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bethanythebogwitch · 7 months

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Digimon & mythology: angel Digimon

The Digital World is a dangerous place, with plenty of demon lords, monsters, and villains just waiting to unleash their power. But there is light to counterbalance the darkness and the ranks of the angel Digimon will fight back against evil. The angels of Digimon are based on Christian angelology, the theological study of angels form a Christian viewpoint. Christian angelology is of course based on the older Jewish angelology, but Digimon pulls much more from the Christian version. Christian angelology traditionally has a hierarchy that appears to have been invented by the 5th century author, theologist, and philosopher Pseudo-Dionysus, who mixed existing beliefs about angels with neoplatonic philosophy to create his hierarchy. The name Pseudo-Dionysus is because he identifies himself as Dionysus to try to portray himself as a character of that name from the book of Acts, but modern scholars generally agree that even if the guy from Acts existed (debatable given the heavily fictionalized nature of Acts), the author wasn’t him. The hierarchy of angels is usually given in three spheres consisting of three ranks each. From lowest to highest they are angels, archangels, principalities, powers, virtues, dominions, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim. Most angel Digimon are associated with one of these ranks, though some fall outside of this system. I’ll give more context on each rank as they come up.

Like in the original mythology, angel Digimon answer to God. What God is in the Digital World is very vague and inconsistent across the different entries in the franchise. Most of what we get is that it’s a being of goodness that rules the angel Digimon and wants what’s best for the Digital World. In different parts of the franchise, God has been identified as a human programmer, Huanglongmon of the Holy Beasts, and as the computer system that the Digital World exists with. More modern takes on the franchise have an AI computer system named Yggdrasil as the ruler of the Digital World, which fills the role of God, but is usually not depicted as being a purely benevolent being. In fact, Yggdrasil tends to be a villain whenever it shows up. God also dwells in the kernel. The kernel is the core of the Digital World and location where all the data is computed, yet it may also exist in a higher dimension above the Digital World. All angel Digimon come from the kernel and live there when they aren’t sent out on missions. The kernel is very much supposed to be the heaven of the Digital World, though in an earlier sense of what heaven was supposed to be. In the oldest forms of Judaism, heaven was the dwelling place of God and the angels, but wasn’t an afterlife. Instead, all humans went to Sheol, a poorly described state or place, regardless of what they did in life. It wasn’t until the second temple period after the Persians conquered the Babylonians who had themselves conquered the Hebrews that the idea of a divided afterlife entered Judaism, one of many idea adopted from the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. Heaven was converted into the good afterlife, expanding on its previous role as God’s home. The kernel doesn’t act as a Digimon afterlife because Digimon reincarnate in most settings.

I will discuss each angel Digimon, going from Child/Rookie to Ultimate/Mega levels. While God operates through more Digimon than just the angel Digimon, including Sakuyamon, Kuzuhamon, Kongoumon, and maybe Shakamon (if God = Yggdrasil), I will only be going over the angels because this post is going to be long enough already. Most demonic Digimon are either implicitly or explicitly fallen angel Digimon. If one of the angel Digimon has a specific fallen angel counterpart I’ll mention it, but I won’t be going into detail on them. It is worth noting that almost all the angel Digimon are based on the winged human depiction of angels. Angels in the texts of the Abrahamic religions are instead described as completely bizarre beings, usually with way too many eyes (though at least some of them can choose to appear human). The winged human depiction was popular by at least early Christianity, with the earliest known depiction being attributed to the 370s-390s BCE. Given that Digimon are born out of data generated by humans, it’s likely because the winged human depictions are so popular that angel Digimon also take that shape.

The lowest member of the angelic hierarchy is the only Child/Rookie level angel, Luxmon. Luxmon was only introduced earlier this year so it doesn’t have much lore, but it does act as a great starting point for any angel Digimon line. It is so pure and innocent that it doesn’t realize when it’s being lied to, which means demonic Digimon of its level like Impmon and PicoDevimon/DemiDevimon will bully it. Like other members of its level, Luxmon is not very powerful, but they can fight against strong foes by using teamwork. Angel Digimon are often depicted as being stronger than the average member of their level. Luxmon is clearly designed to look like a younger Angemon and it worked. I think it’s a good design that captures both the angel aspect while also making it look like a little kid.

In the Adult/Champion level, we have Angemon. I believe it is the first angel Digimon in the franchise and the one on which all others are ultimately based. It is a being of virtue that brings happiness, though it is also relentless in the battle against evil. Each angel Digimon has a certain role in the angelic hierarchy and Angemon’s job is to lead other angelic Digimon in the fight against evil. It wields a quarterstaff called the holy rod. An Angemon who falls becomes a Devimon, which retains its role as a leader, it just leads evil Digimon instead of good ones. Angemon’s design is a classic and a great example of a Digimon that just looks like a human in a costume, but still feels different. Angemon is likely the most powerful of the Adult/Champion level angels and is often depicted as being far more powerful than its level would indicate. This is especially true in Digimon Adventure, where it was easily capable of beating Digimon a whole level higher than it.

Pidmon is a variant of Angemon that ranks lower in the hierarchy, but is of similar power. Its design is a recolor of Angemon with a different staff and only one pair of wings. Many of the angel Digimon’s lore states that the number of wings an angel Digimon has indicates its rank in the hierarchy so the two-winged Pidmon ranks lower than the six-winged Angemon. This is not a hard and fast rule, as multiple angel Digimon have fewer wings than their rank would indicate. Pidmon’s role in the hierarchy is to destroy evil, presumably making it a major member of the forces that Angemon leads. Its name comes from Cupid, the Roman god of desire, attraction, affection, and erotic love. While a roman god seems like an odd inspiration for the very Christian-inspired angel Digimon, there could be a roundabout reference here. The winged baby statues that are often called cherubs are actually called putti and depict Cupid. Somewhere along the line some wires got crossed and the name of a rank of angel got applied to the putti statue.

Darcmon is the last angel of this level and the fort one to appear feminine. Its four wings presumably place it between Pidmon and Angemon. It is heavily combat focused and takes the role of vanguard and advanced force in the angel army. Given their descriptions we can get an idea that in the angel army Pidmon make up the majority of soldiers, Darcmon are the advance fore that go straight to the front lines, and Angemon are the leaders. Darcmon is a reference to Jeanne D’Arc, better known to English speakers as Joan of Arc. She was a 15th century French military leader who claimed to receive visions from angels and saints. She was convicted of heresy and executed, but the Catholic church later revoked the conviction and declared her a saint. She referred to herself as la pucelle, the maiden, which became the name of one of Darcmon’s attacks. I think Darcmon is severely underutilized for how cool her design is as far as I know, she has two anime appearances, one of which wasn’t actually a Darcmon but a villain in disguise.

Luxmon, Pidmon, Darcmon, and Angemon are all classified as angel Digimon, which equates them to the lowest rung of the traditional hierarchy. Angel is used both to refer to the beings as a whole but also the lowest rank in the hierarchy. Their role it to act as announcers. They appear is scriptures to make various announcements, usually to humans.

The first angel Digimon of the Perfect/Ultimate level is HolyAngemon, renamed in English to MagnaAngemon. It has eight wings, placing it above Angemon. It has two forms: its regular form and HolyAngemon Priest Mode, which have different roles. Overall, HolyAngemon acts as the law enforcement of the angels, supervising and surveying the others to keep them within the bounds of their missions and try to catch any who fall. HolyAngemon Priest Mode is said to be the from it spends most of its time in. In this form, it spends its time acting as a spokesperson for God and goodness in general. When darkness arrives, it changes into its combat form to take up arms against evil. Ironically, despite Priest Mode being the form it’s supposed to spend most of its time in, this form is almost never seen in Digimon Media, being a long-time inmate of V-Tamer jail. HolyAngemon bears the sword Excalibur, an obvious reference to King Arthur.

HolyAngemon

HolyAngemon Priest Mode

Next is Angewomon, who also has eight wings. She is a being of utmost beauty with an extremely kind personality. Her role is to try to redeem evil Digimon. By showing kindness and grace, she can bring Digimon back from the path of evil. However is a Digimon cannot be redeemed, she will attack and show that she is an extremely powerful combatant. She is often depicted as being equal in power to HolyAngemon A fallen Angewomon becomes a LadyDevimon, who is as cruel and wicked as Angewomon is kind and benevolent. The two species despise each other. Angewomon is one of the most popular Digimon for a very good reason. Her design is a classic and stands out among all the other “sexymon” designs out there. Angewomon has an x-antibody form which is fine. It’s overdesigned and unnecessary, but if that’s all I can say about an x-antibody form, it’s one of the good ones.

Angewomon

Angewomon X

HolyAngemon and Angewomon are both classified as archangel Digimon. Archangels are the second lowest in the hierarchy and their job is to make declarations. The idea of archangels being the highest rank of angel seems to come from the epic poem Paradise Lost and confusion over the name. “arch-“ means “chief” or “first” so people mistakenly assumed that the chief angels were the highest rank. Despite this, Michael (who is explicitly an archangel and the only one ever called that in the bible) is often seen as God’s second in command even by clerical sources, furthering the confusion. A very common idea is that there are four or seven archangels with different names and roles. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are almost always among their number, but the identities of the rest vary depending on tradition. Worth nothing is the Digimon Bagramon, a former archangel. He ruled over death in the Digital World before rebelling and falling. This would equate him to the angel of death, a figure who transports the souls of the dead to the afterlife and is usually named Azrael.

Also at the Perfect/Ultimate level is ArkhaiAngemon. It is of equal rank to HolyAngemon and Angewomon and does have eight wings. Unlike its fellows, ArkhaiAngemon is a more defensive and support fighter, allowing it to protect its subordinates and command them in battle using ingenious strategies. ArkhaiAngemon is driven by a concern for others, which leads it to interact with other Digimon more than its fellows. It frequently employs non-angel Digimon as familiars who fight on its behalf. It wields its own version of Angemon’s holy rod, which can release a flame that alternately harm and protect. While being of equal rank to HolyAngemon and Angewomon (and its name being a corruption of “archangel”), ArkhaiAngemon is identified as a principality, the rank above archangel. Their job is to guide and protect organizations, whether they be nations, groups of people, or other institutions. This fits with ArkhaiAngemon guiding and protecting its subordinates.

At the Ultimate/Mega level, we have SlashAngemon, a badass angel made of swords. It is the leader of the angel army and the ultimate military commander of the angel Digimon. It is stern and serious and cuts down evil without hesitation. It has 8 wings, but this is the level where the wings = rank thing starts breaking down.

Another militant angel of this level is LovelyAngemon. She is a cheerful and fashionable angel whose cuteness and charm belies the fact that she is the foremost close combat expert amongst the angel Digimon. It has the data of multiple styles of martial arts within its code, making it a martial artist is extremely powerful punches. Interestingly, LovelyAngemon has no wings.

SlashAngemon is identified as a power, the rank of angel above principalities and the first of the second sphere. They are granted the power over evil forces, restraining demons from hurting humans. They also oversee human authorities such as kings. The power over evil thing fits SlashAngemon. As the leader of the angel army, it is the one who commands the fight against evil. LovelyAngemon is not identified with any rank of angel, but given she is a combat specialist, I would guess she’s heavily involved in the fight against evil and is therefore likely a power.

ClavisAngemon bears a key called the key (very original) which can unlock any lock in the Digital World. Only ClavisAngemon can use the key and it appears that the angel is part of the key rather than a separate being holding it. ClavisAngemon’s duty is to guard the zenith gate, the gate that separates the Digital World from realms beyond. As the kernel is in a higher dimension than the Digital World, it would seem that ClavisAngemon guards the passage to the kernel and only lets angel Digimon through. It can bring the entire power of the Digital World down on an enemy that tries to break through the gate. ClavisAngemon has six wings and is identified as a virtue, the rank above powers. Virtues are supposed to govern over the elements, bring natural events like storms and wind. They are also associated with movement and assist in creating miracles. There isn’t much of a connection to ClavisAngemon, but it may be related to another story. In the Adam and Eve story, after the two are ejected from the garden an angel is assigned to guard the entrance and prevent them from getting back in. That sounds more like ClavisAngemon’s role than anything else. Clavis is Latin for “key” so the Digimon named key carries a key named the key.

Next up is Dominimon and Games Workshop is looking at those pauldrons with envy and fear. It falls outside of the angelic chain of command and is a rare being that only appears when the balance between light and darkness is severely disrupted. Its purpose is protect other angel Digimon and destroy evil at all costs. It has no sense of self-preservation and will throw itself into deadly situations or use a special move to empower other angel Digimon at the cost of its own life without hesitation. Because of how rarely one appears and their self-destructive tendencies, very few have ever actually seen a Dominimon and many think they are mere legends. It wields the sword Final Excalibur, a powered-up version of HolyAngemon’s Excalibur. Despite falling outside of the angelic chain of command, Dominimon is identified as a dominion, the rank of angel above virtues and the last of the second sphere. Their purpose is to govern the motions of stars, planets, and other celestial objects. Not a whole lot of connection to Dominimon there. Dominimon has ten wings.

Another angel Digimon that doesn’t follow the normal chain of command is Mastemon. It is an anomaly that is a fusion of an Angewomon and her fallen counterpart LadyDevimon, making her a living enemies-to-lovers lesbian relationship unprecedented merging of light and darkness that only appeared when the Digital World faced a threat so great it forces angel and fallen angel Digimon to work together to stop it. While firmly benevolent, Mastemon commands both holy and evil powers and can command both angel and fallen angel Digimon. It is a master strategist and only it uniting the forces of good and evil saved the Digital World from that unspecified threat. Mastemon does not correspond to any mythical rank of angel and has 12 wings, half white and half black. This is a clear reference to Lucemon, who was the greatest of the angel Digimon before falling and becoming the greatest of all demon lords. Lucemon also has 12 wings that are half white and half black. In his case, this symbolizes him being trapped between his original benevolent self and his new evil self. Lucemon and Mastemon are both angelic being between good and evil, but Lucemon is malevolent while Mastemon is benevolent. I don’t think there’s been any media comparing the two, but it’s a great story idea. The name comes from Mastema, a demon or fallen archangel in some Jewish texts identified as a bringer of disaster and evil. I suppose there’s some connection with Mastemon only existing due to a disaster, but it’s tenuous.

This too is yuri

Rasielmon is the first angel Digimon to not just be a winged human. She’s still mostly human, but with some cat-like features. It once held the same rank as the more powerful Ofanimon, but no longer does for unknown reasons. Rasielmon resides within the kernel and has the power to foresee anything in the Digital World as long as it remains there. This makes it one of the most knowledgeable Digimon. It commands the godai, the five elements of Japanese Buddhism: earth, fire, water, wind, and void. Rasielmon also has an attack called Sefer Raziel, named after the Kaballah text Sefer Raziel HaMalakh. This text claims to teach magic and cites Raziel, angel of secrets and a teacher of wisdom, as the most powerful angel. Rasielmon being based on an angel associated with secrets and knowledge certainy fith with it being able to see the entire Digital World. If Rasielmon falls, she becomes Raguelmon. Raguelmon was shunned for its knowledge and became a nihilist. It still seems to care for angel Digimon in a twisted way as it can sense when an angel Digimon is close to falling and will try to prevent it by killing them first. Raguelmon is named after Raguel, an angel of justice who keeps demons in check. Raguelmon’s actions can certainty be seen as a twisted version of justice and preventing of evil.

Rasielmon

Raguelmon

We have reached the top, the zenith of the angelic Digimon, the Three Archangels. These three are the most powerful of all angel Digimon, charged with enacting God’s will and guarding the kernel from all who would threaten it. The first of the three is Ofanimon (English: Ophanimon). She is the ultimate form of feminine angel Digimon and her duty is to impart God’s love on the Digital World. It nurtures and protects other Digimon and wishes to see them do good, but it can and will fight against evil. It has 10 wings. Ofanimon has an x-antibody form which is pretty good as far as x-antibody forms go, but still overdesigned. If Ofanimon becomes enraged at the seemingly-endless amount of evil in the Digital World, it will become Ofanimon Falldown Mode. It has closed its heart and become a dark avenger, nipping evil in the bud by attacking Digimon with the potential to become evil. It seeks to establish a world of absolute justice where evil is destroyed before it has the chance to take root. An Ofanimon who falls even further will become Lilithmon.

Ofanimon

Ofanimon Falldown Mode Mommy? Sorry, mommy? Sorry, mommy?

Ofanimon X

Rasielmon and Ofanimon are both classified as ophanim, the class of angel above dominions. Also called thrones, they serve either as the wheels of the throne of God, or the throne itself. They are also charged with chanting glorias and maintaining the harmony of universal laws. These guys are the classically weird biblically accurate angels. They are depicted as flaming wheels within wheels covered in eyes. The idea of gods having wheeled thrones was common in the ancient Middle East, with multiple cultures depicting their gods seated on such. Ofanimon bears no resemblance to a wheel, but her shoulder pads take the shape of wheels and Ofanimon X balances on a wheel.

Next is Cherubimon Virtue, which is the only fully non-human of the angel Digimon. It looks instead like a humanoid rabbit with no wings. It is the ultimate holy beast and its duty is to protect and impart God’s wisdom. Because Cherubimon Virtue stands at the zenith of divine virtue, it is easily stained by the inverse and can fall to become Cherubimon Vice, a thoroughly evil creature that embodies sin and wickedness just as its Virtue form embodies the opposite. Both forms can call down lightning as a form of divine judgement. Cehrubimon is based on the cherubim, the rank of angel above the ophanim. Their role is to accompany God when he travels. Cherubim are another bizarre-looking angel and while they don’t look like rabbits there is an association with animals that fits Cherubimon being a holy beast. Cherubim have four faces: a human, an ox (representing domesticated animals), a lion (representing wild animals), and an eagle (representing birds). They also have four wings, four arms, hooved legs, and are covered in eyes. Frankly, one of those would have been a lot cooler as a Digimon than a big rabbit. There is a reference to the faces of the cherubim, but it’s in Ofanimon not Cerubimon. Her helmet has the heads of the three animals on it. Both forms of Cherubimon have x-antibody variants which are classically x-antibody. That is not a compliment.

Cerubimon Virtue (left) and Vice (right)

Cherubimon Virtue X (left) and Vice X (right)

The final angel Digimon is Seraphimon. It returns to the winged human design, but is entirely covered in armor and has 10 golden wings. It is the most powerful of the angels and the closest of all Digimon to God. As the highet-ranking angel, it is the one ultimately in charge of all others. It is also the ultimate masculine angel and its duty is to enforce Gods laws. Legends say that when the final battle between good and evil comes, Seraphimon will descend to the Digital World and purify everything. Its ultimate ability is to sacrifice its life to restart the world. If a Seraphimon becomes overwhelmed with resentment it will become a BlackSeraphimon (English name: ShadowSeraphimon). It is still redeemable in this state, but if not redeemed in time, it will fall and become a Demon (as in the Digimon named Demon, not just some demon). Seraphimon is based on the cherubim, the highest rank of angel in Christian Angelology. Their role is to stand around the throne of God chanting “holy, holy, holy” and are also charged with anointing. The word “seraph” means “burning” and was often used to describe snakes (possibly referencing the burning sensation of snake venom). As a result, seraphim are often depicted either as snakes or as being on fore or made of fire. All depictions give them six wings, which are sometimes used to cover their body to protect humans from seeing their power. Seraphimon covering its entire body with armor could be a reference to this. Seraphimon being the ultimate masculine Digimon to Ofanimon's ultimate feminine Digimon could be a reference to systems like Kabbalah and some forms of Gnosticism assigning different magical powers or holy virtues to males and females.

Seraphimon

BlackSeraphimon

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chaifootsteps · 1 month

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Wanted to pop-in with a little correction about Lucifer wanting to usurp God, being prideful, temping Adam and Eve, falling, the works.

Biblically speaking, that's actually conflating 3 separate characters who not only aren't even the same entity, none of them are the same species.

Lucifer was not a fallen angel, but rather a human. An incredibly prideful human who saw himself as above others and at the level of the heavens (as many kings and pharaohs did in those days, seeing themselves as manifestations of the divine), but a human nonetheless. The king of Babylon, to be precise. Remember that point in The Prince of Egypt where Rameses says "I am the morning and the evening star, if I say day will be night it shall be written"? Same basic idea. Pharaohs and kings in those days saw themselves as commanding a divine right over others. Lucifer was just a particularly cruel one who didn't treat his people with respect.

From Isaiah 14, verses 3 through 20:

3 On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! 5 The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, 6 which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression. 7 All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing. 8 Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon gloat over you and say, “Now that you have been laid low, no one comes to cut us down.” 9 The realm of the dead below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you— all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones— all those who were kings over the nations. 10 They will all respond, they will say to you, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.” 11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. 12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”(edited)

15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. 16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, 17 the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?” 18 All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. 19 But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, 20 you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people.

The metaphor of a “star” is used in referring prophetically to the Davidic kings of Judah (Nu 24:17), and if you look into Bible history, the Babylonian dynasty for a time did rise above these Judean kings by conquest of Jerusalem. A similar prophecy in Daniel chapter 8 describes the small “horn” of some future power as trampling down certain stars of “the army of the heavens” and moving against the Prince of the army and his sanctuary (Da 8:9-13)". So human kings being seen as stars was a rather common metaphor.

Satan was an angel who was God's prosecuting attorney in Job, who fell from Heaven in the New Testament for unknown reasons, likely because by the New Testament God was getting out of his "I control all good and evil and demand you slaughter these nonbelievers to show my power" phase, so there needed to be another to be the new evil with God being seen as all good. And when Satan did fall, he was cast down to Earth, not Hell. He wasn't cast down to Hell until Revelation (by which point centuries from Genesis Satan and the serpent were seen as the same by that time), but Revelation was just an acid-trip of a metaphor for Christian persecution under the Roman Empire anyway.

And the serpent? In Genesis it was just a crafty serpent who was described as being "the craftiest out of all the beasts of the field the Lord God had made". And it was declared in the Genesis story as being cursed to slither on the ground, likely as a way of explaining why snakes slither and have vestigial legs.

There's plenty of interesting things you could do with Lucifer, Satan, and the serpent. Make them all the same guy. Make them all different. Make Lucifer Satan's jealous rival who wants to usurp him in Hell and has the serpent as a talking animal sidekick. There's a lot you can do with it.

But Lucifer should be prideful. Whether you go with him being a human, an angel, the devil, something, his pride his always consistent. Or should be. You'd think it would be in Viv's universe, since he's the King of the Pride Ring.

Except he's just... not. So why did Viv even make him the King of Pride in the first place if he doesn't have a prideful bone in his body. He's more like P. T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman than anything else.

Man, I'm as agnostic as they come but Biblical lore is nuts. So many opportunities and Viv ran with approximately none of them.

#Anonymous #hazbin hotel critical #viv stuff #actual blog post

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anniflamma · 1 month

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Can you please tell me how you think Darius came to meet and fall in love with Daniel 🥺🥺 (or when he started trying to court the poor dilf)

Hold on here, you have opened a floodgate!

A lot of the text below will be a mix of the Bible itself and my headcanons! I will sometimes clarify what is canon or not… Maybe….

So everything starts when Daniel is still serving his second king, Belshazzar, as his saris (eunuch/dream interpreter). Then the day comes, God crashes one of Belshazzar's "scandalous" parties and graffitis the wall. Daniel is ordered to translate the message, and he delivers the news that King Belshazzar will soon die by the Persians. This prediction comes true. That night, Persian assassins arrive and assassinate the king, and the next morning Darius and his army take over Babylon and the city.

When Darius arrives at the palace, he sees Daniel standing beside the throne, dressed in purple clothing and wearing a beautiful golden necklace. Darius is impressed. Daniel is dressed this way because before Belshazzar was killed, he ordered Daniel to be dressed in royal clothing and crowned him as king of Babylon. According to the Bible, Belshazzar did this out of gratitude for Daniel's honesty about telling him his fate. However, I interpret this more as Belshazzar trying to get the Persians to believe that Daniel was the king of Babylon instead of him. It kind of makes more sense in a way. But either way, this plan doesn't work.

Darius immediately notices that Daniel isn't a random nobleman but instead the previous king's eunuch, and that this eunuch was the one who predicted King Belshazzar's death. So Darius makes Daniel his own immediately. Yes, Daniel predicted a king's demise, but he also, in a way, predicted Darius's victory, so of course, Darius spares Daniel's life and makes him his own servant.

(I swear, Daniel literally gets passed around all the time by different kings.)

I think Darius finds Daniel attractive, and that attraction turns into a type of admiration. Darius, used to flattery and superficial courtly interactions, finds himself drawn to Daniel's rough but genuine authenticity. Gradually, Darius's way to court the poor fellow would be giving him tasks or positions that expect him to spend time with the king. Darius's way of flirting is very on the nose, and Daniel is very aware of it. He just isn't used to this kind of affection from his superior, nor does he have the experience to handle this. King Nebuchadnezzar was just an abusive wreck, and the reason why Daniel became a slave to the royal court, and King Belshazzar, well, I would say that he wasn't really abusive but more indifferent towards Daniel. So having Darius as his new king to serve makes the eunuch a little bit confused but appreciative.

The moment when Daniel and Darius become "true" friends is the moment when Darius finds out Daniel's real name. You see, when King Nebuchadnezzar took Daniel as his dream interpreter, he also changed Daniel's name to Belteshazzar (which is yes, really similar to King Belshazzar, another proof that King Belshazzar thought he could make the Persians mistake Daniel as him). Darius in the Bible calls Daniel by his real name and not his given Babylonian name.

For me, it's a small but important moment. I think there isn't really "the" moment Darius fell in love with Daniel, but more like a gradual awakening, and it's more on Daniel's side to realize that he has become an integral part of Darius' heart.

#I should write a fanfic.........#asks #bible #bible fandom #daniel/darius #book of daniel #headcanon

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nightfurylover31 · 6 months

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Is the downfall of the Restoration coming?

For the last few issues, I have had a feeling of anxiousness about what is coming. In the latest issue, #66, that feeling has gotten worse. What if we are building to something similar to the fall of the Freedom Fighters in Archie?

The first of all, Clutch's business is called Clean Sweep Inc. As I pointed out before, Operation: Clean Sweep was the event which began the down spiral of everything that happened until the reboot. There's no way this was just an intentional Easter egg. It has to mean something more.

Then he hires Mimic to infiltrate the Restoration. Clutch doesn't just want to gather Eggtech to sell behind the scenes, he wants much more, to make sure they don’t interfere with his business. After the events of issue #64, Mimic will be able to gain access to Restoration files. Who knows what Clutch can do with those.

Then we got the bombshell that Surge and Kit want to join the Restoration. Now there's no way those two are getting redeemed, at least not this soon. They want revenge on the world, and they'll do anything to do it. I doubt they're working for Clutch, but that doesn't mean they still won't do some serious damage.

And now, there is apparently going to be a Clean Sweep Inc and Restoration partnership? That is in no way good news!

We found out that Clutch was indeed the one who hired the Babylonian Rogues to steal the relics from Angel Island. But why? "To keep certain parties occupied"? Did he plan for Knuckles to turn to the Chaotix for help? There has to be more to it than that.

Silver and Blaze are off on their own adventures right now, and Sonic and Tails soon will be too. With so many heavy hitters and key players out of the picture for awhile, it just all feels like this leading to something devastating. 😰

#idw sonic #sonic idw #idw sonic spoilers #sonic the hedgehog #clutch the opossum #mimic the octopus

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magnetothemagnificent · 1 year

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how does the fasting work.. when can one eat and drink?

Jewish fasts are split into three types:

Private fasts, minor fasts, and major fasts.

Private fasts are fasts specific to only certain groups of people, that can be broken by holding a public break-fast in the form of a Siyum, a celebration when someone finishes learning a certain portion of Talmud.

The fast that falls into this category is Taanit Bechorim, in which firstborn males fast the day before Passover to commemorate the plague of the firstborns in Egypt.

Minor fasts are fasts scattered throughout the year that commemorate certain events in Jewish history, that tend to be shorter than major fasts and are more lenient about exemptions for fasting. They start at sunrise and end at nightfall.

These are:

Tzom Gedalia, which is the day after Rosh HaShana, which mourns the murder of Gedalia ben Achikam, the governor of the last remaining Jews in the Land of Israel appointed by the Babylonians. After Gedalia was assassinated, the last remaining Jews left the land, effectively sealing the beginning of the Babylonian exile.

Asara B'Tevet, which falls out on the tenth of the month of Tevet, which is today. This fast mourns the beginning of the Babylonian seige on Jerusalem.

Taanit Esther, which is the day before Purim, which commemorates the fast Esther and all the Jewish people fasted before coming before Achashverosh.

Shiv'a Asar B'Tammuz, which is on the 17th of the month of Tammuz, which mourns the breaching of Jerusalem's walls by the Babylonians and the beginning of the raid on Jerusalem.

Major fasts are longer fasts and considered more "serious", and therefore exemptions for who is obligated to fast are a bit more strict.

These are:

Tish'a B'Av, which is on the 9th of the month of Av, which spans from sunset the previous day and ends at nightfall. It mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temples by the Babylonians and later the Romans. In modern times it's also used to mourn other genocides in Jewish history, especially the Holocaust.

Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day of the year and falls out on the tenth of the month of Tishrei. It's a day of reflection and atonement for the previous year and for the new year. Unlike every other fast, including Tish'a B'Av, all the prohibitions of Shabbat apply to Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is also called Shabbat Shabbaton, the Shabbat of all Shabbats. Other fast days are also prohibitted from occuring on Friday or Shabbat, and are pushed off if they do fall out on those days. Yom Kippur is never pushed off. If it occurs on Shabbat, then it occurs on Shabbat.

On a fast day, consuming food or water is prohibitted. Some people who can't do a full fast will drink water but not eat food, or will eat less food, or will take a break from other aspects of life, such as social media.

#fasting #fast days #jumblr #judaism

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bestiarium · 1 year

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The Ala demon and Ardat Lili [Babylonian mythology; Mesopotamian mythology]

Hailing from ancient Mesopotamian stories, the Ala was described as a floating, amorphous cloud, and like many other evil entities, it was mainly active at night. This evil, cloud-like monster would stalk the streets of human settlements in search for a victim. After choosing someone to haunt, it would enter their house without difficulty and envelop the sleeping victim. Those who have been attacked by these creatures tend to have difficulty falling asleep, often lose their appetite and also develop general depression.

But the Ala demon also had a very particular effect on its victims: it usually attacked sleeping men and would cause them to ejaculate in their sleep. As such, it is likely that the myth of the Ala arose as a way to explain wet dreams. It’s actually not alone in that regard: in Babylonian mythology, the Ardat Lili – which means ‘maiden of the night’ – was another demon or creature that caused sleeping men to ejaculate. These female spirits would approach and arouse men at night. They were also known to ‘satisfy themselves’ with sleeping men, thus explaining the wet spot in their bed.

Supposedly (though I am not entirely certain about this), the Ardat Lili were the undead ghosts of human women who died as virgins. Since they never had the opportunity to experience sex during their lifetime, they would haunt the world of the living and seek out sleeping men.

Sources: Bane, T., 2014, Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures, McFarland, 416 pp. Jastrow, M., 1893, The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, Handbooks on the History of Religions Volume II, Ginn & Company, 782 pp. Pick, D. and Roper, L., 2004, Dreams and History: the interpretation of dreams from Ancient Greece to modern psychoanalysis, 289 pp. Citing from ‘Geller, M., 1997, Freud, Magic and Mesopotamia: How the Magic Works, Folklore, 108, p.3’ (image 1: ‘Infernal Apparition’ by Paul Lormier, 1848. This image is often associated with the Ardat Lili spirits but remember it was drawn much later) (image source 2: ‘air elemental’ by SarahMillerCreations on Deviantart. I thought it fit the description of an evil, cloud-like entity)

#Babylonian mythology #Mesopotamian mythology #undead #spirits #demons #ghosts #creatures #mythical creatures

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creature-wizard · 2 years

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Why David Icke’s reptilian aliens are sparkling antisemitism

If you’re unfamiliar with the rhetoric of antisemitism and the politics behind the ancient aliens movement, you might not be aware of just why David Icke’s take on reptilians (which he published in The Biggest Secret) is so harmful. After all, what does proposing that the British royal family is secretly a bunch of space lizards really hurt? The British royal family will probably never be harmed by Icke’s nonsense, but a lot of other people are definitely put in danger by this book. I’ll try and sum up some of what’s in it, so you can see why. Icke borrows from Erich Von Daniken’s (extremely racist) idea that the Babylonian gods were aliens from space, and he claims that European royal families are of “Aryan-reptilian bloodlines.” From the start, he has placed the source of what he believes to be a contamination of the human species in the Middle East, among a culture regarded as Semitic. He claims the reptilians established the Babylonian Brotherhood, a secret mystical order that apparently has nothing better to do than rule and oppress humanity. Like many amateur historians and wannabe anthropologists, Icke falls into the trap of assuming that if two cultures have anything alike, then one must have derived from the other. He brings up spurious - if not now-debunked- claims about modern Christianity being identical to various pre-Christian traditions; EG, such as Jesus and Horus being identical. He also tries to claim that the Babylonian Brotherhood is in control of all major religions right now: Eannus, it was said, held the keys to the doors of heaven and he was the sole intermediary between God and humanity, therefore any belief not supported by him was false and should be condemned. This was a wonderful tool for the Babylonian priesthood to impose their will on the populous and exactly the same scam has been played by their successors, the Christian priests, the Rabbis and the priesthoods of Islam, Hinduism and all the rest. If you’re mostly unfamiliar with religions outside of Christianity, you might find this plausible enough. You might not recognize that the assertion that all religions work like Christianity as David Icke knows it - IE, claiming to have an exclusive monopoly on truth and salvation - is absolute bullshit. Icke claims that the reptilians eat human flesh and drink human blood, and claims they instituted the practice of human sacrifice wherever they went. The notion of a blood-drinking cult can be traced back to pre-Christian Rome, when Romans would accuse early Christians of drinking actual human blood. Later, Christians would shift the accusations against Jews, accusing them of drinking the blood of Christian children. In other words, this is blood libel. He claims that the Babylonian Brotherhood is controlling “apparently unconnected companies and institutions like politics, banking, business, the military and the media.” Guess who else has been accused of controlling banks, the media, etc.? Icke claims that most people who call themselves Jews aren’t actually real Jews because something something Khazars from the Caucasus Mountains. This is an old antisemitic canard.

Icke singles out the Jewish Rothschild family as one of the reptilian bloodlines. Like a good white English boy in denial of his own people’s racism, he claims that Aryan reptilians were responsible for the Nazi party’s belief in white supremacy. This is one step away from the Amerifash and Britfash belief that akshually, the Nazis were secretly Jewish/manipulated by Jews all along. Icke claims that the reptilians essentially dictated the entire Hebrew Bible to the Levites during the Babylonian Exile and claims that Jews are supposed to take the Bible super literally. He tries to play off the people he considers to be real Jews as the poor manipulated victims of this terrible conspiracy, and basically acts like hate and violence is the religion’s true core. You can tell that he’s never done any research into how Judaism is actually practiced whatsoever. He claims the ADL is run by the Babylonian Brotherhood, because he can’t imagine anyone having any legitimate reason to take offense at his bullshit. Besides all this, the book is filled with a dazzling amount of fake history that has the same amount of validity as “popcorn starts with P, P rhymes with C, C sounds like sea, therefore popcorn is harvested sea foam!” However, if you don’t have a great sense of history or linguistics, the problems with Icke’s claims may not be readily apparent. He claims that “mummer” derives from “Mohammedan”, which is easy enough to debunk with a quick visit to an etymology dictionary. He claims that the name “Elizabeth” derives from “El-lizard-birth,” which - no. Not everything he says is total baloney - sometimes he gets a few things right, but ya know what they say about stopped clocks. It’s also very clear that Icke just doesn’t understand or appreciate how cultural osmosis works; he really doesn’t grasp that different religions can have things in common simply because they were practiced in the same area and ideas naturally drifted between groups. It can’t simply be that early Christian artists depicting Mary and baby Jesus were simply influenced by images depicting Isis holding baby Horus, oh no; it must be the work of his mustached-twirling Babylonian Brotherhood. There’s a lot more garbage in this book that I could go into, but I think this should be enough to demonstrate that this whole idea of blood-drinking reptiles controlling the world is just another manifestation of antisemitism, nothing more.

It’s worth noting that the messy, complicated history of religion is actually pretty widely acknowledged among scholars and academics these days. Bart D. Ehrman, for example, does a great job covering the history of early Christianity, and you can easily find his books or find videos of him talking on YouTube. These channels are also great: Digital Hammurabi ESOTERICA ReligionForBreakfast Finally, I do want to make one thing clear - just because David Icke’s reptilian conspiracy theory is antisemitic, doesn’t mean that the idea of reptilian entities is inherently antisemitic. Dragons, divine serpents, and whatnot are found in religion and folklore all over the world, many of which are benevolent or at least neutral.

#david icke #reptilians #racism #antisemitism #history #pseudohistory #aliens #alien #extraterrestrials #reptilian aliens #nazis #conspiracy theories #conspiracism

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love-is-patient · 5 months

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I know I’m kicking a hornet’s nest, and this may be an unpopular opinion here in the west, but I find it based in truth.

A lot of Christians seem to think we must support Israel at any cost, that Israel is the chosen of God and that it would be a sin against God to even disagree with the nation.

While I agree it is important to recognize the covenant God made with the people of Israel, the Bible itself espouses the idea that Israel repeatedly abuses this covenant and always falls short of what God wants.

I do believe the land belongs to them, we have biblical and archaeological evidence that dates back to the bronze age that it does - but let’s get it straight here:

They are not the good guys. I do not need to tell anyone that Hamas is evil, but I do not believe for a second Israel isn’t complicit in terrible acts - propaganda on either side be damned. The idea that victims are always sinless, or that perpetrators might be excused because of their background has done incredible damage to the average person’s capability for logic.

The Israelites have repeatedly strayed away from their divine connection to worship other gods, bring blasphemous objects into the temple, and - though strangely many Christians refuse to acknowledge this - they were indeed the ones who killed Jesus.

Judas didn’t go to the Romans to betray Jesus, he went to the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees. The Pharisees went to the ruling power of Rome and demanded Jesus’ head. The Jews chose Barabbas to free instead of Jesus. The Jews were the ones responsible, unquestionably - but that was the plan from the beginning.

Even today, the Jewish religious elite is obsessed with law and tradition in a way that is absolutely unsustainable. Their religious texts are filled to the gills with pagan influence. The Babylonian Talmud, for instance.

Today, many believe Jesus was a mad homosexual who is currently in hell boiling in excrement (whether or not this is supported in the Babylonian Talmud is up for debate, but the fact that necromancy and other occult practices are in the text aren’t).

The major conflict of the Bible has always been satan’s attempt to disrupt God’s plan. Corrupting the flesh of the earth so Jesus couldn’t be born didn’t work, so what better way to stop the plan than to corrupt God’s people in their hearts? Make them so over the top religious most couldn’t even find their savior when confronted with him face to face.

It is Israel’s repeated failings that paved a way for gentiles to be allowed into the new covenant through Christ.

In Luke chapter 2 (29-32), the wise man Simeon even acknowledges this, stating:

God planned on saving us Gentiles all the way from Jesus’ birth, it wasn’t just some fluke Jesus decided about partway through his ministry. Even the wise recognized the Gentiles would be saved and bring glory back to Israel.

Now, this is important for multiple reasons, and Israel’s failing to be faithful has everything to do with them.

1. God made a covenant with Israel, and no matter how faithless (even adulterous) they are, God is good and will not break his promise.

2. God banked on Israel’s wickedness to kill Christ and therefore usher in the new covenant, saving both the Jew and the Gentile

3. No part of Israel being holy or good had anything to do with this - which ties back into the way being to God is through Jesus Christ, not by works, so that no man may boast.

Israel has to be the bad guys because satan has tried everything to corrupt them and get God to break his promise. He hasn’t and he won’t - even when some of them were worshipping Canaanite gods and throwing their children in the fire.

No matter how bad Israel gets, God will not break his promise. This shows the glory of God that he is faithful unto all else.

And the ending is already written. One day the Jewish people will recognize the glory of Christ. They will come back around.

That coming back around is why we support Israel. Not because they are sinless or more holy than the gentiles (though I have unironically heard some Christians say all Jews get an automatic pass to heaven), but because they show the extremes God will go to to bring us back to him.

It doesn’t matter how far you go. Ask for forgiveness and God will take you back with open arms.

————————

Side note:

Before I get accused of antisemitism for simply stating Israel is flawed like the rest of us - I do not for a second believe that they are wholly evil people. I speak more of Israel as an institution than individuals, the same way it would be ridiculous to measure all Americans by the same rod.

What a country does isn’t always what the people wants, and it’s not my place to say what Israel should and shouldn’t do.

I would simply like for Christians to know who they are supporting and why. And, ideally, correct their reasoning.

No one on earth is without sin, especially God’s chosen.

But God always chose the meek, the sick, the social outcasts, and the damned to be his messengers, didn’t he? :)

#christian #faith #christianity #jesus #church #judiasm #Israel #israel vs palestine #israel vs hamas

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elipheleh · 10 months

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Thisbe & Pyramus

Continuing my series of learning about things referenced in the book, I'm looking at the well referenced quote from chapter 10. These are all tagged #a series of learning about things that are referenced in the book, if you want to block the tag.

—

Dear Thisbe,

I wish there weren't a wall.

Love, Pyramus

-Chapter 10, Red White & Royal Blue

Thisbe and Pyramus are characters from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Ovid was a Roman poet, who lived from 43 BC to 17 or 18 AD. Metamorphoses is a series of fifteen books which tell a continuous mythological narrative, taking from both Greek and Roman mythologies. Pyramus and Thisbe feature in the fourth book. The story tells of two young Babylonians, Thisbe and Pyramus, who fall in love despite their families' long-standing feud.

As neighbours, they communicate through a crack in the wall separating them in secret. Arranging to meet under a mulberry tree, at the tomb of Ninus, Thisbe arrives first. She sees a lioness, mouth covered in blood, and flees in fear - dropping her cloak. Pyramus arrives next, and sees her abandoned cloak, torn to bits by the lion and covered in blood, and fears the worst. Assuming that Thisbe has been killed, Pyramus kills himself - desiring to join her in the afterlife, unable to live without her. Thisbe returns, hoping the lion has left, and instead sees Pyramus lying dead beneath the mulberry tree. After praying to the gods, she follows Pyramus' lead and stabs herself, dying next to her beloved. From then onward, the mulberry fruit changed from white to red, from the blood spilled. Although not directly - the direct inspiration was from a poet Arthur Brooke - this story forms the earliest version of Romeo and Juliet.

-----

Henry comparing them to Pyramus and Thisbe speaks not only to his love for Alex at a point in which they hadn't confessed their love for each other, but also to his frustration with his situation. He is seeing the things preventing them from being public with their relationship as a physical wall dividing them from truly being together. Comparing them to Pyramus and Thisbe is interesting in multiple ways. Each time they meet up separately there is a fear of being caught out, as Pyramus and Thisbe would have felt when sneaking out to the tomb they met at, and eventually this comes to happen in the outing of them from the kiss in the car. Their relationship also subverts the story of Thisbe & Pyramus, giving them a happy ending instead of death.

The 'wall' between Henry and Alex is not, in this case, a literal one, but rather a metaphorical wall comprising the expectations of their public persona, homophobia, tradition, as well as the pressure they have put onto themselves and built up in their head as more important than perhaps others would see it as. For example, Alex has his own worries about adding another minority identity to himself, especially at the moment in time where his mother and his family are being scrutinised more closely than at other points. He tries to bury his feelings for Henry because he is worried about losing his mom voters, but when he comes out to her she is completely indifferent to it and doesn't consider the impact on her campaign for a second.

Their storyline throughout Red, White & Royal Blue works to dismantle the wall - metaphorically - and there's a series of different actions, both by themselves and by others, which lead to the end of the wall. Richards' outing of them is obviously a key component, but so too is Alex not letting Henry end things when it was clear that he didn't want to. Each small - or big! - moment leads them to their ending, to the wall being brought down.

While there are obvious differences between Red, White & Royal Blue and Ovid's tale of Pyramus and Thisbe - aside from them not dying, their families are not enemies, and their friendship is contrived to appear as though the US-UK relations are positive ones - Henry is able to see their situation through metaphors and hidden concepts which keep them apart in much the same was as Thisbe is kept apart from Pyramus. All of their actual interactions have to take place secretly, so as not to be faced with negative consequences, and the pressure put upon them to be straight - at least in the public eye - limits their relationship. While Alex's pressure regarding his sexuality is more self-imposed than Henry's, it still is something he has to be concerned about due to his status as the First Son.

The fact that, when confronted, Henry tells Alex that both Pyramus and Thisbe die at the end shows that he can't see any positive outcome to their situation. Even if it was not actual death, the death of their relationship & having to kill/subdue part of his personality in order to align to the role he was born into was a big concern for Henry - as well as being the only way he could see it ending. Alex's persistence and refusal to give up on them gave him the strength to see it through, giving them the chance to flourish together.

Sources: Interesting Literature - A Summary and Analysis of the Pyramus and Thisbe Myth Wikipedia - Pyramus and Thisbe Wikipedia - Ovid Wikipedia - Metamorphoses

#rwrb #red white and royal blue #elio's #elio's meta #a series of learning about things that are referenced in the book #long post #alt text added

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herosplatling-replica · 1 year

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astronomy lesson

Freya wakes up on the roof in the middle of the night. Tartar tells her about its new hobby.

924 words, no general warnings

It's the middle of the night when Freya's jolted awake. The cold night air is almost freezing on her skin as she blinks, feeling a drip of that bioluminescent blue ink fall out of her eyes.

"Shit," her mouth moves on its own as Freya scrambles to get a better hold on a tile. "I knew I should've- damn it. It's fine, go back to sleep, Freya."

"Tartar? What are we doing on the roof?" Freya asks, watching as the AI pilots their body to a safer spot. If she cranes her neck, she can spot a pile of haphazardly placed furniture on the ground floor stacked up to presumably let the AI climb up here in the first place.

"It's- shit." Freya watches as Tartar keeps its grip on a roof tile, adjusting to ensure they don't fall. "I must apologize. I should just go back insi-"

"Hey, you're not in trouble or anything. I promise." She can feel the tension in their body lessen slightly. "I'm just curious, that's all. If it's too personal, I can just go back to sleep."

Tartar doesn't respond, but adjusts itself to sit upright on the roof. "I am aware that your neighbors consider this behavior odd, but… I am stargazing."

"You are?"

"Affirmative." The AI quiets down as it lays down on the roof, watching the stars.

"Huh. I didn't realize you took an interest in that sort of thing, Tartar."

The AI huffs out a laugh at that. "It is a little preposterous for an information bank to have 'interests,' but I suppose it is one."

The two of them share a quiet moment as Freya's eyes scan the stars. She can tell the AI is tracing something out, but isn't sure of the shape.

"What are you looking for?" Freya asks at last.

"Orion's belt. From there, Orion the Hunter." Tartar traces out the line with a finger, well aware that Freya can follow along that way. "Follow the bow's path, and you'll find Taurus."

"Who's Orion?"

"A hunter from Greek mythology. I believe you would call him a pathetic excuse of a hunter, though. He was not very valorous." Tartar lets out a chuckle at that, refocusing its gaze on the stars. "That isn't the only interpretation of the constellation, though. There's a different version of who that figure is that varies from human culture to human culture. Some cultures believe Orion's Belt to be sacred animals, or figures of importance in their respective religions."

"That's interesting. And Taurus?"

"Taurus is from the Western Zodiac. It takes the shape of a bull and is associated with many ancient human cultures. Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian… you name it."

Freya quiets as Tartar continues to trace out constellation after constellation, the AI giving a brief explanation of the shape and culture that named it. The vigor in which Tartar talks about each set of stars paints a picture in Freya's heart that she cannot deny.

Tartar… misses humanity, doesn't it?

"Your turn," the AI huffs out, giving control over Freya's right arm back to her.

"My turn?" Oh, the constellations. Freya's eyes scan the stars, searching.

"They don't need to be human era constellations. I am just curious as to what your society makes of the star map." With that, Tartar gets comfortable on the roof, adjusting their left hand behind their head.

"There's the Rainmaker," Freya says, tracing the gun's shape with a faded barely green finger. "In its path is Baby Zapfish, then the Great Zapfish."

"Mhm?"

"And then south of the Great Zapfish are the three clans, the Eel, the Shark, and the Manta Ray." She couldn't tell if the AI was actually paying attention to her, but she kept going anyway. "Along the edge of the three clans is the Pinkfish, and the King Pinkfish… then further south, the primordial ancestors."

"And those are?"

"The Kraken and The Dofleini. Presumably the first of our kind to walk the earth."

Freya let her free hand rest on her stomach, watching the stars twinkle faintly. There were so many things she wanted to ask Tartar, but she felt the moment was fragile enough as is to disturb the peace. So for now, she was fine with being quiet, watching the night sky with the remnant of humanity's mechanical creation.

"Thank you, Freya. I have updated my information banks accordingly and added the constellations you shared with me under the Mollusc Era of star maps."

"Hey, don't mention it. I figured you wanted to know. Plus, you're a pretty good teacher."

"Hmm?"

Freya grins as she watches the sky, searching for Orion again. "I didn't think I'd be learning astronomy from you. This is nice. Thanks for the lesson, genuinely."

Tartar makes a quiet hum in response, the AI not finding much to say to that.

"Can I make a request though?"

"What would that be?"

"Next time you come up here, at least bring a jacket."

"...Yes, fair enough. I could do that."

"Awesome. Now, can you tell me more about one of those ancient human cultures?"

"Hah, eager to learn, aren't you? Very well."

She could feel herself starting to drift off halfway through the history of the Ancient Babylonians, but Freya could tell that the AI was smiling. Was this back and forth conversation fulfilling for it? Did it make Tartar feel better, even if only marginally?

Freya wasn't sure, but as she drifted off to sleep, the AI's hand laced together with Freya's.

"Good night, inkling."

"Good night, Tartar."

#splatoon #splatoon writing #agent 3 #captain 3 #commander tartar #my writing #drabble #freya #tartar #vela

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