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jayisabells · 2 years

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More Genshin Theory Time!

This episode: Dainsleif and "her"

This is based on the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Trial thingy on the official genshin youtube channel. Dainsleif narrates it.

In the last chapter, Chapter ???: The Sea of Flowers at the End, Dainsleif has a whole dialogue saying:

Defeat me, command me to step aside, show me that you are worthier than I to rescue her.

And what I am questioning is who is "her"

The most probable and likely answer is the Abyss Royal sibling, given the fact that Aether is the traveler in all marketing and other relevant things. So "her" is Lumine, Abyss Princess.

However, I would like to discuss other potential options on who "her" is.

Khaneri'ah is "her." In his dialogues during quests Dainsleif refers to the nation as her. Which is common to refer to a nation in English as "her." Ex: Khaneri'ah and her people. Not much to add to that, but as much as I think this could be likely there are other factors to consider. Such as how I am refering to the English translation. For all I know that him refering to Khaneri'ah as "her" is only in the Eng translation.

The Unknown God/Sustainer is "her." This is mainly in reference to the theory that the BP intro story thing is not in reference to the traveler twins, but other characters in Teyvat. Mainly Dainsleif. Although I do find this theory easily disproved, I can see it as the BP story alluding that the traveler's journey has paralells to another journey that happened in Teyvat. Mainly because the BP story implies that the twins are from Teyvat (imagery of Celestia, etc)[1]. Why the Sustainer? Well somethings clearly fucked up in Celestia and she's there, as well as from what we know, her motivations are opposite to Dainsleif.

The God of Time is "her." Same situation as the Sustainer. Could also be the BP story as well, could even be the Sustainer. Not much else to say here. Although there is an interesting connection between Dain and time.

I suggest if you really wanna go deep into Dain lore (for you Dainsleif Lovers out there), I highly suggest you read this (long) post for the Genshin Lore subreddit.

The main point in relation to my current musings is that Dainsleif can use time. He has a "time" vision. Dain wants to know is the traveler is worthy and strong enough to save the God of Time, who could have possibly been struck down by Celestia.

Gold is "her." I find this highly unlikely. I doubt she will ever truly appear in the game in anything other than flashbacks. She is the one I believe that committed the last "crime" that pushed Celestia to damn Khaneri'ah and her people. I feel Dain probably hates her and wouldn't ask the traveler to prove they are "worthy," maybe strong enough, but not worthy.

I think we will end up fighting Dainsleif at the end, and our sibling as well. But I feel Dain, and his Dain-ness, might lead to him being extremely more powerful than we believe. Such as, why was he specifically cursed. What was so special about him in comparison to someone, lets say, the King of Khaneri'ah, than Gold, then whoever else. Why Dain? I do believe Dain might have survived with his mortality due to a possible connection to the Iriminsul [2]. And given how that has connections to the ley lines, maybe somehow the Irisumul saved him or he saved himself through it. Ley lines preserve memories, etc. (He was the Bough Keeper, bough=main branch of tree, main Iriminsul?)

[1]

I feel that there is quite a bit of merit to the theory that the traveler twins are originally from Teyvat. I plan to do a post in the future about this. Mainly that they were on Teyvat pre-Celestia/current Celestia. Possibly when Teyvat wasn't called Teyvat and the 7 nations didn't exist or elemental powers (traveler is seelie confirmed)

[2]

The Iriminsul are the trees inside domains. The tree in Dragonspine is a deas one. Its possible that the tree on Tsurumi Island is a dead one too. They are connected to the ley lines, their roots. And a lot of things are cuased by the ley lines, including preserving memories of people. Such as the ghosts in the island.

(In case embedded link didn't work)

#genshin lore #genshin impact #genshin #dainsleif

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papabirdurskeks · 3 years

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I ask this both for Baron Dark, Ariandel and SkekSo !

Give me a character and I will answer: @ben-the-hyena

Oh boy a triple feature! :D Here we go, folks!

Under a read more cause its going to get long but each listed character will be split apart evenly!

First up is Baron Dark!

Why I like them: He is just bombastic in personality! He lives loud in his actions and words, participating in most of the action himself while also showing he is a threat and menacing altogether! I also like that he is one of the few villains that shows he cares for his crew as a “family” (at least for most part of the series before being overtaken with obsession to have power more on his own). Given the dynamic we are given from the show, its obvious he cares and treats them all on a level of respect as well, something so rare to see nowadays! And I also enjoyed that his reasons to take over and do the shit he did in the series, “Because I can!” is just as refreshing and fun to see in a villain too! And again, his design is a top tier design I love overall! Its menacing, powerful, and outright amazing! Definitely adds to the character and how well he works in effect to keeping my attention! Like just look at that design! And his VA did a wonderful job of adding to that charm that is just delightful to see in his personality! Overall, he is totally a villain I would love to see more of in the future!

Why I don’t: I say my dislikes often fall on the usual tropes of a kid’s show of the 90s. He talks too much when he could be doing things himself and falls victim to the typical “I am too powerful” but doesn’t think of the obvious steps ahead that will be his downfall. But honestly, its so small I don’t find it jarring or that bad to be in the way! It was the 90s and aimed at kids at the time, so we can’t expect TOO much out of that xD

Favorite episode (scene if movie): Oh man, that’s a tough one cause every scene/episode Baron is in he totally slays it! Its either a tie from the first episode to the very last one cause the stakes of start and finish are so well done, I love it all!

Favorite season/movie: Obviously, the TV series is the best version of him! The comics sucked and turned him too OOC from what was initially given! Like how does one go from point A to be Z so freaking fast? xD

Favorite line: “Because I can.” Yeah, not gonna lie this was indeed my favorite line of his xD

Favorite outfit: Honestly, the outfit he gains near the end of the series is by far my favorite! Its like a mix of the Bejeweled Catacomb Saints and Mictlantechutli put in one and its befitting of the Baron given his gain in power!

OTP: Baron and Cyborn are my OTP and are married, fight me.

Brotp: Definitely Brotps with the rest of his henchmen though I see them more being like his adoptive children!

Head Canon: Baron is of indigenous background! I also like to headcanon that the white tuft/strands in his hair are truly his and have been there since birth! (I have so many more HCs for him but I will keep it short cause it can go all day x’) )

Unpopular opinion: Don’t think I have one, at the moment at least.

A wish: To have gotten more information/lore on him and the entire cast, honestly! I would have loved to see more of his character explored and what more he could have had to offer as a series main villain! Hell, the whole damn series had so much to offer! And just the relationships he has with the others and what more he could have done post season and before! So much potential there to be explored! I honestly would not be objecting to a reboot/revival or continuation of the series!

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: Though with that said, if a reboot does come around, don’t turn it into the mess of current cartoons we have. Not that they are all bad but most of them have been very disappointing in keeping my attention and liking. Keep the same type of messages it had before! It worked beautifully as it did then and still does work now! I’d love to see the same formulas used while also updating it to be more gritty and mature like they did for Castlevania! Just... Don’t turn it into a cringe worthy mess that will ruin Baron and all the characters in the series! Don’t do what the comics did!

5 words to best describe them: Charmingly evil, badass, fun, conniving bastard, and menacing.

My nickname for them: Mega dork (affectionately speaking)

Next is Ariandel!

Why I like them: Oh boy, there is a lot to say in terms of why I like him but I will try to keep it short and simple for time purposes! His design is top tier for me! Like a rotting skull like face? Check! A monstrous body much like a bird’s? Check! And to add he is a giant Corvian, which are one of my favorite enemies in Dark Souls III! His personality also differs from the usual loud, bombastic, and proud characters I tend to gravitate for. Instead, he’s withdrawn and rather sad to look at and hear. You know he’s going through a lot but don’t know exactly what it is. In game, one can sort of get hints as to what has gone on behind the scenes but at the same time, its still vague and hard to really pinpoint what really did happen. So he has that air of mystery to him that I honestly adore in many characters as it leaves room to explore deeper into their lore! But I also find his personality relatable as well as sympathetic. But that’s just me, I can gush about him all day but I will cut it short here x’)

Why I don’t: To be honest I don't have any reason not to like Ariandel other then the small fact that he followed Friede and let the Painted World rot in such a terrible state. But that is so minor of an issue to me to really make a difference, lol. I adore this giant bird man!

Favorite episode (scene if movie): I have to say the scene where he ultimately snaps and breaks out of binds after seeing Friede's lifeless body before him is my favorite scene of his. The amount of pain and anguish heard in his scream and the way he moves prior and after; I can very much relate to that feeling. Sometimes, actions truly convey the emotions better in the most powerful means necessary. And this scene alone truly nailed it.

Favorite season/movie: He's only ever seen in the Dark Souls III DLC, so obvious answer points to the DLC!

Favorite line: "When the Ashes are two, a flame alighteth. Thou'rt Ash, and fire befits thee, of course..."

Favorite outfit: Uhh, he doesn't really wear any clothes save for his cape? So I guess the cape does him well as he is, though I always draw him without it xD

OTP: To be honest, I don't ship him with any canon characters within Dark Souls. Friede does not deserve him..

Brotp: Ariandel being best friends with the Ashen One is my ultimate Brotp! Just think of how much of a valuable ally he could have been!

Head Canon: I know his origins are debatable, as either theory I have for him can be plausible but I often lean more towards the idea of him being half Giant and half Corvian! IDK why but I just like it a lot more x’)

Unpopular opinion: While Ariandel is partly responsible for what happened to the Painted World, I still feel he was manipulated overall and probably at one point did have a change of heart before being forced into complete isolation. He plays more the role of the willing/unwilling accomplice then the actual perpetrator of the crime.

A wish: He could have had a happier ending without having to die for Friede. I know, its Dark Souls. Such a thing is expected to happen in the Soulsborne series but its a wish, right?

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: That anything beyond the infatuation he had for Friede took place. Just.. No. He loved her but never could ever have her in that sense and never did. Just no, she is horrible to him.

5 words to best describe them: Sad, lonely, birdman, withdrawn, and tragic

My nickname for them: Papa bird

And lastly for skekSo!

Why I like them: I think its as obvious as the case for Baron Dark. I like evil, smug bastards that shine through their wickedness and don't usually hold back. In the case of skekSo, I actually didn't care for him at first but then after my second viewing of the show, I started to like him more and enjoy his villainy! He's selfish, arrogant, vain, and conniving and I love it! Added that his design is really appealing to the eye and how he carries himself out, I gotta say he's one of the few villain characters from a show that makes the turn around for me to like them instead of hate them more. Also, his voice. Can NOT go wrong with that voice cause DAMN, its good and shows just how powerful a villain can be with a voice like his. And those eyes. Oh man, those eyes!

Why I don’t: Despite his villainy being the main point that caught my attention, its also a part of his downfall too. His constant greed and arrogance pushed him too far into doing what he did and ultimately cost him everything in the end; including loyal allies that end up dying for him in the long run. I hate how easily and quickly he changes his mind when actual logic is put into perspective of his plans and how quick he is to dismiss someone else when they don't please him anymore or things don't go his way for the smallest things. And yes, that is part of his character, I know that. That is what makes him as scummy as he is and why I love how trashy he is. But I also can't ignore just how easily he pushed skekVar away and believed skekSil despite knowing just what a lying bastard he is. IDK, it just feels too obvious but at the same time, it is what it is and I am not upset about it in the least x)

Favorite episode (scene if movie): Honestly, I enjoyed all the scenes with him in the show but mostly in particular with his interactions with skekVar, especially towards the end of the series. It showed a peak part of his vulnerability in his character that honestly I doubt he ever shows to anyone else. He spends most of his time pushing others around and making them fear him but with skekVar there is a sort of mutual respect going that really speaks out in a different way. Maybe I am just reading too much into it, but I always did enjoy how they interacted with one another!

Favorite season/movie: Well, skekSo didn't get much screen time in the movie other then him dying and turning to dust so.... Definitely enjoyed him more in the show then the film xD

Favorite line: "NOOOOO!" (Yes, this scene is still very infamous to me for personal reasons but the way he carried out his "no's" cracked me up each time xD)

Favorite outfit: Honestly, the main outfit he wore throughout the show. It's just so regal and goth, I love it! And as a goth and fashion enthusiast myself, I am all up for the style he has! The battle armor he wore near the end made it a tad more laughable to be honest.

OTP: I started shipping him with skekVar but ended up with an OT3 of skekVar and skekZok. So now all three of them live in a happy relationship with each other in my noodle~

Brotp: I see him being on neutral terms with skekMal!

Head Canon: I feel that even in the show it wasn’t seen or given, but he did feel a lot of remorse and regret after the loss of skekVar. He seemed very close with him and spoke with skekVar with more trust then he did the others. Perhaps in secret he did mourn the General’s loss.

Unpopular opinion: Does this count as an unpopular opinion? I know most people see him with just a few strands of hair but I tend to see him with a head full of long flowing white locks he keeps hidden beneath his clothes. It adds to the extra layer of vanity for a proud Emperor such as he! He looses it over time the darkening consumes him and withers down his health.

A wish: To see what he was like as an urSkek prior to being split up into a Skeksis and urRu. Yeah, I know people don't care or like the urSkeks all that much but honestly, I would LOVE to see more urSkek lore and see what it was that made SoSu so special among his peers. It was said, after all, he had a voice that could move the stars but was conflicted and consumed with darkness. Honestly, I want to know why and who he was prior to all of this mess! SkekSo even says in the show he still has nightmares of the life before so I wonder, what they were and how it was! So much potential here, man!

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I don’t think I have any of these to be honest? At least with skekSo. Not that I can think of on top of my head now.

5 words to best describe them: Proud, absolute piece of shit, pretty, conniving, and menacing.

My nickname for them: Stupid idiot

#Matla answers #non doodle reply #skekso #baron dark #father ariandel #headcanon territory

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radamazard · 3 years

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From Me to We

This is my piece for the DJWifiZine! Everyone who contributed to it is honestly awesome and so talented, so you should go check it out at @thedjwifizine

You can download it here!

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The lights flickered in time with a tired sigh, throwing darkness over pages that had already left Nino feeling increasingly frustrated. What was it about old timey books that made them so… so obtuse!

Had it's previous owners meant to mock him? If so then he guessed they ought to congratulate themselves. Never before had anything left him feeling so completely and utterly defeated.

With that thought and a heavy groan, Nino let the tome hit the cushion beside him.

“Waaaaayzz,” he whined, earning a dry look from the kwami. “How the sweet heck am I meant to read this crap? No offence. I know this is, like, your idea of fun and all, buuuut…”

“None taken,” Wayzz replied, drifting down to sit upon his holder’s shoulder. “I understand that it is a rather…” he paused, seemingly taking a moment to choose his next words carefully. “...dull and dense text. But you were chosen to inherit this role, and with it comes certain responsibilities. Such as-”

“Readin’ old books drier than the Sahara Desert?” Nino scoffed, leaning back into the worn comfort of his couch.

“At least you’re allowed to read them!”

Ah, he was wondering when she was going to join the conversation.

Across the room from him, grumbling to herself from her squeaky desk chair, sat Alya. Her legs were crossed and her form hunched, a sure sign that she wasn't quite over being scolded by the tiny god of protection earlier this evening.

“Aww, come on, babe.” Nino attempted to assure her. “I promise, you're not missin’ out on anything exciting here!”

Well, not anything that he himself would find exciting. To be perfectly honest, he wasn't sure why he'd had the title of guardian thrust upon him. Hero stuff wasn't really something he was passionate about. It was just something he did outta a sense of duty.

Alya though? Now SHE was someone who woulda been squealing at the opportunity. She dug this kinda shit.

Thick, boring books full of lore and secrets that had to be decoded and unravelled?

The responsibility of deciding who was worthy of the same power they wielded, and who could never be allowed even near a miraculous?

The weight that such a position held, and the changes it would bring with it?

That was right up her alley!

It was the ultimate hero's life, all stress and life altering decisions and sooo much information that it made his brain wanna shrivel up and roll right outta his head. This was her dream, not his.

Yet here they sat, neither of them pleased with the cards they'd been dealt.

Man, was life ever a bitch.

“.... Okay, so maybe it'd be exciting to you,” Nino conceded as his girlfriend threw him an irritated glare, one that only softened as she took note of how exhausted he seemed.

Alya pulled herself away from her desk, crossing the room in a few quick steps before she dropped herself next to her beloved with a graceless thump.

“I know you're not trying to make me feel like shit, boo,” she assured him, although with how he slouched into her side Alya was getting the feeling that, perhaps, he felt he had failed in that. “It's just…”

A strong arm wrapped itself around Nino’s shoulder, and with one smooth motion he was pulled into the warmth of Alya’s embrace. It was a comfort, a silent reassurance that no ill feelings were shared between them. That even if the situation was less than ideal, they refused to let it sour their bond.

“Sucks major ass?”

“Couldn't have said it better myself, Neens~”

Alya felt the beginnings of a smile tugging at her lips, one that was awfully contagious as she caught sight of the same beauty blossoming upon her boyfriend's gorgeous face.

“You know I'd give ya the damn title if I could, right?” Nino said with a slight shrug. “I wasn't really gunning for something like this. Or even remotely wanting it.”

“Maybe that's why the old fart gave it to ya,” Trixx chimed in, his sudden presence making the couple jolt comically. Alya threw a pointed look at her kwami, one that went entirely ignored by the mini master of mischief.

“Just saying! I mean, isn't that what boring old humans do? Give power to those that don't want it?”

“As much as I disagree with his choice of words and blatant disrespect for my former master,” Wayzz retorted with an air of annoyance. “Trixx does have a fair point. I do believe that Mas- that Fu’s choice, or at least part of it, was based on a lack of desire. One that does not desire power is far less likely to abuse it.”

Wayzz’s own lack of tactfulness earned him a nasty look, from both his chosen and his fiery partner. Unlike Trixx though, he at least had the decency to appear guilty, knowing that he lacked a certain level of social savvy. The fox instead had whizzed off to find a new place to nap. How typical of him.

“I did not mean anything offensive by it,” the kwami quickly added. “I do not believe that Miss Alya would ever abuse such power! You have proven to be a hero of great honour and responsibility, and I would never wish to besmirch your name with such dirty implications…”

“I'd hope not, little dude,” Nino said firmly, the sternness in his gaze starting to melt as Alya relaxed beside him, along with her grip that held his lanky frame. “I love ya, but Als is my frickin’ Queen. I ain't about to let anyone talk smack about her, not even you.”

“I would never. In fact, if it would assure your fears, I will let it be known that Miss Alya was Fu’s second pick.”

A beat of silence passed, broken only by the slight cry of shock that fell from Alya's slackened jaw.

“You… You can't be serious! Was I- I could of- What?!”

“Oh, but I am. You possess a brilliant mind, and a passion for knowledge and the history of us kwamis that is both pure and unrivalled by anyone alive today. To be completely honest, the perfect guardian lies somewhere between you both. It made the decision terribly hard…”

As he trailed off the silence returned. Unlike last time though, it stretched out, filling several long lasting minutes.

Nino felt Alya’s cheek come to rest upon his head, and even from where he rested, his face pressed into the crook of her neck, he could hear her heart race. Was it excitement, the idea that she was thought of so highly by someone she deeply respected? He hoped so. She deserved at least that.

No, she deserved so much more.

“You right there, Als?” Nino whispered against her skin, laying a gentle kiss to her thrumming pulse. To his delight he felt her shiver beneath his lips, egging him on to smother her in a flurry of feather light affections.

“I will be once you stop being such a damn lovable DORK,” Alya shot back, her cheeks ablaze. It wasn't often that Nino managed to catch her off guard as such, not that she was complaining of course. She loved him dearly, with his sweet tenderness and near endless patience for her more… wild ways.

But right now was meant to be serious talk time!

“Well excuuuuuse me, Princess!”

Oh, how her eyes rolled.

“Anyway, back to the topic at hand. You know, the one where I was ALMOST THE GUARDIAN? I seriously can't believe that I was this close to being allowed to read the same book that you wanna throw in a fire!” Up went her hands, and with them Wayzz, who hopped out of the way of any further hand shenanigans and took refuge on the arm of their couch.

“Like, come on universe! I'm sorry that we can't just fuse or mind meld or be co-guardians or something equally as ridiculous!”

“Man, that last one woulda been hella sweet. Could you imagine? This shit would be so much easier if we could tackle it together. That damn book would be halfway understood by the end of the year if you were actually allowed to read it!”

Together they sighed, almost dreamily, as though the idea was but a wish, one fit only for fairytales. Or perhaps a low budget rom com, like the ones they enjoyed playfully mocking every Friday evening. Ah, for their lives to be so stupidly simple.

“Don't even say it, babe. Don't give me dreams that can't be fulfil-”

“Co… Guardians?” Wayzz interjected, drawing their gazes to his suddenly pondering form. “I hadn't thought of that option. Neither of us had. It certainly isn't traditional, but Ma- but Fu has never been one to follow tradition. Does that truly matter now in the scheme of things?”

His tiny brow creased in deep thought, so much so that they feared he may give himself a headache. Then, without warning, the kwami was zipping across the room, coming to rest upon the coffee table where Nino’s phone lay.

“What are yo-”

“I am contacting Fu. This new guardianship is only days old, you see. We should still be able to make amendments. With this new idea presented I believe we may be able to reach a more agreeable situation for all.”

“You… You mean…”

“Yes, Miss Alya. Now please, a moment of silence.”

The couple shared a look of bewilderment, one that swiftly morphed into giddy delight as the meaning of Wayzz's words and the hushed conversation he was having, started to settle in.

“You don't think…?” She started.

“Heck yeah I think!”

“I wasn't even being- well okay, I HAD thought of it before, but I didn't seriously think that it could happen! But now it’s- Neens, I might-!”

Excited giggles burst forth between them, both barely able to contain the jittering joy that flourished between them. What once had seemed like a sore point now pulsed with a new life, promising a future that held them together closer than ever before.

Strange, how quickly one’s night could turn from a grouchy sort of sour to a sweet, bubbly delight.

Together they tittered, their conversation an excited mess of hardly hushed whispers and tightly gripped hands. The energy was punctured by a familiar, yet sharp throat clearing, which snapped their attention back to the awaiting kwami.

“Although our conversation was brief, and we will meet at a later date to discuss the details, we are both in agreement. A Co-Guardianship is something we are willing to trial. If you will both agree to this arrangement, that is.”

Wayzz watched with a delighted chuckle, already braced for the squeals and hollering of joy that were soon to follow. Ah, to be young and so wonderfully human, to find such happiness in something shared.

“Are you kidding, little dude? Of freaking course I agree to this shit! Als, did ya hear what he sa-”

“SIGN ME THE FUCK UP!” Alya shouted in pure, unfiltered glee. Within seconds she was reaching across her boyfriend, grabbing the tome that had been the source of so many nasty feelings not even half an hour ago.

Nino’s easy laugh filled her ears, and soon it vibrated against her lips, gobbled up by a kiss of pure, vibrant glee that left them both more than a little love drunk.

“I swear, I- no, WE won't let you down!”

We.

Yes, that had a nice ring to it.

We, as in friends.

We, as in lovers.

We, as in heroic partners.

We, the Co-Guardians of the Miraculous, together until death do us part.

#the djwifi zine #nino lahiffe #alya cesaire #DJWifi #miraculous ladybug #miraculous #wayzz

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felassan · 5 years

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Faces of Thedas Part 1

(Part 2 is here)

Soooo I came across what seems to be the whole of Faces of Thedas free online. 0:

I’m picking through it and there’s some cool/interesting stuff in there. these parts were the highlights and most notable bits for me so far. not suggesting this is all new or that these things are all good, just that they were what stood out most to me.

- it specifically notes that it’s a useful guide to their characters, with their histories and personalities carefully researched and detailed. i.e. it’s official information. I do have to say there are quite a few typos (Par Vallon? Kal-shirok? Teveinter? Bartran? Sa arebas? bit sloppy) and even several lore-errors in it. not a big deal, just you’d think it’s the kind of thing they would have caught during editing and proof-reads

- blond hair and blue eyes are distinctive features of Anderfels mountain men

- Leliana’s features are very Fereldan

- it describes Cass as a “cactus patch” LOL, dragon-hunting as a limited field with just two classes of practitioners - “skilled” and “deceased” - and lists Anders’ Awakening-era equipment as including Ser Pounce-a-lot (yey!) and dried mackerel (yuk). includes notable quotes from some of the characters; Dog’s is “Woof!” (of course). Varric is totally making Cass a character in his next bestseller. Cole’s equipment list ends “and an unusual hat”. Stitches is one of the best healers in Ferelden. Dalish the Charger is a flirt. Varric’s allegiances include “the Champion of Kirkwall”. ;__; Harding’s role is “Adorably Sarcastic Lead Scout”, and her family mabari Contessa weighs 170 pounds. an aside, but descriptions of Origins-era Anders cause him to strike me as an Enneagram 7

- if Hawke killed Anders for his actions at the end of DAII, disciples (like-minded mages) elevated him to martyrdom for his valiant blow against their oppressors. if Anders lived, after the Kirkwall Rebellion he’s not only a pariah but arguably the most universally despised person alive in all of Thedas. even among the Rebel Mages he’s considered an extremist, and there’s apparently hardly a mage alive who’s in any way pleased with his actions 8| according to this book, hundreds died when Kirkwall Chantry blew up

- one of Alistair’s few indulgences as King was commissioning a custom pike designed specially for him. it’s a masterwork ironbark twohanded spear, and was inspired by Oghren’s old off-color jokes about pike-twirling.

- “Alistair is one of the few truly good people in Thedas”

- he sees siring Morrigan’s child as a fate worse than death

- whatever her outcome, Anora remains a Queen of Ferelden in her heart

- Leliana is still the girl that had a pet nug she named Schmooples, despite it all

- after the Fifth Blight, Dog was allowed to rest/retire, settle down, find a mate, and produce many Mabari pups. these pups share the ferocity of their father, and could prove equally valuable companions to those worthy of their loyalty. after his passing, there’s a good chance that interested parties would be after his bones to display them as a prize or curio.

- far from just using the network of mirrors to hamper both sides in the Orlesian Civil War, back when Briala had control of the eluvians she also used them to bring food to alienages, gaining the support of City Elves in the process, and to aid elves in other ways too. she’s also noted to have been doing what she could to gain the support of the Dalish, and that her logic was that the longer she could drag out and harry the Orlesian war effort, the more time she would have to free her People from their bonds. her goals are for all of the elves of Orlais, City and Dalish both, and she’s making efforts to bring unity between the two. in the Orlesian court she spends time, through intrigue, supporting nobles who support elves and tearing down those who do not. Briala is bae ok I added that last bit myself

- “Many Dalish don’t see city elves as being truly elves and so don’t see any particular reason to help them, and for that matter why would anyone want to have equality with a shem?”

- in need of an Inquisitor to head up their soon-to-be-hatched recreation of the Inquisition of old, and potential allies of the Chantry and the Divine, Leliana had set out in search of the Hero of Ferelden while Cassandra sought Hawke.

- rogue Seekers as well as the templars and rebel mages were in attendance at the Conclave. before the sky opened, Cassandra and Varric were supposed to address the Conclave, so that Varric could recount his tale of the Champion

- I like this snippet on Cass’s development: “introspection is a difficult skill to learn, however, and her brash impulsiveness often leaves her deeply chagrined or ashamed of mistakes that could have been avoided had she taken time to consider before rushing to judgement. Or to paraphrase her own recriminations, recent events taught her anything, it’s the extent of her own ignorance and short-sightedness.” I like to think this sort of reflection and development applies to her looking back on some of the ill-thought comments she made early in the course of DA:I, like asking Lavellan “Isn’t there room for another god?” and similar.

- Cass and Galyan could never make a stable, serious relationship, but they did get together when they could and harbored feelings for each other right up until he died at the Conclave Q.Q

- “Celene does, in fact, have sympathy for the elves,” ಠ_ಠ

- Cole perceives pain as very nearly a physical thing with which he can interact. his unhesitating stream-of-consciousness recounting of peoples’ most painful memories occurs because he wants to excise the pain by exposing it and helping his subject through it

- This part on how Dorian can potentially be used by GMs in campaigns: “Dorian provides a strong candidate for a high-society Tevinter who would employ the heroes. Due to his position in Tevinter nobility as well as his experience in researching arcane lore, he would be able to provide access to Tevinter archives or artifacts in return for tasks the party performs for him.” Echoes of Dorian’s role in Dragon Age 4, perhaps?

- idk i just really like the parallels in the Grey Warden order recalling Fiona to Weisshaupt and making the shocking discovery that she was cured of the Taint, and the order recalling the Hero of Ferelden upon learning that no Warden died to deal the killing blow on the Archdemon, if Morrigan’s ritual was completed

- literally everything about Fiona

- Fiona’s silverite battlemage staff is emblazoned with the Theirin coat of arms.. my heart...

- the lil section on romancing Harding

- bit more insight into Qunari views on gender and trans people

- an alternate version of the story of Flemeth and Conabar; Flemeth was betrothed to the poet Osen, but they were very poor. The nobleman Conabar struck a deal with Osen to buy her. she agreed but Conabar recanted, claiming he had no money to pay. he killed Osen and imprisoned her. she called upon the demon to aid her, but it only became her guide and never possessed her. she killed Conabar and fled.

- Harding’s calling cards in guerrilla warfare are latrines booby-trapped with Antivan Fire or hornet nests. a former bard and fellow scout even immortalized one such escapade in a spectacularly graphic limerick

- Josie’s dangerousness, hardworkingness, talent, formidableness and high sense of personal responsibility/ethics is emphasized 👏 “she is one of the most gifted communicators and stateswomen alive”!!

- the Charger Dalish “hails from a secret group of elves. It has long been thought that the elves had regained the secrets to lost magic, and Dalish is living proof”.

#dragon age #bioware #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #video games #cassandra pentaghast #alistair theirin #morrigan #cole #feels #lul #queen of my heart #my lady paladin #fav warden #spirit boy

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sanerontheinside · 5 years

Text

Written for @caffeinewitchcraft‘s caffeine challenge!

[Prompt: A story told from the POV of someone who’s not part of the hero’s journey. No, their role is much worse. They’re the hero’s tragic backstory and they realize it a week before their death.]

He came to study with me in the winter, when the snows had crawled down from the caps and frozen and dried my garden. I wasn’t sure what he expected to learn from me, in this dormant time of year, before he knew his herbs and beetles. I told him so, and sent him down to the cellar to learn from the dried plants and the old books.

Not a single university-educated bone in the boy’s body. Which was partly just as well—those children think they know so much. But they only teach certain things at universities these days, and I’m not all that keen on teaching complex geometries myself. Then come the lunar orbits and the rotations of other celestial bodies nearby, and the interactions of plants, and drying and heating and—

And that’s if you’re lucky enough to find a student who knows the world does not revolve around them, but around a burning celestial flame. Alchemy is a complex art, built on everything at once. It’s the making of magic from science and maths, exploring the chaos within the order, and not the reverse. It isn’t for the faint of heart.

But he came with the recommendation of his village’s witch, a practical woman and an old friend. I suppose that’s the best I could expect, if I’d ever wanted a student.

(I didn’t).

She talked me into it anyway. In a letter. Awful wench, not even the decency to do it in person.

Addie has always had what I had not—a way with people, of inspiring trust and warmth. Or rather: one day I stopped trying, and discovered an immense freedom in speaking my mind. I lost my place as the court physician, and no longer had to curry to the whims of my betters. I lost my friends, and realised they’d never been friends to me at all.

I found Addie barely a month after that. I discovered the person I had once wanted to be, alive and well and thriving out in the great wide world, whereas I had felt throttled and sidelined since the day I came into the city.

He reminded me of you, she wrote. He sees that the world is broken and wants so very badly to fix it.

“And he thinks alchemy is the way to do that?” I muttered aloud in my kitchen.

Yes, he wants the power of this gift; he still thinks that power is the way to fix things. Yes, I know it should frighten me, you may keep your grumbly lecture.

I know you will not let him abuse your art.

Addie would never steer me wrong.

And she knew how to throw down a challenge, which certainly never hurt.

Her protégé was worthy of her praise. He learned fast, and he had a knack for it, much to my surprise. Instead of learning his herbs and beetles he sat that and charted and muttered and cross-referenced my many old books. Corrected half the Celestial Atlas in tiny marginalia. Found my old journals where I’d done my own calculations, and started studying those instead.

It is rare to have a student so willing and stubborn. Patient enough that he will wait for you to warm up to him, certain of his charm. He cared for my goats and chickens, kept my hearth clean, fixed my rickety gate and dusted the shelves. If nothing else, it was good to have the company.

And on late nights, the sky was high and clear, and he argued about the paths of the celestial flames with me, and argued about what it was that the gods were burning. Clever boy—I could see why Addie liked him. He told such fine stories, when he was finally sure I would listen.

He was hopeful. He was hopeful and certain and brilliantly clear in a way that I no longer was. He had a purpose and a belief, a fire lit from within. Sitting beside him on the long solstice nights, I felt like the cold of these mountain winters had seeped into my very bones. Or perhaps it was the cold and damp of the city and the king’s court, and I’d never really warmed through, even after all these years tending to my own, comfortable, clean fire.

Maybe he would burn strong enough for it to last. Maybe he could go out into the world, even down into the city, and light the way for better days. He was already so serious and so solemn, sometimes. He had the makings of that patient, constant force that whittles away stone and marks the passage of time with no more than an absent gesture.

And he made me miss one plucky village witch. Made me feel the way I had when I first met her, and realised that someone like her truly could exist. That unforgettable feeling, like filling your lungs full with air so cold and sharp and rarified that it feels like your heart might burst. They’ll be the death of me, I sometimes think, with their kind and solemn eyes, their unearthly patience.

Spring came, cold and grey and eerily still. I’d begun to send the boy out to the mountainsides, to investigate what enterprising young things had sprouted, what had braved the first thaw and would likely die the next frost, for Winter hadn’t quite finished with our corner of the world just yet. He wasn’t much for herbal lore, though I could tell Addie had tried to teach him.

We get few travelers in these parts; the ones who are lost rarely make it this far, and the locals try to avoid me. They’re not too overfond of mages, never mind that alchemists aren’t any such thing (well, only peripherally). A village witch succeeds in part because she can convince the villagers that she is harmless, and I have never been able to do any such thing.

They know. They only come to me when there is no one else to help them. A child sick with fever whom even the mages could not save, a plague among the cattle—these are the things that overcome the bounds of any fear.

I did not take the boy with me for this.

It was sheer misery: bitter cold and stillborn foals, cattle poisoned by polluted water. I was asked to do what even a mage couldn’t fix. There was one in the town’s inn, still, unwilling to give up or admit defeat. He looked haggard. It takes much from a being, tending to the fevered and the ailing.

But where a mage goes to the cattle, I go first to the water.

This is not what we called you for, the elders tell me.

“But you called me, so allow me to do my work.” To purify, to separate out what they cannot see is killing them.

This is what I would not have that young boy see: the way they shy from me. Maybe they will never hide from him, because he is not like me. He draws people to himself without so much as thinking of it. But I do not wish for him to ever see this gift we share as a thing of which to be ashamed.

“I remember you,” the mage said to me one day. “I saw you once, in the city. You were a member of the king’s court.”

The chill wind rippled across my back.

“You were well known for your work. We studied it, in my school.”

“That’s very flattering,” I said, still wary.

He chuckled. “Hardly. You were renowned, and a Master at the University, read around the kingdom.”

“I was renowned, and a Master at the University, and they burned my books when I left the city,” I told him.

It had taken me days to realise that he was actually quite young. Perhaps he did not know the story—how I left, and why.

Some days I still regard it as a terrible mistake. Days like this, when I am up to my elbows in poisoned water and pushed to the limit of my tolerance for cold stares. Days when I remember Addie’s patience, and the patience of that boy looking after my hearth and my goats, waiting for me to teach him.

I felt—these days, very often—that it was my greatest failure. How could I have dared to turn around and throw away everything I’d ever worked for? How could I, when I’d already done so much?

The mage frowned at me. “My school did not burn your books. Our Masters told us about you. You were... remarkable. I’ve always wanted to meet you.”

“Ah.” I shrugged, and squinted at my work. “Well, you know what they say about meeting one’s heroes.”

I bent down to fix the water filter into place. It was still too difficult to do, I couldn’t possibly expect the women of this town to have the time to fiddle with this thing as much as I had...

“I do,” he said. I heard him rise from my workbench, and move toward the door. “They’re far better in person.”

By the time I looked up again, he was gone.

The villagers paid me what I asked, with dark looks and hand-signs to avert evil. How kind of them, I think to myself with the slightest of smiles, to wish me on my way well-protected from meddling spirits.

The mage walked with me to the village boundary, still asking me about the filters, how to use them, where to put them. It was a strange thing, to enjoy teaching once again. Despite the misery of that place, I left it feeling a little lighter.

Just not for very long.

As I mounted the last hill between me and home I discovered that my hands were shaking. My heart raced too fast. Surely, I grumbled, I cannot be that old.

The cold sweat and the sudden gripping fear was what propelled me forward. The blinding terror made me run, dropping my satchels and precious tools haphazard on still-frozen ground.

There are rules that any mountain-dweller knows. You do not cross the path of certain things, you do not speak to masters of the mountain. If something speaks to you, you are polite, but you do not leave your answer open to another question.

You don’t invite a stranger in.

Rarely is there anything that wanders in these parts looking to make mischief. But young magicians are forever a target for such beings. Especially those of great potential.

The shadows are a hungry thing, here among the ice and rock, but no shadow can abide a fire. I sent embers spewing from my hearth, threw a rain of sparks through the unnaturally dark room. They fell upon the shadow-creature and it did not burn, but it pulled its tendrils tight, as if in pain. By the faint light I could just make out the child’s pale and frightened face—

—and the fine-scaled golden features of the thing that hovered over him.

Another rule: you do not show your fear. Oh, it smells fear on the wind—but you do not show it.

“There is a sign on my gate, and a rune on my door, and even the goats in my yard would have told you that you are not welcome. It is time for you to depart.”

It bared its teeth at me in something like a smile, wrapped the dark about itself and vanished without a word.

Too easy.

“Achim.”

The boy was curled in on himself in the corner, so small.

With a sigh, I crossed to the table and picked up my kettle. I set it to heat, and banished the soot from my floors. There was something to be said for heat and sweetness and spice, after such things. I approached him slowly and crouched down to tuck a blanket about his curved shoulders. “Achim, look at me.”

I nudged his chin up until I could see his eyes. “It isn’t coming back.”

“It—told me I could never—run far enough,” he stammered out through chattering teeth.

“And I’m telling you that I keep my word. Any being that does not keep to the contract is one you can bring low. This is your first lesson, child.”

First, and perhaps the last.

He watched me, wide-eyed, as I set the table. Watched me as evening fell. Watched me clean and hum and read until he fell asleep.

And when I was sure he did not dream, I pulled my shawl about my shoulders, and walked out the door to the edge of my grounds, to the garden gate that he had fixed for me.

The creature was still lurking there.

Actually, it loitered, rather as if it owned the place. It had a vaguely human shape, though of course appearance was the last thing you could trust. It leaned against the fence as if propped up at hip and elbow, lounging like an uninvited lover at the gate. The cloak of shadows hung from its shoulders, hood fallen free of the being’s head.

Mischief-maker, quicksilver trickster. People used to come up all this way into the mountains, searching for gold. There were stories of the yellow demon they saw glimmers of in the mountain streams.

“You are owed nothing. You came onto my lands at the invitation of one who did not even own them. Why do you linger?”

“He is young and powerful,” the golden creature said, “and the future that awaits him must not be.”

Another, less acknowledged rule: such beings are old and powerful, and if they speak of troubled times, perhaps it is worth a listen. Perhaps, or perhaps not. It is certainly a folly to ignore such warnings. The being that delivers it is never one that cares for your wellbeing. But if it worries for its own, then you may be sure: a mortal will not survive what follows.

“What future do you see?"

“Death to the mages and witches,” it said, without hesitation. “He will do what is right, he will bring light into the darkness, as you believe him capable of doing. But with that light, great unintended evils will spread through the world. The extinction of those who use magic, those who are magic, is not a change that this world can sustain.”

“And I suppose you are here out of enlightened self-interest,” I blurted, and cursed myself for my thoughtless mouth.

The being only smiled.

“That boy has a better chance than most,” I rallied. “He has a gift, and it isn’t just his magic or his knowledge. He has a chance at gaining enough wisdom to keep it in balance.”

“Maybe so. But you have always known that your faith is not enough to save anyone. Sometimes, there is simply nothing that you can do.”

I leaned heavily against the gatepost. “And if you know so much of me, you know I cannot let you take him. Because you have to try.”

That Achim should have come to me—that Addie should have sent him here—was a chance as slim as starfall landing in one’s yard. I had discovered not long afterward that the King had set his hounds to thinning out the ranks of learned folk outside the city. Achim’s parents had died for “spreading lies”—insisting that the factories had tainted the village water—and the only thing that saved their son was that he’d been practicing a little bit of simple trick-magic at Addie’s fire.

I must have been among the first to fall in the King’s war on the educated, five years ago. One of the learned folk whose names had been used to justify the slaughter of traitors, snobs, and liars—the evil that would bring the kingdom down.

Those who did not leave the city, as I had, had simply been murdered.

“Name a different price,” I told the shadow-creature from the mountains, and it laughed.

“A price for what? I did not come here for a deal.”

“Yet you will make one, because I have asked it of you,” I said. “I will abandon my charges no longer. So you will tell me what the price is for me to keep them safe.”

“Them,” the creature echoed, and raised a golden eye-ridge. “Who are they?”

The people I left behind in the city. The boy I refused to teach for so long, and now might never really get a chance to teach at all. Addie and that tired, curious mage who still thought me a hero.

The being stared at me.

“Come out, fair lady, dance with me,” the golden creature said at last with a wide, inhuman grin, and stretched out a long-clawed hand. “I find yours is a better mind to dance with than a child’s.”

I laughed, terrified, because I did not know what else to do. “That is your offer?”

Dancing, what was that supposed to mean?

It twitched its shoulders, like a shrug, and pointed up at the moon. “Until it turns, you have time to think on it.” It made a show of straightening out, dusting off its sleeves, and turned to go. “Seven nights, I believe, and remember that they grow ever shorter.”

“Wait! How am I not abandoning anyone if I am off—dancing?”

There were tales of diaphanous things dancing on the mountain winds, through the shadows in the canyons. The souls of dead climbers, some still think. There were stories of souls that danced with death. I had always thought the truth must be somewhere in between.

This wasn’t quite what I’d had in mind, however.

The being looked over its shoulder, and blinked at me, slowly, like a mountain cat. “The only truth you know of what lies beyond this place is that you can’t return to where you’ve been. You do not step into the same water twice in a mountain stream, Tali, yet you have never made the mistake of thinking that there is nothing beyond the stream.”

Between one breath and the next, the creature vanished.

I stayed and watched the moon for a long time, too numb to feel the cold. I thought, I’d never given you my name.

No—I don’t remember giving you my name.

I wasn’t sure which thought was the more terrifying.

Back in the house behind me, a young boy slept a dreamless sleep. In response to a nameless, shapeless threat against him, I’d thrown all caution to the winds, somehow bargained with my life. All in the name of a potential none could grasp.

And with a being that had the advantage of me, no less.

I won’t be able to teach him, I thought, and dropped that regret like a stone at the gate; one of those smooth, small stones that weighs far more than it looks like it ought to. Another rounded, heavy stone: I won’t be the one to watch him grow.

I’d waited too long, again. Old fool, still making the same mistakes as always.

I had a week to get my old journals in order. At least, as a university master, I’d been an obsessive scribe for my own affairs.

There was a tale I once heard, about a woman who learned the name of the fae that she’d entered into a bargain with, and that was what freed her from their deal. I did not recall making a deal with anything.

But then, I did once somewhat carelessly offer my heart and soul in exchange for being permitted to learn the secrets of the universe...

#something's always listening #caffeine prompts #caffeinewitchcraft #strange alchemicals #loose interpretation of 'not part of the hero's journey' and also 'death'#loose interpretation of the whole prompt #*quickly tosses fic out into the open before i can grow more doubts about it*

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fireeaglespirit · 5 years

Text

beyond-far-horizons

This is awesome and because *hangs head in shame* I dont play the games (i'm a noob with no money and my parents never let me have video games so I just like the story okay?) I have never seen this bit.

I ADORE multiverse/underworld stuff as you know or perhaps you don't as I don't know how far I got explaining Aeq and Midnight Palace but it is FULL of that stuff. I love the symbolism and it is very Jungian (I am the Priest of Jung okay, welcome to the New Testament of Jess!) But I need to sleep rn so we can get to it later.

Thank you for showing me because then I can reference it if I have time but I have so many other things going on right now and dunno I love fanfic and these stories but then I get down because I get virtually no response and I need that interaction to continue. It is my luck to always like dead fandoms with minor prequel characters I guess...still I do feel the fanfic has improved my writing and vice versa

I was thinking alot about hell and demons and what 'heaven' would be as I had a very detailed review on FF.net asking me all this questions, like why Sparda would long for the light if he is a demon and dunno, it always comes back to my pet theories of light and dark and the union of opposites. Sparda is so interesting because I feel he came to 'justice' on his own but probably also cemented by this mysterious priestess who he had to sacrifice. At least that is the way

the way I would go if I was developing the lore or a prequel game. It seems the most juicy option. Anyways this 'light' ties into my feelings about the transcendent, this higher power/reality urging all to grow and develop. I guess I would see demons as base and vicious aspects of reality and sources of wild and violent energy - very much as both Jung and early cultures saw them or primal gods or 'titans'.

It's also why I have a headcanon Sparda a)is fascinated by humans - they have the same struggles as him and b)he has a huge library on religions of the world, history, philosophy and science because he is still trying to discover the nature of reality just like Eva and this is what really brings them together. I wrote this line last night when Eva looks at all the books 'So you devour our souls metaphorically instead of physically now?'

I debated on making Sparda saintly, like he has already has his struggle and is now secure in himself but that isn't interesting to me plus you know our shared love of fighting with the feral nature to ultimately make the person better. Plus I kinda like the romantic angst that way like with MadaMito hehe

Okay I need to go to bed now.

Ok, prepare for huge contrived reply incoming...

First of all. What??

I hate when parents do this. I’m so sorry, I never knew about it... I really hate this.

Video games are just another media, I never understood why people would pick on that and forbid their child from having some fun. FFS.

If you want to play something some day I’ll always be there to help you installing, finding them, etc.. whatever you might need. Or even just finding anything related to games, etc.. I don’t play much these days as you know the multiple reasons but it was such an important part of my life I can barely imagine being cut out from this, even thought we always had old consoles this was very important.

About Sparda and the fic. I need to be sincere and say I’m taking so long to reply for two reasons. First because I LOVE the way you wrote Sparda but I was afraid of being too simplistic with my reply so I delved a lot on things...

But... tah-dah : I lost the huge reply I had wrote before. My note has 0 battery so its glued to the wall and it just turns off sometimes suddenly and I’m dumb and don’t save things so yeah. I kinda lost myself and got angry about that.

Anyway, I understand what you said here, especially your feelings about the fic, in many ways I can see how my fandom views reflect in the original world I’m making, and the inverse is contrary. There are many parallels. It really helps and fandom work is as worthy as original, imo, I’ve been thinking about this. Our obsession with prequels and obscure characters has a reason and that is exactly because we want to explore what is hidden behind the veil... exploring the possibilities.

Sometimes it comes to shipping speculation, and this too has a reason.

Thinking about your views on Sparda and Eva, I thought a lot on what it truly means to write or develop an obscure ship and why we are so interested in that (think about that, many of our common favorite characters from prequels, etc..)

I came to the conclusion that in Eva/Sparda just like in many of our other ships, has the common theme of the heroin facing her ‘dark reflection’, her ‘animus’ as Jung would say (OH BOY I’m entering that with you), and she, at first rejects it like she reflects her own darker aspects, her unconscious… its abhorrent for her so she seeks to destroy it as rapidly as possible as seen by Eva’s renewed determination after learning Sparda’s true nature in chapter 1. The animus represents her doubts and unconscious... However what we see in your story is much more interesting.

Most stories of this kind focus solely in the female aspect changing from her interactions with the male, who is already developed, but here we have Eva being able to re-awaken some viciousness in Sparda when it seems he has been quite restrained from quite some time (centuries) but also, something that is much more interesting.. it calls to his own determination and his own personal story and sacrifice, for some reason his ‘lust’ and brush with the dark side makes it all more important and more powerful than if he simply had been saintly at that point, like you said. It makes he revisit it all and ponder.

I love how you added lines of ‘temptation’ from Mundus, part of Sparda seeks to surrender to his ‘nature’ as its just so easy, like slip in a pair of old shoes... while the priestess memory, albeit silently, fights it and reminds him of his struggle and his ideals and ultimately her sacrifice which was also his own sacrifice (of his old ways). I think his darker side has been neglected and I think you will use this to develop Sparda into greater heights. Its great we get to see this in the actual story and he is not perfect, but he certainly is incredible.

Also, just as a side-note I loved how you described his hunger as mostly non-carnal as he glimpses her spirit and its light... when we see Sparda’s POV we get reminded every time of his non-human nature and his non-human perception of things which is clearly different. A demon’s prey is not flesh but spirit and this makes a lot of sense and a lot of potential.

To sum it up, you snatched the best of both worlds and is about to develop both characters under a relationship, as they have a lot to learn and gain from each other. I think this is the way your narrative is going, more or less.

These developments are unique aspects which I find extremely interesting and you are doing this in such a genial way and I can see already by the end of the latest chapter the strings of the themes I mentioned are pulled and ready to be followed.

So yeah, they’re in for a journey of development together. Neither of them starts the story as a ‘perfect’ entity either way... This was shown in a very nice way as you pointed out misconceptions regarding both sides involving the duo of protagonists.

“I was thinking alot about hell and demons and what 'heaven' would be as I had a very detailed review on FF.net asking me all this questions, like why Sparda would long for the light if he is a demon and dunno, it always comes back to my pet theories of light and dark and the union of opposites. Sparda is so interesting because I feel he came to 'justice' on his own but probably also cemented by this mysterious priestess who he had to sacrifice. At least that is the way I would go if I was developing the lore or a prequel game. It seems the most juicy option. Anyways this 'light' ties into my feelings about the transcendent, this higher power/reality urging all to grow and develop. I guess I would see demons as base and vicious aspects of reality and sources of wild and violent energy - very much as both Jung and early cultures saw them or primal gods or 'titans'.”

I abstained a bit from the conversation earlier as I feared my careless/godless (lmao) perception was too disturbing for you or anyone but I also pondered on concepts such as heaven and hell, salvation, damnation, etc.. when considering Sparda’s tale. I know DMC isn't Christianity but its imagery is somewhat based on Abrahamic religion/mythos so I’m bound to take in consideration some of my ideas regarding biblical mythology, as in...

When I started reading the bible so long ago it always puzzled me to imagine what exactly were angels/demons. I mean, are they even able to think in the same way as us?? Or are them more like ‘robots’, AI following orders (especially angels sometimes strikes me as that) and perhaps demons are those ‘robots’ that rebelled against their determined function, idk.

Something I wondered more than a decade ago was if demons in the bible are truly lost in every way so I started thinking within the dmc setting. I’m interested in that all and those things I mentioned. The interesting part is that I once asked that to my catechist if demons could be redeemed (lmao I was crazy, I know, but bored above all). She was at first very mad with me (she was always) but she reluctantly told me that demons had known god up close and felt his power so their sin in not following him is much bigger than a human’s, something of the sorts. So it sounded like they are also able to choose their way and I sort of apply this to dmc, lol. I’m weird, I know...

Are they capable or ‘worthy’ of forgiveness, because demons in dmc clearly have free will and thought like us, or at least similar to us. Some of them, like Sparda have clearly a lot of intellect, but like you said... others are very ‘primal’. Perhaps this is the key. The ‘evolved’ demon develops intellect and power... perhaps you are in the right track and it goes hand in hand? Does this make any sense?? The more powerful and developed they are, the more they develop ‘higher brain functions’ and star resembling a human more, idk because the lower demons in dmc are clearly more animal-like and primal while Sparda has a human-like shape and intellect.

I think I know where we are going and this looks like both angels and demons are actually a ‘reflection’ of human psyche. So, demons are the primal ancient aspects of the brain are somehow walking around hell just like that, while heaven and its inhabitants are mysterious. I really like the way you described hell and its inhabitants, it makes a lot of sense to imagine it as a part of human psyche embodied, in a way. I imagine Heaven as the exact inverse of Hell so it has its own creatures and they’re born from ‘order’ instead of chaos as stated above.

We have Bayonetta as a source of inspiration and I think its very valid to use that in order to understand Sparda. Heaven isn’t exactly good there, is it? In fact it appears like a very controlling environment.

Hell: Primal, violent, survival of the fittest anyone? Hell inhabitants embodied the most basic aspects of the brain, as you said.

Heaven: It might stem from higher planes of thinking and represent the more ‘sublime’ or ‘newer’ aspects of the evolving mammal brain.

It might make an easy choice for heaven but also such tight atmosphere is bound to become stagnant, it is no longer permitting flaws and strong emotions (thus angels look apathetic af in Bayonetta).

It might seem at first glance that heaven is good, hell is bad, however I think, if you delve into heaven you might realize the beings born there might be too ‘disembodied’ as they represent exactly those parts of human psyche which are the most sublime. Let me explain, I always felt like too much spirituality tends to make people leave behind the reality of things, it might make them lack empathy for living beings who have to commit difficult decisions on a living basis, basic survival, starvation, the struggle for life, etc..

Think about enlightenment and Bodhisattva, also the rituals of mortification which are legit scary and reminds me of this concept as only those who leave behind all that is ‘mortal’ and are detached to an extreme, can reach Nirvana. I know this has not much to do with Christianity but even in this religion we find analogous associations regarding detachment as divine and saintly. Its also harmful in a way, or am I reaching? While too much focus on the primal/carnal leads to obvious horrible things: vice and chaos; too much detachment leads to apathy.

I do think some level of detachment is necessary to reach happiness but too much of it makes people forget the reality of life and makes them not able to relate anymore to the ones around them, as the focus becomes solely spiritual it kind of deafens them to the ‘real world’ and ignore it.

This is all about reaching a balance as its is our favorite theme, too much light is bad, too much darkness is bad, etc.. or else the story would fall into itself as the reality of the three settings (heaven, hell, earth) would be rigid.

So here we have a darker aspect of heaven, imo, to balance things out.

Heaven is clearly ‘order’ and hell is ‘chaos’ so we might as well find a balance... our favorite theme as always. The fact that one being like Sparda, born amidst ultimate chaos would gaze upward in delight and desire something else doesn't surprise me. The fact is he could be bitter about it, you even gave away the line on your fic where Sparda mentions he has been denied ‘light’. I wonder what exactly that means and this is one of my favorite aspects of your Sparda is that he is aware of his condition and even thought he worked against it its still lingering to him.. like his own flickering appearance.

But he hasn’t made his way up to heaven, huh?

So its not a far reach to believe in it (that he desired ‘light’, whatever it is) but my personal belief is that too much ‘light’ is not good either and Sparda realized the beauty in flawed humanity, which sits right in the middle of light and darkness, order and chaos... that’s why he became enamored by the concept of humanity and all the struggle our own condition imposes upon us.

For me this is an archetypal theme.

Just food for thought.

The matter is... how? What exactly awakened him to justice?

This makes stuff much more interesting. This was a huge ramble, I know but I needed to develop this and see if it works,

So yeah, about a) I’m totally with you and I can see why Sparda would empathize with humans, as I talked earlier and I think my explanation on why Sparda would be fascinated by humans instead of ‘angels’ is made up above and I hope this doesn't sound too weird, just my line of thought.

As a demon, he’s born from a very ‘imperfect’ reality. He knows how shitty things can be... Now I really wonder how his life was before he ‘awakened to justice’ he must have witnessed some remarkably horrible things in his life..

Under the setting I mentioned, it would be I think its kinda easier for a demon to do this since angels would be too stuck up in their haven, idk so this is how Sparda, the unlikely hero is the first of these beings to take arms and defend humanity. Sparda is so special as he was the one to side with humans by his own decision and free will. What a guy!

I’m glad you didn't! This is probably a gradual process even thought they say he ‘awakened to justice’ which makes it seem like he suddenly just did so I believe he had brewing feelings from his life as a demon in hell...

He must have been such an unique individual to perceive truths his peers where not ready to learn and truly, an act of rebellion against the system itself coming from someone who is ‘supposed’ to do only harm is really something we want to see on screen and I’m so glad you didn't simplify it as being a single event in his life.

I’m really in love with this theme because it shows these beings are able to change their own destinies, even someone with such dark origins.

#beyond-far-horizons #dmc #sparda #eva

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garrus-vakkarian · 5 years

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I'd honestly love to hear you talk about why Morrowind is so good. I've heard stuff about the ambiguity compared to the most recent games.

This turned out way longer than I intended, but I have a lot of reasons for why I love Morrowind.

Note: I’m assuming that you know the base villain and plot of the game, or else these reasons might not make sense.

TL;DR: Morrowind is good because I get to 1 hit kill a god and do drugs.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is a timeless RPG that has managed to infect nearly all its players with the worst strain of Nostalgia ever conceived, so, as a disclaimer, I will attempt to state my reasons without those Rose-Tinted Nostalgia Glasses™ that Bethesda initially released in the box.

That said, Morrowind is an absolutely broken game - broken to the point of hilarity and frustration. It’s playable, but only barely, because if incessant crashing doesn’t turn you off (without convenient autosaves being a thing), the combat will.

Combat in Morrowind forces you to forget any modern notion of what combat with swords should be. You can get within an inch of your enemy and still miss your swing. In fact, it’s quite likely that you will die to a rat at level 1; a rat who you couldn’t hit even if you had a gun.

The game makes you find and exploit whatever cheap tactic you find because your enemies will employ the same bullshit. For example, it is possible to be indefinitely paralyzed by some prick-ass bandit with an enchanted dagger, forcing you to watch helplessly as your health slowly fizzles away.

More than that though, a lot of the base mechanics of the game are against you. Archery and Stealth barely work, running requires stamina (if you don’t have stamina, you miss your opponents, so get ready to walk everywhere), and magic doesn’t regenerate unless you sleep.

Enemies are incapable of disengaging from you, nearly all crimes are noticeable by obscenely psychic guards, and entire factions will be locked off from you because you haven’t grinded your skills hard enough to match their “On A Scale from 1 to 100, You Must Be a 40 in Sneak Skill to reach the next rank.”

The game makes you adapt to its ridiculous, bullshitery or else you’ll die horribly over and over again to the same idiotic nonsense that is rightly dated.

But therein, between all those aggravated quick loads and nonsensical deaths, lies the true beauty of Morrowind. It does what few games do- forces you to bask in it’s alien, bizarre world whether you like it or not.

You’re literally dropped into a world where the main method of transport is bugs, where there is a legally sanctioned murder guild, where racism and slavery are the norm, and you’re just expected to, well, get with it.

It’s the uniqueness of its world that Morrowind strides the most at, and what it’s most famous for. The game, in its entirety, presents something new - whereas most elves are pictured as peaceful tree huggers, the dunmer are portrayed as a violent, hateful, xenophobic people who won’t hesitate to tell you off.

And you will be told off. A lot. You arrive to Vvardenfell as an outsider, and the majority of people will hate you simply for being you, and it is up to you alone to amend that; to improve your own standing. That can be done either by joining guilds or performing quests.

Those themselves are where you’re really get into the nitty-gritty of the game, and it’s from there where you’ll meet the multitude of the game’s citizens and lore.

Missions in the game are different from Skyrim’s, and to an extent, Oblivion’s. You will be forced to talk to people who hate you, just as you’ll be forced to read lines of scripture to answer riddles and puzzles.

You’ll learn that by joining the Great House Telvanni, you can legally kill your rivals to gain their rank. (Telvanni law stipulates that if you kill someone and take their rank and holdings, the original owner wasn’t strong enough to hold them.) By joining the Tribunal Temple, you’ll confront a Dremora who wants to do -ahem- unspeakable things to your corpse. There’s even a quest where you transport a slave back to her masters, only to watch said slave be cut opened because her body is carrying drugs.

On your questing and adventuring, you’ll meet a wizard who made female clones of himself so they could act as his daughters and concubines (at the same time), an orc who thinks he’s a khajiit, a nord who gives you the location of long lost treasure if you simply share a drink with him, a scamp who sells goods, an insane magister who hates men, and a whole host of other unique and fascinating people.

To drive the in the point- the first major character you run into has a crippling crack skooma addiction.

And throughout it all, as you wander and learn more about this world, you become the hero. You, who arrived as a shunned outsider, who died to a tiny rat at the beginning of the game, becomes the chosen champion of a Daedric god and a reincarnation of a hero, whose sole duty is to kill a false god and bring peace of Morrowind.

Or so you’re told, because the real beauty in Morrowind, as you said, is its ambiguity.

In Skyrim, you’re born into greatness. You’re the hero because you’re the dragonborn. Why are you the dragoborn? Because prophecy told said so. Why did prophecy say so? Because you’re the dragonborn, et cetera, et cetera.

In Morrowind, you can easily say that you were chosen at birth to fulfill a prophecy stated by Azura (see; “an uncertain hero born to uncertain parents”), but evidence in the game allows you to argue to the opposite.

While Azura’s prophecy was real (in the fact that a hero would end Dagoth and the Tribunal,) the who and why are arbitrary. It’s more likely that Azura kept throwing people at the proverbial wall until one stuck; she kept trying to find more and more heroes until one proved themselves strong enough to fulfill her own prophecy.

You, through your actions, make yourself the hero. You employ the mantle of the Neravarine because your own trials and tribulations made you worthy enough to emulate Nerevar.

But the ambiguity goes even farther than just the player character; ambiguity is in the world itself. The Dunmer and their Tribunal are the epitome of this; the Dunmer are as kind and warm as they are racist and aggressive. The Tribunal is as benevolent and generous as they are self-serving and ego-maniacal.

You can argue that the main villain of the game is Azura for forcing political upheaval and change in a peaceful state, just as you could argue that the tribunal are the true culprits; who’s actions lead to the rise of Dagoth Ur and eventual normalization of a autocratic theocracy which violently subdued the unfaithful. Hell, I’ve even see people argue that the Dwemer are the real initial culprits.

These conclusions are yours to make, just as it was always truly your choice to become the hero Morrowind needed.

Or at least that’s how I see it. In any event, those are the reasons I like Morrowind. If you read this far, I love u, bc it’s hard to deal with my morrowind rambling lol

#ass replies #i have a lot to say.........#sorry for taking 5ever to reply to this i had to condense my ramblings into actual words #Anonymous

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thedragonagelesbian · 6 years

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🐍🐲🥚🔪 for gwendolyn : )

dorian

their relationship gets off to a rocky start because of gwen’s decision to help the templars (which was 1000% just bc she thought if there was a hope of finding a cure for the rite of tranquility, it lay in the remains of the order), and its takes them a pretty long while to get back on the right foot. but once glen is cured, he and dorian become fast friends (and more) while dorian aids in his recovery, and eventually they complete the last resort of good men together. afterwards, glen encourages gwen to speak to him. one of the few good things the circle ever offered glen was freedom from the rampant homophobia of human nobility (and the Ostwick clergy), but gwen struggled under it constantly, particularly when one of her older brothers emrys was thrown out of the family because of it. so glen figures his sister can help dorian better than glen can in the wake of having to confront that particular chapter of dorian’s past

with time, the two of them become friends; dorian’s departure for the imperium prevented them from ever becoming super close, but gwen views him as a good man, a talented mage, and a worthy partner for her brother

iron bull

gwen respects a good liar. one of my favorite bits of inquisition meta talks about just how good iron bull is at his job because if you read through his banter, he gets along pretty damn well with everyone because he knows how to appeal to them. he flirts with dorian. he calls vivienne “ma’am”. he plays chess with solas. after demands of the qun (for ppl who aren’t horrible and don’t sacrifice the chargers), these relationships become genuine, but before then? he’s playing the inner circle like a damn fiddle– and he plays gwen too, appealing to her noble sensibilities. her relationship with salvoth and love for her brother. and above all else, her pride.

and it isn’t until demands of the qun that she puts it all together. she realizes what a threat bull is, and what a threat an alliance with the qun could be to the inquisition. so she saves the chargers, and after that, they become quite good friends. gwen possesses a deep admiration for his silver tongue and skill with a great axe (there aren’t many two-handed warriors in skyhold, so they train together quite often)- though they both think the other has the worst taste in alcohol, and bull thinks she isn’t nearly enthusiastic enough about dragon killing, which would be a deal-breaker for pretty much anyone else

egg

they’re a very unlikely pair, but solas and gwen get along surprisingly well. when they meet, she’s in a place in her life where approaches to magic outside of the chantry doctrine hold a lot of appeal, and she has a natural curiosity as well as a particular appreciation for cultural lore

which is to say gwen asks a lot of questions, and solas… loves talking about himself

particularly after gwen conscripts the templars in champion of the just, their weird friendship is sealed, and solas is the one who accompanies her into the fade to heal glendower once the cure to the rite of tranquility is rediscovered; their relationship does take a bit of a hit after [MAJOR GOLDEN GIRL, BLACK SHEEP SPOILER], but they maintain a respectful relationship

and then of course… trespasser happens. i’m still on the fence about whether gwen would want to redeem him or kill him, but i’m leaning towards redeem from the pragmatic stand point that having an Actual God on your side could come in handy, and killing a friend would, y’know, suck. but when it comes down to it, if required, she’ll do what she has to

briala

sort of similar to my response for celene in that we+wh’s framing of briala changes how gwen views her compared to if she knew more of the information in the masked empire. but because i like briala more than celene, i’m going to pretend the information needed for gwen to view briala favorably is presented ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

gwen’s deepest admiration is for selfless people. selflessness is a virtue which gwen is constantly striving for, but, at the time when she meets briala, gwen knows her pride prevents her from being truly selfless (not just doing selfless shit to improve her standing with others). and by contrast, briala is motivated almost entirely by her desire to improve the lives of elves; her priority is always helping those who need it. and gwen admires that so much. she also respects briala for many of the same reasons she respects vivienne- for her ability to not only make the most out of her station, but to turn it into a powerful position for affecting change

but she keeps her opinion of briala largely to herself; like i mentioned in my response to celene, gwen forces all three to compromise so the inquisition has that many more routes of influence and favor in orlais-- and making that work requires at least an outward appearance of personal neutrality on the part of the inquisitor. and gwen most definitely is not working in secret with leliana to provide briala support. absolutely not. she would n e v e r

#sulahns #oc blogging #gwendolyn trevelyan #alcohol mention #this has actually been rlly helpful asfjkdfh #i hadnt given bull and gwens relationship a ton of thought before #but theyre totally Big Axe Bros #Battleaxe Bros #also im rlly upset about that spoiler bc i was so Proud of myself when i thought ot it #and all the issues it fixed #but i cant fucking talk about it

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doomonfilm · 3 years

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Ranking : M. Night Shyamalan (1970 - present)

Like most people, I was introduced to Philadelphia-native M. Night Shyamalan through the massive success of his debut film The Sixth Sense. I vividly remember him being labelled “the new Hitchcock” right out the gate, which even then I felt was a lofty title to appoint to a director who hadn’t even given us a follow-up film, which can usually be taken as an indication of how much potential range one will have over their career. His skill behind the camera was evident, and his first five years of output hammered home the fact that he had a knack for writing twist endings that in itself took on a meme-worthy life of its own. Nobody is perfect, however, but unlike most directors that are suddenly met with criticism after a span as wunderkind and critical darling, Shyamalan took things in stride and did not fold, and as a result, his career has seemingly lost little to no momentum twenty years in.

Ranking the films of Shyamalan is, at heart, an exercise rich in folly, as his ambition and diversity almost calls for the films to be previously grouped into sub-genres prior to being ranked. In my opinion, however, there is enough stylistic definition and clear-cut writing panache that makes his films definitively Shyamalan, so I hope that you’ll join me as we enjoy our ride on this fool’s errand.

11. After Earth (2013) They say always shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars. With After Earth, M. Night Shyamalan showed that sometimes you can shoot for the moon, miss it and the stars, and land somewhere in the void. Lots of post-apocalyptic flourish and setup is used for what basically equates as a side-scrolling quest, and the choices made for the characterizations are so distracting in their oddness that it’s hard to invest yourself in the movie in any capacity other than a surface level dissection of the accent and dialogue. Shyamalan does have a knack for building lore in his films, but he does way more telling than showing in After Earth. If not for the ties to Will and Jaden Smith, this film could’ve sunk the Shyamalan ship.

10. Lady in the Water (2006) I’m sure that M. Night Shyamalan had good intentions when he decided to turn a story he created for the enjoyment of his children into a feature-length film, but not every idea needs to be seen through into fruition. Many of the same issues that plague After Earth popped up in Lady in the Water, from the infinitely deep lore being smashed into exposition down to the extremely odd choices for characterizations, but unlike After Earth, at least there are recognizable aspects of the film that one can hang on to. There are a handful of surprisingly strong performances, given the ridiculousness of the content, but ultimately all other elements are shadowed by the sheer absurdity of the root narrative. I try not to pick on actors, but Bryce Dallas Howard just doesn’t do it for me in this flick.

9. Signs (2002) This is probably going to be the one that causes the most feedback in terms of position. According to the masses, this film is the true masterpiece in the M. Night Shyamalan canon, but as an aficionado of alien invasion films, Shyamalan seems to zig at every point he should have zagged. Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix is an interesting coupling on paper, but if there is chemistry between the two of them as the film’s leads, it didn’t translate on screen. And for God’s sake, don’t even get me started on having aliens who are harmed by water choosing to come to a planet that, from space, is CLEARLY MOSTLY WATER.

8. The Happening (2008) While M. Night Shyamalan had presented “dumb” twists prior to The Happening (we’ll get back to that shortly), the sheer vastness of the revealed enemy creates a sort of inverse danger arc in regards to the journey we were presented… while there does seem to be destruction, and a sense of danger about what will happen next (and to whom) is built up, it pales in comparison when one realizes that nature is the enemy, and if this premise were true, the events seen more than likely would not have been so random in their scale, location and severity. Maybe I’m dumping a lot of speculation into this one, but when our male lead is doing what he does in most every film, and your female lead is given an uncharacteristically underwhelming performance, you get time to think about these kinds of things.

7. Glass (2019) All of the potential in the world was there for Glass to be a mind-melter. What felt like the biggest, most elaborate twist in the entire M. Night Shyamalan universe had been revealed in the form of a secret trilogy that took nearly two decades to present itself, but sadly the landing was not stuck. All of the grandness of the world built in Unbreakable and Split suddenly felt much smaller and less elaborate when our characters essentially found themselves grounded, and while we were sold the idea that all of what happened was some sort of elaborate group hallucination, the feats pulled off by Crumb are still sold to us as reality, leaving the lines blurred much more than what was likely intended. We are even teased with a storyline that feels like mockery of what could have been, but in the end, Glass was the tragic landing that undercuts the brilliance that preceded it.

6. The Sixth Sense (1999) This film is a tough one to place, because in terms of its technical prowess and execution, it is not only a brilliant film, but a stunningly impressive debut. The problem with this film, however, is the same that tends to plague even the best magic tricks… it’s amazing until the trick is revealed. In the case of The Sixth Sense, the first watch blows you away. The second watch, as a result, feels like a completely new movie, and is even more rewarding as it resolves itself once again. Any viewing after the second one, however, is plagued by a lack of surprise, intrigue or anticipation, and what we are left with is a good movie with no wow. Perhaps the best way to watch this film, at this point, is with someone who has never seen it and has somehow managed to avoid any spoilers, as it would be the closest one can get to experiencing this film with an uninformed eye.

5. The Last Airbender (2010) With a black cloud hanging over this film due to overwhelmingly negative backlash from fans of the Avatar animated series, I stayed away from it like one stays away from rotten garbage. Interestingly enough, I had no dog in the fight, as I had never seen any of the source material, and only had a layman’s understanding of it as a result, with no emotional ties to anything about it. I say that to say this… I can certainly understand how an adapted work can be met with brutal skepticism and aggressive analysis, and if even one stone of fan service is left unturned then the whole thing must be cast aside, but if taken on its own merits, this is a surprisingly strong film. It hits the bullseye in terms of being an epic kid’s tale in all the ways that Lady in the Water did not, and it has the big budget feel that was missing in Glass. Who knows... my thoughts on the film may change as I finally dive into the animated series, but as it currently stands, this film should be considered as a win in the Shyamalan collection.

4. The Visit (2015) What a truly bonkers movie. Watching M. Night Shyamalan’s take on the found footage film is surprisingly kinetic, and thanks to some of the best casting found in any of his films, we are given characters that evoke emotion and make us either care about them or fear them. There are probably even some who would claim that they “saw the twist coming”, and maybe I’m just a sucker, but when the curtain is pulled back on what’s really going on it feels like every loose string representing a question is suddenly pulled tight enough to choke. There are just enough games present in the writing that, while we question the crazier things we see, we can also shrug them off with “acceptable” answers. If you’ve managed to go this far without anyone spoiling the ending for The Visit for you, I highly recommend checking this one out immediately, as it is that vintage Shyamalan that many people are seeking out.

3. Split (2017) If this one were just a one-off, it would probably still sit extremely high on the list of Shyamalan films. Anya Taylor-Joy is good in most everything she does, and James McAvoy is putting on a clinic in terms of range and character variety. The film gets about as broad as it can without going over the top, and that size is translated in the tension that emerges from the captivity that Kevin Wendell Crumb puts the girls in, forcing them to his live wire and ever changing personality. With much of the film boiling down to a few locations, and a freight train of a premise that is seemingly headed in one direction, it is natural to anticipate a Shyamalan swerve, but it’s the button at the end of the film that makes you realize the sheer existence of Split in itself is the twist. For that feat alone, this film must be applauded.

2. The Village (2004) Remember when I brought up “dumb twists” earlier? I’ll be honest with you… this was the film I had in mind, despite it being my favorite (albeit it not my top ranked). Up until the moment of truth, everything presented in this film works : as a period film it is well-executed, the use of reds and yellows is iconic, the lore presented is actually shown and not left solely to exposition dumps, and Adrian Brody brings a performance level to his character that far exceeded what was necessary. I also tend to be hard on Bryce Dallas Howard, but she steps up to the plate when the story is shifted completely to her shoulders. The twist isn’t even actually all that bad, other than the fact that it may have been the most obvious premise for a twist, but I think that even a slight tweak in regards to the overarching location or the person who discovers Howard’s character would have greatly improved the execution of the twist moment. Even though M. Night Shyamalan had already made a great movie (which is coming up in just a moment), this was the one that brought me off the fence and into the camp that supports Shyamalan.

1. Unbreakable (2000) It’s quite rare in the grand scheme of things to see a director make light year jumps in his second film, especially when their first film reaches phenomenon status. Somehow and someway, however, M. Night Shyamalan did the impossible by topping a film on the Mount Rushmore of debuts with the film that feels like the most ambitious and well executed of his career. A cursory search of the Bruce Willis filmography will show that outside of the first Sin City film and Looper, M. Night Shyamalan got the last of good acting he was giving directors. The visual interpretation of the comic book world framing is so nuanced and subtle that, upon learning the context and intention of the film, each repeat viewing brings new attention to these very layered visual details. The presentation of Elijah Price was so phenomenal that it ultimately caused expectations that crushed Glass upon arrival. Even if the Eastrail 177 Trilogy didn’t quite live up to expectations, there is no denying that Unbreakable was a pitch perfect table-setter, and an impressive film to boot.

#ChiefDoomsday #DOOMonFILM #MNightShyamalan #TheSixthSense #Unbreakable #Signs #TheVillage #LadyInTheWater #TheHappening #TheLastAirbender #Devil #AfterEarth #TheVisit #Split #Glass

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abhisheksingh098 · 4 years

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SAIYAN RAP CYPHER - Lyrics | FabvL

SAIYAN RAP CYPHER | FabvL ft. RUSTAGE, Daddyphatsnaps, Dan Bull, NerdOut & More [Dragon Ball]

Joey Nato:- Ayo, you know what's crazy? I learned that me and that dude Gohan got a lot in common Nato, all the haters that tried me will be first to tell You that you won't get buy me with a perfect sell 'Cause I'm married to my goals like my goals Videl My father taught me how to win, but I learned to fail And pick a low in my life, any low I've had Was in the pickle low key, but the key was fight back Even when I was a teen, I would know I'm bad The way I killed a 16 would make Gohan snap Look, legend in the making, can't stop my story And if a Sensu bein' a little hostile towards mе I'm a power up quick and deliver that fast pain Thеy Saiyaman only as good as his last game I heard you pack a punch, but I guess none landed Dummy, you should know I'll beat you one handed And if you mess with family, take a guess what we'll do We won't wanna fight you, nah, we'll wanna kill you, Nato Dreaded Yasuke:- See me walking in the public Sporting the green and black armor on Bandana with the blood drip I was considered low budget Look at me now, fighting the crowd, take you all by the dozen Judging my exterior, I'm raising my thermals Thinking I'm inferior, making ya soul furlough Beat you down thorough Hoping you can manage my final spirit cannon and make ya blood curdle This the time to panic When you see the golden hair, even battle damaged I give you a thousanf-yard stare Not gonna be fair when I start feeling my rhythm You should be scared, ya blood staining your denim Standing there thinking how did I get my momentum? And will be passing down, cause of nepotism Super Saiyan ain't nothing to playing with Enemies don't gotta chance, even when I show them the tip Dan Bull:- Ay, what you bringing? What you saying? I'm the king of the Saiyans Someone from the southern U.S.A., would say I'm advanced Solving the toughest puzzles There must be tuffles living in my brain Still ruling my people, I don't really care what Frieza claims King Vegeta's staying, like a Fajita stain Firing execution beams and heaps of Ki in waves I've seen regimes and seasons change, how could it be the same? You keep on feeding the flames, you're going to free this ape Vegeta's ancestors stand the test of time I guess it's down to diet, genes and some exercise Best alive 'till my son took the crown Now I rest in the sky up above trunks looking down There's a bright future ahead of him, like every parent's hoping for I might have met my descendents if I never had that broken jaw There's so much lore that I could go through more Than even Goku could hope to when he grows new balls Shwabadi:- Yo, I see you thought it was over But then the fusion tango boosted power roasting opponents The coldest foes that I'm owning, the Ki is flowing an ocean You had the nuts to step to one of us, but now you're facing Bofa These thugs People that keep the beam tucked Lethal when thinking you'd of dreamed to beat us Fetal position, you can clear the tear ducts Crying to yourself 'cus you're weak and we're peerless I got twice the will in me, a Gemini man Don't need a smith, come with quickness when I jeopardise plans Double vision, they can't seem him, 'cus I'm fast with the hands Punisher drive, push 'em aside, now I'm sending 'em back This dual personality, you woulda thought'd be a mismatch Two beefy dudes sandwiched together, that's a Big Mac One man think tank, never skipped gym class Think fast, Kamehameha with a Big Bang Gameboy Jones:- Coming to you live, it's the man from the planet of the apes You don't want the smoke and I ain't talking 'bout a vape Tide pod ship, yeah my whip so clean I've been taking planets way before I even hit my teens Raditz stacking cabbage, I'm banking on being savage Heart is full of malice, unleash it by causing havoc You don't want the beef that's unfortunate, there's no salad If I see my brother, I'm snapping that little carrot No app, but I'm bringing in the discord I'm pedal to the metal, that's how opposition gets floored Microsoft, I'm about to give you one note Facing me is suicide, us Saiyans are to cutthroat Pride of a lion, check the mane But I go ape shit, me and you are not the same Compared to me, you ain't even looking half as nice If you wanna beat me, you'll sacrifice your life! None Like Joshua:- This is for Gohan, so long you robots Krillin's own thot, isn't even the most hot or that nice Like I am when it comes to tough fights Goku taking 20 episodes, I'm taking one slice More humble than any Saiyan here on the track 'Cause I know when to attack and when to hold it back Coming from the future, man, it's all out of whack 'Cause Goku's got to live, so don't shoot, he's not Goku Black Or Zamasu, what I've seen will haunt you Travel to the past seems too paradoxical But I've got to killin' villains, saving my fam Now my sword is shaving off years from your lifespan Simpin for Mai chick, she's searching for my Dragon Balls I don't need to make a wish, I can hurt the baddest gods Immortals underestimate me 'cause my dad's a loser Thia Mai is too young, so it's back to the future Zach Boucher:- They don't hold a single hope if they're alone Find a sacrifice against this elitist, you will need it That's my last advice I'll be undefeated and I mean it though, I pack a fight Handing eveybody, one way tickets to the after life Now they're coming at me assuming they're quick Nah, practically practice, they're done with, I'm over this shit Getting so impatient, God I hate how it's over so quick So I'll let you die for nothing, like the Namek, Tien, and his buddy did Say he's Super Saiyan, but I'm saying that he sucked at it You just need to find the little strength that you've been mustering While I keep it deep inside my veins until it clutters You're like Gohan, how you stuttered Killed your friends and all your brothers I was sick of living deep inside the dark But that's when I met Vegeta, he would teach me where to start They don't realize I'm still alive to tear you all apart You call it destruction, I call that a pockmark Connor Quest:- Goten since I was below ten, I've been hard as stone henge Enemies they curve me like a road bend Broke them limits, making grown men fidget When you see me up in GT, I'm the golden ticket Need a scope lens just to even see the height I'm hitting Deny the physics, these guys are tripping If they think that I could give in Collide the digits, call it popping the Trunks Because I'm riding with him, feel the burn As you get offed by the son Flip round turn the tension high No, these clowns ain't friends of mine Kamehameha drop a body to the floor Get a strike to a vital just to end your life Step with a rush on your neck, bust collarbones This is how you make a hero's son, fuck Boruto Ki on lock, you can fight with us You'll be sweeping up the pieces of your teeth after you bite the dust DizzyEight:- Looking for a hero? Then it's us Had to double up to maneuver when it's clutch Give him big rounds, know for the dough I go nuts Fella, sit down, it's known I bring thunder when I punch Ya'll talk too much, enemies do the most What I speak leave 'em toast, when I spit they go ghost You're not the real thing, I'm in a game full of clones They copy what I'm on, then hope that they explode You can't copy me If you do, you do it sloppily They're just throwing shots at me But I promise you never stopping me So much potential You can check my credentials You don't know that you in for Greatness what I'm meant for FabvL:- Hold up, I see 'em wanting the prince Throw your best punch, guarantee I won't even flinch I got the drip that'll turn your number 1 to a bitch Shoot this Galick gun unload it, yeah I'm draining the clip So call me sensei I've been healing the game, better than Dende Type a hero that the villains and their friends say Is truly worthy of the crown, never dead weight Hyperbolic rent payed the best way I got the baddest chick in the whole galaxy Used to say that Super Saiyans were a fallacy Now I've learned that evil deeds are just cowardly Richest man on Earth, so fuck your whole salary Really think you could hang with all the best? No way, royal blood, got it running through my chest Don't play, stupid villains, I could kill without regret All day, listen up, you will do whatever that I say! NerdOut:- Y'all done screwed up I acquired the jewels and now I'm fused up You about to get bruised up Best of both worlds, I use superior stragedy You're not even half the man that used to be half of me You choosing defeat If I wave my arm, the wind will put holes in you Now that's shooting the breeze Go ask Majin Buu, oops it's too late I'm out for 60 minutes, but for you? I only use 8 Laughing while I'm waiting for this union to dissolve 'Cause I don't think the ladies are approving a ménage But if Chichi and Bulma wanna cuddle tonight They better watch out 'cause now I got double the pipe And Gogeta's no match, he stay losing He had to do choreographed Tik Tok dances to make a fusion So which Super Saiyan are you choosing? These dim-witted half-pints or pinnacle of evolution Rustage:- Hit that, Wukong with the staff breaking bodies like a Kit Kat Rip your team in half like I'm moses when I split that Whiplash punches like it's gift wrapped, spit facts Treat you all like Frieza with a bitch-slap Saiyan from the planet of the apes, I'm not playing Best be praying to this God I'm raising stakes I ain't waiting, I be saving every person, every race Passion blazing 'cus I'm facing any aliens in my way Say my name, call me Goku Hanuman, stand my ground, yeah I won't move Chris Chan, when I'm loud with a blown fuse Understand, hear the sound of your bones bruise Go through faster than my flows do A monkey but better than Luffy, I'm king of the planets Ain't needing no piracy I'm stunning, just look at my moves, I'm top of the charts And I'm needing no rivalry And finally, they're fighting me bust in beats like it's Chichi Easy your characters tough, but can they beat me? Daddyphatsnaps:- So you made this far, huh? Now you and me Hahahahaha Somebody hold me back, I'm going berserk And at the rate I'm going, bro I'm 'bout to blow up the Earth It's lunch time, eat your every punch, I'm knowing it hurts your pride Legendary Saiyan, I was chosen at birth, I'm the truth 'Cus I always been the hardest, I'm a bad bitch You had to work to get to where I started so savage Had the Super Saiyan gods saying "oh damnit" He's so made bitch, he breaking up the whole planet Well, if it's gonna go, then I got something I should get off my chest And I ain't talkin' 'bout the X, see you sipping the flex I got these little green bitches out here gripping my pecs I'm ill turn you green bitches then your hitting the deck I'm a god damn God, are you out of your mind? It's strange, millions of scenarios, you die every time Murder you without a trace and 'geta brought me the lime You'll get bodied out your body if you rowdy with mine

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ayma-nidiot · 4 years

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In the White Light - Prideshipping fanfic Chapter 24

Also on AO3.

Chapter 24 – Second Chance

“‘Hmm… I think I’ll buy some good cards so Grandpa can have better cards to sell at the shop.’”

“Yes, that is what I said after I won Battle City, Joey.”

“You know, I’m sure Pegasus would have given all of those to you for free. I mean, you did save his soul from the Orichalcos. Plus, he’s almost as loaded as rich boy.”

“Still, it would feel like stealing,” spoke Yugi as he and Joey entered the former’s grandfather’s game shop.

“What a goody two-shoes you are, Yug.”

Before Yugi could present his grandfather with the multitude of new cards, he tripped on his own two feet. Unfortunately, in so doing, he opened a tear in the leather suitcase, causing a single card to fall out.

“Yugi!” Grandpa Mutou came out from behind the counter. “Are you all right?”

“Y-Yeah. I should be asking you that question. At any rate, here are some cards to help your business.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to go through all that trouble, grandson.”

“Wait, you dropped a card, Yug.”

“Then I better- Huh? It’s… Enemy Controller!”

“Ugh. Rich boy had one of those, didn’t he? If you hold onto that card, it’s some bad mojo, if you ask me.”

“…No, I think I’ll add this card to my deck. And I don’t mean my other self’s deck, either. I don’t know why, but this card is going to save my skin one of these days.”

_________

“And this… is that day.” Yugi managed a slight smile when he saw the card he just drew. “I’ll first summon Mystical Elf in attack mode, then I’ll tribute her.”

“For what? You can’t Tribute Summon the same turn you Normal Summon, Yug!”

“Who said, I was trying to Tribute Summon? I tribute Mystical Elf… for this card that you said was going to bring me ‘bad mojo.’ Enemy Controller!”

“Huh… Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Me too, Wheeler.”

“I will use the code left, right, AB! Now your Quintet Magician is mine!”

“But only for one turn. After you destroy my Dark Magician, Quintet Magician will come back to my side of the field again.”

“Oh, I don’t plan to destroy your Dark Magician, pharaoh. Quite the contrary, actually. I use Bakura’s Change of Heart to take control of him too!”

Atem smiled, knowing well that this duel was as good as over.

“Magicians, attack the pharaoh directly!”

“So now that makes three guys who defeated Atem – Rafael, Kaiba, and now Yugi.”

“Tristan, we all know that that one with Kaiba was a crock of bullshit. Surely, even you do.”

“Joey, I think we’ve got something even more pressing on our hands…” Téa pointed to both Atem and Kaiba, who after the duel’s conclusion had both passed out.

“Can’t we get a break from death for a day?” Weevil huffed. “Jeezuz leweezus!”

“Can’t you tell the difference when someone’s dead and when someone’s passed out?” Rex poked Kaiba’s cheek to confirm he was alive.

“When will they wake up, then?” Mokuba fretted.

“Ra only knows,” answered Isis.

_______

Kaiba awakened for the second time that day, and the lack of any ground beneath annoyed him. At least this ethereal realm wasn’t as dreary as the last one. “Great, not another near-death experience. I swear, ancient Egypt is all about giant rocks and near-death experiences.”

“You may be right, but-”

“Gaaah!” Kaiba jumped at the sight of Atem. “Good gods, Atem. Wait, are you dead, too?”

“Neither of you are dead,” replied an even louder female voice from a light just up ahead.

“Who are you?”

Kaiba was certainly surprised to hear Atem speaking to this ball of light as if they were old friends. “My lady Horakhty.”

“‘Horakhty?’ I’ve heard her name before… You’re the Creator of Light, aren’t you?”

Horakhty took on a more concrete form. She had the wings of Obelisk, a helmet of Ra, and the shoulders and chest of Slifer. Her body was all gold, save for pearl-white arms and a long skirt. “That is correct, my child.”

“Then if we aren’t dead, have you come to take us to the afterlife?” Kaiba asked.

“Such would be your fate in any ordinary situation. Atem has used up almost all of his power to sing the Pharaoh’s Incantation during your fight with Zorc. Then there is the duel with the young man named Yugi. However…”

“‘However?’” Though he was a little more used to it by this point, Kaiba still had much to learn about ancient Egypt’s magic and lore.

“The two of you have suffered so much in your past lives. Your love ended tragically before it got a chance to really flourish… Thus, I will grant you my blessing to truly live your life together, if you would so take it.”

“You mean… I don’t have to go back to my own time? I can live with Atem forever?”

“The power… is yours…”

_________

“Ugh… I’m tired of the movie and show references.” Kaiba groaned while still technically asleep. “Captain Planet isn’t an Egyptian god.”

“As an Egyptian, I can totally confirm that.”

It was Atem’s voice that woke Kaiba up in the throne room. Seeing his new friends – as well as the surviving priests, including one he hadn’t seen before – really woke him up. “Who’s this goon with the Millennium Eye? Don’t tell me that Pegasus is a High Priest too?”

“This is… Aknadin, Priest Seto’s father.” Atem spoke with reluctance.

“Wh-What?! And you just let him waltz in here?” Kaiba half-shifted at this news. “Let me at ‘im!”

“Peace, peace,” Atem ordered before turning to Aknadin. “Aknadin, this is the reincarnation of your son, Seto. His name is Kaiba.”

“So, my son lives again.” Aknadin couldn’t look Kaiba in the eye.

“Do you know why I haven’t executed you as readily as I did Anubis?”

“Pray tell.”

“It was because I want to give you a second chance, as the Creator of Light gave me a second chance. I remember well your last words to Seto and I before you joined Anubis… ‘You are a disgrace to the royal family and to the High Priests!’ If you want to redeem yourself, then treat this man with respect. Can you do that?”

“I… I’ll try…”

“You.” Kaiba withdrew his wings and tail as he spoke to Aknadin. “When I was but an inch from death, I saw him. I saw your brother and your son. If it wasn’t for their power, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat Zorc. You know what Seto’s last words to me were? ‘If you see my father, tell him I wish things didn’t have to end up like this.’ Even after all you did to him, your son still had it in him to forgive you. Your brother did too. They were hurt that their only immediate family betrayed them.”

“Is that so?” Aknadin’s voice shook.

“Yes. So you better believe you’ve got a lot to make up for.”

“So do you, rich boy!” Joey interrupted, much to Kaiba’s annoyance. “We’ve been gone for gods know how long, and that German dude is probably wondering where the heck you are.”

“Joey, we’ve time travelled,” Tristan spoke up. “I’m sure that that German dude hasn’t noticed a thing.”

“You’ve got something smart to say for once! By the way, his name is Roland.” Mokuba chuckled before turning back to his brother. “You are going to come back with us, right, Big Bro?”

“…” Kaiba took Atem’s hand into his own.

“Seto?” Mokuba’s happy expression fell, as did that of everyone else there.

“I’m going to stay here in ancient Egypt with Atem.” Kaiba could already feel the tears coming on.

“What?” Mokuba didn’t want to believe it. “You can do that?”

“The Creator of Light Horakhty has granted him permission to do that, yes,” answered Atem.

“Plus, if you were listening to an iota of what we were talking about just know, you’d know that.”

“No!” Mokuba broke into a sobbing fit as he hugged Kaiba. “I don’t want you to go, Big Bro! I’m never going to see you again! And what about KaibaCorp?”

Kaiba knelt down and patted Mokuba’s head. “KaibaCorp has a new, highly capable president. And his name is Mokuba Kaiba.”

“Oh…” Mokuba cried even harder at this promotion and hugged his brother even more tightly. “Thank you, Seto! I’ll be sure to take very good care of our company!”

“I know you want to say your goodbyes, but we need to get going soon,” Atem finally spoke up after letting the brothers bond one last time. “Let us go outside. I will sing the Incantation to enable all of you back to your time.”

Not a single tear was dry on the entire walk outside. Even Joey, who swore straight up and down he hated Kaiba’s guts, couldn’t keep a stiff upper lip.

“Oh come on, Joey.” Kaiba rolled his eyes. “Then again, you are a sniveling puppy.”

“What was that?” Joey scowled. “Here I am, actually sad that I will never see one of my favourite rivals again, and you have the nerve to call me that?”

“Come on, man.” Tristan patted his friend’s back. “I’ll be sure to keep him on his toes.”

“How, exactly?” Marik eyed Tristan curiously. “You’ve just started to learn how to duel. I, on the other hand, have placed second in Battle City while Joey only placed third!”

“You mean you placed fourth while Joey placed third,” Téa corrected.

“Whatever.” Marik turned his attention to Atem and shook his hand. “Thank you for providing me with a worthy challenge back then, pharaoh. I’ll be sure my gravekeeper family keeps the memory of you two alive for generations to come.”

“Thank you for believing in our friendship for a change,” Téa spoke to Kaiba. “Even though most people tell me they’re tired of my friendship speeches.”

“And to think, I thought you didn’t believe in that ‘friendship bull.’” Yugi laughed.

“You… You better not surrender your title of the King of Games to anyone else, Yugi? You got that?”

“I promise, Kaiba.” Yugi nodded.

While everyone else gathered in a circle in preparation for the ride home, Rex and Weevil stayed behind, still on their knees.

“Hu and Sia…” Atem remembered Rex’s and Weevil’s past incarnations well, as they had raided the palace many times. “I’m sorry, Rex and Weevil. Not just for calling you by the wrong names, but also for causing you much trouble during the-”

“Sniff… Sniff… Pharaooooh!” Weevil cried pathetically as he fished for some cards in a deck box. “Here’s a token of my apology for being such an asshole at Duelist Kingdom, and during the Orichalcos mess, a-and during the KC Grand Tournament, and-”

Rex bopped Weevil on the back of the head. “If you’re gonna list all the times we’ve been assholes to Kaiba and Atem, then we’ll turn into mummies!”

Atem looked at the cards Weevil offered to him. “The five cards of Exodia…”

“And here’s something from me, too!” Rex presented his Red-Eyes Slash Dragon. “A-And take my beanie, too!”

“What’s all this for?” Kaiba eyes Rex peculiarly.

“Since we can’t be at your wedding, I figured we’d give you these sweet wedding gifts!” replied Rex.

Kaiba squatted down to look at Rex with a sincere expression. As Atem returned the “wedding gifts” back to the short duelists, the dragon spoke, “Thank you for the thought, but we’re good. We may not have known each other for very long, but I enjoyed dueling alongside you. You remind me a lot of myself – a fiery duelist who shows his tender side only to a select few. I’m going to miss you a lot, my friend… Rex Raptor.”

“Aaah!” Rex hugged Kaiba so strongly that he knocked the latter onto his bum. “I’ll miss you, too!”

“And I suppose so will I.” Weevil couldn’t help but feel jealous.

Kaiba brought himself and a still-crying Rex back to their feet. “I’m just sad that I can’t attend your guys’ wedding, Weevil.”

“Wh-What?!”

Weevil blushed, and would have had more to say, if Atem hadn’t urged the both of them to join the circle. “Don’t worry, guys. We’ll still be with each other in spirit. Now, then. Etiumaza o etebus o erono… Irawotok ugumust…”

“Then…” Yugi started as the “Dweeb Patrol” floated in the rising water for the last time. “This is goodbye. Pharaoh…”

Yugi’s last sight of Atem before he had been completely submerged was the pharaoh giving him a thumbs up.

#yugioh #ygo #prideshipping #fanfiction

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the-fenwolf · 7 years

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How do I even process all this?

This is gonna be a long post. I just feel like I’m going to go crazy if I don’t get this out at some point so read at your own risk. I just need to process everything that’s happened to me since last summer. It’s been half a year but so much about my path has changed and I’ve got so many thoughts. and Fuck I am so in love with Loki.

I don’t even remember when it all started. I don’t know when he took over my life. I don’t know how he managed to work his way into every aspect of my days and turn me into this mess but gods, I love him.

At the time, I only had Odin to guide me, and as wise as the Old Man is, he couldn’t know me the way I needed to be known. Odin couldn’t understand the way I felt caged or the way I felt bound by my own life. He couldn’t understand how I felt so forced to conform to a world I wasn’t made for. Odin could never feel as I felt. We could never share those experiences. A parent never truly knows the struggles of their child, and I think he understood this too.

I was afraid to approach Loki at first. Loki the trickster. The Worldbreaker. The Silvertongue. I heard so many things about him, so many stories of how he would lie and manipulate to get what he wanted. Not to mention, it’s fairly well known that Odin and Loki don’t always see eye to eye.

But when I asked for Odin’s permission, he gave it readily.

“Go now, be with him. He can give all that I cannot.”

My first interaction with Loki was unremarkable. I held a bonfire him on the night of the fall equinox, where we could talk in peace and share food. He was quiet, testing me, now that I think about it. He was happy to share time with me, but I think he was still debating whether or not to stay. He was judging my motivations for coming to him.

And you know, I wasn’t so overwhelmed with him either at first. Loki was subdued in this way that I wasn’t expecting. He was soft and quiet. Present, but nowhere near as loud or as vibrant as I was expecting. In a way, i think that might have been for the best. I was nervous. Maybe he knew that. Being too loud might have scared me away. But I don’t know, he was nothing special. Not at first. For a while, I wondered how long it would last. I didn’t feel any kind of immediate connection with him like I felt with Odin. If anything, I thought Loki might have been kind of unimpressed with me. Maybe he would leave, maybe he would stay. It didn’t matter a whole lot to me so early in our relationship. Sometimes relationships just don’t take off, and that was alright. At least I tried to make contact. And here’s where things get blurry, because honestly I don’t know when things changed so drastically between me and him. I don’t know when I started being pulled away from Odin and into Loki’s arms. I think it started after my first reading of the Prose Edda. I never immersed myself in the lore like I was trying to do during that time. I wanted to know everything I could find about my gods, both Odin and Loki. Except the more I learned about Loki, the more distant I felt from Odin. Yeah, that’s definitely when I fell in love with Loki. I fell in love with his entire family. I kind of felt like I was one of them. Looking back on it now, I think that was his plan. He wanted me to know his family before he would let me get too close to him. Loki always knew what I needed. I never came to work with most of them but they all had something valuable that they stood for. They all gave me something to hold onto, or had values I could believe in. I loved Sigyn for her gentle temperament and strong, deep rooted devotion and strength. I related to her more than I expected I would. We share our thoughts on what it means to love the people around us so much that we’d give anything for them. We’d sacrifice ourselves for them. She loves Loki enough to take on the burden of holding the venom bowl above him, and I love my friends enough to suffer for their happiness. Hela brought me comfort. Living in the modern age, I’m unlikely to ever die in battle and go to Valhalla, but Hela promises me another place to go. Hela is quiet, but ever present in the background of my life. She is gentle like her stepmother. Calm and comforting because she understands the fear and the needs of the souls that come under her care. Hela was cast out of Asgard, thrown into a place she did not know, never to see her family again. Of course she would be kind. She can sympathize. And I used to worry endlessly where I would go when I die. Would I just stop existing? Would I go to hell? Maybe to the Astral? To some other realm where I would be alone and afraid? “With me.” She says. “You will come with me. Come with me and be loved forever.”

I am yet to work with Jormungand, but from Fenrir, I think I learned my most important lesson. From Fenrir, I learned what it means to be alive; what it means to really live and experience what this world has to offer. “Go outside and run between the trees. Feel the burn in your lungs. Feel the sun on your skin. Smell the air before it snows. Notice the sweet crispness and how the wind stings your cheeks. Listen to the birds.” Feel. Taste. Smell. Hear. Fenrir taught me how to experience life. He taught me how to feel connected to the world. To me, Fenrir is a reminder that humanity is still a part of nature. We are not apart from it. We are animals, the same as any other, and if we forget this fact, we lose a valuable piece of what life is supposed to be. Now Loki.. My beautiful Loki.. Weirdly enough, as soon as I bothered learning a little from his family, we clicked in an instant. It was like lightning striking a dry grassland, starting with a spark and immediately growing into a wildfire. With him being a magic user and me being transgender, neither of us were particularly suited for the societies we found ourselves in. Loki was physically bound to a boulder, and I am constantly bound by the manipulation of my family. And to summarize all that I learn from him, well.. “Break free.” He tells me. “Bide your time. Endure what you must. Your time will come and you will break free.” “Fight for yourself and the ones you love. No one else will. You are my child, now bare your teeth and snarl.” “You can wear a mask but you can only be yourself. Be proud of that. Be proud of yourself. You are worthy of that pride and you should make the world see it.” “Nothing will change until you make it change. You are a river. You can break your banks and force those around you to bend, but you can also slowly, quietly wear down rock and tear down mountains. Choose your course wisely.“ Loki has given me a lot of hope over the last few months. Hope for a better life. Hope for change. Hope for more faith in myself and hope that I can be strong enough to do what I need. Loki has really been leading me by example and making me feel like even seemingly impossible situations to escape from are not actually impossible. I can’t accurately describe how I feel about him at this point, this post didn’t quite go in the direction I was expecting it to go. Maybe I’ll get back on track another time. But Loki, if you somehow see this in any way, I hope you know how grateful I am for everything you’ve taught me and everything you’ve led me to. I hope you know that I love you more than I ever thought I could love a god, and I hope you know that I am so.. so unbelievably, overwhelmingly proud.. to be your devotee.

#Lokean #Loki #norse paganism #pagan #Heathenry #paganism #asatru #rokkatru #spirituality

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emoryhemsworth · 7 years

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Wherever You Will Go

Summary: Dean is ambushed by a pack of werewolves while lost in the woods on a simple salt-and-burn case.

Characters: Dean Winchester x Reader; platonic Sam x Reader

Word Count: 1,218 (including lyrics)

Genre: Angst/fluff

Rating: T for mild language.

Warnings: Canon-typical violence.

Author’s Note: Written for Mama and Angelina’s Fabulous 300 Challenge! I had prompts 44 (character gets lost in the story), 39 (thankful), and 42 (“I Want It All” by Queen). This is the first challenge I’ve ever done, so I hope this is okay, even if it’s short… Takes place post-Season 8, so mild spoiler warning if you haven’t watched that far yet, and for events in seasons 5-6! @atc74 @mamaredd123

Adventure seeker on an empty street,

Just an alley creeper, light on his feet

A young fighter screaming, with no time for doubt

With the pain and anger can’t see a way out

It ain’t much I’m asking, I heard him say,

Gotta find me a future move out of my way

I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now,

I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now

“Dammit…” Dean muttered, finally forced to admit that, for the first time, he was well and truly lost. He really should have listened to Y/N and Sam and taken a map to find the cabin that held the object the ghost was tethered to. They were never going to let him live this down. Instead, he was reduced to wandering aimlessly through the woods of Lucas, Kansas. He pulled out his phone to see if he could try to use a GPS or call Sam and Dean so they could find him. He swore again when he found his phone was dead. There was no way Sam or Y/N would find him now.

As he walked through the woods, he heard a twig snap and a growl before a large, brown mass attacked him, swiping its large paw at his side. Dean gasped and looked down to see the flesh hanging off of three long, deep claw marks that were partially hidden by blood. The surprise was enough to startle him, and the rest of the pack descended after their leader, pinning him to the ground. Dean attempted to fight off the werewolves, but his gun had been knocked out of his reach and he knew he stood no chance against a pack of werewolves hand-to-hand. He began to grow dizzy and his last thought after pleading to Cass to somehow find him was of the promise he made to Y/N before he left.

“Hey Sam, have you heard from Dean? He was supposed to call and let us know if he had any leads on that pack of werewolves in Lucas,” Y/N asked as she and Sam poured over lore books in the Men of Letters bunker’s generous library. Seeing as it was a simple salt-and-burn and still in the same state, Y/N and Sam had reluctantly agreed to let Dean handle it himself as they had a much more complex case coming up.

Dean… God, she loved that man. To the world he put on the façade of a suave, charming ladies’ man with a bountiful ego and confidence to match. However, Y/N knew the truth. Underneath that easygoing exterior was a very sensitive man that felt he wasn’t worthy of one of the most basic of human needs… to be truly loved by someone that loved him back. Forever the obedient soldier, Dean swore that he would hunt until the day he died and had denied himself the “apple pie life” that he secretly desired—a house with a white picket fence, a wife, dog, and maybe even a few kids. Sure, he’d had a taste of it with Lisa and Ben, but he never allowed to think it would really for him.

That all changed, however, right before Dean had left on this hunt. As he opened the driver’s door to Baby, Y/N had taken his hand and placed it on her stomach, silently hoping he would catch on to what she was in all honesty too nervous to say.

“A-Are you—”

“Pregnant,” she whispered, nodding yes.

Dean Winchester had something to live for now—two somethings, and he knew he couldn’t play fast and loose with his life anymore. It was time for him to retire, and he promised Y/N that after this and the case they had found in Montana that he would retire.

Sam reached over and picked up his phone, checking to see if he had any missed calls or even texts from Dean. When he saw that he didn’t, Sam began to worry more than he originally did and it showed on his face. Y/N could tell something was wrong by the look on Sam’s face and her stomach immediately sank.

“He hasn’t called or texted,” Sam muttered, more to himself than to Y/N.

“Sam, we have to go find him,” Y/N whimpered.

“Y/N, I’m sure Dean’s fine. You know him, he probably let his phone die,” Sam reassured her.

“No, Sam, you don’t understand! I’m pregnant…” Y/N’s voice trailed off.

Listen all you people, come gather round

I gotta get me a game plan, gotta shake you to the ground

Just give me what I know is mine,

People do you hear me, just give me the sign,

It ain’t much I'm asking, if you want the truth

Here’s to the future for the dreams of youth,

I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now,

I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now

All of the color drained from Y/N and Sam’s faces when they saw Castiel’s blood-soaked trench coat. Y/N, normally so eloquent, stuttered over her words.

“Cass, w-what happened to you?”

“Y/N, Sam, I have found Dean. He must have been attacked by something, possibly werewolves. He was barely alive when I found him. I proceeded to take him to the nearest medical facility under the name Banner,” he sounded remorseful for not being able to heal Dean as he didn’t have all of his grace back. “I will take you to him.”

As Cass, Sam, and Y/N walked up the steps of the small, rural hospital a few seconds later, Y/N could only pray that the doctors were able to save the life of the father of her unborn child.

“We’re looking for Robert Banner? We’re family,” Sam asked the young redhead at the nurse’s station in a shaky voice.

“Room 314,” she responded simply with a polite smile. Sam, Y/N, and Cass all but ran the 4 flights of stairs to the third floor.

Y/N braced herself for what she might find in the small hospital room. When she saw the soft rise and fall of his chest and the faint “beep-beep-beep” of his heart monitor, there was only one emotion that overcame her: thankful. She was thankful that Dean had prayed to Cass before he lost consciousness, thankful for Cass getting Dean to the hospital in time to save his life, and thankful for the people there that were able to save him. Mostly, though, Y/N was thankful that he was alive.

I’m a man with a one track mind,

So much to do in one life time (people do you hear me)

Not a man for compromise and where's and why's and living lies

So I’m living it all, yes I’m living it all,

And I’m giving it all, and I’m giving it all,

It ain’t much I'm asking, if you want the truth,

Here’s to the future, hear the cry of youth,

I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now,

I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now

#i can't believe i wrote something this long #mama and angelina's fabulous 300 challenge #dean winchester #dean winchester fanfiction #dean x reader

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bluntsmoker666-blog · 6 years

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Minor spoilers; I was very careful not to reveal anything major, but NieR: Automata is one of those games I feel is best enjoyed without any prior knowledge of its content, so proceed with caution. I spent the last 30 days banned from Facebook; during this time, I did little of note. Afflicted as I was by a seasonal depression, I spent my days either sleeping in bed, attempting to be physically active, or consuming media and pop culture. Of course, this sort of thing is hardly exceptional, the winter months being nondiscriminatory in whom it chooses to oppress, yet I did find some solace in one of these meaningless ways I passed time; instead of merely being idle, I was able to enjoy a masterpiece of a video game, the title of which is NieR: Automata.

I must admit that this is my first foray into the DrakeNieR series, despite my awareness of Yoko Taro and his 'ideas'; the man has a reputation for eccentricity in both his interests and his works. To make amends for this, I have therefore spent the last week studying both the man and the lore of his creations; what I've discovered is a man who is so dedicated to his vision that he's willing to sacrifice good taste and accessibility; essentially, he is a modern-day idiot savant, a creative genius the likes of which have not for some time been seen. Indeed, contrary to NieR: Automata's positive stature within the gaming community, the other entries in his series are nigh-universally considered mediocre, suffering from a myriad of problems, among them of which the gameplay simply being boring is a consistent issue. Yet, I find myself completely fascinated by Yoko Taro; he's a man completely true to himself and whether it is through sheer force of will or the tides of fortune that he has survived at Square is as good as anyone's guess.

I must admit that I have completely and truly fallen in love with the world of NieR: Automata; it is not often that a game thrusts you into a world completely devoid of human life, having been utterly ruined by centuries of war between two different factions of automata, and despite my issues with some of the aspects of the open world-nature of the game (such as the frequent presence of invisible walls), I must say that the rather spacious map truly drives home a feeling of emptiness, of a planet long out of touch with mankind. Certainly, though the game is at its core very linear, the open nature of the game certainly compliments the main idea brought forth within its open cut-scene: that of life being an eternal struggle.

As the game begins, the protagonist, an android named 2B , opens up with a few lines of dialogue which the player is certain to remember as they play through the game;

"全ての存在は滅びるようにデザインされている。 Everything that lives is designed to end. 生と死を繰り返すと螺旋に…… We are perpetually trapped 私達は囚われ続けている。 in a never-ending spiral of life and death. これは、呪いか。 Is this a curse? それとも、罰か。 Or some kind of punishment? 不可解なパズルを渡した神に I often think about the God who blessed us with this cryptic puzzle いつか、私達は弓を引くのだろうか？ and wonder if we’ll ever have the chance to kill him."

As I heard this, I was immediately stricken; long have I viewed life as a trial that one must overcome; moreover, it has always been my opinion that it is too long and too tiring to be of worth and that in this bleak universe full of fear and despair, that the only thing worth attempting to discover is a meaning for oneself. So, naturally, I made sure to play through the game very thoroughly. Remembering 2B's words, I cleared the various side-quests which abounded in NieR: Automata and found myself both hypnotized and horrified by the various crises and pleas of the many side-characters. Many of those in need of help were robots, who without human masters or connection to a central network, struggled in finding purposes for themselves. I had at first interpreted this to be Yoko Taro's answer to the transhumanist movement; that machines might some day be so human-like as to render the distinction between flesh and technology indistinct.

However, upon further reflection, this is not the entire message of Automata; though transhumanist themes are certainly touched on, the game's heavy references to various Existentialist philosophers emphasizes that the game's overarching theme is meant for those sorry individuals lost in their own quest for meaning in the world.

Each of the primary character's motivations are tied to conflict and searching for meaning; 2B, for example, is a machine whose purpose is to kill in spite of her personal convictions, a piece of hardware engineered to murder those she loves no matter what the circumstances. 9S, a reconnaissance/hacking-oriented model, must deal with the inevitable consequences of his own natural curiosity; even the one of the antagonists, Adam, who represents a physical manifestation of the enemy network, is explicitly driven by his own quest to understand what it's like to be human.

Being an artificial construct, Adam has no inherent understanding of what it means to be human; in an effort to circumvent this, he emulates humanity as much as possible. Whether its through wearing clothes, reading books, or eating food, Adam attempts to get to the truth of what being human means; and yet despite this, or perhaps because of this, he never quite grasps it. The clothes he wears are, though fancy, mismatched; the books he reads are never more than literal stories to him, Adam never examining them through the use of metaphor; even the apples he eats, inspired as he was by the Bible, are not things to be enjoyed but tools to be gained in an effort to understand humanness. The apple is to Adam nothing more than what the Bible says it is to him, a fruit that bears knowledge, knowledge that to the end eludes Adam because he's never able to, or perhaps completely incapable of, understanding the meaning behind the Bible's words.

Though Adam is but one character, this underlines the next part of the theme of struggle; that even if one struggles as hard as they can, that they may fail and die regardless. And this is a tale relevant to the whole of humanity; each and every individual on this earth has their own goals; each and every individual on this earth ends up in a different state, even if the goals are the same; each and every individual on this earth lives, struggles, and dies and even that despite the unchanging result of all of these lives, the contents contained between these beginnings, middles, and ends is so varied as to be immeasurable.

Now the idea of struggle being at the center of life is one that Nietzsche discusses frequently; myself being something of a Nietzsche acolyte, I've spent more than long enough thinking about the meaning of 'pain' and whether or not the presence of it adds value to our lives. Nietzsche was of course very fond of this idea; he famous stated

"To those human beings who are of any concern to me I wish suffering, desolation, sickness, ill-treatment, indignities — I wish that they should not remain unfamiliar with profound self-contempt, the torture of self-mistrust, the wretchedness of the vanquished: I have no pity for them, because I wish them the only thing that can prove today whether one is worth anything or not — that one endures."

Essentially, as I have long believed, if one were to view life as one big test, or even a game, of such a high difficulty as to make the majority of participants regret attempting it, would not persisting in spite of this be the grandest example of flourishing? After all, if such an arduous tribulation is able to be triumphed against, who comes out looking the mightier? The wise yet coddled masses who choose a life of comfort and grow to live to an old age? Or those impetuous and courageous few who decide that despite such treats and treasures that they're willing to elect for themselves what or what doesn't make them feel fulfilled?

The reptile brain within yourself should naturally be inclined the latter; though the former choice offers a wonderful choice bereft of the unknown, the animals inside us are naturally wont to side with the mighty few able to choose their own destinies, our ancestors living as violently as they did; the world before man, or even when man was still uncivilized, was filled with blood. Death, sex, and hatred abounded, early hominins, protosimians, dinosaurs, and even sea creatures struggling as hard as they could so that they might pass on their genes to the next generation. Certainly, the logical part of our brains desires an easy and comfortable life, but the truly primitive part of ourselves wishes nothing more than to be one of the few at the top, overlooking the masses, ensuring that they're able to reproduce and indirectly persist in the future.

Therefore, it might be said that violence is at the heart of what it means to be human; and indeed, Adam broaches this topic through his challenge of 2B and 9S at various points of the game, his explicit motivation being that through his hatred he hopes to discover more about humanity. I, given my background within the anthropology field, find this to be something worthy of affirming to myself; for if we are to truly understand ourselves, we must understand our ancestors, and if we are to understand our ancestors, we must understand those parts of ourselves we share in common with our ancestors. Thus, it might be said that the idea of struggling is inherent to the human condition, if not altogether essential to it, given that it has been the constant friend of mankind since before life even left the ocean.

So then; what might we say of those who are able to be those few? Does that make those masses less human or, perhaps, more? For certainly, though logic and sentience are altogether human inventions, to deny our own feelings regarding strength is to deny ourselves the truth and fall away from the world in which we actually live, which is to say that the only things with meaning in the world are those things in which we can actually prove. Thus, I find that in order to be truly human, we must pursue the shadows of those victorious few, for none can deny power when power is manifested; of course, to sleep in is nice, but are we then able to prove the value of our lives? Because again, if we truly live and have lived, we must leave SOME proof of our existence, whether it be children or something else; if there nothing exists that is left of us, how can we prove that we ever existed at all? And certainly no one remembers the statistic, the victim, no matter how good a life they were able to live, even if the means of forgetting that person means a 100 or 10000 years have passed. Yet everyone remembers Alexander, even if he did die young and in pain.

Which leads me back to my point; is not struggle the meaning behind life? For if it truly is, then that makes NieR: Automata the most life-affirming game of all, despite its dark themes; because despite how much it attempts to crush its characters, and despite many of its characters dying and failing, none of them ever attempts to give up. And it is this determination that characterizes them, that tells the player that despite whatever hardships afflict them, that life is worth living.

So perhaps this is why I have found myself so deeply touched by this game; for a man who similarly has struggled near endlessly his whole life, I cannot help but be moved by the story of people trying to survive a land that doesn't them to. Because, despite the length of time between the world of 2B and my own is separated by a span of some 9000 years, we each of us do our best with the hard circumstances we find ourselves in. And I think that's incredibly beautiful.

What do you think? Perhaps I feel as if I have talked myself into circles. Still, I definitely feel like going through the game again as, despite the loss of my save data, I am more than willing to get inspired by 2B and 9S once more.

#nier #nier: automata

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