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talonabraxas · 3 months ago

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A B R A C A D A B R A

The word Abracadabra is said to derive from an Aramaic phrase meaning "I create as I speak." However אברא כדברא in Aramaic is more reasonably translated as "I create like the Word."

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made."

In the beginning was the Word: the Logos, the sound frequency (vibration).

We know that speech means not just any kind of a vibration, but a vibration that carries information.

Thus, I create like the Word.

In the Hebrew language, the phrase translates more accurately as "it came to pass as it was spoken."

History:

The first known mention of the word was in the third century AD in the work Liber Medicinalis by Quintus Serenus Sammonicus, a physician to the Roman emperor, who suggests to wear an amulet containing the word written in the form of a triangle:

A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A - B - R - A A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A - B - R A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A - B A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A A - B - R - A - C - A - D A - B - R - A - C - A A - B - R - A - C A - B - R - A A - B - R A - B A

Abracadabra and the Gnostics:

Abracadabra was used as a magical formula by the Gnostics of the sect of Basilides in invoking the aid of beneficent spirits against disease and misfortune. It is found on Abraxas stones, which were worn as amulets. Subsequently, its use spread beyond the Gnostics.

Abraxas:

Have you ever been mesmerized while waiting for the sunrise? As you watch the horizon for that first burst of light, you get swept up in the eternal present moment. With baited breath, your sense of time is suspended, and you’re primed for a miracle. This is the “liminal zone,” the threshold between night and day, between here and there, between this and that. It’s the crossroads where anything is possible. And then the dawn breaks through, like a sudden burst of inspiration, like an act of creation: “Let there be light.” That is the magic of Abraxas, an enigmatic name that has perhaps always been closely associated with the power of the sun. This strange, mysterious name captures that magical, suspended, timeless moment: “all of time as an eternal instant.” Abraxas is the power of infinity—the promise of endless possibilities, the “cosmos” itself. In mythology, Abraxas is the name of a celestial horse that draws the dawn goddess Aurora across the sky. The name suggests a power that is not properly ours but rather a gift from another world.

But what of the name’s origin? It is likely, as an etymologist posited in 1891, that Abraxas belongs “to no known speech” but rather some “mystic dialect,” perhaps taking its origin “from some supposed divine inspiration.” Yet scholars, of course, search for a root. There are speculatory shreds of evidence which suggest that Abraxas is a combination of two Egyptian words, abrak and sax, meaning “the honorable and hallowed word” or “the word is adorable.” Abrak is “found in the Bible as a salutation to Joseph by the Egyptians upon his accession to royal power.” Abraxas appears in “an Egyptian invocation to the Godhead, meaning ‘hurt me not.’” Other scholars suggest a Hebrew origin of the word, positing “a Grecized form of ha-berakhah, ‘the blessing,’” while still others speculate a derivation from the Greek habros and sac, “the beautiful, the glorious Savior.” The name has appeared in the ancient Hebrew/Aramaic mystical treatises The Book of Raziel and The Sword of Moses, and in post-Talmudic Jewish incantation texts, as well as in Persian mythology.

An interesting occurrence of Abraxas is found in a papyrus from late antiquity (perhaps from Hellenized Egypt, though its exact origin is unknown). The papyrus contains “magical recipes, invocations, and incantations,” and tells of a baboon disembarking the Sun boat and proclaiming: “Thou art the number of the year ABRAXAS.” This statement causes God to laugh seven times, and with the first laugh the “splendor [of light] shone through the whole universe.”

The Basilideans, a Gnostic sect founded in the 2nd century CE by Basilides of Alexandria, worshipped Abraxas as the “supreme and primordial creator” deity, “with all the infinite emanations.” The god Abraxas unites the opposites, including good and evil, the one and the many. He is “symbolized as a composite creature, with the body of a human being and the head of a rooster, and with each of his legs ending in a serpent.” His name is actually a mathematical formula: in Greek, the letters add up to 365, the days of the year and the number of eons (cycles of creation).

“That a name so sacredly guarded, so potent in its influence, should be preserved by mystic societies through the many ages . . . is significant,” notes Moses W. Redding, a scholar of secret societies. Redding suggests that only in Freemasonry has this “Divine Word” been “held in due reverence.”

In Kabbalah:

As a carpenter the creator employs tools to build a home, so G'd utilized the twenty-two letters of the alef-Beit (the Hebrew alphabet) to form heaven and earth. They are the metaphorical wood, stone and nails, cornerposts and crossbeams of our earthly and spiritual existence. As in abracadabra "Αύρα κατ' αύρα" אברא כדברא, as he, she, it created the universe with; the Letter, The word, and the number.

As Kabbalist sages say G'd created the alef-beit, before the creation of the world. "The Maggid of Mezritch" explains this on the basis of the first verse in the Book of Genesis “בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ—In the beginning G'd created the heavens and the earth.” Beresheet Barah Elokim Et (in the beginning God created the) The word את, (es or et) is spelled with an aleph, the first letter of the aleph-beit, and a tav, which is the last. The fact is, את, es, is generally considered to be a superfluous word. There is no literal translation for it, and its function is primarily as a grammatical device. So why is “es” present twice in the very first line of the Torah? It suggests that in the beginning, it was not the heavens and the earth that were created first. It was literally the alef-beit, aleph through to tav. The alpha and the omega, Without these letters, the very Utterances with which G'd formed the universe would have been impossible the Baal Shem Tov explains the verse, “Forever the words of G'd are hanging in the heavens.”

The crucial thing to realize is that G'd, creator, source did not merely create the world once. His Her It's words didn’t just emerge and then evaporate. Rather, G'd continues to create the world anew each and every moment. His Her It's, words are there constantly, “hanging in the heavens.” And the alef-beit is the foundation of this ongoing process of creation.

According to Kabbalah, Cabbalah and Qabbalah sages and scholars, when the same letters are transposed to form different words, they retain the common energy of their shared gematria. Because of this, the words maintain a connection in the different forms. We find a classic example of this with the words (הצר, hatzar, troubles), (רצה, ratzah, a desire to run passionately into the “ark” of spiritual study and prayer) and (צהר, tzohar, a light that shines from within). All three words share the same three letters: tzaddik, reish and hei in different combinations. The Baal Shem Tov, explains, the connection between the words as follows: When one is experiencing troubles (hatzar), and one runs to study Spiritual txts and pray with great desire (ratzah), one is illuminated with a G'dly light from within (tzohar) that helps him or her transform there troubles into blessings, as it is said that the source of the twenty-two letters is even higher than that of the Ten Commandments.

As it states: “With you, is the essence of G'd", בך means “with you.” The (Beit which has a gematria of 2) and the (kaf = 20) added together equals 22. Through the twenty-two letters of the alef-Beit, we are all connected to the monad, G'd, Allah الله, the source, and each other through our words and language as words hold power as that which makes us All unique is language as language weaves everything together. These are the teachings of our holy teacher, as the The Zohar affirms that every sentence, every phrase, every word, and even every letter of the Bible exists simultaneously on several levels of meaning. This sacred work clearly declares, “Woe unto those who see in the Law nothing but simple narratives and ordinary words! . . . Every word of the Law contains an elevated sense and a sublime mystery.”

[Except from Path of the Sun Keepers by Paul Francis Young]

“Words have a magical power. They can bring either the greatest happiness or deepest despair; they can transfer knowledge from teacher to student; words enable the orator to sway his audience and dictate its decisions. Words are capable of arousing the strongest emotions and prompting all men's actions.” --Sigmund Freud

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lopsicle · 2 months ago

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We’ll Take Care Of You

TickleTober Day 8, Exposed Body Part

Characters: Lee! Vox, Ler! Velvette, Ler! Valentino (Romantic, polycules give me life), Zestial (Background/Implied Zestmilla).

Summary: Vox gets injured during a fight with other overlords; Vel and Val help treat his injuries.

Warnings: Fighting, Blood, injuries, scars, Valentino.

•••

Blood. Vox couldn’t tell from where it was pouring, his whole body felt like it was trying to rip itself apart, the distinctive sting in his abdomen clued him in though. The way his leg wobbled beneath him also wasn’t a good sign, he couldn’t keep himself supported for long, his knees hit the pavement. Fuck, why was there broken glass there’s?! Oh right, from his screen. It has been shattered, a large, ugly crack covering his right eye.

He might’ve convinced himself he was on a bad trip with the way his sight was glitching out, different shapes and colours all buzzing in his vision, much like the ones you’d see flashing on an error screen, worsening his throbbing headache. Weakly, a swarm of wires emerged from behind him, crackling with electricity. He lunged his arm forward, commanding them to ram into his assailant, who side stepped easily.

“Thou hath grown weaker since the disappearance of The Radio Demon.” Zestial commented, making his screen flash with a furious, cyan blue brilliance. Vox’s eyes shot open, well, his one good eye did, Zestial had created a sizeable crack over his over one.

“Tell me, art I noht worthy enough to be a challenge to thou?” Zestial asked, his lanky figure looming over Vox, seeming much bigger than it ever had before. Vox stares up at those soulless, toxic, feeling much like a fly caught in Zestial’s web.

“Jesus, y-you proved your point..” Vox managed to muster enough strength to speak, though it was muffled beneath all his static and glitching. Zestial tilted his head, leaning down to examine Vox, his suit torn with sweet, blue liquid pouring from his wounds, face destroyed and humiliated. Zestial smiled and returned to his full height.

“It appears that I have. I hope this serves as a reminder to thou of whom the real overlords of this realm are. Do not think about spitting poison in the direction of Carmilla again in my presence.” Zestial warned him, though Vox wasn’t listening. His audio receptors were too clogged with his own blood. It was only when Zestial began to walk away, leaving the shivering, pained man behind that he reached for his phone with upmost need, even if his movements were weak and limp, like a skeleton clinging to their own grave. A ringing filled the silence around him, answered almost immediately.

“Vox, where-fuck, what happened to you?! Where are you?!” Velvette bellowed on the other end, her stern look boiling away to concern. Vox squinted at her with his good eye and smiled, relaxing his muscles, not having any remaining strength in his body.

“Hey Vel,” his voice came out uncharacteristically weak and tiny, “you look beautiful.” He mumbled, Velvette’s worried, frantic cries for an explanation fading away as his world blinked into darkness.

When Vox came to, he felt like shit. Not as shitty as before, there were no burning pains in his body, just mostly sore. The world around him felt soft and a quick glance around revealed him to be back in his room, though it looked a little different. On his bedside drawer were various types of bandages, cotton balls and ointments, iodines, peroxides and such, along with some medicine and…was that a card? Vox squinted at it. “Get Well Soon,” apparently from his assistant Papermint. Well, that didn’t explain why he was here-

Oh right. The fight. Ugh, did Velvette really see him like that, all injured and gross and sappy? Vox sighed at the thought, before pulling up the covers slightly to take a look at his body. His thigh had been thoroughly bandaged up, so comfortable he hadn’t even noticed until now. His shoes and shirt were gone, revealing a good few scars littered across his torso, precise and thin. Zestial’s nails. That fucking eight legged was freak was going to get what was coming to him, Vox was sure of that at least. He didn’t have long to linger on the thought though, due to the sound of incoming footsteps heading for his room.

“God dam it Valentino, he’ll be fine, he just needs rest!” Velvette screeched.

“Bullshit, he’s been out for a whole day, our novio is strong, he would’ve pulled through by now.” There was a small part of Vox that was resentful that he had indeed woken up and that Val was about to be proven right. His door clicked upon, Valentino’s imposing figure stood next to Velvette’s short one. Valentino’s coat was gone, letting his wings breathe freely, wearing nothing but a comfortable dark tracksuit beneath. Velvette’s hair wasn’t styled at all, simply left to hang freely, a style that Vox found gorgeous. Valentino just smirked confidently at Vox though it was aimed at Velvette, who just stared flabbergasted, before breaking into a relieved smile.

“Really picked an inconvenient time to wake up, didn’t you?” Vel commented, a rare sound of softness in her tone as she approached Vox; Valentino in tow.

“You know me, Vel, I always show up in places I’m not wanted,” Vox smirks, trying to regain some of the confidence he had lost from that humiliating defeat. He could pretend for now. Valentino leaned down next to his bed side, stroking his hand at the top of Vox’s TV head. At this distance, Vox could see through the tint of his red-sunglasses, his eyes were full of clear relief and love.

“You had us worried, hermoso.” He said in a tone that made Vox shiver, not used to Valentino being so affectionate. “Christ, Vel was a mess when she came to me.”

Velvette huffed. “Well excuse me, Vox was talking like he had one foot in the grave already! Who even did that to you?!” Velvette asked, there was fury in her tone, but it wasn’t directed at Val or Vox. Vox really did think he was a goner there, huh? He cringed at the thought of getting all sentimental and mushy in front of Vel…ugh, at least it wasn’t Valentino. He wouldn’t let Vox live that down, though the way Velvette was being so worried about him almost made him prefer Valentino.

“That old spider prick Zestial, but it’s fine, really. I-I just couldn’t see and I thought I was..you know, a lot more worse for wear than I was, it’ll take a lot more than that to keep me down.” Vox bragged, though the other two weren’t all that interested in his ego right now. Valentino pulled out two golden pistols he’d kept on his body, because that’s a responsible thing to bring into a make-shift hospital room.

“So, we’re going to kill this guy, right?” Valentino asked, unable to stop a grin from forming on his face though he was dead serious. Vox interjected before Vel could passionately agree.

“No, no, you two are not about to go and worsen the mess I created. We could hit him where it hurts though, his reputation, I’m sure some of my cameras caught what went down, we could easily spin this and frame him as-.” Vox put a hand to his chin as he rambled though Velvette waved her hands dismissively.

“No, no, no, you are not working right now, your hurt and your not doing anything until your better!” Velvette stated, crossing her arms over her chest, practically daring Vox to argue with her. He still get like absolute Hell, that fight has taken a physical, and unexpected emotional toll on him. He couldn’t let his image continue to slip though, he’d already looked like an idiotic sap to Velvette and a useless, banged up meat sack to Valentino. Now what was he, some helpless baby?

“Yes, I am-ow!” Vox tried to pull himself up, though the second he began to get up, it was like his torso was trying to split open.

“Careful, querido, we haven’t finished with the cuts on your torso. At least let us handle them.” Valentino asked, squeezing Vox’s hand in his own. Vox’s face heated up at the feeling and he leaned back into the bed.

“Thank you,” Velvette added in an exaggerated tone, before comfortably pulling back the covers to leave Vox’s torso on show. She grabbed some of the cotton balls on Vox’s desk and doused it in the antiseptics she had accumulated there. “This is gonna sting a little.” She warned him.

Vox rolled his eyes. “Oh, please I’m not a kid-oh fuck!” He screeched as Velvette dabbed and pressed the cotton ball against the scrapes on his torso, one by one. He squeezed onto Val’s hand tighter instinctively and hears the man chuckle; Vox blushed even more. Velvette winced and worked as fast as she could, thoroughly disinfecting all his cuts. Vox took in a deep breath, trying to regain any semblance of composure as he swatted away Val’s hand.

“You two really didn’t have to do all this, for me,” Vox added quietly at the end, Val put a hand on his hip.

“That’s a weird way of saying thank you, Voxy.” He teased, though Velvette made sure to lightly smack his arm, having finished treating Vox.

“Shut up, Val! And yes, Vox, we did, did you want to wake up half blind with a useless leg? I didn’t think so.” She seemed to shudder slightly as she described it. He hated that she saw him like that already but that just made a little bit of guilt crawl up to his throat like bile.

“I just…never wanted either of you to see me in that state, I-I apologise, it won’t happen again.” Vox’s voice shifted to the tone he’d use when discussing business deals, formal and matter of fact, dropping with false confidence. That seemed to set off alarm bells in his partner’s head. Velvette considered for a moment what to say, but Valentino beat him to it.

“Voxy, darling, baby,” he leaned in, placing his hands on Vox’s shoulders, “do you know how stupid you sound right now?”

Vox’s eyes narrowed with insecurity, Velvette looked about ready to rip off Val’s wings before he continued.

“Do you know how many times you’ve seen me ripping apart this whole tower because of some shit Angel did? Or how Velvette was a blubbering mess when she first came to Hell? None of us three are perfect, we’re in Hell, so stop lying to all three of us.” Vox’s eyes seemed to soften as he looked away, actually taking in something Valentino said. Velvette seemed shock that Valentino said something actually useful.

“You know you have to be wrong if I’m agreeing with dick for brains here. Vox, we’re not gonna view you differently for this, your still our leader. This place couldn’t function without you, we still value you.” Velvette sat down on Vox’s bed next to him, who was feeling warmly trapped between the two.

“Well…that is certainly got to know, just make sure that the details of all this stays between us? You didn’t tell anyone else, right?” Vox asked, to which Velvette shook her head.

“Only your assistant.” She explained, Vox seemed to relieve, able to relax once again.

“Good, good…thank you for doing all of this for me, truly.” Vox managed a smile for his partners, Velvette politely returned one. Valentino remained smug as always but kept his hands on Vox’s body, playfully dragging his fingers down his arm.

“Very good, I like it!” Val praised him in a sickly sweet tone, which just made Velvette roll her arms. Vox on the other hand was much more preoccupied with the way his hand was travelling down his arm, with his index finger gently dragging against Vox’s chest and then just his side. Vox eyed Valentino’s hand, biting at his lip though he was much too weak to hold back his laughter right now, softy cracking up and squeezing his eyes shut.

“Gohohod, Val, stop thahahat!” He ordered, swerving his body away from the man slightly, but Val’s fingers caught up with him, a wide grin on the man’s face as he realised what he was doing.

“Oh, don’t be such a princesa, Voxy, it’s just tickling, it’s not like I’m doing anything…sinister.” That last word came out in a dark whisper, Vox felt his face sparkle with electricity, unable to meet Valentino’s smug gaze. He tried to curl up on himself but one of Valentino’s pair of arms took a hold of his wrists, forcing them above his head.

“Vahahahl, the tickling is the prohohoblem!” Vox whined, his laughter coming out slightly crackly and hoarse, doing his best to contain his snickers. Velvette starting to scribble her nails along his abs didn’t help with that.

“VEHEHEHEL!!” Vox shrieked, tensing his legs; Velvette simply smirked up at him, squeezing at the solid skin.

“What? You gave me a proper scare, you dolt, consider this my revenge!” She declared, skittering those wonderfully manicured nails of hers over his torso, her touches a lot more precise and decorate than Val’s large hands.

“Fuhuhuhuck, why yohoHOHOHu thehehen?!” Vox spat out at Valentino, who just shrugged, his crimson teeth shining with glee.

“I just like doing this, you look adorable, Voxy~!” He teased, pinching the side of his screen, before sharply withdrawing his hand at the feeling of a sharp shock bubbling at his fingertips.

“CAHAHN YOHOHU BOHOHTH QUIHIHIT IT?!” Vox whined in a flustered tone, wishing he could just disappear, or hide under the covers. His partner’s fingers were not compliant with that wish however, Velvette continued skittering her nails all about his torso whilst Valentino squeezed up and down his ribs, leaving Vox’s midriff in sensory hell. Velvette looked a little apprehensive as she noticed how hard Vox was squirming about, he looked about ready to blow a fuse in his head with how hard he was blushing. It was cute, obviously, but she couldn’t help but come concerned for Voxy, pulling away her hands and ushering for Val to do the same by slapping his wrist. Surprisingly, he complied.

“You got off lucky this time, mi amor, but you owe me~!” Valentino made sure to remind him, but Vox wasn’t listening. He smiled appreciatively at Velvette as he laid down, trying to recover.

“You two..you two are assholes..” he spoke with a small grin before figuring to add, “thanks though but, I can handle myself from here and you both can’t afford to stay here watching me all day.” Velvette huffed, knowing he was right. Valentino looked down at him, something close to love in his eyes.

“As long as you say so, Voxy. Come on, Doll, I have a shoot to film.” He stated to which she just rolled her eyes in disinterest and turned her face towards Vox.

“Stay safe, baby,” Velvette murmured, kissing him on his cheek gently, before she stood up. Vox’s eyes had a little twinkle as he looked up at Velvette.

“I will, I promise.”

#sfw tickling community #tickle fic #tickle content #sfw tickle #tickletober #tickletober 2024 #augtickletober2024 #hazbin hotel tickle #lee vox #ler valentino #ler velvette

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brabblesblog · 4 months ago

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Lore Dump: Whither and Remember

Art by my bestie Leira Art

With Remember ye not the former things finished, I can now post a sort of look into the internal logic or lore for these two fics.

Spoilers for the fics below!

Disclaimer: I am by no means saying this is absolute truth. We are all welcome to headcanon as we want, and that is the beauty of fiction.

The main premise for Whither is that the Rite of Profane Ascension did not do anything to alter Astarion’s personality. He was the same person as he had always been - irrevocably changed by what he (and Tav/Ban) agreed to do in the process, yes - but there was no fundamental alteration. The Vampire Ascendant is a new creation by Larian. I interpreted it as him taking a step in combining the benefits of being mortal and vampiric. Raphael after all, had said that the rite would return the 'arousals of man' to him.

Then what are the consequences of such a deed? This is where a quick delve into infernal pacts makes itself valuable.

As revealed in Remember, there are two: the Pact Certain and the Pact Insidious.

From the Forgotten Realms wiki on devils, under Faustian Pacts:

The Pact Certain was a contract that the devils favored, because it was fast. The mortal immediately handed over his or her soul to Baator on death for some services. Barring proving that the pact was signed under some form of duress like threat of torture, these pacts' terms were impossible to adjudicate.

The Pact Insidious was a bit different. Here, a mortal and a devil agreed upon exchanging services. Namely, the devil provided the mortal with something and the mortal had to act in some manner that the devil wanted to. It was possible to make multiple follow-up contracts that gave the receiving mortals more benefits in return of additonal behaviors it had to follow. Failing to act in such manner meant that the mortal lost the contract's benefits. Agreeing to such a Pact Insidious in itself was not an act that shackled one's soul to Baator, but acting in ways that were specified within the contract or contracts meant that one acted in ways that put him or her ever closer to reach Baator on death.

The rite could have concievably been a Pact Insidious. Seven thousand souls for the luxuries that mortals enjoy and vastly increased power. In this situation, Astarion would get to keep his soul until his death, at which time he would inevitably end up in Cania.

This is the dilemma Ban and Astarion encounter at the end of Remember, and what they attempt to address in the third installment, For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.

Why does his behavior change post-ritual, then? The fics are framed and informed by a background story for the pair that follows in-game dialogs and events faithfully. Readers of Whither already know the answer to this, and I will say the answer is best discovered reading through its chapters.

Anyways. Thank you for listening to me yap! I've had this idea in my pocket for the longest time, and I'm glad it's now out in the world. And if you ever hear these of these pacts anywhere else - you'll know what its origins are.

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n0cturn4 · 17 days ago

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Series In every universe - 15 . Jason Todd

Character: Jason Todd x Reader Summary: "Why are you so special to me?" Word Count: 491

In that timeless forest, Jason gazed upon her as one might behold a distant star—brilliant, unreachable, yet captivating beyond all measure. His eyes held a blend of sorrow and reverence, as if she were the reflection of all he had lost.

Breaking the silence, he spoke, his voice rough, trembling, as though each word were drawn from the depths of his soul. “Tell me,” he murmured, with a desperate urgency, “what is it about thee that binds me thus, like a memory I have never known? Why, in a world where time has robbed me of so much, art thou the one thing that feels… real?”

She met his gaze, her own eyes filled with a sorrow as ancient as time itself. “Perchance it is because, even when the world seeks to erase me,” she whispered, her voice as gentle and sharp as a blade, “thou art the one who sees beyond shadows, as though thou couldst find my very soul—even as I strive to hide it.”

Around them, the forest seemed almost alive, shrouded in mist that drifted like specters between the towering trees, as if guarding secrets as old as the roots themselves. The trees were tall and dark, their twisted branches reaching skyward, as though trying to capture the stars. The moonlight filtered down in slender beams, casting a ghostly glow over them, like fleeting blessings from another realm. The earth beneath them was blanketed with soft moss, broken only by ancient stones weathered smooth by time’s passage, remnants of travelers from ages long past.

In the distance, the murmur of a waterfall broke the quiet, blending with the hoot of owls and the gentle rustle of leaves stirred by the night’s breeze. The air was tinged with the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves, a fragrance both old and familiar, woven from generations of longing and forgotten memories.

They came upon a small glade, where the moon cast a perfect circle of light upon the ground, as though destiny had carved that space for them alone. Jason lifted his gaze to her, his face softened by the silvery glow, each feature etched in shadow and light, his expression both haunted and tender.

There, beneath that canopy of leaves and starlight, he dared to speak again, his voice a mere whisper upon the wind. “Tell me,” he murmured, “why dost thou make this moment feel… as though it shall endure for all time?”

She sighed, her words as soft as the night’s breeze that drifted between the trees. “Because thou seest beyond shadows, Jason,” she replied, her voice delicate yet resolute, “thou seest me for what I am, even when I, myself, forget.”

He cast his gaze downward, studying the shadows upon his hands, as though within them lay the marks of an impossible love and memories etched in longing. The forest around them seemed to mirror their shared emotions, standing as a silent witness to a bond as deep and eternal as the heavens.

#jason todd x reader #jason todd x you #jason todd/reader #jason todd/you #red hood x you #red hood/reader #red hood x reader #red hood #jason todd #arkham knight x reader #arkham knight

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sassenach77yle · 5 months ago

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What are ye laughing at, a nighean?” Her father loomed out of the night, smelling of horses. “Everything,” she said, scooching over to make room for him to sit beside her. It was true. Everything seemed suddenly bright, the candlelight from the windows of the Big House, the fireflies in the grass, the glow of Roger’s face when he told her his desire. She could still feel the touch of his mouth on hers; it fizzed in her blood.

Jamie reached up and fielded a passing firefly, holding it for a moment cupped in the dark hollow of his hand, where it flashed on and off, the cool light seeping through his fingers. Far off, she heard a brief snatch of her mother’s voice, coming through an open window;

Claire was singing “Clementine.” Now the boys—and Roger—were howling at the moon, though it was no more than a pale sickle on the horizon. She felt her father’s body shake with silent laughter, too.

“It reminds me of Disneyland,” she said on impulse.

“Oh, aye? Where’s that?” “It’s an amusement park—for children,” she added, knowing that while there were such things as amusement parks in places like London and Paris, these were purely adult places. No one ever thought of entertaining children now, beyond their own games and the occasional toy. “Daddy and Mama took me there every summer,” she said, slipping back without effort to the hot, bright days and warm California nights.

“The trees all had little sparkling lights in them—the fireflies reminded me.” Jamie spread his palm; the firefly, suddenly free, pulsed to itself once or twice, then spread its wings with a tiny whir and lifted into the air, floating up and away.

“Dwelt a miner, forty-niner, and his daugh-ter, Clementine . . .”

“What was it like, then?” he asked curiously. “Oh . . . it was wonderful.” She smiled to herself, seeing the brilliant lights of Main Street, the music and mirrors and beautiful, beribboned horses of King Arthur’s Carrousel. “There were . . . rides, we called them. A boat, where you could float through the jungle on a river, and see crocodiles and hippopotamuses and headhunters . . .” “Headhunters?” he said, intrigued. “Not real ones,” she assured him. “It’s all make-believe—but it’s . . . well, it’s a world to itself. When you’re there, the real world sort of disappears; nothing bad can happen there.

They call it ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’—and for a little while, it really seems that way.”

“Light she was, and like a fairy, and her shoes were number nine, Herring boxes without topses, sandals were for Clementine.”“And you’d hear music everywhere, all the time,” she said, smiling. “Bands—groups of musicians playing instruments, horns and drums and things—would march up and down the streets, and play in pavilions. . . .” “Aye, that happens in amusement parks. Or it did, the once I was in one.” She could hear a smile in his voice, as well. “Mm-hm. And there are cartoon characters—I told you about cartoons—walking around. You can go up and shake hands with Mickey Mouse, or—” “With what?” “Mickey Mouse.” She laughed. “A big mouse, life-size—human-size, I mean. He wears gloves.” “A giant rat?” he said, sounding slightly stunned. “And they take the weans to play with it?” “Not a rat, a mouse,” she corrected him. “And it’s really a person dressed up like a mouse.” “Oh, aye?” he said, not sounding terribly reassured. “Yes. And an enormous carrousel with painted horses, and a railroad train that goes through the Rainbow Caverns, where there are big jewels sticking out of the walls, and colored streams with red and blue water . . . and orange-juice bars. Oh, orange-juice bars!” She moaned softly in ecstatic remembrance of the cold, tart, overwhelming sweetness. “It was nice, then?” he said softly.

“Thou art lost and gone forever, Dreadful sor-ry . . . Clementine.”

“Yes,” she said, sighed, and was silent for a moment. Then she leaned her head against his shoulder, and wrapped her hand around his arm, big and solid. “You know what?” she said, and he made a small interrogatory noise in reply.

It was nice—it was great—but what I really, really loved about it was that when we were there, it was just the three of us, and everything was perfect. Mama wasn’t worrying about her patients, Daddy wasn’t working on a paper—they weren’t ever silent or angry with each other. Both of them laughed—we all laughed, all the time . . . while we were there.” He made no reply, but tilted his head so it rested against hers. She sighed again, deeply.

“Jemmy won’t get to go to Disneyland—but he’ll have that. A family that laughs—and millions of little lights in the trees.”

A breath of snow and ashes

Season 7 episode 2 “The Happiest Place on Earth”

#outlander #outlanderedit #the frasers #outlander starz #outlander series #jamie fraser #outlander fanart #samheughan #jamie&claire #jamie and claire #claire fraser #sophie skelton #brianna fraser #brianna mackenzie #jamie&bree #outlander books #outlander book #outlander season 7 #outlander 7x02

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dhnrys · 4 months ago

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Ides of Gold - Messmer x Original Female Character

In a time where the Golden Lineage once reigned supreme, a powerful and enigmatic force known as the Greater Will takes notice of an unsuspecting Tarnished woman. With its remaining might, the Greater Will transports her through the fabric of time itself, back to an era when the Lands Between and the Realm of Shadow existed in harmonious balance. Her purpose? To prevent the catastrophic Shattering that would ultimately bring ruin to both realms and trap the Golden Lineage in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. However, upon her arrival in this long-forgotten age, the woman finds herself stripped of all memories from her past life, a blank slate amid the swirling tides of fate. What she does possess is the incredible power of Grace, an intangible force that draws the attention of both demigods and mere mortals alike. Some see her as a potential ally, while others view her as a threat to the established order. Regardless, her very existence sets in motion a chain of events that will reshape the foundations of this ancient world forever...

As she stood before the towering Erdtree, fully prepared to accept her role as Elden Lord with her arms and teeth bared in defiance against Ser Margott, The Fell Omen, an invisible force plucked her away from the constraints of known time. She thrashed and cursed, gnawing at the air as she fought against the being's unrelenting grasp, but it remained unphased by her futile struggles. Every muscle in her body strained against the invisible hold as she was forcefully pulled into a new realm beyond her understanding.

And in that moment, she knew that her fate had been sealed by forces far greater than any mortal could comprehend.

The deafening crack shattered the stillness, sending waves of sorrow coursing through her. She was consumed by a blinding light, as if all her blood had turned to gold. Memories of her past and present were swept away, leaving behind a blank slate. The Tarnished woman hung in the palm of the Greater Will, caught between life and death, her eyes flickering with conflicting shades of gold and amethyst. Her body spasmed as it tried to make sense of its own destruction and rebirth.

“Thou art a struggler through and through, even in the grasp of divinity.” A chuckle escaped the creature’s throat as it observed the woman.

She had a spark in her soul—a bright flame that was fueled by various influences, and the Greater Will admired such determination in mortals. As the god spoke, a low rumble resonated from its palm with each word. Finally, the woman's eyes settled into a deep shade of violet with golden rings around the iris.

She used her own palms to support herself as she slowly pushed herself upwards, gathering in whatever surroundings she could see. “What is this place?”

“Paradise. Home. Prison,” Her body stiffened at the realization that she was not alone. “For which does thou’st choose, I wonder?”

As she lifted her gaze, the woman was met with a breathtaking sight. Countless golden trees stretched out into the distance, their leaves shimmering like fragments of sunlight. Above and below, stars twinkled in the endless expanse of the sky, creating an ethereal atmosphere. The woman couldn't help but gasp at the surreal beauty surrounding her; it felt as though she had been transported to the very edge of existence, where all possibilities merged into one. Despite her fear and uncertainty, she couldn't deny the awe that filled her being. Surely, the person who had brought her here would reveal their intentions soon enough, but for now she allowed herself to be swept away by the wonder of this mysterious place.

“Thou…wants something of me, I presume?” Her voice was smooth and velvety, like freshly woven silk or a dollop of warm honey being delicately stirred into a cup of steaming tea on a cold winter's day. Each word she spoke felt like a gentle caress, soothing and comforting.

“Ah,” A cruel laugh echoed through its core, and she could feel it deep within her being. It was at that moment when the true weight of the situation hit her, and a sense of overwhelming fear washed over her. She could only bow her head and clench her jaw tightly, feeling the faint taste of blood in her mouth from biting down so hard.

“Curious thou are—very well, then, I shall tell thee what yer purpose be.”

Silence enveloped them, stretching on for what felt like an eternity. She could sense the creature's gaze piercing into her, until it finally broke the stillness by speaking. “I am neither ally nor foe to thee in thou’st mundane conquests, I simply wish to see that ordered be restored upon the lands in which ye shall reside.”

“And what has one, such as I, done to be granted such an audience as grand as thee? Amongst that which observes with eyes scattered across infinite lifetimes?” She said back, swallowing the lump in her throat, bracing whatever may come next.

Another rumble, almost like a laugh, echoed throughout her entire being. “Thou’st provide adequate entertainment. Perhaps I should keep ye here as companion to me, this seemeth better than what journey ye must take.”

“…But if I were to refuse thi—”

“Thy first mistake was to assume that this was a request or that thou haveth say in the matter, little Tarnished.”

She pursed her lips, deep in thought. It was clear that this situation was beyond her reach - it was outside of her capabilities to handle or escape from. “You seek to use me as thine own puppet, then?”

“No,” She couldn't tear her eyes away from the looming figure above her, even though every instinct urged her to do so. The creature's eyes bore into hers, a mesmerizing mix of fear and fascination. It was as if she was being pulled into a world of shimmering stars and endless possibilities, but at the same time, she felt a sense of danger lurking beneath the surface. She was torn between wanting to escape and wanting to stay entranced by this unknown being.

“Thou are to be what thou are, nothing more nor less.”

Her lips parted, but the creature continued to speak. “Ye will not remember this but know that I bestow upon thee my own blessings—thine own power to wield as thou’st see fit. Ye will not remember, but thou will learn as if it is all you ever knew.

She wanted to speak, to make sense of the swirling chaos around her. But as she opened her mouth, flashes of familiar and unfamiliar colors overwhelmed her senses. Memories of a place and time that had been torn apart and rearranged filled her mind, leaving behind an unrecognizable canvas. She was caught between wanting to remember and wanting to forget.

Read the rest HERE - sporadic updates :)

#elden ring #elden ring messmer #messmer x tarnished #slow burn #canon divergent au #eventual smut #godwyn the golden #shadow of the erdtree #messmer x reader #elden ring oc #oc writing #the greater will #marika the eternal #the tarnished

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icespur · 9 months ago

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DadGoro Navigator Quotes Help

5/2: update: replaced some paragraphs with the originals in my Google Doc, Including some example quotes I came up with

originally I had a concept I was going to post about "Teen Akeshu Daughter from the future gets sent to the past during P5R", but I got preoccupied.

She tries to play matchmaker to get Akiren and Akechi on the right path. But she also can't risk revealing who she is, Akechi and Akiren don't know what to think of her. To them, she comes across as an unhinged Akechi fan that ships him with the Phantom Thief Leader for some reason, and is from the future, and looks like a mix of both of them if they squint real hard.

Akechi especially finds her irritating, and finds her very selective sharing of who she is very suspicious, and isn't buying her surname being “Akagi”. His detective senses are ringing like sirens that “🚨 THIS FUTURISTIC BITCH IS SUSPICIOUS AS FUCK! SHE’S CLEARLY NOT BEING TRUTHFUL IN THE SLIGHTEST, DO NOT TRUST, ALSO HIGHLY ANNOYING AND EVASIVE, MUST KEEP WATCH OF SUSPICIOUS TEENAGER! 🚨

So when Komari joins the Phantom Thieves in battle, and the rare instance where Akechi briefly takes over as Navigator, he especially makes his irritation of her known and just how much he doesn't give a shit what happens to her in battle.

("Akagi" is her "undercover" surname)

“Akagi-san’s health is down. Heal her I guess~”

“What a tragedy, Akagi-san has perished.”

“Oh, Akagi-san is fully healed and ready to continue to grace us with her presence~”

“Akagi-san has been incapacitated. Can't say I'm surprised.”

But once he finds out she's his future daughter—-

Granted,the fact that he’s destined to eventually have intercourse that leads to knocking up his rival is—-alot to take in—-. but this is his daughter. His future flesh and blood, he—oh he feels like such a piece of shit 🤦. Curse his trust issues and natural skepticism, he was a fucking dick, how is he going to fix this?

The “Daughter Reveal” makes him take a 180 in his behavior towards her. Something just clicks and “Fuck this annoying suspicious little shit.” Turns into “I've only known Komari for a couple of months, but if anything were to happen to her, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.” With zero warning.

I am thou,

thou art I,

Protective Dad Akechi has awakened!

Komari becomes number 1 priority in battle, and he’ll freak out if she gets injured or inflicted with an ailment. He demands Joker to immediately help her like the whole world will implode in on itself if he doesn't. Other teammates or enemy strengths and weaknesses be damned, Komari is important.

and this shows especially in battle.

The first time Komari gets severely injured in battle, Akechi practically teleports to her side and catches her in his arms. “JOKER, YOU BETTER HAVE A FULL HEAL ITEM ON HAND, USE ONE OF THOSE WEIRD DRUGS FROM TAKEMI-SENSEI YOU BOUGHT, HURRY! YOU'RE NOT LOOKING FAST ENOUGH YOU ONLY HAVE TWO POCKETS IN THAT COAT, HOW COULD YOU MISPLACE IT?! THE LONGER YOU TAKE FAILING TO FIND IT THE CLOSER MARI-CHAN GETS TO THE AFTERLIFE, ARE YOU THIS UNPREPARED AND USELESS WHEN THE REST OF YOUR TEAM IS IN DANGER?!”

“You stay with me, don't you dare close those eyes, you are not dying on us. You're strong, you can get through this—-JOKER, HURRY THE FUCK UP!”

Tears streaming down face while still yelling “PAPA’S HERE, I’M NOT LEAVING YOU, once your IDIOTIC FATHER finally heals you you’ll be all better.”

In the scenario where Komari and another party member is low on health, Akechi ignores them.

Ryuji speaks up faintly “Uh, hey. Hate to interrupt your guys' very understandable panic–but any chance you could throw me a full heal too?”

Akechi growls back “Walk it off, Sakamoto-kun, this isn’t about you!”

Just----the complete 180 from:

"Oh, what an absolute tragedy, Akagi-San has died, tip your masks in respect everyone. She will be sorely missed, if only we had a revival on hand~"

To:

"MY BABY!

JOKER, GET THE REVIVAL ITEM, HEAL HER, HURRY HURRY, GET IT OUT FASTER, OUR PRINCESS IS FADING, ARE YOU THIS USELESS WHEN YOUR OTHER TEAMMATES ARE IN NEED OF HEALING?!

when infected with ailment, Akechi and Joker immediately tag team her with the feather fans to bitch slap the ailment away.

Akechi or Joker always perform a followup attack when she's having her turn in battle.

After a successful battle and if Komari's Persona levels up and gains a new ability, the in-game dialogue would be Proud Dad Akechi complimenting and drawing attention to it. Pretty much a more aggressive version of Prince attire Akechi leveling up. “Everyone, look! I gained a new ability. :) “

A couple example dialogues I came up with:

“Hey, everyone pay attention, what, were you all raised in a barn? Mari-chan gained a new ability.”

“JOKER LOOK!---” Physically forces Joker's head to face Komari and her Persona (Even though he was already looking). “MARI GAINED A NEW ABILITY! HER STATS WENT UP AND EVERYTHING, SHE’S GETTING SO STRONG, MAYBE EVEN STRONGER THAN US, WE CREATED SUCH AN UNSTOPPABLE BADASS YOUNG LADY AIIISTRHGHGJFGHSSGNSKJS.”

“I’m already looking.”

“THEN FUCKING SAY SOMETHING, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BE SELECTIVELY MUTE!”

.............

“My future princess is turning more and more into a powerful badass with every new ability 🥲🥹. Ahem I mean—-oh, Komari-chan earned a new skill, ooo, that’s a good one.”

..............

“AHAHA! NOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR ENEMIES QUIVER BEFORE YOU EVEN MORE! MAKE US PROUD.”

................

Then, a friend mentioned dialogue for other battle actions like Baton Pass and Ailments that I didn't even think of!

So I'm going to have you fellow Akeshu fans participate because I'm having trouble coming up with more Proud Dad Akechi dialogue.

Write some dialogue reactions for Akechi if his and Akiren's daughter was a playable party member.

(you don't have to fill out all these sections. Just, if you come up with a line for one of the below actions, reply or reblog with it and once I get enough participants I'll make another post.

Akechi/Crow: passes Baton to Komari:

Crow/Black Mask response to Komari Attack Quotes:

Komari Dodges Attack:

Komari Downs an enemy:

Double Enemy Down:

Down all enemies:

Defeats an enemy:

Defeats two enemies:

Defeats last Enemy:

Attack miss or Skill miss:

HP at 25% at start of turn:

Affected by Tarunda/Attack Decrease:

Affected by Rakunda/Defense Decrease:

Affected by Sukunda/Speed Decrease:

Suffering from Shock:

Suffering from Freeze:

Suffering from Brainwash:

Suffering from Despair:

Suffering from Forget:

Suffering from Confuse:

Suffering from Rage:

Downed:

Recovers from being downed:

Incapacitated:

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kamaandhallie · 5 months ago

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The Butlerian Jihad of "Dune": the revolt against AI

In the world of Dune, one thing you may notice that really differs it from typical sci-fi stories in the same vein as it is that it lacks any computers, robots, or AI of any kind. This is because 10,000 years prior to the events of Dune (which is 10,000 years into the future for us), there was an event known as the Butlerian Jihad, in which humanity freed itself from being enslaved by thinking machines and outlawed them.

Back then, AI did exist in the world of Dune and it was quite widespread. Too widespread, in fact. Now you may think that the Butlerian Jihad was some Terminator-esque war where humans fought oppressive rogue sentient robots, but that is actually not the case. The problem here wasn't the thinking machines themselves, but instead it was humanity's overreliance on them. As a quote from the book said:

"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them".

Humanity had become so reliant and dependent on AI that it caused them to stagnate and grow decadent, which allowed all the powerful people in control of the thinking machines to use them to enslave and keep humanity under their control. As Leto II said in God-Emperor of Dune:

What do such machines really do? They increase the number of things we can do without thinking. Things we do without thinking — there's the real danger.

So it was less like Terminator and more akin to something like Wall-E. This continued until a religious movement known as the Butlerian Jihad came along where humans came together, revolted and destroyed every thinking machines in every world. After the Jihad, a religious commandment was established which said:

Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.

Ever since then, humanity never relied on thinking machines again, and any attempt to build one was met with the punishment of death. Humanity had to rely on their own mind, which caused great advancements in human thinking, such as the founding of Mentats, which are human computers who were trained to do complex calculations in their mind. That's why we never see AI in Dune.

Now some of you may be wondering why I decided to post this random bit of Dune lore on here, and the answer to that is because I've seen some posts here and around the internet that are expressing outrage over the rise of not only AI art, but now AI animated movies. Because of this, I truly feel we might experience some form of the Butlerian Jihad in real life sometime in the future, and it certainly ain't gonna be 10,000 years.

#dune #dune lore #ai #anti ai #frank herbert

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that-ari-blogger · 18 days ago

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Slow Down For A Bit

There is context that needs to be added here.

Season Two of The Owl House was the last season. That’s something that needs to be understood not just because of what will happen in later episodes, but in the context of events leading up to them. Oh Titan Where Art Thou is things winding up to the end of the series.

Even then, the final season of the show is three episodes total. So we don’t have much time for anything new.

To make this even clearer, I am writing these posts a month in advance and if things go to plan, I will have finished my series on The Owl House in its entirety before you read this. We are marching towards the end.

So, I want to slow down for a moment and just talk about this episode as two conversations. We’ll put aside the overarching plot for the most part and focus on two groups of people talking to each other.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (The Owl House, Undertale, Oh Brother Where Art Thou)

“Loose your way little guy?” “Actually, I got to where I was going. But now I…” (Shrugs)

A big theme in this series has been identity. Specifically, in how it relates to time. Luz struggles with the question of who she wants to be and whether she wants to go back home, for example.

Now, the show is getting philosophical with itself. It is making the audience aware that the ending is closing in, and it’s asking where we want to go from here. What will you do when the series finishes. There will be a last episode.

It’s a question that takes a morbid tone with the Titan and King. These two standing by a sign that says “Dead End” while looking at the corpse of King’s predecessor. This is what King will end up as, eventually. Just like there will be a final episode, there will be a final moment when King is King before he becomes another Titan for life to spring up off of.

But there’s a grey area isn’t there. Because that is a way off. The series itself isn’t dying, it just knows it will end. So, what do? What does the series want to be with its final episodes? What does King want to be before he dies.

At this point, I have to talk about Steve, because there is a reason he gained so much traction.

Steve was a popular-ish character before this episode dropped, and he hadn’t been given many lines beyond getting beaned by the Emerald Entrails and being at a party. This man had no personality to get attached to.

Except for one thing. Matt Chapman’s delivery.

How is this not a meme format yet. This is golden.

There is a distinct sense of weariness to this man. Like he eternally has an hour left on a night shift, close enough to see the freedom but just far enough away that you can’t touch it. And that��s exactly what is going on here. Luz joined the story while it was winding up to the day of unity, and so everyone is looking forwards to how the end of the nonsense.

That is what Bellos has promised everyone after all, piece. He offered the powerful security, sure, but the common folk were just told not to worry. He was offering them an end to the shift. He just didn’t mention that they wouldn’t be going home afterwards.

Also, whichever genius decided to put that little guitar riff over Steve’s reveal needs to be promoted to sound effect designer of the world. That one riff probably sold this character almost as well as the voice acting.

“Growing up, all I wanted was to be an emperor’s coven scout. To be considered one of the best. I got what I wanted, but it’s not what I thought it was.”

Steve is a parallel and an opposite to King. He’s the older figure looking back at a life he is unhappy with, but he’s also at about the same point. King wanted to be admired; Steve wanted to be a coven scout. They got exactly what they asked for, to the letter. But they are unhappy.

People don’t crave experiences, people crave emotions, at least in my experience. That’s why people can enjoy different things. A bungy jumper seeks that thrill and adrenaline, and they get that through their sports in the same way that a professional e-sports player does without having to contend with the altitude shifts.

King and Steve didn’t want the thing in their goal, they wanted the emotions they associate with that goal. Companionship, accomplishment, happiness. And it didn’t give them anything. Their goals didn’t change anything, they were still them on the other side.

I’m going to come back to this idea.

“Bellos is supposed to know everything, but why should he know what the Titan wants. Maybe the Titan doesn’t even know what he wants. Maybe he’s just some normal guy, you know?”

Steve is being utilised as a mentour here in story, and as rushed as is feels to bring up this connection with two episodes to go, I actually like how it is framed. He’s not a wizened old guy with a beard. He’s just a friend who you can talk to and who knows some things you don’t. He’s an older sibling.

And at this point, I need to talk about the music. If anyone has a link to the specific song that backs the little montage, please please please let me know as soon as possible.

But the montage is in three parts, and I’m including it in this episode because I think it is part of the conversation and relationship between the two.

We are just showing off scenery at this point, and it is worth it. This looks incredible. Especially the sunset colours. This is a goodbye to the world of The Owl House before the bombastic finale after all.

In part one, we get a single repeated, descending riff. I’m not good enough at music to pick out a key by ear, but I can tell you it’s relaxed and grounded. It’s melancholy and doesn’t go anywhere.

Meanwhile, Steve reads a book about the emperor’s coven, and King gives his parent a hug.

Then the drums kick in and I think the key changes to something more hopeful (don’t quote me on that) as they move to doing something that they love. They are on a beach with all the time in the world. King is chasing waves like a little kid and Steve is throwing rocks while his book sits out of the way, kept safe.

But.

We see two old ladies who have found happiness in each other. Two people who have reached the latter ends of their lives and who are content.

Steve is looking back at his own life unfulfilled and breaks down. So, King consoles him, and we get a beautiful moment of connection, but also vulnerability in a symbolic sense. Steve is the mentour, but he is also just as lost as King.

Just to be abundantly clear here as to how this is going geometrically. Steve is reading this book at an almost ninety degree angle. This shot distorts itself something savage to tell you what he is reading. That means it's important.

If we turn to the book for a moment, it was called “Synergy in the Emperor’s Coven.” We got a shot to specifically show us that. It would seem Steve is looking for connection, for friendship, maybe for love, we don’t know. But he is looking for someone to spend time with.

Part three is crucial, because it’s a decision point. What do these two want to do with their lives? Help people. The two change a wheel for a parent and child and are happy to wave and smile. The two have found a connection.

King can then sink back into a puddle, content, and lie there in the exact same pose as his predecessor. The symbolism for fulfilment is obvious, and Steve makes the parallel clearer when he puts a folded page from the book on King’s head. It’s a person. King is becoming like his parent.

The book anchors this section. It is a manifestation of what the emperor offered, and it starts out being used fully, then set aside, then fully cast away and used for something else.

But there is something else that is clever in this sequence, especially about that book.

There is no blue in this sequence except for that book and one other thing.

All the colours are topsy turvy in the Boiling Isles. The rocks are green, the trees are red, the clouds are a gorgeous pink, the lake and sky are purple. Etc. Etc.

I’m specifically talking about that bright baby blue here. If you look, you can see a log that is a darker shade, but it fits with the background. That book stands out because it is the only thing coloured like that.

It is bright and cheerful, but when the pages are torn out, it loses that lustre and even the cover is cast in shadow. The book is an empty promise.

The only other thing in this entire montage that matches it in vibrance is the puddle, and that keeps its colour on impact. It would seem that the two have been looking for connection and synergy in one place but have found it somewhere else.

But that reframes Bellos' design for a moment though, doesn't it? If we associate that blue with contentment, and Bellos' eyes are that exact same blue, we have a problem. His eyes are without light, it is a dead desire, empty and vacuous, representing his own aims and goals as a bottomless pit. But also, he tries to hide them with a mask, but a single crack to it shows them off plainly. Bellos' desire for destruction is on plain view to those who look closely, but you have to get within striking distance.

Back to this episode.

“Wants can change. So can people.” “I don’t want people to see me as a big scary monster anymore.” “Me neither.”

Let’s talk about Undertale for a moment.

“It’s you!”

Undertale is a story about growing up. That’s an overly simplified way of talking about it, but it’s not wrong. It’s about learning and complexity. It’s about redemption and friendship and morality. It’s about growing up and becoming more nuanced as a person. But…

“Despite everything, it’s still you.”

You get both of the lines upon looking into two mirrors at the start and end of the game respectively. You have changed a lot as a person and the character has as well, but you haven’t changed who you are.

It’s a threat and a comfort. You are the person you can’t escape, but you are the person you can save and be saved by, you are the person you can comfort, and you are the person who will always be there to offer yourself hope. You will always be you; nothing can ever change that.

“Stop, I’m still King. King!”

King and Steve have been through some stuff, and the next few days are going to be wild for them, but they are still themselves. They want to be treated differently, but not as different people.

Steve doesn’t want to be treated as a monster, for example, but he’s still Steve.

Meanwhile, Luz and Eda are discussing their own plans for the future, and this is a thematic rehash, right? They both are trying to decide where to go from here, and Eda is looking back at her life unfulfilled and being upset about it. Right?

No. That’s not what is happening at all.

The thematic constant of past and future is there, but everything else is different. Where King and Steve looked backwards, Eda and Luz are looking at what tomorrow will bring.

I find the framing of Eda’s actions in this episode fascinating, because they are antagonistic, but not villainous.

The show doesn’t side with Eda in this debate. She obscures information from Luz and tries to prevent her from exercising free will. That’s explicitly what the show presents as “wrong.” But they are also the exact opposite of Luz.

Luz is knowledge and freedom. She is curiosity.

This is most readily demonstrated every time she acts, but I’d like to point out the occasion in this episode when she spots François from 100 metres away through a solid wooden cart.

I’m sorry. I have to make a joke about this. Luz calls out to look because she has seen the rabbit, then it cuts to a considerable distance away so it can show an extremely small rabbit being carried inside. But he was behind the cart when Luz noticed that. They moved him out from behind after she noticed him. PLOT HOLE. THIS SERIES IS RUINED.

There's even a guy between her and the cart in this shot. This rabbit hole is driving me nuts!

In all seriousness, this most likely is a gimmick in how the scene was storyboarded that doesn’t really count as a mistake, it’s just funny. But it leads into my point about Luz being thematically linked with knowledge.

Luz finds things, she learns things, she is reckless.

That last bit is crucial, because it is the core of Eda’s motivation in this episode. She is sympathetic, but not right.

I feel like the internet at the moment has mixed those two concepts up, especially around villains. A villain who is likeable isn’t in the right.

I find those compilations of “quotes from villains who were right” frustrating because a couple of them, yeah, they are agreeable. But then it cuts to someone saying “I was cast out as a kid and so now I will murder everyone” and I’m like, girl, stop.

On the other end of the spectrum, if a story presents someone as sympathetic or understandable, that doesn’t mean it agrees with them.

Case and point, Eda is explicitly treated like she is in the wrong and needs to learn from her mistakes.

That's what the thing with Raine is about. Raine had Eda's motivation, but couldn't stop her learning, so brought her into the fold.

"Is it so unbelievable that I wanted to keep you safe?"

The conversation between her and Luz takes place much more in what they don’t say than what they do. Eda lies and obfuscates the truth until she physically can’t anymore.

“Me and Lilith don't have magic and we don't have allies, we're useless. We have you and King. So, I was gonna do anything to make sure that you were safe. But now, it’s all over.”

Here’s a question for you. This episode’s title is a nod to Oh Brother Where Art Thou, a 2000 film based on The Odyssey. Why?

Every episode title has had a meaning, even if it was just a joke, but Oh Brother, Where Art Thou isn’t a film most people have watched. You can’t just namedrop it like you namedrop Narnia and expect a reaction.

I think the answer is the thematic overlap. Both the film and the episode focus on the unpredictability of life, but also the intrinsic dissonance of optimism and comedy.

Oh Brother Where Art Thou is surreal and funny. It’s a satire that hits you with some real emotions, and it features a song that I can’t get out of my head.

"You can bury me in some deep valley For many years where I may lay Then you may learn to love another While I am sleeping in my grave."

The traveller has reached the end of his life, but things keep moving anyway. It's a morbid sense of optimism and hope.

The CATs joke is a tone setter. We've had some serious drama, here's a joke. But it's also some characterisation for Darius. It makes him seem more human by undercutting him. Up until now he's been aloof, now he's a person and I love him so much.

Which is exactly what The Owl House is about. The series is satirical and real. It’s set in a horrifying wasteland, and it is funnier than anything else I have seen.

The setting is intrinsically built around this. Decay and life. These people are walking on something that would be too big to register their existence, and yet they make jokes and cast spells and create new life. Every shot of the titan has something growing in it.

That’s why the trees are red. It’s blood. Lifeblood, new blood. It’s the blood that kept the titan alive and it’s the blood that fuels the next generation.

I had a conversation with a friend recently about tone in TTRPGs. Specifically, how horror games work even with the innate hilarity of everything going spectacularly right and wrong for both sides. I haven’t really stopped thinking about that, and I think I’ve landed on why. Realism.

The real world is funny and scary. The two don’t feel like they go together, but they absolutely do. People laugh when they are scared because they can do nothing else. Death isn’t funny, but it renders everything else a punchline. Tragedy is the perfect setup for a sincere joke. Reality is complicated and doesn’t make sense sometimes, but you still have to keep going.

I've mentioned the sunset colours, but does this remind you of anything? To me, this is a very similar vibe to the moment when Luz discovered glyph magic and made her own light. She discovered hope then, and everyone is rediscovering it now. Light, do not faulter. But there's something to that sunset. The sunset is the end of today, yes, but it's a promise of tomorrow. There isn't just one day, the world will keep existing. We need to decide what to do about that.

King and Steve help some people and make themselves feel better, then they get up and keep moving to go and do it again.

Eda has given up, but she needs to come back, because the story doesn’t stop when you say it does. Your story stops when the final flag is down, no sooner.

So, Eda makes a decision and offers Luz a piece of Pallistrum wood. It’s a chance to make something new, a chance to choose creativity.

That’s why people smile and laugh even in hardship. The one thing nobody can take from you is hope. The one thing you can never escape is being yourself.

Final Thoughts

Gordon Bennet the scenery design of this episode is phenomenal. Wide open spaces and packed winding streets on the side of a mountain. This series is gorgeous, made even more so just by the choice of colour, and I will never get over how even the interior of the vault is designed.

Back to the story though, the reveal of the CATs and Raine’s true allegiance is really cool, and I love Darius’ everything, although Ebberwolf biting through solid steel feels like something that could come in handy.

Next week, however, is Clouds on the Horizon, an episode that I don’t need to introduce. Stick around if that interests you.

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#literary analysis #rants #literature analysis #what's so special about...?#character analysis #the owl house #toh #toh luz #toh eda #toh king #toh steve #meta #long post #analysis #undertale #its you #despite everything its still you #oh brother where art thou

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runawaymun · 7 months ago

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Favorite Fics

Tagged by @that-angry-noldo for this new game to make a poll of my favorite fics out of the ones that I have written to see which of those favorites are your guys' favorites. This looks so fun :D thank you for the tag!!!

I'm not sure who has already done this, but I'm tagging: @jaz-the-bard @niennawept @slightnettles @emyn-arnens and whomever else would like to do this!!

#debated putting stars and boundless sky on the same poll option but they are very different #despite being in the same series #favorite fics game

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talonabraxas · 1 month ago

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Abracadabra Talon Abraxas A B R A C A D A B R A

The word Abracadabra is said to derive from an Aramaic phrase meaning "I create as I speak." However אברא כדברא in Aramaic is more reasonably translated as "I create like the Word."

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made."

In the beginning was the Word: the Logos, the sound frequency (vibration).

We know that speech means not just any kind of a vibration, but a vibration that carries information.

Thus, I create like the Word.

In the Hebrew language, the phrase translates more accurately as "it came to pass as it was spoken."

History: The first known mention of the word was in the third century AD in the work Liber Medicinalis by Quintus Serenus Sammonicus, a physician to the Roman emperor, who suggests to wear an amulet containing the word written in the form of a triangle:

Abracadabra and the Gnostics: Abracadabra was used as a magical formula by the Gnostics of the sect of Basilides in invoking the aid of beneficent spirits against disease and misfortune. It is found on Abraxas stones, which were worn as amulets. Subsequently, its use spread beyond the Gnostics.

Abraxas: Have you ever been mesmerized while waiting for the sunrise? As you watch the horizon for that first burst of light, you get swept up in the eternal present moment. With baited breath, your sense of time is suspended, and you’re primed for a miracle. This is the “liminal zone,” the threshold between night and day, between here and there, between this and that. It’s the crossroads where anything is possible. And then the dawn breaks through, like a sudden burst of inspiration, like an act of creation: “Let there be light.” That is the magic of Abraxas, an enigmatic name that has perhaps always been closely associated with the power of the sun. This strange, mysterious name captures that magical, suspended, timeless moment: “all of time as an eternal instant.” Abraxas is the power of infinity—the promise of endless possibilities, the “cosmos” itself. In mythology, Abraxas is the name of a celestial horse that draws the dawn goddess Aurora across the sky. The name suggests a power that is not properly ours but rather a gift from another world.

In Kabbalah: As a carpenter the creator employs tools to build a home, so G'd utilized the twenty-two letters of the alef-Beit (the Hebrew alphabet) to form heaven and earth. They are the metaphorical wood, stone and nails, cornerposts and crossbeams of our earthly and spiritual existence. As in abracadabra "Αύρα κατ' αύρα" אברא כדברא, as he, she, it created the universe with; the Letter, The word, and the number.

[Except from Path of the Sun Keepers by Paul Francis Young]

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orthodoxadventure · 9 months ago

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The natural dependence of man upon the world was intended to be transformed constantly into communion with God in whom is all life. Man was to be the priest of a eucharist, offering the world to God, and in this offering he was to receive the gift of life. But in the fallen world man does not have the priestly power to do this. His dependence on the world becomes a closed circuit, and his love is deviated form its true direction. He still loves, he is still hungry. He knows he is dependent on that which is beyond him. But his love and his dependence refer only to the world in itself. He does not know that breathing can be communion with God. He does not realize that to eat can be to receive life from God in more than its physical sense. He forgets that the world, its air or its food cannot by themselves bring life, but only as they are received and accepted for God's sake, in God and as bearers of the divine gift of life. By themselves they can produce only the appearance of life.

When we see the world as an end in itself, everything becomes itself a value and consequently loses all value, because only in God is found the meaning (value) of everything, and the world is meaningful only when it is the "sacrament" of God's presence. Things treated merely as things in themselves destroy themselves because only in God have they any life. The world of nature, cut off from the source of life, is a dying world. For one who thinks food in itself is the source of life, eating is communion with the dying world, it is communion with death. Food itself is dead, it is life that has died and it must be kept in refrigerators like a corpse.

For "the wages of sin are death." The life man chose was only the appearance of life. God showed him that he himself had decided to eat bread in a way that would simply return him to the ground from which both he and the bread had been taken: "For dust thou art and into dust shalt thou return." Man lost the eucharistic life, he lost the life of life itself, the power to transform it into Life. He ceased to be the priest of the world and became its slave.

In the story of the Garden this took place in the cool of the day: that is, at night. And Adam, when he left the Garden where life was to have been eucharistic -- an offering of the world in thanksgiving to God -- Adam led the whole world, as it were, into darkness. In one of the beautiful pieces of Byzantine hymnology Adam is pictured sitting outside, facing Paradise, weeping. It is the figure of man himself.

-- Rev. Dr. Alexander Schmemann: For the Life of the World; Sacraments and Orthodoxy

#Christianity #Orthodox Christianity #Alexander Schmemann #Religion #God

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cogandstar · 1 year ago

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long and ramble-y post about persona 5 tactica and politics below the cut. spoilers and all that jazz, thou hast been warned.

persona 5 tactica has Interesting politics to me. because, well, it talks an awful lot about revolution and that jazz. and in the Kingdoms, you do a fair bit of revolution-esque stuff, complete with mass movements which are necessary for the overthrow of tyrannical rulers.

(the rebels are tbh one of my favorite parts of the game, especially with how they could very easily have been relegated completely to background noise, but instead at multiple points they are key for the success of the Phantom Thieves. it's great!)

in the cognitive realm, the game seems to come down pretty solidly on the side of "revolution is worth the accompanying violence" -- see the scene of Yoshiki presenting the Thieves with footage of the rebels suffering against the Aizen Squad, and, of course, the final boss being a god of peace who has decided to crush the revolutionary impulses within the hearts of humanity to ensure peace and tranquility.

Salmael is actually pretty interesting as a criticism of that general mindset of "peace over positive change." he's kinda (or at least can be read as) a symbol for the same thing Disco Elysium represents with the ideology of moralism. the thing that's most striking to me about him is his second form, wherein his appearance changes to be partially composed of bullets and other symbols of violence. with this, not only does p5t argue that the maintenance of peace over positive change is bad, but that it is, under the cover of gentility and nonviolence, itself fundamentally built upon violence and force.

it's not that hard to construct a leftist reading of this, even without the influences of Soviet constructivist art on the menus and UI, and the presence of Che Goddamn Guevara as a heroic Persona in the form of Ernesto. it's a game where the heroes organize mass movements to overthrow tyrannical rulers based on, respectively, a wealthy corporate heiress and a corrupt politician. (i'm not really counting nakabachi because he's not a real ruler and also Kingdom 3 is just less political than the others, it's very heavily focused on Toshiro as a person without really even a political surface level.) then, the heroes fight against the God of Liberalism, revealing the hidden violence underneath its guise of peace and moderation, and ultimately defeating it.

but you kind of run into an issue of like, what are the Thieves' revolutions for? ultimately, they're basically just all against what the tyrants do. in kingdom 1, they're against a wealthy aristocrat forcing people to set up a wedding for her and her forced-groom. in kingdom 2, they're against a ruler running an all encompassing surveillance system and forced labor camps. in kingdom 3 they're against school staff blackmailing students for personal gain.

and i think it's notable that both Marie and Yoshiki are mainly presented in settings that distance them and their wrongs from modern day capitalism. Marie's Kingdom is based on vaguely-revolutionary France, and she herself is fairly clearly based on the pop culture image of Marie Antoinette, from her name to her behavior and aesthetic in the Kingdom and even how in the real world, she makes reference to "the poors" and "commoners." if there's any class being criticized through the character of Marie Anto, it's not the bourgeoisie -- it's the old feudal aristocracy.

Yoshiki is also distanced from modern electoral politics by being predominantly shown in a world based on Bakumatsu-era Japan. it's also notable that, in the Kingdom, he is described as being a general, not in any way elected. so while in the real world, his power comes from the edifice of liberal democracy as it stands in Japan, the system that you actually lead a revolution against is a feudal-military dictatorship.

this is all without mentioning that, underneath the political veneer, the Kingdoms are all in-universe metaphors for what's going on in Toshiro's head. in the end, everything's very personal! and ultimately, after Toshiro has gone through all his character development and unleashed Che Goddamn Guevara as the manifestation of his true self, what does he do in the real world?

he gets two specific bad actors arrested, apologizes for his personal role in their corruption, and then restarts his career as an electoral politician.

as soon as p5t retreats from the cognitive world, so too does it retreat from the idea of revolution against prevailing power structures. i cannot recall a moment where anyone, really, even considers the thought of revolution against the systems that produced Marie and Yoshiki and Nakabachi; they have defeated Salmael and gotten the bad actors arrested, so it's all good.

so, i guess in summary, p5t presents pro-revolution (even pro-revolutionary violence!) and borrows aesthetically from communism, and though you can certainly read certain parts (i.e. Salmael) as fairly pointed criticisms of liberal capitalism, but. considering the game as a whole, it's structured in a way that distances its arguments in favor of revolution from those modern power structures both by limiting them to the metaphorical realm of cognition and by structuring the most political cognitive realms as historical oppressive structures.

#persona #p5 #p5t #p5t spoilers #meta #long post

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