#witch of greed icons

[h4nagaki]

🦷🎧・✧(๑ඕัළ*.。 * ̈°。

#As⠀If⠀Nothing⠀Is⠀Wrong⠀Keep⠀On⠀Moving (Yeah) #Impurities⠀Show⠀You⠀My⠀Impurities #Greed⠀More⠀Like⠀A⠀Witch #y2k icons #random icons #y2k moodboard #emo #grunge #messy aesthetic #white #grey #emo moodboard #grunge moodboard #messy aesthetic moodboard #white moodboard #grey moodboard #skz icons #jeongin layouts #anime icons #nana #nana icons #goodnight punpun #aiko tanaka icons #death note #l icons #twitter layouts #twitter users #carrd icons #carrd stuff #anime users

[suffarustuffaru]

Emilia for the asky thingy??

EMILIA :D i have so many thoughts on her (i will however preface this by saying emilia is one of my favorite characters of all time <3) so this is probably gonna veer into vaguely meta/analysis territory and it will be Long. (also i love ur emilia icon HAH) anyway without further ado...

Sexuality Headcanon: BI ACE. if not bi ace how come she has the color palette..???? that and i simply think emisuba are bi4bi fr fr. and more specifically i think emilia is demisexual!!

Gender Headcanon: ok so.... this one got unexpectedly long but T^T i do think that emilias relationship with femininity and her gender and her biological sex could be explored given she looks exactly like satella, and then theres puck's slight sexist remarks sometimes, and also her. apparently not knowing where babies come from. and like??? do half elves get periods?? how'd puck explain that one??? that and i do think the idea of trans emilia would be very interessting to explore yes (though i do think trans ftm or nonbinary emilia would be more interesting in terms of like. emilia is moving away from satella, but emilia would probably think about if that makes emilia themself a coward for doing so. but also i think id be eviscerated by 90% of the fandom if i explored those ideas in depth T^T). and like... in general, emilia's Whole Character is characterized by a loss of control over a lot of things in her life across so many routes in rezero. :((( which is not 100% specific to gender and biological sex of course but it could factor in a bit. because theres also. well. the implication that she probably was gonna be (trigger warning) a sex slave if that dude who tried to enslave her in frozen bonds succeeded. her whole character is all about being seen as Not Human by others, or being seen as an object, or being controlled, being infantilized, etc etc :(( which is sometimes by the narrative, sometimes by other characters, sometimes by tappei, and also sometimes by the fandom itself.

A ship I have with said character: emisuba 100%, even if i have some mixed feelings on it as of rn. like they are THE main ship of the series, and theyve been through all these ups and downs together. like subaru's earnest desire and determination to help her and save her Is Admirable, though of course he does go right into Obsession and Possessive Feelings, which was Brutally Rebuked in arc 3 and very well-written (though of course i hate some people's small brain takes on emisuba and emilia and arc 3 T^TT). like i LOVE seeing different sides to emilia and while subaru brings out her sweetness (she is SO SOFT with him... she DOES care about him so much!!!!) he's also brought out her rage and despair in arcs 3 and 4. kiss of death loop / greed if emilia is like giving subaru exactly what he wanted before - an emilia that only has eyes for Him. and Only Him. but it's all wrong T^TT and then theres like. all the other ifs too where emilias either dead or Generally Mentally Unwell - she of course has that distinct lack of control in wrath and pride if over a lot of things :((

though like. i LOVE emisuba's parallels - they were very lonely people, are connected by satella breathing down their necks (metaphorical or literal), and i think their personalities just click well together!! T^T that and like. theyre capable of bringing out either the best or the worst in each other, along with all the layers of what rbd does to their relationship (like. subaru dying way too many times to save her. puck killing subaru and the whole world bc of her death. emilia being unaware about rbd and the witch cult at first and how her previous parent figures are Now Archbishops. satellas involvement. and the question of does subarus rbd take away free will from other people when he can just reset? and the Loads of guilt emilia is gonna feel about this. etc etc.) all of which i think is fascinating.

and like. i love how they dont get together right away after arc 4. like it makes SENSE to me i dont get those people who complain that they didnt start dating and then they point fingers at emilia for not reciprocating. like they Clearly Like Like each other, you just get the sense that theyre saving more of a romantic pursuit for later, u know? and it makes sense to me!! like speaking as someone with some Serious Romantic Relationship experience - yeah going from friendship to like overt romance and then actually maintaining your relationship can be Very Tricky. especially when both emilia and subaru are mentally ill and not completely prepared for it bc there is just. different expectations. and theyve never been in a romantic relationship before. and theres also like All Their Trauma that they havent fully addressed or gotten over at all. like NEITHER of them are fully prepared yet and theres all the chaos of arcs 5-8 happening so theres no time to go right into that stuff right now either. and i love that tappei did that. and tbh i think all the people who think emisuba shouldve been in a romantic relationship post arc 4 are Media Illiterate. like guys. it is completely fine and Healthy for emisuba to take their time with pursuing a romantic relationship with each other. they LITERALLY have all the time in the world.

HOWEVER. tappei stop infantilizing emilia im so tired T^TT like all the stuff about how she doesnt know what sex is and all that.... and it almost feels like her not 100% knowing what romantic love is is kind of framed in the same way as her not knowing sex??? like the whole thing about emilia being pure and innocent (derogatory) - tappei pls im so tired T^TT it just feels like to me, arcs 3 and 4 did all this work of debunking the idea that emilia is this perfect angel who can do no wrong. she is Human. with flaws. and desires. and then tappei refuses to stop making her clueless about stuff like politics T^T let her develop!! bc by the time we get to arc 8 its like. it feels like emilia Still hasnt been through nearly as much development as subaru so narratively speaking they still feel unequal. like i know we had to focus on other people in arcs 5 and 6 and 7 and we still got some great emilia moments. but Still. like i do feel like emilia should have had a little more involvement starting from ARC 2 from the get go. like yes she already has her Moments. but like id love to see her be way more active in the plot, or at least see a bit more glimpses into her mental state. (which i think is partly whats added to some audiences missing the point and preferring rem over emilia and then all the rem vs emilia wars that have happened.) and she NEEDS development very badly. while its not impossible At All to be in a healthy relationship when both parties have a lot of trauma, even if one has more trauma than the other, its still like. narratively speaking emisuba is unbalanced. subarus had So Much Development and it feels like emilia is left by the wayside despite being like. the deuteragonist and female lead of the entire story? T^T it just feels like subarus allowed to be way more messy and human while emilia its like. shes not Allowed to be as messy and human despite the fact that arcs 3-4 was meant to showcase this. it just feels like it doesnt continue enough in later arcs. it feels like tappei just doesnt want to let emilia be more flawed T^T and by flawed i mean. flawed in a way that isnt just making her look very Stupid to Certain Audiences sometimes.

anywayyy this section is way too long but special shoutout to ramilia and reinhard/emilia. i think those ships have the potential to be very sweet or very unhinged. and i like the parallels that each ship has. and big shoutout to Canon Ramilia moments (them holding hands in season two of the anime. and also ramilia hugging in arc 8 ch14 <3). and i do think reinhard/emilia would be interesting in pride if particularly given how they both end up.....

A BROTP I have with said character: SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO ANNEROSE AND EMILIA i love annerose's little crush on emilia and annerose's "emily" nickname (which emilia later uses as an alias in arcs 7-8). yes i do interpret annerose's crush as romantic in nature. but also iirc annerose was the one that taught emilia that babies come from kissing. which i absolutely Despise because GOD TAPPEI why are u having a nine year old teach a seventeen year old this........... BUT OTHER THAN THAT i love the annerose-emilia dynamic and the absolute sass annerose gives subaru. i think annerose and petra are super funny bc they have crushes on emilia and subaru respectively and then their little kid brains explode bc emisuba are so cute and lovey dovey together right in front of them. i think theyre hilarious.

A NOTP I have with said character: literally like..... almost any fanon version of emisuba. or like emisuba but emilia never finds out about rbd. thatd be my worst nightmare. like T^TT please. please no. like i know emilias a fictional character but the way people talk about her sometimes Literally makes me ill (metaphorical). like if you talk about a fictional person like that, how are you acting with real people...

A random headcanon: SHES FERAL. SHES FERAL. I THINK SHES SO CAPABLE OF BEING FERAL AND TAPPEI SHOULD JUST LET HER GO HAYWIRE. like. she was like what. like nine or smth. and she KILLED pandora a shit ton of times. and then theres emilias greed if self being absolutely Batshit like imagine the amount of times shes frozen everything and killed people in failed loops??? T^T like. let her go off tbh. i want her DRENCHED in blood. i think she should snap. have a little carrie moment.

General Opinion over said character: i LOVE EMILIA WITH MY WHOLE HEART. but i do think she deserves a lot better :(( both in terms of writing and in terms of. how shes seen by so much of the fandom. like both in and out of universe shes blamed for things out of her control. she barely knows shit about the witch cult. she has no idea about rbd. shes dealing with her own trauma regarding lying and others sacrificing herself for her (remember whats happened to fortuna and petelgeuse and archie? T^T) and hurting others on accident. shes been so dehumanized and lonely and alone that seeing someone like subaru care so much about her is Completely Foreign to her. hes like in pain and sticking his neck out So Much for her and its like??? shes got no say in that either hah... T^T like i feel like sometimes people forget that subaru made the choice to follow emilia. there are literal routes in this story where subaru does not follow emilia and has a better life (usually at the cost of. a lot of people dying though). hes chosen to follow emilia over and over again. emilia tries her best with the cards she's been dealt, and she has no control over all of these higher forces trying to destroy her for one reason or another. and with her upbringing its like T^T being told what to do and who you are and generally being Spoken Over your whole life does not make you remotely confident or competent at much. it teaches you helplessness. and that youre useless on your own. which is what i think has been happening with emilia T^T i just think its sad that even how audiences see her reflects how the rest of the world in universe sees her. like she is a victim here also. she is DOOMED by the narrative all the time as well. and post-arc 4, too, she IS MORE ACTIVE and also trying her best!!! pls!!! (special shoutout to her and the emilia camp IMMEDIATELY going "yes we NEED to get to subaru quickly LETS GO TO VOLLACHIA" in arc 7.) people forget all of this and blame her for every little thing instead.

and ALSO shes a great character!!! i adore her!!! she has EVEN MORE potential for further development!!!! and with how subarus been dealt with the quadruple whammy of arcs 5-8 happening LITERALLY back to back in the same time span... and the insane levels of trauma in arcs 6-7 ALONE, subaru is in desperate need of a break. and emilia is in desperate need of development and i am tired of tappei putting her on a pedestal in his mind. tappei pls i want to see emilia being challenged and going through insane subaru levels of development T^T

#rezero #emilia #ask #APOLOGIES THIS IS A LOT OF WORDS BUT I LOVE HER SO MUCH... T^TTTT #additionally though. i forgot to add it in this but i got no space for it so. i really dont like the whole thing with her not knowing where #babies come from and the whole thing where shes mentally 14 but physically 18. i hate it. i hate it T^TT its UNNECESSARY. WE ALREADY KNOW #EMISUBA CANT BE IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP YET BC THEYRE NOT READY. WHY SHOEHORN IN THE WEIRD SHIT LIKE THAT.

[agentnico]

BlackBerry (2023) Review

I have never owned a BlackBerry myself. Instead I had the enjoyment of having a Vodafone phone - a cheap rip-off that looked, felt and played like a BlackBerry only for less money. Turns out, I saved a heck of a lot as that phone lasted me all through my sixth-form and university days. Less can be said about the reliability of the BlackBerry evidently.

Plot:  A company that toppled global giants before succumbing to the ruthlessly competitive forces of Silicon Valley. This is not a conventional tale of modern business failure by fraud and greed. The rise and fall of BlackBerry reveals the dangerous speed at which innovators race along the information superhighway.

We’ve had plenty of techy origin film come and go, and many good ones at that such as The Social Network and Steve Jobs, and even the recent Tetris lent itself more to be a solid commentary on the communist regime of the Soviet Union and a study into the legal drama behind the game rather than some cheesy parody featuring tetrominoes in the style of The Emoji Movie. So I went into BlackBerry with a very open mind, as even though I’m aware of the phone’s existence, I never really knew the story behind how this popular mobile device all of a sudden vanished from the public eye so quickly. Back in the 2000s this device was all the rave, and all the kids at school would go out of their way to persuade their parents to get them one so that they can show it off to their classmates as if they were some rich businessmen. Now however this phone is all but forgotten. I checked prior to writing this review and in fact you can still purchase some models from Amazon, so if you’re feeling strangely nostalgic about your school days, feel free to waste your money. Anyway, back to the movie...

BlackBerry is a perfectly acceptable history lesson. It’s very informative and plays out more so like a visual guide of a Wikipedia page. You’re given the detailed journey of how the company Research In Motion came to create such an iconic device, and then there eventual downfall. We’ve seen this kind of tale of fraud and greed many times before, however if you’ve enjoyed similar movies before, BlackBerry is an easy watch, and again, if you’ve ever been interested in the mobile phone’s backstory, you have it here loud and clear.

Main highlight of this film are the two central performances, both of whom are very much outside their comfort zones. It’s nice to see Jay Baruchel in a serious role, taking a break from training dragons, as Mike Lazaridis, the main creative mind behind the creation of the titular device. Baruchel is very good at portraying socially-awkward personas, however in previous films he did this for comedic purposes, however as Mike he manages to find the depth in the character as a tech genius who knows his craft and is being forced to speed run his creations when in reality he wants to take his time to create the best product. Glenn Howerton, who thus far has only been known as the narcissistic self-absorbed Dennis from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, is Jim Balsillie, the guy who takes over Mike’s company for his greedy means. Howerton definitely gets the more showy performance, and does a solid job at being constantly angry with everyone. Howerton also decided to go full bald for this role and you got to give the guy props for the dedication.

I’d say the primary negative I have for this film is its cinematography and direction. Director Matt Johnson evidently seems to have been inspired by Adam McKay’s The Big Short, as he chooses to have the camera repeatedly pan left and right quickly as if all the events are being captured by a hidden camera, however this effect of chaotic shaky-cam can come as very jarring and dizzying, and overall was very distracting. Characters would be having some serious discussion about technology yet I’d be busy wondering if the cameraman’s been spooked by Blair fricking Witch. But overall BlackBerry tells an interesting story behind the scenes of the phone drama, and if anything else I came out of it having learnt something. Kind of feels like being back at school when in class the teacher would stick some film on for educational purposes and then afterwards I may have learnt something, but have never had the motivation to want to see that movie again.

Overall score: 6/10

#blackberry #jay baruchel #glenn howerton #blackberry movie #blackberry review #2023 #2023 in film #2023 films #movie #film #drama #technology #history #biography #comedy #blackberry movie review #cary elwes #matt johnson #rich sommer #michael ironside #saul rubinek #2000s #smartphone #cinema #blackberry 2023 #mobile phones #its always sunny in philadelphia

[thealmightyemprex]

Disney Month :Return to Witch Mountain

The 14th installment of Disney Month is a review of a sequel,we are going to look at Return of Witch Mountain

In this 1978 film ,two alien siblings Tia(Kim Richards ) and Tony (Ike Eisenman ) travel to Los Angelas only for Tony to be captured by the mad scientist Dr. Victor Gannon (Christopher Lee) who plans to use Tonys special powers for diabolical means ,and Tia teams up with a gang calle the Earthquakes in order to save Tony

So I have seen the first movie Escape to Witch Mountain,and I liked it well enough for the performances of Donald Pleasence,Ray Milland and EDdie Albert ,but honestly a lot of its a blur

I did enjoy this film ,its an odd film cause it is half lighter then the first film ....But also half darker .The light stuff involves a gang of dumb wanna be tough kids help Tia ,and there is some comedy there ....But the villains plot is kind of intense and much higher stakes then the first film ,involving kidnapping ,mind control ,nuclear destruction and attempted child murder,compounded by getting two film veterens mor associated with horror and thriller films to play the villains

The kids plot is fine ,I think Kim Richard does a good job as Tia but the Earthquake gang are just OK and some of the humor grated on me.I say the best part of the gang half is the poor truant officer  Mr. "Yo-Yo" Yokomoto played by Jack Soo in his final role .Yokomoto is just sucha likable character ,a guy who belives in what he is doing and goes on to help our heroes in their quest ,His speech about why he does what he does is actually very sweet ,and he is my favorite heroic character in the film ,with Jack Soo giving a pretty good performance

OK lets talk about the bad guys cause they are the best part of the movie,not so much for their personalities as much as for who plays them and how they are played .Doctor Victor Gannon is your classic mad scientist,obsessed with fame and power ,being totally morally bankrupt and completely insane.Letha Wedge is his now bankrupt backer who is motivated by greed ,and is sleightly less evil then Victor(At the very least she cares about her nephew ) , but is still pretty darn evil ,its just she is more practical .We also have Sickle,Lethas thuggish nephew ,who I dont have much to say about ,I think actor Anthony James does an excellent job being both entertaining but still menacing .....But lets talk about the two main villains,cause the filmmakers decided to go all out with them and got CHRISTOPHER LEE and BETTE DAVIS!!!Bette Davis was already a screen legend who was most well known for thrillers and horror and Christopher Lee,while not yet an icon ,was already a well known name associated with intense intimidating villains being both Dracula and a Bond villain ,so its wild to me they are in this family movie(Though Davis did is specifically as something her grandkids could watch ),and I adore that they are in it.Something really fun is the pair approach the material diffrently .Bette Davis hams it up ,she is the more comical less intense villain,but still has that Bette Davis flare ....I think Lee is convinced he is in a straight forward sci fi film , he is as serious as a heart attack ,and is super intimidating .Honestly I think it works ,Davis and Lee play off eachother well ,and their performances fit their characters.Honestly they are pretty good villains

The big flaws with the film are that the humor is hit and miss ,and poor Tony is mind controlled throughout the whole film so he has very little to do

Question time,with questions by @ariel-seagull-wings

1. Can these two psychic siblings who stared in three Disney movies (one a remake) be considered early examples of Disney superheroes before the MCU?

Oh yeah in my mind they are definately superheroes....Hmmm anyone want a team up of them ,Zorro and the Rockateer ?

2. What did you tought of the kid gang that befriended and helped Tia?

I liked the concept and the fact one of them is named Dazzler,but I was kind of meh on them,and preferred the villains plot

3. How would you rank the villains played by Bette Davis and Christopher Lee in the pantheon of live action Disney villains?

I dunno I'd have to really rank them,they are great but I dunno if they are top tier favorites

Overall this is a fun film ,and worth a watch if you love Christopher Lee and Bette Davis

@goodanswerfoxmonster @amalthea9 @angelixgutz @the-blue-fairie @ariel-seagull-wings @themousefromfantasyland @princesssarisa @marquisedemasque @filmcityworld1

[pochapal]

I am in love with your liveblog (as a finished Umineko reader). Thank you for sharing your journey! One of the best parts of finishing Umineko is seeing other people theorize about it lol. I am curious- what did you know about Umineko going in? Also I’d love to hear about your favorite/least favorite characters thus far. Or if you’ve got a favorite moment so far too.

ah thanks! <3

as to answer what i knew about umineko going in - it's a super long murder mystery, someone compared it to the homestuck epilogues (the thing which made me choose to read it), and a sizeable portion of my mutuals are really into it. my only quote unquote "spoiler" that i kind of have going in which isn't too much of a spoiler is that at some point in the story the golden witch beatrice will make a physical appearance (if only because so many people use her sprites for their icons on the internet). other than that i really didn't have much foreknowledge, and i especially knew nothing about the characters/events/settings before i started.

my top five faves as of right now are kanon then shannon then maria then battler then jessica. kanon and shannon more because of the theories i have made up in my head about them than anything specifically they've done in the text so far (that said kanon being mad at gohda/the ushiromiyas is kind of iconic...that boy is very much teetering on earning the coveted blorbo status) but maria is objectively great, a perfect angel child who can and will never do a thing wrong in her life and is also correct about everything. battler and jessica get the last two spots because a) they're actually rather endearing as characters and b) they make up the remainder of the Least Evil People On Rokkenjima group.

characters i don't outright dislike but i think would be interesting to examine more are rosa and natsuhi. like they both occupy such interesting positions in the power-abuser-powerless-abused cyclical dynamic. individuals preyed upon within the ushiromiya hierarchy who exert power and abuse over those even lesser than them. very fucked up. very interesting.

despite what it may seem like i don't Hate george but reading anything to do with him is so pitifully embarrassing and unless he gets a character arc i would not be mad if i didn't hear from him again. it's like. Why Are You Such A Loser.

kinzo is evil and i hate him on principle but also he's kind of funny. wet pathetic old man so encaged in his ivory tower of abuse and violence and power and he is unironically engaging in a blood ritual to resurrect a murderwitch he made a faustian bargain with, not for any purpose other than to ogle over her one last time. he's garbage. he's trash. i hope he fails in the worst way possible.

i've got a couple standout moments so far. the first is the first sibilng argument in the parlor where they all gang up on krauss and then turn on each other. i cherish the ushiromiya failson/faildaughter petty greed thunderdomes like nothing else, even though i now know that most people apparently don't like these scenes??

other good scene is the dinner with the letter. love the way it's every emotion at once and maria gets to have her moment as the messenger of beatrice and also the adults once again tear each other apart, and also gohda's atmosphere gets ruined. i think i'm obsessed with seeing this family self-destruct.

maybe contender for another good scene is the jessica/natsuhi moment in chapter 8. not an absolute fave but i do appreciate seeing that other side of things.

my other standout is not exactly a scene but the atmosphere building in anticipation of the golden witch's arrival. the omens and the music and the slowly mounting sense of dread are so good. umineko is so well written i love it.

#anonymous #umineko liveblog #sorry this got long this is still one of the shortest posts i've made talking about umineko so far #talk about umineko in less than 250 words challenge (impossible!!!)

[jaymarlowgirlinnovators]

Teen Girls, Witches, Stranger Things and Super Powers

1. What are your thoughts on the evolution of depictions of Supernatural Powers in young women? 

This is a really interesting question and this week has made me take a look back into my fascination with magic as a kid. I think the evolution of Supernatural Powers in young women has taken (with work left to do of course) with the journey that women have had in changing, or should I say, strengthening the feminist landscape. The idea of witches in the past have been haggard old women with warts on their noses and speaking in creepy voices. I grew up watching Charmed and until I was well versed on the male gaze, I didn’t realize how wrong the depiction of the Halliwell sisters was. Could it be that the show runners thought they were doing their audience a favor by presenting a show with "sexy but badass" leads. Maybe their intention was for us to believe that we didn't have to choose. This choice falls flat in my opinion.You could wear stilettos and still kick ass? As time goes on, the depiction has gotten more digestible by presenting different women from different backgrounds. You no longer need to be a girly girl who casts a love spell on the high school quarterback, nor do you need to be the isolated loner who wears black lipstick and  frequents the local wiccan shop (as we see in The Craft) What’s special about characters like Hermione is that she allows us to believe that their are magical beings who walk among us and blend in. Today, supernatural powers are presented in young women of various backgrounds and they display their powers and varying levels of intensity. 

2. How is magical power related to adolescence?

Magical powers are related to adolescence because it allows you to believe that anything is possible. When we see spells being cast, we as spectators are suspending our disbelief and entering their world to dream of what they may not think is possible at that very moment. How many times have we seen a supernatural movie and left the viewing thinking that WE ourselves have that power? I don’t know how many sticks I’ve sanded down as a kid thinking that I was a Hogwarts student who was simply left off the admissions list. In short, magical power allows us to believe and think bigger than our current circumstance.

3. What impact does the depiction of magic and the sense of agency it represents have on real girls and young women in this era of emerging teenage girl leadership? 

Women are the future. To quote Elsa in Frozen, “Conceal, Don’t Feel” is not an option anymore. Women have been told to not make waves and to stand in the background so men can handle things. Not anymore! Magical powers are metaphors for what is already inside us. At the end of the day, we may not be able to fly, but we are able to take that energy deep within and transform that into tangible and actionable steps towards a brighter future. 

4. Are you aware of additional girl icons with magical powers? Please share in your post with images.

I actually just recently watched The Craft and Nancy is polarizing and bone chilling. She’s the example of how greed can drive us to destruction. When she’s given the ultimate power, she forgets those who stood by her and turns against her support system. This action leads her to turn against herself. This makes me think of the “only use your power for good” cliche. Similarly with our favorite Sanderson Sisters - How many times are they going to try the same thing and keep on failing!? What's the definition of insanity again??

5. Do you see a correlation between the career opportunities of these young women performers, the roles they have played,  and their evolution as feminists?

Absolutely. We’ve watched figures like Emma Watson and Alyssa Milano on our televisions for years. We’ve gained familiarity with them and that results in the buy in for our support. Figures like Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard deliver their messages and count on their audience to stand behind them. Whether they are giving speeches or being intentional about the roles they take, they want their audience to walk away from their experience changed and inspired to create a better world.

[annicon]

↠    echidna icons  ~♡

like/reblog if you save  © on twitter @mewseok

#echidna #rezero #re zero #re:zero #icons #echidna icons #re:zero icons #icon #re: life in a different world from zero #re zero icons #rezero icons #anime #anime icons #twitter icon #witch of greed #witch of greed icons

[firelxdykatara]

kitty i can't wait for your thoughts of Shadow and Bone asdfasfaw

Ok well I just finished and I have so many fucking thoughts. Most good! Some, less so. Part of it may just be my bias because I’ve only read the Six of Crows duology and have little interest in actually reading the original trilogy, because I know how it ends and Leigh clearly hates me personally and doesn’t want me to be happy (/j), so I was already predisposed to be far more invested in the Crows and Darkling/Darklina segments (genuinely, the Mal/Malina scenes/storyline bored me to tears, and while I appreciate that the show went out of its way to change Mal’s character to make him much less of a toxic douchebag [I’ve read enough excerpts and explanations of his actions in the books to really loathe book!Malina], it isn’t enough to make me ship them when Darklina is right there), but I also don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the Crows absolutely stole the show.

It’s actually kind of funny, because I’d assumed they were only being so heavily marketed to hype the show up even more, since while there’s a lot of TGT/SoC fandom overlap they are also two fundamentally different genres and I’d wager there are a lot of people who are massive fans of one but not so enthused with the other, while remaining fairly insignificant to the overall plot. Turns out, they make up fully half of the show’s runtime (much to my delight). Which is part of what I think will help this series stand on its own, both as a book adaptation and simply as a fantasy TV series.

I’ll put more of my story-specific thoughts under a cut, so there’s lots of show spoilers to follow!

I know that a lot of early reviewers were saying that Alina’s motivations and storyline revolved too much around Mal, and that really held true for me. It made sense in the beginning--he was the only constant in her life, she was thrust into something new, terrifying, and completely unfamiliar, and they’d developed an unhealthy codependence as a coping mechanism for their childhoods and the traumas they faced, the lives they lead growing up in a war-torn country. But she started coming into her power, falling for the General--not just his power and charisma, but what she felt when she was with him. The way he helped her summon the sun, the way she felt free in a way she never had before.

Until it all went to shit--but the Darklina make-out scene in episode 5? Fucking iconic. Poetic fucking cinema. The way they were quite literally about to have sex on that wartable (and someone better write fic of that moment, what if they hadn’t gotten interrupted), and the General left, but then he ran back just to kiss her one more time... this is what OTPs are made of ok.

I think what really bothers me overall is that Alina ultimately lacked agency in her one storyline, pretty much the entire way through. She did make a few choices, but they were mostly incidental, and a lot of it was Alina desperately trying to get back to Mal rather than seizing her own power and destiny and running with it. The most prominent example is the end of episode 5--Alina is having happy make-outs and almost bones the General in his own war room, and then he leaves, and Baghra comes in and infodumps to her about how evil he is and how he’s only using her and she needs to escape.

I recognize that a lot of this is probably because that’s essentially what happened in the book and Leigh is an executive producer for the show so she has a lot of shot-calling power. However, I really think that even in the book this plotline would’ve been better-served by having Alina make these discoveries on her own.

For example, imagine that the letters which were used as framing devices for episodes 2 and 3 were vitally important to the plot, rather than being one-offs that are mentioned a few times but not really affecting much of anything. Alina begins to get suspicious when she doesn’t receive word from Mal, and she starts wondering if her letters are even reaching him--so she starts snooping. She finds ashes in the war room hearth, late at night,, and recognizes a fragment of Mal’s signature and larger piece of her own. She now knows that someone--possibly the General, but maybe that creepy priest guy, or someone else in the palace--is keeping her and Mal from contacting one another. So she starts snooping around even more. She asks the General leading questions, trying to figure out what the truth is of his intentions. She still feels this pull--this connection to him, and she hopes she’s wrong, but she’s not willing to just sit around and wait for the other shoe to drop.

The Winter Fete still happens, she still gets the hot make-out session with the General, and then when he’s called away, she snoops through his papers, looking for anything that can tell her the truth. She finds a hidden compartment filled with journals.

She reads about Aleksander’s past (and, incidentally, wasn’t that supposed to be a huge moment in the books, him revealing his true name to her in private? kinda wish it had been kept that way in the show but who knows where they’ll go with it in the future)--that leads to the flashbacks in episode 6. She feels for him, but she also reads further--she gets a firsthand look at his desire for power, something that began as a noble desire to save his people, but was twisted by a lust for vengeance (for his lost love and all the Grisha who were killed) and shot through with greed, the realization that if he found the Sun Summoner he could control the Fold, rather than just destroy it. He could create a new world where Grisha could live without fear--where Grisha could rule.

Alina is terrified. Whoever the General used to be--whatever humanity she saw flickering in his eyes, the way his heart fluttered when they kissed--she can’t trust that it’ll be enough to save her from plans centuries in the making. So she goes to Baghra, the woman who helped her discover her power, learn to channel it--the woman who always seemed to know much more than she ever let on. Baghra gives her side of the story--Alina got it from the General’s perspective first, now Baghra is telling her something framed much differently. She isn’t sure what or who to trust, but she knows that Baghra seems willing to help her escape--but rather than trusting her ‘loyal Grisha’, she makes the choice she made in the show, to choose the other path, and winds up with the Crows.

Idk how Mal and the Stag thing would fit into this (if it isn’t obvious by now, Mal just... doesn’t interest me), but Alina’s story and her character arc would be so much stronger for it. And she’s supposed to be the central character, so her story being weak and her agency so frequently being compromised ultimately hurts the show as a whole.

I know I’ve gone on and on about Alina and the Darkling (look, I’m a slut for enemies-to-lovers, and also lovers-to-enemies-and-back, so Darklina and Helnik are where so much of my investment is rooted--plus Kanej, but that almost goes without saying), but the true standouts of the series were the Crows. Inej, Kaz, and Jesper, and Nina and Matthias in their episodes, stole the show (along with the Darkling, Ben is far and away the best actor in the cast and I love that for him, but Freddy, Amita, and Kit are also amazing, and Danielle&Calahan were fucking phenomenal as Nina and Matthias--I do have to say, though, that the whole cast is really solid and has amazing chemistry).

They worked together so perfectly--Freddy and Amita communicated so much with their eyes alone, especially together, and a whole lot of their relationship dynamic is rooted in how they exist together, which really came through. The show altered the Crows timeline considerably (I’m pretty sure Kaz would’ve been 14 during the original trilogy lol), so Inej is still at the Menagerie, but things like Kaz putting up the Crow Club for Inej’s freedom, the way Kaz needed her but could never bring himself to say it (until the end of the season dklhfgdkjfgh i SCREAMED)--the way Jesper played off the both of them, and it’s so obvious they all love each other even though they’re criminals and thieves and murderers, and Kaz would never admit it (out loud--which actually feeds into my theory that his love language is acts of service; Kaz does things for the people he cares about, he never announces it and he will almost always try to downplay it, but the way you know he cares is if, for example, he puts his entire life, everything he built, up as collateral for your freedom), but they’re a family.

One thing that I was kind of iffy about was Inej’s refusal to kill--but I thought it might be something they were planning to work into her overall character arc, and they did. It was the one line she hadn’t crossed--in the books, I’d imagine that it took a while for Inej to wind up at that point, being willing to kill on top of everything else. So I actually like that they worked that into the Crows plotline, and Inej killing for the first time was to save Kaz’s life.

Just like Kaz’s first selfless act was to save her.

(He’d deny it, of course. He protects his investments. He needed her for the job. But the truth is, he did it for her. And he’d do it again. Even if he’d never admit it.)

Meanwhile, Nina and Matthias’ storyline was pretty much note-for-note according to their backstory as it was revealed in Six of Crows, and I loved every second of it. Their chemistry was perfect, their journey from enemies to begrudging allies to friends to maybe something more (Matthias’ stomach cockblocking them when they were about to kiss had me fucking SCREAMING AT THE TV, and then of course the whole ‘betraying him to save him’ thing happened and I sobbed), and then suddenly right back to enemies.

Because from Matthias’ perspective, he trusted a witch--believed in her, liked her, wanted her--and she turned on him. He has no idea that she wasn’t the one who knocked him out in the first place, and no reason to believe her, because as far as he knows, she just confirmed everything he’d ever been told about Grisha. That they are deceitful and treacherous, would turn on you as soon as look at you, that they are dangerous and not to be trusted. It wasn’t revealed in-show but I imagine Matthias’ backstory is largely the same, which means that his entire family was slaughtered by Grisha when he was a young boy, and then he was turned into a brainwashed child soldier by the witch hunters and never knew anything else.

They are perfectly primed for their SoC arc next season and I, for one, am so stoked to see the rest of their journey. And if I slip Netflix a couple twenties, maybe they’ll let Helnik have a happy ending please please please.

Anyway, yeah! I have a lot of thoughts but things are still percolating in my head so I’ll probably float around the tags for a bit and let things settle. This is just a preliminary overview of my thoughts in the immediate aftermath of bingeing the entire show in one night kldfjghdkjfhgkjgf

EDIT TO ADD: I CAN’T BELIEVE I FORGOT ABOUT THE TRUE STAR OF THE SHOW, M I L O

MILO BEST BOY. MILO THE MVP. MILO DESERVES ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD AND I HOPE HE LIVES A HAPPY AND HEALTHY AND FULL LITTLE GOAT LIFE.

#shadow and bone #kanej #helnik #darklina #sab spoilers #alina starkov #the darkling #inej ghafa #kaz brekker #jesper fahey #malina salt #asked #cobraonthecob

[lupstarnyx]

coming up with stupid curse of strahd achievements

because after 37 episodes they finally got that "ismark the greater" chiev' and I want to celebrate that.

spoilers for hr - cos below the cut.

Fate Falls to the Bold - Kill the Shadow that killed Madam Eva and take the Blade of Nessus

Pact of Grief - Bring a character back to life by making a pact with the Dread Powers of Barovia

Pact of Greed - Bring a character back to life by making a pact with Asmodeus the Archdevil

Divine Wrath - Deal at least 50 damage to Strahd in one turn using only divine spells.

A Dog Called Nobody - Recruit Dogsbody, a werewolf with a forgotten past.

A Reawakened Soul - Help Ireena recover her memories of her past lives.

High Noon in Barovia - Reclaim the Sunsword.

Wicker and Blood - Topple the wicker statue of Strahd on Yester Hill.

Blood for Blood's Sake - Claim the Blood Spear on Yester Hill.

Kin of the Swamp - Recruit the Mire, two halves of a mysterious sentience claiming to be the land of Barovia itself.

Sole Survivor - Finish a fight with only one member of the original party standing.

The Mother of Evil - Slay Baba Lysaga, the witch in the swamp.

The Winery, Reborn - Recover all three of the gems for the Wizard of Wines.

Sunrise in Barovia - Reclaim the Icon of Ravenloft.

That's Not a Baby - Have the Mire carry the false baby in Baba Lysaga's Hut.

Poppet, Poppet - Recruit Alvaski, the patchwork man and left hand of the Abbot

Aconitum - Kill Kiril, leader of the pack of werewolves near Krezk.

The New Alpha - Have Dogsbody land the finishing blow on Kiril.

Pact of Blood - Bring a character back to life by making an "arrangement" with the Abbot of Krezk.

A Dog's Purpose - Use the purifying waters of Krezk to restore Dogsbody's paladin oath.

A Harmony of Blood and Flame - Reduce Strahd to zero hit points.

Chuck Wizard's Curse of Dead - Kill Strahd, for good this time.

Impaling Wrath - Deal at least 50 damage to Strahd in one turn using only a piercing weapon.

Asmodeus Who? - Defeat Xiiki and Xiiros without taking a single point of damage.

A Bit Late For That - Discover Strahd's plan to leave Barovia after it's already begun.

The Curse Remains Behind - Escape Barovia.

Hours of Preparation, Wasted! - Escape Barovia without entering Castle Ravenloft.

Shar's Embrace - Escape Barovia through the mercy of Shadow's Mistress.

The Other Mire - Escape Barovia with only one Mire.

The Ravenous Wolf - Escape Barovia with both Ezmerelda and Dogsbody in your party.

Ismark the Greater - Escape Barovia with Ismark in your party.

The Sun Will Rise Again - Escape Barovia with either the Sunsword or the Icon of Ravenloft.

The achievements they didn't get:

Arcane Might / Crushing Might / Tearing Might - As above.

A New Pack - Have the entire party afflicted with Lycanthropy.

Mad as in Angry - Fight Mordenkainen after his madness has been cured.

Sunshine and Lollipops - Recruit Rainbow, the halfling ranger who is much too cheery for all this.

An Infernal Machine - Discover Strahd's plan to escape Barovia.

The Curse Ends Here - Free Barovia from Strahd and Asmodeus.

The OGs - Escape Barovia with your original party members.

Ironclad - Escape Barovia without dying.

Well, Technically - Render Strahd's pact with Asmodeus null and void by finding the loophole in their arrangement.

Pact of Brass - Bring a character back to life by making an "arrangement" with the mad toymaker Blinksy.

Exit, Pursued by Knight - Provoke the wrath of Asmodeus in the form of a pursuing Hellknight.

Starlit Sky Above Arrak - Recruit Trellimar Aleath, former hellknight of Asmodeus and warlock of Dah'Mir.

Ménage á Neuf - Successfully seduce all of Strahd's consorts.

The One Place Uncorrupted by Vampirism - Escape to the Astral Sea through a rip in the fabric of reality... somehow.

The Bone Zone - Have the skeletal remains of Saint Andral land the finishing blow on Strahd.

#high rollers #curse of strahd

[gaygryffindorgal]

Ethel Malinda for the World Building asks?

B A S I C S

full name: ethel lucilia malinda

gender: female

sexuality: bisexual

pronouns: she/her

O T H E R S

family:

mother: agnes cecilia malinda, a pureblood witch and the heir to the malinda estate and fortune.

father: jacob owen malinda, né macmillan, a pureblood wizard who fell in love with agnes, defied the gender norms of his day and married her, taking her name. (we stan an icon and a king who drinks his respect women juice! also verna's brother jacob was named after him.)

siblings: everett augustus malinda, eloise octavia malinda

birthplace: the malinda manor, unspecified location in the english country side (i still haven't decided on a location, i want it to make sense, narratively, but i'm indecisive!)

job: a reporter for the daily prophet, later editor-in-chief

phobias: ethel is deathly afraid of heights. irene often drags her into the wildest possible crime scenes and she hates every single skyscraper in new york, thank you very much.

guilty pleasures: romance novels! irene, ever the academic, makes fun of her for enjoying her trashy romance novels but who cares what irene thinks, anyway?

M O R A L S

morality alignment?: lawful good, verging on chaotic good

sins - lust/greed/gluttony/sloth/pride/envy/wrath

virtues - chastity/charity/diligence/humility/kindness/patience/justice

T H I S - O R - T H A T

introvert/extrovert: extrovert. not the most outgoing person out there, but definitely likes to be around people.

organized/disorganized: organized. to the letter. every time. she can't handle chaos.

close minded/open-minded: open-minded. sadly one of the only ones of her kind left in the malinda family by the time verna is born.

calm/anxious: anxious.

disagreeable/agreeable: depends. mostly agreeable though.

cautious/reckless: if you don't know her very well, you might say she's cautios. but irene knows just how reckless she can get.

patient/impatient: impatient.

outspoken/reserved: outspoken.

leader/follower: ethel is an "assistant" to irene, but we all know who's really in charge of keeping them both alive.

empathetic/unemphatic: empathetic.

optimistic/pessimistic: optimistic.

traditional/modern: modern.

hard-working/lazy: hard-working.

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

otp: i literally haven't thought of this at all but writing this reply made me kind of ship ethel/irene

ot3: remains to be seen!

brotp: definitely ethel/irene

notp: none, as of now

#ask games #ethel malinda #when i tell yall i love ethel u have no idea....i love her sm #thank you for asking!!! #fantastic beasts

[luckycheesefoodie321]

ok...ok ok ok... ok... so I watched Mulan (2020)... spoilers + LONG POST (yo this took me an hour and a half)...

before yall scream at me for spending money on it, lemme just say i was fully intending to wait until December so that I would not have to give even more money to the Disney machine (especially in light of things that happened with John Boyega) nor endorse individuals who support police brutality or oppression... but my mum and sister nagged me to buy it so we could watch it now, and explaining the politics of supporting both Disney’s greed and the controversy around the lead actress and would’ve just frustrated us both so I paid for it -_- please don’t crucify me... 

also want to preface this by saying I am not Chinese (though I am Asian), and I understand that the 1998 film and this film have inherent issues, given neither were directed by Asian directors, let alone Chinese ones... so the representation of the Chinese culture is likely flawed (and likely straight up wrong) in many ways... additionally, Li Yifei has been shown to support the actions of police in Hong Kong, so just know I’m viewing her role purely from an acting and movie standpoint...

now that’s done... general rating for the movie

when compared to the original animated film (my favourite Disney movie of all time): scrapes by on a 5/10

movie that stands on its own as I watched it (just note I’m the type of person who can enjoy pretty much anything - even if I’m hyper-critical of it): 7/10 (I’m very generous but my viewing experience was nice)

if I break it down completely into its underlying faults and wash away the Hollywood sheen and the nostalgia filter: 4/10 for themes 8/10 for cinematography and the technical aspects... (this movie was gorgeous to look at and had some really fun camera work, sue me for enjoying the visuals)

Full SPOILER review:

For the most part, my nostalgia filter from the animated film, which I dearly dearly love, basically had me ecstatic anytime there was even a hint of a reference to the animated film (see: occasional notes from the songs), and also sorely disappointed when the acting or the general pace pulled the fun or the emotion from key points (see: A Girl Worth Fighting For being abruptly cut off upon seeing the carnage would’ve been so much more impactful because they actually showed the bodies in the 2020 version but instead we got this kinda funny convo referencing the lines completely separated from that scene)...

The biggest issue I have with the film is that Mulan was naturally skilled from the beginning and was told to suppress her abilities.. making her OP from the beginning undermines the 1998 journey where we see every step of her development both in physical ability and her emotional struggles... then through her wits, intelligence, and strategy, as well as being on par and even better than her fellow soldiers, she manages to defeat Shan Yu and makes us feel her “Hero” status is very much earned... so it takes away from what the 1998 film tried to show in suggesting Mulan could just OP her way to victory at the drop of a hat.. and also implied her being dishonest about her true identity was her primary flaw? idk thematically they were trying to be super empowering of women and the capability of women, and the boxes women are forced into according to society... but then suggest Mulan was always inherently gifted/had a special power and that is why she succeeded, while the other soldiers worked hard and effectively achieved the same goal (albeit in a less flashy manner)... so the message gets very confusing...

i felt that Xian Niang (was that her name?), the Witch, had a lot of potential, but I was also really concerned they introduced her to make sure Mulan had a female enemy to defeat, and Shan Yu/Bori Khan was a minion of this female enemy... so in that sense I’m glad she served as a foil to Mulan... I would’ve liked the parallels more if the “being your true self”/”bring honor to us all” theme wasn’t so muddled... Mulan was accepted while XIan Niang wasn’t because they both had powers, but then Mulan convinces her to take the noble path and so Xian Niang died for her? idk there was a better way to fold her into the story...

Shan Yu/Bori Khan was about as much as I expected from him... I think he matched Shan Yu for skill, though idk about ferocity or intimidation power, though the actor was decent enough... but I did enjoy his and Mulan’s fight... less impactful because he didn’t even know about her and how she was the one to take down most of his army...

didn’t mind that Mushu was missing... fondly referred to the phoenix as Mushu (though I understand there may be cultural missteps in a phoenix being the spirit/ancestor/guardian)...

I also didn’t mind they removed the power imbalance between Shang and Mulan and had her love interest be a fellow soldier...I really liked Yoson An’s character actually...but the romance element was significantly dialled back, so we didn’t get the bisexual icon that is Li Shang... also Li Yifei’s emotional acting was normal but not outstanding... so her feelings for Honghui didn’t really register much except for that first time they chat in the barracks about girls, and right before she goes home... (just me being pouty about him not joining the Imperial Guards to Mulan’s home and presenting himself for matchmaking... though I understand it was to keep focus on Mulan’s journey, not her love interest)...

while it probably wasn’t the intention of the 1998 film, the positive portrayal of gender fluidity, the specific empowerment of trans and bisexual individuals through Mulan and Shang (bc let’s get real, he was just as attracted to Ping as he was Mulan), all did not ring in quite the same way in the 2020 version... again I’m not part of either community, so I can’t say for sure, but this is what I read from it...

overall the fun was taken out, with the songs... I would say this is probably on the higher end of Disney Live Action adaptations, there were some fun moments and funny dialogue even, and I didn’t mind that they were trying to do something different, unlike some of the others which made it note for note the same... but ultimately the biggest flaw of most of the adaptations are that it removes the fun and the levity in lieu of a more serious tone... 

I accepted no songs (I was hopeful and then pleasantly surprised when they did pay some minor homages through the score to the original’s songs)... but the fun moments were meant to be intentionally undercut by the reality of the war... there’s a reason A Girl Worth Fighting For was cut off so abruptly in the 1998 version... it was the moment where these trainees (all of them young and having never experienced battle or war before) suddenly realised the severity of the situation before them, and it was in that moment they accepted their fate and duty to protect the kingdom...

the 2020 version just kind of had them walk through the carnage without any real build up... the grand battle sequence with the avalanche was pretty well done, the overdramatic “Hua Jun died but Mulan lived” scene notwithstanding.. i didn’t mind that Mulan volunteered to expose herself rather than be forced half-naked into the snow by the Chancellor dude... didn’t like Honghui got the “you listened to Hua Jun, why is Hua Mulan any different?” line... the “I believe in Hua Mulan” was kinda goofy, but I could see what they were going for... it was kinda undermined by the Commander saying “you dishonoured your family and this regiment but hey, you’re brave and loyal kid”...felt very patronising...

I’m not gonna lie, I kinda loved Cricket... he was adorable and I had half a heart attack when I thought he’d died... 

DIDN’T REALISE MING NA WEN MADE A CAMEO UNTIL I CAME ON HERE...so that was nice..

still pissed they didn’t even put the drum beats for “I’ll Make a Man Outta You”...they were using drums during the training sequence too so would’ve been real easy to do so AND THEY DIDN’T...they did it for “Bring Honor to Us All” and “Reflection”...idk why they couldn’t even give us that much of my favourite Disney song...

again, cannot emphasise enough how gorgeous this whole movie looked...and there were so many fun camera work moments... the visuals had me dead on the floor ya’ll...

idk what else i have to say now...

tl;dr I enjoyed the experience of watching it, but hooooo boi the film is flawed as hell...

#mulan #mulan 2020 #long post #spoilers #mulan 2020 spoilers #disney #spoiler post #movie review

[obaby-me]

Your writing's really good! (~^-^)~* Can I get strong MC carrying their demon around bridal style?? (just an idea but imagine Levi being carried by MC in his favorite male character/ruri's cosplay :o, and for Belphie, maybe, him falling asleep during movie night or smth and MC just casually scooping him up to get him to his room?? For Mammon maybe rescuing him and running away from witches?) but u can think of smth by yourself ^^ can't wait :D

Thank you for the compliment anon. ♡

Manhandle the boys?  I got ya covered.  You had some great ideas, by the way.  These turned into basically mini-stories.

Lucifer

“Chicken fight?” Diavolo asked you with a glint in his eye, always eager to learn more of the human world.

“It’s a pool game, where two people carry two other people and try to push the carried person off their person.”  You explained, or rather tried to.  Even for a mostly sober Lucifer, the explanation was a mess.  A tipsy Diavolo found it impossible.

“Show me,” Diavolo asked. “Just show me.”

“It takes a minimum of 4 to play.  And it’s done in a pool.”  You laughed.

“You can’t do it outside of a pool?”  Diavolo whined with a frown.

Never wanting to disappoint, you quietly considered it.  “I mean…” Your eyes travelled to Lucifer, lighting up in a way the Avatar of Pride knew meant trouble.  But with a shake of his head, knowing what was to come, he stood from his seat, and rotated his shoulders.  Carrying you would be a simple task for him.

“If you can lift Barbatos, and I lift Lucifer, we could do a little demonstration.  But we can’t actually play.  Without the water it’s like, dangerous.”  You suggest.

“Lift me?”  Scoffed Lucifer, looking a little incredulous, while a delighted Diavolo barked out a laugh.

“Okay!”  The prince agreed enthusiastically.  His gold eyes flitting to the avatar of pride giving a silent, mortifying, order that sealed Lucifer’s fate.

Groaning into his drink, Lucifer quickly chugged down the last of his drink.  You kneeled down to the floor, and Diavolo followed suit, as you instructed Barbatos how to climb on to Diavolo’s back.

“Like this?”

“Yes!”  You nodded happily.  “Lucifer, your turn!  Hop on.”

The word no sat on his tongue but Diavolo’s expecting gaze wouldn’t allow for the word to pass his lips.  “Perhaps I ought to be the one to—”

Suddenly one of his legs was yanked out from under him as you swung it over one side of you.  You made no move to grab the other.  “Stop worrying.  I can lift you easy!”  You assured him with a cocky grin.

“I don’t know—”

When you ignored his protests and attempted shift yourself between his legs to grip the remaining foot tethering him to the ground, in fear of losing his balance, Lucifer finally complied.  He threw his leg over your shoulder, gripping on to your head and wrapping his thighs about your neck.  He shot a glare at his liege.  If you broke your neck, he refused to be held responsible.

To his surprise however, you stood straight up with ease, balancing him on your shoulders.  He was rather impressed.  Though that was sort of overridden by his unease at the sudden lack of control he had by being on your shoulders.

“Okay, now in a pool, Barbatos and Lucifer would have to shove each other off.”

A look of determination flashed across Diavolo’s face, and it took all three, Lucifer, Barbatos, and you to reiterate that this was not a game that could be played outside of the water.

Mammon

The witches call at the most inconvenient times.  But Mammon knows he must answer.

“I’m sorry,” he grumbled in apology to you as he dropped the shopping bags he’d been carrying into your arms.  “I’ll be right back,” he promised.

“Should we call someone first before you go?”  You asked, waving a hand at the plaza that surrounded you filled with demons.   Eyes flickered towards you occasionally, however they quickly averting upon recognizing the Lord of Greed.

He didn’t have time, but he also knew you were right.  Groaning and grumbling he texted a request to his brother’s chat for someone to come and get you.

But there was no immediate response.  Calls to several of the brothers also went unanswered—even when you made the calls.  Mammon grew impatient—because he knew the witches were too.

“Looks like I’ll just have to take ya with me,” he sighed.  “Ground rules, first.”  Looking serious and he holds his fingers up, “Don’t say anything,” he begins, dropping one finger. “Don’t touch anything.  Anything I say, ya agree with.  Anything I tell you to do, you do—no questions.  If I say run, run.”

You looked nervous—as you should be, so was he.  It was a bad idea to take you.  But it’s a worse idea to leave you alone.

Seeing the witches generally made Mammon a little queasy—but he can handle anything they throw at him. It’s you he worries about.

“Got it.”

“Don’t you worry, human. The GREAT Mammon won’t let anything happen you,” he said with a grin, trying to rid you of your worries.  You give him a small smile in return and he throws an arm around your shoulder as he begins to lead you away.

Meeting with witches didn’t seem to terrify you as they invited the two of you in for tea and treats. Mammon however, declined for the two of you, getting right to the point of their requests.  They made their demands rather politely, but the undertones of a threat obviously present.

The nature of their demands however, no matter how honeyed the language, were insane.  Limos, and dresses, and jewelry, and tools used by witches, made of luxury woods and metals.

“There’s no way I can get all this!”  Mammon shouted as he estimated the total.

“You can, and you will. We trust you’ll find a way,” one of them said sternly.

Another slid herself to your side, an arm drifting to wrap about your waist.  “And while you do so, we’ll just enjoy some tea with—”

“Don’t you touch my human,” hissed Mammon.  His eye flit to you, a dangerous glint in them, and he nods his head to the door in a silent order.

“Don’t you talk that way to us,” another witch hissed in return.

“Your pact is with me, not—” Mammon started to argue in return.

“Yes, it is.”  One witch calmly stated, “and by our pact, I order you to—”

Before her order could be completed, she was thrown back, the literal rug ripped out from under her. Mammon’s eyes widened and turned to see the edge of the floormat sitting in your hands.

“Time to go,” you told him.

Suddenly laid out over your shoulder, hefted about like a sack of potatoes as you ran the two of you of the building.

Mammon wasn’t sure how to feel.  He was surprised, that was for sure.  Thankful to some degree, but humiliated as well—for being the one in need of saving, for the way he was being carried (ass up).  And though he dared not admit, turned on.  He could only hope you were too busy running the two of you out of trouble to notice him at half-mast.

Leviathan

A convention has come to the Devildom and ecstatic was a massive understatement.  When the convention was announced months back, Levi was already including it in every conversation somehow.  As the weeks grew closer, his fanaticism was getting so out of control Lucifer banned him from bringing it up in the group chat, the dining table, and specifically, in Lucifer’s presence.

“Today’s the day!” Shouted Levi, as was his morning ritual of the countdown.  While he was not technically in the dining room, everyone could hear him from his room. Annoyed but relieved that finally the day had come that perhaps he’d finally shut up about it, the brothers gave a sigh of relief.

“Come on, come on, Normie!” He pounded at your door.  “We have a very strict schedule to keep!”

“Levi, you sound like Lucifer.  Give me some time to get dressed!  Honestly, if you’re this excited you might accidentally transform.”  You scolded him with laughter dancing behind your door—still refusing him entry to drag you out.  “It’ll ruin your cosplay if you do you know.  Have you even gotten changed yet?”

“I will once we eat breakfast.  I don’t want anything to get stained.  And you shouldn’t either!  Come on out!”

“Levi, I’m already half into the costume.  You want me to come out there half naked?”

Levi blushed at the thought. “N-no!  Just take it off, normie.  Get changed after!  We need a perfect picture together as Henry and the Lord of Shadows!  And we can’t have one if you’ve got food all over it.”

He heard you sigh and grumble, but he knew he was getting his way.  You had been supportive of all his enthusiasm, despite the numerous reprimanding your received from his brothers for “encouraging” and “enabling” his behavior.  You always had his back, just like Henry.

Why, you even agreed to cosplay as his Henry to his Lord of Shadows!  He thought he was having the most blissful heart attack when you suggested it.  You suggested to be his Henry.  

He could hardly wait to see you dressed, but the reveal was something he would savor, dressed in his own costume.  And it would be worth it.  Additionally, once he got his picture of the two of you in your perfectly pristine cosplays, he would be posting it and using it everywhere.  As his profile pictures, in his icons, framed in his room. He had it all planned out.

He rushed you through breakfast, through packing, and through the door.  But you took it all with a smile.  He knew you weren’t as excited about the convention as he was, but the fact that you had the patience to put up with him on this day meant the world to him. He’d already put some Grimm aside to buy you whatever you wanted at the convention as a gift of thanks.

The line was agonizingly long, even with his pre-purchased pass, and changing into your cosplays in your shared hotel room took a while more than expected.  He missed an early morning panel and went hysterical.

“Levi, you’ll ruin your cosplay if you transform,” you warn him again from the bathroom as you adjusted make up on your face to get some details just perfect for your Henry imitation.

“We should have gotten here sooner!”  He complained.  “We should have-“

“Levi, I’m ready.” You called out, interrupting him before he could rant any further.

He swallowed hard, eager to see the result.

You looked perfect.

“Well?”  You asked as you gave a small twirl for him to let him see it in whole.

“Every detail i-is, is—” His heart raced, his face reddened. It was not that your outfit was revealing, but you were cute.  You were really cute.  You were cute and in cosplay with him, for him.  It was just an outfit, but the implications hit him like a ton of bricks. He was overwhelmed, practically in tears.  Too overwhelmed, really.

He passed right out.

When he finally woke up, he realized he was slung over your back, carried through the convention halls. “W-what is happening?”  He screeched in embarrassment into your ear.

You faltered and nearly dropped him.  Quickly you adjusted him, bouncing him with your grip on thighs to get him balanced properly against you again.  “Don’t shout,” you hissed your ear ringing painfully.

“The next panel was about to start and I couldn’t let you to miss it.”  You explained as you trudged along to your next destination.  “You’ve been looking forward to this one most of all.”

Touched by the sentiment, Levi tucked his burning face into your shoulder mumbling ‘thank you’s and praises that you were a perfect Henry.

Satan

The Devildom archive is massive, and yet given its size it is still overfilled with books and shelves that line the walls up to his high ceilings.  Tall ladders that slide across the rooms on tracks in front of the shelves, to allow easy maneuvering are available, but not many.

“I can see it just there,” frowned Satan as he stared up at the dusty covered volume, embossed letters with faded and chipped gold foil labelling its spine.

On his tiptoes, reaching upwards, his fingers just barely above the shelf and his fingers graze the binding, only to push it further back on to the shelf and out of his reach.  He cursed.

“I’ll have to fetch a ladder,” he spat, turning his from side to side to spot on.  On the farthest ends of either side of him he could see a few unoccupied steps.  The trek just to fetch the damned things was an exercise in itself.  Why the hell was the archive this size with so few ladders between them?  Or rather, why wouldn’t they restrict ladders to certain sections?  Why did they have to make the process so difficult?

“Seems hardly worth the effort,” you commented, as you slipped your arms around his waist.

The action was sudden, but welcomed.  Having you wrapped about him was instantly soothing, and his temper dropped immediately. He sighed, letting out the tension, and his hand came to rest on yours.  “To get as perfect score on this essay, all efforts are worthwhile.  This time I will be top Lucifer’s standing for sure.”  He said with a nod.

With a light blush, he pushed his fingers between your digits in an attempt to hold your hand, but your hands instead tightened and gripped tight together, as if rejecting him.

Actually, your entire hold on him tightened.  His eyebrows furrowed curiously.

Next thing he knew, his feet were no longer on the ground.  His first instinct was to struggle as he was suddenly lifted into the air.  “What do you think you’re doing?”  He whisper-shouted, wide eyes trying to peer at your face behind him, rage rising with his embarrassment.

“I’m just helping!” You laughed, rubbing your cheek into his back in a reassuring gesture.  “Can you reach your book now?”

“Ah, right,” he muttered, his face heating to a deeper red as he hastily tore the book from the shelf and patted at your arm to let him down.  “A little warning next time,” he chastised with a small smile, his anger clearly evident in the way he punctuated his request.

You gave a quick “sorry” but your smile showed no real apology.  Well, he’ll have to wretch a real one out of you in a bout of punishment later.  He hoped you’ll be looking forward to it as much he was thinking of it.

Asmodeus

Your ball ensemble for Diavolo’s ball was magnificent, and Asmo, as your date wore its perfect match.  He could not be prouder of his efforts to make you both look stunning for your evening out.  He designed the outfits himself, weeks before, and today he’d spent all day preparing the two of you—hair, make up, nails, last minute tailoring.  It had been exhausting, but it was well worth it.

All eyes were on the two of you the moment you’d entered the room, and he couldn’t have been more pleased. Not that it was unusual for people to stare at him—but tonight, you were on his arm, and he felt a sense of pride that was new to him.

Because I have you. And they can only dream to.

It took a few drinks to loosen you up to the idea of dancing.

“Just one song,” he begged throughout the evening.

You smiled and promised him just the one, and at three drinks, he had finally could lead you to the dance floor for at least a slow one.  Having you in his arms was a delight, though you seemed so focused on your dancing that you were forgetting to have a good time yourself.

To lighten the mood, he made it a point to spin you, and then himself, rocking together with you before repeating the process.  A spin for you, a spin for him.  The two of you looked childish, almost ridiculous.  The type of dancing a 5-year-old’s interpretation of a fairytale dance. Asmo, a man of allure and the pinnacle of sexy, was happy to play goofy if it meant making you smile.

It took another drink to get you on the floor again, but this time it was song that was much more upbeat.  There was less concern in you now for your steps, a little sloppy, but full of joy, which is all Asmo wants.  He gave you a cocky grin before lifting you slightly into the air and spun you.

Your laughter was the best song all night.

Much to his surprise, you locked your hands on to his waist and lifted him in return, mimicking his spin. Giggling in the thrill.  Almost like a child, he asked for another spin and another, posing each time he was held up high for all to see until the song ended.

“Let’s see what else we can do with that strength of yours,” he panted, catching what breath he’d been losing in all his laughter.

“This one’s a bit of a slower one,” you commented.  “Spinning might be—”

“Oh, no, honey.  We’re done with dancing.”

Beelzebub

Beel’s a quiet guy but that didn’t mean he wasn’t affectionate.  He was a hugger and he different types of hugs for different occasions.

He gave short but firm for hellos.  He held a little longer for good byes.  Thank you’s were half hugs and pats on the back.  And I’m sorry’s were engulfing but gentle, never imposing.  For comfort, he was

But this hug was a new one. It wasn’t one he’d ever given you before.  And it wasn’t one his brothers had ever seen him do since he’d been down in the Devildom—not since Lilith.

He’d been gone for about five days—given some business direct from Diavolo to handle an incident on the other side of the Devildom with Lucifer in tow.  Lucifer returned early, but Beel remained for two days more.

When Beel finally lumbered through the door relieved to be home.  He was chilled from the rain pouring outside, hungrier than he’d ever felt in the past two decades, and in desperate need of some time to relax.

The first thing he heard was the patter of footsteps, running to meet his arrival.

“Beel, welcome home!” You shouted from the top of the stairs, laughing heartily as you came down to meet him quick as you could. Trailing behind you came Belphie, eager to meet him, but slowed down by his sin to reach him as fast as you did.

It was as if his exhaustion disappeared at seeing your smile, and your rush to meet him was so endearing, it warmed him—at least his face—instantly.

“Glad to be back,” he said with nod, opening his arms.

To his surprise you launched yourself into him, the momentum knocking into him.  To keep balance, he gave you a spin, chuckling at your excitement.

“I missed you!”  You shouted as he spun you about.

“I missed you too.”

He held you tight against him, and in response to his grip, you gripped him tightly back.

It’s an affectionate game of mimicry you two play often.  If you tap a beat on his hand, he’ll tap it back with an addition.  If you give him a kiss, he’ll give you two.  Back and forth until one of you gives.  It was a game generally played behind closed doors, but this was a special occasion—he missed you too much.  Now it was game of who can give a tighter hug.

And he was determined to win.

He adjusted his arms around you to hold you just a little lower—and then lifted you off the ground.  You giggled, pleased.  It was only for a moment before he set you down.  He grinned at you.

But his smile soon turned to shock when you in turn put your arms about his waist, lifting him and spinning.

Too stunned to respond, Beel lost the round.

“Never expected that out of you,” whistled an impressed Belphie, having finally descended down the stairs.

Beel could only nod, wide eyed in agreement.

You gave him a cocky grin, planting your hands on your hips and puffing your chest with pride.  Beel too beamed with pride at his partner’s strength.  He begins to invite you to workouts together, curious to see just how much you could lift.

Belphegor

Movie nights followed a very specific pattern.  It was a scramble to get the boys together, and just when you think you’ve settled in, someone remembers something they’ve forgotten:  popcorn, blankets, phones, chips, drinks, coasters, pillows.  And of course, the matter of seating arrangements was always a battle.  You had your designated seat, but the demons around you didn’t—each fought to take the seats beside you in some way shape or form.

“You had your turn last week!”  Fumed Levi, glaring daggers at his younger brother Belphie.

It did little to persuade the seventh born who seemed to instead nuzzled his face deeper into your lap, a hint of a teasing smirk his only answer.

Grumbles and protests eventually died down as Lucifer threatened each one into settling in.  Finally, they could all relax as the movie began to roll.

Lucifer fell asleep midway through.  Mammon and Levi shouted out quotes in bouts of laughter.  Satan shushed his elder brothers, and Asmo sighed and provided commentary on outfits and hair styles.  Beel ate most of the popcorn and chips, munching away happily.  Belphegor managed to last to its ending, but the minute the lights were brought back up, he went right to sleep, skipping the inevitable post-movie debates and commentaries by his brothers.

As it grew later into the evening, the boys slowly trickled out to their rooms to bed.  You however, remained a pillow to the cat-napping avatar.

“I’ll carry him up,” offered Beel, the last of the conscious.

“No, I’ve got it.” You told him with a smile, a hand slowly stroking through Belphie’s hair as he slept.  “I’m not quite tired yet.  I’ll leave him undisturbed for just a bit longer.”

Beel nodded, and returned to his own room.

You browsed your phone for awhile longer, one hand mindlessly running through Belphie’s soft locks.

When you were good and ready for bed, you slowly sidled out from below Belphie.  Carrying him was the easy part.  The only difficulty you had was trying not to disturb him as you slipped your hands beneath him to lift him.  You seemed to have succeeded, and Belphie was determined to let you believe it, amused that you were going to such lengths for him.

He’d been awake for some time, mostly from the time you started trailing your fingers through his hair. He didn’t dare move and let you know he was awake.  He feared you’d stop if he did.  So instead he laid and enjoyed your gentle petting him the way you might a beloved pet.

When you moved out from under him, he considered waking up to walk himself up, but the thought of you lifting him amused him greatly.  He assumed you couldn’t, and to have you try and fail to do so would be the perfect time for him to wake up and tease you.

Much to his surprise however, you lifted him with ease, carrying him all the way to his room. He would be keeping this in mind for the next time he decided it was too much trouble to make the trip himself—play dead and he can get a free ride.

#obey me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #headcanon #guess who's back #took me awhile to do this one #but it was a lot of fun #tryin' to come up with ways to have the boys lifted up #as well as get them some varied reactions was an interestin' challenge #i'm so sorry this took so long

[shigeoicons]

echidna (the witch of greed) icons ♡ॢ₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎

like or rb if using/saving !!

#rezero #echidna #subaru #rem #ram #anime #cartoon #art #otaku #japan #japanese #weeb

[ravnicaforgoblins]

Ravnica for Goblins

Ladies of Ravnica

Dungeon Masters running a campaign in Ravnica may start to notice a trend with many of the city’s most powerful figures of authority (or notoriety); they are largely women.

Whether this an intentional choice on the part of WOTC for gender equality or purely accidental, most of Ravnica is run by the ladies. Not only do we see equal numbers of each gender represented within each race, each class, and each guild (except the Gruul Clans for some reason), but even a large number of the Guildmasters are/have been female:

Isperia, Sphinx Guildmaster of Azorius Senate

Lavinia, (acting Human Guildmaster of Azorius Senate following Isperia’s death)

Aurelia, Angel Guildmaster of Boros Legion

Feather, (former Angel Guildmaster of Boros Legion)

Razia, (Angel Founder/Parun of Boros Legion)

Vraska, (acting Medusa Guildmaster of Golgari Swarm following Jarad’s death)

Kaya, (official Human Guildmaster of Orzhov Syndicate following death of Obzedat)

Teysa, (unofficial Human Guildmaster of Orzhov Syndicate follow death of Obzedat)

Trostani, Dryad Guildmaster(s) of Selesnya Conclave

Zegana, Merfolk Guildmaster/Prime Speaker of Simic Combine

Vannifar, Hybrid Guildmaster/Prime Speaker of Simic Combine

In addition to this, every Angel and Medusa on the plane is exclusively female, with no exceptions. What does this mean for DMs plotting a Ravnica campaign? It means in all likelihood you’re going to be working on more female voices than male, so get practicing. If you are born a girl, this will be easier for you. If you’re born a guy, you’ve got some work to do. Because if you want to take a hard stance against doing female voices in your campaign, you are likely depriving your players the chance to interact with some of the coolest, most badass NPCs in all of Ravnica.

Lavinia of the Azorius Senate is an icon for the guild’s ideals, a champion for the laws of Ravnica, and steward of Jace Beleren, the Living Guildpact. Everything Jace wants to do with his nigh-limitless power as the embodiment of Ravnican Society has to pass through Lavinia first. She dictates his schedules, official commandments, and public appearances. Most importantly, Lavinia ensures that the most is made of the limited time the frequently-absent Guildpact is around. She is harsh but fair. A great choice for when the DM needs to intervene to save the players.

Judith the Scourge Diva is the Grand Dame of the Cult of Rakdos, it’s most in-demand performer, and the last word on anything that goes on backstage. She has more to do with the day-to-day goings-on than Rakdos himself, as the hedonistic demon Guildmaster rarely attends performances and often spends weeks, months, or even years in his lava pit. She does most of the work while Rakdos claims the adoration of the guild’s fanatics, cultists, and performers. Dramatic, demanding, devoted, demented, and she’s got a thing for blades & blood. She is the closest thing to a ranking member of the chaotic guild of stylized hedonism and carnage that is the Cult of Rakdos. She can be reasoned with.

Massacre Girl is currently the Azorius Senate’s number one fugitive.

Real Name: Unknown

Guild: Rakdos

Allegiance: Herself

Motive: Unknown

Crimes: Murders in every guild, including her own

Signature: High body counts, high-ranking figures, excessive violence

Perks for PCs: Instant Citywide Notoriety for taking her in/down

Drawbacks for PCs: Almost Certain Death for failing to take her in/down

Teysa Karlov, former Grand Envoy of Orzhov Syndicate, currently imprisoned for attempting to overthrow Ghost Council. Teysa is one of the few members of the Syndicate who isn’t motivated by greed or self-interest. Make no mistake, Teysa is as ambitious as they come, but her interests actually extend outside of her guild. She is one of the only high-ranking figures within her guild who actually tries to establish relationships with other guilds. It has dawned on her that the day may come when the Orzhov Syndicate might require the assistance of the other guilds, so maybe, just maybe, they should try to not have every other guild actively despise them. A groundbreaking proposal, the first step of which involved the overthrowing of the Greedy Old Men, aka the Obzedat, and establishing her as new guildmaster. Unfortunately, Grandfather Karlov outplayed her, and both Teysa and her ally Tajic of the Boros Legion were thrown in jail. Tajic was bailed out, but Teysa remains imprisoned thanks to bribes made with high-ranking officials to keep her so. In addition, to keep her from dying and achieving freedom as a ghost, she’s been fed food to magically lengthen her life in prison. All that said, Teysa is the best ally available within the Orzhov, one of the few not morally bankrupt, and knows the laws of Ravnica better than even the Azorius. A perfect choice for a prison break quest.

Emmara Tandris is one of the most well-known faces within the endless bounty that is the Selesnya Conclave. She’s a childhood friend of Jace Beleren, the Living Guildpact, and a public figure for inter-guild cooperations. This, plus the fact that she is a kind & caring individual with a special gift with animals, fey, and elementals, and the fact that Selesnya’s dryad trio Guildmaster(s) Trostani are vague at best, completely silent at worst, makes her a perfect choice for distributing missions, quests, and animal companions.

Last NPC I’ll mention is Vraska, of the Golgari Swarm. Vraska is the Planeswalker Medusa Assassin Pirate Queen of the Undercity. Think of something cooler than that, I dare you. It doesn’t exist.

*Edit: More Kickass Female NPCs!

Etrata, the Silencer. That name alone should inspire fear. Not just a vampire, not just an assassin, she’s more of an urban legend Boros soldiers tell each other about when they get stuck on overnight guard duty and want to spook their buddy. Lacking the tedious mind games of most House Dimir operatives, Etrata is an old-school killer for hire. She cares neither for politics, nor influence, nor subtlety. Your name shows up in her book, you’re gonna die tonight. She’s the only Dimir agent capable of actually challenging Lazav for his position of Guildmaster. What it will come down to is this; is he smarter than she is deadly? Etrata is great because her exploits are much easier to track than other Dimir. If someone is dead from a vampire bite in a locked room, they’ve just had a visit from Etrata.

Izoni, Thousand-Eyed should honestly have been the Golgari Guildmaster. Not only is she infinitely more interesting and distinctive than the run-of-the-mill Lich Jarad Vod Savo, but she embodies the Swarm in a way Jarad just doesn’t. Scuttling by your feet, buzzing around the air, lurking wherever death can be found; Izoni and her ever-present insect swarms have presence. Jarad, on the other hand, has a bow, very little personality, and the only real accomplishment he’s had as Guildmaster is surviving assassination attempts. Which, let’s be honest, for the Golgari, is just par for the course. Izoni has room to grow, to expand, and she’s exactly the sort of cackling, nasty, power-hungry dark witch players like to fight. Except she somehow makes being covered in bugs hot.

Pierakor az Vinrenn D’Rav, better known as “Feather”, was the Boros Guildmaster before Aurelia, and a former Wojek Officer. Her wings were bound and she was forced to serve in the Wojek for some reason that hasn’t been explained, then when the original Guildmaster and Parun Razia was slain, Feather stepped up. Her reign was short-lived when Aurelia challenged her as unfit to serve as Guildmaster given her unspoken crime that she was charged for however long ago. Feather gave up the mantle and left Ravnica, going into a self-imposed exile in the lawless Red Wastes beyond the Rubblebelt. Basically, this means that there is a Guildmaster-Level NPC living all alone in the most savage wilds on the entire plane searching for redemption. The story is literally just sitting there, waiting to be written.

#ravnica for goblins #ravnica #ladies #ladies of ravnica #vraska #judith the scourge diva #emmara tandris #massacre girl #lavinia #teysa karlov #dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #etrata #izoni #feather

[unholyseattle]

Demons are supernatural, often spiritual entities from many different cultures, who are commonly seen as powerful beings existing between godyr(s) and humans.

In many mythologies, Demons are terrifying, monstrous, and malevolent, and are born to spread evil and violence. These are demons that are commonly said to reside in Hell (such as demons of torment and the Fallen Angels), or in an alternate dimension/plane of existence. Hebrew and Christian culture considered all demons evil, and many of these demons are from such lore.

These demons usually have an ephemeral existence, and do not necessarily have a solid form, in our the plane of reality and of physical matter. This trait could be considered to be what allows them to be good at shapeshifting and illusions.

Some demons and demonic beasts are formed from the residue of negative emotions or desires (such as regret, hatred, and spite) of living beings, are created by the Devil as servants for evil, or are those who were once human and died full of negative emotions or desires. In 1589, a leading expert named Brinsfield listed major demons and their specialties correlating to the Seven Deadly Sins:

Lucifer — Pride; 

Satan — Wrath; 

Beelzebub — Gluttony; 

Belphegor — Sloth; 

Asmodeus — Lust

Mammon — Greed

Leviathan — Envy 

Strengths

Superhuman Strength - Most demons are noticeably physically stronger than humans, although the degree varied from species to species.

Superhuman Durability - Because many demons were native to very harsh environments, their bodies tended to be more resistant to blunt trauma and injuries than human bodies, some species even resistant to bullets. Some demons had armored bodies, although they were relatively vulnerable if a part or all of the armor was damaged or destroyed.

Immortality - A large amount of demon were shown to live longer than humans, and some of them were actually immortal, living for thousands of year without aging.

Empathy - The ability to sense or feel emotions.

Telepathy - The ability to read minds.

Teleportation - The ability to travel to another spot in space without having to transverse the distance between the two points.

Telekinesis - The ability to manipulate objects with the mind.

Pyrokinesis - The ability to manipulate and conjure fire with the mind.

Cryokinesis - The ability to manipulate cold temperatures to create ice and snow.

Paralysis Inducement - The ability to render beings immobile or incapacitated.

Possession - The ability to take control of another being’s body.

Precognition - The ability to see future events.

Photokinesis - The ability to create and emit light.

Hypnosis - The ability to manipulate minds.

Voice Manipulation - The ability to manipulate once’s or other’s voices.

Invisibility - The ability to make oneself unable to be seen.

Shapeshifting - The ability to alter one’s appearance.

Reanimation - The ability to raise the dead as zombies.

Healing Factor - The ability to quickly heal from injuries and regrow lost body parts.

Levitation - The ability to rise above the air and stay in suspension.

Flight - The ability to go airborne and propel oneself through the air.

Razor-sharp Fingernails - The ability of having one’s nails sharp enough to wound or shred flesh.

Faustian Bargain - Demons can manipulate reality to make the wishes of the mortals it deals, to trade their soul to the devil in exchange for the wish to come true.

Weaknesses

Salt - Due to its white color, purity, and its preservative properties, salt has always been associated with holiness and the triumph of good over evil, and has been used to repel witches, ghosts, demons, spirits, and all manner of evil beings. Furthermore, salt has a corrosive effect when it comes into contact with the demon’s skin. Demons are unable to cross a line of salt. Salt can be used to torture demons. It can also be put into shotgun rounds to hurt and knock back demons.

Imperfect Vessel - The chief weakness of demons is the fact that they are angels who are possession an imperfect vessel. This factor severely restrains the angel’s god-like powers and reduces them to a lesser being that can be physically killed or exorcised by a human. The vessel experiences many adverse physical affects from the possession; slow decomposition, foul body odor, high body temperature, bodily pains, and scars that appear out of nowhere. If the angel ramains within the vessel for too long, the body will decompose to such an extent that it appears as a zombie. Eventually, the vessel will spontaneously combust into flames and be destroyed.

Exorcism - The practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities which have possessed a person or object. The practice is quite ancient and still part of the belief system of many religions. The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is often a priest, or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use religious material, such as prayers and set formulas, gestures, symbols, icons, amulets, etc.. The exorcist often invokes some benign supernatural power to actually perform the task.

Holy Icons - (Holy Water, Crucifixes, blessed Items, etc.): It is said that the sight of holy icons, namely the cross or the crucifix, repulses the demon. The cross is one of mankind’s oldest forms of protection against evil, predating Christianity by centuries. It is associated with pagan sun deities and Heaven. In ancient times, the cross symbolized divine protection and prosperity. The symbolism of the cross was forever changed when Jesus Christ was crucified, sacrificing Himself by taking on the sins of the entire world, descending into Hell, and defeating the Devil. Holy Water burns demons that come into contact with it like acid.

Silver - Because of its purity and lustrous white color, silver is believed to possess protective powers against evil and negative influences. It is also said to have a supernatural association with the moon.

Iron - Demons may be able to be harmed by cold-forged iron. Demons can’t touch or cross iron.

Consecrated Bullet - Under normal circumstances, firearms have little or no effect on Demons. However, a bullet that has been blessed by a priest (not necessarily silver) will slay the evil.

Hallowed Places - Neither can they cross hallowed ground or a blessed building.

Solomon’s Key - It is a powerful circle that when a demon is inside of it, the demon is rendered powerless and it cannot cross through the circle.

Fire - Fire has been a powerful force against evil for centuries, as it is considered to be a symbol of God and the Holy Spirit, as well as one of nature’s most powerful purifiers. Burning the demon is without a doubt the most effective means of permanently annihilating the evil.

Holy Water - As water’s symbolism as a purifier and one of the Holy Sacraments is anathema to demon, an evil that is fully immersed in water (especially running water) will drown and be destroyed. A bathtub could work, but disposal of the creature’s body may prove to be problematic (as removing the Demon from the water will revive the creature).

Angel’s Touch - An angel can physically kill a demon by touching them on the forehead with their hand. This power will not work if the demon is too powerful or if the angel is too weak.

Palo Santo - It is basically the wood version of holy water/salt, when a demon is stabbed the demon screams in pain and the wound smokes. It immobilizes demons long enough to perform an exorcism.

#unholy.lore #unholy.demons

[theculturewitch-blog]

Witch The Vote: A Corbyn Victory Spell

Hex-breakers and justice-seekers: the UK general election takes place in a week’s time, on the night of the full moon (Thursday 12th December). After ten years of crushing austerity, we defy more Tory rule. We refuse to cede to their greed and their cruelty. We refuse them our labour, our land and our lives. And so we invite you to join us in a mass, remote spell to witch the vote, and bring about a Corbyn victory. 

We will do this over seven consecutive days, starting tonight: Thursday 5th December. Don’t worry if you can’t commit to joining us on all seven nights; the key date is election night itself. Join us online using the tags #WitchTheVote2019 and #WitchesForCorbyn 

Suggested ingredients and directions are as follows. Feel free to supplement or substitute according to your personal, respective practice and preferences. The important thing here is the intention (a Labour/Corbyn victory) and the time: start this spell promptly at 8:30pm, and aim to finish at 9:00 pm. Having a small clock or timer nearby will help. 

• A red candle (red for Labour. Also: power; authority; victory; good fortune). White will also work in a pinch – even a tea light. Its intention that really matters here. 

 • A red thread, ribbon or cord, long enough to knot seven times. Again, white or twine, etc will work in a pinch. 

• Herbs and/or oils you associate with wish fulfillment, positive outcomes and victory e.g High John the Conqueror; Cinnamon; Dandelion; Bay Leaf.   

• Images and objects you associate with the Labour party, its ideals and its leader: a red rose; a rosette; flyers; party membership card; newspaper clipping of Corbyn, etc 

• Images, icons and objects you associate with justice, liberation and change, to decorate your altar/space with. I’ll be using The Sun card, since it represents victory, rebirth, positive change and personal leadership, but Justice, Temperance and Death would also be fitting. Dr. Kate Tomas suggests invoking Aldebran, a fixed, celestial being who channels power and victory over evil. Aldebran is associated with Arch Angel Michael, the dragon-slayer. 

• Incense. I’ll be burning orange (for joy), bay (for wishes and victory) and ginger (to ‘hot’ the spell up and overpower negative energy) 

Follow or omit the following steps where applicable to your personal practice/path/tradition: 

• Ground yourself 

• Cast your circle 

 • Light your incense 

 • Call the quarters and/or invoke your chosen deity(ies)/spirits/guides/ Give/send up any offerings you may have for them and ask that they aid this magical working 

• Carve the candle with the words (or initials for) ‘Prime Minister Corbyn’, and below this, an ‘X’ to symbolize the winning mark. Say: “With this X, we anoint our new Prime Minister: Jeremy Corbyn.” 

• Anoint/surround/imbue the candle with your chosen oils and/or herbs and light the wick. 

 • Now for the crux of it: hold the ribbon in both hands while you gaze into the flame. As you gaze, visualize a Labour victory. Visualize voters queuing up in droves to vote for Labour. Visualize this happening every day for the next week. Visualize the ballot boxes filling to the brim with Labour votes. Visualize the results being announced once the tally is counted: Labour wins! Labour wins! Labour wins! Visualize Corbyn as our new Prime Minister, cheering and grinning, surrounded by supportive colleagues and campaigners. Visualize the celebrations, the joy and the relief of thousands. Visualise him walking into 10 Downing Street to take his seat of power, waving cheerfully as he goes. Visualize him being interviewed by the press about how he will use his power as Prime Minister. Visualize him speaking truth to power, manifesting justice and equality. Visualize him undoing the cruelty and crimes of the previous government, banishing the opposition, starving them of power. Visualize him righting wrongs, draining the poison, planting seeds in our long-barren, now replenished soil. Visualize his name writ large on the front page of every UK newspaper: Prime Minister Corbyn! Prime Minister Corbyn! Prime Minister Corbyn! 

• Hold this vision of victory in your mind until it feels true and real and tangible. Let it bloom and expand, let it grow substantial and take root. Let it manifest. To bind the vision, make a knot at one end of the cord, saying as you tie it: “By the powers of justice and equality/a Corbyn win, so mote it be.” 

• Thank your deities/spirits/guides; snuff out the candle and the incense; close the circle; ground yourself. 

• Perform this spell every night for the next seven nights, using the flame and the cord to bind your/our intention. On the final night – election night – knot the ends of the cord together to create a circle and complete the spell. Carry the cord with you until the results are announced the following day. And DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! Poll stations close at 10:00pm. Take photo ID if you have it. 

Please note: this isn’t a binding. The intention here is to focus on and help bring about a Labour win rather than a Tory lose. Yr more than welcome to perform a binding beforehand, if you wish. It all counts! 

In love and solidarity, Charlotte, The Culture Witch 

––

 Thanks to Fallon, Emma, Bettie and Kate for your invaluable input and advice <3

#UK General Election #Corbyn For Prime Minister #Corbyn #Labour #Justice #Hex The Tories #Witches For Corbyn #December Full Moon #Election 2019 #UK politics #Witches For Labour