his CT suggests, but who really knows, and more importantly would he even consider abandoning his sister from what we seen?

I see it as a failsafe CT, only to be used in emergencies since it drains him considerably as Malaysia scene suggests- which is why he wholeheartedly waits (and binding vow) for permission from her to use it, not as a form of control or abuse or simply to please her, but to know if/when as accordance to the battle strategy mapped out by her. Shes shown as a tactician/extremely logical when it comes to battle and will use whatever is at her disposal to win if it means self-preservation (even if it means abandoning the battlefield altogether). Her loyalty is to herself above all.

And her asking “are you willing to die for me” is literally asking consent- she is asking, 'this could be the end- will you do what’s necessary for me to win this?' To which he resoundingly concurs, seemingly out of devotion but realistically if she dies where would that leave him? It’s as natural a response as one could be- in nature mothers will fight tooth & nail to protect their offspring, but at the cost of her life? What would be the point??? Offspring wouldn’t be able to survive without her, they’d be good as dead.

As far as their dynamic, there is clear affection from both sides- Mei Mei is more playful while Ui Ui is reverent. Ui Ui adores her, not atypical of a much younger sibling, but especially so given how accomplished Mei Mei is. It's stated that she inherited their weak family cursed technique, but rather than be solely defined by it, she trained herself to the maximum physical limit, THEN mastered her so called "weak" technique into one of the strongest out there (probably why she acknowledges Maki as a promising sorcerer, she sees herself in her).

If that isn't admirable than i dont know what is, and if GOJO of all people respects her, then thats saying something. But while he respects her and acknowledges her strength, does he trust her? Probably not, not like he does with Utahime who is supposedly "weak" in comparison. And i personally like that dynamic- despite not trusting her to "do the right thing" and expecting her to be self-serving, Gojo knows/respects her as a person and fellow sorcerer. Gege gives us layered interpersonal relationships between multi-faceted characters and yet so many are quick to reduce them to a single trope and its a little sad honestly.

In conclusion, yall need to relax on the pearl-clutching and have a little more perspective by all means hate on her if you dont like her but at least hate her accurately lol

#mei mei #jjk mei mei #jjk meta #jjk spoilers #jjk analysis #nanamei #nanami x mei mei #mei mei jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jjk

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bthump · 10 months

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Hi dear bthump! I was thinking about this earlier today and was wondering your thoughts on it, even if it’s not directly griffguts related; what do you think of berserk’s stance on the concept of “ambition” or of the pursuit of one’s “dreams” ?

When I think of the way griffiths ambition is presented, it’s on face value an obvious condemnation of his over ambition- he chooses his “dream” over his comrades and friends, over the most important person in his life, guts, and becomes a literal monster/demon as a result.. and throughout the story, even though there are times guts himself (no less because of Griffith ofc) feels self conscious about being “unambitious” and just drifting in life, without strong goals etc. But when I think of the story as a whole with everything that’s happened in the eclipse and afterwards, I guess we’re meant to see guts as kind of the better, more grounded and humane alternative to a super focused, obsessive, dream chaser like Griffith, who ends up literally rejecting his humanity out of ambition? But then when I think of more recent neo Griffith chapters, that chapter where Griffith is talking about essentially revolutionizing the educational system in his utopia really stands out to me as an more obviously positive example/consequence of his “ambition”..

I wonder what you think about this? I think in another post you wrote about how, in many ways a lot of berserk is commenting on internalized homophobia/masculinity. Does this play into that?

As always love your posts and thanks for everything you do:) (also I’m really thrilled you liked my recommendation of human sadness!!)

Thank you, and thanks for the ask 💖

I think Berserk's take on dreams is a little nuanced, but falls on the negative side. As that one guy during the troll plotline says, "Dreams can make for courageous challenges but also opportune escapes."

Or much earlier you have Guts' Statement(TM): "The cost of ambition too great is self destruction." Which definitely feels like a narrative statement to me, not just reflective of Guts' character. Dreams are what motivate people to become apostles or godhands, dreams are what ruin everyone's lives in the Golden Age, and dreams are generally presented in opposition to genuine healthy relationships, requiring the sacrifice of one for the other.

But I do think Miura showed us the positive side of dreams too, in part to show why they're so seductive and the characters are obsessed with them, and in part just because it's realistic, probably. Griffith's dream of creating a utopian kingdom is genuinely pretty awesome and could do a lot of good in the world. But it was still bad for Griffith on an individual level, because his motivation was essentially a desire to escape from trauma, as neatly illustrated here:

And ultimately in Berserk, that's what dreams tend to boil down to. They're ways of coping with trauma, and they're not particularly healthy ways. They're band-aid solutions to make someone feel better about themselves that don't solve the deep-seated issues causing pain in the first place.

I have a post here that gets into the story's portrayal of dreams a little more in depth, and probably answers your main question pretty well.

And yeah along with that I think you can take that internalized homophobia and/or toxic masculinity reading and apply it very easily - I mean Griffith's dream comes complete with a princess to marry and is placed in direct opposition to his relationship with Guts. Guts' dream is to be the best swordsman ever, so he can be the strongest and most powerful guy around and never be victimized again, and you can at least argue that that plays into some of his shitty arrogance in the latter half of the Golden Age, though it may not be intentional.

I think realistically dreams and ambition are neutral at worst and can be great and have great results and Berserk acknowledges this, but the story itself is much more interested in exploring the negatives, and I feel like that works very well with the story's themes.

Ultimately I do think we're meant to see Guts' initial attitude during the Golden Age, pre Promrose Hall speech, as the more correct one: live for your day to day life and the people you care about rather than for a distant goal. This is a sentiment I think we can see echoed a lot throughout the story, from Godo and co telling Guts to stay with the remaining Hawks rather than going monster hunting, to Troll Arc's old man talking about wanting to escape his hardships at home but ultimately finding greater fulfillment staying with his village, to Guts' realization that he should never have left the Hawks, etc.

#ask #anonymous #a #b #theme: dreams #theme: trauma

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effira · 9 months

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i don't know how on earth this happened but i just. suddenly understood painting. idk

my sillies. they are okay (only one of them will stay alive no matter what happens)

i should've never gone "oh what if i made lamb characters for some of the different cotl saves at my disposal" because now i'm attached and i gotta deal with the fact that these three can only exist and be happy together far far far in the past.

bonus doodles and a bunch of infodumping under the cut.

right so here in this image theyre all happy and wholesome right (yay) but at some point one of them has to be the last lamb to be sacrificed, which splits their universe up into three timelines, one for each of them being the vessel for the red crown. war and hate on planet earth.

alright let's get to the infodumping

Capri, based on my first playthrough and main save, starts off with the intention of doing as little harm as possible, going with the "good" doctrine options, feeding their followers well, etcetera, but over the years, out of both curiosity and the steady erosion of their moral code that comes with slaughtering hundreds just to get resources, they sink down on the alignment chart, coming to the point where they kill followers to switch their necklaces and cook up minced follower meat just because it gives them some diseased hearts for their crusades. They take pride in feeding their followers well, they married all the bishops (some of them only so they'd give more health if sacrificed to revive, but they will Never tell you which ones) and spend most of their time doing follower quests and getting enough meat, fish and veg to make the best possible meals for their following. sometimes they fall face first into the tarot cards when running into Clauneck. They make all their followers' clothes themselves, and stitch little bells into them to remind them of their family. Their cult sounds like a windchime.

^ virgo doodles from before i actually sat down to give her a proper design

Virgo, based on my mom's playthrough, probably wouldn't have it in her to be any good of a vessel if she had anything at all to lose anymore. She's a bit clumsy and has died on the battlefield many a time, sometimes even forgetting she's capable of dodging. What she lacks in hand-eye coordination, she more than makes up for in the way she takes care of her following. She only refuses follower requests if it's for their own good, like sacrificing another follower or asking for a bowl of poop. She puts a lot of thought into which follower to sacrifice on a crusade, and will often resurrect them right after she gets back. She hates Narinder. Absolutely cannot stand him at all. If she wasn't forced to do his bidding she wouldn't want ANYTHING to do with him. On the other hand, she has a great deal of respect for Heket, on the grounds of her being a strong-willed, self assured woman. She loves placing camelias all over her cult grounds and enjoys fishing a normal amount. She's very attached to Ratau and will often spend the night playing Knucklebones with him. She's also very enthusiastic whenever she meets Chemach during a crusade -- She doesn't attack Chemach's "followers," either out of germaphobia or out of pity. She's haunted by the restless spirit of Alfie, her first sacrifice (that's me! she didn't revive me. I'm haunting her now and making the commentary i give while watching my mom play a part of Virgo's character). She is very unimpressed by most threats. She should probably be impressed by most threats

Taurus, based on the most bloodthirsty speedrun I have ever witnessed live on the family switch, does not care for his followers. He's out for revenge, and that's it. He doesn't care for anything other than giving the bishops a taste of their own medicine after they ruthlessly slaughtered his entire species. He holds the same level of contempt for Narinder, as evidenced by the fact that he put him in jail Forever, only allowing him out to eat once a day. He has a soft spot for rabbit followers (except alfie. because in-game sibling violence overrides all characterization), but will Never tell you this. He's friends with Helob, if only because he brings him cooked follower meat. Originally a gentle soul, this immense thirst for violence and revenge was formed the day he came back to his village after a day of fishing and found it halfway through burning to the ground, with the heads of everyone he knew and loved (among which are the other two mentioned above) stacked in the centre of town. He has never truly cared for anything since. His fleece was made by Capri way back in the day (haha it would be so funny if this was the main image of this post) and it only acquired this status as a certified Golden Fleece upon obtaining the red crown. Taurus loves hammers and axes. If it hits hard, he'll enjoy using it for its intended purpose. He nearly always wears the same slightly off-putting beady-eyed smile on his face. To calm down after his long crusades, he likes to sit down and sing some songs, accompanied by his not-great-but-absolutely-not-bad guitar skills. He often does this right in front of his temple, and it's one of the only nice things his followers ever get to have.

alternate color version as a treat. thanks for reading through my massive walls of text.

cya! <3

#my art #cult of the lamb #cult of the lamb oc #effira's taurus tag #effira's virgo tag #effira's capri tag #i'm so ill about these three #cotl

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raayllum · 1 year

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i can’t remember if i talked about this in my bloodmoon huntress podcast ep and i know i at least wanted to make a proper post / meta about it one day (but it’s not in my tags so i must not have gotten around to it) but bloodmoon huntress really is brilliant from a stand alone character standpoint for just like, pre-series runaan, rayla, ethari but also

it’s even more brilliant because it explains and sets up everything in ways that feel solid and understandable and even a little bit righteous on behalf of runaan, of explaining and going in depth into his line of work / his duty and why rayla initially chose to go into it, too - because it’s surrounded by elves who all either think the same way or come around to it

and then s1-s4 of tdp spend a butt load of time completely dismantling all those beliefs / martyr complexes etc from the ground up till there’s basically nothing left

an assassin? believes themselves to be an honourable protector much the way viren does. they perpetuate the cycle in a similar manner to dark mages and fulfilling that duty would have led to ezran’s death. it’s a good thing to be able to be deterred. runaan’s missions will be unnecessary in a world at peace and greatly harm his loved ones and himself. self sacrifice is often detrimental. so can chasing duty at the cost of yourself when it goes too far. runaan was, by and large, wrong; wrong to take his path, ethari wrong to not dissuade him, rayla wrong to take it up. understandable, well meaning, even a little honourable in a culture embedded in war and the cycle - but fully and undeniably wrong with 1x03 being rayla’s watershed moment and 3x03 being another that the silvergrove’s flaws run much deeper than BH even initially acknowledges

more than a little tragic

and still ultimately incomplete

Rayla: But how can you forgive him for putting himself in such danger? How can you be okay with that?

Ethari: It hurts. Sometimes for much longer than I’d like. But there’s nothing to forgive him for. I’ve known since we met that this is Runaan’s calling, that nothing will deter him from fulfilling his duty. It is a necessary part of loving him — understanding his deep devotion to his people.

Ethari: Each time Runaan leaves, it is with the weight of knowing that he may not come back. That to fulfil his duty, he may need to sacrifice everything. Himself, and all that we have here.

now the arc development we’re waiting on this

and i can’t wait for the next few stages

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dysphoriaposting · 1 year

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Inscryption campaign ideas:

The Wastes:

"The heat of the day worsens as your feet sink into dry, thirsty earth. You behold the infinite sun-baked expanses of: The Wastes."

New cards:

Lioness: Defined as 5 health, 3 attack, and 4 blood, with the "Pride" sigil (For every Pride card on the board, add 1 health and 1 attack to each Pride card). "Lionesses are the true engine of any pride."

Lion King: Defined as 5 health, 2 attack, and 4 blood, with the Pride and Leader sigils. "A self-appointed leader, though he has his perks."

Hyena (Canine tribe): Defined as 1 health, One Half Bones attack (attack would be defined as half count of all the bone tokens you have), and 3 bones, and Scavenger (Kaycee's Mod; if a Scavenger card is alive on your side of the board, fallen opponent cards supply bones as well) sigil. "Ah, the cackling Hyena. He laughs, as he lusts for carnage."

Elephant (Hooved tribe): Defined as 5 health, 3 attack, 6 bones, and the "Musth" sigil (If more than one Musth card is on the board, every Musth card loses the Musth sigil and gains Rampager. The cards revert back to normal after the battle). "No beast is larger, and no beast is more impressive. The Elephant is a force of nature."

A campaign that takes place in the desert. It's basically hard mode, as there are barely any campfires, woodcarvers, mycologists, or item bags. It's just tons of battles back to back, with the only breaks being sacrificial altars and cave encounters. However midway through the map, there is an oasis...

"Not a mirage, thank whatever deity you worship. You sink to your knees and shovel water to your dying mouth before rising to your feet again."

Here is a 3-by-3 grid of nonstop helpful areas in which you can go in any way as long as you move forward. There's a column of unattended campfires, a column of mycologists, and a column of woodcarvers. With this design, you could grab one of each, go down all three of the same in a row, or otherwise mix and match as you see fit.

"Stuffed full of the oasis' boons, you now move onward to brave the heat and starvation once more."

Back to the miserable nonstop battles and sacrifices. It's strange though, you'll come across battles with wayside pieces of "Steel Wreckage" (defined as 3 health, 0 atk, Mighty Leap) that explode and kill all adjacent units when broken. This mystery appears unsolvable. That is... until you reach the boss.

"The crumbled and smoking corpse of a metal airborne beast lay before you. What seems to be the cadaver of a woman stands up at the sight of you and shambles forth, demanding food water."

The Aviator:

Leshy dawns an aviator helmet and a leathery mask.

"All she can repeat is the words: 'Water... I beg...' from her parched throat."

Specializing in flying creatures, her first wave is composed of Turkey Vultures and Sparrows, although she will also throw in Cockroaches and Porcupines to make things harder for your ground control. But when you beat this first phase...

"The machine sputters and shrieks as a few wayside shots from your creatures and hers take its toll. With a fiery crescendo, metal shrapnel flies everywhere."

All of her units are wiped out, and her front row is replaced entirely by Steel Wreckage. This of course means that you need to destroy the wreckage to move on... meaning that your own creatures will be wiped out. Even worse? This means that the board is wiped clean. So when she sends in her two Gecks now and her Lammergeier a turn later, you better be ready to play SERIOUS defense.

"As The Aviator collapses, her mangled corpse bleeding from her many steel wounds, you move on from the battlefield that nourishes the scorched earth."

The Thicket:

"A grove of gargantuan trees and oppressive foliage stretches before you. With no way around it, you must go through: The Thicket."

New cards:

Orang-Utan: Defined as 3 health, 2 attack, one blood, and the Mighty Leap and the "Climber" sigil (Any Climber card can only be placed on an obstacle card such as a Dam or Grand Elm, although their damage acts like an Airborne card's). "The enigmatic man of the jungle. The way he climbs reminds one of a bird in flight."

Spider Monkey: Defined as 1 health, 1 attack, and the Mighty Leap and Climber sigils. "Though it has half the legs, the spry Spider Monkey is just as nimble as its arachnid counterpart."

Gorilla: Defined as 4 health, 2 attack, and the Mighty Leap and Climber sigils. "A gargantuan beast with the power of ten men."

A campaign deep within a rain forest. You'll ask "What's so different between a normal forest and a jungle in this game?" and I answer... The plantlife.

"Unlike the forests with space to bob and weave trees as you've seen in the past, The Thicket has no such perks. The strangling greenery is so thick that nothing can cut through it all."

This is the only biome that the Thicket card appears. It's defined as null (impossible to destroy) health and zero damage. They randomly intersperse among normal Great Firs that you'll find, and there's one guaranteed in every battle you have. Basically, they're vile lane restrictions that can easily turn the tide of battle. However they don't have Mighty Leap like other trees, meaning that an Airborne card could easily exploit the card, giving you or... your opponent a defining edge.

Deeper in the map you go, more Thickets appear, until... The Boss.

"The fearsome noise of steel rending plant flesh rings like a scythe reaping souls. Abruptly from the greenery ahead slices through a man garbed for stealth. His eyes narrow as he sees you."

The Huntsman:

Leshy dons a pith helmet, and a mask with a monocle and brush mustache.

"You've got quite the collection... Give me a few of the buggers, will you?"

Definitely a late game boss, he is kitted out with all sorts of huntable beasts. But for this first phase, you have more pressing worries: Your entire lane is covered in Thicket, save for one space.

This unfortunately leaves your setup rather limited. As he fills his spaces with Squirrels, Raccoons, and Oppossums, you start to think you're safe as long as you keep your one space occupied.

"Rrggh, damn Thickets! I must cut it down..."

He pulls a Machete from his side and CUTS down a Thicket on your side, leaving the undefended space open for his Raccoon or Oppossum to attack before you even have a chance to place a card down on it.

As you scramble to keep up with his sudden advantage, he keeps chopping down the Thickets every turn until your spaces are empty. If you can find a way to make up for how he gained his advantage, you'll find that he's a rather quick first phase. Quick FIRST phase...

"I was hoping to bring these back home for skinning, but I suppose I'll use them here."

He then begins placing Grizzlies, Moose Bucks, and Bloodhounds down. After the prep you were allowed in the first half, you'd assume yourself safe from his assault. You'd be wrong.

"I can't lose so easily, that's why I brought Old Dodger."

He replaces his Machete with his Hunting Rifle. He kills your card with the highest health.

"This one will make an excellent stew."

As he reloads, you're given two turns of normal combat before he fires again, killing your card with the highest attack.

"And this one will look perfect on my wall."

Another two turns, more firing. It keeps going until you defeat him.

"As you finally get in close, you turn The Huntsman's own tools back on him. Leaving him wounded and defenseless to the beasts that lurk deep in The Thickets, you carry on."

The Reef:

"An expansive bay stretches before you, with low tide showing a trail of coral that leads from one shore to the other. With no choice to go around when a large bluff rises on one side and the deep blue sea sinks on the other, you find yourself hurrying through: The Reef."

New Cards:

Garden Eel (Fish tribe, which now also includes Chum Bucket, Great White, and Amalgam cards): Defined as 1 health, 0 attack, and the Burrower and Fecundity sigils. "The pathetic Garden Eel. Even I can't find a use in it."

Moray (Fish tribe): Defined as 2 health, 4 attack, 2 blood, and the Waterborne and Guardian sigils. "The vile and vicious Moray, a creature that thrives in red waters."

Barnacle (Fish tribe): Defined as 4 health, 1 attack, 1 bone, and the "Hiding Place" sigil (When a Hiding Place card is unopposed, their health and attack swap. When the space opposing them is filled, the health and attack swap back again). "The underestimated Barnacle. Take care not to make the same mistakes."

Petrel (Avian tribe): Defined as 2 health, 1 attack, 1 blood, and the Airborne and "Fisher" sigils (Fisher Cards attack Waterborne cards, even if they're under the water. Fisher overrides Airborne when the opposing card is Waterborne.) "Ah, the stormy Petrel. Their majesty is only rivaled by their resilience."

Octopus (Fish tribe): Defined as 3 health, 1 attack, 2 blood, and the Waterborne and Trifurcated Strike sigils. "An intelligent creature with slippery skin and a devious mind."

A campaign that takes place at low tide in a bay rife with coral, meaning that the murky waters work as a pathway in some spots and a deathtrap in others. The gimmick for this area is not that there are any new places to stop, or even any hazardous field cards, but Ambushes. Some "non-combat" nodes such as Sacrificial Stones and Fur Traders may instead prove to be a trap!

"One misplaced step from the unseen trail in the water and you find yourself falling into a pit of murky darkness, with unruly beasts waiting to snap you up."

Yes, sometimes after you leave a node that isn't combat, you'll come into a surprise attack against entirely Waterborne opponents!! Either you fight through these nails-hard battles or... you sacrifice a card of your own to distract the predators. (And if you're lucky, a pelt may rise to the surface...)

"Though tragedy stabs through your heart worse than any dagger, you must take what keepsake of your ally you can before moving on."

Eventually you reach the boss.

"With the opposite shore within view and sun dipping low, you feel the waters slowly rise. You hurry along, but are interrupted as a jet black creature rises from the depths, fresh water shining off of their latex skin. Holding a dagger in one hand and an unfortunate creature's shell in the other, they stand before you."

The Diver:

Leshy dons a pearl diver's mask and the air-tight headcap.

The first phase is simple, with them using several Garden Eels, and the only real threat being their Octopus. However, upon defeat...

"The waters have risen far too high. As the battlefield disappears beneath the waves, the Diver seems to vanish."

Not only do all of your cards and all of Leshy's cards become Waterborne, but the Diver also becomes a card themselves (defined as 3 health, 2 attack, Waterborne, Guardian, Burrower, and Leader sigils, basically a Deathcard but with no cost since they are on the board immediately.)

This second phase is basically a damage bonanza, both sides endeavoring to out-damage the other side (unless you have a few Petrels or other cards with the Fisher sigil, in which case it's a game of memory.) Assuming you survive...

"Rising from the waters victorious and with minimal casualties, you leave the bay tinted scarlet as you dry in the pale moonlight."

The Caverns:

"The ground below you gives way as you fall down into a patch of fungi. High stone walls meet your gaze wherever you look, with the only ways forward choked by halls of darkness and echoey rock. You find yourself in: The Caverns."

New Cards:

Cave Isopod (Insect tribe): Defined as 3 health, 1 attack, 1 bone and the Armored sigil. "Groveling in the muck and mushrooms, one would say it's a stone come to life."

Stone Viper (Reptile tribe): Defined as 2 health, 2 attack, 2 blood, and the Bifurcated Strike and Climber sigil. "A beast of twos. Two health, two attack, and two fangs to bite with."

Blind Rat: Defined as 2 health, 1 attack, and the "Blind" sigil (Blind cards are unbothered by scent, as smells are all they know.) "A blind creature with little in the way of perks."

Cavesquirrel (Squirrel tribe): Defined as 3 health, 3 attack, and 2 blood, with the Hefty sigil. "A remarkable artifact of ancient times. Brutish and violent compared to their modern relatives."

Lone Raptor (Reptile tribe): Defined as 2 health, 3 attack, and 3 blood, with the Double Strike and Sprinter sigils. "A lonely creature of a bygone era. It lashes out in loneliness."

Frozen Beast?: Defined as 10 health, 0 attack, 1 blood, and the Frozen Away sigil. (If finally broken, unfreezes into a Mammoth card). "I'm not sure what's inside this block, but it must be huge."

Mammoth (Hooved tribe): Defined as 5 health, 3 attack, 8 bones, with the Rampager and Bifurcated Strike sigils. "A truly gargantuan beast that is alarmed after thousands of years of freezing cold."

The Caverns are a cave system beneath the earth. The Mycologist and campfires are more common here where cave encounters and woodcarvers are less common. The main gimmick, however, is that you can only see one space ahead when you're on the map. Whereas in most campaigns you can see ahead and plan based on what you need and what lies ahead, The Caverns are a constant game of risk. What is after this battle? Will I finally find a Mycologist for my two Cavesquirrels? I'm nervous, if I go into this Trader, will there be a Totem Battle afterwards??

After a long, long journey through pitch black, you come across...

"You come across a vine-clung wall that reaches to the outside and hurry towards it. But before you make it, a scuttling figure tackles you and opens their massive eyes. You find yourself battling before you even realize it."

The Lonely "Hermit":

Leshy dons a pointed wizard's hat and his eyes widen.

"FINALLY, STIMULATION!!"

The "Hermit" is by far the most difficult battle, as they have no candles. Instead, they send way after wave of cave creatures, starting easy with Isopods and Bats, but getting increasingly harder until they release nothing but Lone Raptors.

You may ask, then, "How do I win?"

Well, The Lonely "Hermit" doesn't care if their scale tips over, and after their Lone Raptors and Urayulis send the scales tipping back your way, you start to wonder why and how you haven't lost either.

"STIMULATION!! MORE, MORE!!!"

What's going on? They rip into you, even when your row is empty, and they cheer and watch as you pick apart their side with your 25 25 Ouroboros. How are you supposed to win?

"STIM! STIM! STIM! I LOVE IT, GIVE ME MORE AND MORE AND MORE!!!!"

You watch as your Special and Squirrel/Bee decks fade away... Soon, you have no cards left.

"MORE! MOOOORE!!!"

Starvation sets in... to your side? Four Starvations place themselves on your side, all slowly, thoroughly cutting down the cards The Lonely "Hermit" has out.

"MOOORE!! MOOORE!!! MOOO- oh. I'm out of cards."

Starvation continues to cut into The Lonely "Hermit".

"This is... lame. I guess we're done? I'LL GO THEN!! BYE!!!!!"

You win the battle and Leshy, with some effort, removes his hat.

"I... I'm not sure what came over me. You- You saw nothing. Give me those Starvations, you're not keeping them."

You do

"Thank you. Ahem! As the hunched figure scuttles off back into the deep black halls, you climb to your freedom and escape The Caverns."

So uh... Yeah. Those were my ideas. I'm not sure what possessed me to say all this, but I'll probably never do it again.

#inscryption #inscryption fan concept #inscryption concept #fanscryption campaign

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alls-fair-in-pride-and-prejudice · 13 days

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My Gale obsession has progressed to playlist creation - something no individual character has achieved before - list of songs and their justifications for being included below the cut

Wizard of Waterdeep - the song was literally written about him it's going in

The Moon Will Sing - a song about being overshadowed by the one you love, always living for them rather than having your own life, apt for Gale's relationship with Mystra

Icarus - "Look who's digging their own grave/that is what they all say", "Icarus is flying too close to the sun/ and Icarus's life it has only just begun" a young Gale who is voraciously devouring every tome he can get his hands on, creating new spells, constantly pushing his limits again and again

Constellations - a song about the tower of Babel (an act of reaching for the heavens) only to fail and lose connection and communication, trying to grasp at meaning in the meaningless

Abigail's Song (Silence is all you know) - "When you're alone silence is all you know/ Let in the noise and let it grow" "When you're alone, silence is all you see/ when you're alone silence is all you'll be" representative of Gale's isolation in the aftermath of the orb, and clawing his way back to living again

Bitter Water - "I am not a fool entire/ no I know what's coming/ you'll bury me beneath the tree I climbed when I was a child/ I know I shouldn't love you/ I know I shouldn't love you but I do" the singer reflects on an abusive relationship, how it would lead to killing them but they still cannot fully let it go.

Venus - I love using astronomy imagery for Gale, especially given the way I've flavored my Tav romancing him. This is where he's opening up to new love, feeling like someone sees him, the man, rather than the great wizard.

Achilles Come Down - "You crave the applause/ yet hate the attention/ then miss it your act is a ruse" this song is the battle of his own desire to fulfill his goddess's wish of martyring himself and Tav's (and perhaps his own self preservation) saying that there is more to life and it is better to live

Cosmic Love - "The stars the moon/ they have all been blown out/ you left me in the dark" many potential meanings! Gale being abandoned by his goddess? Tav mourning that he left them for martyrdom?

As the World Caves In - "And here it is, our final night alive/ and as the earth burns to the ground/ oh girl it's you that I lie with" he conjures the stars because it might be his last night alive and he wants to spend it with Tav I have so many feelings

Wash My Dreams Away - the music that plays when he takes Tav to the astral plane!

Witchcraft - the comparison of falling in love to enchanting magic was too perfect to not include

Weaving Magic and Making Potions - there are no lyrics to this song, but it's all magical sounding and it's weaving magic yes I put this in as a pun

Mouth of the River - "I wanna live like that/ live the life of the faithful one/ wanna bow to floor/ with everyone else/ wanna be someone [...] oh it's the curse of the man/ I was living life living life/ living just to please" the contrast between wanting to be faithful, have a purpose, but also wanting to be the best, wanting to be loved for what you can do

Measure of a Man - "the measure of a man/ stands or falls with what he leaves behind/ gather on the sand / let your voices carry to the sky / let the gods look down on this and wonder" this is just the vibes. Tell me you can't imagine this playing as Gale sacrifices himself at the final battle with the Absolute. The gods look down and wonder why he refused to do this for his goddess, but chose to do this for those he leaves behind - his friends.

Fair - this whole song embodies the vibes of a romance with Gale. "it's not fair you make me laugh when I'm really cross with you" or the juxtoposition of this eternal devotion with the mundanity of love. Gale's romance is about loving him for the man he is, not the magic he wields - there is life changing devotion in the romance yes, but they are also just two mortals who love each other.

The Tower - "Got a neck so strong for the crown upon your head/ Don't think anyone will leave it when you're dead / There's a throng of men mightier than you / And they're waiting and they're watching 'til they fill your shoes" This suits his ending as god of ambition like, he's literally inspiring others to follow in his footsteps as someone who ascended to godhood! His power is in the crown of Karsus which a bunch of people wanted to get their hands on! His own followers are gonna be the type to try to usurp him just you wait

Slow Burn - "I don't have to die for you to love me" a love that comes after one fraught with expectations and pain, realizing that you don't have to martyr yourself to be loved by this person, you can just be with each other. This is his good ending, a slow burn and a gentle life.

I Want to Live - some may say this is Astarion's song, some may say it's Tav's, I think it belongs to all the companions. They're brought together by that need to live. They want, they have to survive this, and survive this they do.

#Spotify #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #baldur's gate 3 #gale dekarios playlist #baldur's gate 3 playlist #fan playlist #alls fair creations

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birues · 2 months

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Thinking abt post-dying gasp Tuana and i cry. Under the cut bc i can't shut up, apparently. Also tw for suicidal and depressing thoughts bc she was going through it

The grief. The rage. She was sooo sure finally she would be the one who was gonna sacrifice herself. She did everything in her power to devise a plan all the while trying to keep everyone, especially Emet Selch from finding that out. She was going to open a void gate and transform into a lightwarden there. She was going to die knowing that her sacrifice saved two worlds. Then the pain accumulated for years and years would end. Then it all would be meaningful. Then she wouldn't have to face the reality that is becoming clearer with each passing day. For she would transform into a horrible beast, yes, but would not give him the rejoining he so strived for. She plotted, plotted and plotted. Put all of her knowledge from the past adventures to use. Put all of her knowledge as a Reaper to use. And then? G'raha. And then... She was spitting light to the ground. And then... Amaurot. Him. The burden of a long gone life that she never should've carried but she does and she can't even blame him. No. There are other things, a long list of things she blames him for. And through all, her love for her friends keeps her standing. Ardbert holds the last threads of her sanity. Keeping her together. Then... They merge. Hades dies by their hand.

She has many things she blames him for. So he listens in the Underworld, as she cries them all in the solidarity of her room. And There isn't Ardbert to pick her up. Or is there? Sometimes she can feel him in her soul, in their soul. Come now, get up, eat, take a shower, take a walk. She listens. Because it's not only her life anymore. It's theirs. And he doesn't deserve it, this misery.

She doesn't talk. The Scions worry. She hasn't been like this since... No. This is worse. When Haurchefant died she was furious. But no matter how self destructive she was, she had a goal to push her through. She tried to put herself together. Now she's fading away. Thancred holds her head when she struggles to keep the food inside. He'd been angry, yes. But their clashes are long forgotten in the face of what truly matters. Twins help. Alisaie even brings her a bracelet she made for her, she had learned goldsmithing from her after all. Alphinaud reads to her. Sometimes they even manage to elicit a smile from her.

She cries, one day. The last patron of the Wandering Stairs. She apologizes to Ardbert. Cyella's eyes widen. So, she gets to be the first person who receives the privilege of learning the truth. The truth of Ardbert's fate.

It doesn't get easier after that day but. She wills herself up. Through the pain of memories and endless grief she always tucked away since forever, she wills herself up. Then Elidibus shows up, wearing Ardbert's face.

#tuana tag #Shadowbringers #and there's raha ofc. let's say they weren't on very good terms during post-shb #mostly bc tuana was not ok #they patched things up but it required work

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bluemooncove · 11 days

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Alright, now if Crusader is going to be coming on as a character here it is important to understand at least one of the faiths of this world (As a reminder this a Henotheisticesque world). That being the Church of Trini ... okay, hold on I just realized that there is an actual religion using the name I had in my notes for this. The Church of the Three Formed God.

Now as a brief note before I continue forward. Like with cultures, none of the faiths within this setting are meant to be representative of real belief systems but they do draw inspiration from them. In this particular case references to trinity and gods physically incarnating will likely draw you to think of Christianity but their doctrines and practices are not meant to match theirs presently or within the era this emulates. Their involvement within crusades, however, are meant to be express perspectives on the actual crusades though.

The Three-Formed God (TFG) draws his name from the fact that three times in history he chose to physically incarnate as a living person within the world. Each form had been human and each had been male, however beyond that they lived quite different lives. While members of the Church, in theory, recognize each incarnation as an aspect of their God and revere each, the differing denominations of the church primarily devoted themselves to the dogma of one particular form. Benedictines, Jagwellian/Jaegars, and Valentinian/Valentines

Benedict the Savior was TFGs first incarnation within the world. In the earliest versions of the church doctrine had been set based only around his own teachings, yet he did speak of incarnating again. Benedict was a healer who came to the people of Dress-Livonia amid a horrific plague. It was through his godly healing that the people were saved and the Three-Formed God revealed himself to the world.

Benedict taught self-sacrifice and to care for others. The greatest of virtues are mercy and healing. Thus the faithful are taught to aid the sick and needy in whatever ways they can. A devotion of charity. Healers, be they magical or natural, are revered by Benedictines. Their temples often double as small hospitals for the needy. They do not view healing as necessarily being about just the physical. Healing can be towards the mind. It can also mean providing food or shelter to those that need it.

Jagwell the Warrior came second, 300 years later in lands now known as the Jaegar States. He came at a time when many of the faithful faced heavy persecution. Their emphasis on helping others was often extended to pacifism. In many lands where the faith had spread, they were controlled through violence. Jagwell put an end to this by leading his followers to fight for their faith and for justice.

He taught to stand for what is right and to oppose oppression at every step. Faith is a force to drive one towards action. In his own lifetime Jaegar acted to see the faithful liberated. In the time since his passing things have changed. Now Jaegars often lead crusades to spread the faith of the Three-Formed God elsewhere, battling those who follow faiths beyond their own. Whether this is something Jagwell would approve of or a bastardization of his teachings is something that has been argued heavily by scholars ever since. Regardless, a number of crusading orders exist to carry on his teachings. Their temples often double as training and mustering grounds.

Valentin the Philospher was the final incarnation to date. His appearance was roughly 320 years after Jagwell. This time he incarnated into the land of Esparda during a period without major crisis. Valentin was a philosopher and scholar. With no looming dangers to preoccupy him, Valentin spent his time exploring and studying the natural world. Many great theories of science were only introduced to Esparda by Valentine's work and much territory was mapped directly by him.

Valentinian dogma is based on following the path set by the man. They revere men of science that study the world around them and any who introduce new knowledge into their sphere. Their churches contain laboratories and often lecture halls. Many explorers have set off for new lands in Valentin's name.

Scholars suggest that each form was an exploration into an aspect of being humans. This is used to explain the differences within their teachings. The vast majority of the faithful agree that all three were incarnations of their god ... however there are those who recognize other incarnations as well. While not universally accepted there are a number of small denominations that recognize an additional incarnation among them. The most well known of these are those that revere Edel the Inquisitor, a heretical movement within the central Jaegar states.

While the primary denominations focus their dogma on that of a single incarnation it is not uncommon for two to overlap. Benedictine and Jagwellian tradition gives birth to knights orders that emphasize charity such as the Knight Hospitallers of real history. The union of Benedictine and Valentinian has led to advanced (for their time) medical institutes that study new ways of healing the body and soul. Finally when Jagwellian and Valentinian come together you get conquistadors, a group that has been gaining great traction within Esparda itself.

#connoisseurs guide ~ headcanons #guild policy ~ administration

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nightskywonderer · 2 years

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Superman & Wonder Woman: Being True

There seems to be this notion that when Superman and Wonder Woman are together, they see themselves as above humans or they lose their humanity is utter bullshit. There has been zero evidence of this in canon comics. Using goofy alternate shit like Injustice doesn’t make the argument either.

It was also said that they bring out uncomfortableness. Why? Because it’s acknowledged that they are different and not conforming to what’s acceptable as the norm? Well so be it. In the real world, no one lives for someone else’s comfort. You can miss me with that selfish entitled bullshit.

There are claims Superman and Wonder Woman needing to be anchored to human love interests to be relatable or lower themselves to be “normal”. No, no, hell, no. Lois Lane and Steve Trevor are not why Clark and Diana are the heroes they are. Clark and Diana were heroes, had their purpose way before them. Lois and Steve aren’t and should never be their motivation to do what’s right and what they were meant to do and be. Clark and Diana are far more “human” than any normal human any damn way. They selflessly make shit ton of sacrifices without any hesitation. What they do as individuals or a couple is on extraordinary levels and there’s nothing wrong with that. Flying across the skies like free birds is such a beautiful thing. Trying to cage these birds, ground and limit them is unnecessary and a shame.

As best friends with unresolved, underlying feelings or the Power Couple, it has always been established, their duty as heroes come first. They have been each other’s moral compasses, written to have complexed conversations about their purposes, the view of the world, open to each other about their deepest feelings etc.

To reiterate this again, Kal-El is from a different planet entirely. He is an alien. He may look human in appearance but he is not. He was raised to pretend to be normal but he is not normal. Yes, the Kents raised him with good morals and values but that sure as hell does not mean, he had to grow up to reject his heritage, and keep pretending to fit in and the mental gymnastics. Pre-Crisis and New52 Superman understood this assignment. Post crisis Superman, not so much. Superman was once the Champion of the Oppressed. He was to aspire and lead to better. To make a difference in a world of corruption. What happened to that? Now he is just stagnant, stuck in a comfort zone of pretending, romanticizing lies and being unethical at times. Protector of an outdated view and status quo. As well the obnoxious problematic depiction from the beginning of Rebirth of perfect privileged spoon-fed all American family that basically screwed up DC continuity even more so to force it as the “truth” or “real”. Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent should be one in the same. Not choosing one over the other as one is fake/disguise. Ironically, in the animated adaption of “Throne of Atlantis”, Clark himself said to not be “one of them, but to blend in.” This was before the asspulled contrived asinine 180 of his character for Death of Superman adaption.

Diana of Themyscira is a Princess from a secluded island that was separated from man’s world for its chaotic bullshit. Yet, she wanted to explore the world, learn and teach, bring peace and people together. She celebrates life and love, stands for truth with one self and others. Motivate and fight for equality and the protection of women and children. Majority of Diana’s iterations have been consistent with this attitude. Except rebirth, who had to be thrown into a mental institution and losing herself because spiteful writer’s bias. You really expect me to believe homegirl was living a lie and in some kind of illusion within her mind or whatever for 10 years? LOL no. Although, she is a DemiGoddess, Diana is still very much an earth woman. And I mean that literally if we go with the clay origin.

What I loved about new52 Superman was his motivation to be Superman was the PEOPLE

Diana is the Goddess of Truth after all. To hide who you are, what you love and enjoy is a disservice to oneself.

The two together bring something unique and challenging. They have their similarities and differences that compliment.

But they don’t change who they are for one or the other. They learn from each other, accept even more of each other, and grow together as a couple.

In this day and age, we celebrate what makes us stand out and be our unique selves. Superman and Wonder Woman are suppose to THE epitome of this!

#superman #wonder woman #superman and wonder woman #wonder woman and superman #dc comics #superwonder #supermanwonderwoman #power couple #clark kent #diana prince

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