#second human spectre

[deadlymaelstrom]

Ashley Williams

#mass effect #bioware #ashley williams #virmire survivor #second human spectre #tomboy #alliance marine #queue #ai art #my waifu

[jackals-ships]

tbh i gotta i gotta Find And Replay mass effect bf it's been a min thank you brain not sitting still but LIKE

im specifically thinking i think it was when recruiting tali? like iirc there's an option to threaten some dude so you can get info and find her an etc and LIKE.

that specific area. is where i think garrus gets a lil taste of "oh we should. we should have some red tape huh"

#jackals barks #pov you get recruited by this weird human whos gonna be a spectre Probably Maybe they've Halfway explained it #and you're like oh cool im hunting down arterius and- (they do not like you on this basis) they bring you along post shoot out at med place #and you're complaining about All The Red Tape #2 seconds later you see them grab somebody by the throat + biotically slam their head into a table so hard You felt it #you also have no idea What they said to this dude but you think you heard 'skinning' in there somewhere #anyways you're now Vaguely Frightened and Turned On

[quattrosaltinpaella]

you already hurt my feelings three times / in the way only you could / but it feels good to be known so well / I can't hide you from you like I hide from myself / I remember who I am when I'm with you / your love is tough, your love is tried and true blue

#i cried 50 times and went through the whole spectre of human emotions in the span of 42 minutes 18 seconds #boygenius #the record

[master-gatherer]

You know, I gotta say

After coming back a week later, I don’t hate it. I think I did a pretty good job capturing his likeness.

Which is unfortunate, because he was made when the servers were fucky so I couldn’t save him :’(

#kaidan alenko #saints row boss factory #yes i made the blorbo #also made some ocs but #more importantly: him #anyway if you want to play the new saints row as the second human spectre i have half a mind to remake him #perfect opportunity to tweak some stuff #get him looking even more like he's supposed to #let me know u3o

[husband-steve-cortez]

Imagining Kaidan promising to win Miles a giant plush but he can't win at any of the games and Miles is like "let me try" and gets it in one go.

#mshenko tag #idk there's something funny about how Kaidan is like 'yeah I'm just the *second* human spectre #and it's funny to imagine him always being second fiddle to Miles in a variety of silly ways #like sucking at arcade games #(Miles cheats. He's been cheating arcade games since he was 6) #Kaidan will always be the #number 1 amazing man in Miles' eyes though

[psalidodont]

Not much is known about the Grinning spectres. These dragons only appear at night; Red crimson eyes stare at their next meal in the middle of a foggy coast. Grinning spectres hunt by sight, their nostrils are too small to actually pick up any scent left by their prey (often sea birds, humans and other mammals, smaller dragons... anything that their big jaws can get a grip of.) Experienced fishermen warn young sailors and explorers to not steer too close into shining blue lights in the middle of the sea, those are indeed Grinning spectres trying to lure in their prey with constant flashes of blue. They are loud, producing high pitched screeches and screams when alerted. And if they werent horryfiyng enough, they have a second set of jaws near their throat! they appear to use these for chewing and swallowing rather than cutting and thrashing unlike their first set. They are very freaky beasts indeed... albeit they're quite cowardly on their own. Grinning spectres are closely related to the Slopsider, and are categorized as ''fish-like'' wyverns.

#digital art #artists on tumblr #creature design #illustration #unnamed worldbuilding project #dragon #dragon art

[gloryofdawn]

Pretty much everybody on Tumblr seems to look at Garrus and be like, "Hm, yes, the optimal love interest." And that's fair! Garrus is great. Date him if you want.

But goddamn, have I just always had brainrot for Shepard and Garrus platonically. Their dynamic is just so flawless. I have never believed a game more when it has told me "These two people are best friends." They are the most found family siblings I've ever seen.

Every party member in Mass Effect 1 (who lives) goes on to achieve greatness above and beyond pretty much any party member introduced in subsequent games (except that I do specifically think the human party members are outstripped by Mordin), but you get to watch it happen with Garrus and Tali because they never leave you. Garrus starts off as "That loose cannon cop who signed on to help get Saren." After Shepard dies, he decides he's just going to casually end organized crime and is alarmingly successful. When Shepard shows up again, Garrus' reaction is to fucking shoot them and then joke about it when they finally make it to him. Shepard deflects Garrus' near death experience by calling him ugly. During his loyalty mission, you have the opportunity to have some absolutely raw conversations with him about ethics and morality that you don't really ever see with another companion except Jack, and she basically completely ignores everything you say until you see her in 3. With Garrus, he'll resist what you're saying, but you can see him trying to find the line between justice and revenge, law and chaos. If you put him in charge of the second team during the suicide mission, you can see how much he's grown with you as he effortlessly coordinates his team with yours. And all that is just in Mass Effect 2.

Once you get to 3, you really start seeing it. Garrus has made his way up in the Hierarchy and is leading their efforts against the Reapers, just like Shepard. When you ask him about it, he immediately starts talking about it as the shared work you've had since the first game. No other companion identifies themselves with you through this struggle. Sure, other companions will mention the previous games and what you did with them, but there's always something else. Liara is the Shadow Broker now. Tali has the Geth to worry about. The Virmire Survivor is bound up in the Alliance and becoming a Spectre. Wrex has the Krogan. But Garrus? Garrus is here with you. He's standing right next to you, giving the Reapers his full attention. And as you go throughout the game, he's consistently the one there for you. When you're struggling to get the Council Races to work together, he's there. When things go tits up on Thessia, he's there. Even you're going into the final run, he's there. When the two of you die, if Turian heaven is the same as human heaven, he'll meet you at the bar.

There is no Vakarian without Shepard. There is no Shepard without Vakarian. These two soldiers are bound together with blood, sweat, and the sheer Terminator-grade determination to save the galaxy, no matter how much it kicks and screams. There is no fire they won't jump into for the other one, and they'll make fun of each other the whole way. There's no other relationship like it.

I'm Glory of Dawn, and this is my favorite platonic ship on the Citadel.

#Mass Effect #commander shepard #garrus vakarian #brainrot #rants #platonic ship

[plumsliva]

Another drawing to illustrate my writing :p Not so confident about this one tbh but eh Text:

"How do you feel while you are in the Nothingness? And what do you think about this place?" The already familiar whisper flowed through his mind, enveloping every neuronal ending of his brain and penetrating into the cracks between the convolutions. Despite the familiarity of this sensation, it still makes him stop every time. Stop in thoughts, stop in place, stop in action. This causes him to miss a hit from spectre, which damages a corner of the fabric of his jersey and causes a shallow scratch in the area of his left side. There is no pain, but the feeling of the skin of his physical shell tearing is not pleasant. Fortunately or unfortunately, his “offender” did not have long to live after this.The final blow of the bat finishes off the miserable creature, leaving splashes of red ectoplasm all around. The Batter shakes the sticky substance off of his purification weapon, forgetting for a second about the question that was asked of him, but as soon as the threads tightened on his tendons, he spoke. - Nothing, - The purifier answers, walking further along the smoky mine, looking around in search of new evil spirits. "What do you mean nothing?" The Player was restlessly trying to get a more satisfactory answer for them. And can you blame them? How can one word answer such a complex and interesting question? - Nothing means nothing, - The monotonous voice of the puppet again interrupted the silence in the dark corridors, echoing and rushing further, - I don’t feel anything and I don’t think anything about the Nothingness. And he didn't lie. Each time returning to Nothingness, the Batter seemed to lose the ability to think completely, as well as to sense the space around him. He felt how he moved his limbs while walking, but didn't feel how his foot came into contact with a hard surface. There was no ceiling, no walls and no floor that would limit movement, as well as no rules of physics and human logic. It didn’t matter in which direction, at what height or at what angle you take a step, you will always find your way to the Zone you need. Every move you made there had no meaning, there was always only one result - green stars, which like flowers had a red center of destination points. What could he say about the endless whispers of those who are lost in the nooks and crannies of darkness? About the whispers that don't give space for your own thoughts… Except for one that tells you to get out of this place as soon as possible before you go crazy like the persons who mutter senseless nonsense in your ears.

#art #digital art #my art #artists on tumblr #off game #off mortis ghost #off fanart #the batter #batter fanart

[sol-consort]

More on earthborn Shepard.

It'd be funny if the crew asked you about your past, or maybe asked Anderson and he told them about all the trouble you used to get in based on the earth police reports.

Running around in gangs, destroying things and being a general menace. Especially if Shepard used to be involved in a life of crimes in their teen years and joined the military the second they turned 18.

Meanwhile Kaidan was at camp brain and Ashley was with her family. I wonder if the three of them met during these stages of their life, how would their dynamic be.

Ashley is clearly very principal oriented, Kaidan was starting to get fed up with authority and the belittling he got, Earthborn Shepard was an orphan struggling to survive with a long history of violence and crimes.

Their strict commander who is always on duty, who never lets a call get ignored and never allows a mission to be abandoned, the literal pinnacle of human ambition and the first ever spectre.

Used to be a kid carrying around a baseball bat with rusty nails embedded in it, a stolen gun and unsupervised access to alcohol. Getting into fistfights and stabbing the wheels of police cars before running away.

#♡character study #earthborn Shepard #commander shepard #mass effect #♡Kaidan #♡Ashley #♡Anderson #♡earthborn shepard

[readingcomics-sometimeshiatus]

Sapphic Webtoon Masterlist

One day I thought that maybe it should exist a list with all the sapphic stories of webtoon since is so hard to find.

today I decided to make this list

you can also comment stories that are not listed here!

Sapphic = woman loving woman. although this name means any queer woman (e.g. lesbians, pansexuals, etc.), in this list will only have the ones where the main couple are two woman (or one is not a man).

Last updated: January 23th, 2024

please check up the reblogs to see when the last time was updated if you see this on a reblog!

Originals

Not So Shoujo Love Story (comedy, in progress)

Romance-super-fan Rei Chan is ready for her first boyfriend and she knows just who it'll be: the most handsome boy in school, Hansum Ochinchin. But her plans for the perfect love story are derailed when the most popular girl in class declares herself a rival….for Rei's heart?! This is the year her not so shoujo love story begins!

Nevermore (supernatural, in progress);

There is nothing definitive about life after death, except the involuntary enrollment at the mysterious Nevermore Academy. Now Lenore and Annabel Lee must begin their curriculum to recover the memories of their tragic demise. Between the Dean's macabre demeanor and the tell-tale dangers of Final Exams, both girls must learn to rely on one another and their newly acquired ghost forms, or Spectres, to not only graduate from the academy… but to earn a second chance at life.

Night Owls & Summer Skies (romance, completed);

Despite her tough exterior, seventeen year-old Emma Lane has never been the outdoorsy type. So when her mother unceremoniously dumps her at Camp Mapplewood for the summer, she’s determined to get kicked out fast. However, when she draws the attention of Vivian Black, a mysterious and gorgeous assistant counselor, she discovers that there may be more to this camp than mean girls and mosquitos. There might even be love.

Realta (fantasy, in progress);

When the world was new, the twelve star signs descended to bless humanity with magic according to their date of birth. Fourteen worthy people, called the “Realta,” were given a star from each Sign that allowed them to receive prophecies of the future called “horoscopes” and summon great power to defeat the Fae: beings that tormented humanity. However, much has changed since Elowen was a child. Magic is illegal, the Fae are getting stronger, and the Realta have been forgotten…until our Virgo meets a certain Capricorn.

Muted (supernatural, completed);

On the full moon of her 21st year, the young witch, Camille Severin, is expected to perform the traditional ritual to summon forth a winged demon for her families success and prosperity. But when the ritual goes wrong, it reveals the terrifying truths about herself and the secrets that threaten to tear her family apart.

Mage & Demon Queen (comedy, completed;

Adventurers seek to take the demon queen’s head, but a love-struck young female mage wishes to take her hand. Join us won’t you, for this bawdy tale of love and persistence set inside a real-life RPG.

REVEAL OUT! (romance, will return);

Eeden thought she'd missed out on life: her art career is a disaster, her landlord kicked her out, and worst of all, she's never even had a girlfriend! But life takes a turn when a chance encounter with an old crush sends her back in time. Now she's 18 again and starting college, with a chance to get everything right. Armed with a plan and a crush, Eeden knows exactly how to create the life full of joy she deserves: make it bold, make it beautiful, and most of all, make it gay!!

High Class Homos (comedy, in progress);

Princess Sapphia of Mytilene is not into princes. So, when her parents start putting the heat on her to get hitched, she enlists the help of her equally gay best friend, Prince August of Phthia. But will these two royals be able to pull off a convincing sham marriage? More importantly, will Sapphia ever land a date with the castle maids? Follow these high class homos as they navigate life, love, and (occasionally) their actual jobs.

Finding Wonderland (fantasy, completed);

In Wonderland, Alex is the Ace. When tasked with hunting down the nefarious Black Knave and his scourge of Nightmares, Alex begins to have visions of another world beyond: our world. In reality, Alex is a normal teen who has been placed in a dangerous simulation to draw out a scientist’s lost son. And time is quickly running out.

Aerial Magic (fantasy, completed);

The daily life of an apprentice witch.

Always Human (romance, completed);

This is a story about nanobots, genetic engineering, and two girls falling in love. No matter how technology changes us, we'll always be human.

Savior (fantasy, completed);

Wohn Ku is a vampire that needs human blood to survive. As a tenderhearted child, she led a tortured existence until a girl named Seyeon willingly became her steady blood source. Seyeon stood by Wohn throughout their school years, defending her from bullies. Fast forward to the present where they move in together ahead of their freshman year of college. Seyeon remains fiercely protective of her friend, but Wohn is ready for a fresh start. When a devoutly religious sophomore girl named Juyi showers her with kindness, Wohn emerges from her shell only to realize that Juyi had once been her father’s kidnapping victim, a potential blood source she had refused to bite. Juyi grows closer to Wohn without remembering the incident, fueling jealousy in Seyeon. Will Juyi prove to be a savior washing away Wohn’s guilt, or will she ruin a vampire’s dream of redemption?

CANVAS

My Dragon Girlfriend (romance/slice of life, in progress);

Christy is saved from a bad date by a dragon girl and introduced to world of magical creatures while falling in love with her savior.

Susuhara Is A Demon (slice of life/romance, in progress);

After a perfect girl encounters an infamous delinquent, her life is thrusted into a whirlwind of chaos! Strap in for a ride jam-packed with terribly embarrassing flirting techniques, kick-ass delinquents and existential dread by the buttload! Nothing could possibly go wrong in this perfectly imperfect love story.

Fatal Kiss (romance/supernatural, in progress);

What would you do if your crush was a monster?

The Pirate and The Princess (romance/historic, in progress);

Princess Kirianna has been raised for two purposes; marriage and succession. As a dutiful, intelligent, and optimistic girl, she came to terms with her fate long ago, and simply longs to be content. The last thing she expected was to be pulled into a life of piracy, by a woman in disguise who has a strange grudge against Kirianna's father, and a secret of her own to hide…. Captain is given male pronouns by me until her name drop in Chapter 10!

Eldritch Darling (supernatural/comedy, in progress);

What if we kissed and we were both girls? And one of us was an oblivious human and the other was a dark eldritch abomination creature from beyond the stars??

Deep Sea (romance/fantasy, in progress);

Atarah is convinced : she is not cut out to be a princess. And when her father tells her that the time has come for her to get married, the world of the young princess crumbles: her heart dreams of adventure, and not of an arranged marriage! It is therefore at the worst of times that Atarah meets Robin, a pirate with questionable morals and a tumultuous past. But where will this crazy encounter lead her heart?

The Siren's Light (romance/fantasy, in progress);

I was sinking, the darkness was slowly surrounding me. The depth of the sea was pulling me lower and lower, I could no longer see the moonlight that glowed from above. But, Who was this silver-haired beautiful creature with an alluring voice swimming towards me? "You are a beautiful one." Her voice was so clear and soothing. And before I knew it, She kissed me. Who was this creature you asked? A siren. A flirtatious, annoying siren that changed my life forever. Author: @roseyluv143 (wattpad)

In My Heart (romance/drama, in progress);

Sasaki Mari is a typical delinquent troublemaker whose only goal is to get a boyfriend, but due to her reputation as bully and low grades, all the boys reject her. Then she decides to change her style, and asks for help from the student with the best grades in the class.

My Devotion to You (romance/drama, in progress);

For the past five years, Catalina has spent all-nighters studying and acing exams to become number the one student and prove her place in the academy. Unfortunately, no matter how much she tried…she has been stuck as number two…all because of Valeria Graham. Valerie is tired and does not expect this year to be much different. She will maintain her Top Student title just like her family expects her to. It would be like any other year…right? And so, their final year begins.

My Cat is a Wizard (fantasy/romance, in progress);

Caitlyn is a just an ordinary, struggling student in her final year of university… Or so she thinks. After having her heart broken yet again, her cat suddenly becomes human. She must now juggle the difficulties of school, work, and all the twists and turns life keeps throwing at her: like her cat/roommate being a wizard. Can Cait still fall in love while magic slowly takes over her world?

Honey and Venom (romance/heartwarming; in progress);

An ancient Roman goddess is reunited with her priestess 2000 in the future, but she doesn't remember her! The closer they grow, the more secrets their shared past reveals, all while an ancient adversary lurks in the shadows.

Greta the Red Wolf (supernatural/action, in progress);

An injured wolf pup and an abandoned baby appear at the doorstep of a couple’s home near the woods. The couple decides to take them in, but little did they know that the wolf was actually a werewolf, and the baby a vampire! Despite their shocked human parents, Greta the werewolf and Vincent the vampire had a blissful upbringing. However, as Greta and Vincent grow older, their quiet, peaceful lives are threatened as they discover the secret world of witches, vampires, and werewolves.

RAINBOW! (slice of life/romance, in progress);

Overly imaginative teenager Boo Meadows has always escaped her daily grind by living with her head in the clouds-- for better or worse. But when she meets the girl of her daydreams, it may finally be time to face reality.

Winter Before Spring (drama/romance, in progress);

Hana has recently just fallen in love with her best friend, who just happens to be a girl. After a confrontation with her best friend, Hana accidentally blurts out and confesses her true feelings. Fearing that she would be rejected, her friend accepts her feelings graciously and they start dating. Is this a dream? Hana, overwhelmed with happiness as her wish came true- is suddenly struck down, her world crashing down as she finds out the nasty truth about her best friend.

The Hideout (romance/drama, hiatus);

Nadia is a 18 year old teenage girl that’s finishing high school and working part-time on her aunts coffee shop named “The Hideout” Nadia also happens to not be very lucky when it comes to the love department and that, mixed with overworking herself, has taken a toll on her quite heavily recently. Reading direction is left to right

The Grand Priestess (fantasy/action, hiatus);

Verashana, a powerful sorceress, delves into the past after an incident separates her from her lover, hoping to learn more about the tragedy that occurred. Her hidden memories resurface, and she unlocks a world that she didn't know she was a part of. Now, she must find out where it all started, and where it all went wrong.

Love, Lila (romance/drama, hiatus);

A one-sided love & rivalry between an aspiring ballerina and an artist. Irene comes from a strict and close-minded household which is against her pursuing a career in arts, as a result of her upbringing she became cold, insecure, and distrustful. Then she met Lila, a perfect girl who has everything and is everything Irene wishes to become. But as she gets to know Lila better, she discovers that her privileged upbringing actually hides a traumatic family secret.

Facing the Sun (sci-fi/drama, in progress);

Fear. Grief. Trauma. Guilt. Love, all seen through the eyes of a dysfunctional android prototype well past her estimated lifespan.

I LIKE MY BEST-FRIEND (drama, ongoing);

(since I'm on phone, I'm gonna put this one later)

Unleashed (romance, ongoing);

(since I'm on phone, I'm gonna put this one later)

Pick Me!! (romance, ongoing);

wip

Lotus and the Dandelion (fantasy, ongoing);

wip

The Greenhouse (drama, ongoing);

wip

I want to be your wife! (drama, completed);

wip

Warm Spring Rain (romance; ongoing);

wip

What's A Soulmate (heart-warming; ongoing);

wip

5 More Minutes (romance, ongoing);

wip

Slice of Life (heart-warming, ongoing);

wip

Our Secret (drama, ongoing);

wip

Don't Look at the Sky (fantasy, ongoing);

wip

Somebody to you (romance, ongoing);

wip

#masterlist #wlw #nblw #gl #gl comic #webtoon #sapphic #bisexual #lesbian #pansexual #webtoon originals #webtoon canvas #not so shoujo love story #nevermore #night owls & summer skies #realta #muted #my dragon girlfriend #susuhara is a demon #fatal kiss #eldritch darling #the pirate and the princess #deep sea #in my heart #the siren's light #my devotion to you #my cat is a wizard #honey and venom #greta the red wolf #rainbow!

[high-voltage-rat]

I think Kaidan Alenko is like. Just A Guy. Sure he's a certified badass with some of the highest natural biotic potential known to man, and the second human spectre, and responsible for training spec ops agents... but he's also just some guy. Likes beer and bacon. Would watch the hockey game with you, know the names of all the players, and comment on how this game would impact the rest of the season for them. The rest of the mass effect squadmates are all a bit unhinged, but I feel like Kaidan's just a well-adjusted dude who ends up kinda being the black sheep of the gang because of it and that's just hilarious to me. I love him.

#mass effect #ali plays mass effect #kaidan alenko #the virgin kaidan haters: he's so boring! I always kill him because all he does is whine about his headaches! #the chad kaidan enjoyers: he's a normal dude and that's the funniest shit. I want to eat steak with him.

[deadlymaelstrom]

"We received a report on his diagnosis in a matter of weeks. It was not good. What alarmed me as the Normandy’s chief medical officer was the increase in Shepard’s brainwave patterns, the change in his behavior, eating patterns, and unexpected bouts of severe anxiety. The nightmares just kept getting worse with each passing day. And I’m sure Shepard already knew this. The next morning, he just couldn’t handle the pressure anymore. He walked away. From everything." ―Dr. Karin Chakwas' medical report on John Shepard

With the Reapers defeated, the war finally came to a pyrrhic end. Shepard was incapacitated by the explosion and, by means currently unknown, sent back to Earth’s surface where he was presumed missing in action and came close to being declared dead. To the surprise of many, it was revealed that Shepard managed to survive the Crucible's blast, taking a gasping breath in a pile of rubble.

Due to the Crucible’s detonation, Shepard suffered severe injuries throughout his body: the explosion blew off his left arm and rendered many of his cybernetic implants created from the Lazarus Project inert; as a result, he was in excruciating pain, along with other chronic effects before falling into a coma. C-Sec teams recovered the bodies of Admiral Anderson and Shepard. He remained unconscious before waking up to a galaxy without Reapers, where he would be interred in the hospital to receive intense medical and psychological treatment. When he was ready to walk again, his team was waiting right outside the door, eager to reunite with the man who not only saved the galaxy, but changed their lives. He was declared a hero to all races and showered with medals and honors, becoming a legend throughout the galaxy. Hackett had another announcement as well: in a surprise and unexpected move, for Shepard’s actions and leadership throughout the Reaper invasion, he decided to circumvent standard procedures and authorized Shepard’s immediate promotion to the rank of Admiral. After Shepard was released from the hospital, Ashley walked him out. A moment of embrace was captured and spread throughout Alliance space. The pair was lavishly celebrated by the Alliance as a symbol of purity and devotion emerging from dark times.

At some point within the next two months, Shepard received a prosthetic arm to replace the one he lost during the war. He was later present at Anderson’s funeral in London, where Kahlee Sanders was to eulogize to the Alliance's fallen war hero. The remaining members of the allied forces who attended the funeral assembled in an area near the London burial ground while a large number of notable figures and other dignitaries were in attendance and filled the remainder of the streets. His death caused Shepard to fall into a deep depression, especially seeing how Anderson resembled a father-figure, as well as learning that his actions destroyed EDI and the geth, and was unsure of what to do now that the war was finally over.

Due to his extensive injuries in addition to his doctors expressing worry of his mental state, Shepard was due to receive an honorable discharge but he chose not to wait and decided that he could not remain any longer. Just moments after seeing a psychotherapist, Shepard disappeared from the public eye without a trace. No one knew for sure where he went, but those closest to him believed he went off in search of a new path.

#mass effect #commander shepard #ashley williams #n7 #first human spectre #shepley #queue #bioware #second human spectre #queued post #shepard x ashley #mass effect 3 #my stuff #mass effect legendary edition #ashley x shepard #virmire survivor #tomboy #alliance marine

[blackbird5154]

Papa Emeritus III: The analysis of mythological references

Here are my thoughts of Terzo as a character, finally translated to English. Thank you to @osirisiii-bc who is so kind and gracious!

Read on AO3

Note: The author strongly recommends you to check out the Third Era's "policy document" - The Prologue and Introduction by Peter Bebergal before reading this article. This promotional material was sent out to the media by the label on the occasion of the Meliora release.

This analysis is based on the Prologue to Meliora written by Peter Bebergal. At first glance, this text may seem like a set of nonconnected paragraphs, as well as the music video "From the Pinnacle to the Pit" can be considered as a simple cutting of scenes from old movies. But together these two materials can shed light on the mythology of the Meliora Era and the story of Papa Emeritus III - his origin, background and motives. Let's try to understand how it happened that in the image of Papa combined three mythological characters: Prometheus, Icarus and Lucifer.

This is what the author of this analysis looked like when she wrote it

First, let's take a superficial look at the plot. The action of the video takes place in a fictional retrofuturistic city decorated in Art Deco style. The Prologue even gives us the name of this location - Meloria (not to be confused with the album title - Meliora). The city is ruled by a totalitarian cult, something like a Masonic lodge, located in the highest building of the city, which is often struck by lightning.

The protagonist is invited to take part in a cult meeting and to undergo initiation. There he meets a sultry demonic woman who gives him a magic potion (the commentary to the song "Spirit" hints that it was absinthe). The protagonist experiences a vision in which he sees how the city is actually run. Upon awakening from his trance, he escapes from the meeting and throws himself off the roof of a skyscraper. Crashing to the ground, he is reborn into the ghost of Papa Emeritus III, to whom a crowd of people flock. Papa proclaims that the light should belong to the people and rises above the city. By the way, this character has a special name, or rather, a nickname given to him by the press - Mysterious Spectre. This can be read from the page of the newspaper that Papa holds in another clip thematically related to this storyline, "Square Hammer". The headline states: "Mysterious Spectre wrestles power supply from oligarchs". Papa Emeritus in full vestments can be seen in the photo.

Now, let's dig a level deeper. From the very beginning, the video gives us a hint of the concept behind it. The words "pinnacle" and "pit" appear in the splash screen, inscribed in two triangles. The upper word is written in the style of lightning bolts, while the lower one reminds us of stone catacombs. Besides the fact that it is a Masonic symbol (and not the only one in this video, and in Ghost's art in general), it symbolizes the contrast of the heavenly and underground worlds, sacred and profane spheres. 

That's what the Prologue says as well:

“Rock and roll exists in two worlds: the sacred and the profane. In the first, it harkens back to a time when people worshipped their gods by wearing masks, dancing, and often in the throes of ecstatic intoxication. In the second, rock exists in the here and now, as an expression of rebellion, sex, power, and even fame. In the realm of the sacred, the ego is destroyed when the god is seen face to face. In the profane, ego is the energy that gets things done. This is the eternal spiritual conflict: the will of the gods versus human will. Those who can keep a foot in both the sacred and the profane can change the world.“

Freemasons are everywhere!

Considering Meliora, we are inevitably faced with its duality: on the one hand, it’s a down-to-earth story about a satanic musical group controlled by the Clergy. On the other hand it’s a legend of the city of Meloria, a kind of Gotham of this fictional universe. Even Papa seems to have two incarnations: a physical and a spiritual one. But the two worlds are not only the dichotomy of matter and spirit. The video shows two levels of the metropolis: the celestial - the world of thunder and lightning, power and electricity, and the subterranean - the world of the poor and the catacombs, the underground temples "under the streets". The society of Meloria is stratified, the upper classes exist at the expense of the lower classes, who bust their hump, generating electricity for their masters and covering the foot of skyscrapers with their bones. The totalitarian regime described in the pages of the Prologue is the oligarchy's way of keeping power in its hands and suppressing any expression of free will from the enslaved people.  

“Spies are everywhere. Their eyes are behind the screens of your televisions and devices, their ears attentive to every frequency in the air. Everything is mediated, pre-­packaged, and pressure sealed, your lives pre-­ordained.”

The watchful airships in the video are labeled grucifixes, but don't let that put us off: they are "angels," agents of the ruling class, an enemy force opposed to Papa Emeritus.

"What if man could harness the power of a god?" the Headmaster asks the protagonist. "In a sense, he would need god no longer." It may be recalled here that Meliora is essentially an album about a world without God. That's exactly how the Nameless Ghoul put it in an interview, which is cited in Revolver magazine. “Spirit Absent” ("spirit absinthe") is “Deus in Absentia”, absent God. It is a world in which man is doomed to choose his own path without prompting from above. Modern man, the man of the era of modernism, seeks to curb the laws of physics, to put heavenly fire at his service. We are getting very close to the image of Prometheus in this story.

“You have been chosen to wield this power,” the Headmaster tells the boy. “Here we are the gods.” Then he sends the protagonist to the top of the building on what looks like an elevator, which symbolizes his ascent through the lodge ranks.

The woman reveals to the protagonist that the deity called demi-surge is the source of the power that moves the gears of the city. And the same power is used to enslave its people. It is their backs that we see bowed before Moloch. The vision is replaced by the sight of a lavish ball. “Through industry, man can harness this power and attain all that which he desires!” - the woman tells and invites the character to join.

This situation is also described in the Prologue:

"The world since he was last seen has changed. Called Moloch by some, the great industrial machine has been grinding away, grinding everything and everyone down in the process."

Historically, Moloch was an ancient Semitic deity to whom human sacrifices had to be made. In the 1927 film "Metropolis" Moloch is represented by an industrial machine with an insatiable maw that devours people who labor in its bowels. And since the music video shows us the 20s of the 20th century, this machine operates on electric power. So, in this story Moloch symbolizes the dark side of progress turned against people.

Moloch in the “Metropolis” movie 

The protagonist realizes that the lodge is using ordinary people as fuel for its luxurious life. He is not ready to accept this, so he pushes the woman away and, scattering, jumps from the roof of the skyscraper, from the pinnacle to the pit. There's an important element not to miss here: while he's climbing to the top of the tower before jumping, he's struck by lightning. In that moment he perhaps becomes heir to the mystical power of the demi-surge. By this Papa gains the dramatic ability to shoot lightning from his hands (and a little from his eyes).

As a man of the modern era and a resident of godless Meloria, the protagonist is free to choose how to dispose of this power. Therefore, when he becomes Papa Emeritus, already at the base of the skyscraper, he proclaims that the light should belong to the people. Like Prometheus, who stole the divine fire, he is ready to give it selflessly to the people, so that they can curb the natural force themselves. This similarity must be what the following the Prologue fragment hints at:

“…some still remember the old tales of those who tried to defy the gods. It was said they stole the fire from heaven, or called themselves equal.”

The people who rally around the sacrificed hero become Papa's flock, which is mentioned in the text:

“He is a shepherd of black sheep, the sewers are his cathedral. Here in the darkness they follow the path of the hero’s journey, the necessary travel to the underworld to become transfigured, to become something new.”

The Hero's Journey is a concept invented by Joseph Campbell to describe a monomyth. This archetypal story depicts the way of personality formation, accompanied by psychological transformation. According to the plot, the hero goes on a journey, meets a mentor, passes through a gateway where temptations await, which he must resist. Then he goes to the abyss, where he undergoes a transformation, along with acquiring the gift of the gods, and eventually returns reborn. 

Doesn't that ring a bell?

Probably "From the Pinnacle to the Pit" is also a statement about art. Electricity can be perceived as a metaphor for creativity. It is a bit of heavenly power, which the creator (musician) draws from somewhere in the higher spheres and gives to his audience for free. Here Tobias himself appears as a giver of light.

The story of Mysterious Spectre will be continued in the "Square Hammer" video, where we are told that he successfully wages war with local oligarchs, wresting power from them. Let's wish him luck and pay attention to the similarity of Papa's story to two other mythological characters.

Mysterious Spectre in the background of the moon. Handsome as hell.

The cover of the single "From the Pinnacle to the Pit" shows us Papa as Icarus. Let us recall that this ancient Greek young man daringly ascended to the sun, scorched his wings with its heat and fell from heaven to earth, losing too many feathers attached with the easily melting wax. Here we can exclaim after the prophet Isaiah: "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn!" Because the image of Icarus in this song is combined with the image of Lucifer. In Wikipedia we can read: "Lucifer is the Latin name for the morning appearances of the planet Venus. It corresponds to the Greek names Phosphorus Φωσφόρος, "light-bringer", and Eosphorus Ἑωσφόρος, "dawn-bringer". The entity's Latin name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil."

Or maybe he didn't fall, but jumped, as the Prologue directly tells us. A man of the modern era is free to choose his own destiny. And it is up to him to decide whether he will be thrown down from heaven or will take a step into the precipice himself, without waiting for a kick from above. Because there is no other way than "from the pinnacle to the pit". Such is the Hero's Journey.

“One figure was considered so prideful he was imprisoned in a pit where he gathered a legion to plan a great rebellion. Now they are merely stories to scare children, to remind them that defiance is a sin. Papa Emeritus III will steal your breath, the parents say. He will unscrew your hands and feet. He will take your eyes.”

Here the image of Papa is so merged with the image of Lucifer that it is difficult to understand who the text is talking about. It seems that the figure of Papa has been defamed: now he is a monster of the underworld, who is used to scare children to make them obedient. He was transformed from a light-bearer into an evil character through slander. Once again we are faced with an almost direct analogy with the Devil. By the way, isn't that why Papa addresses Cirice with the words "I know your soul is not tainted even though you've been told so" that he himself has been stigmatized, presented as a villain? Isn't this the essence of the fall and the punishment?

However Papa Emeritus appears to us: whether he is a rebel, a Melorian revolutionary who made the oligarchs tremble in their skyscrapers, a hero of the common people who brings the light of electricity and freedom to the populace, a fallen angel banished from heaven for his defiant thoughts, or a chthonic demon to scare children, he is a figure who appeals to our unconscious layers through mythological archetypes. Only one question remains: are you, dear reader, ready to follow Papa Emeritus into the abyss, taking the path of rebirth, feeling the halo above your head melting and being replaced by a mitre with an inverted cross?

#papa emeritus iii #terzo #the band ghost #ghost #papa emeritus #papa emeritus 3 #papa emeritus lll #ghost band #ghost bc #meliora #meloria #ghost lore #ghost theory #papa terzo #papa iii #terzo emeritus #tobias forge #mysterious spectre

[darkveracity]

Tsukihime's cast rated by how mad Akiha is about Shiki falling in love with them from best to worst

Displeased

Sacchin: At a fundamental level Sacchin is just an ordinary girl. There's nothing objectively wrong with her. Akiha is never going to be happy about Shiki falling in love with anyone but there's very little she can object to here without looking insane. Also being a cute girl who's easily flustered, fun to bully, and has a bit of the vibe of a small scared animal makes her very much Akiha's type if she were willing to be honest with herself.

Hisui: Akiha's primary problem here is the status difference (which is fake but she'll never admit that). If the relationship progresses to the point of talking about marriage it will become an enormous issue. However in the near term this has a number of advantages for her - first, she genuinely likes and trusts Hisui, second falling in love with her instead of an outsider keeps Shiki trapped in the incestuous tidepool of the Tohno mansion where he'll also pay a lot of attention to Akiha, third she has no high ground to stand on considering her own relationship with Kohaku. She can't push too hard on this one

Angry

Arihiko: Akiha is homophobic. Full stop. She was raised in an intensely conservative environment and does not have enough self-awareness to understand that she herself is gay. She's going to ruthlessly bully Shiki about this and also every other one of the reasons Arihiko is an inappropriate partner - an unserious delinquent with dyed hair who skips school and stays out late at night. Absolutely unacceptable company for the eldest son of the Tohno family. The only thing that mollifies her is how genuinely happy he makes Shiki

Ciel: Ciel checks most of the boxes. She's serious, reliable, extremely talented, a good student, pushes Shiki to be better. She has everything Akiha would want in a partner for her useless brother except for status. However she has the enormous dealbreaking flaw of being an executor and any long term relationship with her is inevitably going to result in Shiki pursuing the same career. She and Akiha do not like each other any of the times they meet in canon but those are all under unfortunate circumstances - showing up in a combat habit with a comatose Shiki, trying to hypnotize her at school, sneaking into the mansion and getting into a fight to the death in the manga, etc. If Ciel were to properly visit the mansion and get introduced to Shiki's family as his girlfriend after her route then Akiha might be able to tolerate her a little better

Arcueid: Akiha absolutely cannot handle Arc. Their personalities are incompatible. Arc is an airhead who doesn't understand human norms and doesn't get subtlety and every word out of Akiha's mouth is a venomous barb that flies completely over her head. This relationship is the absolute worst case Akiha can handle before she starts physically trying to separate Shiki from his new lover

Ready to commit homicide

Noel: Noel has no redeeming qualities whatsoever (and is also my favorite near-side remake character). She's flighty, unreliable, selfish, petty, unprofessional, a coward, works for the church, and most importantly is an adult woman leveraging her position of power as a teacher to pursue an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student. Akiha is going to do everything possible to get rid of her from threatening her to destroying her career to sending her to jail to if worst comes to worst outright murdering her. She will never accept this relationship

Kohaku: This relationship drives Akiha completely insane in canon. The spectre of the abuse Kohaku has suffered, Akiha's intense guilt about it, and her own possessive pseudo-romantic feelings for her make her never want anyone else to lay their hands on Kohaku and also simultaneously her possessive pseudo-romantic feelings for Shiki make her never want him to fall in love with anyone else. The two people she loves most leaving her to be with each other double-cucks her and pushes her so far she tries to murder both of them. The only way she could ever be okay with the two of them kissing is if they're doing it in front of her for her entertainment

SHIKI: I do not think the city of Souya would survive Akiha's reaction to this

!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!

Len: What's wrong with you, Nii-san????

Bonus:

Extremely Pleased

Akiha: At long last you've seen the light, Nii-san. Why would you ever choose anyone else when you have the perfect younger sister right by your side who loves you very much. Please never look at any of those other wretched women again

#tsukihime #tohno shiki #tohno akiha #yumizuka satsuki #hisui #kohaku #arihiko #ciel #arcueid brunestud #noel #len #tohno SHIKI

[imtrashraccoon]

Not sure if I'm fully happy with this one but I no longer have the energy to edit it anymore. Meh, Dust is basically how I pictured him. I should mention I really like the way @snowcoffeee writes him so there will probably be some similarities as I've never written him before now.

@owl-bones

First Day, Previous Day, and Next Day.

Bad Sansuary: Dust - Boxed In

Word Count: 2,923

You couldn't shake the feeling of being watched lately. Whenever you were out and about, whether that was running errands or traveling to and from work, you felt like some sort of spectre was staring at you.

It was incredibly unnerving and your head felt like it was constantly on a swivel nowadays. Every time you swore you saw something move out of the corner of your eye it was either nothing or the wind blowing an piece of trash around.

So why were you so paranoid?

Why did it feel like something was secretly stalking you?

Why you?

There weren't many people out today, which you normally didn't mind, but you'd come to hate the quiet. Being friends with Axe had made you realize how lonely you really were and as such, you'd started to crave human, or in this case, monster contact. Being alone felt unbearable all of the sudden and you didn't know what to do to remedy this feeling.

You couldn't bring yourself to reach out to old classmates, not after how well you knew many of them had succeeded in life in comparison to you. You certainly weren't going to try and reestablish contact with your sister or any of your other family members either, not after how little they cared about you back when you were still talking to them.

The obvious solution was to make new friends but you didn't know where to start. Your coworkers were all either way older than you and from completely different backgrounds or not exactly nice people in general. You weren't one to go to clubs or bars to hang out and get drunk either, especially by yourself as a woman. So where else does a young adult go to meet new people? Unfortunately, you were still looking for an answer to that question.

You were on your way back home from the library after returning and borrowing some new books, when you passed a dimly lit alleyway. Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a figure leaning against one of the brick walls with their hood pulled up. You could smell the lingering stench of cigarette smoke and immediately decided to keep walking so as to not draw unwanted attention to yourself.

You had only walked ahead a couple of feet further when you heard someone else's footsteps behind you.

Your heartrate quickened and you clutched the straps of your bag tighter. You didn't want to assume it was the person from the alleyway but who else could it be?

Before you could turn around to see who was following so closely, they grabbed your right arm and abruptly shoved you up against the building.

You gasped in surprise as the rough texture of the brick cut into your back.

The man from the alleyway was holding you tightly by your upper arms. Despite only being maybe two inches taller, he was practically leering over your smaller form.

He seemed to be a skeleton and two red eyelights glared back at you from beneath his hood, although the left one had an additional ring of light blue magic that somehow made this moment even more unsettling. His clothes actually reminded you of the ones Axe usually wore, except this skeleton wore white gloves as well. Unlike your friend though, his build was more similar to your own, but he'd still be larger than you if he had flesh covering his bones.

Did they know each other? Was it racist to wonder if all skeletons knew each other? Should you even be asking yourself questions right now?

It felt like the hostile skeleton was staring into your soul and to your shame, you froze up for the second time in a potentially life-threatening situation this year. To be fair, you were under the impression you couldn't even hurt him, at least according to what you'd been told by Axe anyways.

After staring at you for what felt like an eternity, he scoffed. "there's nothing special about you," he spat.

That simple statement was enough to fill you with immense dread. The monster in front of you basically screamed insane and you were immediately hit with two realizations.

He'd killed countless people.

And if you didn't do something, anything, you'd be dead in the next few minutes.

"H-how...would you know?" you asked quietly.

He said nothing and continued glowering at you.

So, you tried another approach. "Look buddy, I know a guy and if he found out you were harrassing me like this, he'd have some choice words for you." You were trying to keep your voice firm but without sounding threatening to avoid agitating the skeleton further.

His eye sockets narrowed slightly but he otherwise had no visible reaction. "oh i'm sure you do, but the funny thing is, i don't care..." he growled.

"You should care. He's not pleasant when he's angry and I can't guarantee he'll be content with just giving you a good talking to."

He hummed in an off-handed way although his grip on your arms tightened slightly.

You weren't going down without a fight if he decided to take you somewhere. You knew that one of the big rules to survive a kidnapping was never to let them take you to the second location. If it came down to it, you were going to fight like hell, no matter if you could actually inflict pain on a skeleton or not.

"i deal with a lot of unpleasant people on a daily basis, human." He let out a heavy sigh and his eyelights seemed to burn brighter for a second. "and most of them end up dead if they even think of messing with me," he muttered.

Well that just confirmed what you'd already figured out. Although, you also had another realization all of the sudden.

He seemed...overtired. Maybe you could try to use your Intent on him? Afterall, it had worked to get Axe's attention the few times you'd done so. Now the problem was how to do it without setting him off and getting yourself killed.

You took a deep breath and forced yourself to make eye contact with him. "You know what else is funny?" Without even waiting for a response, you kept talking, "You're not even the first scary skeleton I've met."

"i know." He hadn't even missed a beat to respond and his words sent a chill down your spine. "and i also know you've been manipulating him."

You swallowed thickly and tried to focus on taking even breaths to keep yourself from freaking out more than you were. It seemed that he was really good at shutting down your attempts to de-escalate this moment. Still, you'd learned something else that could potentially prove helpful.

"You know him then?" you asked tentatively.

The corners of his tight permanent smile twitched and his phalanges slightly dug into your arms, even through his gloves and your clothing. To your surprise, he didn't even bother to deny this apparent slip of his theoretical tongue.

"you could say that..." he muttered.

Okay...that was very vague.

"So...I'm gonna go out on a limb here for a sec. Are you concerned about him? Is that why you've decided to confront me today?"

He stared back at you passively but noticeably didn't deny either of your questions.

"Hey, uh...it's cool. Really though, it's not a bad thing to be concerned about friends..."

Well, there you went again; running your mouth while being pinned by a potentially insane murderer. You could tell even he thought you were crazy all of the sudden if the look he gave you was any clue.

"Just...maybe cornering people isn't a good way to go about it...?" You visibly cringed at how high pitched your tone of voice became at the end of your question.

Taking a deep breath, you added, "Look, I can explain everything if you want, but any chance you can...let go a little? You have a really strong grip..."

"you're insane." You bit your lower lip and glanced away at the intensity of his tone but he continued talking. "you get thrown into a wall but rather than try and get away or fight back, you think talking it out will save you? ridiculous..."

"Pot, meet kettle...?"

He seemed completely taken aback and fell silent for a moment while processing what you'd said. He then started to quietly chuckle, but his laughter soon grew louder until he had to hold onto you to keep from falling over. You felt paralyzed with fear and remained silent until he finally calmed down again.

"wow..." he finally managed to say between lingering chuckles. "you're funny..."

"Uh, that's debatable...but thanks?"

Your arms were starting to get sore with the way he was basically hanging off of you. So, you went to grab onto his own arms in an attempt to pull him up slightly to take the added weight off of you.

Apparently, that was a bad move.

The moment you touched him, his skull shot up and he roughly shoved you against the wall again. He was back to leering over you, except this time, he'd planted one of his knees against your leg and was applying pressure so you couldn't try to shove him off.

You immediately let go and dropped your arms to your sides. "Easy, I wasn't trying anything, okay? My arms were just getting sore..." you said, quickly trying to reassure him.

He continued to glare at you and his mismatched eyelights flickered across your face, probably looking for any indication that you were lying. When he seemed to find none, he exhaled slowly but remained holding you down.

"Do you want to go get a coffee or something so we can talk like reasonable adults?" you asked.

His eye sockets narrowed slightly and he seemed to consider your suggestion for a moment. "...fine, but don't try anything, okay?"

You nodded, "I wouldn't dream of it."

He let go of you and stepped back, although keeping hold of your right arm as he did so. It made sense though as you wouldn't trust you either if you were him.

"you've never been to the coffee shop down the block, right?" he asked. His tone of voice was firm, as if he already knew the answer to his question.

You shook your head. "I haven't actually. Did you want to go there?"

"sure, doesn't matter i suppose," he muttered and started to walk in that direction, nearly dragging you along with him.

You had to scramble to catch up but you were soon able to match his pace. You both walked in silence; his hold never loosening on your arm and you finally realizing that your hands were trembling.

"Do you have a name?" you asked in a quiet voice.

He grunted and responded in a gruff tone, "dust."

You couldn't decide if that was a weird name or a really morbid one since you'd heard monsters simply turned to dust when they died. Although, now that you weren't being pinned, you could see that his clothes seemed to have an ashy appearance, which seemed to all but confirm the later.

"I'm sorry, but surely that's not the name your parents gave you, right?"

He glanced at you and shrugged, but made no effort to explain.

You let out a sigh and ran your free hand over your face. "Alright, I'll drop it then." You introduced yourself as well but he only gave you a disinterested grunt in acknowledgement.

By the time you'd each gotten a coffee, yours was a pretty basic one with cream and sugar while his was straight black, you were feeling slightly better. Dust guided you to a table in the corner away from the other patrons and sat down in front of you, so that your back was against the wall. He'd also taken care to sit in such a way so that he had an easy view of the rest of the coffee shop and the entrance.

You held your coffee cup with both hands, savouring the warmth emanating from the hot beverage, and pointedly avoiding eye contact with the creepy skeleton. You didn't know what to say or if you even should say anything and just wait for him to speak first. While this whole situation had been awful, you hadn't felt nearly this anxious during your first meeting with Axe.

"What do you want to know?" you finally just came out and asked.

He was quiet at first and seemed focused on his coffee rather than solely on you. "how'd you meet Axe?"

"Well...funnily enough it wasn't too different from how we met. I was out on a walk in the woods and he was there for whatever reason..." You trailed off for a moment and brought your cup slightly closer to yourself for comfort. "I guess he wasn't doing well that day and he attacked me. I managed to talk him down and we had coffee afterwards."

You felt him scrutinizing you and briefly glanced up to meet his gaze. His expression was unreadable but didn't seem angry at least.

"i see..." he muttered. "well i work with the big guy and he's been acting different lately. like coming to this specific universe a lot and, while he's done his best to hide it, i noticed he's been making extra food for someone else too."

"Yeah, he started sharing his cooking after we became friends. He's a really good cook by the way and I've picked up a couple of great tips too."

Dust hummed in agreement and took a sip of his still steaming hot coffee. You inadvertently winced but he showed no visible reaction if doing so had hurt or not.

"so, how'd you convince him not to kill you?" he asked suddenly. You could feel his mismatched eyelights almost piercing into your very soul with how intently he was now staring at you.

You swallowed nervously and took a deep breath to try and steady your nerves. "I didn't know what I was doing at first but the way he explained it, I used something called Intent? He said it was like I forced all my concern and feelings of reassurance into him too."

He was looking at you like you had grown a second head and the intensity of his gaze made you feel very uncomfortable, like a pit had formed in your stomach.

"no one uses intent like that..." he finally growled.

Throwing up your hands in exasperation, you huffed in annoyance. "Well apparently I do! Would you like a demonstration?!"

He looked slightly taken aback at your outburst and to your surprise, he didn't retort immediately. "not really... i don't exactly trust you, human..." he muttered.

You took a few deep breaths until your frustration seemed to ebb away a little. "I'm sorry...I think the stress is getting to me. I didn't mean to get so upset..."

He shrugged and took another sip of his coffee, apparently completely unbothered. Just then, the little bell at the door rang and his eyelights darted in the direction of the sound when a few young people entered the establishment. When none of them appeared to have noticed the two of you, he heave a sigh of relief.

It struck you that not only did he seem overtired but he'd been acting rather paranoid nearly the entire time you'd been with him. It had been pretty easy to overlook with how terrified you'd been earlier, but now you couldn't help but feel bad for him. He was clearly concerned for his friend and while you were still scared of him, you were also concerned for his wellbeing.

He flinched when your hand touched his gloved one and his eyelights quickly flicked to your own eyes before glancing down at your hand. To your surprise though, He didn't pull away.

"Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but you and Axe are friends, right?" you asked.

He stared back at you passively and shrugged.

You decided to take that as a yes and continued talking. "I mentioned this earlier but I can tell that you're concerned for his wellbeing. He's a great guy and it's good to see he has someone willing to look out for him, even if I don't personally approve of your approach to doing so. He's pretty lucky to have a friend like you."

You had no idea if you were even using Intent right now but you knew that you meant every word you'd said. It was now up to him if he believed you or not.

He stared at your hand in complete silence for a long time. Finally, he slowly looked up and made eye contact again, although he had a bit of a confused expression on his skull. He then took his hand back and wiggled his gloved phalanges.

"huh..." was all he managed to say.

"Sorry, I don't have the hang of it. That didn't hurt or anything, right?" you asked.

"no, i'm fine..." he muttered and shook his skull. He fixed you with a strange look and stood up. "maybe there is something special about you afterall... either way, i still don't trust you, human..."

He turned to leave but left you with one final comment. "i'll be watching you to see if you're really so sincere..." He then walked out of the coffee shop, leaving his empty coffee cup behind on the table.

Yours had long gone cold...

#badsansuary #raccoons drabbles #undertale #dusttale #dust sans #dust sans x reader #reader #female reader #have some empathy dear #oneshot

[yoga-onion]

[Photo above: Banyan tree in Shuri Castle Park]

Legends and myths about trees

Forest spirits and natives (5)

Kijimuna – Mischievous red-haired spectres

Kijimuna are legendary small tree spirits from the Okinawa Islands in Japan, who live in trees (generally old banyan trees). They are said to look about 3 or 4 years old and have red hair.

Another name for the kijimuna is bungaya, which means roughly large-headed. The Kijimuna are known to be very mischievous, playing pranks and tricking humans. One of their best-known tricks is to lie upon a person's chest, making them unable to move or breathe such as sleep paralysis. Even though the Kijimuna are tricksters, they have been known to make friends with humans.

They are skilled fish catchers and only eat the left or both eyes of the fish they catch. Therefore, if you become friends with a Kijimuna, you can always get a fish and become rich. They are good at diving and fishing and catch a lot of fish in seconds. But all the fish they catch have no eyes. They can also run around on the water surface and can stand on the water while carrying people.

They are extremely hatred of hot pot lids, octopus, chickens and human farts, and it is forbidden to let them near the Kijimuna. They also die (or are forced to move to another tree), if a nail is driven into the tree in which they live. They will take terrible retribution, including murder, against anyone who breaks these prohibitions.

Nevertheless, as long as one do not break these prohibitions, they are basically harmless to humans, and many lores say that they are "good neighbours" with humans.

[History of Ryukyu Islands (collective name for Amami Islands, Okinawa Islands, Miyako Archipelago and Yaeyama Archipelago)]

The Ryukyu Islands are known to have been inhabited by humans for about 32,000 years.

The Ryukyu Kingdom was a monarchy, existed in the southwestern islands of Japan for about 450 years, from 15th century to 19th century. It developed through diplomacy and trade with China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asian countries, and the castle of the Ryukyu dynasty, Shuri Castle, was the political, economic and cultural centre of its maritime kingdom. In the late 19th century, the Japanese Government, dispatched troops to oust King Shoutai from Shuri Castle and proclaimed the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture (Ryukyu Disposition). Here, the Ryukyu Kingdom was destroyed.

Genetic studies have shown that populations in the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa Islands, Miyako Archipelago and Yaeyama Archipelago) have no direct genetic link to mainland China or Taiwanese populations and have identical paternal lines to mainland Japan, and nuclear DNA analysis in 2018 showed that genetically, Ryukyuans are the most closely related, followed by mainland Japanese, from the Ainu (Ref) perspective.

Furthermore, in 2021, a paper on archaeogenetics published in the journal Nature stated that DNA analysis of prehistoric human bones excavated from the Nagabaka (lit. Long graveyard) site in Miyakojima City showed that they were "100% pure Jomon", a research finding that indicates that prehistoric archipelago people came from the Okinawa Islands.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

森の精霊たちと原住民 (5)

キジムナー 〜 いたずら好きな赤毛の妖怪たち

キジムナーは、日本の沖縄諸島に伝わる伝説の小さな木の精霊で、樹木 (一般的にはガジュマルの老木) の中に住んでいる。見た目は3、4歳くらいで、赤い髪をしていると言われている。

キジムナーの別名は「ブンガヤ」であり、「頭の大きい」という意味である。キジムナーは非常にいたずら好きで、いたずらをして人間をだますことで知られている。最もよく知られているのは、人の胸の上に横たわり、身動きや呼吸をできなくさせる「金縛り」だ。そんなキジムナーだが、人間と仲良くなることもある。

魚捕りが巧みであり、しかも捕った魚の左目または両目だけしか食べない。その為、キジムナーと仲良くなれば魚をいつでも貰え、漁運に恵まれる。海に潜って漁をするのが得意であっという間に多くの魚を獲る。でも、彼らが獲った魚は全部目が無い。また、水面を駆け回ることができ、人を連れながらでも水上に立てる。

熱い鍋蓋、タコ、ニワトリ、人間のおならを極端に嫌い、それらのものをキジムナーに近付けるのは禁忌である。また住んでいる木に釘を打たれると死ぬ (或いは別の木への転居を余儀なくされるとも)。これらの禁忌を破った人間に対しては、殺害を含む恐ろしい報復を為す事も辞さない。

然し、禁忌さえ破らなければ基本的に人間には無害な存在であり、人間とは「良き隣人」であると言う伝承が多い。

[琉球諸島 (奄美群島、沖縄諸島、宮古列島、八重山列島の総称) の歴史］

琉球諸島には、約3万2千年前から人類が住んでいたことがわかっている。

15世紀から19世紀までの約450年間、日本の南西諸島に存在した君主制国家、琉球王国は、中国をはじめ日本、朝鮮、東南アジア諸国との外交・貿易を通して発展し、琉球王朝の王城、首里城はその海洋王国の政治・経済・文化の中心にあった。しかし、19世紀後半、日本政府が軍隊を派遣し首里城から国王尚泰 (しょうたい) を追放し沖縄県の設置を宣言した(琉球処分)。これによって、琉球王国は滅亡した。

遺伝子研究では、琉球列島 (沖縄諸島、宮古列島、八重山列島) の集団は、遺伝的に中国本土や台湾の集団との直接的なつながりはなく、日本本土と同一の父系を持つという研究結果や、2018年の核DNA分析から遺伝的に、アイヌ（参照）から見て琉球人が最も近縁であり、次いで日本本土人が近縁であるという研究結果が発表されている。

さらに、2021年には、宮古島市の長墓遺跡から出土した先史時代の人骨をDNA分析した結果、「100％純粋な縄文人」であったとする考古遺伝学の論文が雑誌「ネイチャー」に掲載され、先史時代の列島人が沖縄諸島から来たことを示す研究結果が発表されている。

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