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tenshiharmonia · 2 years

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Of infernal patterns and theological virtues

Hello there. I’m here to get some thoughts out of my mind once again. So, I’ve been thinking about those Bayonetta characters that I tried to conceptualize in one of my previous posts and came up with some additional details I wanted to share with you. It’s nothing particularly big or important, but you know how the saying goes, the Devil is in the details. And you cannot have an Umbra Witch without some demons. :3 No but seriously, I just felt like it was a nice and interesting way to flesh those characters out a little more. It’s amazing how writing about things makes you grow attached to them... So, first thing first, I’m still not sure about the name I want to give to my Umbra boy, but since there is a lot of things in the Bayonetta universe named after figures from the Norse Mythology - Balder, Aesir, Loki, Loptr, Vigrid, Noatun, Fimbulventr, the Jörmungandr tower, the Valkyrie military transport, and so on and so forth... -, and since said mythology is one of the few where the Moon is regarded as male, I was thinking, maybe I could give him the name of the Scandinavian Moon god, Máni. It would make for a pleasant contrast to Apollonia and maintain the solar/lunar naming pattern I wanted for the two siblings without making it too blatant. I mean, I haven’t made up my mind yet, but the more I think about it, the more I like this choice... Speaking of denominations though, you know how Bayo’s main sets of guns in the first two games were both named after famous vintage songs (I don’t really know what are the technical commonalities between Scarborough Fair and Love Is Blue, so I won’t try to categorize them further than that :p ) ? Well, as you can tell from the previous point, I love this kind of pattern, so I thought it would be nice to keep the trend and name the weapons of my Umbra boy after an old song too*1. Now, I don’t know if Bayo’s guns were really named after this exact version - although it wouldn’t be surprising, since it’s pretty much the quintessential and most well-known rendition of the ballad -, but like a lot of people, I cannot hear "Scarborough Fair" without thinking of Simon & Garfunkel. I bet you see where this is going, but my point is, "The Sound of Silence" would make for a fantastic name for a set of guns. I don’t know anything about firearms though, so I cannot tell you what type of guns I envision them to be, but I think that their individual names would be "Touch", "Disturb", "Echo" and "Whisper", after the last lines of the different verses of the song. Additionally, I don’t think they would have been crafted by Rodin, but by a rival demon smith. I was considering naming this guy "Mulciber", after one of the fallen angels in John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost*2, but I’m still not sure. That issue aside, I must say that if I had to devise a plot for a game where Cereza were to meet those characters, I think this guy would play a crucial part in the first few chapters. Here is how I imagine the way it would go : after a chance encounter with a mysterious man who appears to be a survivor of the Umbra clan, Bayonetta is left with a lot of questions. Sensing that something wicked is brewing - no pun intended -, and in possession of one of the bullets that the enigmatic warlock was using, she asks Rodin for his expertise. Thankfully, the demon is able to identify the bullet as the work of another infernal master blacksmith. By an odd stroke of luck, it also happens that said blacksmith has recently emigrated from Inferno to settle in the Human realm. Thanks to Rodin, Cereza is able to track the demon and goes to meet him, hoping to find a lead in her research of the Umbra boy. I think those events would make up the prologue of the game. Of course, the demonic craftsman would have set up his new forge under some ancient volcano. I would say the Etna, since it’s the go-to mountain for this kind of thing and would tie in nicely with Mulciber’s origins (as described in a previous footnote), but at the same time, I’d rather make it a completely original location*3. Anyway, opening with Bayonetta reaching the base of the volcano, the first chapter would probably focus on the witch as she makes her way to the blacksmith’s lair, starting on an eerie yet beautiful snowy path to end up in the fiery depths of the mountain. Instead of angels or demons, I also like to imagine that the enemies here would be various kinds of magical automatons that the infernal blacksmith would have created to guard the path to his den, in the bowels of the volcano. Now, having found the guy, it’s time for Bayo to make him talk. Obviously, the craftsman is not particularly willing to rat his client out, so Cereza will have to make him spill the beans with all the finesse and subtlety by which we know her, culminating in a boss fight against the uncooperative demon. Thankfully, if his smithing skills are on a par with Rodin’s, his powers are far weaker than those of the Infinite One, making for a much less painful battle. As for the plot, one can imagine that a good old spanking would be enough to loosen the blacksmith’s tongue. Now in possession of the lead she was looking for, Bayonetta can finally chase after the mysterious man. But as she is drawing near the town where the boy is said to hide, the question remains : is this all one big coincidence, or is there someone plotting in the shadows to lure the witch on their Machiavellian chessboard... ? This is a purely rhetorical question, obviously, but yeah, I think it could make for a nice beginning. Anyway, since I broached the topic of the enemies Bayo would have to face, I’ve been thinking about another species of demons that I would like to introduce : the Imps (short for "Impious", to keep to the trend of the demons being named after negative feelings and qualities, like Insidious, Malicious, Hatred, et cetera). As the name implies, they would be little demonic creatures created by Baphomet - the demon Máni has made his pact with - to act both as servants and extensions of himself. Having little power on their own, they would probably not pose any real threat to Bayonetta on the battlefield, but the idea is that Baphomet can basically use them as magical surveillance cameras, seeing through their eyes, or outright possess them, wherever they may be, to extend his influence across the world. Speaking of Baphomet, I also picture that one of the key aspects of his character would be that he is impossibly old. Like, "was there long before the First Armageddon even happened" old. So while he isn’t as powerful as the likes of Sheba or Jubileus, his knowledge of the universe and its mechanisms is unparalleled. One could even work in a reference to the story of Laplace’s demon, although the affection that the old goat has for the two siblings may sometimes blind him and distort his calculations...

Now, let’s take a look at the bright side of things. It’s time to talk about theology Apollonia and her holy entourage. As you may recall from my previous Bayonetta post, I was contemplating the idea of introducing three new Auditio based on the theological virtues, so as to complete the set of the seven heavenly virtues from the Christian tradition (of which the four cardinal virtues that the existing Auditio represent are part of). Well, as you can guess, I was pretty much already sold on the concept, so here are some thoughts I had about them. First of all, their names. Okay, that point wasn’t really difficult. All I had to do was translate the virtues’ names into Latin, as they did for the Cardinal Virtues. So, after checking multiple online translators (I’m not really fluent in Latin, so I’ll have to trust them on that one), we have : Fides (Faith)*4, Spes (Hope), and Caritas (Charity, also referred to as Love). I must say, I like the sound of it. It’s quite funny how all the Cardinal Virtues’ names end with vowel sounds (Fortitudo, Temperantia...), while all the Theological Virtues would all have theirs ending with an "s" sound (or whatever is the technical term for that). Really, the contrast between the two groups is something that I really wanted to explore, so it’s quite an amusing coincidence to have it engraved in their very names. On that note, I’ve been thinking about how to implement them in the lore of the series. As I pointed out in my previous post, coming up with three new Auditio would inevitably require to explain why three of the most powerful angels have not been heard of before, especially when the first game’s plot was centered on the resurrection of the queen goddess of Paradiso. If you remember, I suggested that, maybe, the Theological Virtues could have proven more reasonable than their Cardinal brethren and opposed the return of the Creator, which would have led to them being booted out of Paradiso by the other four and joining the two siblings in their exile. I must admit, I wasn’t really convinced by the idea at first, since it seemed a little too implausible for three of the most important angels in the rigid hierarchy of Paradiso to go against the Divine Will like that, but after giving it some thought, it would make for a delightful contradiction. You see, according to Christian philosophy, the four cardinal virtues are supposed to be human virtues, while the three theological ones are supposed to be inspired by God. With that in mind, wouldn’t it be exquisitely ironic if, in the Bayonetta universe, the embodiments of the three theological virtues turned out to have a huge fondness for Humanity while the incarnations of the cardinal virtues are blindly loyal to their insane goddess ? I don’t know about you, but personally, I find it quite fitting (although I also imagine that Apollonia and the three Auditio already had contact before the clan war, at which point the three angels basically went "Our colleagues have lost their marbles ! Can we go with your brother and you ?" ). To stay on this topic, I also like to think that while the Cardinal Auditio are known to behave in opposition to the qualities they embody - like Fortitudo being a bit of a coward, or Iustitia attacking everything indiscriminately -, the Theological Auditio, on the other hand, are always spouting philosophical platitudes about the virtues they represent. One can only imagine Cereza’s immense frustration when she’ll have to deal with those rambling loons. XD That being said, Apollonia would still have a lot of affection for them, treating them as trusted friends and advisors, almost like a trio of weird uncles. Now, on a completely unrelated note, I also thought about what the titles of their themes could be. I know, it doesn’t really amount to anything without the songs that go with them, but hey, as you can probably tell by now, I love to play with those kinds of little details. :p Anyway, devoted Fides' would be "In convictions and promises", optimistic Spes' would be "In waiting for better tomorrows", and all-loving Caritas' would be "In regards to Love, universal and everlasting", the last one being an obvious reference to the song "In regards to Love : Agape" from Yuri!!! on Ice (it may not really sound like a boss battle theme, but this is how I imagine their songs would sound like, that is to say, imposing in a tender and crystalline kind of way, rather than the heavy and dreadful choirs of the Cardinal Virtues*5). I would also like to cite the NieR games’ soundtracks as a major inspiration for what I envision their themes would sound like, especially the Shadowlord’s theme, "Bipolar Nightmare" and "Emil - Despair". If you don’t know them already, I warmly recommend you to listen to them right away ; those games’ scores are magnificent. Music aside though, I still have no idea what my Theological Virtues could look like and what their powers could be. Since the Cardinal Virtues all had elemental powers, it would make sense for their Theological brethren to have some too, but I don’t really know what theirs could be. At the very least, I picture that Fides would have some sort of brainwashing ability, since he is, you know, Faith, inspiring blind and absolute devotion in others, but I don’t think it would be related to his "element" per se. That being said, I also imagine that the three of them would possess a limited shapeshifting power, allowing them to assume more practical forms when they are around their smaller companions. Alternate forms that I like to picture as a trio of identical, tall and human-like silhouettes, wearing hoods and long, flowing mantle seemingly filled with nothing, their only visible body parts being floating marble faces and disconnected, jointed hands, like articulated mannequin hands made out of the same immaculate limestone as their mask-like visages. Kind of like the Sages in Twilight Princess, if you see what I’m talking about, with only minor variations in colours and ornaments to differentiate the three Auditio. As for their true, monstrously angelic forms, well, I don’t really know what direction I would like them to take. Since one of the symbols of Hope is an anchor (because, you know, Hope anchors the soul and keeps it safe and steady against the storm and the vagaries of fate), I was thinking about giving Spes the appearance of a colossal, living battleship, in the same vein as the Kinships and Worships, but I’m not entirely convinced by the concept. At the very least, I would like to work a rainbow in his design (yes, an actual rainbow), in reference to the one that God put in the sky as a token of hope after the Flood*6. Of course, said tale also brings to mind the idea of an enormous boat, so I’ll have to think about it. Now, regarding Caritas, the main symbol of Charity is the Sacred Heart, a burning heart said to represent the eternal and boundless Love which God lavishes upon his creations. And really, a grotesque, pulsating heart would fit quite nicely - so to speak - with the visceral monstrosity that angels display under their marble skin. Of course, I don’t really want the Auditio to be just a humongous heart with a face taped on the front, but I guess it’s a starting point...

Anyway, I think I wrote down everything I had on the mind. For now, of course, but still, it feels nice to get all those thoughts out of my system. If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read the whole thing. I don’t know if my divagations are really that interesting, but at the very least, I really like to share them here. Who knows, maybe they’ll inspire somebody else one day... Now, to conclude this post, there was one last topic I wanted to address : the Moon song ! Since the first two games both had a cover of one of Frank Sinatra’s Moon-related songs - Fly me to the Moon and Moon River, respectively*7 - as part of their soundtracks, I thought it would be nice to pick one too. I must admit, Sinatra’s repertoire is not one I know really well - and the fact that they already used his two most iconic Moon-themed songs didn’t make it any easier XD -, but after listening to several recordings on YouTube, I would say that my favourite is probably "It's only a paper moon". Granted, it doesn’t really allude to the Moon that much, but I think that a Bayonetta remix of the song would make for a stylish battle theme. I only need to find a softer, more sensual version for Cereza to pole dance on during the credits. :p Joking aside, I also considered "Reaching for the Moon" and "The Moon was yellow (and the Night was young)", but I ultimately find them less striking than the previous one. That being said, if we don’t limit ourselves to the crooner’s catalogue, I would also like to bring up the "Moon Song", from the "her" movie. Sure, it is a lot more recent than the pieces covered in the games (and has a painfully uncreative title), but it does exude a similar vibe. And the fact that it’s a duet between a man and a woman would make it quite appropriate for a game where Bayonetta is pit against a male Umbra Witch... Anyway, thank you once again for listening to my monologue. It’s always a pleasure to share my ideas with you. Take care of yourselves, and have an awesome day. ^_^

*1 - Even though I’m well aware that it’s not really an actual tradition of the Umbra clan, as indicated by the names of Jeanne and Rosa’s own weapons. If anything, it looks more like a Rodin thing... *2 - He is credited solely as an architect in the poem, being the one who designed the capital city of Hell, Pandaemonium, but since "Mulciber" was originally another name of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metalworking, I would say it doesn’t feel too out of place to reimagine him as some sort of multifaceted craftsman who likes to forge weapons too (in fact, I found quite a bunch of cool demon blacksmith pictures by googling his name ; don’t hesitate to give them a look :p ). *3 - As I mentioned earlier, a lot of places in the first two games are named after locations in the Norse mythology, so if I were to opt for this second option, I’d like to call this mountain "Nidavellir", after the cavernous realm where the Dwarves are said to reside (apparently, said realm is also known as "Svartalfheim", so there’s also this option to consider, although I must admit that I’m not really knowledgeable enough about Scandinavian myths and linguistics to tell which name would be the best XD ). *4 - Google Translate also gives it as "Fidem". Phonetically speaking, I kind of like it more, but apparently, it’s only a declension of the noun, and it would bug me to have one of them not being named after the nominative form. So if you speak Latin, feel free to give me your opinion on the matter. ^^ *5 - Not that I don’t like them, of course, but you catch my drift. *6 - You know how it goes, "after the rain comes the sun", "every cloud has a silver lining", "there's always light at the end of the tunnel", "April showers bring May flowers"... Really, I’m tempted to say that the symbol is pretty self-explanatory. *7 - Although it’s debatable if those really count as Sinatra songs, since he merely covered them. Still, for the sake of simplicity, I’ll limit myself to his work for now.

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jammellavillon · 2 years

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When I finally finished! Same feelings of gratitude since year 2020, and 2021 to DOLE and LGU Sampaloc... This may be the last I experienced being a SPES beneficiary, but the experience it has gave will surely last a lifetime.💙💙💙

#SPES #SpecialProgramforEmploymentofStudents #tumblog #LastNa #Posted

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parvussmyrna · 2 years

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Fikrimce ki herkes herkesin katili olabilir.

Kimse kimsenin canını alırken gözünün içine bakmaz, ya da o sırada yanında olanın gözüne baksa dahi korkmaz. Aldırmaz çünkü düşüncelerini, aklında onun için kurduğu tanımları, ancak hiçbir kimse bir çocuğun gözünün içine bakarak ne onun ne de onun bir başka yakının canını alamaz.

Kimseden korkmayan o sivri gözler ancak bir çocuğun minik gözlerinde kaybolur o sırada karanlığa bürünür o 1 çift gözler . Göremez önünü katil, yolunu şaşırır. Yapacağı hamleyi 2 kere düşünür.

Ve yapar; ya taze bir çiçek soldurur bu yaşamdan ya da kendi sonunu bulur hatalarından :ama her zaman tek bir kapıda sona erer sonuçlar o da gerçek midir ki umutsuz gözlerle bakışan yaşlar.

#spes #hope #feel #affectum

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enrico66m · 3 months

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youtube

La spesa resistente

Breve storia del mito per eccellenza: la Coca Cola

È una storia che parte lenta. Siamo nel 1863, in qualche parte della Francia. Angelo Mariani crea una ricetta realizzata macerando delle foglie di Coca nel vino Bordeaux. L’ispirazione gli viene dopo aver letto un saggio dello scienziato Paolo Mantegazza di Monza. Nel testo, il medico italiano elogia le proprietà medicinali della pianta peruviana, avendola osservata e sperimentata durante un lungo soggiorno in Perù. Lo so, sto cercando di arrampicarmi sugli specchi per rivendicare un lontano contributo italiano alla Coca Cola, che ovviamente non esiste.

La bevanda di Angelo Mariani, conosciuta anche come Vino Mariani, una volta in commercio ha larga diffusione ed è conosciuta in tutto il mondo. Molte le celebrità ad apprezzarla, tra le quali: Papa Leone XIII e Pio X; lo Zar di Russia, il Principe di Galles, il presidente statunitense Mc Kinley e anche lo scrittore Emile Zola, autore de Il ventre di Parigi.

Preparazione

La bibita, si ricavava macerando sessanta grammi di foglie di coca in un litro di Bordeaux per circa dieci ore. La percentuale di cocaina per litro era tra i centocinquanta e i trecento milligrammi, per cui un bicchiere ne conteneva tra i venticinque e i cinquanta. Dosi infinitesimali. Il dottor Mariani apre sedi del prodotto in Europa e anche negli Stati Uniti, e comincia a vantare diversi imitatori. In seguito, la bevanda resta in commercio fino alla metà del ‘900 per poi essere progressivamente ritirata dagli eredi.

Stati Uniti

Vatti a fidare dei medici. Poco più di venti anni dopo l’intuizione di Mariani, un altro farmacista, John Stith Pemberton, ad Atlanta in Georgia, per rimediare ai fastidi del mal di testa e alleviare dalla spossatezza, (1886), pensa a una bevanda che si ispira al Vino Mariani.

Al posto dell’alcol, causa il proibizionismo vigente in Georgia nel 1886 (la cocaina fu rimossa dalla bevanda nel 1905 per una grande percentuale ed eliminata progressivamente dopo il 1929, in pratica scartando l’elemento psicotropo dalle foglie), utilizza estratti di noci di Cola, una pianta dei tropici. È ovviamente dovuto all’unione delle foglie di coca con l’estratto di cola, la derivazione del nome.

Se John Stith Pemberton avesse immaginato le prospettive dell’affare, avrebbe senz’altro pianificato un progetto. Il medico si reca alla farmacia Jacobs con un assaggio della sua bevanda. Qui è gustata e messa in commercio. Allo sciroppo di Pemberton, fu presto aggiunta acqua gassata, raggiungendo il gusto oggi conosciuto.

Era Candler

Il farmacista di Atlanta, però, oltre all’accumulo di debiti, non aveva ben chiaro il potenziale della bevanda e nemmeno il senso degli affari.

Non ne era sprovvisto, invece, Asa Candler, abile imprenditore, che in poco tempo, dopo aver acquistato le quote della società da Pemberton, oltre alle piccole percentuali che costui aveva già ceduto a piccoli commercianti, divenne il proprietario di Coca Cola company, il cui marchio fu registrato all’Ufficio Brevetti degli Stati Uniti nel 1893.

In quella che è definita l’era Candler, il quale era ben cosciente dell’importanza della pubblicità da potenziare notevolmente il settore marketing, nel 1895 la Coca Cola è bevuta in ogni angolo degli Stati Uniti d’America; nel 1899 comincia l’imbottigliamento su scala industriale (fino a quel momento, stiamo trattando di bibita al bicchiere). Nel successivo ventennio si passa da due stabilimenti d’imbottigliamento nel paese, a oltre mille.

Woodruff

Fu però, dopo il 1919, con l’acquisto della società da parte di un gruppo d’imprenditori capeggiati da Ernest Woodruff, e, nel 1923, con l’elezione del figlio Robert a presidente, che le sorti del colosso americano iniziarono l’espansione che si arriva fino ai nostri giorni. Perfino lo scoppio della seconda guerra mondiale, fu un’opportunità di veicolare la bibita in ogni parte del mondo. Robert Woodruff s’impegnò personalmente affinché ogni soldato americano potesse acquistare una bottiglietta di Coca Cola per cinque centesimi, ovunque si trovasse.

Terzo millennio

Nel mercato globale la Coca Cola è certamente un simbolo, ma di cosa, è complicato stabilirlo con imparzialità. Per certi aspetti, è indice di democratizzazione, perché, per parafrasare Andy Warhol, la bibita è la stessa per il ricco e per il meno abbiente. Da un diverso punto di vista, manifesta lo strapotere industriale per antonomasia.

Nei supermercati, grazie a specifici accordi commerciali che il largo consumo gli permette, la Coca Cola può disporre di spazi espositivi superiori a qualunque altro marchio per cui, competere con Coca Cola, è impresa titanica.

L’impatto sull’immaginazione collettiva è totalizzante. Nel bene o nel male, è impossibile pensare a un mondo senza Coca Cola. Intere generazioni sono nate, cresciute con la Coca Cola. La Fanta, la Sprite (tutti marchi della company), e appunto la Cola, erano le bevande principali delle feste da adolescenti. Era una cosa che potevi bere sia col dolce, che col salato e anche senza mangiare. Refrigerava, effettivamente, ma non toglieva la sete: alimentava il bisogno e non volevi nient’altro che Coca Cola. Questo, a parte la riservatezza sulla ricetta, il suo segreto.

Scarica in pdf da Strade Bianche

#libri #follow friday #ebook #satira #letture #ff #enrico mattioli #narrativa #books #rsparmio #spes #spesa consapevole #spesa supermercato #consumatori #Youtube

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fabiansteinhauer · 5 months

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Denkraum/ space of spes and fession/ fashion

Eyal Sivan könnte auf der documenta inzwischen eine persona-non-grata sein, sicher bin ich mir nicht, sicher ist im Moment aber keiner. Auf der documenta persona-non-grata zu sein ist leicht, denn in Zeiten, in denen nichts garantiert ist, wird fast jeder leicht zur persona non grata.

Eyal Sivan hat dafür einiges getan, nämlich sehr lange geübt, eine Person für ungarantierte Zeiten zu sein. Wenn er ein Person für jede Gelegenheit ist, dann, indem er geübt hat, eine Person für ungarantierte Zeiten zu sein. Er hat geübt, persona non grata zu sein. Der hat sich in Antisemitismus geübt, aber nicht wie die Flaschen. Nicht wie die Flaschen, die sich in Antisemitismus üben, indem sie üben, ihn zu definieren und ihn Flaschen zu packen. Er hat sich im Antisemitismus geübt, in dem er ihn gefilmt hat. Der hat ihn durch bewegte Bilder geübt, durch Regen und Regung.

Unter anderem hat Sivan einen Film zur Prozeßbeobachtung gemacht, einen Film zu Hannah Arendt, einen Film zu Eichman in Jerusalem. Damit ist er in der Rechtsgeschichte und Rechtstheorie bekannt geworden.

Da wurde er bereits in weiten Kreisen auch persona non grata, in weiten Kreisen in allen den Ländern, von denen man sagt, dass sie gelobt sein sollen und das Volk dort ausgewählt sein soll. Das ist nun wirklich nicht nur Israel. Wir sind alle Juden, zumindest alle Deutschen, zumindest die, die ich kenne, mal bildlich, mal wörtlich. Wir sind alle Antisemiten, wenn wir nicht können, was wir wollen, nämlich wenn wir selbst in einem gelobten Land ausgewählt sein wollen und nicht wollen, das andere das auch sind und wenn wir dann Mal wieder, wenn was schief geht, alles auf höhere Mächte schieben. Dann sind wir alle Eichmann, auch alle Eichmann in Jerusalem. Et in Jerusalem Ego. Auch das Begehren kreist, auch das Begehren ist mimetisch. Auch das Verzehren kreist, auch das ist mimetisch. Auch das Verkehren kreist,dann auch das ist mimetisch. Die Bild- und Rechtswissenschaft Warburg kann dazu mehr sagen, ein andern mal.

Ein Problem war damals, als Sivan in der Rechtsgeschichte und Rechtstheorie bekannt wurde, dass er nicht gelobt und nicht ausgewählt hat, der Sivan. Der hat vorgeführt, Eichmann in Jerusalem. Sivan ist einer, der Instrumente hat. Das ist einer, der, soweit er Instrumente hat, kein Instrument ist. Soweit er power hat, ist er nicht in der Hand einer Macht über ihm, unter ihm oder hinter ihm. Der macht mit. Macht macht gern er mit - und soweit das reicht, lingt das.

Gelingen tut es nur ihm allein, ganz alleine. Wenn andere ihn loben, ist ihm das furchtbar peinlich. Vom Typus her ist Silvan nicht Gentleman, nicht Manager, nicht Homo Digitalis. Vom Typus her ist er Artist, so, wie sie sich zum Beispiel im Florenz des 14. oder 15. Jahrhunderts auch dann ballten, wenn jede Ballung damit einher hing, auch mal die Fäuste in den Taschen zu ballen.

Eyal Sivan wurde einmal von Cornelia Vismann auf eine legendäre Tagung zu Recht und Bild in London eingeladen, wegen dieses Films. Das war im Birkbeck, mein 'Elberfeld von London', nur 100 Meter vom Warburg Institut entfernt. Die Geschichte dieser Tagung ist entfernt, aber nicht weg, die Tagung ist völlig unerledigt geblieben. Mit einem Beitrag über Doppelgänger und Bildrecht (der später teilweise in Bildregeln, teilweise in Das eigene Bild einging und umso mehr unerledigt blieb) wurde ich dort eingeladen und bekam furchtbar den Kopf gewaschen, von allen inklusive Cornelia. Fühlte mich auch gleich als persona-non-grata, also wolle mich keiner, weil alle mir was wollten. Harte Forschung, Eyal Sivan hat teilgenommen und mir furchtbar den Kopf gewaschen. Schlimmer als das kann nur eins sein: Schweigen oder höfliches Lob, um nichts sagen oder fragen zu müssen. Das ist dann die Hölle. Das andere ist nur Fegefeuer. Da, an dieser Tagung, könnte ich nicht nur sofort wieder teilnehmen. Ich tue es auch, immer wieder, wenn ich daran denke, denn so etwas prägt einen, weil es einem eingeprägt ist.

Später fragt man sich was, immer too late, weil auch auf so einer Tagung, die wirklich mal eine Tagung ist, ein echte Tagung mit echter Dämmerung [und nicht bloß so ein huschhusch Neonlight], alles too much ist. Wenn too much ist, dann tagt was, dann ist Denkraum, verschiebt auch die Nacht. We always transmiss to soon and always translate too late.

Unter anderem frage ich mich seit dem zu spät, was spes in Anbetracht so eines Spezialisten wie Eichmann ist (spes wie auf Warburgs Staatstafel). Was ist Fession oder Fashion in Anbetracht so eines Profis, wie Eichmann es ist? Sivan hat das angestossen, dafür musste der Film anstößig sein. Denkraum ist alles andere als safe space, da fühlt man sich alles andere als wohl.

Kann man, wenn so einer wie Eichmann auftaucht, hoffen, kann man sich so verzweigen, professionell verzetteln zum Beispiel, wenn so einer auftaucht?

Die Antwort ist nach langen Jahren Übung ganz lange übend einfach, Zen: Man könnte es können und man sollte es können, solange man das übt. Das ist eine vague Antwort, sogar eine Antwort, die en vogue sein kann, die wellenweise nichts anders als fashionable, passend und passierend sein kann. Üben hilft. Üben, eine Flasche zu sein, hilft Flasche zu sein. Der Stadtteilrater, Mitglied des Sowjets der Urbanpartisanen Norbert hat mich glücksweise an die Flaschen erinnert. Der hat das gestern, als ich vor der Tür einer Art Drogerie stand, um rhizomatische Rauschmittel, besser gesagt Verrauschmittel zu kaufen. Vor der Tür hat er das Bilder- oder Wortefahrzeug von der Flache gebraucht, wie immer zu richtigen Zeit am richtigen Ort (er hat auch gleich erklärt, wie die Rauschmittel funktionieren).

Norbert hat gesagt, die Flaschen wollen den Antisemitismus definieren, um ihn in die Flasche packen zu können, um ihn zu beherrschen. Sivan macht nichts besser, nichts schlechter als die Flaschen. Der übt aber, da bin ich ziemlich sicher (nur soweit es sich ziemt), lässiger. Darauf ein Pilz an der Bar.

#denkraum #spes #fession #fashion #vague assoziationen #vogue assoziationen

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names-daily · 5 months

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Spes

#trans names #character names #name #names #name suggestions #s names #unisex names #spes

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jeonjcngkook · 8 months

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JUNGKOOK 2023 calvin klein fall campaign

#WHAT IN THE ANDROGYNY IS THSINSSPHAFOUSOHS #IM SPE. ECHLESKSSS #JAW ON FLEOOR #HES STUNNINGBAJDMDMD #jungkook #jeon jungkook #jeongguk

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penumbramewtwos · 2 days

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I Found

#mewtwo #newtwo #pokemon #Unova Newtwo #Okita #Okita Spes #grannewt #art #art progression #mewtwo shitpost #mewtwo shitposts

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a-spes · 2 months

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| PRETTY FACES, DARK SOULS - Chapter one (4,382 words).

| Summary - you rob the wrong person and she makes sure that you pay your debts, willingly or not.

| Tags & warnings - Minors DNI, Dark CEO!Natasha Romanoff x fem!Reader, just fluff for the moment, slight angst (if you squint), mentions of sex.

| MOODBOARD — ✧ — MASTERLIST — ✧ — TO SAY SOMETHING

| part one. part two.

Your eyes meet their reflection in the mirror, looking for the slightest detail that isn’t right but, if you were seeking for imperfections, you are unable to find any.

Everything was perfect, and even you were struggling to recognize your face, you would have probably fallen into your own trap and that thought satisfies you. It took you several hours locked up in that dingy room to achieve this result, but you have no regrets as you are eventually able to look at your disguise.

No one would have guessed that you were the one hiding behind that mask that changed every feature of your face.

No one knows you enough to be able to notice the smallest details in your attitude that were giving hints about your true identity. You were sure that no one would notice the way you are moving your head when being disturbed by something or your hand constantly running in the skin of your hands. There are a lot of small habits you tried to suppress, but it was in vain, every of your persona inevitably ended up having a part of you in them.

Despite the dust covering the mirror, you can admire every feature of who you are going to be tonight: Lydia Golvorezova. She looks like an angel and it’s not only because her hair is so blonde that it looks white or because of her porcelain skin and innocent eyes that makes her look like a doll, but mainly because she is stunning. There is something unreal in her beauty that gives the impression that she couldn’t possibly be human.

This name was never yours, but it fits perfectly the person you could see in the mirror right now. It was perfect to embody the innocence and naivety you were reading in her eyes, it was perfect to give the feeling of power and fragility at the same time.

The way you have done your makeup only adds to the effect. In appearance, it is something really simple, but the truth is that it took you hours to get that result as you wanted to look as perfect and young as possible.

It is not that you are old, only being an adult for a few years now, but you figured out that the younger you look, the easier things are. Most of the people you are going to meet tonight have a preference for girls that haven't been broken by life yet, for the ones that haven't harsh features accompanied by a cold gaze: they like what is easy to manipulate.

They are desperate to feel powerful and it’s becoming pitiful, even ridiculous.

When you entered the toilets of the gas station, hours ago, nobody paid attention to you because you were blending in perfectly with your surroundings. It is that you are not as interesting as Lydia Golvorezova, nor as rich. No one ever notices the young girl with stained clothes, they even avoid her gaze at all cost, scared she would ask for money — if only they knew that she is the same person than the one they can’t take their eyes off now.

If you’ve arrived discreetly, you can’t say the same thing when you leave the room. You could feel the gaze of the few customers that were here on your back, but the worst is probably the cashier’s one. You have to clear your throat as a reminder that you are waiting so that her gaze would stop wandering for a little too long where it shouldn’t be, even for a brief moment.

While she is scanning your articles with obvious embarrassment, you can’t help but smile. You love the way she avoids your gaze, the way her cheeks are flushed and how her voice is only a whisper when she tells you how much you owe. The poor thing probably fears that you would snap at her for such an offense, but honestly you were just enjoying the situation.

You love it when they fall that easily in the trap you set for them.

Tonight, to match your makeup, you decided to wear a black dress that you bought just for the event. Your back is bare and it reveals enough of your chest to catch the attention without being vulgar: it’s right at the frontier between what’s elegant and what’s indecent, and that’s why it’s the perfect choice.

You wish you could keep it, but even the money you’re stealing isn’t enough for you to afford such things: you need it to buy things that are essential to your life, and no matter how pretty you're in that dress, you could survive without it.

Again, the story between the luxurious dress you choose and you is going to be nothing more than a one night thing. It will be returned tomorrow, as soon as the store opens — you didn’t even take the price tag off. But you’re hopeful that, one day, you will be able to purchase that kind of clothes for real, that you will be one of those people that shop without looking at the prices before they pay.

It always takes you so much time to prepare yourself because everything needs to be perfect. When your life is at stake, paying attention to every detail is the key, you can’t take the risk to be recognized, no one should be able to see behind the mask you decide to wear.

So, when you get the confirmation that you’ve made the right choices, it is always a deep relief. You tried to gather as much information as you can on tonight's event and the people that are supposed to come, but in the end there is always a lot left to chance. You can spend as much time as you want preparing yourself for what’s coming, it’s impossible to predict everything.

You are not from the same world as them, you’re just pretending to be, and it doesn’t matter how many times you did it with success, you'll always be an outsider. There are so many rules that you don’t know that something as insignificant as a word or a look could be enough to give your identity away.

Hopefully, for the moment everything seems to go fine, the dress you choose was perfect for this evening, at the frontier between elegant and indecent, and no one seems to notice the intruder.

A driver left you in front of the expensive hotel that hosts the event, and you barely had time to unbuckle your belt that a butler was already opening the door for you, helping you to get out of the car. You have to fight the urge to refuse the hand he is holding out to you, and take it with a smile on your face instead. You constantly need to remind yourself about where your place is tonight: at the top of the pyramid, among the ones that do nothing by themselves.

For someone like you, someone that has been on their own for most of their life, it’s weird to be assisted to this extent, and you hate it as much as the first time. This man complies to every of your demands because he fears you, and not because he wants to, let alone because he's paid for it — his salary probably not being enough for the evening he’s going to have.

If only he knew your reality is closer to his than it’s from theirs, you thought as he walked you toward the entrance, but you can't share it with him. You have to play along, to pretend that you’re Lydia Golvorezova perfectly if you don’t want to ruin your plans, even if it includes being rude with a man for whom you have compassion.

Tonight, the butler didn’t get anything from you except a ridiculous penny that you gave him as if he should be grateful for it, as if this action was a symbol of infinite kindness — which he is going to do, thanking you a lot of time for that. The whole time, not a word has been exchanged, you would rather keep your voice for the ones that are worth the effort.

Just like the man that caught your eyes the moment you entered the luxurious hall, Clint Barton. You read an article about him a few days ago, he works as a bodyguard for heads of major companies, despite what one might think, his position makes him an influential and wealthy man, everything you are looking for tonight, so you didn’t hesitate much before making your way toward him.

“Excuse me?” you asked, clearing your throat to get his attention, and you felt the glance of every man he was previously talking with on you, the sudden attention made you feel uncomfortable. “May I?” you added, accompanying your words by a small gesture of the hand toward the glasses of champagne he was standing in front of, feigning being so interested by those.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” he said, immediately stepping aside so you could access the table. “I am sorry for that, miss .. ?” he added and you can’t help but grin at his attempt to learn your name - it was almost too easy.

You barely exchanged a few words, nothing out of the ordinary, but he was already crushing himself to fulfill your desires, already eager for more, and the way he is gazing at you leaves no doubts on the thoughts in his mind, something too indecent for a place like that one.

“Golvorezova, and you?” you replied, the false name slipping easily out of your mouth as you slip nimbly between him and the men he was previously talking to.

It is hard to not smile, to pretend that you didn't notice the way they are glancing at you, with anger and frustration, because you’ve just ruined their only chance to talk to him, too bad that you don’t care. Tonight, Barton is yours.

You don’t care more about the glasses of champagne than you do about these guys, it was just a way to get what you want. You’ve been fond of alcohol, you’ve seen how it changes people’s minds, taking control of their thoughts and bodies, and you would rather continue to use it to your advantage than becoming a victim of it. Even a sip of alcohol could be dangerous, and you would be stupid to drink while working, so you’re just pretending to enjoy the champagne.

“Barton,” he replied briefly, holding his hand out to you for you to shake - which you did with a faint smile on your lips.

“So, do you already know what you're going to bid on?” you asked, trying to pursue the conversation.

You both glance around for a few seconds, not a word is exchanged, just a shrug that underlines his boredom. Despite this party being marked as a charity event, most of the guests are here for other reasons: make an appearance, meet future associates, talk about business, show the world how rich and powerful they are, … there are many reasons for their presence, but none of them is disinterested. His answer is proof that he doesn't care about what’s for sale, maybe he doesn’t even know for whom the benefits are. He will drop an outrageous amount of money, just to pretend he did something good to help those people when he is the cause of their pain, people like you getting their lives destroyed by people like him.

Tonight isn’t about charity, it's about power and influence. That’s why you’re always tense when attending those events, the stakes are bigger than they are for a private party, and so are the risks. Tonight, the whole world has its eyes on what’s happening in that hotel. If you make a mistake, everyone will know, because no one escapes the spotlight tonight, and you're no exception to the rule.

“But, I think I’ve just found the most precious prize,” he said as his gaze came back to you, his smirk letting no doubt about the true meaning behind his words. Maybe if he was a bit more observant he would've noticed how your grip tightens on your glass.

You can’t help but smile, a sign he is going to misinterpret for sure, because behind it, it’s your disgust that’s hidden. He is probably something like twice your age, at least, and doesn’t seem to be interested in anything other than your body.

But the money is worth every sacrifice.

You are about to give him the reply he probably waits to hear, but you are cut before you can even say one word. It is a feminine voice whose tone makes your blood run cold, and even though her words aren’t addressed to you, you feel like you’re the one that did something wrong.

“Does Laura know about your plans?” she asked, and from the way he glanced at her, you guess that she doesn’t.

You felt the woman’s hand on your shoulder before you could see her face. It is only when he left that she took his place, allowing you to meet her gaze. She is stunning, and contrary on you, she wasn’t just playing to be pretty, she truly was.

“Men…,” she sighed as she looked at him walking away, but the truth is that he doesn’t really leave, you can still feel his gaze on you, even from the other side of the room. “I hope he didn't bother you? He can be a bit… inconsiderate sometimes, especially with the pretty girls,” she added, and you realize she is looking you up and down, her glance wandering a bit longer at the same places than the man’s one earlier.

She is not better than him, you thought, maybe a few years younger than he is, but that’s all, they’re from the same world, you have to remind yourself when you realize you too were observing her for a bit too long.

On the outside, you’re still smiling, letting nothing appear on what’s disturbing your mind, but somehow having the feeling that she knows, and you only shake your head, letting her know that everything is fine.

“I don't think I’ve ever seen you …,” she added once she understood you wouldn't say anything, not letting you a chance to find an excuse to slip through her fingers.

Despite appearances, and how friendly the conversation seems to be, the atmosphere is tense between the two of you, it’s like a game has started ; which one is gonna find the other’s secret first? And she never loses a game.

If she interrupted your conversation with Barton, it wasn’t to help you, but him. She doesn't care about his wife, Clint can cheat on her if he wants, it's none of her business as long as his problem doesn’t impact his work, and you look exactly like that kind of problem.

If there is something she cares about, it’s the raptors that get a little too close to her associates, especially the ones that would easily give off information about her business, and Clint may be good at his job, but he doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.

She doesn't trust you, and one glance was enough for her to get to that statement. If it wasn’t for Clint, she wouldn’t even have talked to you, but she knows how naive he can be sometimes - and maybe this conversation will help her to point out the thing that bothers her about you, something she hasn’t figured out yet.

“It’s probably because it’s my first in the United States,” you replied, your voice dripping with false sympathy.

You don’t like the woman either, but at least you are hiding your thoughts, something she doesn’t even try to do. You are smiling at her, the expression on your face being so innocent that she questions her instincts, you don’t even seem to catch the threats behind her actions or the true meaning of her words — how someone that oblivious ended up attending such an event? Something she wouldn’t have thought if she was able to see the rage hidden behind your smile, the frustration, the hatred that is slowly growing, because every second spent with her reduces your chances of success.

She sent Barton away, but most importantly, she doesn’t seem to believe everything you say as he would have, and the way she hummed after your last answer gave you a feeling of danger, something is telling you to give up the mission, but you don’t.

“I don’t think I know you either,” you replied, the words slipping from your mouth almost on their own. The conversation probably could have ended up here, if only you hadn't been so curious, if you didn’t genuinely want to learn more about the woman.

“Romanoff,” she eventually said, she seems about to add something else but hesitate for a few seconds before talking, deciding to keep the rough comment she was about to make for herself, “but you can call me Natasha, if you want,” she added, her tone softening to the surprise of you both.

The last words fell from her lips on their own, and they felt like the right thing to say. Maybe it is the way you’re looking at her, with those innocent eyes and smile, that led her to let her guard down so easily. She is trying to find an explanation, but the only satisfying one that comes to her mind is that you are an angel, sent to charm her with that pretty face.

An angel, that’s the word, the only one that’s strong enough to describe what she is seeing right now. From the way the dress follows your curves to the soft features of your face, everything is perfect in her eyes, and even if she tried to, she can’t find a single defect, any more than she is able to keep her suspicions.

She even feels guilty for the way she talked to you previously, her words had been so harsh when you seem to genuinely just want to talk with Barton, not even knowing her name, something unbelievable for someone from her world, someone used to always be a target for everyone, never a friend to anyone.

But you are not from the same world as her, or Barton, she can tell just by looking into your eyes, and that’s the whole problem, because she has no idea how to evolve around someone of your kind, someone that doesn’t even know her name. Her reality is rough, a place where pity and kindness doesn’t exist, where everything is just about who’s the most powerful, it is a world without limits, without morals, and you are the complete opposite.

You are looking like you are made of glass, and when she looks into your eyes, the only thing she sees is the innocence one can only find in the gaze of children. She can tell that you haven’t been broken by life yet, which is a miracle on this planet, and a part of her wants to protect you. She knows it is a selfish wish, because she wants to lock you in a golden cage, somewhere you would be safe and get everything you need, except your freedom. She would hate to see an angel being corrupted, not when they are so rare.

“You can call me Lydia then,” you replied, surprised but satisfied by the turn the events took, maybe you still have a chance to complete the mission. You have no idea what changed her mind, and you don’t question it, but you notice that you somehow now have the woman wrapped around your little finger, and you barely did a thing.

“Lydia,” she repeated after you, as if she needed to say it to believe it, to be sure that you existed, and that you are not some sort of dream, “let me show you around then,” she added, coming back to reality, “the city has a lot of secrets, and I am sure you would appreciate at least some of them.”

Even if it sounds like a question, it is not. She is almost begging you to follow her, as if you would be the one doing a favor to her, when in reality it is the opposite. When you nod, a genuine smile appears on her face, she seems relieved, as if she feared that you could say no. You barely have time to say a word that her hand was already on your lower back, applying a light pressure to guide you outside.

Despite what you said earlier, you know exactly who Natasha Romanoff is, it would have been impossible to ignore her identity when her face is everywhere on the news and streets. However, apart from her name, you don’t know a lot about the woman. She is quite mysterious, always refusing interviews, never answering personal questions, and nothing can be found online, she is a ghost.

All you know are the rumors that depict her as someone that gets everything she wants, and it’s no coincidence that she is now at the head of one of the richest companies on earth. She built her fortune from scratch, and some people say that if she was able to earn that much money so quickly, it’s because part of her business is illegal. However, there is no proof of that, and it’s probably just an idea her opponents are fueling in the hope that it will tarnish her reputation, and impact her business at the same time.

Perhaps you would have acted more prudently if you had those rumors in mind when talking to the woman, but those were forgotten the moment her hand found its way on your back, the way her thumb is brushing circles on your skin being so soft that you let your guard down. For once, maybe you’re going to enjoy the evening, and maybe you will come home feeling something that isn’t self-disgust.

Maybe she is a mean CEO, that would explain the rumors, but maybe life left her no choice, maybe she is a bit like you, a woman that tries her best to survive in this world. When you observe her face under the moonlight, it’s all you can think about.

✧ • ✧ • ✧ • ✧ • ✧

It is later that day, in the secret of her hotel room, that everything happened. Just as usual, you convinced your victim to make the night last a bit longer, and she brought you to that luxurious room where she is staying. It has been only the two of you, and you actually enjoyed the feeling of her hands on your skin. The praises she whispered in your ears when you were begging her, desperate for the release she denied you, is all you can think about as you are leaving the building the next morning.

The thought of the dirty things she did and told to you are enough to make you blush again, and you are surprised to realize that you’re already missing her presence. You chase those thoughts away, far from your mind, by telling yourself that it was just a play, something that needed to be done, and she will probably be quick to forget about your existence.

She probably used you as much as you did anyway, you noticed the way she looked at you as if you were a porcelain doll, something to possess, something to break. It was a one night thing for the both of you, and it’s probably better that way.

However, this morning, when you woke up, you were reluctant. You wanted to stay in bed, in the warmth of the bed forever, you almost left without stealing anything, feeling guilty to do that to the woman — it was easier when you were hating your victim. You would’ve probably left without taking anything if you didn’t need the money so badly, and you’re sure she won’t miss a few dollars.

By the time she notices you are gone, you are already far away. She was getting out of the bathroom, asking you what you would like for breakfast, and the silence that met her question made her realize that the room was empty, you left.

She was standing in the middle of the room, wrapped in a towel, and her eyes were scanning the room with desperation. The only proof that last night was real are the memories of you beneath her, and a piece of paper on the bedside table. She immediately reached for it, but the paper didn’t say much, and the few words you wrote left a feeling of disappointment in her chest: “Sorry, I have to go, but thanks, the night was cool.”

She doesn’t know what she was hoping for, but for sure she was hoping for more than that, maybe your number, or a promise to come back. It made her feel so silly, and she crumpled the paper before throwing it away, erasing the only evidence of your visit in her room.

Natasha would have liked to share one last moment with you, she thought about getting breakfast at that fancy restaurant across the street. She is thinking about how you would have enjoyed watching the sun rise over the city, as she is sitting here alone. She wished she had a chance to say goodbye to you, because maybe then she would’ve been able to get your number, or anything that would have allowed you to stay in touch, or maybe you didn’t want to. Perhaps you learned about the rumors, and that’s why you left so quickly this morning.

She has been here for maybe one hour when a waitress brings her the note. She was lost in her thoughts the whole time, and barely ate the expensive breakfast she ordered, but she couldn’t care less, money is not a problem when you are one of the richests people on that planet. But to her surprise, when she looks into her wallet, she finds it empty — you only left a few coins.

| MOODBOARD — ✧ — MASTERLIST — ✧ — TO SAY SOMETHING

| part one. part two.

| Tag list : no one atm, but if you're interested, let me know!

#a spes writing #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #natasha romanoff fanfiction #dark natasha romanoff #reader insert #female reader #mcu au #mcu women #mcu fanfiction #pretty faces dark souls

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randomminty · 8 months

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Yippee

#art tag #pokemon #pokespe #pokemon special #pokespe silver #spe silver sunday #hey. caught me at a really bad time. lots of enstars things happening #id love to talk abt spe silver my beloved but oh my god. oh my god #theres knight killers scout theres crossroads theres marionette getting fully voiced theyre not letting me rest literally #theyre senind kuro kiry at me from all angles its terrifying #anyways this post it about a differnet redhead my bad. have yoh seen this guy #i miss drawign art spreads like this its so fun #i shouldve drawn blue somewhere..... so sorry for not including her :(#and sorry for drawing silvers hgss design but gold and crystals gsc designs theyre simply easier to draw #thats all. not looking at this art anymore lest i start noticing mistakes and crying #for example his heads in a weird position on that middle drawign. goodbye❗️❗️❗️❗️#happy spe silver sunday everyone

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ot-spes · 11 months

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So, spes, we have a tradition to uphold. SO, what's your favorite food?

#asks #anonymous #spes #ot spes

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tenshiharmonia · 2 years

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Bayonetta Recap - Part 4

C - Angels

The Theological Virtues as a whole : Fides, Spes and Caritas

- Along with the four Cardinal Virtues, they formed the celestial council embodying the Divine Will of Paradiso and tasked with overseeing the realm of Light in Jubileus’ absence

- By an ironic twist of fate, the three Theological Virtues turned out to be much more sensible and benevolent than their Cardinal brethren. While the four Cardinal Auditio are fanatically loyal to Jubileus and only exist to enforce her will, Fides, Spes and Caritas, on the other hand, have a genuine soft spot for humanity.

- Therefore, when the opportunity arose to revive the slumbering goddess through the help of an exiled Lumen Sage, the three of them opposed the idea, knowing full well that Jubileus’ return would doom the human race to a grim future. However, they were still outnumbered, so by four votes to three, their objections were ultimately overruled. And to ensure that they wouldn’t try to use their influence to disrupt their grand design, the Cardinal Virtues arranged to have them driven out of Paradiso.

- Note that, at this point, Apollonia had probably already made their acquaintance. I don’t think they were especially close back then, but I like to imagine that the three Auditio already had some sort of preceptorial fondness for this promising girl. Likewise, Apollonia probably already held them in higher regard than the other authorities of Paradiso...

- Still, knowing of her ties to the Umbra Clan through her brother, they tried to ask for her mediation in the hope of preventing the nefarious machinations of their colleagues from succeeding. Sadly, the tension between the two clans was still at an all-time high after the events that led to Cereza’s conception, and the manipulations of Paradiso proved to be quite effective at fanning the flames of war. None of the clans’ elders were willing to listen to the voice of reason, and the escalating distrust was quickly getting out of hand.

- Silenced by their peers, and with nowhere else to run, the three angels ultimately resolved to accompany Máni and Apollonia in their exodus. They spent the next five centuries watching over the Sage and her brother, helping them build their own little community far from the bleak specter of Vigrid.

- Unlike the Cardinal Virtues, who are known to often act in contradiction to the qualities they are supposed to embody (like Fortitudo being a bit of a coward, or Iustitia attacking everyone and everything indiscriminately), those three, on the other hand, are almost always spouting philosophical platitudes about the virtues they represent. They can be quite a handful to deal with, especially when you have as little patience as Bayonetta, but Apollonia still treats them as trusted friends and advisors.

- All in all, they’ve become like a trio of weird uncles for the two siblings

- Since their true, angelic bodies are way too massive and cumbersome, I like to think that when the three of them are hanging out with the two siblings and the rest of their entourage, they use some kind of limited shapeshifting power to assume more practical and mundane forms*. In those forms, they look like a trio of tall and nearly identical, human-like silhouettes, draped in long and flowing mantles with hoods. Kind of like the Sages in Twilight Princess, the mantles are seemingly filled with nothing but air. Their only visible body parts are mask-like marble faces (note that they can still emote), floating where their actual visages should be, and long, disconnected hands, jointed like those of some mannequins. Colour-wise, I’m not entirely sure, but my first idea was for the fabric of their cloaks to be as dark and sparkling as the night sky itself. If you’ve seen the – at the time of this post’s writing – latest episode of Helluva Boss, "The Circus", I was basically thinking about a deep black version of Paimon’s own cape. The glittering effect of his cloak, in particular, is exactly what I have in mind. It’s certainly a bit unusual for angels to wear black, but I feel like a lighter colour scheme would simply not be as striking as I want it to be. Black would make for a much better contrast between the cloaks and their alabaster body parts. Besides, while its main emblem is the Sun, Paradiso is also associated with stars in general (I mean, one of the realm’s area is literally referred to as the "Sea of Stars"), so a fabric that imitates a glittering night would still be quite appropriate. For the rest, while the three of them would look nearly identical to each other in those forms, I think there would still be slight differences in the shapes and colours of the ornaments they’d wear. The exact details are rather nebulous obviously, but for example, I was thinking that, maybe, Fides could sport white gemstones, while Spes and Caritas’ colours of choice would be green and red respectively (in reference to the colours that Dante associates with each virtue in his Divine Comedy). I don’t think that the colour schemes of their true angelic forms would be as strict (they would probably sport the same "white and gold with stained-glass-like splashes of colour" palette as the other Auditio), but it seemed like an important distinction to make in those secondary forms... Really though, I had this picture in mind, of Apollonia sitting on a throne, with those three ominously protective figures standing behing her, and I thought it was pretty sick, so I hope that my words have done my vision justice. XD

* I was also toying with the idea that those forms aren’t actually the result of shapeshifting, but some kinds of projections or power constructs. Basically, magical puppets that they manipulate from afar, speaking through them while their true angelic bodies hide in some sorts of dimensional folds, concealed and unreachable until they actually need them (to fight an insolent and troublesome Witch, for example). I don’t know which explanation I’ll ultimately opt for, but I must admit that I kind of like this "puppets" idea...

- Since all the Auditio that Cereza has to fight in the games have an elemental attribute, I thought it was only natural to assign one to my Theological Virtues as well, since they are supposed to complete the original set. I must admit, however, that I have absolutely no idea what their elements could be. Fire, Air, Earth and Water are already accounted for ; Light is a shared element among all angels ; Darkness is the demons’ exclusive domain ; Temperantia also covers lightnings and everything meteorological ; Iustitia, as the "Giver of Life", is already related to plants and poison ; and Glamor, while not an Auditio, is strongly associated with Ice... Really, I’m not sure what it leaves me with. Since I’m currently playing Pokémon Legends : Arceus, I was considering taking a leaf out of Dialga, Palkia and Giratina’s book, but I’m not entirely sure. I mean, a guy named "Spes" having Space powers would certainly be hilarious. And I guess that Fides being assigned Time could be interesting* (one could even imagine that it was actually him who taught the Lumen Clan how to manipulate time in the first place). Meanwhile, Love being the highest of the heavenly virtues, Caritas would obviously inherit Giratina’s antimatter. Which would actually resonate pretty well with his character, marking him as unfathomably more powerful than the other Auditio, just as Love transcends everything else. Alternatively, I also considered for his element to be Soul. Or maybe it could be referred to as "Heart" ? Either way, I’m talking about the sacred and ineffable principle that animates all beings, allowing him to have a certain dominion over the vagaries of metempsychosis. I also thought about stars. It’s not an elemental attribute per se, but as the supreme embodiment of Paradiso’s pure and infinite light, I think it could work. After all, isn’t Love supposed to be "as constant as the stars" or something like that ? One could even imagine a combination of the two, since stars are often regarded as the souls of our ancestors, watching over us from the heavens... Yeah, as you can tell, this is all one big work in progress (if that wasn’t clear enough :p ). For the sake of exhaustivity though, here is a list of all the other elements I considered, with varying degrees of likelihood : Metal, Crystal, Sand, Dust, Sound, Death and Decay, Gravity, Aether (whatever it might be XD ), Radioactivity, Paper, Magic itself...

* Although it would probably be more fitting for Fides to get Space and for Spes to be assigned Time, since Faith is supposed to be a "guiding light", while Hope is disposed toward both the future and making all the difference in the present...

- I also assigned titles to their non-existent theme songs. Some would say that it doesn’t really amount to anything without the tracks that go with those names, but hey, it’s still fun. ^_^ For the record, though, while the Cardinal Virtues’ themes are meant to be heavy and threatening, I like to think that the Theological Virtues’ songs, on the other hand, would have a more ethereal and crystalline grace to them. Actually, the title of Caritas’ theme is a reference to the song "In Regards to Love : Agape", from Yuri!!! on Ice, and said piece is certainly a good example of what I’d like those themes to sound like (although its pace may be a little too gentle to work as a battle theme). Another reference I’d like to mention is the Shadowlord’s theme, from NieR Gestalt/Replicant...

Fides, Theological Virtue of Faith

- Theme song : "In convictions and promises"

- Design-wise, my first idea would be to base him on the "Spear of the Cathedra" enemy from the game Blasphemous. Basically, he would look like some kind of pope or bishop sitting on an elevated cathedral throne of gigantic proportions, preaching otherworldly truths to those listening below and armed with an ornate episcopal crosier whose bottom part doubles as a spear with which he can impale the infidels (at least in theory ; since I envision the Theological Virtues as genuinely amiable and well-intentioned guys, he would probably not do such a thing... at least unprovoked).

- Of course, being a Bayonetta angel, it would not be just a particularly big guy seated on a particularly big chair, but some heavenly abomination whose silhouette happens to look like a bishop sitting on his throne. Heck, the bishop’s face would probably not even be the angel’s face, but rather some sort of sculpted, visage-like ornament. His actual face would probably be located somewhere on the "torso"...

- Being the Theological Virtue of Faith, he possesses incredible brainwashing powers, inspiring blind devotion in others. It’s not particularly useful in combat, especially against someone as strong-willed as Cereza, but it can come in handy when dealing with, ahem ahem, uncooperative elements.

Spes, Theological Virtue of Hope

- Theme song : "In waiting for better tomorrows"

- Since the main symbol of Hope is an anchor (as it keeps the soul safe and steady against the storm), I was thinking about having him be some sort of humongous living battleship, in the same vein as the Kinship and Worship types of angels. Of course, the concept also brings to mind the tale of the Flood and Noah’s Ark (which were actually already cited in the games as part of the Kinship angels’ lore). Now, the story itself is not really about Hope, but I do think that it resonates quite nicely with the notion*. I’m still not sure if it’s really the direction I want to take with him, but it would certainly makes for an interesting base...

* Seems like DC Comics agreed with me on this one since they apparently based Adara, the living embodiment of the Blue Light of Hope, on Noah’s dove...

- At the very least, I’d like to work a rainbow in his design, in reference to the one that God put in the sky after the Flood as a token of Hope for humanity. After all, there is a lot of proverbs that link the notion of Hope to the promise of a bright spell after the raging storm : "after the rain comes the sun", "every cloud has a silver lining", "there's always light at the end of the tunnel", "April showers bring May flowers"... And really, a rainbow is the perfect embodiment of that idea.

- I could also try to put some sort of twist on the concept of a living ark, like the second game did with the Insidious, who are gigantic manta ray demons that also serve as battleships, carrying the legions of Inferno in their bowels. Along the same lines, I was thinking that, maybe, Fides could also be some kind of enormous sea creature transporting souls and angels inside of him. My first pick would have been a whale. It’s not particularly original, but hey, whales are cool (and it could make for an interesting design). Besides, the way they spout water from their blowhole would be a nice and convenient excuse to work the aforementioned rainbow in his design since it often makes one appear. Really, the only downside of the idea is that, well, whales don’t exactly have anchors, and that element is like, the core of the entire thought process. I mean, you can always work one in the design if you’re creative enough, but I’m afraid it would make the whole thing feel a little too cluttered concept-wise. Still, it seemed like an interesting idea, so I wanted to share that train of thought with you.

Caritas, Theological Virtue of Charity (alternatively : Theological Virtue of Love)

- Theme song : "In regards to Love, universal and everlasting"

- In reference to the last few verses of Dante’s Divine Comedy - truly one of my favourite sources of inspiration -, where God’s love is described as a divine wheel that "moves the Sun and the other stars", I’d like to implement in his design the idea that Love is the motor that, you know, makes the world go round. I don’t really know how to translate it into an actual design, so it’s still pretty nebulous, but I was thinking that maybe, he could look like some sort of gigantic cog, with a big, pulsating heart in the center, to reference the Sacred Heart iconography. Or maybe like some kind of living solar system model. I don’t know if you see what I’m talking about, but basically, I would imagine it as a core with multiple rings and spheres revolving around it. Of course, one can imagine that said core could be the heart I mentioned earlier. I don’t really know where the angel’s face would fit in all this, but it could certainly make for quite an interesting battle, with Bayonetta having to jump from ring to ring to reach the innermost layer and strike his weak point while avoiding the Auditio’s attacks and minions. Really, I’m not entirely convinced, but the concept seems to have potential...

- Regarding this idea, another inspiration I’d like to mention is the esthetic of the dream worlds in Hollow Knight, with all those floating wheels and ethereal spirographs. I don’t really know how it could factor into Caritas’ design, but it definitely feels like the kind of vibe I’d like for him.

- Speaking of Hollow Knight though, do you know what else looks like a wheel, is the Pale King’s favourite waste of space and money, and would make for cool projectiles ? Buzz saws. And really, I can totally envision Caritas throwing wave after wave of hard-light buzz saws at Bayonetta. Kind of like the blades that Iustitia uses to hinder the Witch when she is running on his tentacles...

- By the way, if we go with the "astronomical model" idea, it would probably be (roughly) based on the geocentric Ptolemaic system, with the angel’s core standing for the Earth, and seven rings revolving around it. Each ring would represent - and be stamped with the sigil of - one of the seven classical "planets" (from the innermost to the outermost : the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). If we want to be technical, there should be nine rings, since the Ptolemaic system also include the sphere of the fixed stars and the Primum Mobile, but I feel like it would be a bit too much. Also, I wonder if instead of rotating in the same plane, it wouldn’t be more interesting and impressive for the rings to move along concentric spheres in a three-dimensional manner, if you see what I mean. It would not be astronomically accurate, for sure (as if the Ptolemaic model was correct to begin with), but it would certainly make the design feel more intricate and dynamic...

Apollonia’s angelic entourage also includes :

- a Grace and a Glory : Apollonia’s right and left hands (don’t ask me which brother is which hand, though XD ). Those two were the first angels that Apollonia ever contacted and have faithfully stayed by her sides ever since, watching over Máni and her like a pair of protective and dutiful big brothers. And it would not be an exaggeration to say that this is indeed how the two humans consider them. Even in battle, they are Apollonia’s oldest and most trusted partners. She can even summon their heavenly claws to perform... whatever the Lumen Sages’ equivalent to the Wicked Weaves is called, tearing into her enemies with all the holy fierceness of flames and thunder.

- a Joy : one of Apollonia’s closest friends. Acts as her lady-in-waiting and confidante. And as her self-appointed bodyguard (even though Apollonia is more than capable of taking care of herself). Also, she knows how to play the transverse flute.

- a Valiance and a Valor : holy paladins and brothers in arms (if you’ll pardon me an intentional pun). I’m still not entirely sure about the exact details of their relationship to Apollonia*, but I like to think that when the girl went into exile, the two heavenly knights took it upon themselves to help her perfect her swordsmanship and became her instructors, spending the next five centuries training her in the way of the blade, so she certainly has a huge deal of respect for them, in a student/teachers kind of way. They also features among the angels that she can summon when performing her Lumen-branded Wicked Weaves, using their swords to prolong her own. Most of the time, she’ll only solicit Valiance’s help, but when cornered by a particularly strong enemy, she’ll switch to Valor, adding his shield to her battle choreography.

* My initial idea was that they were followers of the Theological Virtues who chose to join them in their own exile, so they kind of ended up associating with Apollonia by default. Still, they quickly developed a strong affection for the girl and her brother, taking the two humans under their wing and pledging allegiance to their ideals of peace and harmony...

- an Ardor : I must admit, I have zero idea what that guy’s deal could be, but I love the Affinities and their relatives, so I could not not include one of those guys in my Lumen girl’s inner circle.

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