#it's extremely subtle most of the time but he draws you in completely

[merrybloomwrites]

Ants Are Going to Town in My Body

Summary: Your boyfriend Shayne helps you through the roughest night of your period after getting a taste of cramps for himself.

Title taken from the video that inspired this story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkn2dc4L7fE

Word Count: 1.7K

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People could easily say that Shayne Topp has golden retriever energy. As his girlfriend of two years, you would completely agree with that statement, and you would say it as the highest compliment.

Shayne is the absolute best boyfriend you’ve ever had. It’s not uncommon for him to surprise you with flowers for no reason. He loves to cook. Sometimes you help him in the kitchen, and other times he kicks you out in order to surprise you with the new recipe he decided to try.

He gets excited to tell you all about the latest book he read or to watch a new movie or show with you. Day trips outside of the city happen a couple times a month, the two of you listening to music during the drive as you enjoy the fresh, non-LA air.

One thing that you found surprising at first is how much he dotes on you. It’s always in subtle ways, nothing overwhelming, but he does little things to show he cares. To show that he knows what you need, deep down.

He always takes care of you when you’re sick, grabbing medicine and making soup to help you feel better. If you’re sad or stressed he’ll go through the feelings with you. People often see him as a class clown type and might assume that he’d just do what he can to cheer you up and make you laugh, but that’s not always the case. He’ll meet you where you’re at. If you need to vent, he’ll listen. If you need to cry, he’ll hold you. He’s one of the most emotionally mature men you’ve ever met, and you can’t help but feel like the luckiest woman in the world to be able to call him your boyfriend.

He is also super supportive of you each month during your period. He has no problem picking up pads or tampons, not even batting an eye when fans recognize him in the feminine care aisle of the local convenience store.

He’ll make sure that you have pain medicine and a snack to take it with, so it doesn’t upset your stomach. He draws warm baths and makes sure your heating pad is ready for you. When you have cramps in the middle of the night you always go to the couch so that your constant tossing and turning to find a comfortable position won’t wake him. But without fail, he always comes to find you and bring you back to bed.

All that to say, he’s truly a perfect boyfriend. You don’t think it could be better than this. Until one day, he proves you wrong.

It’s day two of your period, and you’ve been curled on the couch since you got home from work. The pain meds haven’t kicked in, nothing is comfortable, and you’re extremely bloated. You’re debating if it’s worth it to drag yourself to the bathroom and take a bath when the front door of your apartment opens.

The very first thing Shayne does is press a kiss to the top of your head. The sweet gesture distracts you from the pain for a moment, but the relief is fleeting.

“Hey honey, how are you feeling?” he asks gently.

“Like it would be less painful to slice open my stomach and take out my uterus,” you reply through gritted teeth.

You finally look at him and see the most loving expression on his face. It immediately lightens your mood, and you say, “Sorry, that was a bit dramatic. I just hate waiting for the medicine to work. And I cannot get comfy.”

“I got something that might help,” he says before walking into the kitchen. You miss his presence next to you, but you’re also curious what he has for you. The microwave beeps and he’s crouched in front of the couch again. You look up and see him holding a stuffed rabbit.

“It’s one of those thingies that you can heat up and works like a heating pad. Plus, it’s your favorite animal so, I dunno, I thought it was cute.”

He hands it to you, and you place it on your belly, sighing at the immediate relief. “Thank you,” you say quietly.

“Of course, babe. I also have ingredients for your favorite meal so I’m gonna wash up and start making that, okay?”

You nod and smile, and he leans in to place a soft kiss to your lips. You’re comforted by the sounds of him preparing dinner in the next room and by the time the food is ready you’re finally feeling better.

“So, how was work today?” you ask as you dig into the delicious meal he prepared. You’d been too nauseas to eat lunch earlier, and you suddenly realize how starving you are.

“It was good, recorded a podcast, a reddit reacts and a challenge pit,” he replies.

“Busy day. What were the challenges?”

“Uh, it was a fun one. I’m gonna let it be a surprise for you when it comes out,” he says with a laugh. “How were the pups today?” he asks in reference to your job as a service dog trainer.

You tell him about the new dog that you’ve started working with as you both finish eating. Once you’re done you try to bring the plates to the kitchen. Since Shayne cooked you plan to do the cleanup, but he stops you before you can even stand. “I’ve got it babe, why don’t you choose a movie for us to watch tonight?”

You again wonder how you got so lucky to have someone who takes care of you and does so with a smile on his face. There’s a new documentary you’d both been wanting to watch so you pull it up and grab a blanket while you wait for him.

He joins you a few minutes later and hands you a bag of your favorite chocolates. You know that you didn’t have any in the apartment, meaning he’d picked them up for you. The kind gesture brings tears to your eyes, and you internally curse the hormones that make you more emotional than normal.

Shayne doesn’t comment on the crying, knowing that it sometimes makes you uncomfortable when he points it out. Instead, he just wraps his arm around you, pulls you in to cuddle against his chest, and presses play on the documentary.

His free hand moves to your belly, massaging and giving the type of pressure that always helps with your cramps. Even though they’re not bothering you right now, you appreciate how well he knows you and how he’s doing everything he can to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible.

For the next hour and a half, the documentary plays. You’re only half paying attention to it. The rest of your brain is focused on your wonderful boyfriend, who knows exactly how to take care of you. There’s no expectation, he doesn’t want anything in return. He just wants to make sure he’s doing everything he can to make you feel better.

The credits start rolling and Shayne turns off the TV before getting off the couch and reaching out to help you stand as well. The two of you get ready for bed side by side in the bathroom and you burrow under the covers.

It takes a couple of minutes for Shayne to join you, and you assume he’s checking that the door is locked as he does every night. But when he comes into the bedroom, you see he’s carrying the new bunny he got you. It’s warm, and smells of lavender, and you know he heated it for you in the microwave before coming to bed.

 You place it against your belly and Shayne gets under the covers, spooning you from behind. He places a kiss to the back of your neck and murmurs “I love you” against your skin.

“I love you too,” you reply, and fall asleep.

You wake in the middle of the night, your cramps coming back, so you quietly slide out of bed and walk into the kitchen. You find a snack already left out for you nearly cry again at how well Shayne takes care of you. After eating the food, you take more pain medicine and reheat the bunny. You notice a vase of flowers on the counter that weren’t there yesterday and immediately realize that Shayne must have picked them up along with the chocolates and the new stuffed animal.

Just as the microwave is about to finish you feel hands wrap around your waist.

“You okay?” Shayne asks, his voice groggy from sleep.

“I’m okay. Thank you. For the snack. And for the bunny. You truly are the best,” you say as you turn in his arms to press a kiss to his lips.

You grab the stuffed animal and lead Shayne back to bed. It takes half an hour for the pain medicine to kick in, and he rubs your back the entire time.

The next day is better, your cramps and bloating subsiding. But you can’t forget how well Shayne took care of you through the worst of it. He never diminishes your emotions or belittles the pain you feel.

A couple weeks later you get home from work and open YouTube to relax a bit before starting dinner prep. You see the new Smosh challenge pit video titled “Period Cramp Simulator Challenge” and you immediately start to watch it. The video begins with the rubber band chicken challenge which has you in tears with how hilariously ridiculous it is.

And then comes the period cramp simulator. You notice the outfit Shayne is wearing while he practically fights for his life experiencing cramps for the first time. Suddenly, his actions on day two of your last period make sense. Because that was absolutely the day they shot that video. He got a taste of what you experience every month and went even further in his need to take care of you. And for that reason, this video makes you fall even further in love with your boyfriend.

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Thanks for reading! If you have any Shayne Topp story requests let me know!

#Shayne topp #shayne topp x reader

[doliacuddles]

CRIMSON OBSESSION.

𝖸𝖺𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝖾! 𝖫𝗎𝖼𝗂𝖿𝖾𝗋 𝗑 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝗑 𝖸𝖺𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝖾! 𝖠𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋

Yandere! Lucifer | Yandere! Alastor

❝In the twilight of desire, the shadows of lost love intertwine.❞

Both Yandere! Lucifer and Yandere! Alastor are deeply obsessed with you, each believing you are their most precious possession and that no one else has the right to have you.

Yandere! Lucifer sees in you the embodiment of his lost love, and his desire to protect you is mixed with his memories and longings from the past. To him, you are the opportunity to redeem his past mistakes and find a new reason to live.

On the other hand, Yandere! Alastor finds in you an irresistible challenge, a prey worthy of his manipulation and control. Your resistance to his advances only fuels his desire to possess you completely, making you the masterpiece of his twisted art of domination.

The rivalry between them arises not only from their obsession with you but also from the desire to prove who is the true master of your heart. Each sees the other as an obstacle in their path to your absolute possession.

Yandere! Lucifer resorts to his traps and subtle manipulations to keep Yandere! Alastor away from you, convinced that his pure love and desire to protect you will surpass any trickery from the smiling demon.

Meanwhile, Yandere! Alastor uses his charisma and cunning to undermine the efforts of Yandere! Lucifer, playing with your emotions and planting doubts about the true nature of his love for you.

Both are willing to go to extremes to ensure that you are theirs and theirs alone, regardless of the consequences for others or even for yourself.

Every gesture you make becomes a battlefield for manipulation between Yandere! Lucifer and Yandere! Alastor, both striving to win your favor and discredit the other. Your innocence is their greatest weapon and your vulnerability, their greatest temptation.

Yandere! Lucifer delves into his past as he observes each of your movements, seeking signs of his lost love in your behavior and appearance. Each similarity fills him with a melancholic ecstasy, but also feeds his desperation to protect you from any danger.

Meanwhile, Yandere! Alastor surrounds you with his charm and sinister smile, weaving a web of deceit and manipulations around you. Every word of his is like a discordant note in a seductive song, drawing you towards him while distancing you from any other.

The rivalry between them reaches its climax when their strategies collide head-on, unleashing a dangerous confrontation that threatens to engulf you in the fire of their obsession. You are the prize at stake in their twisted game of love and power.

As the rivalry between Yandere! Lucifer and Yandere! Alastor intensifies, you find yourself in the midst of a whirlwind of emotions and dangers, trapped between two dark forces that would do anything to have you. Your destiny has become irrevocably intertwined with theirs, and only time will tell who will emerge victorious in this battle for your heart and soul.

In the heart of Pentagram City, the hustle and bustle of infernal activity filled the air as Vox, the feared Overlord, strolled with his characteristic elegance through the twisted streets. At his side, you walked with a smile, enjoying the company of the powerful demon, unaware of the jealous gazes watching you from the shadows.

Alastor and Lucifer had hidden in a dark corner, watching with fiery eyes the interaction between you and Vox. Their original plan to work together to keep you away from the influence of the Overlord was interrupted by the scene they witnessed. Vox grabbed your arm with a loving smile, and in that moment, jealousy burned in the hearts of Alastor and Lucifer like voracious flames.

A jealous fury blazed in their eyes as they watched Vox touch you with such familiarity. Their claws gripped the ground as they prepared to intervene and rescue you from the clutches of the Overlord, but before they could act, the scene reached a critical point.

Upon feeling Vox's grip, a spark of discomfort crossed your gaze. However, before you could say a word, a flash of darkness passed over the faces of Alastor and Lucifer. The unleashed fury in them manifested in an instant, almost like an impending infernal storm.

With quick and threatening movements, Alastor and Lucifer lunged towards Vox, each determined to protect you from his influence. Their maniacal laughter filled the air as they unleashed their power against the Overlord, almost with the intention of making him disappear completely.

Chaos reigned in the streets of Pentagram City as the rivalry between the three powerful demons reached a critical point. Amidst the turmoil, you found yourself caught in a whirlwind of emotions, unsure whether to fear Vox, Alastor, and Lucifer, or the intensity of your own feelings as you struggled to find a way out of this dangerous situation.

After unleashing their fury against Vox, Alastor and Lucifer abruptly stopped when the chaos around them began to dissipate. Their fiery eyes met in a tense silence, a fleeting understanding passing between them as they breathed heavily.

Then, they turned to you, finding your gaze with an intensity that made you shiver. Without a word, each took one of your arms and dragged you away from the chaotic scene, disappearing into the shadows of Pentagram City.

They walked in silence, their footsteps echoing in the tense air as they distanced themselves from civilization and ventured into the dark forests surrounding the city. Finally, they arrived at a small cabin hidden among the twisted trees, a refuge secluded from the world of sinners.

With determination in their actions, Alastor and Lucifer pushed you inside the cabin, closing the door behind you with a dull thud. You found yourself alone in the darkness, the whisper of the shadows enveloping you as the reality of your confinement settled in.

Through the window, you saw Alastor and Lucifer exchange a meaningful glance before disappearing into the trees, leaving you trapped in your wooden prison. You knew you had been condemned to an eternity of solitude, locked away by the relentless decision of your "protectors."

Alastor, with his theatrical and sinister voice, said from the shadows: "Now that we have ensured your safety, my dear, it is time for you to understand that only we can protect you from the clutches of those who wish to possess you. This cabin will be your refuge, and we your eternal guardians."

While Lucifer, with his melancholic yet determined tone, added: "Fear not, my sweet. Here you will be safe from the malignant influences of the outside world. Although our decision may seem drastic, it is for your own good. We will care for you here, in this sanctuary far from the sinful world."

You couldn't see them, but both demons would look at each other, with a mixture of satisfaction for having acted to protect you, but also with a shadow of jealousy and latent rivalry between them, as, despite working together to ensure your safety, their competition for your affection and devotion remains intact.

Intellectual property of @doliacuddles.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin hotel lucifer #alastor #lucifer morningstar #lucifer x reader #alastor x reader #lucifer morningstar x reader

[paintingwhiteceilings]

❃How EXO acts around their crush❃

a/n: This is 10000% just for my own pleasure. I may have had this in my drafts for weeks... I am totally okay with all the Kyungsoo solo content and EXO ladder dropping. Totally. Super functional, delusional who?

ALSO to any EXO-L that are sharing Chen's LEAKED wedding photos. Please be respectful and either delete them or, at the very least, blur out his wife's face. Chen has gone to great lengths to safeguard her privacy, as she is not famous nor wants to be in the spotlight. Not to mention that there could be crazy sasaengs out there with ill intent. Sharing her info is basically doxing, and it is insane to me how many people shared these posts without much thought. Anyway, I needed to share my frustrations.

Xiumin/Minseok:

✾ He is a lot shyer than the other members; where most of EXO probably feels comfortable enough to act on their crushes, he is a bit more reserved. He wants to test the waters first, ascertaining whether the feeling is mutual. Whenever you are around and are talking to other people, he sits back silently, observing your reactions.

✾ Xiumin is smiling so widely around you that the other members worry that his muscles might start cramping up soon. The moment he sees you, his bubbly personality starts to really shine through, and sometimes you can't help but wonder whether this man truly is 33.

✾ That being said, from the moment that anyone offers Xiumin a couple of drinks, his confidence spikes, and he will start flirting with you. His flirting is still extremely sweet and cute; Xiumin can be incredibly charming when he wants to be.

Suho/Junmyeon

✾ He is such a gentleman around you, trying to make you feel at ease with his kind gestures. Whether it is him pulling back a chair or opening a door for you, he will do anything to make you feel like a princess.

✾ Being one of EXO's proud black card owners, he will casually buy you whatever you need. He keeps repeating that he wants to treat his friends when you try to interject. You can't completely refute it; he does spend a lot of money on the members. Yet, you can't help but feel like his gifts are slightly too expensive and excessive for 'just friends'.

✾ So. Many. Soft. Glances. Suho looks at you like you hung the moon and the stars; you catch him staring at you almost every time you look over. Conversations with him can, therefore, be a tad awkward. He doesn't always register what you are saying; he is so absorbed in watching you that he forgets to listen.

✾ The other members relentlessly tease him for it. If you don't catch on based on Suho's actions, you will definitely catch on due to his members' relentless teasing. Whenever he does anything remotely romantic around you, their faces light up like Christmas came early. The members are not subtle about it whatsoever, thoroughly enjoying putting their leader in a slightly uncomfortable position.

Baekhyun:

✾ The members didn't think it was possible, but Baekhyun somehow became louder. It is as if he wants to draw your attention simply by screaming, as he no longer has any volume control when you are around. Everyone can hear your conversation from across the room, and his laughter becomes borderline obnoxious as it overpowers any other sound.

✾ He is such a tease and a suggestive one at that. Considering he has no problem revealing intimate, not suitable to be aired on national TV, details about the members' bodies, he won't have any trouble suggestively flirting with you. Where Xiumin's pick-up lines are cute, Baekhyun's are far from it. Give this man some holy water, Jesus.

✾ He is so intense with his flirting that it sometimes crosses the line of sexy to parody, coming off as a joke. Baekyhyun has a very flirty personality and isn't above flirting with his friends. Even though he isn't subtle about his crush, he can accidentally fall into the "he flirts with everyone" category, making you question whether he genuinely likes you or is just being friendly.

✾ He really enjoys the chase when it comes to relationships. Thus, it will take him quite some time before he asks you out, simply because he likes the push-and-pull game.

Chanyeol

✾ There is nothing subtle about Mr. Park Chanyeol. The moment he sees someone he wants to date, he is going for it full steam ahead. Puppy Chanyeol is momentarily retired as he makes his way over to you; Chanyeol knows that he is handsome and sexy, and he is ready to show it to you. I hope you weren't interested in anyone else because the moment you return any of his interest, he will be flirting with you like there is no tomorrow.

✾ Internally, he is so excited to be talking to you, and sometimes, you will see glimpses of his cute puppy-like persona, especially once he feels like you are just as interested. Still, the words coming out of this man's mouth, Jesus part two. Please go and ask Baekyhun to pass the holy water.

✾ That being said, he will get embarrassed when the other members are around or slightly bashful when you return his flirting at full force. I don't think Chanyeol is used to anyone sharing his level of intensity, so once you do, he gets a bit flustered. He absolutely loves it, though. Your compliments got him grinning from ear to ear.

D.O./Kyungsoo

✾ Don't get me wrong, I adore this man to a delusional extent, but he is absolutely hopeless when it comes to communicating with his crush. He won't go anywhere near you if he can't help it; he prefers looking at you from afar. He is someone who favours being approached first over approaching you himself. It isn't that he doesn't want to talk to you; he simply isn't the type of person to initiate contact with his crush and tends to stay back when he can tell that someone else is interested, too. 

✾ Even if he finds himself near you, don't expect him to have a full-blown conversation with you. He already tends to be a man of little words, but when it comes to you, he is a man of not a single word. Being around you is enough to make him happy; he doesn't really need to have a deep conversation. 

✾ Nevertheless, his actions make more than up for it. He is such a gentleman, being the definition of preferential treatment. You don't have a chair to sit on? He will quietly offer you his. Your sweater got caught on something? He will silently help you get it out. Although he may not say much to you, he communicates his feelings through his actions. 

Kai/Jongin

✾ If you think Xiumin or Kyungsoo are shy, you have not yet met Kai with a crush. He turns into absolute mush the moment he sees you, giggling and blushing whenever you do as much as breathing. You can't even see him because he has resorted to hiding behind the other members, preferably Sehun or Chanyeol, as they are tall enough to obscure him completely.

✾ If he somehow musters up the courage to talk to you, good luck having it go anywhere because he can barely make it through a sentence without giggling. It is obvious to everyone around him that he is smitten with you; his laughs are awkwardly loud, and his eyes are literally shooting hearts.

✾ The moment he manages to ask you to dance, his shy demeanour completely changes. His movement… His expressions… The way he is smirking at you… Maybe you should go and ask Chanyeol whether there is anything left of the holy water he borrowed from Baekyhun.

Sehun

✾ He has one of two ways of acting around his crush: either he acts super bratty or becomes painfully shy. It depends on whether he has met and talked to you before. But, if you are complete strangers, he would be so quiet, hiding in the furthest corner he can find.

✾ He will pester the members to go over and collect as much information as they can about you. They will do it because he will whine the entire night about it if they don't and, repeat with me, what Sehun wants, Sehun gets. The members try to convince Sehun to go talk to you himself, but Sehun stubbornly refuses. Bro will be playing the Maknae card harder than he ever has in his entire life.

✾ In the end, he will drag Suho with him, trying to 'casually' strike up a conversation with you. The small talk is painful, and in all honesty, Suho, with his dad jokes, isn't helping in the slightest. At the very least, it provides the two of you with a new conversational topic: the teasing of Suho.

masterlist

#exo #exo reactions #exo scenarios #exo fanfic #xiumin #suho #baekhyun #chanyeol #d.o. #kai #sehun #kim minseok #kim junmyeon #byun baekhyun #park chanyeol #do kyungsoo #kim jongin #oh sehun #xiumin x reader #suho x reader #baekhyun x reader #chanyeol x reader #kyungsoo x reader #kai x reader #sehun x reader #chen #kim jongdae

[what-is-love-babey-dont-hurt-me]

He’s a work in progress still but I wanted to share the first pass of his completed look so badly X)

I’ve had Sir Meteor in progress since August 2023, if you want to see the progress it will be under the read more!

Sir Meteor’s story starts with my fist kirby OC I made, Terra Knight! I won’t talk about him too much except that I knew from early on he had a older brother. TK originally has a skull mask in his very early concepts, but then I learned Axe Knight existed, and they looked too similar. I shelved the concept for a while until I had more ideas.

In August 2023, I started to sketch out allosaurus skulls because I had wanted to revisit the concept and thought maybe I would redesign Terra Knight to have a dinosaur skull mask. It did not happen, but that planted the seed.

In November, I had been struck with inspiration and started doodling. The name is very important to the lore of my OCs and is very deliberate, so once I figured out the name for Sir Meteor, a lot of elements fell into place instantly!!

This is the first time I gave Meteor colors, and I also put him next to his siblings so they would look cohesive. Me mentioning how he doesn’t even have shoes yet is foreshadowing.

In the following day, I sketched him more to get a feeling for his design!!

The most notable thing about this is probably 1.) here I cemented the twin-tail cape because it looks like the tail of a comet and 2.) since it looked like a comet, I wanted the pauldron to include a star somehow

Also fun fact!!! The shape of his horns is directly inspired by Triceratops horns!!

Which led to the designing of his pauldrons later in November!

I ended up combining elements of the first and third design because together they would look like shooting stars!

This is also when I decided on giving him the four pointed star blushing! Around this time I posted a sketch of Meta Knight with star blushes and I wanted to include more fun blush shapes. Also the four pointed star is a subtle Galacta Knight reference! Sir Meteor is genuinely old, prehistoric even, and he comes from that time period, and I wanted the star shapes to reflect that

After this I was stuck. I was extremely stuck and could not figure out how to design his shoes. Since everything else was so themed, it had to mean the shoes had to match as well. I wanted to keep the prehistoric/star themes, going strong. I tried a few times to give him plain armor but it did not look correct at all!

I took a few months to think about it. Another important thing is that whatever shoe I drew had to look good and cohesive with AND without his skull mask. It was hard to balance but yesterday (21 February) I began to cook.

On the sketch page, you can see how the thought process evolved from the top of the page downwards. You can see the “haha drawing smiles with sharp teeth- oh wait a minute hold on” happen in real time.

On the page on the right, is when I finally designed his shoes!!! THE EVIL IS DEFEATED!!!!

This character is so heavily themed and I thought about it so much. So. Much. If anyone actually read this breakdown you deserve a gold star thank you for listening to my insane, several month long thought process. I’m so proud of him for a reason. Now I need to finalize the colors and stuff but for now enjoy!

#my art #snappy’s art tag #snappy’s WIP tag #kirby #kirby oc #kirby oc: sir meteor #THIS ISNT EVEN HIS BACKSTORY #AND YET THERE IS SO MUCH DETAIL

[waddlehekk]

Can you talk a little more about how Goemon is intended to be mixed race? I read the manga but never picked up on this; was it lost to translation, or is it extremely subtle (or just a headcanon)? Also, do you have any idea why his race was changed in the Pilot film (if it was at all)?

Though it is never outright stated, there are clear details in Goemon's design that I believe are included to suggest he is mixed race, being part Asian since he is still the descendant of the original, Japanese, Ishikawa Goemon, and part something else, which I'm thinking is part White. The themes presented in the Lupin manga and in MP's other manga of racial freedom coincide with this too.

It's important to also understand the context of the themes that surround Goemon's character, being raised under strict Eastern culture, but despite being naïve towards Western culture, he does not reject it in the way his masters do and is even curious about it.

Before I begin, I'd like to make it clear that MP is not the most consistent when it comes to his designs, especially in the earlier manga where he is still working out what he wants of the characters. It doesn't help either that he had to rush to meet deadlines for the manga. With that being said though, I will be focusing on Goemon's consistent character traits that become more concrete in Shin Lupin.

An obvious detail to Manga Goemon's design is his cleft chin. This is usually drawn in more western-like characters (for instance, he draws Yankee from Bakumatsu Yankee with a cleft chin but not Okita), so it's really interesting how MP chooses to show it in Goemon. MP drew it more obvious as time went on, but it did exist since his first appearance.

Also, notice how Goemon's hair is not fully inked black as MP does with other characters. Generally, aside from artwork for promotion of the anime, anime ost album covers, and artwork made after the manga's completion, MP would color Goemon's hair as blonde-ish brown. I've seen people refer to it as possibly being ash blonde, or dirty blonde, but I'm not sure.

I'll post examples below. If you've seen them before, please read the rest of the post! I have a lot more to show.

It's a shame though that in some instances, publishers tried to hide this by recoloring MP's artwork, even if it wasn't meant tor the anime at all. Likely this was done to appeal to the larger amount of fans for the anime, and much of MP's later artwork after the manga's completion would alter other parts of Goemon's design to resemble it too, such as by changing his facial features and removing the pattern on his kimono. If you look closely below, you can see how the publishers weren't perfect at covering it up.

You may have seen how in my other post, with the artwork of the English Conversation book, or in a small amount of MP's other drawings, that Goemon's hair is instead colored as grey, silver, or not colored at all. I think MP tends to do this to save on color, and you can even see this in how his clothing is colored only white and grey.

That's also why though Fujiko appears blonde in the covers of that same book, she is also colored with grey hair in its pages inside of the book. Notice how the color of her dress changed too to save on color.

There's a similar case of Fujiko's hair originally being portrayed as blonde in the manga, but MP coloring it as brown or red in some artwork to match the anime. It didn't seem to be as much of an issue though considering how inconsistent Fujiko's design already was in the anime and early manga, and with how the changing hair color does not suggest as much about Fujiko as it does for Goemon and his race.

Goemon's manga design already does not resemble his anime design, so to make it even more different by having a different hair color would certainly bring more confusion from the anime audience. Goemon in the anime is strongly associated with being Japanese in comparison to the others, so it makes sense why his hair color is not a blonde-brown when MP draws for the anime.

Unlike fully blonde characters like Fujiko though, MP tends to draw Goemon's hair with many lines. I notice that when MP isn't rushing to draw Goemon, he draws certain areas of his hair having more lines condensed together and other areas having empty space.

(This is kind of hard to explain so I hope the drawing below makes it clear)

My own interpretation for why he draws his hair this way is to show areas with more denser lines being a darker brown, while the less dense areas show the lighter blonde parts of his hair.

It's worth noting Jigen's hair gets drawn with lines too, but there are more lines to show how much darker it is, and it also lacks any lighter areas. Perhaps Jigen's hair is still meant to be black, with the lines added to show detail in the strands of his straight hair, but what if it was meant to show color in his hair too?

Part 3, the Lupin anime with character designs that resemble Shin Lupin's the most, makes the decision to color Jigen's hair dark brown to show this, despite it always having been depicted as black in the anime.

But back to Goemon, I've seen a few people believe that maybe his hair is dyed/bleached. I can understand this notion, given that when he is first introduced he is dating Fujiko who seems more knowledgeable in this, and we do know that Goemon is an open-minded person when it comes to new things despite his old-fashioned upbringing. I disagree though, in part because some of the more detailed color drawings of him give me the impression it is natural. His sideburns also appear to have color in some close-ups of them.

There is something that he cannot change, however, and that is his eye color. It also happens to share the same color as his hair, more proof that his hair color is natural.

If you look at this magazine cover, you can see everyone's eyes colored in as black, but MP specifically did not do that for Goemon. Perhaps he wanted this detail about Goemon to stand out to readers.

There are many smaller details too, like his fluffy hair that curls at the ends, and his body hair.

And I can't forget the sideburns either. Though having sideburns obviously isn't a genetic trait, it's more western-like design that MP uses. The point of Goemon having sideburns may be to help you picture a more western person from him.

Compare all this to Anime Goemon, who has straight black hair and smaller eyes with black pupils, no sideburns, no body hair, and a regular chin. There is a very different intention between what the 2 characters are attempting to portray, and it's obvious when you look at them side to side. These different intentions are the reason why the anime is so stubborn when it comes to incorporating parts of Manga Goemon's design.

You may be wondering, is it unusual that Monkey Punch would make a character like this?

Not at all!

We know for sure Lupin is mixed too.

"I don't need a passport because the whole Earth is my country!!"

"Everywhere on this Earth is my home, even the middle of the ocean."

The character Inspector John Starmow, who admits to Fujiko that his childhood memories are filled with him being bullied by both other children and adults because he has Indian blood in him.

MP's other work, "Western Samurai"

And of course, MP's "Bakumatsu Yankee"

Looking at the designs of the two friends, it almost seems like Goemon is a hybrid of the two that each represent the East and the West. Okita's fully inked in hair and Yankee's hair with hardly any lines, while Goemon has hair drawn with many lines. Also, Goemon's face resembles Okita's, but he has a chin like Yankee. A little off-topic but I've always thought that Goemon's personality was a mesh between the two: Okita's cheerful attitude and Yankee's calm demeanor.

Now onto the rest of your question, why was this not carried into the Pilot?

If you haven't read my old post, please do read it as it explains my theory on why Manga Goemon was not adapted to the anime, and how Anime Goemon was created: https://www.tumblr.com/waddlehekk/711176903837483008/a-theory-on-the-creation-of-anime-goemon-and-why?source=share

Essentially though, the Pilot and Part 1 very clearly wanted a fully Japanese character out of Goemon to clash with the rest of the cast who are very American.

In the Pilot, Goemon is portrayed with a much darker skin tone rather than being very pale like he is in the Part 1 and nearly every portrayal onwards. Additionally, Mystery of Mamo pushes against Part 1's famously established design, bringing back Goemon's original skin tone and also changing the color of his hair to a dark brown.

At first I thought this dark color was chosen so that the artists could show lighting in Goemon's hair and give it detail, and that therefore it was still meant to be black, but even looking closer his eyebrows were colored too. Fujiko, the only other member of the gang that doesn't have black hair in this movie, is also the only other one to have colored eyebrows.

I read a post recently saying that he's mixed because of this, but to be honest, I disagree. There are many people in Japan with the standards that being very fair-skinned and having black hair is what makes you beautiful, but that doesn't mean all Japanese people are just born like this, and some even try to hide it. If anything, I think the reason why Goemon is depicted like this to go against these beauty standards and show that Goemon is still just as much a good representation of a Japanese samurai. The teams still wanted to depict a message about racial freedom in Goemon, and I think this is in part why the Pilot and Mamo understand the tone of the manga much better than other adaptations.

On a final note, I'd like to add that if Manga Goemon is supposedly mixed, and these themes do exist throughout MP's manga, why not then see characters like Jigen, Fujiko, and Zenigata as being just as racially ambiguous? For all we know, Lupin and Goemon could be a combination of more than what I've said here. I'd love to hear any headcanons.

#lupin iii #goemon ishikawa xiii #monkey punch #manga #lupin the third #原ゴエ #shin lupin #lupin iii manga #sorry for the long wait #life is getting kinda busy for me rn #you can tell i was really fighting with the image limit lol #manga goe is so cool i love him

[saturniandevil]

June 2023 Important Dates

AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast's June forecast.

Recap of May: The Pluto station in Aquarius (1st of 38!) coincided with a major AI engineer leaving Google and related conversations with software engineers at the White House. Guest hose Kirah Tabourn connects the WGA strike with Mercury's retrograde (disruption in communications) approaching Uranus in a Venus-ruled sign (arts). We're also finally getting some lunations free of eclipse season. Speaking of eclipses, which have indicated major changes in rulership since ancient times (ex. a clay tablet from 331BC ties Alexander the Great's defeat of Darius to a concurrent eclipse), Charles II was also crowned king of England under the eclipse early this month, and while it's an intensification of his natal transits, Austin says it's an electional chart he wouldn't recommend--perhaps indicating the fall of a dynasty. The eclipse also coincided with the passing of Ellen Black, one of the founders of Project Hindsight (translation of ancient astrology texts directly into English).

Overall June has few big rearrangement, in contrast to the tumult of April and May. We're out of eclipse season and Mercury has gone direct, though some sign ingresses this month give us hints as to what's coming this summer.

June 3rd - Full Moon in Sagittarius This full moon occurs while Mercury & Uranus are approaching an exact conjunction. With both benefics in aversion to the lights (one of whom rules the Moon), this lunation wants to be grounded but can't quite get there. Jupiter wants to understand things to improve them, and is in a position to help us, as he's being received by Venus with a line of communication (sextile) between them. Our hosts are drawing heavily from Formicus today, who describes extreme bad cases with certain aspects, but suggests mitigating factors that may lessen or negate difficult effects, one of which is this conversation between benefics.

June 4th - Mercury conjoins Uranus

June 5th - Venus enters Leo She will retrograde in this sign on July 22nd, and will enter the shadow period (degrees she'll revisit while changing direction) this month. She'll be chasing Mars this month and for the first half of July. Though never exactly conjunct, they'll be copresent. Venus-Mars is not subtle, and even louder in Leo. Drawing from horary significations, this may indicate something that seems to start but never quite comes together. That being said, there's still a lot of drama as two planets light up the same house of our chart. We may fight over the spotlight or misperceptions of our egos; expect a double dose of sex scandals & celebrity drama.

This retrograde also ties back to Venus's previous Leo retrogrades, most recently the summers of 2015 and 2007, so you may be going back to complete something unfinished. For example, a Venus-Jupiter conjunction then effectively legalized same-sex marriage in the US, but now Jupiter is squaring her. Pluto is also squaring her for the first part of this transit, as well as the nodes, indicating power dynamics and confusion (the North Node tells you to hold on while the South Node urges you to let go). Overall, this is a good time to audit the contradictions we feel in our relationships. Hold some space for that back-and-forth ambivalence, because we'll make it out the other side with some clarity--but you can't get the answer six weeks early while you're still in the process.

Venus also signifies creative processes, especially the arts, so be prepared for your projects to take some time. Let it twist and turn where it needs to go. The change of direction in the sky gives us a chance to change our direction internally as well. Venus's actual retrograde will happen with plenty of communication with Jupiter, so the road into the retrograde may look scarier than the retrograde itself (though first we must deal with the unexpected disruptions Uranus brings us by squaring Venus on the day of her station).

June 11th - Pluto regresses to Capricorn, Mercury enters Gemini Pluto has only explored the first degree of Aquarius before returning to the themes first begun in 2008 (our hosts especially predict banking & finance themes). However, Mercury's trek through his home sign should speed up our conversations, movements, and thoughts. A square to Saturn slows him down a little, but once he clears those degrees we should be moving.

June 17th - Saturn stations Retrograde This is his first station in Pisces and as far as he'll get into the sign this year (7 degrees). Early degrees of mutable signs will feel this transit the most--think an ocean of lead. The square to Mercury brings some tension: Mercury wants to skate around the big heavy issues that we can't help, while Saturn wants to take a long time to work on deep healing and is annoyed by the light conversation.

Around the 19th, Jupiter will sextile Saturn exactly, and with the reception between them (Saturn is in Jupiter's sign), there's a positive stabilizing influence. We've got some options for how to deal with the difficulties--or settle into the years of work they require. This is the first exact aspect between them since the ingress into Aquarius in 2020, which began a new cycle. This is the first new chapter of the 20-year long story, especially involving world events. We've got a balance between pessimism and optimism--the course is stabilized.

June 18th - New Moon in Gemini, Auspicious date The Moon conjoins the Sun at 26Gemini, closely squaring Neptune (27♓) just 12 days before his station. This is a very good Moon for being creative, like sci-fi and fantasy, artists and musicians, or for doing something creative as a change of pace. It's also a good time for socializing and having fun. Think storytelling and myths as a social function and using healthy doses of escapism. Ask: what kind of story am I in right now? Sometimes roles shift and it takes us awhile to realize who we are now. A few days later, Venus will hit 12 degrees of Leo, which is where she'll station direct after the retrograde.

This is also the date of this month's auspicious election (around 11:56AM local time):

The chart has Virgo rising, ruled by Mercury in the 10th house at 12 degrees of Gemini (who has cleared that square with Saturn and is riding the high of a sextile to Venus (11♌)). This is a great chart for career matters and public reputation (10th house)--anything that requires direct and quick communication. This is also good for 11th house matters like friends and social groups: the Moon is applying to a sextile with Jupiter in Taurus, who himself is in the 9th house of religion, philosophy, and foreign travel, and applying to a balancing sextile with Saturn (who, though in the 8th house, is more cooperative in a day chart and feels the stabilizing influence of Jupiter). Thus this chart is good for 9th house matters as well. Both the Moon & Ascendant ruler are in very good shape during this chart.

June 21st - Sun enters Cancer (A/N: The beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere!)

June 25th - Mars square Uranus (not pictured) We've had some Mars issues lately between eclipses, retrogrades, and fall placement, but know we've also got a bit of instability/sparking the powder keg coming up. Alternately, our stability may be stress-tested.

June 26th - Mercury enters Cancer In a few days on the 30th he'll have a cazimi (exact conjunction to the Sun), resetting his synodic cycle. Austin says this configuration will further add to a deeper understanding of where we're at in life. Chris brings up the Gnostic/Hermetic concepts of gnosis and gnos, where we each have a spark of the divine within us (gnos) and occasionally glimpse the greater pattern as represented within us (gnosis).

June 30th - Neptune stations Retrograde

#forecast #transits #june 2023 #venus retrograde #saturn retrograde #venus in leo #mercury in gemini #jupiter in taurus #pluto retrograde

[lotarclasspects]

More Thoughts on the Heir Class

I have made a couple of posts on the topic of the Heir class lately, mostly because as I was thinking about writing up and classifying most of the classes, with most of them I have a pretty clear grasp of at least the broader concepts, which literature archetypes they're based off, and how they relate and contrast to their opposing Class. This is best described by the pair I am most clear about, with the most canonical basis from which to draw from: Knight - Page + = SERVE (emphasized in several late- act 6 conversaions) Archetype: Batman and Robin, etc) Witch - Sylph + = MAKE (archetype: Occult advisor who exists on the outskirts of society. The Helpful Fairy, and the Witch (wicked, or Good) And with these I noticed a pattern. If my conclusion that the Sylph/Witch pairing was accurate, and had MAKE as their verb, the list would look like this Muse/Lord = MASTER Sylph/Witch = MAKE Bard/Prince = DESTROY Page/Knight = SERVE Rogue/Thief = STEAL Seer/Mage = KNOW Heir/Maid = ????? As you can see, each of these verbs has its own natural opposite. The opposite of to STEAL, to take, is to SERVE. The opposite of DESTROYing something, is to MAKE something. But the opposite of the word KNOW (which is said several times by Aradia in reference to Rose as the "knower of all fortune" and in Doc Scratch's conversation about Terezi's powers) is kind of the negation of it. What is the antonym of Known, Unknown right? But the negation of a thing- Not Destroying something is not the opposite of Destroying, in Homestuck. I know Two doesn't make a rule, but it seems too elegant to ignore. It would mean, instead of being 6 completely disparate dichotomies with no relation, it would be three sets of three. And then the Master classes, of course. So what the fuck is going on with the Heir and Maid then??? Of course, I have concluded they are a pair because their concepts are very close to each other. Both denote youth, both denote nobility and inheritance, (in the naming), and both have great shoes to fill and their Journey is about filling that role in their own way. They are also assisted by their Aspects. Jane is able to revive herself when she dies (Which Feferi is not shown as being able to do). John is assisted by The Breeze (which is clearly his powers working subconsciously to help him). I wonder, if Mage and Seer denote an idea of the Cerebral, then are Heir and Maid associated with the BODY, as in EMBODY? Whichever verb I have thought up, so far. "INHERIT", "EMBODY", "BECOME". There is clearly a linking theme between all of them. But each has their own subtle specificities. But they Might, on some level, boil down as "To Know vs To Be". I am not sure, at this time. But some things I've found notable are in terms of how Physically Becoming their aspect is linked to all. Aradia is "Maid of Time" (the Made of Time pun comes in a lot). Jane, aforementioned with the Lifey thing assisting her. John physically turning in to Wind. Equius though, if this is the case, is interesting. As we all know, His blood is used to Void out text. In the text, symbolically. His blood specifically.

This has been touched on a lot, when talking about Void's link to obscurity. But it's just occurred to me, that we never see Horuss's blood being used in this way. Or Roxy's. (I know it would be a little morbid in terms of using Roxy's blood, but the variables are to be touched upon to find the distinction).

Only Equius's. Only the Heir of Void's. On that note, too, he specifically has that Extreme Physical Strength thing going on. (Which John's father also mentions John should strive for too. Picking up his safe being a test of Manhood?) I have not looked over the Dancestors bit again yet, but I'm pretty sure Horuss isn't as freakishly strong or has that going on like Equius does. Their Heir though, I cannot say, only that he suffered a mental injury. I wonder if that is supposed to parallel Sollux suffering a physical injury, but keeping his mind? I cannot say. And I do not want to get too far off the track and make conclusions before I have more supplementary evidence. However, on a final note. One thing I did find. Is perhaps a strange connection between Heirs and Servitude? We know Maids can be a bit rebellious. But one thing I paid close attention to, with all the Ancestor talk, was linked to the idea that Doc Scratch not only engineered the Blood Castes to encourage Aspecty behaviour, but also Class(y) behaviour. Not much is said about Executioner Darkleer, except for this. He may have been the ONLY one of his Caste, to ever Rise Up against an order from The Highbloods.

Whilst Mindfang is musing here, it's clear that rebellion in this Caste is rare. So much so, that it's explicitly mentioned. As a clear foil to Equius's death when he Couldn't stand up to Gamzee. (Which may also tie in) Executioner Darkleer in reality, is a Page of Void. But when we look at the true Heir in this position...

He too, would be expected to life a life of Servitude. In the end, he did. Though it's important to note with Goldbloods, the expectations and influence of Mages would be prevalent castewide. In the same way Maids manage their aspect, are Heirs managed by? What does this mean exactly, in regards to their Personal Journey? I still do not have much of an idea. But if I do, I will make an official post on the matter. One final final thing I noticed though, about the Signless's main group of 4.... It's made up of a Seer, a Mage, a Maid, and an Heir.

If I'm on the right track in assuming those classes form a quartet in terms of Active/Passive and Opposite Verbs... I should pay close attention to how all their paths differ from each other, and are similar.

If I learn anything more defined, I will probably make a post about it here -teapotTrickster

#Homestuck #Heir Class #Heir of Void #Classpecting #classpect analysis #homestuck analysis

[archive2394934]

So I actually wanted to post something cool I noticed that I was reminded of thanks to this post.

We almost actually never get to see Vecna in s4 in like, normal lighting, and it obscures a lot of his ‘features. One of the features it obscures is his predominant “dark veins” or like, I don’t know how to describe, the dark/discolored patches on his skin-- and why am I bringing that up? Because this seems to have something to do with his powers and, moreover, it might have to do with the mindflayer. Let me just explain real quick. 

We’ve seen when the MF/cloud thing/shadow monster, enters someone’s body, when its not “hiding” it manifests with dark veins similar to what we see all over Vecna in various forms. This was very evident with Will, when he was possessed by the MF and they started to try to draw it out from within him. As the mindflayer gets close to the surface, Wills veins turn black. 

Will also starts to gain super strength of some kind. He begins to literally howl and scream and even talk some type of distorted gibberish, all in a very monstrous/demonic fashion. In fact, it kind of reminds me of every scene in every movie that depicts demonic possession and that is obviously the intentional aesthetic here. 

We also saw these black veins and even darkened patches of “rotted” skin, with Billy when he was flayed, and a similar thing with other flayed victims. Billy also gains heightened strength when the mindflayer gets full control, and starts to behave in a demonic manner. The signs of rot and decay we can suddenly see on Billy’s skin are particularly interesting to me, given we have seen, in season two in particular, that anything biological that the mindflayer makes contact with starts to rot.  And I can’t help but think of this quote from hallucination Brenner thanks to Kali in season 2 as well: “You have a wound, Eleven. A terrible wound. And its festering. Do you remember what that means? Festering? It means a rot. And it will grow. Spread. And eventually it will kill you.” I feel like this is extremely symbolic to a lot of themes in the show in general, but anyway back to that inhuman squealing/screeching. The vines make that sound on their own, and we can probably confirm they are parts of the MF. (A scene for reference) The vines on/in Vecna’s body are not even exempt. We can literally hear a hissing and clicking noise coming from them from time to time, not to mention the fact they’re almost always moving. 

Vecna is the most physically changed by the MF and I think his entire body at this point shows signs of being, FOR LACK of a better term, “possessed” by the mindflayer. From the Mindflayer’s vines that have literally merged with him, to the black veins, to the obvious signs of rot and decay that are basically trademarks to the MF.  Remember how I mentioned the upside down when Henry was first pushed through to it looks like a world that is devoid of life? As if the life has been completely sucked out of it? Because it seems the mindflayer consumes and rots what it comes in contact with? Yeah, that theory is still looking pretty good to me.  But anyway, heres the REAL interesting thing. I think it seems suggested that somehow the MF is the thing thats actually giving all the psychics their powers. Or rather, that somehow all the psychic powers can be traced back to it.  

In season one, when Eleven uses her powers to kill the orderlies in a flash back she’s left exhausted but we can see her physical complexion has changed. Her skin has become pale and “veins” under her skin are visible, they’ve become darker. Similar to how we see the veins under Vecna’s skin, which is also extremely pale. Heres a pic of it to show what I mean. Its subtle, but its def there, imo. 

We’ve got a lot of canon that heavily suggests Henry got his powers from the MF, so what about Eleven? We know that Eleven’s powers were apparently artificially induced by the experimentation Terry underwent by Brenner.  NOW HERES A THING. I can’t find the article anywhere but there was a whole thing about how LSD apparently helps unlock a higher form of human consciousness, allowing the human mind and perception to connect with things we otherwise can’t normally connect with. LSD has a whole insane history directly tied to MK ultra which is also important that I might talk about at some point but for THIS POST I just want to talk about the extrasensory perception LSD was basically suppose to be able to give some folks because woo psychedelic shit. Popular with hippies, folks who would claim to be able to talk to the trees and animals and shit like that? Terry in the stranger things universe was one of Brenner’s experiments, a man who explicitly worked on MK Ultra in the Stranger things universe, y’all need to look that up actually, but anyway Brenner used drugs like LSD on Terry that apparently gave her a form of higher conciseness.  The point of me saying all this is the idea is Terry was able to connect to something “cosmic” thanks to the drugs Brenner fed her and the experiments he did, whatever Terry was able to unlock within her that allowed her to connect to whatever she connected to, it was this that gave her powers that transferred to the child she was pregnant with at the time, Eleven, with this possibly tying into into the MF if it was in fact the higher force Terry was somehow able to channel in order to have powers--- which ties into the fact that IT SEEMS canon suggests Henry got HIS powers thanks to be able to somehow connect with the MF or rather it connecting with him.  Now on top of all this we know its been HEAVILY implied Brenner knew WAY more about the upside down than he ever let on. That Brenner may have even DISCOVERED the Upside Down or something FROM the UD going as far back as when he was participating in MK ultra and decided to spend his time looking for ways to somehow get contact/access to the UD and/or what was in it. 

You know what the big goal of MK ultra was? It was to create a “mind control” drug. The US government wanted a way to mind control people. From an article on MK ultra: 

"Gottlieb wanted to create a way to seize control of people's minds, and he realized it was a two-part process," Kinzer says. "First, you had to blast away the existing mind. Second, you had to find a way to insert a new mind into that resulting void. We didn't get too far on number two, but he did a lot of work on number one."

So, you know how the mindflayer was literally named the mindflayer because it has the ability to “consume” and control the mind?  So I would say it is possible that Brenner worked out that Hawkins in particular was a place on Earth were the barrier between worlds was thin, hence the lab being there. Brenner eventually abducted Henry, because Henry was the “original psychic,” who had somehow ‘communed’ with the "the thing” that was out there, on the other side of the barrier and thus could be the key to getting access to the Upside Down and whatever it was that was in it. That, largely because of Henry, Brenner realized something out there existed and was MUCH bigger than some silly mind control drug? Entire other dimensions that may be house to incomprehensible eldritch entities? God like beings? Who could give humans powers? Which is why Brenner began his own experiments. Imo this would all seem to add up and appears very suggested by canon. I need to make a proper timeline of Brenner’s activities actually, I should work on doing that.   But yeah.. I feel like the MF is def sentient, but what level of intelligence it has is still kind of questionable. But if it is as intelligent as it seems it would have to be to start reaching out to humans like Henry, if that is in fact what the canon is suggesting, does it feel compelled to attack the human world because it felt challenged by humans first-- did it feel like humans were invading on it and taking FROM it, OR if is just malevolent and humans just made the dumb mistake of trying to meddle with what they don't understand and ended up bumping into an actual evil god that hasn’t taken too kindly to this. Just some thoughts. 

#henry creel #vecna #001 #william byers #billy hargrove #the mindflayer #stranger things #byler #stranger things theory #I HAVE MANY THOUGHTS... and there is soo much to consider here #wanting for s5 is gonna drive me bonkers guys #Old man yells at cloud #i wrote this while i was falling asleep so its not gonna make much sense probably but i needed to share

[hologramcowboy]

https://at.tumblr.com/hologramcowboy/famous-actors-on-memorizing-lines/1koyf1d44n6a

What’s interesting is Jared actually seems to do what Matthew McConaughey does - he goes over his script numerous times in different scenarios (on the treadmill, in his trailer, his office, outside, places where it’s loud/busy, someplace quiet, etc) and different states (endorphin high from a workout, when he’s tired, when he’s really awake, when he’s happy or sad, etc) so he not only knows his lines, but he knows them in any scenario that could be thrown at him on set. Funny, I don’t see “read them once” anywhere on that list…

You won't see it on any professional actor's list. Lol Ever. Professional Actors Sherlock Holmes the script to the point of drawing out any subtle layer and dynamic, this is why they create incredible performances.

I love Matthew's way because, for example, going to a ridiculously loud bar and reading the lines there will get the brain used to knowing them even when faced with huge obstacles as can often happen on a set. So I would recommend finding challenging situations to place yourself in and go over the lines then or recite them.

Yes, Jared does employ this method and most do because it is highly effective.

Another great one is using mnemonic associations, creating ridiculously exagerrated images in your head that link the words together. Because of the unrealistic, exagerrated image of the line you are creating it will have an emotional impact and you will remember it more easily.

Also, reading the script right after you wake up and right before falling asleep. Primes your subconscious.

Recording the lines in your own voice and then playing them back while you are doing chores, etc can also be very effective as can writing them down.

Personally, I find even NLP can be helpful, for example, creating an anchor when needed to trigger the appropriate emotional response.

Also, what Jared does, switching from emotional state to emotional state and rereading the lines with a completely different take can really inform a scene. It gives you access to insights precisely because you are testing different perspectives, you learn through all of that and in the end can more effectively find the ideal note for the character in a particular scene. Of course, there's much more work to still do but even just this is extremely powerful.

#actors and memorization #jared appreciation

[the-pale-goddess]

NSFW ask, feel free to ignore if you don't want to answer :) 

Idk if you HC them as wild as in canon (or less/more), but did your MC imagine Ethan would be up to those kind of shenanigans (sex in the car or in an office with walls made of glass or anything else you HC)? Or did she imagine him more… reserved? Prude? idk what’s the word.

What’s the perception their friends have of them? (Idk if it’s easier to imagine Ethan as someone who’s not into anything wild, because of his “calm/worrisome/prude exterior”)

Me? Ignoring a NS*FW question? Never ksbskbsksb I’m very excited to share these details, thank you for thinking of my pairing, dear! As per usual, I apologize for the incredibly late response ❤️

I might surprise you a bit…Tiffany didn’t have any expectations. Yes, she did fantasize a lot, but it was rather a mirror of her own preferences and hopes than what she thought Ethan might be like in bed, and she fully acknowledged that. Appearances can be very deceiving; my girl has learned not to fall for any preconceived notions about others, and sex is no different. Her previous sexual partners and their performance were usually the opposite of what their personality and vibe would suggest. So it’s safe to say that Ethan has exceeded her expectations in every possible way ✨ Perhaps what amazed her most was Ethan’s willingness to experiment, his excellent communication and oral skills—no surprise with the last one lol 

E&T are definitely wilder than what we saw in canon, but they’re also extremely private. Though the fire between them is tangible, their interactions in public are very tame; they keep PDA to the absolute minimum and focus on subtle affection when people are around, regardless if they’re friends or not. As a result, the gang had no incentive to wonder what’s happening behind closed doors. Imagining your boss in an intimate setting is quite an uncomfortable experience. Imagining your boss and your friend together is next level kshskhsksh For the sake of realism, I believe that everyone tried to draw a veil over this topic for as long as they could. 

However, as soon as Ethan started feeling more comfortable around the gang, he lowered his guard and my couple stopped taking such meticulous care to be 100% decent all the time. That slight yet in their case noticeable transition shook Jackie and Elijah to the core. 

Jackie used to rely on the opinion she had on Ethan and believed that if there was any intimate relationship between Dr. Terminator and Tiffany, it would be completely sterile. Elijah and Aurora would rather avoid thinking about E&T’s sex life, but if forced to voice an opinion (by Bryce, probably) they would agree that it must be boring af since Ethan seems to be a rather reserved and cold individual. Bryce had a feeling that their tame interactions prove it’s just an act and they’re both kinky af, but Sienna was the only one who was certain that Ramsey’s the kind of guy who leaves you dickmatized kdbkdbdkbdkb Guess some were more shocked to get a glimpse of the truth than others 😅

#hide and queue #ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan x tiffany #random facts about tiff #spicy asks

[bekandrew]

Horse Girl TTRPG by Samuel Mui, a Review

It has trigger warnings for “grotesque body horror, torture, dehumanization, bestiality, pregnancy, sexual situations, and consenting to having horrible things done to you by someone you love.” I would like to note that the “bestiality” in question involves no animals, only the player character – a human being transformed physically into an approximation of a horse who all the while appears to maintain human intelligence and reasoning. The abuser may very well meant to be a zoophile, but no real horses are harmed, only the player character. There is a prompt that references significant morphine use in context of after a procedure, which some may want to be aware of before playing as it's really the only potential trigger that wasn't mentioned. Horse Girl is what it says on the tin – it’s incredibly and deeply fucked up. It isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a journaling solo RP about a young woman who gets progressively transformed into a horse by her abusive lover.

I cannot emphasize enough how fucked up this RP is. Don’t get me wrong, though. That’s not a complaint, that’s a compliment.

It manages to be extremely grotesque without ever feeling unnecessary for the message. It crosses lines of taste without ever feeling like it truly went over the top. Abuse, after all, in all its forms is extremely grotesque. Abuse, by its nature, crosses every line of taste.

I should note here, before I go further into the review, that I’m an abuse survivor myself.

I didn’t have a Jenga tower, so I used the count down method. This ended with a fairly long game of 14 Months and most of my deck gone through.

I didn’t have a normal deck, so I used my tarot deck. I removed the Major Arcana and Pages (substituting Knights for Jack). I assigned each suit to their playing card equivalent, so Cups were Hearts, Coins/Pentacles were Diamonds, Rods/Wands were Clubs, and Blades/Swords were Spades.

I didn’t write on my body, but rather mentally noted the markings. I otherwise did the playthrough cleanly, without having read more of the contents than necessary to do what I was meant to. After I was done my playthrough, I read the remaining parts of the PDF.

I’m not sure how intentional the suit designation for the card draws were, but I was impressed with how well the prompts matched the (tarot) meanings for the suits – Cups being the emotions (especially love) suit, Coins for stability, home, and material advantages; Rods for thoughts and ideas; and blades for conflict and… in the game, some literal surgical blades!

While the Spades prompts were the most visceral (my heart started sinking whenever I saw a Blade card pop up because I knew whatever I was about to read was going to be some new fresh hell), they actually weren’t the most disturbing prompts, personally. I found the Hearts prompts most distressing because of the particular style they were written. They express an undying love even while detailing what should be obvious to the reader as clearly abuse. But it isn’t necessarily known to the character, or perhaps the character is in denial depending on the player’s interpretation and phase of the game when they draw it.

The stylistic choice of always capitalizing the lover/abuser’s pronouns, as if He were a god-figure is impactful to the play. It brings home how all-consuming the desire to please this new center of her world is, to make sure He is happy, even to her detriment, even as every last piece of who she was is warped to be completely unrecognizable.

This game is a horror story, but more than that, it’s a tragedy. It’s a loss of self. Every little piece of yourself that you mark is one of the obvious pieces that gets lost in the process. But the game notes that the transformation is both mental and physical. The mental loss is more subtle. It’s harder to see it building up. You don’t mark it on your body, but it can cause the game to end.

Like abuse, it comes in spurts. The mental loss comes when you may least expect it. There are times, and in my game there was well over a month straight of not receiving any of this kind of loss. The game kept on and the horrors kept progressing because the abuser seemed like He was being nice then. This mechanic is an example of phenomenal game design. I wish I had a Jenga set to play it with because the risk of knocking over a teetering tower would add another layer of tension present in this kind of relationship – that constant walking on eggshells feeling. Some of the cards make a little less sense on the surface when they get drawn in the narrative after certain other cards. This isn’t a flaw per se, as they’ll still fit in the end, but may require a bit more thought in your journaling process.

I nearly had my character escape, I was very close but kept rolling too low to remove escape tokens, even with three visible Aces, I kept experiencing setbacks in my playthrough. The odds of escape are very much stacked against you once you’re stuck there. I had a plan, at first very subtle but as time passed and the horrors increased, my steps increased in desperation and brutality in equal measure.

The game isn’t clear whether the abuser is catching onto the player character’s escape ideas or attempts or is simply jealous and paranoid of the player character leaving him. This distinction, to the extent it even matters (as the results are more or less the same either way) is up to the player to decide in their journaling activities.

I most appreciated the questions at the end. Without them, this would have been a well-written psychological horror journalling RP about an abusive relationship and still worth trying. With the cooldown questions at the end, it really puts a spotlight on how much the writer cared about the subject matter and the readers.

I’ve written and engaged in very intense horror LARP before, and we did something similar there. We all had a cooldown period together where we got out of character and reflected on the experience. The questions at the end of Horse Girl are like that but in written form, and for a single person. They helps you pull back to the real world and analyze the character you just played to see her with a new understanding before releasing her.

I was briefly concerned as a trans person before playing there might have been some unintentional transphobic leanings in the allegories – specifically looking into the concept of doctor coercing an entire species(?) change on his partner. I walked away not feeling that way at all. I also didn’t feel any specifically trans coding in any of the abuse. It simply felt like a more visceral version of abuses heaped on domestic violence victims that aren’t necessarily that blatant normally.

Though, it is worth noting that one of the specific and personal body-horror ways a trans person may experience abuse in a relationship is by the abuser coercing them out of or otherwise preventing them from accessing transition. There’s a similarity to the player character’s plight in that there’s coercion involved, there’s feelings of conforming to a body that doesn’t necessarily feel right to you to make your partner happy, and the lack of access to care can be excruciatingly painful. But again, I don’t really think this is a trans allegory or a story about transphobic abuser. It could be in your personal play-through, but that would be an additional detail you chose to add on your own.

I would recommend this game to anyone who thinks they can stomach the contents within, particularly if they are fans of body horror and psychological horror. If you find catharsis through horror games, be mindful going in how low the odds of successful escape are and the experience may be what you’re looking for. It’s a highly intense experience. You may need one or several breaks throughout.

Horse Girl is available on itch.io here. The creator put a handful of community copies up in case you aren't able to pay $8 but it is well worth the price.

#indie ttrpg #review #ttrpg review #itch.io #body horror tw #abuse tw

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i LOVE the design of susie's face and how she expresses. like in a large majority of her sprites her eyes are open 1 pixel tall, and this seems to be the default for her (it also makes her look extremely tired; she even has bags under her eyes...)

and this allows a lot of room for her to express with just her eyes, letting them be wide open to showcase a huge variety of emotions:

or express something more subtle, more nuanced:

(don't even get me started on how well her mouth is positioned on her face)

it's even more interesting when you look at her chapter 1 faces vs chapter 2

her eyes add a completely different energy to what should be the same expressions. her neutral face doesn't feel so cold anymore. her smile has a genuine, awkward softness to it rather than being very visibly joyless. even when she bares her teeth there's this new edge of mischief to it...

i think one of the most important things her sprites convey is how actually happy she looks after chapter 1.

her pupils are bigger on this sprite than any other, her mouth gives just the smallest grin and her whole look is so... soft. she doesn't make this face often, to the point where ralsei is caught off guard by it when she (arguably sincerely) makes it during a bit she does with kris.

(he also refers to it as "using that face" which. ralsei how much do you know)

it's just so heartwarming that you can see how much happier she is. she explodes with emotion and expression after being shown so much trust and kindness for the first time in what could be her whole life. someone jumped to take a bullet for her! they changed her life!! and now she would undoubtedly do the same for them! and when she comes back the next day she's SO EXCITED TO SEE THEM AGAIN!!!

she's such a warm character, and it's no secret that toby (who has stated that he personally draws all of the face sprites in the game) wanted to convey that in every way he could, and her facial expressions are a key part of it. faces are very clearly where he thrives in character design and susie is maybe the highest example of this

#deltarune #susie #long post #undescribed #(it's just face sprites) #thank you for joining me for today's episode of susieposting #tune in... later inevitably lol

[flickeringart]

Astrology observations/notes pt. 5

With the moon in Sagittarius transiting my 5th house at the moment I thought an observation post would be appropriate. It's fun and light-hearted.

Don’t take this too seriously. It’s only my personal observations and opinions.

It probably has to do with my South Node in Pisces in the 8th - I’ve felt confused about life from the start and I feel it particularly strongly this time of year, of course. Everything is blurry and I feel victimized and weak but at the same time I feel like nothing is ultimately real and is only happening in my head so I don’t know what to take seriously and what to laugh at… which is quite disturbing because that means that it doesn’t matter what I do or don’t do. It’s all equally real and unreal anyway.

Since I have a Pisces South Node I’m very anchored Piscean energy and I can’t help but laugh internally at people who have their North Node in Pisces sometimes… with a Virgo South Node they’re coming from a place of practical analysis while trying to reach toward ”more spiritual” and receptive qualities but they’re so out of touch with that side of life it’s hilarious to me.

I have to say - oppositions are scary to me. It’s true that they indicate extreme polarities in the personality and it’s hard to deal with for other people… of course, the degree to which it’s scary depends on the planets involved but my god… these people are switchy!

I looked at the chart of Prince William recently and I saw Lilith in Sagittarius on the Ascendant. It makes complete sense… he looks so flirty and naughty haha… it’s that Lilith look that’s unmistakable. His wife, Kate, also has Lilith in Sagittarius, although with her is not as obvious since she has it in her 5th house (whole signs). They probably have a lot of fun together.

Right?

Neptune conjunct Mars individuals are usually very attuned to the environment and pick up on the most subtle cues… they can get under people’s skin because Neptune is the planet of no boundaries… the passive aggressiveness and subtle undermining that can take place can be terrifying. However, I should say that these types can be great leaders and counsellors because they can easily draw out the truth in a way that doesn’t seem forceful (although it may be). Napoleon had this conjunction. So did Charles Manson.

With Leo energy there’s a tendency to want to see how important one is and how big of a role one can play in life… and it’s never enough. Being king of the world wouldn’t suffice for Leos because this sign is not about being recognized as important in a worldly sense - it’s about finding the center of selfhood, to live from the inside out, to radiate energy and warmth from within no matter if one lives in a hut or in a castle. Kingship is found within. The castle, the riches and the abundance don’t make the king - it’s the inner quality that does.

Capricorns… I’m scared of the things you’ll do in the name of preserving integrity and to remain in control… Some (all) of you hide behind a submissive front and seem harmless at first but once you’ve made the other person let their guard down, you strike. Sometimes it’s not even obvious to the person what you’ve done because you’re so subtle. Other times it’s very obvious, but it’s too late - you’ve disarmed them. I’m growing tired of being this way with Caps… wah! Though I guess everyone has some of these traits… It’s always ”kill or be killed” like the reputation of the 22°degree that’s ruled by Capricorn *sigh*.

Virgo Risings have a very calming effect on me. They often look shy and kind. I always get the impression that they mean well in everything that they do.

Scorpio Risings have Aries ruling the the 6th house (usually)… they get things done fast! So fast! Meanwhile I’m slowly cruising with my Capricorn ruled 6th house and Neptune here… I’m zoning out, moving slowly, doing a little bit of this and that as it comes to me - strategic but blurry is my way of being when dealing with daily matters. This feels so weird to me because I have 4 planets in Aries… just not in the 6th hahahaaaa… I feel so inferior in this sphere of life but at least I’m calm and serene.

Aquarians have realized that people are stupid and that makes them smart.

Aquarians have the attitude ”I can let them be who they are because I’m above it all - the senseless mess and stupidity of human existence…it is what it is”.

There’s such a big difference between Aquarius Sun people who have Capricorn Mercury vs. Aquarius Mercury placements. The Capricorn Mercuries can sound so serious and strained in their voices, like they’re greeting you with a ”welcome to the business meeting” tone. The people with Aquarius Mercury are much freer in their communication.

Scorpios have such amazing capacity for complete devotion and passion but there’s fear of being consumed by it. All of the energy that they keep buried has to be released sooner or later… and then they can become cruel because they resent being victim to larger forces of human nature - they will use the pent up energy for attack rather than letting the energy fester and kill something inside of them. Again, it’s a question of ”kill or be killed”, but it’s not the same as Capricorn’s capacity for ruthlessness. Scorpios simply have to strike because they have accumulated so much emotion. They might end up making it worse for themselves because they are very sensitive and compassionate. They will attack - question is whether they will attack themselves or someone else. Either way it’s really a lose-lose scenario from the point of view of the individual.

Leo Moons, unless they’re sufficiently counteracted by other chart placements, can’t help but dramatize everything. The women, especially, could probably make a living as professional criers at funerals. I have seen this play out - they don’t have to be close to the dead person to be the ones too cry the most. ”No one understands my feelings”… well maybe not because they’re so big and exaggerated and it makes no sense to draw all of the attention to yourself at another person’s funeral. Oh well, it’s the way of Leo. Life is a show. (To be fair they both had Moon aspecting Neptune).

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Find the whole post on Patreon - by subscribing you'll have access to a lot of content that I don't share on Tumblr.

#astrology #astrology community #astrology notes #astrology observations #astrology on tumblr #astrology on patreon #learn about astrology #natal chart #zodiac signs #taurus #pisces #capricorn #scorpio #astrology blog #planets in astrology #astrology signs #leo moon #capricorns #scorpios #aquarians #neptune conjunct mars #the zodiac #lilith #lilith in sagittarius #lilith in the 1st house #neptune #pisces south node #south node #north node #pisces north node

[normal-horoscopes]

Deconstructing The Legend of Altazar, A Fragment of the True History of Planet Earth:

A middle-aged man with a pornstache and jean-shorts parks outside of a music festival. You can see yourself reflected in his aviator sunglasses as sells you talismans from the back of his van.

Painted on the side of the van, there is a mural of a wizard. That wizard wrote this book.

I will get it out of the way early: This book sucks. The prose is horribly overwritten, the plot is difficult to follow, and the characters are barely characters. This book pacing of a heart attack, and the cultural sensitivity of a minstrel show. If there is any redeeming value to the text, it is as outsider art. The text has an undeniable sense of imagination. Occasionally, the bizarre setting and awkward prose can make the text feel truly alien, as if the author really is an ancient psychic being trying to squeeze its great thoughts into simple 2D text. Most of the time it’s just bad. 

(This review will contain mentions of anti-indigenous racism, sexual assault, and incest. Reader discretion is advised.)

The Legend of Altazar, A Fragment of the True History of Planet Earth by The Hermit of the Crystal Mountain is built on a foundation of three occult ideas: Starseed Lore, Ancient Aliens, and Lost Continents. If you’re a normal person who doesn’t know what those terms mean, allow me to explain:

Starseeds, also called Star People, was a term coined by Brad Steiger in his 1976 book Gods of Aquarius, it argues that some people originated as extraterrestrials and arrived on Earth through birth or as a psychic pseudo-possession of a human. Basically, they think some people are descended from aliens. This branch of occultism has gained significant popularity in recent years, however its modern expressions are extremely varied. The only thing that every Starseed believer agrees on is “Some people have a deep and innate connection to an alien civilization.” However, it should also be said that many expressions of Starseed lore have deeply troubling implications. Some expressions describe a human starseed as having “alien DNA.” Some expressions imply that different human ethnicities are descended from different celestial races, creating what is essentially phrenology with a thin veneer of UFO lore on top. Each expression needs to be individually deconstructed, as subtle details can be the difference between harmless new-age woo and thinly veiled white supremacy. 

Ancient aliens, an occult cousin of starseed lore, was originally coined in 1968 by arch-pseudohistorian Erich von Daniken in his book Chariots of the Gods. In the text, he posits that many structures and technologies from history are the result of extraterrestrial interventions. This is the “aliens built the pyramids” stuff. Needless to say, the idea that the wonders of the ancient world were actually the result of aliens is completely ahistorical, and robs ancient humanity of the incredible things they achieved. Proponents of the theory also have a habit of implying that civilizations seen as white did not need the assistance of aliens. For instance, they claim that the parthenon in ancient Greece was built by humans, but that the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was built by aliens, despite the fact that the city was being built at the same time Ibn Battuda left on his big field trip.

Lost continents or lost lands are the branch of occult history that deals with theoretical locations that were destroyed in some cataclysmic event. This is the “Lost continent of Atlantis” stuff. The idea of lost continents is not problematic in of itself. In fact, lost land theories are occasionally 100% true. There are several submerged land masses around the world that humans previously inhabited. The occult comes in with the stories we assign to these lost lands. For example, the myth of Atlantis comes from Plato’s Republic, where he paints it as an aggressive and hubristic naval power bent on self-destruction. However, the mythology around Atlantis clearly draws from the Minoan civilization, which actually did exist until it was destroyed in the Santorini volcanic eruption. This is not to say that every theory around lost lands has historical background. The Lost Continent of Lemuria was originally the brainchild of a perfectly normal 1864 zoologist named Phillip Schlater as an explanation for why there were lemur fossils in Madagascar and India, but not in Africa or the middle east. Madame Helena Blavatsky, the Kevin Bacon of occult history, saw the idea of a theoretical landmass in Oceania and ran with it.

Now that we have our foundation, a quick note about our author. The Hermit of the Crystal Mountain, aka Solara, aka Nani Sheppard, has published a litany of other works, books with titles like “Invoking Your Celestial Guardians” and “Through the Doorway of the 11:11.” Though difficult to know for sure, her occultism appears sincere. One gets the sense that she really does believe that mankind is descended from a myriad of alien races. Many of Sheppard’s works seek to help others discover their “alien ancestry” and activate all the magical powers that come with that sort of thing. However, this text is quite different from her other work. It is not a magical self-help book or a grimoire of psychic crystal spells. The Legend of Altazar is adventure fiction, full-blown Lord of the Rings ass adventure fiction. So without further ado, let’s dive in. 

“Once upon a time in the long lost ago known as the Golden Age, there lived a mighty king named Altazar. He was not simply an ordinary king, nor even a great king, but was a true monarch of the sort that the world has not seen since a distant age. For his very name, Altazar, meant High King, and that he was.”

Meet our protagonist, Altazar, the kinglyest king who ever kinged. He kings over the kingdom of Lemuria, the massive lost continent where oceania is now. And to quote the great and wise sage Jane Austen; “it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” However! “No woman was in possession of such grace, virtue and wisdom to be a worthy mate of the High King.” So the high priests of Lemuria sent a telepathic message to the Hight Priests of the Great Continent of Atlantis, asking for a suitable bride. 

Thus we are introduced to the brotherhood of the Seven, the theological ruling body of Atlantis, who choose a suitably moral breeding sow for King Highking. The lucky lady is a priestess of the Temple of Creative Healing Wisdom, (ORALIN), Diandra. “Ah yes, it was she. Diandra of the long cascading blond hair, of the wide-set all-seeing blue eyes, Diandra with the finely chiselled cheekbones. Yes. it was Diandra-holder of the Seven Knots of Healing Wisdom.” Ah yes, all of the qualities that mark one of superior wisdom. 

So Diandra goes through all the standard ritual fasting, purifications, and irradiations with different crystalline energies so she could pass the fountain whose Waters of Clarity she would drink no more and the section of the city that was forbidden to all but the Makers who possessed all nine Knots of Healing wisdom, on her way to the Tower of Truth so she could be teleported to Lemuria. However, before she can be teleported, the Elder of the Seven shares a telepathic vision of Altazar’s tragic end. This is an important Chekhov's Gun for the rest of the story. Something is going to cause Altazar to fall from grace, but we don’t know what.

“And thus did our fair Diandra leave Atlantis and go to the land of Altazar. And this I know for certain. Because in some form or another, I was there.” Yes. The author is a character in the text, and they speak directly to us at several occasions, often dropping in with little clarifications or comments. 

So Diandra and Altazar meet and instantly fall madly in love at their first touch. Diandra was unable to resist the raw sexual and romantic power of his “white turban-like covering from which protruded iridescent peacock feathers.” They “form a union” which in this context I think is like getting married but with more crystals. Everything is perfect and happy and wonderful and ideal. But! Their love is short-lived, as Altazar is called to make a journey! “The Council of Tana wants me to go to the distant outpost island of Rapan-Nui to settle some distant energies.” Which absolutely seems like the sort of problem the King of Lemuria would have to deal with. 

Meanwhile, Bog-Lor and Seplik --characters that we have never met-- astral project into the volcanic chamber that holds the Lemurian Mother Egg. When they touch the egg, it pops because Seplik’s astral hands were too rough and clumsy, thus dooming all of Lemuria. If that feels like it came out of nowhere, it's because it did. After breaking the egg, both immediately commit suicide by throwing themselves into the volcano. Now dear reader, you are probably wondering what the mother egg is. I am too. The mother egg is not an established part of the lore. Personally, I don’t mind the author leaving this vague. There’s an egg in a volcano that controls Lemuria. Sure. I can roll with that. It’s a neat little piece of worldbuilding, but one that is introduced and destroyed in the space of three pages. 

Some unimportant stuff happens back on Lemuria, but Altazar makes it to the island of Rapan-Nui. (The lost-continent lore version of easter island.) “Altazar had been sent here to re-channel some corruption that had seeped into the temple hierarchy.” Which was really easy for him because he was such a cool chad king. Then he feels a disturbance in the aura of the sky and realizes that Lemuria has been destroyed by volcanos and everyone he loves is dead. He weeps cool manly chad tears where nobody can see him.

Now, we meet our second protagonist. Solana, a young priest of Rapan-Nui who consoles Altazar. The two drink from a bottle of perfume together. Apparently “flower essences” are the Lemurian equivalent of alcohol. Now drunk off his ass on flower juice, Altazar goes to see the Lemurian government. They tell him “When Lemuria was ripped out from the magnetic grid, it tore a hole in your auric shield as well. Only the crystal therapy of re-structuralization can heal you completely. It will be a long, arduous journey. We no longer have the means to teleport you. All of that was destroyed with the submerging of the main land mass.”  and send Solana to accompany Atazar to Atlantis for proper spiritual healing.

The pair take a reed boat from Rapan-Nui to the outskirts of the kingdom of AN. In real-life terms, that means they sailed from Easter Island to the coast of Chile, a journey of more than 3,600 kilometers. One Althazar realizes they have landed in AN, we are treated to this choice line: “Sol-AN-a, you my friend, are one of those bound secretly in service to the ancient God AN, are you not?” “Yes, Altazar, that is true. But to be here near the Kingdom of An is beyond my wildest dreams. I knew not if AN ever existed on the physical plane.” It is unclear why this is such a secret, as this is the last any character ever speaks of it. 

As the travelers explore the outskirts of AN, they come across a beast that appears to be shaggy half-camel and half-deer trapped in a net of magical moon energy. Upon attempting to inspect the creature, they become trapped in the moon energy net and fall into a magic sleep. They awake in the temple complex of TI-WA-KU to its high priestess who identifies herself as Mu’Ra. She is described as large, strong, and uncannily beautiful. She  is described with thick dark hair that she wears in a braid, an oval face, defined cheekbones, almond eyes, and as carrying an obsidian dagger. Given that the temple of TI-WA-KU is implied to be in the Andes, I think that it is safe to say that Mu’Ra is coded as an indigenous Andean woman. Up to this point, every character is described as either overtly white, or with a vague neutrality. With the exception of Altazar’s peacock turban, Mu’Ra is the only character so far who is coded as a member of an existing ethnic group. This will be important later. 

For now, Mu’Ra apologizes for snaring the travelers in her game trap, and offers them food and shelter. Altazar and Solana do not trust her, sensing that she is some highly-evolved galactic creature, but Althazar finds the temple quite strange and beautiful, and pays Mu’Ra proper respect as they tour the temple complex. Solana knows the pair needs to move on, but fears that it will not be easy.

Scene shift back to Atlantis, and back in time just a bit before the explosion of Lemuria. We are introduced to a cadre of Atlantean scientists: Dr. Z, head engineer for the global magnetic grid. His daughter Namuani, who creates music at the Temple of Sound ENORA, which “contained the capability to align the chakras, to heal the etheric, astral, and physical bodies, or to initiate into the Mysteries.” We are introduced to her teacher, Master Vanel, regarded as a sort of archmage mozart at the Temple of Sound ENORA. Next is Namuani’s husband Davodd, a “wild genius, darkly handsome and unpredictable” and member of the Atlantean priest/scientist class The Makers. Davodd is also sister to Diandra. 

Davodd is worried about his sister, and he has a plan. There are references to the time he “broke into the Crystal Hall of Records” implying that he has done this sort of thing before. His goal is to save Diandra from the collapse of Lemuria. He breaks into the Atlantean crystal teleporter ziggurat, and attempts to operate the machine himself to beam Diandra back to Atlantis. I am going to quote this entire paragraph, because it is an excellent example of both how the writing flows, and unintentional comedy. 

“He placed his crystal into the ACTIVATE 1 slot. Lights flashed, causing the symbols upon the rock to rapidly change colors. Next the crystal was moved to the ACTIVATE 2 position. This caused the center pyramid to glow a deep ruby red. Davodd felt his body begin to shake uncontrollably.

“Please, please, let me do this correctly,” he pleaded. His trembling hand moved the crystal into ACTIVATE 3. 

At once all the lights in the room were extinguished. Nothing could be seen except for the dimly flickering symbols on the stone in front of him and the deep redness of the pyramid. Even the hum had ceased.

Oh, no, I’ve done something wrong! I’ve ruined it. I’ve probably killed her. No, no!””

Other than actually turning the machine on and activating the vacuum chamber, this is the entirety of Davodd’s interaction with the teleporter. He turns it on, presses three buttons, and accidentally kills Diandra by squeezing her aura through a higher-dimensional silly straw.

Or, he almost kills Diandra.

And that is where I leave you for now! The rest of the review can be found on my patreon! And thank you to all my donors who made this review possible!

#Occult Book Review #The Legend of Altazar #Long Post

[zackcrazyvalentine]

okay first of all, this event idea is really cool and actually kind of genius???

second of all, may i please request fluffy platonic headcanons for these boys with an MC-coded reader? like, just the soft/sweet things that come with being their friend please

Aha~ thank you!! Also, what a wonderful loading screen this is! Jamil getting annoyed and cornered by the Octavinelle trio dfklsk

Let's see!

~ Sweet friendship headcanons ~

With: Jade Leech, Azul Ashengrotto, Floyd Leech, Jamil Viper, and MC-coded reader (used "you" pronouns, hope you don't mind)

-- --

🐬 Jade Leech 💜

Jade will sometimes gift wild flowers and pressed plants to the Ramshackle prefect, claiming the flora reminded him of them

Please ask him first if they're safe. His smirk will give the answer you need

From his birthday card, we learned Jade sketches when out in hikes. He sometimes gifts a particular drawing to you. It brings a smile to his face when he sees his sketches displayed on the walls of your room in Ramshackle

Be prepared for some info dumps when you ask what the particular plant/fungi in the drawing is

Jade goes into a subtle fanboy mode when you have genuine curiosity about the things he's seen on hikes

There's still things he doesn't know about being human Be patient when he asks about the most mundane activities and "rituals", he's sincerely confused and hopes someone can guide him through without judgement

Just as how he's curious about land, he's curious about your world He sneakily gets information out of you to sate his curiosity. It isn't until later when you bring up something about your world that you realize just how much you've told him, and how he remembers it all

Yes, you will become subject to his experimental mushroom cooking. Not something to boast about, but he takes advantage of your frugal life to feed you his dubious mushrooms because he knows you and Grim wouldn't say no to a free meal

He's open to tell you about life under water and all that. Though he's less open about his childhood than Floyd

If you ever need someone to protect you or escort you back to Ramshackle late at night, Jade's your guy

One of the first people to jump in and take care of you when you fall ill and can barely move/remain awake. His affection comes in acts of service, so this is the prime time for Jade to show he cares for you

🐙 Azul Ashengrotto 💜

Azul helps you study for any problematic subjects you encounter. He acts like he's doing it to be follow the merciful Sea Witch's example, but in reality he does it just 'cuz ('cuz he wants to be seen as the reliable upperclassman asdfg). His one condition is for the study session to be one-on-one, no pesky friends or flame-spewing cats following behind you to peek at his exceptional notes

Ashengrotto will give you a meal on the house in the Lounge once in a while, meals for you and Grim both

He gets very surprised whenever you throw any sort of compliment his way. Tries to reciprocate, but he gets too flustered, it's all chopped up due to stuttering

When concentrating in work, you can hear him hum jazzy melodies

Silence in the presence of Azul is comforting, for you and for him. He rarely gets quiet time with how busy he is with responsibilities, and Grim + Ghosts can get noisy. Moments where you can hide away in his office in quiet calm are cherished

He lends you his coat when you get cold while visiting the Lounge

You once showed him an old coin you found in Ramshackle, his collector instincts immediately flared up and he told you aaaall about it

Of course, before you knew better, he took a couple of those ancient coins for his collection. Now, Azul is your assessor, he tells you a rough estimate of its value and you go off to sell them when you can. He even buys some of them

You have joined him and Idia in their club activities and.... You never saw a more competitive scene than the game of (twst's equivalent of) Clue you just witnessed. There was no other option but become just as competitive yourself~

🦈 Floyd Leech 💜

Squeezing and leaning his weight on you have become his go-to ways of greeting you

You're welcomed to greet him the same way. Finds your squeezes (hugs) amusing

That silly nickname of "shrimpy" has become comforting for you and him. Floyd smiles whenever he remembers you and your nickname, and you can't help but smile a little at his call of "little shrimp". A unique nickname only he can use

OH, HE TOTALLY GASPED, POINTED, AND SAID "CANNIBALISM!!" AFTER SEEING YOU DEVOUR SOME FRIED SHRIMP He just wanted to be dramatic lol

I headcanon him owning sea creature plushies. He knows you like cuddling up to an eel plush he has, so he always leaves it available and easy to spot in his side of the room whenever you visit

Not a lot of people have free access to his snack stash in his bedroom, but you're free to grab some if you want

Don't tell Azul, but Floyd's constantly sneaking you drinks and little desserts from the Lounge

Whenever you catch him in a mood, all you have to do is drag him out to a patch of grass and have him lay down beside you to cloud watch. Works every time. Don't even need to talk through it, but you sometimes encourage him to in case there's something bothering him

You've had to scold him more than a handful of times about practicing his basketball throws on Ramshackle's very fragile walls

When he's missing you/wants to chat without typing words, he sends gifs of swimming shrimp (or eels). When he's mad at you, he sends pictures and gifs of shrimp being cooked or eaten

Sticker chats are common between you

🐍 Jamil Viper ❤

Whenever he wants to invite you to hang out in Scarabia, he does it with extreme secrecy so Kalim doesn't get word and doesn't interfere with his plans

When he notices you're a little blue, or has heard Grim complain too much about being hungry, Jamil will show up at your doorstep with warm food. "We had some leftovers from the party Kalim threw recently." He says, like he didn't sneak into the kitchen after hours to prepare this fresh, just for you.

That or he shows up with the needed ingredients to teach you how to cook an affordable, tasty meal with them

It's due to these cooking lessons why you have a wonderful selection of spices and herbs for seasoning any dish with, for an extra pop of flavor!

When you're both alone and he catches you singing a currently popular tune, he will join in

Has tried to teach you some dance moves, breakdance and traditional dances from his hometown (if you succeed on learning them, I leave it up to you)

You tease him with a bag of dates from time to time

Joking and freely ranting with Jamil is a wonderful activity. He really is a great friend when you get to know him and let him be himself

You will never let him live down how he yelled so loud when a resident Ramshackle bug crawled over his hand. It took a complete month to convince him that it was okay inside the dorm now

You notice how he misses VDC practice, so you decide to ask him to film some trendy Magicam dances with you It's lots of fun and serves as an outlet for Jamil to let out frustrations. Plus, the small audience you've managed to gather is perfect to feed Viper's need for praise and attention, to be in the spotlight

The bloopers of your filming are your favorite part. You've made a couple of stickers from the weird faces and dumb stuff you said

-- --

Hope you enjoyed~!

Perhaps they aren't too sweet, but still, hope it was fun to read

#loading screen headcanons #twisted wonderland #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland headcanons #azul ashengrotto #jade leech #floyd leech #jamil viper #zack writes