#sibyl speaks

[sibylsleaves]

rewatched 7x05 in its entirety and the entire conversation buck has with maddie is SO funny from maddie's perspective. like.

The FIRST thing he says. NO OTHER CONTEXT. is that he lied to eddie and it's eating him up inside.

Maddie is sitting there thinking like oh boy. lied to eddie??? Ok. what's all this then.

Buck explains about being on a date, running into Eddie and Marisol etc etc etc and after Maddie rules out buck doing something TRULY wild like dating a celebrity or a married woman she's run out of possible options as to like. WHY did Buck lie to Eddie? So ofc she asks him, why did you did that.

Buck is like I don't know.

NOW IF IM MADDIE. sitting here wondering why my baby brother just lied to his bestie about being on a date for no apparent reason. like. She's GOT to be wondering, right??? She's gotta be like. Something has CHANGED between Buck and Eddie and Buck now, out of nowhere, seems to NOT want to tell Eddie he's dating someone. WHATS all this then.

Finally she gets the crucial piece of information that oh yeah, i was on a date with a guy, no big deal maddie NOT THE POINT. obviously i check out hot guys' asses CAN WE PLEASE FOCUS

now things are making sense again. Maddie's like, yeah actually, kind of the point. You felt weird about telling Eddie you were on a date with a guy when no one, not even you, even knew you were interested in guys before. that totally tracks, very reasonable actually.

except then. THEN. Buck reveals the second crucial piece of information. that the guy Buck was on a date with. was Tommy. as in BBPU double-u backslash TOMMY. TOMMY FROM THE CALENDAR TOMMY!!!!!! WHOM. LAST MADDIE CHECKED. IS BUCK'S SOLE RIVAL IN THE BATTLE FOR EDDIE'S ATTENTION THAT HE MADE UP IN HIS HEAD.

at this point, in maddie's head she's gotta be like. ah. my little brother has entered into some kind of insane gay psychodrama of triangulated desire the likes of which patricia highsmith could only dream of. and she's just like well. it seems that your problem might be that you were on a date with a man whom not one week ago you were competing with for your best friend's attention, and now you are lying to said best friend about it and THAT PART is what made you spiral so hard you showed up at my door like a guilty puppy. and frankly. as a woman who is happily nearly-married to the love of my life whom i have a three-year-old with i am not qualified to tell you what the FUCK it is you think you are doing here. so. you should tell eddie your feelings, which you still don't understand, at some point i guess! godspeed little brother

#sibyl speaks #and then one week later buck and his best friend show up to her wedding looking like shit and telling her they LOST HEr HUSbAND #god grant this woman the patience to not throttle her insane bisexual brother

[realityanddelusion]

Being trans in a a very very very cis community that thinks they are very progressive is like living in the Truman show

#sibyl speaks

[squishious]

giovanni paolo panini // ruins with the prophet and ruins with sybil

#these were sooo cool i can't even tell you #somethign something how different people experience spaces something #edit okay turns out a sibyl is also a prophet not her name #oh well #still cool #art #squish speaks

[rhymeswithcircus]

time is over where we could simply say i love you

#audio #experimenting with sharing soundcloud audios rn #sibylle baier #the end #music #SoundCloud #i speak

[starfall-sea]

Hello, sexy trees anon again. Your prior response, while very funny, was not particularly informative. Perhaps I should try again with an easier question:

which of the W101 trees (including Bartleby! Everyone forgets Bartleby!) is the sexiest?

thank you for finding it funny, i try

as for this question. hmm. moros from khrysalis has some evil dilf energy i suppose

#cae speaks #ask #anon #everyone forgets moros! and ashley!! #i dont think people forget sibyl now that shes had her ominous introduction. but she's a tree too!

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

ToA Theory 1 - Apollo's Waking Visions

First official theory post, here we go! :D

Alright. So. After rereading The Dark Prophecy, I started wondering about something. In TDP, Apollo experiences waking visions, where he conks out for a bit and has prophetic visions.

I found this interesting because, well...isn't Apollo supposed to be cut off from prophecy? With Python back in control of Delphi?

Because think about it. Python controls Delphi, the root of all earthly prophecy. This would include Dodona, Trophonius, Herophile, and Sibyl - sure, they aren't strictly connected to Delphi, but it's pretty heavily stated that Delphi just straight-up Makes The Future. It's prophecies are The Big Deal and you Should Listen.

Meanwhile the other Oracles seem more guiding and "beware!" instead of "this is how it's gonna be".

(sidenote: found out there are MORE oracles and I wanna know WHERE THEY ARE IN RRVERSE CANON because I want my boy Branchus okay??? Okay. Branchus's oracle was second only to Delphi let's give Apollo's first boyfriend the attention he deserves!)

So of course, like all great members of this fandom, I started thinking.

Let's do a little family history first. ;)

Buckle up. We go down a deep rabbit hole 😎

Apollo and Artemis are twins, born to Leto and Zeus. Zeus's parents are Kronos and Rhea. Leto's are Koios and Phoebe.

Rhea has connections to Dodona, as we learn in-series, but she doesn't really seem to be all that involved with prophecy.

Her siblings, meanwhile...ho ho ho, they are a WHOLE NOTHER STORY!

Let's start with Phoebe. Phoebe, like all first generation Titans, is the daughter of Gaea and Ouranos. She married her brother Koios. Her children consist of Asteria, Lelantos, and Leto. As well as Artemis and Apollo, her other two grandchildren are Hecate (Asteria) and Aura (Lelantos).

Her name means "bright" and is the root of Apollo's most famous epithet - Phoebus. She is often described as "golden-crowned" and is the Titan of bright intellect, the overseer of Earthly Prophecies, and is the second guardian of Delphi, after her sister Themis. She gifted Delphi to Apollo for his birthday after he defeated Python.

Classic grandmother move.

Anyway. There's a bit of Phoebe lore. Time for her elusive husband :3

Koios. His names means "question" or "questioning", probably because he's the Titan of inquiring intellect. He's also the overseer of Heavenly Prophecies, and has an oracle up in the North Pole guarded by an earth-dragon - you'd know this serpent by the name of Draco, the constellation btw. Additionally, Hyperborea (where Apollo goes in the winter times) is part of his domain.

eyes

Unfortunately, we have very little mythological lore on these two, and even less in the RRverse (I cling to that one (1) Koios scene) which sucks because I love them already BUT it does give me lots of legroom to mess around with canon >:)

Back to the theory now. As you may have guessed, I'll be taking us in a direction concerning Apollo's mysterious grandparents. But what does this have to do with Apollo's visions?

Well. Remember when I mentioned that Delphi is the root of all earthly prophecies?

...look at Phoebe's paragraphs. She's the overseer of Earthly Prophecies, right? So it makes sense she's been affected by Python's takeover too.

(if you've read my fics you'd know this already lmao)

Asteria, Apollo's aunt, is a little trickier. She, too, has a hand in divination, but mainly through the night/stars and dreams. <-will come back to that later.

Koios, again, is overseer of Heavenly Prophecies, and is heavily implied to be able to commune with Ouranos's spirit. This is, apparently, a Big Deal because nobody else is mentioned to be able to do this.

...Except...remember this throwaway line in The Hidden Oracle?

^Apollo can see Ouranos too.

Within this theory is a sub-theory, so to speak - that immortals with the gift of prophecy can see Ouranos, since they can see what cannot be seen. This would include Phoebe, Asteria, Koios, and Apollo.

And it'll make sense why they'd keep it to themselves. Kronos wouldn't have been happy to hear his dad was still around. Neither would Zeus, for that matter.

So here I was. Contemplating. Wrote a few fics based around this idea. And one in particular got me thinking (fic in question being When The Stars Align), and a little ways down the road I realized something.

If Phoebe, the overseer of Earthly Prophecies, would have been affected by Python's takeover...was Koios? Could he even be affected?

Because here's the deal: Koios is the overseer of Heavenly Prophecies. Prophecies from the Sky.

Phoebe's are of the Earth - the Earth that Python has taken control of. And Delphi is the root of Earthly Prophecies - not Heavenly.

That would be Koios's oracle, up in the North Pole with Draco.

...So that means Heavenly Prophecy must have still been in business during ToA.

But then comes the question: If it was still within the gods' control, why didn't they use it?

Well...Draco's there, for one. He's probably the Python-equivalent of the North, and clearly he's still there since no myth has spoken of his death (that I know of).

If you ask me, I just think the gods are too nervous/afraid to try Koios's oracle. They were too scared to face Python, after all, until Apollo arrived. I think they'd be scared of a serpent who comes and goes from the stars as he pleases.

And as for why Apollo hasn't done anything about it...well, I think his fight with Python left him rather scarred, don't you think? He probably went "yeah grandma's oracle is enough" and the only time he ever got close to Koios's was during his time in Hyperborea.

So getting back to the main theory now. (So many rabbit holes to dive into with this post. The ADHD Urge is real)

Since Heavenly Prophecies is still active, but Earthly is in Python's control, I conclude Apollo's visions come from the Heavenly source.

Could they have come from the now-working Dodona? Maybe. But Dodona's all about those windchimes and trees. It doesn't have the Vibe, so to speak, for granting visions.

And remember. Trophonius, Herophile, and Sibyl aren't destroyed/freed yet. They have Zero connection to Apollo at this point because Python cut him off from them.

...but he didn't from the North. From Koios's divine power.

Because remember. Apollo is the god of prophecy.

Not of Earthly Prophecies, like Phoebe.

Not of Heavenly Prophecies, like Koios.

Not of nighttime divination and dreams like Asteria.

Of. Prophecy.

Prophecy as a whole. The entirety. The whole enchilada.

Every part of prophecy he's the god of, be it tarot cards to the Oracle of Delphi itself.

In my opinion, I think whatever Koios's Oracle is, it has just as must power as Delphi. The only problem was that...everybody just left it be. Nobody considered it because:

1) scary dragon

2) scary titan ruled the place

3) honestly at this point I think it's just straight-up forgotten about. Like Branchus's Oracle. I think at one point Apollo himself mentions there are other Oracles besides the ones in-series, but there's so many that his mortal brain cannot comprehend how many.

If the Grove of Dodona nearly faded into obscurity, then I think it's entirely possible Koios's Oracle was forgotten about (or so we think...I'm gonna be chewing on this for a while.)

Coming back round to TDP...I think this is a reasonable explanation about Apollo's visions. To summarize:

Apollo is cut off from Earthly Prophecy, his usual source of foresight that he gets from Phoebe

The unused, near-forgotten-about Heavenly Prophecy side of Apollo ignites to steer him on the right path

This is possible because Apollo is the god of prophecy itself, and not a single subset of prophecy, so he's not limited in the same way Phoebe is

Koios's Oracle is still out there and kicking and I will die on this hill

One problem. What about Asteria? She can interpret the future from the stars...aka the Sky. Like Koios. So couldn't she provide some insight to the future, since she, too, is connected to Heavenly Prophecy?

This is where things get a lil' tricky. And where I really slap on my tinfoil hat and start headcanoning my way through lmao

Basically, I think that since Asteria became the island of Delos (long story) a good chunk of her power is ingrained there. She's not as strong as she used to be, so her foresight isn't as strong.

This, in turn, I think could also serve as a reason why Koios's Oracle is "asleep" so to speak and nearly lost to memory in the RRverse - in fact, I think Asteria and Phoebe are the only ones who bother to remember its existence.

And Leto, of course. But I don't think she wants her son to know of another Oracle with a giant snake guarding it. She's had enough heart-attacks, thank you.

(Same with Lelantos, tbh.)

Canon is my sandbox and I am making some sweet sandcastles out of it XD

TL;DR

Apollo's visions in TDP stem from Koios's source of Heaven Prophecy because Phoebe's source of Earthly Prophecy (Delphi) has been taken over by Python. Koios's source firmly knocks on Apollo's mental doors and decides to kick back into gear to help its titular patron's grandson out. Because Apollo is the god of prophecy itself - every bit of it.

Extras:

I find it fascinating how magic and prophecy are both part of the same family tree (Hecate & Apollo).

and yes. You should expect a fic concerning Koios's Oracle at some point. but no promises on when :3

Thank you for coming to Insane Theory Time With Alder. I hope there will be more lmao

Websites you can look into:

Koios (Theoi)

Phoebe (Theoi)

Hyperborea (Theoi)

#toa theory #ramblings of an oracle #the trials of apollo #trials of apollo #toa #apollo #phoebe the titan #koios #asteria #python #pjo apollo #pjo koios #pjo asteria #pjo python #toa python #toa apollo #pjo hoo toa #percy jackon and the olympians #the heroes of olympus

[rolangf]

💎 SIBYL DELAUVÉY— THE ORACLE

geralt can only get this card through keira. it’s not for sale, you don’t get it after looting her body on fyke isle, or if you let her go to radovid with alexander’s notes. you literally can only get this card if you ask her at her house if she plays gwent. it’s optional dialogue, and she literally is just like “no i don’t play, but i do have a card for your collection.” and it’s sibyl! cs they’re besties— why wouldn’t she have it 🫶🏻

anyway— thank u so much my dearest emma @red-nightskies 🩷💎 i can’t believe you thought you could just drop this in my dms as we are literally speaking to eachother on discord vc. genuinely insane. this is fucking phenomenal as usual and i am blown away that i can finally gaze upon my best girl as a gwent card, as a gwent enthusiast. thank u my angel, and i can’t wait to play gwent with you in real time

#i am genuinely still on the floor abt this fr #like #wow #WOOOOWWW #oc: sibyl delauvéy #i have wanted this for so long and you were really the only person who could have reached into my brain and pulled her out of it #i owe you everything #she’s in the nilfgaard deck cs toussaint is a vassal state to nilfgaard or whatever #so i was like #we move #and plus. fringilla is also in the nilfgaard deck

[glassprism]

I don't know if you've answered this question before, but do you have favorite Phantom/Christine pairings?

I have answered it before, but not too recently, so maybe it's time to make a big ole updated masterpost of all my favorites as of now!

Keep in mind that if a name isn't on here, it doesn't mean they're not a favorite or whatever, it might just mean I never saw them with a Phantom or Christine I particularly liked (e.g. Gina Beck is an all-time favorite but she's not on here because I never really saw her opposite a Phantom I also really enjoyed) or I preferred a slightly different pairing (e.g. I really liked Franc D'Ambrosio with Lisa Vroman but I slightly preferred the latter with Brad Little). And there may be one or two where I could not decide at all (e.g. do I prefer Kelly Mathieson with David Thaxton or Josh Piterman? I can't tell!). Anyway, here they are:

Michael Crawford/Sarah Brightman - The OG cast. It can't be helped, they both had such unique takes on the role and it makes them one of the most memorable pairings for me.

Dave Willetts/Jan Hartley Morris - His rougher take on the mold that Crawford left vs. Jan Hartley Morris's old-school, classical Christine is a winner.

Mikael Samuelson/Elisabeth Berg - I love Samuelson's slightly harsher vocals compared to Berg's operatic tones.

Alexander Goebel/Luzia Nistler - Goebel is eerie, ghostly, and unhinged at the end; Nistler has a lovely classical voice and a scared, slightly naive take on her Christine. It fits well.

Davis Gaines/Tracy Shayne - Gaines is commanding, sensual, elegant; Shayne is innocent but with a touch of maturity that brings a certain uniqueness to the role.

Saulo Vasconcelos/Irasema Terrazas - Hands! I think both were allowed a lot of freedom in the role and it's great.

Hans Peter Janssens/Ineke van Klinken - Janssens is both very nuts and very sad while van Klinken is a reserved yet steely-willed Christine who is more than a match for him.

Ian Jon Bourg/Alison Kelly - Bourg is good with so many Christines, but I loved Alison Kelly's feistiness.

Michael Nicholson/Olivia Safe - Just a fascinating pairing, and they were both understudies!

Yoon Young Seok/Hye Kyoung Lee - It didn't matter that both were speaking Korean, they were so emotional that I felt like I understood every aspect of their performance.

Brad Little/Lisa Vroman - Kind of mentioned above, but I love how well these two act together.

Hugh Panaro/Julie Hanson - Hugh Panaro is a sarcastic jokester of a man and it makes you really feel for Julie Hanson's child-like Christine at the end of the show.

Gary Mauer/Elizabeth Southard - A real-life married E/C couple brings all the chemistry!

Earl Carpenter/Rachel Barrell - Barrell is also really good with JOJ, and more spirited around him, but I love Earl Carpenter more.

John Cudia/Jennifer Hope Wills - Oh the sparks these two brought to the role! Cudia was scary and dominating but JHW was absolutely able to hold her own against him.

Simon Pryce/Julie Goodwin - The voices of these two!

Marcus Lovett/Anna O'Byrne - Leroux-accuracy heaven.

Jeremy Stolle/Samantha Hill - Again, I've seen these two give fantastic performances with multiple performers, but I really do love what they bring to the show together.

Tomas Ambt Kofod/Sibylle Glosted - Very detailed, nuanced performances in a production that was full of it.

Jonathan Roxmouth/Meghan Picerno - There was fire between these two! Roxmouth was intent on bending Christine to his will but Picerno was so fiercely independent that you knew he could never succeed.

Jeon Dong Seok/Son Ji-soo - JDS is a swoon-worthy Phantom while SJS brought lovely expressions to the role.

And I'm sure there are many others...

#GP gets asks #your-average-phan

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

i recently finished rewatching psycho pass season 1 and, as always, the thoughts about makishima shogo are flowing. i think, on my first watch of the show, i didn't quite understand makishima's character or the messages that it was presenting, but i think i've got a better grasp on it now, so. here are my two cents that no one asked for.

there are two words i predominantly associate with makishima: isolation and boredom, though my main focus is on the former as i feel the latter is not true apathy but rather a byproduct of isolation. makishima is isolated because of his criminally asymptomatic nature, meaning that sibyl, the system presiding over all of japan's society in the setting of psycho pass, has no power over him. no matter what he does, no matter what kind of person he is or how many heinous deeds he commits, makishima will always be an upstanding citizen in the eyes of sibyl. in a manner of speaking, sibyl, the ultimate authority of the world he lives in, cannot "see" him, and he himself is unable to change this fact. and because makishima is isolated, cut off from the rest of the world and the people around him, in such an extreme manner, he's bored.

the rest is under the cut for length. and fair warning, this entire post is pretty much me going:

so. in kogami's assessment of makishima, he basically likens makishima and all his actions - his manipulations of the people around him, his murders, both direct and indirect, his attempted bioterrorism - to a kid throwing a tantrum about being left out. kogami here, i believe, is in some ways projecting a part of himself onto makishima, but that's not a topic for this post. suffice to say that despite his projecting, kogami isn't entirely inaccurate. makishima is a lonely person who wants to destroy a society and a system that rejects and denies his existence and personhood. once again, in sibyl's eyes, no matter who makishima really is, it doesn't matter. all that sibyl cares about is that his crime coefficient has never exceeded regulation level, and therefore he's a model citizen. ironically, makishima is subjected to sibyl's dehumanization just as much as any other individual in psycho pass' setting. people don't matter to sibyl, who they are inside and who they are to other people don't matter to sibyl. only their crime coefficient and their psycho pass do. while, in the enforcers like kogami, the issue of sibyl's dehumanization is highlighted through the fact that many of them are not bad people at all and yet they're treated like disposable assets, in makishima's case, it's the opposite. he's a murderer and a terrorist who can kill people without blinking an eye, but sibyl doesn't care about that. sibyl doesn't care that he's not a good person, his numbers are perfect and that's all that matters. who he is doesn't matter. (though i will note that i think makishima's status as a villain is muddled by the dystopian nature of sibyl and psycho pass' setting, but we can all at least agree that he's not a good person.) it's dehumanization; it's just that for makishima, it's the opposite of the typical trajectory with which that dehumanization is applied. arguably, and as kogami states, this could be taken by some people to be a blessing - after all, yippee, i can do whatever i want since my numbers will never exceed the accepted norm - but makishima takes it as an indication of how alienated he is.

makishima tells akane that he believes the only time people's actions have worth is when they commit them of their own free will, and that he wants to see the splendor of the human soul and judge for himself whether that's a good or bad thing. i think makishima feels that he has never truly been able to interact with others due to the overarching, restricting influence of sibyl. people can't let their true desires and wishes out because it would stigmatize them in sibyl's eyes. therefore, they are not acting of their own free will, and what they do does not represent the human soul that makishima claims he wants to see. therefore he wants people to break out of those restraints and be more "honest" about who they are. however, it's also that sense of isolation that makishima feels that hinders him from truly interacting with others on the same level. this is significant because, as shown by the series, interaction between people is one of the major factors that help individuals solidify and develop their own sense of self. kogami rediscovers his idealism and his sense of right and wrong by working under akane, which is something he tells her in the second(?) episode: that he feels that, under her, he might be able to be a detective, not just a hunting dog. akane, too, in interacting with kogami and to a lesser extent, ginoza, and the other enforcers, develops a strong grasp on what she believes to be just. by the end of season 1, she has a firm understanding of her own ideals which she lacked at the beginning, in part thanks to her experiences with those around that have helped her flourish.

as i said, though, makishima is unable to really, meaningfully interact with others - at least outside of a handful of people - and so his introspection and self-understanding have been considerably hampered. makishima is a very outwardly-knowledgable person and makes no secret of it, but i don't think he knows himself very well. he receives mixed messages from the dissonance between his own actions and sibyl's assessment of him, and the confusion, for lack of a better word, is only exacerbated because he feels that he can't have relationships with others that are actually worth anything. not only does he feel alienated by the world because he's criminally asymptomatic, but he also feels alientated by everyone around him. therefore, he seeks companionship (and utility, of course, but that's not the focus of this post) in seemingly like-minded people, who also appear to, in one way or another, reject and be rejected by the society that they live in. it's to foster meaningful connection that can actually teach him something - though i don't think he's consciously aware that this is part of his motivations - because he wants to know himself. essentially, he looks for himself in other people. But these other people, his accomplices - like masatake and rikako - disappoint him and fail to give him that companionship he seeks because they are ultimately also lacking their own sense of self.

in masatake's case, he is able to flawlessly play the role of multiple avatars because he relies on them - made-up, virtual constructs - to give him his identity. it's precisely because he has no well-defined "self" to speak of that he can, not only emulate the original owner of the avatar, but surpass them in his ability to embody and become their avatar. due to lacking his own unique identity, he serves no purpose to makishima, so makishima kills him. when it comes to rikako, while makishima is initially interested in her because of her resentment towards sibyl, said resentment and her resulting murders are very directly tied to her father, his beliefs, and his works. as kogami puts it, she lacks originality, because what she's doing is ultimately lashing out at the world for what was done to her father, not because she has some dissatisfaction with sibyl on her own independent principles. though, an aside: i actually think rikako does have some genuine frustrations with society less related to her father's situation, but they don't hold particularly significant sway over her. maybe if they had, makishima might have at least kept her alive longer.

as for senguji, i have less of an understanding of what makishima thought of him in comparison to masatake and rikako, probably because it's a little more ambiguous about whether makishima truly and totally cut him off like he did those other two, or if he was just going for a coin toss to see of senguji could survive his games. but i digress. my approximation is that senguji, despite his platitudes about the wonders of his near-complete cyborgification(? is that a word?), is actually deeply bored and dissatisfied, in part because so much of him is mechanical. being a cyborg means that most of the prey he hunts essentially poses little threat to him, and this gap is further widened by the fact that the "hunts" take place in senguji's own territory, so to speak. they aren't actual challenges. they don't truly stimulate him, but much like makishima who knows so little about his own self, senguji doesn't realize that. makishima, of course, who is ever-attuned to the people around him, picks up on this, which is why he tampers senguji's "game" with kogami to introduce unexpected variables that enable kogami to pose a legitimate threat to senguji. and, as senguji notes, only then does it sink in that he hasn't felt truly alive in a long time. the last time he did was when he was in a war zone, in mortal danger with his friend shot dead right next to him. in the present game with kogami - someone skilled and dangerous and as much of a threat to senguji as senguji is to him, unlike all of senguji's other hunts - senguji is once again in extreme peril, and for the first time in so long, he experiences that sensation of being alive. also, note the obvious parallel of makishima, at the top of the NONA tower, thanking kogami for doing away with his boredom for a little while. i'm pretty sure this is intentional; senguji's whole deal with boredom and dissatisfaction is, just like with all of makishima's accomplices, meant as a narrative reflection of makishima.

i would also feel remiss if i didn't talk about choe gu-sung. (who i'm pretty sure is korean btw. i don't believe his nationality is ever stated, other than that he is a foreigner, but the way his name is pronounced by the other characters - "chwae goo-seong" - lends itself perfectly to korean syllables. anyway.) gu-sung is interesting because, aside from kogami, he is the only person to pretty much sustain and live through the, shall we say, conundrum of makishima's interest. makishima does not kill gu-sung; they're in league until the very end, and in fact it's during their shared plan which they conducted together that gu-sung is killed by sibyl, and makishima actually has a faint but noticeable reaction to this. it's easy to see that gu-sung is more up his alley than masatake, rikako, and senguji. notably their dynamic is also different from that of makishima and his other accomplices, because they actually have normal (semi-normal...) discussions and makishima discusses and debates literature with him in the same way that he does with kogami. makishima is maybe not totally honest or open with gu-sung, but he is genuine with him. i think this is because, from what i can tell, gu-sung is someone who does have a true, defined sense of identify, and legitimate awareness about his own self. he doesn't get much expansion and we never know anything significant about him other than that he is a foreigner, a latent criminal, and a genius hacker, but what sticks out to me is that he's open about and aware of the fact that makishima has a certain engaging effect on him. in gu-sung's words, when "i'm with him, i feel like i've gone back to my childhood". additionally, during his conversation with kagari as the latter is trying to find and arrest him, gu-sung explains his dislike for the sibyl system and the fact that it forced him to live like a hunted rat, running from corner to corner. this antipathy comes from a sincere place, and doesn't seem to be tied to anyone's opinion other than gu-sung's own. i think makishima liked that about him: his self-awareness, his understanding of his own personal resentment and dissatisfactions, and his willingness to acknowledge those things as a part of himself. gu-sung is the opposite of makishima in some ways, imo. they're both geniuses, but while makishima is more oriented toward planning and widespread manipulation, gu-sung is a specialist who is unparalleled in his particular niche. their inverse duality is even partially highlighted by their dialogue, right before they commence with their plan to plunge the town into chaos using the cymatic scan-fooling helmets. gu-sung says he is a foreigner, and i believe he also says he's grateful just to be able to live in this country, while makishima states that he was born and raised in this town. despite their differences, they share a grievance with the system, and they have united to address that grievance. it definitely says something that makishima has someone like gu-sung in his life; someone who you could look at and call his friend, regardless of what those two considered themselves to be.

...all that word vomit to say that the people makishima abandoned and killed - masatake, rikako, and probably senguji - are mirrors to his own lack of self-understanding and lack of a fixed sense of identity. meanwhile his one lasting relationship aside from kogami is with gu-sung, who stands in narrative opposition to him in the ways i described. what i'm trying to get at is that masatake and rikako definitely, and senguji maybe, don't give makishima a true look at the human soul he wants to witness - at least in his view they don't. therefore makishima, still isolated and without companionship even while in their presence, grows bored and ultimately kills them. that's where kogami comes in. kogami, i believe, satisfies makishima's desire for companionship, or at least makishima grows less isolated in his presence. unlike masatake and rikako, kogami knows himself, and i'd argue has a better grasp of himself than ever by the time he meets makishima face-to-face thanks to coming to know akane. i'm reminded especially of his conversation with masaoka right before he (kogami) leaves the public safety bureau to hunt down makishima, when he explains that his actions aren't out a sense of ideals or an intolerance for evil, but rather that this is what he wants to do, and if he doesn't end things with makishima now, he will grow to resent himself. his self-awareness and defined identity means that with kogami, makishima is not left feeling bored and dissatisfied.

but it goes further! kogami, like makishima, is someone who both rejects and is rejected by the sibyl system, the dominant power governing the society they live in. sibyl rejects kogami as a latent criminal, but kogami also proves that he denounces it right back when he chooses to go off and try to kill makishima on his own, even though sibyl wants makishima alive. in other words, makishima's solitude as a pariah is understood on a fundamental level by kogami. not only that, but kogami, like makishima, is in some ways like a kid lashing out at being excluded, which makishima comments on at the end of episode 21 in response to kogami calling him out as such. according to makishima, kogami is angry that his own suspicions regarding sasayama's death were rejected by sibyl, that his own anger about letting sasayama die was simply ignored and swept under the rug, and he was left to process it by himself. and it was an outburst of that anger that provoked him to leave everything he had at the bureau behind and truly put a target on his back, perhaps for the rest of his life, in order to confront and put an end to makishima. this mirrors kogami's judgement that makishima's actions are essentially a temper tantrum that his feelings of solitude are not even seen, much less acknowledged, by the world around him. and just like how i stated at the beginning of this now-obscenely long post that kogami was projecting a bit in his assessment of makishima, i also believe makishima is projecting a bit right back. but, again, like kogami's assessment, makishima's assessment isn't necessarily invalid or incorrect just because he has personal biases mixed up in it. his words to kogami have a degree of truth to them. in this way - both of them acting a little like kids, both of them projecting in their evaluation of the other as someone acting like a kid - they are also similar.

one more thing that i'd like to say regarding kogami and makishima is that it is stressed many times throughout the season how well kogami can put himself in makishima's shoes and replicate his thinking. while akane gains some understanding of makishima's thought processes over time and interaction, by her own admission, kogami is even better than her at gauging makishima, and this is because the two of them think alike naturally. it's why kogami has such a good nose for what's really going on behind the scenes throughout the season; because his thought processes are similar to makishima's, he can easily parse out what's up. i don't think this requires much further explanation since it's very cut and dry as another way that the two men are alike.

the final point about kogami's significance to makishima, specifically how he relates to makishima's solitude and boredom, is that makishima at his core is someone who wishes to be seen and judged. the sibyl system, and by extension society, has refused to give this to him. the person he is is not seen, much less judged, because, once again, all that matters to sibyl are his numbers. it's precisely because of this that he feels isolated and wishes to be acknowledged and judged as everyone else is; but in a vicious cycle, makishima's inability to receive that acknowledgement and judgement feeds right back into his deep sense of isolation. it's like a positive feedback loop, wherein the cause contributes to the effect and the effect contributes to the cause. however - kogami does see makishima. kogami does judge him, and he judges makishima just the same as sibyl would other murderers in the series: as someone who deserves to die. in other words, makishima is finally getting equal treatment from someone. the isolation that he experiences as a result of his perpetually clear psycho pass and his stable crime coefficient is stripped away when it comes to kogami, because kogami doesn't care about those things - he cares about who makishima is. and to him makishima is a murderer and a criminal who painfully killed one of his friends, and just like any other murderer and criminal under sibyl, is to be killed. plus, notice how makishima is typically very calm and serene when interacting with others, but grows markedly more animated and excited when interacting with kogami, be that through talking or fighting. that's the isolation and boredom that he's stewed in his entire life, evaporating in kogami's presence. ultimately, makishima's solitude is alleviated, and his desire to be seen and judged is fulfilled... because of kogami.

it's just as akane says.

#this thing spiraled so far out of my control idek if i can call it my post anymore #psycho pass #psycho pass meta #psycho pass tag #makishima shogo #shogo makishima #kogami shinya #shinya kogami #makishima shougo #shougo makishima #kougami shinya #shinya kougami #(so many tags for their names istg) #tsunemori akane #akane tsunemori #ginoza nobuchika #nobuchika ginoza #choe gu sung #oryo rikako #mido masatake #sibyl system

[halfmoth-halfman]

fun fact: july 2nd is is the exact halfway point of the year, so what better day to be sappy on main and do a mid-year fic rec list???

this one is gonna be a little different, i'm gonna get all my praises and cheesiness out here with the list under the cut so this post isn't a million years long.

i started my rec lists in february as a way to show my appreciation for fics that i read/were written that month, but i know there are some i missed, some i found too late, and some i just think deserve more love. soooo here's a list of the fics i've read and reread so far this year that have a very special place in my heart and have, at many times, inspired me to keep writing and been major comforts for me.

and here's a big, enormous, gigantic thank you to all of the writers and friends i've found, you are all such amazing people and incredibly talented writers that deserve far more praise than i can possibly give in a single post!!! thank you all so much!!!💜

Alex Keller

sun and stars - @halcyone-of-the-sea

convallaria majalis - @nightingale-ghost-writer

Arthur Morgan

the fire in your eyes - @cowboydisaster

cabin in the mountains - @chaoskrakenuwu

Jason Todd

in the middle of the night - @as-is-above-so-below

Javier Peña

nowhere to run - @mvtthewmurdvck

late night texts - @mvtthewmurdvck

arepas - @mvtthewmurdvck

Javy "Coyote" Machado

i don't love you like i used to - @beyondthesefourwalls

worry, my love - @uselsshuman

John "Soap" MacTavish

coorie - @yeyinde

sweet melodies - @johnnytavish

three times i loved you - @uselsshuman

it happens - @mvtthewmurdvck

infinity in the palm of your hand (eternity in an hour) - @yeyinde

John Price

the mothiverse - @lunarvicar

willow tree march - @yeyinde

neighbors au - @soapskneebrace

languish - @moriflos

professor price - @guyfieriii

soulmate au - @ghostaholics

past and pending - @yeyinde

see no evil - @halcyone-of-the-sea

though you say it's only days - @uselsshuman

turn me to ashes - @guyfieriii

songs that sound like sea-foam - @halcyone-of-the-sea

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

gossamer silk smiles - @halcyone-of-the-sea

keepsakes - @soapskneebrace

speak now - @sprout-fics

high hopes - @writesforfandoms

kiss prompts - @cowboybxtch

he loves me not - @deadbranch

Multi

141 Family AU - @uselsshuman

the confessional booth - @antigonusyuki

dead disco - @peachesofteal

OCs

benji x xavier - @fr0ntier & @day0walker

Simon "Ghost" Riley

the captain - @as-is-above-so-below

happiness - @lethalchiralium

helen series - @mvtthewmurdvck

ménage - @lilywastaken

lilium candidum - @kil-g

give peace a chance - @moondirti

ghost on pain meds - @fr0ntier

something to live for - @floralpascal

simon struggles with anger (you struggle to help him) - @nsharks

earl grey tea - @a-sibyl

mermaids - @peachesofteal

#moth fic recs #fave fics #monthly fic recs

[sibylsleaves]

im just thinking about Buck's "I know how great Eddie is of course you wanna hang out with Eddie I've known that since I first met him" and like. this man really just assumes Being In Love With Eddie Diaz is a natural and neutral state of being. he's like yeah of course i feel infinite love and affection for Eddie that's just the way everyone feels about Eddie. he's like im not in love with my best friend i just think he's the handsomest silliest bravest beautifulest bestest guy in the whole universe because he Objectively Is <3

#sibyl speaks

[yallemagne]

Seeing the Dorian Gray Weekly email this morning I was immediately in dread.

And then Basil was there :D.

And then they were speaking of marriage.

“I never approve, or disapprove, of anything now.”

HARRY I WANT TO PUNCH YOU IN THE DICK BUT I AM AFRAID YOU WOULD ENJOY IT. I cannot risk the possibility that you would, so I shall abstain.

“I hope that Dorian Gray will make this girl his wife, passionately adore her for six months, and then suddenly become fascinated by some one else. He would be a wonderful study.”

Henry, I hope you trip and fall into the tracks of an oncoming train. Basil is far better at coping with this nonsense than me, but for god's sake Basil, I don't think his dick is worth it. I think maybe at some point you need to face facts and admit that Henry is a fucking bore. So determined always to play devil's advocate that I don't believe he knows what he actually feels anymore.

Of course, our engagement is a dead secret. She has not even told her own mother.

Are you sure about that. Also, the FACT that Dorian only stopped pussyfooting around talking to Sibyl because he saw her crossdressing. You have to be kidding me, Dorian.

Hallward laid his hand upon his arm. “Don’t, Harry. You have annoyed Dorian. He is not like other men. He would never bring misery upon any one. His nature is too fine for that.”

Basil, every moment of this book I am less inclined to believe you. I don't know if this young man ever had that inherent goodness in him, I think he just had blond hair and you got lost in his eyes. Henry says nothing. He uses one hundred words or more each time he opens his mouth to say absolutely nothing.

“That is certainly better than being adored,” he answered, toying with some fruits. “Being adored is a nuisance. Women treat us just as humanity treats its gods. They worship us, and are always bothering us to do something for them.”

Hen, if your problem with women is that they love you, good news, you don't have a problem.

“Dorian, you will come with me. I am so sorry, Basil, but there is only room for two in the brougham. You must follow us in a hansom.”

They got up and put on their coats, sipping their coffee standing. The painter was silent and preoccupied. There was a gloom over him. He could not bear this marriage, and yet it seemed to him to be better than many other things that might have happened. After a few minutes, they all passed downstairs. He drove off by himself, as had been arranged, and watched the flashing lights of the little brougham in front of him. A strange sense of loss came over him. He felt that Dorian Gray would never again be to him all that he had been in the past. Life had come between them.... His eyes darkened, and the crowded flaring streets became blurred to his eyes. When the cab drew up at the theatre, it seemed to him that he had grown years older.

Ouch. Harry, what the fuck. Poor Basil. You are indeed right, things are about to get much much worse. Not in the way you're thinking, though, it's gonna be worse than that. I'm so glad this chapter ended before they could get to the place. Poor poor Sibyl.

#dorian gray weekly #the picture of dorian gray #basil hallward #lord henry wotton #dorian gray

[cailynwrites]

Writing Patterns

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there’s a pattern!

Thank you @squibstress for tagging me in this. Though I’m not a writer (publicly, anyway), there’s clearly something about first lines that draws me to recording a podfic. This is such a fun idea. Working backward from my last posted podfic today (!), here goes …

1. “There was certainly something amiss with the temporal forces that morning, for Sybill Trelawney awoke with a splitting headache.”

From Ambiguity (podfic) by @vermin-disciple, Rated G

This is a perfect encapsulation of what’s to come. I already waxed rhapsodic about this character study in another post, but this first line crystallizes the dichotomy of the character and the world view, the tragedy and the comedy, the ethereal and the mundane, the two warring factions inside Sibyll Trelawney. She prances around dispersing her gift of Sight and great wisdom while at the same time completely wrapped up in the lowest level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It’s so hard to tell what’s real and what’s a sham with her, because she doesn’t even know herself. And all of that is in the first sentence! Masterful.

2. “The summer after Draco’s first year at Hogwarts was perfectly lovely.”

From there and back again (podfic), the 3rd installment in the dogfather AU series by @nonasuch, Rated G

Of course, the unspoken part is that nothing every would be again after that point. Draco fares much better in this AU than in canon or in many other fanfics. He reads The Hobbit, gets support from cousin Sirius, and ends up more or less on the right side of the war, though definitely not unscathed. @nonasuch is a whiz with a turn of phrase and leaves so much unsaid to be inferred. This fic in particular is almost like a series of interludes; it’s never telling the story as the exciting parts are going on, but rather it gives Draco's version of (semi-)canon events in the calm denouement periods after. As a reader, it keeps you on the edge of your seat because you don’t know when the next time jump will be or what things will have radically changed when you see Draco again on the other side.

(I’m going to cheat here and also give the first lines of the other fics in the series that I’ve recorded thus far, because I think they’re similar in an interesting way and I just want to celebrate every day what a masterful writer @nonasuch is.)

“Remus woke up warm and comfortable, and that was all wrong.”

From the black dog (podfic) by @nonasuch, part 2 of the dogfather AU, Rated M

A prequel to the original story, the dogfather, in which Sirius breaks out of prison and meets up with Remus much earlier than in canon. Again, this first line leaves us to infer so much and imagine what has changed, why Remus hadn’t been warm and comfortable before, what is to come. The first line presages all the angst and hurt/comfort to come.

“To begin with: this is a version of events where, on the morning of November 1st, 1981, the police are called to a house in Surrey.”

From the dogfather (podfic) by @nonasuch, Rated T

This one is slightly different and although this story also has very economical prose, it is much longer than its prequel and sequel above and has more room for details. The author spends a lot of time giving details and breaking the fourth wall, so to speak, to explain character motivations. But it’s all so blunt and bittersweet and funny. As I said in my original post, I think it might be my favorite wolfstar of all time, even though it barely wolfstars at all (especially compared to its M-rated prequel above).

3. “Looking at his watch for perhaps the twentieth time, Ron sighed loudly.”

From Libiamo! (amor fra' calici più caldi baci avrà) (podfic) by @khasael, Rated E

What better way to start a story than to drop our hero in media res at a restaurant with his future enemy-to-lover, Pansy Parkinson? And this is such a pitch perfect Ron characterization in my mind, all rough edges and a gooey, melty vanilla and caramel center.

4. “You can’t be serious?” The words were out of Hermione’s mouth before she could stop herself when Minerva broke the news about Hogwarts’ new Arithmancy professor.

From Stay (podfic) by vendettadays, Rated T

Another in media res and another pairing with Pansy. (I’ve been devouring Pansy fics since I recorded ‘tis the damn season (Pansy's version) by @the-francakes - podfic during the holidays and I can’t get enough of her, paired with just about anyone. I recorded this for @femslashfebruary and it really only features female characters, even the students.

5. “Poppy could feel sweat building around her temples as she continued to cast.”

From The Anniversary Quilt (podfic) by @vdoshu, Rated G

More in media res, with Poppy trying to heal her long-time partner, Minerva, after she gets hit with all those stunning spells. Throughout, we see Minerva through Poppy’s eyes and through the lens of their decades-long relationship.

6. “Severus found Hermione in the kitchens.”

From Mating for Life (podfic) by Arsenic, Rated T (sequel to Care of Magical Creatures (podfic), Rated E)

It may not be fair to compare a sequel opening line to the first in a series because it doesn’t have to do the same work. A first work needs to exert itself immediately to draw the reader in. But presumably, if you’re reading a seven-years-later sequel to a beautiful, pro-werewolf Remus/Hermione/Severus polyamory fic written almost 20 years ago before the book series was finished, you’re already hooked to the characters, the relationship, and the premise. You are drawn in by a desire to see a story you loved continue. And it does!

7. “Oliver Wood had one single year left at Hogwarts.”

From messin’ up my mind (podfic) by SkyRose, Rated T

This one is so nice and simple, but it sets up the stakes for the whole fic, a mutual pining story of Oliver and Percy finally getting together, with a little help from some of their Quidditch teammates. A lot of this story is Oliver’s internal monologue, so it’s fitting that this first sentence lays out what governs Oliver’s motivations - that this is the beginning of a series of “lasts” and that he still has so much he wants to do before leaving school.

8. “What are you doing?”

From The Cat With The Stars in Her Eyes (podfic) by @peachonified, Rated G

The first line isn’t spoken by the main character, Luna, but rather Ginny as an audience proxy to lead us into the story. We also want to know what, in fact, Luna is doing. Turns out she’s creating beautiful magic tattoos and therapizing all of Hogwarts (and later all of the Wizarding World) at the same time. 

9. "Well, that's the last of them," Arthur said musingly, over breakfast on September second.

From Empty Burrow (podfic) by @copperbadge, Rated T

When I was looking for a little fic for Arthur’s birthday, I found this little gem, also written pre-Half Blood Prince. All the dialogue in this fic is sparse, like is so often the case with an older married couple who no longer need words to communicate most of what they want to say. 

10. "I must ask one more time," said Dumbledore, the picture of grave concern with his fingers steepled on his desk, "If you are entirely sure about this decision."

From the stranger in the shell of a lover (podfic) by @slashmarks

Once again, the first person to speak is not the most important to the story, nor even the second most important. But it sets the tension and has a good hook, and once you find out in the next line that he’s talking to Lily, you’ve got to wonder what he’s so worried about …

Looking back over my recent work, I think a few things are clear:

I like fics that start with dialogue. I work hard on my voice acting and my accents, and though they are by no means perfect, I think they add something to the work. Being able to come out of the gate with a Dumbledore or a Ginny voice is a joy.

I also like jumping into the action of a story. It’s easier to tune out audiobooks or podfics than a story you’re actively reading (at least that’s true for me), so making sure that I have a story with a good hook is important to me.

Ever since I did A Very Pair-y Christmas in December, I’ve been branching out with different characters and ships, as opposed to doing mostly Drarry and Dramione a year or two ago. It’s been an absolute joy, I’ve discovered so many amazing new authors, and I welcome any suggestions for future recordings, especially if they’re different than what I’ve already done.

On the other hand, as I've moved away from recording Dramione and into more queer pairings, I worry that a lot of the fics I record wouldn't pass the Bechdel test. I'm pleased to see that in the start of 2024, the majority of my protagonists have been women.

On the other other hand, there's only ONE Explicit-rated fic on this list?!?! What have I been doing? Well, I promise there's some smutty stuff coming very soon ... 😉

This ask was so fun! I love gushing about other people’s writing. Thank you @squibstress for tagging me. Send me more of these so I can procrastinate on the Spanish paper I’m supposed to be writing.

Tagging @teledild0nix, @sweatersinthesummer, and @theselittleponders.

#harry potter fanfiction #hp podfic #first lines

[bookfangeek]

Could you please provide a list of each one of the power pills friends/ other important people from their part of the webcomic? i keep getting confused between each character friends….😭

:D

OC INFORMATION REQUESTED

Okay this is gonna be a long one strap in.

Also, have a little key for how important to the plot all the characters are

MAIN CHARACTER/VILLAIN | MAJOR PLAYER | MEDIUM PLAYER | MINOR PLAYER | JUST THERE TO GIVE A CHARACTER A FRIEND

TEAM SOUL SEER

CALEB BUDDE | SOUL SEER

The first member of the Power Pills. He's shy, awkward, and is somehow the unofficial leader of the Power Pills. Mostly everyone looks to him to make the final call on stuff because he's been around the longest.

GUY FOUST

Caleb's roommate and best friend. Went with Caleb during his first superhero mission and got physically shot while there.

KATE DHANANI

A friend of Guy's who eventually became a friend of Caleb's. She's the martial arts trainer for the Power Pills.

AVERY RODRIGUEZ

The first supervillain created by Future Tech. He's 16 years old and was given to Future Tech as an experiment by his parents in exchange for promotions.

TRAVIS BIRMAN

Guy's childhood friend and Merri's boyfriend. He's just the only friend character who doesn't know that his friend is a superhero.

TEAM WAX GUISE

DAN WIRSCH | WAX GUISE

The second member of the Power Pills. He's the literal embodiment of a theater kid. Despite his energetic and carefree attitude, he's one of the smartest members of the team.

JASON KENDI

Jason is Dan's roommate and the go-to costume designer for the Power Pills. He's a MASSIVE nerd and loves doing closet cosplay. He seems to have some kind of connection to Lightbringer.

LUCY CIPHER

The manager (and drum player) of Dan's band. She matches him in energy and personality.

NICO HYLAND

Lucy's fiancee and the keyboardist for Dan's band. He's the type to sit back and listen to Lucy's energetic ramblings for hours.

MAX ARMIJO

Dan's second roommate and lead guitarist for Dan's band. He's a more successful actor than Dan and does his best to help Dan get roles.

TEAM BULLETPROOF

MERRI BODKIN | BULLETPROOF

The third member of the Power Pills. She's a sweet-hearted individual with boundless optimism. She's the heart of the group. However a lot of her personality DOES come from the fact that she's a Catholic and her suppressed frustration tends to come out when she's fighting as Bulletproof in the form of a SUPER brutal fighting style.

AMBER LUPE

One of Merri's best friends. She is just as kind and sweet as Merri, but much less energetic.

PERCY VAN STONE

Merri's foil. She is energetic, she is bold, she loves everything Merri hates.

TEAM QUICKWIT

KRISTY EDA | QUICKWIT

The fourth member of the Power Pills and the resident "basically normal guy but with a bow" of the team. She's an independent artist trying to make it in the art world.

GEMMA VOSS

The sculptor to Kristy's painter. She has almost no shame and has no problems both speaking and acting her mind.

JAKE WESTLAKE

Probably also an artist of some kind but we haven't seen them do any sort of art so I'm not sure. They're relentlessly supportive of their friends.

TEAM STREAMLINE

Hahaaaa oh god sorry, Tate.

TATE PALMER | STREAMLINE

Tate is the fifth member of the Power Pills as well as the most energetic. She's a massive cosplayer and makes her living selling her work online.

TEAM THE WEB

(boy that one doesn't have a ring to it at ALL, does it)

SIBYL DEMIR | THE WEB

Sibyl is the sixth and newest member of the Power Pills. He's the resident scientist, studying biology. He's been through a lot, but once he settles into a network of supporting friends, he reveals that he is a a snarky, strong-willed man.

SEBASTIAN CROWL

A superpowered cult member who saved Sibyl and Caleb's lives when they were captured. He sacrificed himself to help the two of them escape. His status is unknown though he reassured Sibyl that the cult wouldn't kill him.

BENNY O'KEEFE

Benny is Sibyl's biology teacher and is the person who helped Sibyl through the darkest moment of his life.

VINNY RAMONE

Not seen onscreen, but he's Sibyl's ex.

JENNA BEGER

Sibyl's childhood friend who tried to trade away his life in order to join The Cult of Lacrima. Her status is also unknown.

TEAM ███████

MATT NOTTON

The recipient of the Pink Pill who needs to be put on a GODDAMN LEASH. The only pill candidate who decided to use their powers for selfish reasons.

DAMIEN BRIDGES

A man that Matt kidnapped in an attempt to learn how to control his powers. He's... god he's still there.

DALTON RENTFRO

Matt's teammate and a MASSIVE Matt hater.

OTHERS

????? | LIGHTBRINGER

The person who gives out the pills to the candidates. He's stoic but generally friendly.

??????

Only called "Scarecrow Lady" in comic so far, this is the woman who broke into Merri's dressing room in book 3 trying to kidnap her. Caleb erased her memory of their identities but she hinted that she had something "Way better" than her memories.

LONDON KURTZ

A mean girl who peeked in high school. She is obsessed with status.

PHYLLIS WORRALL

One of London's obligatory lackeys. The other of which, Lilith, apparently left London very recently for unknown reasons and has not been seen onscreen.

KRAVEN GREEVES

The owner of the martial arts dojo that the Power Pills train at. He knows what's going on with the superheroes, but he knows it's not his place to say anything.

And I reached the maximum number of images I can put on a post apparently so I have been hard capped here.

Btw if you want to see or ask more about my OCs you should check out @bookfanocs. I don't post much on there but you never know when I'll be inspired.

#Book Ask #Power Pills #Long Post

[a-ramblinrose]

Our life is twofold; Sleep hath its own world, A boundary between the things misnamed Death and existence: Sleep hath its own world, And a wide realm of wild reality, And dreams in their development have breath, And tears, and tortures, and the touch of joy; They leave a weight upon our waking thoughts, They take a weight from off waking toils, They do divide our being; they become A portion of ourselves as of our time, And look like heralds of eternity; They pass like spirits of the past—they speak Like sibyls of the future; they have power— The tyranny of pleasure and of pain; They make us what we were not—what they will, And shake us with the vision that's gone by, The dread of vanished shadows—Are they so? Is not the past all shadow?—What are they? Creations of the mind?—The mind can make Substances, and people planets of its own With beings brighter than have been, and give A breath to forms which can outlive all flesh. I would recall a vision which I dreamed Perchance in sleep—for in itself a thought, A slumbering thought, is capable of years, And curdles a long life into one hour.

― Lord Byron, from, ‘The Dream’

#Lord Byron #The Dream #Poetry #tell all the truth but tell it slant #current reading #current reading quotes #not out of void but out of chaos

[5ampagvita]

beast or [arcane] for @tes-summer-fest ! 608 words.

Wrote this way too quickly in a bid to get my prompt done before 12AM lmao. I privately do a lot of speculation on Akaviri (particularly Tsaesci) lore with my bestie, because I’m Asian and by God I will get my rep in my fav silly lil fantasy games one way or another!!

This is a lil scene where my Cyrod-Tsaesci gal Sybil does a spirit summoning so that everyone’s fav fellow Kaidan can learn more about his past. Hope you enjoy!!

When Kaidan first sees it, he’s shaken to the core. The way the water bucks and claws at the air with seemingly nothing bending it, the way Sibyl’s eyes roll backwards against her will, the way otherworldly shouts ripple from the freezing lake and echo across the empty shores–it’s all so foreign, and it gives him the sinking feeling that his companion is playing with forces neither of them understand.

Still, Sibyl had assured him that she’d done this ritual a thousand times, and Kai himself would do anything to learn more about his past. He tentatively kneels beside his entranced friend, watching the paper lotus she’d cast onto the lake’s surface bob and splash against the water’s force.

The first hand, ghostly and golden, rises from the small whirlpool in front of them. It grips the wavering water as if it is ground, and it lends the spirit purchase. Sibyl, once death-still, begins to shake, murmuring words in the old Akaviri tongue, and each syllable beckons her ancestor to push further into the mortal realm, until finally, he is free of the lake’s grip, and stands on the surface of the water with the powerful poise afforded to such tangible history.

Sybil, all tremors, slowly comes down from her trance. When she’s gained her bearings, she rises to her feet, and to Kaidan’s shock, walks on the water to meet her ancestor.

She kneels before him in reverence. They share a few words in a tongue Kaidan doesn’t understand. Listening to their conversation feels like passing by a home someone else now inhabits–you belonged once upon a time, but now it is gone, and your heart aches.

The spirit gestures for Sybil to rise. After a few more words, she returns to land and addresses Kaidan.

“It’s your turn,” she whispers to him, placing a palm on his armored shoulder. He cannot feel the warmth on his skin, but the sensitive way she speaks sends it to his soul.

“But I don’t speak Akaviri,” he croaks.

Sybil gives him a smile full of mirth, but the kindness of it is tinged with pity. “The Waters are beyond such trifles. He will understand you.”

Kaidan sheepishly nods and rises to his feet. He briefly attempts to meet eyes with the ghost, but is faced with only the gaping maw of his helm. He recalls Sybil telling him that, like some Tamrielic cultures, a Tsaesci warrior is expected to be buried in his armor. He didn’t expect the armor to be so formidable.

The younger Akavir takes his first step towards the now-peaceful water, teeth clenched, expecting his boot to sink into the mud. But his foot stays above water, casting a strong ripple across the waves. With each stride, he becomes more sure of his balance on the lake, and finally closes in on the spirit, where he falls into respectful kneel.

Silence echoes across the waters. Kaidan fights the urge to look up to check that the man is still there–he fears seeming doubtful.

After seconds that feel like days, Sybil’s ancestor speaks. His voice is strong, and accented in a way that Kaidan’s never heard before.

“You may rise, young one,” he says. “I am Lieutenant Hailne-Shai.”

Kaidan heeds his words. “I’m Kaidan–ser.” His voice, usually strong and sure under his softness, shakes.

Hailne-Shai’s smile can be heard in his tone. “Sybil told me you have questions.”

The prompt fills Kaidan’s heart with joy. Now, here, he is not restricted to the books of Tamriel and vague extrapolation. His history is right in front of him, glowing, breathing. Welcoming him home.

#tesfest23 #kaidan skyrim #skyrim modding #sampa’s writing #oc: sybil d’hakoshae #kaidan 2 #akavir #akaviri #tsaesci #tes #sampa talks #writing #fic #skyrim fic