#i must save him from the horrors of capitalism | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

manager-dante · 11 months

Text

i need to flesh this out once i’ve mulled it over more but i adore how limbus company expands on the incredible world-building of project moon, because it is so goddamn realistic.

from the outset the player is presented with this incredibly bleak world in which corporations have become the state. the poor and the desperate bow their heads and toil at the altar of the free market. worth is measured by talent in exploitation. it’s a social darwinist’s wet dream. i also think the choice to base the cast off of literary figures was amazing, because it highlights very important connections to the past. i haven’t read all the books referenced, but the ones i have (the metamorphosis, don quixote de la mancha, & the odyssey so far) draw an unmistakable through-line from the suffering and exploitation depicted in those books to that which occurs in the city. the most horrifying parts of this game in my opinion aren’t the monsters or the machines — it’s the sheer enormity of human suffering which exists in the economic and political system the city operates under. and that’s the worst part, because in so many ways, the suffering and exploitation portrayed in the city is not a hypothetical fantasy — this is just capitalism working as intended. it’s not confined to the historical context of those books, nor the gritty sci-fi horror of the game.

but not only do we have this incredible setting that’s somehow both brutally realistic and fantastical at the same time, we also get to see how our main cast attempts to survive in that world — and ultimately how none of their attempts to change it succeeded at all.

in my mind, canto i portrays how neither kindness nor cold-heartedness will help you survive — especially through the dynamic between aya and hopkins. gregor has been both. he was a war hero in a meaningless war. after it ended, he was discarded as any tool which had outlived its usefulness would be. he can’t even control his arm from becoming a killing machine. and yet, gregor is still exceptionally personable, even going out of his way to be kind at times. but no matter whether he’s a tool for violence in the hands of war profiteers or simply a man doing his best to protect others, he still couldn’t save yuri — just as he couldn’t save his comrades — and this clearly haunts him. neither the war nor its end changed anything.

canto ii shows between rodya and sonya how both direct action and an “inevitable” revolution fail to quell the suffering of the vulnerable. sonya’s revolution is all bluster and no action. he does nothing to help the people in his community in favor of this grandiose revolution that must happen at the “right moment” — even if it means leaving his neighbors to starve in the meantime. rodya’s inspired yet short-sighted action to remove what she saw as the source of her community’s suffering only led to its destruction: the tax collector was a branch, not the root, of the problem, and killing one person did nothing to stop the system which upheld them.

canto iii is even more clear-cut in the ties between sinclair and kromer: neither violent zealotry nor blissful ignorance will save you in the city. kromer’s cult does not “purify” anything, but sinclair’s courage to stand up to her isn’t enough to beat her either. canto iii still doesn’t end in a victory. dante and the sinners barely survive. it’s only through demian (and k-corp’s) divine intervention that the sinners and kromer don’t destroy each other in the corpse pit.

in the most recent addition, canto iv appears to do the same thing. on one hand, you have the devotion to a principle shown through shrenne, samjo, and donbaek. their causes are different, but their devotion is the same. on the other, there is the cynicism, indifference, and escapism of yi sang and dongrang, both willingly complicit in the machine in different ways. and yet — none of them make any positive difference. whether they resisted or submitted, the machine grinds on around them — the only choices are to become a cog in it or be ground to bits by its gears.

to be clear, i do not think the game is arguing that none of these individual actions matter. even if gregor couldn’t rescue yuri, even if rodya couldn’t protect her neighbors, even if sinclair couldn’t defeat kromer and all that she stood for, even if the league of nine members each failed to realize their ideals — limbus argues that it matters they tried. it matters that they’re still trying. it may never be possible to oust the corporate overlords and make the city a better place, but the love still matters.

#canto four spoilers #canto iv spoilers #canto iv #THIS IS ILL THOUGHT OUT SORRY #bad metaposting moments #i just need it Out my brain or ill Esplode #limbus company

634 notes · View notes

kindfrog · 2 months

Text

Altruist AU

[Part 1] [Part 2]

It had been a very frustrating and unproductive conversation that followed. Sera had forced an unwilling Emily from the room, citing that this was to be a private matter and she was not to speak of it to anyone.

Alastor, who had yet to receive any useful information concerning how one returned to hell, pondered the matter as he tuned out the hushed argument taking place by the doorway.

How could he, of all demons, have possibly been redeemed enough to warrant entry to capital H Heaven? He was a cannibal, a serial killer- in life and in death! He was unrepentant of his actions, nor guilty, nor remorseful. He enjoyed causing others pain, he had no hesitance about enacting revenge and punishment on those who crossed him or got in his way.

He didn’t believe in redemption or rehabilitation. Didn’t believe he could be saved, and beyond that he most assuredly didn’t want to be.

Alastor had spent more than a century in Hell by this point, carving out a place for himself, building his reputation to unimaginable heights. He had cultivated his powers, his strengths, his network and audience. And now… in the blink of an eye, in a moment of weakness, the floor had vanished from beneath him.

So what had changed? These past six months, the hotel, Miss Charlotte Morningstar… Alastor had been so careful to keep his distance, to remain unattached, but he couldn’t deny an infinitesimal part of his owned soul had softened. As he had remarked to Niffty, he’d grown accustomed to the company of the circus act he’d taken up responsibility for.

Was that small change enough to cause something like this though? Doubtful, he sneered mentally. Especially when he had ulterior motives for forming those connections.

It made no sense! If getting into heaven was as simple a matter as dying for a good cause regardless of personal belief in it then… well. It just couldn’t be that simple.

“Alastor was it?”

Alastor snapped back to alertness at Sera’s question, noting Emily was now gone.

“Quite right! And you are Sera. The seraphim Charlotte and Vagatha met some weeks ago to negotiate the exterminations.”

Alastor tracked the subtle tightening of her expression at his words. Clearly the memory of that disastrous meeting was an uncomfortable one for her. Charlie had regaled him with the details of heaven, and the truths that had been consequently unveiled on their way Cannibal Town. To think that was just yesterday. The entire week before the battle felt strangely distant now.

Sera spoke firmly, “What happened with the extermination? What happened in Hell? Explain.”

“Please.” she tagged on the end, like it was an afterthought to employ good manners.

“Oh! Well! Since you said please…” He couldn’t resist from rolling his eyes. Now should he play it polite to garner some favour or…

“Your darling little angels came down like eager bloodthirsty, rabies ridden puppies and got more than they bargained for is what happened. Last I saw plenty of their corpses were scattered about Hell, stabbed and being feasted on by a hoard of ravenous cannibals!”

…well who was he to hide the truth from her?

Alastor grinned sharply at her frustrated hiss. He could almost feel the manic look that must be in his eyes. If he were back in Hell that moment he wouldn’t be resisting the urge to grow and transform into a monstrous eldritch horror to tear and render all those vile winged freaks to meaty shreds. As it were he’d have to content himself with waiting for any survivors to come crawling back to Heaven before he could confront them.

And Adam.

As much as he wished to return the favour thrice over, he hoped that Charlie was taking care of it down below. The very recent memory of feeing his chest cave in, ribs snapping, blood gushing, was stark in his mind. Meanwhile the knowledge that Charlie and the others were likely still fighting, against such merciless killers, while he was standing politely in Heaven, had his smile straining even further.

“And then? ‘Last you saw’ of them, but not the last you saw of Hell. What happened to you to have you end up here? Charlie didn’t mention anyone by the name of Alastor, nor were you someone we saw in our looking glass to Hell. So who are you, and why were you fighting Adam?”

“I’m afraid most of my titles would be utterly meaningless to you, my dear. But the most relevant one is that I am Charlie’s business partner! Her patron I suppose you could say. I’ve helped her run the hotel for the past six months, and as such have taken upon myself the responsibility for it and its clients welfare. Including defending it from murderous angels, when necessary.” He flared his arms out to the sides in a shallow mocking bow, and noted to his consternation his wings followed suit.

Propping her hand on her hip, her six wings fluttered agitatedly behind her. “A business partner she never mentioned? Why didn’t you come with her for her meeting, if you’re so integral to the hotel?”

“Why don’t you come down and kill the damned souls yourself, instead of delegating it to Heavens army?” he retaliated.

“This is getting us nowhere! So you were defending the hotel, and ended up fighting Adam, who killed you, and now you’re here? I doubt you’re the only demon who’s died during this battle! Where are they? Why has it been only you to appear like this? What did you do?!”

Seras’ tall form loomed over over Alastor, who even with his considerable height couldn’t match her. Unfortunately for her there wasn’t a resident of hell who wasn’t adapted to harsh glares and looming powerful figures, and he more so than most was used to coming out the other side of such interactions unscathed. It had been a while since he’d had a chance to meet anyone who didn’t know who he was, decades in fact.

Alastor decided then and there to revel in the opportunity to strike fear and respect into a fresh target. A whole realm of them in fact. But it wouldn’t do to make a move so soon, not when he was in unfamiliar territory, without his staff, an unclear level of control over his powers, and who knows what changes to his physical form.

“I haven’t the foggiest.” He murmured with a beatific smile, watching Sera’s shoulders slump and the anger drain from her face at his lack of reaction. “Perhaps we could have a more in-depth discussion later on? I’d appreciate some space to get my bearings after going through such an ordeal, and no doubt you need to prepare for any returning exterminators.”

“I… yes. I suppose. Emily would be happy to show you to a spare bedroom I’m sure.”

“Marvellous! do call her back in then. I’m sure her ears are aching from all the hard work they’ve been doing.” He smirked as the door proceeded to crack open, and the smaller angels head poked in with a contrite expression across their face.

“Hiii~ Sera. Hi Alastor.”

“Hello Emily! So nice to properly make your acquaintance!” Alastor walked over to shake her hand, conveniently bypassing Sera and getting closer to the door. “Sera and I have agreed to postpone further discussion until later, so do be a doll and show me to a spare room? And I’ll even answer your questions about Charlie while we walk.”

He gently steered her back out the door before Sera could counter his decision, entering a light blue corridor with yellow accents and high arching windows vaguely reminiscent of the St Lewis Cathedral.

“Now Charlie told me all about meeting you! She was particularly fond of the koalas apparently-“

As Alastors and Emilys enthusiastic chatter grew fainter to her ears, Sera released a resigned sigh. She didn’t know Alastor, didn’t know what kind of monster had just been released into Heaven, but the heavy weight that had settled in her gut told her redemption wasn’t going to be a peaceful transition.

#altruist au #hazbin hotel #Alastor #hazbin hotel fanfiction #hazbin hotel Alastor #hazbin hotel Emily #hazbin hotel sera #I wrote this in one go in the notes app of my phone while walking my dog

46 notes · View notes

monstercampus · 8 months

Note

WHAT. 😱 He’s cursed?!? ELLIE PLEASE, I AM BEGGING. 🙏 Lore on Plauge Doctor???? A snippet of his deep dark backstory perhaps? Pretty please? A cherry on top? 🍒?

Oh, it's nothing special! Just the story of an average young man with an insatiable lust for death flying a bit too close to the sun </3

(cws: death, active plague, sickness, mentions of rot, body horror)

In life, "Doctor" Symon Knox was as average as anyone else you might meet in that tiny village on the outskirts of Ordomia--a kingdom-turned-capital city as the world knows it now, far, far away across the seas from the campus he now finds himself employed. Being such a talkative, curious boy in his youth, it was no surprise to his elders that he dreamed of becoming a doctor, and perhaps one with impeccable bedside manner since he found it so easy to make people laugh their pains away.

But this was an era before cellphones and sterilization, and upon reaching his tender adulthood Symon found himself in the throes of an unimaginable plague spreading across the continent, wild and uncontrolled as it killed indiscriminately. Still in the service of his mentor at the time, Symon was given the role of scribe during the last moments of each patient's life. Chivalrous or wicked, senile or sane, he penned each word to save and keep on record for many months, and grew quieter and quieter as the job worked him past his own limits. In time, it felt as though the mask he donned was a feature of his own face, the leather and cloth part of his skin that stuck fast to his bones. Not long after that did his mentor fall from the illness, as did the people he knew and loved from his village as sickness swept over each poor, kindred soul.

Upon returning home to such a sight, Symon began penning his own last words. Page after page of nothingness slung into fire, ink spilled over half-spelled curses, quill-tip pierced through the tough parchment into his father's writing desk. Days passed into weeks and months, the sickly-sweet stench of rot invading the bed of crumbling lavender protecting the beak of his mask. Having adored the man so much in his early years of doctorhood, Symon wouldn't realize that his descent into madness was caused by his mentor's wicked desires--even if he had at the time, there would be no stopping his transformation. The Lich that had masqueraded as a well-to-do doctor, had taken a dirt-poor youth under his wing to teach him the practice of medicine, had crafted that same disease that would kill his corporeal body and take his protégé's life next.

And while Symon Knox unknowingly wrote out his last rites in his own hand, his body was changing to fit the mold he'd been given--the shape that the Lich had deemed worthy to house the fount of his unimaginable necrotic power. Four hundred years prior to present day, Symon Knox died at his writing desk, quill perched deftly in his left hand. Less than four days later he awoke, quill pierced through his gloved palm, with nothing writhing beneath his robes but the curse of rot and death. Blood drained to a pale-skinned touch he rose as a phantom of his true self, his blue eyes no longer clear but cloudy, his hair bleached to a cowardly white from the strawberry blond strands he inherited from his loving mother. Neither living nor a corpse, black vines twisted themselves into neat array over his skin like the fibres of muscle beneath it, only patches of pallour visible and even less with several centuries of rot between them. He may as well be nothing but a lich himself if not for that distinct craving for the true depth of his power, his knowledge lost but the presence of his master violently cramming itself into his brain--for four hundred years he must keep it out, keep it away, lest it overcome him in the absence of his psyche and steal away the last part of Symon he so desperately clings to.

Memories, emotions, senses, and functions trickle out over time, falling limp and blank and drawing to a close, but never quite reaching the point of dying. The body wants to die but Symon Knox rather wants to live, to see more out the polished glasses of his plague mask than he ever would as a young man dying of an incurable sickness. He may have died at twenty, but he lives to twenty-one every day--and although he never quite shakes the feeling of need, need to kill, need to die, need to watch the light leave their eyes, he's gotten quite good at shaking that voice loose and shoving it to the back of his mind. To find something else to fill it, that would do the job quite well....if only he had something to occupy every waking thought, someone so endearing he can't help but run them through his head every waking moment of every living day.

#plague doctor #symon knox #monster campus #monster campus lore #monster boyfriend #lich #ellie writes #anons

41 notes · View notes

vickyvicarious · 6 months

Note

Seward: "Before they retired the Professor fixed up the room against any coming of the Vampire, and assured Mrs. Harker that she might rest in peace."

Then both Van Helsing and Jack now call Dracula "the Vampire". I wonder why this name than how Jonathan used to call him the Count, or not Dracula.

And with today, we see both Mina and Jonathan added to those ranks! Well, technically Mina only writes "the Vampire" in her account of Jonathan's dialogue, and it's the same with Jack reporting what Van Helsing said. So one could argue we only know for sure it's Mina and Jack right now, but I think it's fair to attribute to the others as well, especially when Jack also used lower-case "vampire" more generally at other moments even in the same entries.

It comes back, to me, to the first mate of the Demeter:

"It is here; I know it, now. On the watch last night I saw It, like a man, tall and thin, and ghastly pale. It was in the bows, and looking out. I crept behind It, and gave It my knife; but the knife went through It, empty as the air." And as he spoke he took his knife and drove it savagely into space. Then he went on: "But It is here, and I'll find It. It is in the hold, perhaps in one of those boxes. I'll unscrew them one by one and see. You work the helm." [...] "Save me! save me!" he cried, and then looked round on the blanket of fog. His horror turned to despair, and in a steady voice he said: "You had better come too, captain, before it is too late. He is there. I know the secret now. The sea will save me from Him, and it is all that is left!"

He speaks of Dracula in capital letters throughout, but before he encounters him close-up, he says It. He thinks of Dracula as a creature like a man, but something inhuman in a way that implies almost a lesser status. A mindless creature, almost an object. This is echoed later on in the way Jack repeatedly calls vampire!Lucy a "foul Thing" - they are evil and dangerous but also somewhat implied to be mindless. It also sort of fits with the way Jonathan scoffs at the vampire ladies being women and calls them "devils of the Pit!" - stronger language but in a way still dehumanized on a lower level than the uppercase Devil (or de Ville) that Dracula later gets at times.

But then after the mate encounters Dracula in the hold, presumably face-to-face, his tune changes. He no longer harbors any hope of defeating this monster. He 'knows the secret'. What new secret could he have learned in such a short time? Why was Dracula an 'It' even after a knife went straight through him without harming him, and yet suddenly became Him after that encounter? I think it's because the mate realized just exactly who/what he is. That's the secret. That's the reason he despairs.

And that's the reason that later on other people start to call him Vampire instead of vampire. Van Helsing makes the switch on 3 October. Just a couple days ago he gave a long speech about general vampiric weaknesses and even this specific vampire's history, but it's not until he sees Dracula face to face - not until he sees what he did to Mina and to Jonathan - that he speaks of him in the capital letters. And every time he uses the word after then to refer to Dracula specifically, it gets the capital letter. In contrast, when he speaks of Mina potentially becoming one, he says "I can see the characteristics of the vampire coming in her face." Lowercase for her. ***

It's the same for the others; they all start calling him this after that night. Mina speaks of her dreams before waking to her attack by Dracula as being "full of vampires", then doesn't say the word again until today when she hesitates before calling Dracula "the ... the ... the ... Vampire." Jonathan says that if Mina must be a "vampire" so will he, and that "one vampire meant many" - but when he has his outburst today he exclaims, "Have you felt the Vampire's lips upon your throat?" **

Even Renfield does it, despite never saying the word 'vampire'. He always recognized Dracula's importance, calling him "Master" and capitalized "You" right from the start. But interestingly, on 3 October he actually stops doing this briefly. He goes from using "He" to "he" but only for a short time. When describing Dracula first showing up at his window, it's lowercase he, but when he starts summoning creatures it's back to capitalized He. As soon as Renfield invites him in and loses any level of leverage/control, Dracula gets the capital letters again. He also gets compared to the Moon:

"The rats were all gone, but He slid into the room through the sash, though it was only open an inch wide—just as the Moon herself has often come in through the tiniest crack and has stood before me in all her size and splendour."

I've talked about this before, but the lowercase moon and moonlight in general is associated strongly with vampires and the supernatural. So the use of the personified capital-M Moon here in direct comparison with the same He for Dracula feels significant to me.

It sums up what all this capitalizing is about. Dracula is no longer just a vampire to these people. He isn't just a creature to be hunted; nor is he an ordinary person you could oppose (even an important one like a Count). He's more than that. He is the [mild spoiler quote under the cut****], he is the ultimate vampire. Maybe the first, certainly the worst. He is almost a higher power (or should I say lower?), absolutely terrifying and the epitome of what he represents. Not just the moonlight but the Moon herself. Not just a vampire but the Vampire.

They don't exclusively call him that, of course. They do still call him Count or Dracula. But when they want to emphasize his nature, they can't return to seeing him as one of a set, even such an evil set. He is in a category all his own.

** I personally consider this very strong support for Dracula drinking Jonathan on the last night at the castle. It's possible that Jonathan was talking about either Mina's experience with the Count here, or about his experience with the vampire women. But I think that the way he says it fits better with it being informed by his own trauma/flashback, given the context of the statement being about the dangers of Castle Dracula. And if so, it seems odd to me for him to abruptly and only this once use that capitalization for the vampire ladies, when he never did before. Granted, he never has called Dracula that either but at least there's lots of precedent from other people. Also, the singular "the Vampire" seems more fitting for him, since the three women always appeared together as a group threat even if only one of them put her lips to Jonathan's throat.

I kind of like to think Jonathan only really remembers that Dracula has bit him too in this moment. Or at least, it's the first time he becomes so clearly/consciously aware of it (maybe not even in the middle of the scene, but in the aftermath, it finally dawns on him). I think that fits well with the scene, and also is a nice way of preserving the meaning of his willingness to throw away his own 'clean/human' soul to join Mina, when according to Van Helsing's lore a single bite would have been enough to make Jonathan turn when he died anyway. The sacrifice would lose something in that case, but if he only remembers now we kind of get to have our cake and eat it too as far as that goes.

[other footnotes below the cut for spoilers]

*** Later on, this does change for Van Helsing, and him alone. When he hunts down the vampire ladies, he repeatedly calls them Vampires throughout, and speaks of the "Vampire sleep" and "Vampire fold" sort of more generally. However, interestingly this only happens when he is alone, hunting them down in the castle after they'd already terrified him in the night. After he stakes them he writes again of the general "vampire sleep" in lowercase. So I think an argument could be made for terror informing him here as well, and leading him to apply the same level of importance/danger to them as Dracula briefly. Otherwise I admit it does kind of go against my general thesis here of Dracula being unique in this way.

**** "the King-Vampire" as Van Helsing calls him

#dracula daily #count dracula #dracula daily spoilers #only under the cut #van helsing #jack seward #mina murray #jonathan harker #renfield #anonymous #replies #my meta #i actually thought about something similar to this a while ago and wanted to check if there was any pattern #to who called him count vs. dracula vs. vampire but there isn't as much honestly #dracula meta

33 notes · View notes

kaiarchives · 10 months

Text

WRITEBLR INTRO

— about me

Hii, my name is Kaiati (Kai - uh - tee), but I'd prefer you refer to me as Kai if that's too confusing. 19, 20 in August. Afro-Latinx (Haitian and Cuban). any prns but prefer They/them. Genderfluid. Queer.

This honestly is long overdue, and that's mostly because of my weird obsession with perfection paired with my GAD (anxiety) that I have just been stalking other writeblrs and procrastinating on my own.

I'm an aspiring writer, and my work ranges from speculative fiction. Fantasy, historical, supernatural, sci-fi, ghosts, eldritch terrors. I love it all, typically lgbtq+ and bipoc-centered to mundane romance (I'm a sucker for a good romance). I fell in love with writing after reading Narnia when I was 10???? Still never finished anything. I'm pretty new to this and tumblr in general since I never really was the type to be active even though I have several other old accounts, but this time I'm gonna make more of an effort and promise to be active instead of lurking on your pages, hehe.

— genres I love

Fantasy / Science Fiction / Contemporary / Mystery-Thriller / Folktales and Fairytales / Horror / Gothic folk / Romance ** I also live and breathe angst if I'm not balling my eyes out over fictional characters, then what's the point**

— tropes

found family . rivals to lovers . friends to lovers . opposites attract . sibling dynamics . revolting against the patriarchy (eat the rich!) . sapphic mermaids and other monsters and mystical creatures (monster girls in general) . girls in blood .

— my writing

...or lack thereof, I have a bunch the most I focus on now are:

Project JOG (all of the titles are wip cuz im lazy)

Captain Sooyoung had always dreamed of proving her worth as a fighter, yet after years of hard work, her achievement resulted in guarding the South Gate and examining merchants and produce. But when her father summoned her to the Capital, her hopes were reignited, only to be immediately shattered as she discovers she is being demoted to the guardian of a traitor, Jiwoo. Sooyoung abhors her assignment; the two women despise each other. However, as they get to know one another, they begin to form an unlikely bond. Despite their growing friendship, Sooyoung can't help but feel suspicious about Jiwoo's anonymous nocturnal absences. Sooyoung must keep her guard up and uncover Jiwoo's secrets before they threaten to destroy her, as well as her kingdom. This is a tale of trust, love, and deception, testing the strength of bonds forged on the battlefield.

Project HML

Jaebeom, a gumiho sentenced to eternal damnation for his crimes. Haunted by the endless suffering of his one true love, Jaebeom is forced to watch her die and be reborn in each of her lifetimes. But all hope is not lost when an unlikely ally presents him with an opportunity to earn his love's freedom. Armed with determination and a thirst for revenge on those who wronged him, Jaebeom embarks on a dangerous mission to find a mysterious scroll that holds the key to his lover's release. However, collecting enough despair to gain favors for his journey proves to be a difficult task until he meets Ada, a young businesswoman with a dark past and an even darker future. Forced to work together, the two soon form a bond that complicates their mission, threatening to derail everything Jaebeom has worked so hard for. Will they be able to overcome their differences and save his lover before time runs out, or will their own selfish desires get in the way?

Project BHA

Coretta's life takes a drastic turn when her younger brother falls ill. Determined to find a cure, she joins forces with a warlock named Lysander on his quest to protect the magic realm. But as they journey deeper into a world of danger and mystery, Coretta realizes that her own inner demons may pose an even greater threat. With Lysander by her side, she must navigate treacherous terrain and face her deepest fears in order to uncover the truth behind her brother's ailment and the secret that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of their reality. From magic spells to mythical creatures, the pair face impossible challenges and unexpected betrayals as they race against time to save the magic realm from mortal hands. But as secrets are revealed, and tensions rise, Coretta must decide who to trust and what sacrifices she will make to achieve her ultimate goal. Will she be able to save her brother and restore order to the magical world, or will her own inner demons ultimately be her downfall?

— What I'm looking for

More writers to follow!

books and recommendations

Beta readers/Critique Partners for fun ofc (i will also beta read for people if you want!)

Good vibes and friends

I also love and would like to play tag games but bear with me. I'm really shy, so it'll take a while...

I'm sure everyone on here has this problem, but it is really hard for me to finish anything, I get all in my head, and I end up deleting everything and moving on to another project I probably won't finish, but I'm hoping that through being on here and meeting writers and their incredible stories will give me the courage to finish my own.

As you can see, I ramble when I'm nervous but yeah! Excited to be here!!

— I'm also on here

wattpad

Archive of Our Own

Fin.

#writeblr #writeblr intro #black writblr #blackwriters #black writers #writeblr introduction #new to writeblr #queer writers #lgbt writers #writers of tumblr #latinx writers #will edit this later

53 notes · View notes

j-psilas · 10 months

Text

Arthur Machen's Idea of Evil

If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to explain one of my favorite ideas in fiction: the idea of positive evil.

The Christian conception of evil is, more often than not, one of negation. Evil is a lack of goodness, a turning away from God. Adam and Eve were born sinless, but acted against God’s will, and so fell from innocence and grace. Thence came Original Sin, an imperfection that was inherited by all humankind. A defect, a blemish—an alteration of what would have been their natural state.

For many people, this is the familiar way of viewing sin and evil, even if they aren’t familiar with all the strange theological offshoots that came from following it to its logical conclusions.

I’m not going to discuss those here, though they’re certainly worth investigating. Rather, I want to talk about how the late Victorian author Arthur Machen, regarded by many as the “grandfather of weird fiction,” created horror and mystery by rejecting this doctrine, and entertaining the possibility of evil with positive substance unto itself.

Picture very much related.

What separates crime from sin, vice from evil, animal fear from existential terror? Much of Machen’s horror fiction follows this line of inquiry in one way or another, but he answers it pretty directly in the prologue of The White People. It’s structured as a short Socratic dialogue between the author stand-in Ambrose and his evening visitor, Mr. Cotgrave:

‘I think you are falling into the very general error of confining the spiritual world to the supremely good; but the supremely wicked, necessarily, have their portion in it. The merely carnal, sensual man can no more be a great sinner than he can be a great saint. Most of us are just indifferent, mixed-up creatures; we muddle through the world without realizing the meaning and the inner sense of things, and, consequently, our wickedness and our goodness are alike second-rate, unimportant.'

'And you think the great sinner, then, will be an ascetic, as well as the great saint?'

'Great people of all kinds forsake the imperfect copies and go to the perfect originals. I have no doubt but that many of the very highest among the saints have never done a "good action" (using the words in their ordinary sense). And, on the other hand, there have been those who have sounded the very depths of sin, who all their lives have never done an "ill deed."'

[...]

'I can't stand it, you know,' he said, 'your paradoxes are too monstrous. A man may be a great sinner and yet never do anything sinful! Come!'

'You're quite wrong,' said Ambrose. 'I never make paradoxes; I wish I could. [...] Oh, yes, there is a sort of connexion between Sin with the capital letter, and actions which are commonly called sinful: with murder, theft, adultery, and so forth. Much the same connexion that there is between the A, B, C and fine literature. But I believe that the misconception—it is all but universal—arises in great measure from our looking at the matter through social spectacles. We think that a man who does evil to us and to his neighbours must be very evil. So he is, from a social standpoint; but can't you realize that Evil in its essence is a lonely thing, a passion of the solitary, individual soul? Really, the average murderer, quâ murderer, is not by any means a sinner in the true sense of the word. He is simply a wild beast that we have to get rid of to save our own necks from his knife. I should class him rather with tigers than with sinners.'

'It seems a little strange.'

'I think not. The murderer murders not from positive qualities, but from negative ones; he lacks something which non-murderers possess. Evil, of course, is wholly positive—only it is on the wrong side. You may believe me that sin in its proper sense is very rare; it is probable that there have been far fewer sinners than saints. Yes, your standpoint is all very well for practical, social purposes; we are naturally inclined to think that a person who is very disagreeable to us must be a very great sinner! It is very disagreeable to have one's pocket picked, and we pronounce the thief to be a very great sinner. In truth, he is merely an undeveloped man. He cannot be a saint, of course; but he may be, and often is, an infinitely better creature than thousands who have never broken a single commandment. He is a great nuisance to us, I admit, and we very properly lock him up if we catch him; but between his troublesome and unsocial action and evil—Oh, the connexion is of the weakest.'

It was getting very late. The man who had brought Cotgrave had probably heard all this before, since he assisted with a bland and judicious smile, but Cotgrave began to think that his 'lunatic' was turning into a sage.

'Do you know,' he said, 'you interest me immensely? You think, then, that we do not understand the real nature of evil?'

'No, I don't think we do. We over-estimate it and we under-estimate it. We take the very numerous infractions of our social "bye-laws"—the very necessary and very proper regulations which keep the human company together—and we get frightened at the prevalence of "sin" and "evil." But this is really nonsense. Take theft, for example. Have you any horror at the thought of Robin Hood, of the Highland caterans of the seventeenth century, of the moss-troopers, of the company promoters of our day?

'Then, on the other hand, we underrate evil. We attach such an enormous importance to the "sin" of meddling with our pockets (and our wives) that we have quite forgotten the awfulness of real sin.'

'And what is sin?' said Cotgrave.

'I think I must reply to your question by another. What would your feelings be, seriously, if your cat or your dog began to talk to you, and to dispute with you in human accents? You would be overwhelmed with horror. I am sure of it. And if the roses in your garden sang a weird song, you would go mad. And suppose the stones in the road began to swell and grow before your eyes, and if the pebble that you noticed at night had shot out stony blossoms in the morning?

'Well, these examples may give you some notion of what sin really is.'

[...]

'You astonish me,' said Cotgrave. 'I had never thought of that. If that is really so, one must turn everything upside down. Then the essence of sin really is——'

'In the taking of heaven by storm, it seems to me,' said Ambrose. 'It appears to me that it is simply an attempt to penetrate into another and higher sphere in a forbidden manner. You can understand why it is so rare. There are few, indeed, who wish to penetrate into other spheres, higher or lower, in ways allowed or forbidden. Men, in the mass, are amply content with life as they find it. Therefore there are few saints, and sinners (in the proper sense) are fewer still, and men of genius, who partake sometimes of each character, are rare also. Yes; on the whole, it is, perhaps, harder to be a great sinner than a great saint.'

'There is something profoundly unnatural about Sin? Is that what you mean?'

'Exactly. Holiness requires as great, or almost as great, an effort; but holiness works on lines that were natural once; it is an effort to recover the ecstasy that was before the Fall. But sin is an effort to gain the ecstasy and the knowledge that pertain alone to angels and in making this effort man becomes a demon. I told you that the mere murderer is not therefore a sinner; that is true, but the sinner is sometimes a murderer. Gilles de Raiz is an instance. So you see that while the good and the evil are unnatural to man as he now is—to man the social, civilized being—evil is unnatural in a much deeper sense than good. The saint endeavours to recover a gift which he has lost; the sinner tries to obtain something which was never his. In brief, he repeats the Fall.'

Emphasis added by me.

Sin, in Machen’s eyes, is a violation of the most fundamental laws of our universe—the principles that determines what is good, what is natural, what is up and what is down. In Platonic terms, it is a violation of the reality that proceeds from ‘God,’ the One, the Good.

To break these laws is not merely to turn away from God, but to turn towards something else. Some entity or principle that is wholly foreign to the Good, and is intruding upon our reality, imprinting itself upon matter and spirit alike.

The sinner turns towards this Evil, just as the saint turns towards the Good, because it induces the same spiritual ecstasy, just in the opposite direction.

You are making contact with a great spiritual Truth, be it supernal or infernal or simply weird, and the very essence of your being is undergoing a process of sublimation in accordance with that principle.

It’s a terrifying idea because it empowers evil in a way that Christian doctrine simply does not allow, and it acknowledges that depravity is, on some level, empowering. It’s not just that we want to get away with breaking the rules. It’s not that we want to follow our appetites without regard for the harm that it may cause. No, sometimes human beings want to commit real violence, spiritual or physical, simply for its own sake—just like we do good things for the sake of goodness.

Attributing that impulse to the influence of a transcendent law or entity, of the same kind as the One, presents an existentially perilous universe. Suddenly we are beset from all sides by forces from outside our reality, as infinite as there are directions, all of which threaten to change the essence of who and what we are. Acknowledging these intrusive powers could mean succumbing to them, and becoming something as foreign to humanity as blossoming cobblestones are to the laws of physics.

Someone beside you, to all appearances human, could be wearing that form only externally, and temporarily. They could in fact belong to something that should not exist in our world at all. And if given the chance, they would discard their human face and show you something that should not be manifested in matter at all.

Chilling, isn’t it?

I was going to talk about this idea in fiction besides Machen’s—I actually see some echoes of it in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, of all things—but this is already a fairly long post. I’ll save it for another time.

To those who bothered to read this far, what are your favorite examples of ‘positive evil’ in fiction?

#Arthur Machen #horror #weird fiction #Neoplatonism #Christianity

25 notes · View notes

scorpionyx9621 · 1 year

Text

I've seen a few people compare Isaac Clarke and Nicole Brennan from Dead Space to Ethan and Mia Winters from Resident Evil and while I think the comparison is pretty apt, I do have some interesting things to point out. I'd say Isaac Clarke and Mia Winters have more in common with each other the same way I think Nicole Brennan and Ethan Winters have more in common.

While yes both Ethan and Isaac are badass action/survival horror men with sharp tongues and are shockingly witty and quippy, Ethan is driven out of love not only for his missing wife in RE 7 but for his wife and daughter in RE 8. Ethan is much more good-natured and genuinely wants to do everything he can to help the people around him even if his loved ones are his first priority. Ethan goes into the Baker Mansion because he's trying to find his missing wife. Ethan genuinely did not know what happened to Mia after her last call with him. So he goes through hell in Resident Evil flavor and has himself get killed by an infected redneck. Only to be re-animated by a super fungus that also co-ops his personality perfectly and Ethan has to go through hell twice to save his family. (I don't want to go into the moral/ethical argument of whether or not Ethan Winters is actually Ethan Winters or he's just a fragment of the Megamycede empowered by Ethan's drive to save his loved ones. It's too existential.) But every action Ethan took throughout the stories of Resident Evil 7 & 8 were for the betterment of his family and for his family's safety.

While I wouldn't say Isaac is a bad person anywhere near to the degree that Mia Winters is, Isaac is definitely the antagonist in terms of the relationship between him and Nicole. In the remake we see that Isaac's last conversation with Nicole he lashed out on her and accused her of indirectly causing the deaths of his parents. When Nicole tries to express her shock and explain herself Isaac shuts her down and barely lets her get a word in. The whole reason why we have the game of Dead Space to begin with is that Isaac is trying to get aboard the Ishimura for some reason even though he knows full-well that Nicole is dead. Isaac is trying to process an incredible amount of grief in that his mother killed his father and then herself, the last time Isaac spoke to Nicole he accused her of letting his mom kill his father and herself, and in Nicole's final transmission Isaac watched Nicole kill herself. The Marker on Aegis 7 that caused the Necromorph outbreak aboard the Ishimura and caused Isaac to see Elizabeth Cross as Nicole was because the Marker just capitalized on Isaac's immense trauma and guilt and used that to manipulate Isaac into doing what it wanted. Also it must be said that Isaac also has killed hundreds of people of his own volition. He killed at least 200 EarthGov soldiers on The Sprawl when they shot at him. Isaac hid and unleashed a whole swarm of Necromorphs on the soldiers and while I'm not certain Isaac was fully in his right mind when he did that. Isaac still did kill around 200 people.

When we compare this to Nicole Brennan, while the games depict her in a variety of ways (loving and supporting but deeply wrong in Dead Space 1 and the most demonic ex-girlfriend ever in Dead Space 2) Nicole is not in the wrong when it comes to hers and Isaac's relationship. Yes Nicole gave Octavia Clarke the go-ahead to be released from her inpatient facility, but there's literally no way that Nicole could have predicted that Octavia would have had another mental break and would have killed Poul and herself. Nicole is a medical professional who made the best choice given the information she had at the time. Isaac blaming Nicole for the death of his parents very much a heat of the moment thing, as Isaac admits that it was easy for him to say the wrong thing. Isaac was deeply in shock and in grief and lashing out at Nicole was his response when he felt he had little control. It fully was the Church of Unitology's fault but Isaac had no real way to take his emotions out on them so he took them out on Nicole. When Nicole realized that the Unitologists had taken over the Ishimura she actively did everything she could to stand against them and when the Necromorph outbreak started she did everything she could to try to help as many people with the best of her knowledge and abilities. Yet she was doomed, and in her final moments she apologized to Isaac. Even though she told Isaac to go to hell as her last words to him. Nicole deeply regretted her words and the fact that Octavia Clarke did what she did because of Nicole's judgement. Her final moments were filled with fear, grief and regret for all things that were completely out of her control.

And finally we get to Mia Winters. Not a single one of these three characters come even remotely close to the level of just being an awful person like Mia Winters. From the moment Mia met Ethan she lied about her identity and career, she worked as a researcher for a bioterrorist organization, committed actual atrocities against children in her experiments, showed little to no remorse for her actions while working in The Connections, continued to hide information about the severity of her husband's mold infection to her husband and actively caused the events of RE 8 to occur by standing around and just letting Mother Miranda find her when Mia KNEW Miranda was in Romania with them and knew full well just what kind of crazed monster Miranda was and did NOTHING. Yes Mia herself also committed atrocities and murdered people while being under the influence of the mold much in the same way Isaac did similar while under the effects of the marker, but Isaac was driven and manipulated by his own intense sense of grief and guilt. Isaac knew Nicole was dead when he volunteered to go fix the Ishimura but his psyche had become so damaged from losing both his parents and his girlfriend in such a short timeframe that Isaac literally was doing the Marker's bidding for it. I theorized that Mia didn't act on her knowledge of Mother Miranda because she didn't know what would happen if Ethan found out that he was still infected, whether he would have left her or if he would have mutated. Yet that doesn't dismiss that she actively lied and manipulated Ethan for three years after she was saved and it's because of this it directly led to Ethan's death as well as the deaths of hundreds in Romania.

These four characters all relate to each other but not in the way that you would think. Ethan Winters has much more to relate to Nicole Brennan in that they were both ultimately in the wrong place at the wrong time and both died because of it. Both of them tried to save people they either directly loved or directly served given the best information they had at the time and both of them ended up taking the brunt from their partners. Whereas Isaac and Mia relate closer to each other. Both have committed atrocities while under the influence of a power greater than their own and have lashed out against their partners (to varying degrees of severity) and have committed atrocities against people (TO VARYING DEGREES OF SEVERITY GOOD GOD) Both are the antagonistic factors of their relationships and again, while Isaac was lashing out because of an extreme trauma he was facing. Mia was actively committing crimes against humanity willingly while being an abusive girlfriend/wife after the fact. I feel so bad comparing Isaac to Mia because overall Isaac is nowhere even remotely close to being as evil of a character as Mia but he does have more in common with her than he does with Ethan unfortunately. (Please don't crucify me I love Isaac I really really do.)

#isaac clarke #ethan winters #mia winters #nicole brennan #dead space #resident evil 7 #resident evil 8 #resident evil village #This was fun to make!#but man oh boy do i feel so bad for comparing Isaac to Nicole.#like one is lashing out against his lover in the heat of the moment #the other is.... mia winters...

43 notes · View notes

whatmakesagod · 1 year

Text

I have watched Train to Busan at least three times a year, every year, since either 2017 or 2018. I don't really like horror and zombies don't really do it for me (I will admit that I love Kingdom and enjoyed Black Summer, though), but there is something about this film that I keep coming back to.

So, I did the thing that creatives are encouraged to do when they find something that they love: I analyzed what it was that captured me so much and what I can steal from it to make my own writing have that effect on someone else.

First, Train to Busan is a South Korean film that features a very strong social commentary on capitalism and it's effects on society. Teenagers, the homeless, the elderly, the working class are all sacrificed to the zombies to save the ones who work in big offices and make a ton of money. And the way it's done is quite impactful and meaningful.

Of the leads, the first to die was a member of the working class who spoke out and fought for himself and others. Despite his age and physical prowess, he is the most expendable because he won't sit down and accept what is wrong. He will say something and he'll help other people. Next was the pair of elderly sisters. The elderly are often viewed to have already lived their lives and are, therefore, expendable despite the knowledge they have to offer us. Third is an employee of the train company who originally believed in helping others, but then was convinced to protect himself and assisted in restraining a teenager.

Fourth is the pair of teenagers, a pair of young lovers. You'd think that they would be the ones to survive because they are young, but both of them fought back against the man in the suit and helped other people to do what's right. The girl, Jin-hee, even had to be restrained to stop her from opening the door on the train to save other people. They are not the first choice to let die, but since they will not stop helping others, then they have to.

After is the homeless man who is implied to be neurodivergent. At first, I thought he was the outlier, but he's really not. He's observant and intelligent and he helps other people, but he also keeps his head down and rarely speaks. He's not going to rock the boat. Homeless people are often viewed by society very unfavorably, but this particular character could be viewed as exploitable and, therefore, not nearly as expendable as the working class man.

From there, the train operator, after getting the train to take them the rest of the way to Busan going, is killed when he tries to save the man in the suit. The man in the suit, Mr. Capitalism, then bites our main lead, Seok-woo. Seok-woo's company is responsible for the zombie outbreak and his entire goal is getting his daughter to her mother in Busan after he misses an important school event. Seok-woo is the last to die and the way he dies is beautiful and I will go into detail later.

So, who survives? Seok-woo's daughter, Su-an, and the pregnant wife of the working class man. How often do we hear 'women and children first'? How often is it stated that children are innocents and should survive and that pregnant women need to be given priority because they are carrying the next generation? They witness their families die and only have each other at the very end.

The order of deaths goes from the most expendable to the least expendable as capitalism views it until the only ones who are left are the only people everyone can agree must survive. The film kills who capitalism says should be sacrificed and keeps the two men who work in offices and wear suits and make a lot of money alive until the end.

Seok-woo's death made me cry the first three times I watched this film. There is an argument to be made that the zombie lore changes halfway through the film and isn't entirely consistent in terms of speed, but I'm fine with that. What I loved is that Seok-woo remembered the birth of his daughter in his final moments and we see him holding her in awe and reverence before we cut to a big smile on his face as he falls off the train to save Su-an. It's a beautiful endcap to a story of a man who would do anything to save his daughter, but didn't know how to connect to her before then. His arc is all about Su-an and how he becomes a man who will protect others and do the right thing.

Su-an's arc begins and ends with the song Aloha'oe, which she sings at the event her father missed and sings again while sobbing when they finally arrive in Busan, proving that she and the pregnant woman, Seong-kyoeng, are not zombies.

All of those things make for a deeply satisfying film. So does introducing the characters in pairs and focusing on dynamics so that we know who they are as characters. The homeless man, one train employee and the man in the suit, Seong-kyoeng and her husband, two of the four train employees, the teen couple, and the two elderly sisters.

My personal favorite, when everything is going right, something has to go wrong. When the train pulls into a station and the riders think that they are safe, turns out that the army has been turned into zombies. When the group of our heroes seems to be able to get away from the zombies without concern, the homeless man steps on a can and alerts the zombies to their presence. When they reach the station where a lot of trains are docked, a train on fire comes in and throws everything into chaos.

So, what can I, someone who is writing books that are not horror, steal from this film?

Introducing characters in pairs, for one. Doesn't have to be foils, but interesting dynamics and conversations that define characters and tell us everything we need to know would be a great choice.

When I do kill characters, see if I can make a point with them in terms of order or how they die. These characters are not introduced in the order of which they die, which is also a great option, but their deaths follow a very different kind of order.

When everything is going right, make something go wrong so that the tension has a good ebb and flow while also making sure that the audience stays engaged. It's good to have moments of rest, but the tension has to pick back up again.

Remember the through-line. Train to Busan is high-concept because it can be boiled down to 'a man does everything he can to keep his daughter safe as the train they are on is overrun by zombies.' The through-line of this film is Seok-woo and getting Su-an to Busan. His every move is getting to his daughter and keeping her safe. Yes, along the way, he helps others, but every time he helps someone, it will also help his daughter or help him get to her when they are separated. Their relationship and how he didn't used to be there for her and now he is is a driving force. Novels have to have through-lines and no matter how much I might love something, if it goes against the through-line or muddies it, maybe it needs to go.

Finally, a reminder to myself that it's important to feature characters of multiple backgrounds and marginalizations and situations and how the narrative affects them. The elderly are ignored by society, many people, no matter how well-intentioned, can be fear-mongered into doing the wrong thing, the homeless have something of value to offer but are still looked down on.

Is it the best movie ever? No. But it's a satisfying narrative and there's a lot of stuff that I can and will take away from it. I will also most likely revisit this film for the rest of my life. I'm thankful to it and for what it was teaching me even when I wasn't paying close enough attention.

#analysis #train to busan #my posts

35 notes · View notes

mudinyourshoes · 3 months

Text

Novoland update as of ep 11:

-the music and camera work when they are setting off to war gave me LOTR flashbacks, which, thank you, is partly why i'm here

-Asule teasing Ji Ye about Yu Ran! And Ji Ye being uncertain and hesitant about it! Awwww! Babies!

-Asule's visions give me chills

-this drama is going to spend some time digging into the horrors of war, which is hard to watch but i'm glad they are doing it. Asule's shtick from day 1 has been that he want to learn how to fight and to go onto the battlefield to "protect people". Shows will often create in-universe logic that supports a character in this kind of idealism, but it looks like Novoland isn't going to do that and Asule is going to have to grapple with the realities of war.

Asule's struggle with war and violence is fascinating. His desire to go to war to "protect people" is not merely youth and naivety speaking - it's because he's been on battlefields before but always in the company of non-combatants. Of course he thinks about combat in terms of protecting people.

Now he has to deal with being a soldier and a commander in a war on foreign soil, being fought because of some kings' overblown ego. He still says he want to protect people, but it's no longer simple. Who is he protecting? Foreign civilians who the army might kill if they reach the capital city? Foreign nobility? The soldiers on the battlefield?! But how do you protect soldiers, except by killing soldiers... And the situation is complicated by the fact that he's in the privileged position of commanding troupes - i.e. ordering people to their deaths - while being forbidden from entering the fray himself. There's an argument to be made that by commanding well you can "save" lives by winning with a minimum loss of life, but I doubt that kind of logic is going to appeal to Asule.

In the end, the only point of clarity he has is that he wants to protect Ji Ye (which omg their friendship is so sweet in the midst of all this bloodshed), but in doing so he first orders his own men to their deaths and then endangers himself, apparently without considering that endangering himself means endangering other people because he's the crown prince and people will die (or surrender) to protect him!

There's also a fascinating conversation happening between Ji Ye and Asule's actions and their commentary on the Princess Silver legend. When they talk about Princess Silver, Ji Ye isn't sure he'd be willing to sacrifice thousands of soldiers to save one person, but is sure that fighting and sacrificing to gain power and fame is worthwhile, even if you end up dead or alone. He stays true to this ideal on the battlefield, hunting down the enemy commander (the king?), even though he must know his actions will lead to his death, because he knows that killing this particular man will bring him fame.

When talking about Princess Silver, Asule, on the other hand, is sure that sacrificing many lives to save one is not worth it and he has no interest in power and fame. But once the fighting starts he makes a choice to lead his men into the battle and death...to save one person (Ji Ye).

I think Asule is going to come out of this experience with a changed understanding of the ethics of war. I hope so. I want to see him struggle with these kinds of choices in the future.

#novoland eagle flag

4 notes · View notes

mikuish · 1 year

Text

pixlriffs skulk-horror piece (1/2)

(This feels like an odd first post? But I’ve been working on this for a bit and wanted to share)

…

Night floods the Ancient Capital. It seeps through the roof of the museum. It sinks into the ruins and submerges deepslate and leaves. It drowns the bridge in shades like the deep, murky water below. Skulk-light glimmers faintly off the surface. Pinpricks like so many sharp teeth. Dodos shift in the dark, their feathers a rippling void.

Shadows creep from cracks in stone to twist around pillars, to smother glow lichen. In this newfound darkness, Pixlriffs gropes his way around another corner, hands scraping against rough cobble. Was he even near the staircase? One hand reaches ahead and grazes a crumbling wooden spike. He yanks the extinguished torch from its bracket, flinging it to the ground. It splinters with a soft sound.

Dammit. The scattered storage rooms had been difficult to navigate even before darkness overtook them, transforming Pix’s messy arrangements into a labyrinth. Now he walks forward with hesitant steps, arms outstretched. His boots collide with stone and his hands feel for another wall but grasp only air. Stairs, finally.

One cautious step at a time, leaning against the wall for support. Bat clicks echo behind him, buried in the halls. As he climbs, a chasm widens between him and those bats. Between him and everything locked below. It is an escape from the musty, metallic tang of copper and the maze of his belongings. Pix makes one final turn and ascends into the night.

. . .

Above ground, the surrounding scenery melts into unidentifiable silhouettes. These smudges lurch towards him when he looks to the path, but remain eerily still when he dares to glance back. Pix’s heartbeat thumps loud in his ears. In this shadowed landscape, it is the only sound other than his shallow breathing.

Come on. Come on, I have to move. Do something.

He bites his lip until the sting brings him clarity. Just enough to shift one trembling foot before the other. His mind is too uneasy to focus on anything but breathing and his steps. One breath of thick, humid air. One pace forward. Slowly but steadily making his way down the road, through what he knows to be farmland.

Wheat fields, just wheat fields…

Thousands of gaunt, spindly spiders fill his peripheral. Below the road, they stand where wheat should be and their long legs twitch in the non-existent breeze. He can’t make out their eyes, but they must be staring up, up into the dense smog which has swallowed the atmosphere. Pix chokes down oxygen as he shakily continues onward. It is slow to fill his lungs and leaves a bitter taste sticky on his tongue.

A moldy smell congeals in the air around him. Distantly, there is a snapping as if wires were pulled too tight. Heads turning. Necks breaking. Eight red beads like drops of blood. The feeling that there are too many eyes on him is impossible to escape. One foot in front of the other, quicker like his breathing. He can’t get in enough air. Such heavy air, bordering on blistering, clinging to his skin. Sweat dampens everything below his clothing, but he can’t strip off any layers. No, he can’t let the smog come into direct contact with any more of him.

Dizziness sends him swaying down the path. Arachnids must be scuttling below, legs on rocks and dirt and twigs, following. Following, their eyes set on sweat dripping down his face, the dull white of his teeth piercing down into his lip, red trickling down, everything going down— a brief glow lit up his vision, turquoise shades so cool they seemed like guardians of Saint Pearl, here to help him, here to save him, and he tripped down, down— crawling on all fours, illumination in this dark night, it will rid him of the spiders following him, of the nightmares all around him, closing in on him, dragging him down, down, down—

The skulk grasps his wrists, tendrils pulling his hands deep inside of the pulsing mass, center warm and swampy and syrupy thick, so when he screams and tries to yank himself out it is an effort to pull back even an inch. An inside like blood— when Pix finally frees himself it drips from his hands, hot ooze and fetid steam which burn his eyes and send tears dripping down. All that heat but it feels as though his limbs are frozen, bones chilled through.

An oppressive silence drapes itself over the world. No more skittering legs, no more clicking of sharp teeth. Even the roar of blood in Pix’s ears lulls into a gentle murmur. Before him, the skulk breathes steadily, exhaling charcoal-black puffs that reek of mold and rot. Pix gags through his wheezing, feels the burn of vomit low in his throat. More ooze dribbles down his hands; dark and viscous like black hair melting. It splatters onto his boots.

#esmp pixl #pixlriffs #horror?#tagging is an endless mystery

10 notes · View notes

asteriasfallingstarsandtears · 3 months

Text

Stepping (mostly) away from the 14 Fandom has definitely allowed me to re-evaluate how I feel about characters and other things in the game and how much of it was just me trying to fit in or swayed by public opinion.

Like, I still love G'raha, but most people I was associated with didn't so much so I never really discussed him except as part of my Hadestown AU. I still prefer his Crystal Exarch and Crystal Tower versions over his Endwalker. Hope in Dawntrail he can chill out a little over the hero worship but I also know some people like that, but also my dude, we saved the universe together, you don't need to uwu me.

Still really enjoy Emet-Selch, Lahabrea and Elidibus in my own interpretations of them being sad old men. I like all three of them slowly losing their minds, or quickly in Lahabrea's case I guess, and Elidibus being a shell of what he was with few attachments and memories, driven only by the barest memory of Duty, Love and his other half's need to feed on Aether (Zodiark, personal HC of why he keeps demanding more and more sacrifices, it takes a lot of aether to power something so massive for so long and do the miracles such as fixing the aethereal balance and rejuvenating the planet). Emet losing himself over and over chasing half ghosts of Azem over Millenia does something to me, I HC he made the Hyth shade out of loneliness and imbued too much of himself in it, making it too much of Hythlodaeus but also too much Emet and it reminds him of it every time he sees it. Lahabrea likewise chased his family over the eons, seeing his son die and be reborn over and over on top of the personal horrors he must feel for actively working to destroy the Star just to remake it probably wrung what little stability he had left in his mind post rejoining of the Hephaistos half. Not to mention 12k years of Athena insidiously whispering in his ears from the Heart.

The Scions, I like them, Alisaie is still my favorite little sister for my WoL, and Alphinaud for all he's annoying at first, really endeared himself to me in later expacs. They are Family with a capital F to my WoL, to the point she would have murdered Forchenault for disowning them if she had had the opportunity. I have very strong feelings on disownment for seemingly petty seeming reasons, having had it happen to myself. It was very much a Immediate Hatred Of Character Moment. Sure he had A Reason but I still stand there and side eye him hard.

Thancred remains a favourite as well, I like the personal growth he goes through, how he changes from the rakish bard with a silver tongue to a sad and broken man to sad broken dad to someone who at the end of the world gave everything he could to save his family from total destruction. I also appreciate his morbid jokes as someone who likewise feels just broken sometimes, who doesn't want to sometimes burn the world down makes me cackle so much.

Y'shtola I also rather still like, especially when she's allowed to be a bit, and pardon the pun, catty. She grew up with Matoya, cattiness was her bread and butter. Let a queen live her dream of world hopping and sassy retorts. The magical girl routine and the end of patch 6.5 where she's like There is no other version of this spell, right WoL? Makes me so happy.

Urianger I have mixed feelings on, mostly because I just don't understand him as a character. I know he's supposed to be all Mysterious and stuff but I really just standing man when he's expositioning. It's probably a thing to do with his Shakespearean way of speaking when no one else does (I guess Hydaelyn kinda does). He's fine.

Krile, I really like her in general. She's a side character that made it to main character status and I'm so proud of her. She makes me happy with how she is somehow the cutest cat ear wearing girl but also the terrifying creature that haunts Estinien's dreams. I look forward to seeing her shine more in Dawntrail.

More Thoughts (tm) Later.

#personal thoughts #there's very few characters i hate and none of them are scions

4 notes · View notes

ilovewillsolace · 1 year

Text

I think I should tell you about my genshin au on riordanvers where Octavian is a 5* electro spearman from Fontaine, who was falsely imprisoned by police captain Percy Jackson (5* hydro sword, absolutely useless lega) where he met Piper, sitting for theft (5* electro musket, yes I love her so much so that I came up with a new weapon for her). And in fact, Octavian was a scientist and researcher interested in various mechanisms, but Fontaine is a region with a very dubious reputation and he fell under this machine of distorted justice. Nevertheless, he managed to escape and during a terrible storm on the border of Fontaine and Mondstadt, he received his vision. And the opportunity to start a new life by enrolling in the Sumeru Academy (and continuing to study mechanisms in the darshan of spantamad). And perhaps he became famous for his share in the market of knowledge capsules. You know, they contain very rare and narrowly focused knowledge. Perhaps something about the creation of the living from the dead and homunculi. And rumors about him, or rather about his product, have crept all the way to Mondstadt. So Will Solace (5* geo sword, awesome dd), desperate to find out about his origin, immediately goes to the land of wisdom. and quite by chance, during their transaction, they are almost caught by the guards, so that the young people have to hide in the dense jungle. at the same time, clouds are gathering over the whole of Teiwat, in Inazuma, the famous pirate, who has just rebelled against the decree of Sakoku, learns that her younger sister is in prison. Drew Tanaka (5* electro sword) enters the arena. The fates of Octavian and Will are intertwined, forcing them to tolerate each other's not the best characters, but they become forced allies, caught between a hammer and an anvil. Will offers Octavian to hide in the free Mondstadt, but he is determined to take revenge on Percy and get Piper out of prison. I can say that Piper is incredibly lucky — she is going to be saved by as many as three incredible people marked by the gods: her sister, her friend, and her almost brother alchemist Leo (5 * anemo catalyst). There is unrest in the capital of Fontaine, the discontent of the people is growing, and the ghost of a brewing revolution is flying in the air. Now they are running to the outskirts of the land of justice to gather forces for a future uprising. And unfortunately they were careless: Percy caught up with Octavian again. On the expanses of Fontaine covered with deceptive water, their last battle is to take place and Percy realizes with horror that Octavian is no longer that weak, intimidated boy, but a formidable opponent ready to challenge him in a deadly battle. lightning against the waves. Octavian pushes his friends away with the words "this is my battle." Fortunately, he comes out victorious, but Percy remains alive. and now they must lead a rebellion against Focalors and the Fontaine court.

And there is also a pyro spearman Jason who left the service and became a priest!!

#hoo #pjo #riordanverse #octavian hoo #will solace #drew tanaka #piper mclean #jason grace #percy jackson #leo valdez #genshin #genshin impact #genshin au

18 notes · View notes

fearsmagazine · 6 months

Text

IT'S A WONDERFUL KNIFE - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: RLJE Films & Shudder

SYNOPSIS: “A year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve, Winnie Carruthers’ life is less than wonderful — but when she wishes she’d never been born, she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe and discovers that without her, things could be much, much worse. Now the killer is back, and she must team up with the town misfit to identify the killer and get back to her own reality.” -Press Notes

REVIEW: Michael Kennedy’s screenplay for IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE does for “It’s A Wonderful Life” what his script for “Freaky” did for “Freaky Friday.” Director Tyler MacIntyre does a solid job of balancing the satire and horror to create another yuletide terror ride.

The narrative does a nice job of setting up the tale with many elements that deconstructs Winnie’s world once she is transported to the alternate universe. I appreciate that it is a linear mystery that Winnie has to solve unlike a film like “Happy Death Day” where the main character has to keep going back until they get it right. The story capitalizes on a bunch of the concepts George Bailey experiences once he enters Clarence’s alternate world, but by way of a “Scream” film. Clearly Henry Waters is the contemporary Mr. Potter. I thought it was amusing how Winnie’s relationship issues are also resolved by her encounters in this alternate universe. The satire is delightful and much of the tone present in Kennedy’s “Freaky” is here. I appreciate his sense of humor, as he includes such Easter eggs as a character named Gale Prescott.

I enjoyed the production designs and locations. The killer's costume design, the Angel, is a nice homage to Ghostface from “Scream” and the angel reference from “It’s a Wonderful Life.” They found the perfect town in Canada for their location and there was an element to it that was reminiscent of George Bailey’s and Marty McFly’s hometown. MacIntyre does a solid job of balancing character development with action sequences to sustain the film’s energy level. The visual effects are effective, but nothing groundbreaking. The special effects and blood are solid, but not as bloody as in “Scream.” Russ Howard III’s score strikes a nice balance between satire and terror with often a playfulness of a Danny Elfman score. The rest of the costumes are okay and could have used something, maybe a few more ugly sweaters or something.

The film features some veteran genre actors such as Katharine Isabelle from “Ginger Snaps” who plays Aunt Gale and William B. Davis, the ‘Smoking Man’ from “The X-Files” as Roger Evans. Jane Widdop, who plays Winnie, and is Laura Lee on Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” brings a lot of charm and charisma to the role. She brings a lot of energy to her performance. Justin Long often creates likable characters you want to hate. Here he gives his character this peculiar, annoying accent that just makes him so memorable and unlikable, truly. There are some other nice casting choices that will appeal to a variety of fans. It’s a solid cast that gels together and makes for an entertaining view.

It seems every holiday season another film comes along that adds to the holiday horror cannon. In 2022 it was Adult Swim’s Yule Log. For 2023 writer Michael Kennedy and director Tyler MacIntyre turn their sick and twisted sights on “It’s A Wonderful Life,” as they turn it into demented roller coaster ride for genre fans with IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE. Presenting another darkside of the holiday season, once again proving capitalism is a dangerous thing. A solid serial killer satire that is worthy of a place in your Christmas horror film rotation with “Black Christmas,” (good god the original!), “Silent Night,” and anything else that helps you put the red in your holiday season.

CAST: Jane Widdop, Jess McLeod, Joel McHale, Katharine Isabelle, William B. Davis & Justin Long. CREW: Director - Tyler MacIntyre; Screenplay/Producer - Michael Kennedy; Producers - Seth Caplan & Daniel Bekerman; Cinematographer - Nicholas Piatnik; Score - Russ Howard III; Editor - Arndt-Wulf Peemöller; Production Designer - Tiana P. Gordon; Costume Designer - Matea Pasarić; Angel Concept Artist - Francis Lafleche; SPFX Makeup - Nikki Delong; Visual Effects - SUPERCHILL. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/n1fvBRAPhEM RELEASE DATE: In Theaters November 10th, 2023

Listen to Our Interview with Director Tyler MacIntyre - HERE

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

#film review #movie review #IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE #rlje films #shudder #tyler macintyre #michael kennedy #justin long #jane widdop #joel mchale #Katharine Isabelle #parody #horror #fantasy #serial killer #joseph b mauceri #joseph mauceri

2 notes · View notes

hiswordsarekisses · 1 year

Text

I just cannot imagine knowing what the disciples new about taking up one’s cross and choosing that at the point they were at - 100% faith - because Jesus still had not come back to life. They may have seen miracles - but they did not have all the proof that we have now. It gives me even more faith because they did not run away. They willingly died for their belief and that makes me pray for their kind of faith. Because who knows how we would react in the face of it until we actually do face it - but I pray that I will face it as they did and look up like Stephen in the midst of being stoned. Or Joan of Arc worshipping in the middle of flames. I will need that same divine supply to get through it. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

This is from Lynette Hughes:

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TAKE UP YOUR CROSS? by Lynette Hughes:

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus gives us an invitation: “If anyone desires to come after Me, Let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Most people misunderstand the concept of taking up their “cross.” When Jesus talks about the cross, he's not referring to the trials, disasters, temptations, and diseases or some other burden that is thrust upon us. These things come to the saved and unsaved alike because of the fallen and sinful world we live in. Every person will experience difficulties; no one is exempt from trials and adversities. So, what does it mean to ‘take up our cross and follow Jesus?’ Philippians 2:8 answers that question for us: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and BECAME OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS.” Jesus came to obey His Father – and that obedience took Him all the way to His death on the cross.

When Jesus called followers, He always instructed them about the cost of following Him right up front. Halfhearted people who were not willing to make the commitment did not respond. Thus, He turned away anyone who was reluctant to pay the price or meet His terms. A follower of Christ is a believer who has signed up for life; a person who has been saved and whose faith expresses itself in a life of submission and obedience. Picking up our cross calls for painful severing of ties with the world, burning bridges to prevent retreating, sealing the emergency exits, and discarding any kind of fallback plan when the cross seems too difficult to carry. The plan of redemption has no contingency plans!

To a person in the first-century, the cross was an instrument of torture that meant only one thing: excruciating suffering and death. Crucifixion was a disgraceful form of capital punishment for convicted criminals that was aimed to inflict optimal physical and emotional pain. This is the reason the Romans forced them to carry their own cross to their place of execution facing brutalization, ridicule and incredible shame along the way to their death. Before being hung on the cross, the person was stripped naked so that his genitals would be publicly exposed. It was designed to cause the deepest shame and humiliation.

The phrase “take up your cross” means remaining faithful to your Savior regardless of the personal consequences. It means enduring public shame, ridicule, and humiliation from sinners, as well as rejection and alienation from friends and family. Jesus experienced persecution from unbelieving family members, self-righteous religious leaders, and those who persisted in their unbelief, and warns us that “A disciple is not greater than His Master.” He was falsely accused, sentenced to death and killed. As disciples of Jesus, we must be prepared to face fierce persecution and suffering, even death. We must be willing to die in pursuit of obedience.

Most likely Jesus’ followers had seen criminals and insurgents against Roman rule hanging on crosses along the roads of Palestine and knew the horrors and shame and excruciating brutality of being crucified. So, Jesus’ call to his disciples to “take up their cross” must have both scandalized and stunned them. Perhaps they wondered whether, at such a cost, they wanted to follow Him after all. All present that day would die physically, some as martyrs. But all would have to die to the desire for self-glory, die to the desire for worldly respect, die to the fear of man, die to the desire for an easy, comfortable life, die to the desire for earthly wealth, and a thousand other deaths. Finally, they would have to die to their desire to save their earthly lives.

There’s a price to pay for being a follower of Christ. Peter and Andrew left their business when they heard the call of the Master, and Matthew, a tax collector, cashed in for the eternal revenue. Paul, who had studied with the finest teachers of the law, considered the followers of Jesus ignorant, self-styled preachers without proper credentials. As a devout Hebrew and religious leader feared and respected by the Pharisees, he devoted his life to fight heresy and eradicate Christian heretics. He had even been present when one of these deluded believers, Stephen, was stoned to death. When he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul’s life was forever changed. This well respected, educated man was violently persecuted, assaulted, threatened, beaten, imprisoned, attacked, stoned, ridiculed, bound with chains, shipwrecked, and finally beheaded. All of this because He became a follower of Jesus Christ.

What price have you had to pay for following Christ? Here in America, thus far, most of us have had to pay very little. So, most of us think of the cross as a metaphorical death; denying ourselves, and that is certainly part of it, but to take up our cross goes further than dying to our naturally self-centered, self-absorbed life. The cross was an instrument of execution meant for one thing only – physical death. To take up your cross is being willing to die for what you believe to be truth. It means you are willing to face intense humiliation, shame, persecution, and even death, if necessary, to remain obedient to the One who died for your sins.

To take up your cross means you must be obedient to the commands of God even if by obeying, it could cost you your life. This is a requirement for being a follower of Christ. Luke 14:27 says, “…whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” Following Jesus demands full commitment; nothing less will do.

Are you willing to still follow Jesus if it means losing your job?

Are you willing to still follow Jesus if your parents disown you?

Are you willing to still follow Jesus if it means your spouse chooses to leave?

Are you willing to still follow Jesus if it means losing your closest friends or loved ones?

Are you willing to still follow Jesus if it means giving up your plans and ambitions?

Are you willing to still follow Jesus if it means losing your life?

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 16:25).

4 notes · View notes

saturns7ringsinspace · 1 year

Text

So I basically came up with a Finch x Dream story-

I might write this into an actual story but idk. There is a part based on the What If... show, more specifically the Doctor strange episode. (ignore my lack of proper capitalization and punctuation AND SPELLING)

(This isn’t the actual story, this is a plot.)

Basically Finch is there on a mission right, and he gets the bad guy but before he catches him...he shoots finch with a gun, yes? So as the JR make it there to get the criminal and finch, since he’s like um- dying. So he’s in the medical bay and dream runs in because he’s worried. (obviously ayden you dumbass) So he kinda holds finch’s hand cause he bout to die and keeps questioning all the doctors. He doesn’t want to lose another lover and he isn’t prepared to. He promised finch that he’ll be alright. (which is stupid because he’s on his deathbed) Then he flatlines which, yeah, he’s dead. Then dream cries, actually more like sobs uncontrollably, then asks for a moment. Then timeskip to three good hours later, where we see dream in his office. He has tears still running down his face, and he opens a small drawer and there’s a little box inside. Inside that box yes you guessed it (or maybe you didn’t) there is a ring inside (which implies that he wanted to propose) Then dream hears a knock on the door and says come in after he wiped his face and put the box back. It was ink (ofc, he has a minimal part in this story) and he mentioned that the people of the castle were worried about him. Dream made excuse about he’ll be fine and crap. Then he ordered ink out because he needed more time alone. Suddenly dream heard a voice, “ The time you lost you can have once again” Unsettled by this he whipped around and saw a little white wisp. “WHO- no What are you!” he exclaimed.. The voice replied and introduced itself as a keeper of time. Specifically going back in time. The wisp promised dream he could go back three days, right before he put finch on that mission. Dream looked very skeptical, but then again he didn’t want to lose his lover forever now.. So he agreed and went back three days prior to finch’s death. This time instead of putting finch on the mission, he told finch that he wanted him to go help out at the orphanage. Finch looked very confused by this but agreed and saw to do that. Dream smiled as he walked out. On the day he was supposed to die, a soldier ran in dream’s office with a report. He reported that someone had died from blunt force trauma. (guess where-) yes the orphanage. A panic ran through dream’s face as he heard this so he ran to the site. To dream’s horror he saw finch dead. (how did this happen? idk yet, okay?) and the same voice visited dream three hours later. And again he went back in time. the 2nd time he ordered finch home that 3rd day, the day he kept dying. Later on the news there was a report of someone who died in a house fire. Seeing this he was panicking again, calling finch’s phone with no answer. 3 hours later the voice was back. Dream kept doing this over and over, and yet each time he could not save finch. He would always die that third day, and three hours later the voice would keep returning. He finally gave up and now dream asks himself “why must love be so cruel...?”

(Um I speed wrote this because it’s 10 am and i want breakfast but that’s my plot)

#dreamswap #ds finch #ds dream #ds ink #TAKETHATWRITERSBLOCK #im tired #tw death

13 notes · View notes