#Cherub investigator posts

[cherub-investigation0802]

Its kind of funny that we see her hair in the intro but everyone draws her with her helmet on, like yeah helmet, thats her natural state

[dark-drawssss]

The Flaws Of Robin's/Journalist's Plot In Manhunt 1:

As much as I like Robin (she's probably the only character in Mh1 that I like in general) the story surrounding her is extremely flawed, some to the point of making her look extremely unintelligent (which hurts because she literally exposed Starkweather all on her own). So I want to tackle everything I can, the game itself and anything outside of it which is canon, I'll also do extremely small comparisons between the game and it's sequel, Manhunt 2.

The Game Itself:

First off I need to make something clear that I know may get me executed from Mh1 fans, but the "story" itself in the first game barely exists as the whole snuff-ring in general feels like it has as much to it as a story in porn, it's only there to justify the situation but not much is done it with (I will get into more details later on). And because this post is dedicated to Robin I'll do my best to focus solely on her (I will also be getting into her full name situation later on):

She is introduced in the first cutscene of the game where she explained to the camera what she's up to, only to not be seen in any way until she goes to rescue Cash (in the car she reveals that she was there watching him be executed). Now the first issue is her coming to get Cash in the first place, while I understand wanting to have as much evidence with you, coming for a criminal who has been on the run (since the 1992 if I'm correct) whom you (likely) know nothing about expect that people want him dead is not a good idea because of the following factors:

Cash escaped a death sentence (in a city based off of cities which don't have death penalties btw) thanks to Starkweather staging Cash's execution so him coming to confirm Starkweather's crime would reveal to everyone that he's alive, therefore sending him back to the prison (or the life of him being on the run again if he manages to escape).

She doesn't know Cash outside of what she could've read, along with knowing how cruel people can be thanks to basically ALL the evidence she was collecting, so she should know better than to trust someone dangerous who could potentially kill her (or worse).

And THEN she reveals that she left the extremely important evidence in her apartment instead of taking them with her in the car (therefore her and Cash have to go to her apartment honestly she's lucky that the police haven't been ordered to destroy it while they were in her place) (also damn girl made no copies of the evidence?). The level where you have to guide her back to her place is seemingly the only time she needs any type of help or protection, as before and afterwards she was seemingly able to do everything on her own, without even killing anyone mind you. Not only did she (presumably) leave a secret camera back where the Cherubs capture Cash for the millionth time (as their leader goes "What the fuck is this?!" Before destroying the camera) but she somehow manages to record live footage in front of Starkweather's manor without getting shot or there being any police around to go in and investigate (they only come to investigate AFTER Cash basically kills everyone and leaves....) (even if they're under the command of a corrupt chief they would STILL be required to come to "end the nonsense/false protest" or whatever).

The ending has Robin not reveal Cash's identity live, presumably either out of small respect because he killed Starkweather or out of fear of him coming back to her for revenge (as he has shown to her that he is someone driven by revenge when they part ways)(the fear could've passed/disappeared during her time in the asylum), but even this is flawed as she herself stated that the investigators found all of the footage recorded for the snuff film(s), which means that they have footage of Cash running around the city areas killing everyone. Along with the potential of them checking the place Cash was executed at (and just the cameras in the areas in general), as well as there being a recording where Starkweather himself confirms that the execution was staged, this all should be more than enough evidence to confirm that Cash has lived, but apparently....

Before And After:

Sadly there's not much promotional stuff featuring her, but let's go over what we have:

We have the valiant video enterprises site, in the EASY MONEY post made by Mr. Nasty himself. For those who don't know, Mr. Nasty is the head of the snuff ring, but he is never mentioned ANYWHERE in the game itself, I only found out that he existed thanks to the Manhunt Iceberg video (I would highly recommend watching it) which briefly mentioned him (now imagine Manhunt 2 where Pickman never appeared, not a good thing huh). In the post Mr. Nasty states the following:

Author: mr_nasty

Date: 10-21-03 19:47

I'll gladly pay any of you scumbags a years salary to off this nosy reporter bitch from carcer city news. bring me her ****ing head!!

mr. nasty

So here's the thing: this post proves that Mr. Nasty considered her a threat to his work, which brings into the question as to why he never hired anyone to just "take care of her" or even doxxed her if he was gonna make this post, he had connections he could've used after all (getting Starkweather to get the chief to get her home address, hell Starkweather could've even gotten Cherubs or Ramirez to take care of it (Ramirez already proved to be pretty loyal) or ANY gang he wanted) so why just make a dumb post that makes him sound like he has the mentality of a 12yo incel edgelord with a poor grammar choice (or the mentality of Manhunt fans on Reddit, Twitter, and such sites, lol).

And now for the other....

So I'm not sure from which site the audio originated from, but it is an "interview" between Robin and a worker. In it we do get more insight into her, what happened to her, bit of her backstory and how she's doing mentally. I'll just go over some of the things we learn about her before we tackle some of the flaws (as the interview is the least flawed "story" to exist):

She worked at the news station for 3 years, and 3 years in a local one. So if she started working when she was 18 her canonical age could be at least around 24, this makes her potential the only character in Manhunt 1 whose age we know (unless I'm forgetting someone) (and it ironically potentially makes her the youngest character).

She reveals that her parents are dead, and seems very dismissive of them as she changes the topic, while saying "fuck them" which indicates that she wasn't fond of them.

During the interview the worker attempts to call her by her name before she cuts him off (the subtitles in the video call her Robin, but the audio itself is cut off, similar to what happens in the game).

She's being kept in the asylum mostly due to her "belief" that Cash is alive while she was caught outside at night with a knife.

So first the name thing, I could forgive the game itself cutting off at the moment when she was about to state her full name but this shows that they intentionally kept cutting off her name (let's not forget that in the interview the dude should've stated her full name, similar to what Dr. Laura Whyte does for Daniel Lamb and Leo Kasper sessions). For whatever reason they kept cutting off her name at "Ro-/Rob-" I genuinely don't know.

Now for the main thing: Cash himself. So the likely reason she's kept at an asylum is because she claimed at the interview that Cash is alive multiple times, while the dude states that she has published her story on Starkweather, whom was found dead in his manor along with everyone else. So this all means that the way they basically put it, they believe that she managed to kill them all herself and then published the story right before going after Starkweather himself (as there is live footage of her right outside his manor before the footage is cut off, not to mention the whole thing with her having insomnia and being spotted outside with a knife crying), so they believe that she's either delusional and made up that Cash is alive in her own head as a "coping mechanism" because she actually killed all those people (which she didn't ofc), or was lying about Cash being alive to "get away with mass murders" as Cash is a wanted criminal who was "executed" the day before her exposing Starkweather got out. Her quotes already show extreme paranoia so it's likely that they believe the first option (her imagining that Cash is alive as she was "the only one who saw him" since everyone else who saw him is dead, which would also confirm that the entirety of Cash's family WAS killed and that not even one of them escaped).

So the issue here? As I've stated the investigation found all of the evidence of the snuff ring which would include footage of at LEAST the current snuff film Starkweather was filming, which features Cash himself.

I'm aware of the theory that it was Mr. Nasty who put Robin in the asylum, as it would be too suspicious for her to die right after publishing such a big story. But even then that feels more like a speculation rather than a proper theory due to the lack of evidence and Robin's paranoid behaviour getting her locked up.

Conclusion:

All of this mixed with the game whose story doesn't want to do anything with it's premise just makes it all the more confusing as to how can people say that the first game has a better "story/plot" than the second, because at least the second game offers way more, it's not done well but it still gave more than something that's passable or just "ok" at best. If it was about premises then that's literally just subjective rather than actual criticism, as some will prefer the premise of the snuff films rings over something based off of MK-Ultra (and a protagonist who's an actual proper character, + more).

Outside of Cash's revenge which.... you know what, I'm not gonna go into that, Robin is the only one with a story going on but in the game itself it is heavily flawed the more one thinks about it. And it's a shame because they could've done a better job at it (hell Robin and Starkweather never even really talk in any form or way), and because she's the only sane person in the game (I guess there's Cash's family too but nothing is known about them other than the fact that they didn't show up at Cash's execution).

Bonus:

I just wanna talk about the original idea where Robin was originally supposed to use a revolver in the level where Cash guides her to her apartment: I assume that it was cut for gameplay reasons rather than story reasons, as the game is about violence after all, and there would be the potential of Robin's AI either being awful/stressful for the players (and I've seen how people act when a female NPC has an imperfect AI, looking at you Sheva haters as if the AI partner doesn't behave that way with literally any other character) or it being too op to where the player wouldn't have to do anything to beat the level.

Honestly I'm glad that they had removed it as it would make her fine with killing ("I never hurt anyone."), along with her goals being for her own personal gain (with a confident voice, "this is gonna make my career.") her not being above murder would just make her look extremely selfish, as she wouldn't be much better than the one she's trying to expose (tho she would still be slightly better because she would be more of a sociopath, kinda like Cash, while Starkweather literally jerks off to gore....).

(sorry it's been a good while since I've drawn her)

[strxgxi]

The Muses

The Strain Muses:

Quinlan, formerly known as Quintus. Also known as The Born. The son of the Master by bite. His mother was pregnant when The Master bit her, transforming the baby within. Quinlan was born before the age of the Roman Empire, but during it he trained as a gladiator. Because he is a half breed, he has all the benefits of the strigoi but few of the weaknesses. His only goal is to kill his father.

Doctor Ephraim Goodweather of the CDC. He was the first line of defense against The Strain when it arrived in New York. As the city fell to the vampires, he sought out Abraham Setrakian and became a vampire hunter. His son Zach was taken by his undead wife Kelly.

Vasily Fet, ratcatcher for New York City. He discovered the strigoi himself while doing his normal rounds. He came in contact with Abraham Setrakian and Ephraim Goodweather, and joined the fight against the vampires.

Thomas Eichorst

Former SS soldier for Nazi Germany, Eichorst ran a death camp during the Holocaust. It was here where he met a young Abraham Setrakian and started following The Master. When the camp was invaded by the Allies, Eichorst fled to his Master and he was turned. Now strigoi, he wears make up to hide the fact he no longer has the soft tissue of his nose and ears, as well as hide his real complexion. He still serves The Master.

Eldritch Palmer is one of the richest men in the world. He owns the Stoneheart Group and was pivotal in getting The Master into New York City. He once tried to join the strigoi, but the Ancients neglected to make him a strigoi, so he aligned with The Master. Born with a variety of genetic ailments, he's used money to keep himself alive. Until now.

Interview With The Vampire Muses:

Armand. The cherub of Magnus. Once known as Amadeo, Armand is a 500 year old vampire. He owned and operated the Theatre de Vampires in post-war Paris, France. [ This is the show version of the character, not the book, though I do plan to pull a lot of information from the novels. ]

Daniel Molloy is an investigative reporter. He was originally approached by Louis in the 70s to write a novel and told his story. Now, Daniel is finally getting the whole story, and has been turned by Armand. [Again, things pulled from books but this is the show Daniel. Young Daniel available upon request.]

[drrubinspomade]

#cherub

YOU ARE THE LIGHT

We post pinups daily! If you dig this pic we’ve found  online, u should investigate the creator/subjects of the above work and fan them, follow them, hire them.

If you’d like us to remove, or you know who made this so that we can credit, DM. Thanks. Greetings from Los Angeles.

DrRubinsPomade.com

[tiffanylamps]

I am wondering how did JW get through the first couple days or weeks after DS’s and HGH’s arrest? We watched the drama for 16 episode then many developed the serious brainrot. What does it feel like for JW who has spent the last several months in the case, developed the deep relationship with DS and Manjang people, twisted and turned and endless late nights…then all of a sudden everything came to an end at that night…. Cannot imagine the hollowness he must have felt. How did he get through with just himself ? I bet Hyuk must be there for him but must still be very very hard. I am wondering how YJG and SHK feel after this project. Have they experienced similar withdrawal like us? #mental-dump #just-want-to-chat-with-someone #it-is-good-to-see-jw-smile-after-a-year-but-he-must-have-gone-through-a-lot-of-xxx

Firstly, thank you for your message. I appreciate that you took time out of your day to contact me <3

So... Heartbreak interlude/Post-Canon Han Joo Won? The man of my (albeit minor) worries and concerns? The small baby cherub himself that... gosh, simply put, he needs therapy.

Let's get into it. I'm going to overshare my headcanons and hopefully give satisfactory answers to your questions along the way...

[grab all of the snacks and stay hydrated. I go on about it for about a decade because I don't know how to stfu. As always, excuse my dyslexia pls]

[EDIT 12/07/22: I added some more thoughts because i cannot be stopped... someone stop me pls]

Okay, firstly, look at that gif, look at the Joo Won we are being presented in the ending scenes and tell me he's okay. He looks so worn out, emotionally suffocated; as if he has put all of his emotions into a glass jar and has been huffing on it just to get a hit. Joo Won is vein and yet, he hasn't had a haircut, he's wearing the same clothes, he has bags under his eyes, he walks with a shyness that isn't like him, etc, etc.

Han Joo Won is a confident (not to be confused with his arrogance) man. We do not see that confidence at the end of ep. 16. I read his body language as someone who has been strung up to dry, through his own doing. He has spent an (almost) year emotionally self-flagellating because of what he did. Joo Won is semi-responsible/directly involved in three people's murders. The guilt must be weighing a tonne on him. That, including his overwhelming feelings of guilt/complicated feelings toward Dong Sik... well, I don't think he would be dealing with it in a healthy way.

Joo Won doesn't scream like he's a "i go to therapy and take my meds and openly talk about my trauma in a healthy constructive way, whilst learning to slowly forgive myself" kind of guy. Quite the opposite.

(yes, hit your chest with a loaded gun whilst you have an anxiety attack... people, his finger is on the trigger!!! what are we going to do with his man?)

How did JW get through the first couple days or weeks after DS’s and HGH’s arrest? (my thoughts only, based on my wild imagination and lack of knowledge) Joo Won was one of the lead investigators in the national /international scandal of the decade: the murder and cover-up case of Lee Yu Yeon, involving the lead suspect, General Commissioner of South Korea's police force, Han Ki Hwan. He was not the arresting officer but he was a leading detective of that case, working undercover/behind everyone's backs with his colleague from the Inspection Inquiry department at headquarters (from my understanding, it's basically Internal Affairs), who also happens to be the deceased twin brother. [He's also the arresting officer for Lee Chang Jin, Park Jung Je, Jo Gil Goo, and Do Hae Won. that's a lot of paperwork and a lot of court hearings.] Yeeeah..... that's a sticky situation. I fully believe that the South Korean version of the CPS (crown prosecution service) would have wanted Joo Won off that case as quickly as they could because his involvement will make it very messy in court. [Personally, I think HKH would have a solid appeal and I think it might even go through because of Joo Won and Dong Sik's handling of the case. A half-decent lawyer could make a meal out of the relationships/dynamics at play here.] He is also the arresting officer of his partner/ his father's arresting officer... Which is just... yeeeeeeeah. a. lot. So, he'll be doing a lot of paperwork, following procedures, answering SO many questions and I think, just going through the motions, completely and utterly numb to it all. Emotionally, he would have checked out in order to assure he brings justice to the victims and their families.

But that emotional numbness won't last for long...

I fully believe he would become a media sensation but not because he wants to be. I think the press would follow him around and dig every ounce of his life as they can, so they can sell more papers/get more clicks regarding HKH's case. (they follow him to and from work, sit outside his flat, find all of his favourite spots, contact everyone and anyone who could have dirt on him... basically, make his life a living hell). Also, the fact that Joo Won is handsome and annoying is a factor. He was also correct about the Manyang serial killer, investigated his own father and arrested his partner- gosh, well, there's a lot to be said about him.

(come on, the insta pages created in his honour would be bountiful. he has nice clothes, great hair, that face, a nice arse that doesn't quit, and a funny personality... He's the young "star" of a modern Shakespearean scandal. it's bound to happen.)

So, I think he would be harassed by the media/public throughout the duration of his father's trial. He'll be ostracized by MANY people within the police force because he's uncovered the extent of the institutional corruption. He'll be a very busy boy, who is on the edge of falling apart 24/7 because life is a lie/gone to shit.

How did he get through with just himself? I bet Hyuk must be there for him but must still be very very hard.

Okay, so let's get to my headcanons and talk about my juicy (unhealthy) theories of what Joo Won's (almost) year away could have looked like.

It's either he:

He works very hard and keeps his head down. He's quiet and tries his best. He applies himself to prove that he's not his father's son. Perhaps, over time, he reconnects with his mother's side of the family and that helps him develop an identity outside of his father's shadow. Or.... my preferred theory... (it's dramatic, just HJW)

Joo Won is a fucking mess. He is someone who cares more than the average person, he holds himself to a very high standard and is his own worst enemy. He is suffocating with guilt, it drenches him to the point he is soaking; heavy and unable to move. His day-to-day life is a slug that he endures because it is the right thing to do. But at night, or when he's alone, he's a trainwreck. I believe Joo Won has substance abuse issues (as hinted with his drinking in the show) and I think that would get much worse post canon/the interlude. Joo Won drinks to punish/numb himself, he drinks alone and during the day. We never see him drunk but that could be because he's very good at controlling that side of himself... Well, as someone who has control issues like him (wanting to be in control but also, has a very bad temper/easily loses control with the right pressure/if Dong Sik pushes his buttons), what if something so traumatic happened to him that it forces his self-control out the window? What then?

(this boy loves to punish himself. He's a masochist, I tell ya. Maybe he'll get into BDSM, who knows? it might be cathartic for him; losing control in a controlled setting)

I think he would allow the sides of himself that he's been repressing his entire life to come exploding out. It's messy, ugly, and painful but germination isn't a pretty process. It's a cold undertaking that happens alone, in the dark corners of one's mind, and doesn't always succeed first-try. But like many seedlings, Joo Won can survive in the dark and has an abundance of perseverance. He just needs to spread his roots and keep reaching toward the sun; with patience, he will eventually see the sky.

But he can't do it alone.

There are three important men in Joo Won's life:

His father: Han Ki Hwan

His partner: Lee Dong Sik

His other: Kwon Hyuk

He sent one to prison (who gave him massive daddy issues, let's be honest), he arrested the second (who he had a complicated/queer-coded relationship with) and that just leaves one behind. One left out of three... and you know what? I think in pure Han Joo Won style, he would have become desperate, compulsive and obsessive over Hyuk.

(there aren't enough gifs of Hyuk. It's a crime. I love him so very much.)

They are the remaining sons of a dying dynasty*; a defamed house that is burning down to the ground, ignited by the molotov cocktail that Joo Won threw himself.... lit with the aid of his partner. HE WOULD BECOME SO RELIANT ON HYUK, I can't even begin to explain it.

*someone play Dynasty - Rina Sawayama

Hyuk would become his everything. He would do anything; he would self-sabotage to hell and back if it meant he got to keep the only person left to him. (his last remaining family member) Hyuk is his friend, his forced rival, his pseudo brother, his sore spot, his sweet spot, and someone (depending on your interpretation of the text) he may felt some non-platonic feelings for, at some point in time (i.e, adolescent crush/sexuality awakening/first love kind of situation.... they gave each other funny looks, okay? don't blame me, the Han family is weird!) Joo Won means a lot to Hyuk. He would LOVE Joo Won relying on him, so he would really step up. [[ I think that in the future, this would cause tension between Hyuk and Dong Sik (kind of like: I picked up the pieces you left, bitch. ) ]]

Anyway, anyway, anyway, in summation: I think Joo Won will have a horrible time of it. He would be so focused on keeping himself accountable that he'll end up punishing himself through self-destructive means. He would reach a point where Hyuk is like "enough is enough" and drags Joo Won's self-pitying arse home and sets him straight (lol). Joo Won would try to reconnect with his Lee family (his mother's family) either physically, or privately/mentally, so he can try to find his true identity (outside of his Han heritage/father). I think they'll be a lot of self-discovery, punishment, and an explosive release of 28 years worth of tension. He'll make many mistakes and it'll be a very sad and lonely process. But through Hyuk's guidance and his own need to carry on, he'll learn to grow and uphold his promise: to never treat anyone the way he treated Dong Sik (never hurt ds again). (ep. 12, 34-ish minutes in) I fully expect him to gradually (over many years) finally accept to go to therapy but I think it would take a very troubling (police) case to get him there. I also believe that it would take years for him and Dong Sik to get to a point where they could even consider exploring what the hell they had going on. They need a lot of time to heal and grow; to accept and forgive each other, and themselves.

I LOVE the idea of them being messy idiots for years. Who continuously make mistakes and drive the other insane. But they both stubbornly stay by each other's side like glue because they're cut from the same cloth. (Come on, let's be real, has Joo Won been ever been this comfortable with anyone else? So open and real, so himself in every way; even the ugly and immature parts. Dong Sik has seen every side of him and still accepts him. beautiful. and Joo Won wants to be in Dong Sik's life so desperately, he wants to be good for him and bring him happiness- he wants to make his life easier. according to the script, Dong Sik sees Joo Won as his saviour...... that's heavy. what a beautiful bond) No one understands them the way they understand one another. No one will accept them the way they accept each other. No one else will have the shared trauma and therefore, the patience they need to be with one another. I love the idea of them developing a deep friendship. I read their dynamic as romantic, so I would suspect that at some point along the way, they would explore that side of it. Whether they could make it work or not... I don't know (I hope so)

I am wondering how YJG and SHK feel after this project. Have they experienced similar withdrawal like us?

I'm not too sure. But considering Shin Ha Kyun received an award for his wonderful performance and made a rare appearance on social media to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of Beyond Evil, says that he hasn't forgotten about it. Yeo Jin Goo, on the other hand, can't escape it. He's currently starring in Link: Eat, Love, Kill which is basically a (headache of a show that has massive problems with its tone but is still very charming) het romantic comedy version of Beyond Evil, including basically the same storyline, just told from a different perspective, even including a few of the same actors. So... I don't think he's going to be forgetting any time soon. [We need a season 2, mainly so we get more of these wonderful characters and 10/10 cast/crew. but also because we didn't get an editorial fashion shoot with these two (SHK & YJG) and that is a crime. I said it, someone needs to do time. Joking aside, I don't think they ever will (make a season 2) because if they were to follow jwds's story, they would have to explain some stuff... the actors could see, the audience can see, and the creative team leaned in towards it... so, do they have the bravery to make the show queer? like 100% canon no-second guessing queer. I don't think so.]

So.... yeah. Before I write a 20-million-words about Han Joo Won (which would make me more pathetic than him lol), I'm going to leave this here. Joo Won is a delicious character with so much depth that he can be interpreted in many different ways. I think that's just wonderful.

Just because I see him as a little weirdo who uses kinky sex, drugs and alcohol to punish/explore himself, whilst pretending everything is fine on the outside, and still somehow making it to work (just) on time, *inhale* doesn't mean you or anyone else has to see him that way. He's fab, this show is fab, and you are fab.

Thank you for your message. I hope this answers your questions. I also love talking about this show, so thanks for choosing me to be the person you chat with.

[EDIT: I should include that I think the majority of Joo Won's grieving and destructive behaviour will happen during the almost year-long interlude. I do believe that once he knows that Dong Sik doesn't blame him and actually still feels affection for him, the weight will be lifted and he go down the path of self-forgiveness. He'll mess up and be silly along the way but I fully can see him one day living a relatively normal life, living with someone (preferably a certain someone) who understands and supports him. His future is FULL of love and discovery.]

As always, if anyone wants to add to the conversation, please feel free to do so. I'm sure many will disagree with me and that's okay, this is just my opinion of one of my favourite fictional weirdos.

May he grow and learn to love himself (he deserves so much love, bless him).

Bye for now!

[uwmspeccoll]

Science Saturday: Insecten-Belustigung

This summer I have been exploring the beginnings of printed natural history illustrations in the West in my series “The Spectacle of Nature.” While I love investigating the book tradition in the medieval and early modern period, my heart really is in illustration styles of the 18th and 19th century. When looking at illustrated natural history books this summer, I tend to go back and forth between studying medieval and incunabula books with more modern works. A set of books that I got to look at during one of my visits to UW-Madison Special Collections is the Der monahtlich-herausgegebenen Insecten-Belustigung a set of insect books by August Johann Rösel von Rosenhof (1705–1759) published by Johann Joseph Fleischmann in Nuremberg from 1746–1761.

August Johann Rösel von Rosenhof was a German artist and naturalist who was trained as a miniature painter. He was heavily inspired by fellow German artist Maria Sibylla Merian’s book Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium published in 1705 where she documents the stages of metamorphosis based on direct observations of insects in Suriname. After working on illustrations of insects, Rösel turned is attention to frogs and published the lavishly illustrated Historia naturalis ranarum which UW-Madison Special Collections also has.

Around UW-Milwaukee Special Collections I am known as an insect fanatic, so naturally this set of books is right up my alley. To me, insects are both beautiful and monstrous and that is represented in the illustrations I am highlighting in this post, such as the stag beetle (family Lucanidae), all sorts of locusts, and the Deaths-head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos).

I’m also fascinated by the allegorical frontispiece of the first volume that features Artemis of Ephesus (also known as Diana of Ephesus, the multi-breasted goddess) and cherubs collecting butterflies. You can get a better look at the frontispiece online here.

Another interesting thing to note is that I included a lobster illustration to show that crustaceans were often included in studies of insects for a long time.

Four volumes of Der monahtlich-herausgegebenen Insecten-Belustigung are available to view online through the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

View more Science Saturday posts.

–Sarah, Special Collections Senior Graduate Intern

[everlasting-stories]

To Feel Again [M]

Genre: light angst, romance

Warnings[!]: smut, penetration, creampie, unprotected sex, mentions of adult toys

Pairing: Doyoung x Reader

Words: 4.4k / One-shot

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

Valentine's Day: the day of roses and hearts and chocolates and romantic candlelit dinners. When people proposed marriage and professed undying love.

You sighed, staring unseeing into your bowl of cornflakes as they succumbed to their milky grave and turned to soggy goop. Funny how a date on a calendar could open the pit of despair that lived somewhere near your stomach. It had to be near your stomach. You've been reasonably hungry until you've noticed the date and the pit opened. Your hunger had fallen into it, and the memories and pain rose out of it.

There was a time when this day had been wonderful. Life had been wonderful, you didn't need Valentine's Day, but you celebrated it with reverence and, sometimes, wild abandon.

You knew what love was, what it felt like to love a man and how it felt to lose him. You remembered what he'd said that last morning, how he'd kissed you; how the sun had lit his face as he smiled, promising he'd be back. You also remembered the police, how the sun seemed to dim as they told you the phrases out of courtesy. They were sorry for your loss. They will let you know of details as soon as the investigation on the accident comes to an end.

Since that time, Valentine's Day had passed unheralded, unheeded and uncelebrated. You knew you were a joke of the office - entering thirties soon and never been fucked, that's what they said. The borning woman who had no idea what fun was, wouldn't have known what to do with a man if by some miracle you did catch the attention of one. They were wrong, of course. Not that it was any of their business; it certainly didn't affect your ability to do your job.

If you chose to act and dress your age and spend your evenings quietly, rather than as mutton dressed as lamb in some gaudy nightclub, surely that was your right?

You sighed again, getting up from the table, taking your cereal bowl and dumping the gloop down the sink. A bleak day of petty jibes and pitying looks lay ahead. At least you knew what to expect this year.

Last year had been your first Valentine's Day with this particular company and, therefore, your first with this particular bunch of malicious people - your fellow employees. As front counter receptionist, you were the company's first "public face" and some of your co-workers had decided it didn't look good if that face wasn't surrounded by gifts from admirers on this day.

When the first bunch of anonymous flowers had arrived, you've been flustered, flattered and flabbergasted that anyone would send you flowers. You had hurriedly cleared a space on the counter for them, proudly displaying them, fussing with them to show them off at their best and make them visible from the greatest distance. You kept touching them, moving them slightly, reaffirming they were really there. Your heart sang; someone had noticed you. Maybe he was too shy to reveal himself; maybe he was married and couldn't: your mind was alive with questions, trying to solve the mystery of their origin. You were all in all happy.

Then a large box of chocolates arrived, closely followed by more flowers. By lunchtime, these had been joined by a little plush cherub, two red plush love hearts, a pair of earrings, three more bunches of flowers, four assorted boxes of chocolates and a large jar of candy hearts. They all carried the same anonymous message. And you knew then and there what is the catch behind this.

By the end of the day there were nine flower arrangements, ten boxes of chocolates, three cherubs, the two red love hearts, three teddy bears, two jars of candy, the earrings and a gift box containing four pairs of edible undies. Just before the close of business the final humiliation came - a fantastically wrapped see through box containing an inflatable male doll with vibrating tongue, a massive purple vibrating dildo and a copy of the Sex for The Beginners book.

You had to stay at your post until the last visitor or client left. But the rest of the staff was already heading out of the building. Some boggled at your desk, some snickered, a couple made loud crass comments and a very few had appeared horrified at the pile of stuff surrounding yourself. The building had almost emptied before that last visitor departed. You were sure that, too, was a set-up, particularly when you saw it was the client that had been visiting quite frequently lately.

Myungsoo ushered the man to the street and turned back to you as you gathered your coat and handbag, ready to escape.

"Gee, you're a popular girl. Who would have thought?" He reached your counter and began collecting up the flowers, grinning madly. "Let me help you with all that."

Before you could say a word, he bundled all the flowers, chocolates and assorted other items into your arms. You could barely see where you were going. Myungsoo put his arm around your back and shepherded you out the door, peeking at the vibrator in its transparent box. "There you go, sweetheart. Looks like you're definitely gonna get some action tonight." He turned smartly away, laughing as he rapidly put distance between the two of you.

You obviously had thrown the whole lot in the nearest dumpster and hurried to the relative sanctuary of your car before breaking down and sobbing, burying your head in your hands to hide from prying eyes of curious passer-bys.

Standing at your kitchen sink, you wondered what they'd pull this year. It couldn't be worse, could it? You sighed again and then abruptly shook your head, standing straighter. To hell with it - you were not going to let them get to you today.

It had already begun when you arrived. A bouquet of irises sat at the front of the counter. You were tempted to throw them straight in the garbage, but decided they were too pretty, too unusual. So they stayed. Curiosity got the better of you as you looked at the card, expecting it to say something sappy and insincere, as last year's cards had.

"You are worth far more than they will ever realise. Hear the flowers."

You pondered the card. Hear the flowers?

What on earth did that mean? You raised an eyebrow as you settled into your post: at least it seemed this year would be more intriguing than last. During quiet moments throughout the morning, you'd pick up the card, reread the cryptic message and study the beautiful bouquet, but its secret was never revealed.

No gifts arrived for you, no more flowers. You were relieved, but it only served to deepen the mystery of the flowers. As your lunch hour approached, other staff began filtering out of their offices to take a break. They all noticed the irises. Several of the women stopped and commented on their beauty. No one laughed.

As always, you left the building for lunch. You would usually grab a sandwich somewhere and do a bit of window shopping. Anything to get away for an hour - if you stayed in the office, someone always "needed" you for something.

When you returned, a neatly typed page was on your desk: "The meaning of flowers". One line was highlighted in blue: "Iris: Have Faith. Don't Give Up On Hope." A single purple violet was pinned to the page. You scanned the page to find "Violet (Purple): You occupy my thoughts". You put the page to one side, but still in view, unsure whether to laugh at it and throw it along with the flowers away before the punch line or wait it out. This was definitely a far more sophisticated assault than last year.

Throughout the afternoon a steady procession of couriers arrived, carrying flowers and gifts. You nervously watched each one approach your counter, only to breathe a sigh of relief as the teddy bears and hearts, the chocolates and flowers were all destined for other souls.

At 4:30PM a man approached your station: nothing unusual in that; everyone that came to see someone had to check in with you. What was unusual was that he actually saw you as a fellow human, not a robot programmed to take names and give directions. He smiled at you, a real smile that reached his eyes and warmed your heart. Something familiar in his eyes...

"Good afternoon. My name is Kim Doyoung. I have an appointment to speak to Choi Myungsoo. Would you mind letting him know I am here, please?"

Quickly, you dialled Myungsoo's extension, giving him the information. Myungsoo, as usual was brusque to the point of rude, telling you to "entertain the idiot 'till I'm ready for him - he's not supposed to be here for another 15 minutes".

You were tempted to tell the polite gentleman exactly what Myungsoo had said, but instead used your tact and diplomacy (that was why you were hired after all) to tell him that "Mr. Choi is a little delayed. He will be available in a few minutes."

With that being said, you offered him a seat.

Again he smiled. "Those are beautiful flowers," he said, nodding towards the iris bouquet. "A discerning choice for a lovely lady."

You lowered your eyes, feeling the heat rise in your face, knowing you were blushing.

His voice softened and became much quieter. "You don't remember me, do you?" Your eyes flew to his face, confused. Were you supposed to know this charming man?

"I had an appointment here at the same time, on this day last year. I was waiting outside for a taxi when you left. That was uncalled for, the whole situation that happened - mean and heartless and exactly what I would expect of Myungsoo and his friends. I deal with them only because I must. They offer a service unparalleled in this town."

He leaned across the counter, his voice so low only you could hear. "How they manage it, I cannot tell. They are pig swill and don't know a pearl when confronted with one." Doyoung paused, seeming to weigh up his next statement, then leaned closer to you. "Did you hear the flowers?"

Your eyes again flew to his face, your mouth falling open a little. "You sent them?"

"I did. And the violet. I had hoped to counter whatever crass display they had planned this year. Would you possibly consider spending the evening with me?" His face was eager, hopeful. "A nice dinner?"

You were stunned, flattered, amazed - but also wary. This was Myungsoo's client. He could easily have been put up to this. You studied his face closely, seeking any hint of a lurking cad. His face fell. "But, of course, you have other plans. I apologise for embarrassing you." He moved away and sat, abashed, on one of the hideous lounge chairs to await his appointment.

You studied this man. He didn't seem to fit the mould of Myungsoo's usual cohorts. For one thing he was unerringly polite. He was also good looking, very, very good looking, without being outstanding or flashy. He was also much closer to your age than Myungsoo's and had an air of quiet confidence, like he had nothing to prove to anyone and nothing to fear from them either. You looked at the flowers. Could Myungsoo have possibly thought of something this elegant? You didn't think so. You took a deep breath: to hell with it.

"Mr. Kim?" He looked up. "What time would you like to pick me up?"

In your bedroom, staring at the clothes hanging limply in your closet, the cool bravado that had claimed you as you agreed to the date vanished. In its place indecision, doubt and outright terror took hold. It seemed painfully obvious to you now, away from the office and that lovely man, that it was all another twisted joke, something for the office beautiful people to laugh at during tomorrow's coffee breaks. Why did you say yes? Your wardrobe was woefully inadequate. It was years since you'd been out with a man; you were bound to make a fool of yourself, even if it wasn't a set-up.

At that thought your heart jumped and lurched. The possibility that Mr. Kim - no, Doyoung; this was a date not a business appointment - was sincere in his wish to take you out only heightened your confusion and indecision.

Finally, in desperation and the realisation that if you didn't decide soon, you'd still be in your underwear when he arrived; you chose a chanel-knee length cremé skirt and baby pink cashmere sweater, topped off with knee length boots. The heels were quite high, but you remembered him being tall, so that wouldn't be an issue, as long as you didn't fall over in them.

You were saved from an overcritical examination in the mirror. You had just completed applying your makeup when Doyoung arrived. You grabbed your coat and quickly walked out the door, before you had time to rethink and back out.

"You look lovely," Doyoung said, smiling down at you. Feeling the heat creeping up your cheeks; you weren't used to receiving compliments, particularly from someone like him. You mumbled a shy thanks as he helped you put on your coat and led you to his car.

Sitting in the car as he drove, you were able to study the mysterious man that is Kim Doyoung. He was extremely handsome, not in the classical sense, but he certainly was far from a plain looking man - a man at peace with himself. He knew who he was and was content with that; he knew what he wanted and how to get it; and what was beyond his capabilities and lost no sleep over it. He obviously managed quite well; his car was expensive but not too flashy.

The restaurant he took you too was a quiet small place, away from the standard eat-and-entertain strip. It was intimate without claustrophobia; the decor was elegant without being overbearing; the lighting low but not dim; the service attentive without being intrusive. The food you could not describe - later, you barely remembered what you had eaten beyond it being "nice" - your attention was totally taken by Doyoung.

He was gallant and charming; helping you with your coat and holding your chair for you at the intimate table for two tucked away in a corner. Doyoung quietly suggested items on the menu he thought you might like. It was obvious he'd been here before, was a regular, but usually without company. His choice of wine was perfect to go with the excellent food as you enjoyed each other's company.

And you talked.

You learned a lot about him. Doyoung was 34, older than you had thought; he had been engaged, but his fiancé decided to break off the engagement for simply falling out of love. He had had a series of short term relationships that had petered out and, for the past several years, had lived a solitary life, rarely going out with women. He didn't work as such; his livelihood came from investments, which explained him being a client of the company you worked in. Myungsoo may be a jerk, but he was the one of the best investment brokers around.

He had been attracted to you the first time he met you, a year ago, but had been intimidated by the evidence of all your admirers. When he realised it was all a cruel joke played by his adviser and the other brokers, he was mortified. He had seriously considered changing brokers, going to another organisation but that would have meant he had no chance of meeting you again. So he stayed. He had been in your office on three occasions since then, and each time had seen your quiet, unflappable charm and how your talent and lovely nature were either ignored or taken for granted by those around you. He was determined to gain your attention, but without the office cricus freaks being able to use it against you, hence the mystery flower delivery this morning.

You found yourself opening up to Doyoung. He seemed sincerely interested in hearing what you had to say, hanging on your every word. It was a liberating and wonderfully powerful feeling. You weren't used to being the centre of anyone's attention. You told him of your pride at the independence since the loss of your lover, all those years ago. You were happy in your little home, content with your work, rarely coming to the attention of the office jokers.

It was over coffee that you admitted to Doyoung something you haven't admitted to yourself: your life was lonely and you missed the affection of another person. You missed the companionship of sharing your life with someone.

Immediately after the words had left your lips you regretted them. You have given away too much of yourself, been too forward. You lowered your eyes, not wanting to see the closed expression you knew would be on his face, so you didn't see the fleeting look of pain, quickly followed by understanding and hope.

However, you did feel his hand close over yours and squeeze lightly. You looked up into a face of gentle eyes and soft smile. "Would you like to take a walk with me," he said quietly. "I think it's time we leave - they want to close the restaurant anyway."

You looked around yourself noticing that you two were the only people other than staff left in the restaurant, and many of the lights were dimmed. You gasped in wonder - you had no idea you've been there so long. "Yes, a walk would be lovely."

Doyoung ushered you along the street and across a small, neat park to a promenade along the riverbank. It was enough lit to feel safe and you walked along arm in arm. You felt his arm snake around your waist hugging you closer to him, and you snuggled against him, your arm around his back. The moon was up, the stars were out and the night was peaceful and clear.

Your heart was singing and your eyes sparkled. You've been right to take this gamble. He was sincere, and it was wonderful. But the night was late, and it was rather cold.

You shivered. Doyoung felt it immediately and turned off the promenade proposing to head back toward the street where he had left the car. "I'd better take you home. It wouldn't be much of a date if you ended up ill."

At your door, Doyoung formally thanked you for a lovely evening and asked if he could see you again. You smiled and surprised yourself only a little by reaching up and kissing him lightly on the lips before saying: "Would you like to come in for a nightcap?"

Doyoung blinked, looking mildly bemused for a moment before studying your face. "Are you sure?"

Oh, most definitely, you were sure. You have thought of nothing else since you two have left the river. He looked right, he felt right, and he smelt right. You wanted him but was sure he'd never make a move. He was too much of a gentleman to ever force the issue.

You took his hand and led him into your home, kicking the door closed with your foot, shutting out the rest of the world with its mean people and ugly attitudes. You reached up to kiss him again. This time he lowered his head to yours, cradling your face in his hands as he returned the kiss. The lips met and parted, allowing the tongues to join and caress each other. His hands moved down from your face to caress your body, yours moving up from his hips. Both of you parted, searching each other's faces for confirmation of your desires.

"I think we're on the same page," you said. "Why don't you leave your coat on the couch? Do you want the nightcap now, or after the tour?"

"I'll put a hold on the nightcap," Doyoung answered, reading the desire in your eyes and knowing it was mirrored in his while stripping off the coat.

"Right."

You took his hand again. "This is the lounge. There," you pointed to the right, "is the kitchen and dining room. This way," pulling him down the hall, "is the second bedroom, the bathroom and," dragging him through a doorway, "here is the main bedroom."

"Very nice," he said, looking around, trying not to focus on the bed.

Suddenly shy, you both looked at anything but each other, awkward in a lack of intimate knowledge of each other. Doyoung tentatively reached out a hand to you, aiming to caress your breast, veering off at the last moment to your shoulder, but still lightly brushing your breast with his fingertips. Your gasped breath emboldened him and he reached his other hand, caressing your other breast lightly as you shivered under his touch and sighed.

Your own hands went to his chest, running down the front of his shirt and back up, then beginning to undo the buttons, pulling the shirt from his trousers and teasing his bare skin with your fingers.

Doyoung pulled his shirt off and then raised the sweater over your head and off the arms, moving in to kiss you as his hands went around your back to undo the clasps of a bra and returned to cup your breasts. The sensation on your breasts as he caressed and pinched the nipples sent a sharp message straight between your legs. You could feel yourself becoming moist and shuddered under his touch; breath becoming uneven.

Pushing him away you removed the skirt, letting it pool at your feet while looking into his eyes. Doyoung took the hint and began unbuckling his belt, then grinned foolishly and sat beside you to take off his socks, sneaking kisses of your neck and shoulders as he did so. You both stood again, slightly apart. He dropped his trousers and you could see his briefs pushed out of shape by his erection, the fabric straining.

Doyoung stepped up, taking you in his arms, kissing down your neck and across the collarbone, his hands lowering to your hips, sliding under the elastic and beginning to tug your panties down. Your own hands flew to the top of his briefs. Together, you pulled down the underwear, stepping out of them and standing naked before each other. Again Doyoung moved first, holding you and gently pushing backwards onto the bed, following after you onto it.

He ran one hand down the body of yours, teasing and tickling the beginning of your womanhood and beyond, teasing you with his fingers, tickling across your mound and easing around your damp centre. You moaned as he explored, your hips twisting and twitching. It had been so long since another man had touched you there. It felt amazing, wonderful, but achingly short of what you needed. You could feel his hardness against your thigh. Reaching down, you took his cock into your hand. It was hot, hard and pulsed under your touch. Doyoung groaned and his hips jerked convulsively. You kissed him hard and whispered fiercely, "Please, it's been too long. I need you, now."

"For me too, far too long," Doyoung gasped back, rolling you onto your back and positioning himself before gently splitting your lips and sliding steadily but firmly into you. Your moans were prominent in the air as he stretched and filled you right, not stopping his steady thrust until he was wholly inside you, your warm walls gripping him tightly. Your eyes met and locked as you lay still, immersed in the feeling of each other's body.

Being warm, wet and a safe haven, you were engulfing his cock. Doyoung was filling you with his hard heat, owning your body completely. You fit each other perfectly; you could see it in each other's eyes. You belonged together.

As great as this feeling was, you needed more. Doyoung slowly withdrew, till only the very tip split you. Both groaning as he pushed back in, again slowly feeling each other with delectable inch. Slowly in and out, in and out, revelling in the feeling of each other's bodies, gradually building up speed as your need increased.

You could feel the fire building, the tension increasing as sensation on sensation smashed into you with each thrust, your body twitching, your hips writhing. Still it built; higher, tighter, fiercer. Your entire being was wrapped around Doyoung's cock as it pumped in and out of you. You could hear him grunting with each thrust, feel his body trembling as he got closer to his climax. His speed increased and you breath got caught in your throat, your back arched, legs went stiff as you began to twitch when the white light exploded through you, spreading warmth and scattering your senses.

You felt, from far away but deep within you, Doyoung losing his rhythm before coming, pumping wildly into you, grunting and thrusting hard one last time as he shot deep inside you feeling spent but overly fulfilled.

Your hand was making lazy circles on Doyoung's chest as you lay, curled against his side with a head on his shoulder. You weren't sure how you've come to be in this position, but it felt so right and he smelled so good.

You were at peace while drifting off to sleep.

Waking up without feeling body by your side, you immediately felt the loss. Doyoung wasn't there. Your heart dropped, the pit near your stomach threatened to open and engulf it. Sensing the tears coming up, you accidentally feel something on your side with a hand.

He wasn't there. But there was a note.

"I am so sorry. I hate to leave you, knowing you will wake alone. There is something I must do."

You had just finished reading when the phone rang, disturbing your thoughts. Grudgingly, you moved to answer it. "Hello."

"Wish I was still beside you."

Your heart flipped again. The pit dissolved so you could breathe again before whispering, "Doyoung."

"Y/N. Tell me, what are you planning for breakfast?"

"Uhm. Coffee? Maybe some toast. Why?"

"Don't move. I'm on my way. With breakfast. And it's better than toast."

You lay back in bed, listening to the dial tone after he hung up. Surprised, you smile softly. You must remember to thank Myungsoo for introducing them.

If this is how you will feel loved and feel free to love again, you have no complaints.

Your new chapter is about to begin and hopefully, it will last for a very long time with a man named Kim Doyoung.

[straighttohellbuddy]

EVERYONE SHUT UP I LITERALLY FORGOT THE BASIS OF THOS FIC WAS BECAUSE SHANE FROM BUZZFEED UNSOLVED HAS BIG DEMON ENERGY !! I CAN MAKE THAT TRUE !! it makes so much sense in this universe tho, why Ryan is so nervous and why Shane is so flippant, is because Shane's scarier than anything they could encounter but noone actually knows he's a demon!!

Yes I am taking suggestions for what Ryan would be, because I think having him also be supernatural is sweet. Maybe some thing closer to an angel? Like a cherub?

SHANE AND READER VISTING THE ANABEL DOLL AND SHITTALKING HER WHEN THEY KNOW SHE CAN HEAR BUT SHE'S NOT A REAL DEMON SHE'S JUST A MALEVOLENT SPIRIT AND THESE TWO ACTUAL DEMONS ARE LIKE (gifs from @theshiningbeacon )

AND SO SHES TRYING TO PRETEND LIKE SHES JUST A DOLL AND NOT ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED

The boys being confused as to why y/n wants to collab, but the moment they meet Shane it makes sense to him (also the moment of !! Hello!! Holy shit another demon!! 🥰🥰) but Ryan is confused as hell still. He thought they might bring some levity and be on his side, but it turns out that while they believe as much as him, they're just as chaotic and reckless as Shane.

Shane: did you hear, we went to the goatman's bridge

Reader: oh? How'd that go?

Shane: i mean, its my bridge now. I said so; he didn't even try to stop me.

Reader: well if he didn't try and stop you then legally its yours. I heard he was a prick anyways.

Shane: total prick, we were at his bridge and he didn't even make an appearance or offer any refreshments.

Reader: what an asshole! At that point I think you deserve his bridge.

Ryan: What In The Fuck Is Wrong With You Both?

(*note, the Goatman was a real demon, and one of the more famous ones, but like most other supernaturals his lifespan is still about that of a humans. Most famous demons have actually passed, but people like to greatly exaggerate their power, and over the years, other demons who have not wanted to out themselves as demons, have played along with the bit to the point where new demons who meet/talk to others of their kind are quick to pick up on the inside joke)

Also why do I keep theorising Demon Reveals knowing they won't happen???? But also, something going wrong in their investigation and the reader and Shane having to step in and protect the others. Like I KNOW its dumb but I have this thought of Ryan realising they're demons and still being nervous because "what if its a more powerful demon that you? It wasn't scared to make a move with both of you here!"

And the reader like "chances are, it doesn't know what we are; you didn't, and you've known Shane for years."

And Shane stepping up beside the reader, looking around with his blacked out eyes adding "and I hate to burst your bubble, but there's actually no hierarchy of demons, but there is a hierarchy of supernatural creatures, and we're at the top. We won't let anything happen to you, man."

FOR ALL THE WORLD IS SCARED OF DEMONS, ITS MORE A LEARNED RESPONSE, AND MOST OF THE WORLD HAS FORGOTTEN HOW GENUINELY TERRIFYING DEMONS (and angels but this isn't a post for them) ARE!! LITERALLY NOTHING IS SCARIER THAN A DEMON TRYING TO PROTECT SOMETHING

[basilpaste]

your blorbos. your trolls. them...

i require information

i will provide!! happily so!! in the order of the last post i will talk about these dweebs.

dypsis:

hes! incredibly passive and anxious! all the time! to his own detriment, frequently!

so hes a mutantblood. in just about the opposite way of the vantas line. instead of lime mutating to candy red, rust mutates to. 'cherub lime'? 'bright lime'? ...blood less like actual lime bloods and more like calliope.

he uh. does the karkat thing where he just opts to wear grey despite clearly wearing his sign and very much follows the signless in a. less... aggressive manner.

maid of blood! which is ironic. his sign is arcen, the sign of the companion

one of his horns got fucked up! its cool though.

oh also his typing quirk is a thing i know!

dyypsis tends to double up 'y's. it's in part because of his name, but he's also... kind of a yyes man.

FUCKIN. just realized his quirk is practically identical to skyllas but they dont exist at the same time and their syntax is different so shh. its fine shhh.

scarus:

in the kindest way possible shes a freak! like... personality wise, being a purpleblood seadweller notwithstanding. now: she doesnt know how or why shes both of these things, but that doesnt bother her a bit! shes genuinely jolly and technically counts as royalty as a seadweller, so she doesnt get into the dark carnival stuff so much. shes based on tightrope walkers and her weapon of choice is a parasol!

knight of heart! you know how it is with knights and heart players. exactly. her sign is caprio, the sign of the opaque, and is thrilled by how much is looks like a neat little sea monster!

ScaruSS quirk iS Something like the hiSS after a bought of laughter. She capitaliSeS the letter S UNLEss sHEs sPEAKING IN ALL CAPs! alSo doeS the cuStomary fiSh pun thing. and circuS punS.

valens:

valens remure is a skeptic to her very core. shes an investigator in a lot of ways, and a lot of those ways are to keep herself from getting killed. she doesnt know why she wasnt culled as a wiggler, but the thought keeps her up well past noon. shes curious and despite being a bit of a loner, is always willing to meet knew people. shes pretty gifted at math too!

despite her lack of horns, she is the only troll in her session to not wear a hat, which the others dont seem to find nearly as funny as she does. which is a shame.

thief of time! you know how it is with time players too. her sign is librist, the sign of the guerilla.

Vale^'s the o^ly member of her group to use (mostly) proper sy^tax. Capital letters a^d such. She replaces the letter "n" with the carrot symbol. whe^ she gets particularly excited, she ^^ight use two i^ place of "m"! She says it's because of her math mi^ded-^ess, but Scarus speculates it's mostly because she wishes she had hor^s.

[cherub-investigation0802]

I hate when people mention and or say I have disorder that I wasnt diagnosed with/have never thought I had because then I question myself if I have it and then I start seeing posts from and about the disorders and RAAAAAAAAAAAAH

[phoenix-manga]

DCA Impish Valentines Pt. 1

NOTE: Taking a quick break before I finish the rest of the revamps, the students will be the only one who get finished revamps, the staff might come later.

The Valentine’s Concert:

There was an announcement that DCA will send their students to perform at the park located in the Rose Kingdom. The staff has been preparing the stage, decorating it with heart-themed props and lighting, as well as handing out flyers to a large majority of people who might be interested.

Plenty of attendees were couples and some even brought their kids, there were also a large number of students who were a fan of the idols featured on the flyer. There are news casters setting up their cameras to broadcast their performance for the folks online.

Of course, there was a post on social media letting people know about the concert. It definitely reached the most avid magicam users and idol fans.

Puchi was tasked by the Headmistress to act as a manager overseeing that the concert goes well, of course he promises to do a good job. The chosen students to perform were Ella, Vidya, Briar and Evonie. The songs will be performed in duets, Briar and Ella as the pair who will sing a soft love song while Evonie and Vidya will sing a more loud and mature romantic song.

When they arrived at the venue using a magic mirror, everything seemed normal and they proceeded to get ready. But it wasn’t until Puchi could smell a monster’s scent in certain parts of the venue, he decided to investigate. 

As Puchi investigates, Vidya and Evonie start to notice that there have been quarrels going around the venue, at first they assumed it was the usual lover’s quarrel, but moments later, almost all of the people present in the park were quarreling with each other.

It was a chaotic mess! The girls now know that something is definitely wrong! But they don’t know what, just then Puchi rushes over to them to warn them about something like a “dark purple smoke coming out of the crowd”, they can’t see it unlike Puchi which makes it difficult.

Puchi exclaims that he was following the scent of the smoke when he found a large group of imps casting hexes on the people that causes their negative emotions to strongly manifest. But seeing as how he’s the only one who can see them, being a monster and all, this will be difficult if he were to do it alone.

Briar asks if there is anything they can use to see the imps, then Puchi had an idea to have them contact their dorm fairies to get in touch with MG Genie, he might have something useful.

Once the fairies were alerted about the situation, they flew over to the school store and explained the troubles to MG Genie. 

In a rather, disco-fashion, he explains that the only way to get rid of the imps was to use the magic of cherubs. Because the two species are each other’s opposite, imps can only be vanquished by that specific magic. 

Willow: But, how do we get cherubs to help? We don’t even know where to look!

MG: Who said anything about getting a cherub? I have magical charms that can give the wearer cherub magic! As long as the girls wear them, they can give those imps some good old fashioned butt kicking!

When the fairies got hold of the charms, they use the magic mirror to teleport to Puchi and the girls and relay the information from MG Genie.

The charms are worn by the girls and a glowing light envelops them and they are transformed into cherubs, complete with wings and the ability to summon bows. Their fairies have transformed to little angels as well, due to their bond as dorm leader and dorm fairy.

Now with Puchi, he used the charm given to him, which happens to be the crown that stood out among the brooches. He wore the crown and changes into a cute cherub poodle with his 2 pairs of wings.

The group gazed at the imps spreading the smoke and chaos, they ready their magic bows and rush towards a crowd of quarreling people.

[bitter69uk]

Recently watched: Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984). Tagline: “the story of a guy, a girl and an alien... and one night they will always remember!” I’m using this period of enforced social isolation to explore the weirder corners of YouTube for long forgotten and obscure movies. (My boyfriend is accompanying me only semi-willingly).  

Incomprehensible. Stultifying. Bizarre. Botched! In the early eighties, former child actress, cherub-faced starlet and “triple threat” Pia Zadora reigned as the undisputed queen of bad movies. (Her filmography-from-hell includes crimes-against-cinema like Fake-out (1982) and The Lonely Lady (1983)). Enduring the 97-minute duration of misbegotten low-budget New Wave musical comedy Voyage of the Rock Aliens certainly justifies how Zadora earned that title. (Note: don’t confuse Voyage of the Rock Aliens with Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968) – an entirely different but equally terrible film starring that earlier queen of bad movies, Mamie Van Doren). 

Voyage was calculatedly formulated to promote Zadora as a viable pop siren in the vein of Madonna or Cyndi Lauper. In fact, it opens with an epic rock video for “When the Rain Begins to Fall”, Zadora’s hi-NRG disco duet with Jermaine Jackson. The video has that artfully distressed post-apocalyptic / post-punk look typical of the era (it’s hard to overstate the stylistic influence of Mad Max in the eighties). Seemingly tacked-on at random, the video bears zero relation to what unfolds next. How to explain Voyage of the Rock Aliens? According to Wikipedia, its scriptwriter conceived it as a deliberately campy tongue-in-cheek spoof hybrid of fifties and sixties b-movie genres. A postmodern mash-up of science fiction, beach party musicals, monster movies and rock’n’roll juvenile delinquent flicks sounds potentially amusing in more competent hands, but the conception and execution here is frankly - if cheerfully - inept. 

Zany hijinks, wacky misunderstandings and “what-the-fuck” moments ensue when a group of rock’n’roll-crazed aliens (styled to vaguely resemble Devo) land their guitar-shaped spaceship on earth and try to ingratiate themselves with the local teenagers of a town called Speelburg. Voyage’s tone is established with an introductory Beach Blanket Bingo-style musical number. The song is grating. The choreography is clunky. The weather is visibly overcast and chilly. Some of the “high schoolers” are seemingly well into their late twenties. To be fair, it does offer a time capsule of eighties fashion trends: it’s a veritable day-glo riot of ra-ra skirts, crimped hair, fingerless lace gloves and wraparound sunglasses. Dee Dee (Zadora) yearns to sing with her boyfriend Frankie’s band (Frankie and The Pack) at their high school’s upcoming cotillion. But surly delinquent hoodlum Frankie (Craig Sheffer) is such a selfish, insecure jerk he won’t let her. (This scenario reminded me of Lucy constantly wanting to crash Ricky’s stage show in old episodes of I Love Lucy). The leader of the aliens (Tom Nolan) develops a crush on Dee Dee and has no qualms about her joining his band, inciting Frankie’s jealousy. 

Proceedings are padded-out with some annoying sub-plots. Two homicidal killers escape from a high security mental facility. The eccentric elderly female sheriff investigates the town’s UFO sighting. (This surely represents an unseemly career low for Academy Award-winning veteran character actress Ruth Gordon of Rosemary’s Baby and Harold and Maude fame). There’s also a sea monster whose tentacle pops up at random and is never explained. Storytelling coherence isn’t one of Voyage’s strengths: it frequently feels like some pages have gone missing from the script, or some crucial explanatory scenes have been accidentally deleted.   

Anyway, Zadora gamely tackles the acting, singing and dancing with more enthusiasm than skill. Frankie’s bandmates are played by a genuine Los Angeles psychobilly band called Jimmy and The Mustangs - a poor man’s Stray Cats, although it must be said they do provide eye candy in their mesh t-shirts and studded leather biker jackets. Speaking of which: pouting young pretty boy Craig Sheffer’s Frankie is filmed like an escapee from an eighties gay porn film, with a homoerotic focus on his sinewy torso and painted-on black jeans. With horrible symmetry, Voyage concludes by reprising “When the Rain Begins to Fall” (with Scheffer lip-syncing to Jermaine Jackson’s vocals) with some of the most half-assed green screen technology ever captured on celluloid. Clearly the filmmakers had stopped caring by then. Problem is, you will have too! 

Voyage of the Rock Aliens is FREE to view on Amazon Prime. Watch the trailer here.

[rpmemesbyarat]

RP meme from Scream Queens Ep 5 "Pumpkin Patch" (Note: Offensive content, use at own discretion)

The theme was "Let Them Eat Cake," so my dad bought me this foreclosed McMansion down the street, and, like, 500 of my closest friends came dressed in 18th century attire, and, oh, the pool was filled with this, like, caviar slurry. And then at midnight, we just burnt the house down. When the firefighters came, they were actually strippers, and they put out the fire with champagne.

So walk me through this, honey.

Well, as you can see, every pumpkin in the patch is artisanal.

Then we move past the ice sculptures of demonic peeing cherubs, and yes, they will all be peeing vodka and Red Bull.

I'm sorry. Corn maze?

It's just that doing an exact replica maze from The Shining would have taken us way over budget on man power alone.

I told you money was no object.

Well, apparently, one of them died or something.

Do you have any idea what's at stake here?

Okay, well, it's not my fault that some guy died in the '70s.

I am tired of your sad-sack, I'm-a-total-downer-all-the-time schtick.

I'm over it!

Oh, my God, why are you so depressed?

Why do I have to be the homely one?

Just a second, nutbag.

God, do I have to spell it out for you?

You're a weird, psycho lunatic who's gonna end up in an asylum somewhere, staring at a wall, trying to nurse a watering can.

That's it! I can't take this anymore!

That is such a Mary Todd Lincoln thing to say.

You scream "I'm done with you" kind of a lot, and yet you're still standing here.

I think you know you have a good thing going.

You get to bask in my starlight as I do all the work and you get to grumble behind my back about how disrespected you are.

There's the door.

There's the door, bitch!

You did not deserve to be spoken to like that. Ever.

That is bollocks!

Clearly this fake kidnapping is a play to get the sympathy vote. So Gone Girl.

This is the biggest candle night of the year!

I hate you right now!

Halloween is the greatest night of the year. Greatest night. Because on this night, even kind of shy, kind of homely girls dress up like total sluts. I mean, every costume is just a slutty version of something. Slutty teacher, slutty nurse, slutty nun. I saw a girl last year dressed as slutty al-Qaeda!

See, Halloween it's a night for dudes with killer bods to walk around with our shirts off. And it's totally appropriate, as long as we call ourselves gladiators, Chippendales.

I have no idea how you got into this college.

Look, we'll just hang out and play charades!

This cannot be happening!

Hey, what about Black Hairy Tongue Disease? I mean, does nobody here care about Black Hairy Tongue?

What about my pumpkin patch?

I blame you for this.

[NAME], nice boobs.

Join me in saying you are not afraid!

Just baking some cookies for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters.

Uh, they're toenail cookies.

Pink fur coats worn in all weather, my idea. Flapper dresses made out of feathers, also my idea. Oversized sunglasses worn everywhere, my idea, my idea, my idea!

So why are you baking toenail cookies and giving them to children?

Okay, whose side are you on?

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I'm what you call

a "switch-hitter."

Wait, are you bisexual? Because that's what "switch-hitter" means.

Do you mean "double agent"?

What are you writing?

Do you know how big Halloween is in the candle community?

Is this an ant farm?

There's a mom ant, Deborah, who mostly just lies around and she has about 100 husband ants, who come around and give it to her good, which she really enjoys. And then there's about a million sterile daughter ants who feed her and are her slaves. So, an ideal family.

She'd win. And then I'd beg to be her second-in-command, while quietly pull the strings behind the scenes like Dick Cheney.

This plan involves a lot of circuitous logic.

Oh, my God! Those are, like, $100 each!

They're the highest quality candles that can be purchased retail.

What a brilliant and revolutionary idea.

Are you cheating?

This is a clear violation of the honor code.

You must be new here.

Who are you calling?

I'm gonna get you fired.

At least you wore something nice today.

Remember to smile for your mug shot.

I'm burping uncontrollably like Robert Durst.

They'll know I'm guilty!

I'm next in line and in charge here.

You can sum up my viewpoint on this with one word; indifference.

We are her only hope.

Sometimes, in order for a person to achieve their full potential, they have to do things on their own.

I am in charge here!

I love that you're a man.

This is the most sensual song ever written.

We need to do this right now!

I just saw her boobs.

Oh, a salad date is, it's like, it's more casual than dinner, but more formal than coffee.

Whose pants are these?

You know, you're a human being with feelings and needs, right?

Enough about me and my confusion and sad dead feeling inside.

It just really hurt my feelings.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure my so-called friends are the ones that turned me in so I'm just feeling, like, super alone right now.

Man, I am your biggest Instagram fan!

I just think you are a style genius.

I will never be able to repay you for the kindness you've shown me in here.

Besties for life, I say.

Your bail's been posted.

I knew you'd bail me out.

Can I just say what a relief it is to be able to share it with somebody and not feel judged?

You know, I mean, all my girlfriends are like, "That's immoral." "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Ashamed? What the hell you got to be ashamed for?

You should be proud.

I could've lost my job.

I mean, it lasted, like, 45 seconds, and the whole time, it just felt like I was getting stabbed in the abdomen.

I tied him up and I kept my uniform on and proceeded

to read him his rights. My favorite being "You got the right to remain sexy."

Give me some!

You know he's sexy!

That was one of the best nights of my life.

Well, I've already contacted the police department, despite the fact that a person can't be considered "missing" until at least 72 hours has passed.

That's morbid.

I've already hired an investigator.

What, are you two a couple now?

What the hell are you doing?

You sold me down the river, bitch.

Wait, Gary Coleman's parents stole his kidneys?

I would never say that, because I'm pretty sure that never even happened.

Why does ratting me out sound like exactly something you would do?

You know, I've never thought of myself as a killer, but I am seriously considering ramming this pick into the back of your eye socket.

Maybe you'll get your head sawed off.

You have cameras in my room?

I have eyes everywhere, bitch.

The name of my future perfume is Revenge.

How is that something you just happen to know?

That is stupidest thing I've ever heard.

What's the password?

I just can't eat any more of these.

This ain't The Marriage Ref! This ain't Judge Joe Brown! We ain't on the Maury Show! We ain't standin' in line trying to get tickets to Dr. Phil! I am not Steve Harvey, people, and this ain't the Family Feud!

I'm tryin' to catch a killer.

Help me get the spy gear in the car!

How can you promise?

We're in a maze, you don't know where you're going!

I always knew it would come to this.

Why are we doing this right now?

I forgot the flashlights!

What am I supposed to do with this?

This is so creepy.

It smell like booty in here.

I'm getting a nervous feeling in my stomach.

I might start farting. If I cut some, you promise not to tell anyone?

Oh, my boob!

Stay where you are! I'll come and get you!

Ooh, this is nice.

It's really beautiful.

It looks like you just crossed some stuff out and wrote that in in marker.

Okay, can we talk about that for a second? Because it just happened a few hours ago, and I'm still really traumatized.

I need some cheering up right now.

Excuse me, darling, I'm exhausted.

Wait, we need to hear what happened to you.

Just wondering where you find a house with a pit. The market for them would be pretty limited.

Did you escape, or did you kill him?

I've always had a thing for bad boys.

That got way out of hand.

[drrubinspomade]

#cherub

STILL ROCKIN’.

We post glorious pinups like this one all day, every day! If you dig this pic we’ve found online, u should investigate the creator/subjects of the work and fan them, follow them, hire them.

If you’d like us to remove, or you know who made this so that we can credit, DM. Thanks and greetings from Los Angeles.

YOU ARE THE LIGHT

Dr Rubin’s Pomade

[homestuckexamination]

Roxy ! My favorite of the alpha kids !

This is also my favorite route overall so.

<3

This version of Roxy live with her mom ?

Hehehehe. Nope.

1 ) I can’t believe I didn’t recognize alpha rose

2) I CANT BELIVE I THOUGHT SHE PRETENDED TO BE ROXY ONLINE!!!

Investigations are a lot harder when you don’t just zap back in time to see the answers

Yeeeeah.

Don’t call me intellectually underfed, Rose . That may be true, but that’s still really rude

In the original post, ‘interllectually underfed’ was in Rose’s purple hue. Also, Thembo.

Oh, Im stupid. Of course she don’t live with her mom, I just forgot to time travel.

There we go.

Oh yeah.... chess guy don’t speak, do they ? They kinda just narrate, witch isn’t really practical for the ones who aren’t like.... aware. Holy shit.... Am I Roxy’s first irl interactions ?

Well, it could have been worst. I am very friendly, and easy to talk to. Plus, Im the galaxy best taxi service.

You’re also chess-guy adjacent so, at least some familiarity.

Whaou, rude much ? I get it, the chess guy now more than me, no use to call me a chungus ! I don’t even know what that means !

(Kinda sound like fungus, witch makes sens since apparently I am chese)

X3

I needed a hug. She needed a hug. What a luck that we were two, and had arms

Ah, the touch starvation...

Roxy deserve more moms

EVERY Mom.

I know that bringing Roxy to mom rose can’t end well. But I can’t help myself

Ah.

Oh god its worst that I imagined. I’m crying now. Litteraly

This bad end literally knocked me into executive dysfunction for over an hour. It was wonderful.

No cherubs in that reality? I guess that was obvious, but I would have love to see how the fuck I would have cope with Caliborn.

CALLIE DOES EXIST IN THIS UNIVERSE!!! FUCK YEAH !

Oh god, I have so many questions. And I am so disappointed to think I will not have a cherub route.

Dam, if this reality’s calliope is death, she has no way to resurect.

We’ll see! You’ve retconned harder things before.

This ending was sweet ^^

Looks like I only have Dirk’s route left XD I think I need a little time to prepare myself, tho. This route is going to hurt, I know it. (Plus, i have seen photos of ult Dirk’s sprites, so yeah.)

Ah I see. Do take your time! This route is long, too so...

See you on the other side. ;)

[aion-rsa]

The Conjuring 2: The Real Story of the Demonic ‘Nun’ Valak

https://ift.tt/3dP4LKr

The Conjuring 2 depicts the demon Valak as some horrific rendition of Cheech and Chong’s Sister Mary Elephant. But this Grand President of Hell is more cherub than dragon in the demonic hierarchy.

As the 62nd spirit in a 72-demon roster, Valak is no delinquent, although he’s been blamed for the two 1212 Children’s Crusades to the Holy Land, which resulted in thousands of teenagers from Germany and France being sold into slavery. Valak also retroactively gets the rap for the 1284 Pied Piper missing children incident in the German village of Hamelin.

The majority of what we know about Valak comes from the mid-17th century Goetic grimoire The Lesser Key of Solomon, a compilation of centuries’ worth of texts. Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers translated the works for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a late 18th-century magical order. They were published by the notorious English occultist Aleister Crowley as The Book of the Goetia of Solomon the King in the 20th century. Crowley added invocations, along with essays describing the rituals as psychological exploration. According to legend, the demons featured in the grimoire were the ones summoned by the King Solomon character in the Bible.

“The Sixty-second Spirit is Volac, or Valak, or Valu,” reads The Lesser Key of Solomon. “He is a President Mighty and Great, and appeareth like a Child with Angel’s Wings, riding on a Two-headed Dragon. His Office is to give True Answers of Hidden Treasures, and to tell where Serpents may be seen. The which he will bring unto the Exorciser without any Force or Strength being by him employed. He governeth 38 Legions of Spirits.”

Valak first appeared in written form in Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (The False Monarchy of Demons”). The text was an appendix in the 1577 grimoire De praestigiis daemonum (“On the Tricks of Demons”), by Johann Weyer, who himself was a Dutch physician, renowned occultist, and demonologist. That book listed 69 demons along with the proscribed rituals to conjure them.  The 72 Shemhamphorasch angelic names and seals came from the 1583 manuscript Le Livre des Esperitz (“The Office of Spirits”) by Blaise de Vigenère, and a now-lost work by Johannes Trithemius.

Valak has several names and titles, depending on the manuscripts and the translation. The spellings of the demon’s moniker range from Ualac to Valu, and Doolas to Volach in Munich Manual of Demonic Magic. A 1577 grimoire called the Book of Oberon lists a demon named Coolor, which is believed to be another name for Valak. This informed Reginald Scott’s influential 1584 grimoire, The Discoverie of Witchcraft.

Valak’s ranking is mainly listed as a “president,” but some manuscripts ranked him as a prince. Don’t let the titles fool you, every demon is called a duke, a king, or a prince. As a Lesser Key demon, Valak leads 38 legions of demons, though the number is also put at 30 and 27 legions of spirits, depending on the manuscript.  

The classical iconography of Valak is based on the ancient Greek deity Hermes, whose counterpart in the Roman Mythology was Mercury. Hermes is often depicted as wielding a staff called the caduceus, which is made up of two entwined serpents. The grimoires repurpose that into the two-headed dragon. The two-headed Dragon also has Hindu connotations because it symbolically refers to the arousal of Kundalini, represented by the fire snake. This is believed to be the origin of Valak’s association with snakes.

Humans have six categories for demons, according to Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum: Empyreal, Aerial, Subterranean, Aqueous, Terrene, and Lucifugi, which means nocturnal. Angels reportedly recognize only two categories: Apokomistai, which are older, and Nekudaimones, which are younger and weaker. In order to take human form, a Nekudaimone has to possess a human or animal. An Apokomistai can take any form. Valak is an Apokomistai. When summoned, he reputedly appears as a child who uses innocence to lure victims to bad ends. This reputation led to the association with the Children’s Crusades, and the 130 children of Hamlin who went missing on June 26, 1248, even though there were no reports of demons at the time.

Investigators also found no demonic activity at the heart of the events behind The Conjuring 2. Instead they blamed the Enfield Poltergeist, according to the book This House is Haunted by Guy Lyon Playfair. The famous paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren showed up unannounced in the British countryside and were dismissed from the property. They were there for a matter of minutes. That wasn’t the only disparity.

Valak is a male Demon and does not manifest in any female form. In full evocation, he anecdotally appears as a very pale man with black hair and dark eyes. There is no lore that has ever portrayed Valak as a nun. Director James Wan got the Nun character from a vision Lorraine Warren, played by Vera Farmiga in The Conjuring films, claimed she saw of a hooded entity in a swirling tornado vortex. Wan initially loved the CGI possibilities, but ultimately scaled it down to holy iconography. The Nun wasn’t even added to The Conjuring 2 until reshoots, Wan told Gizmodo. The Nun is played by Bonnie Aarons, who also donned the habit in Annabelle: Creation.

In The Conjuring 2, the Nun seems to be stalking Lorraine Warren. Not only does she see the Nun at the Amityville house, and in Enfield, England, but the demon also appeared at the Warren’s home before the investigations. While some viewers may see this as foreshadowing, the character was also angling for a solo feature.

Unlike The Conjuring films, The Nun (2018) was not inspired by a true story but by the 1986 movie The Name of the Rose, based on the book of the same name by Italian author Umberto Eco. That film starred Sean Connery as Friar William of Baskerville. Christian Slater played his apprentice. They investigate the mysterious death of a famous monk who lived in Benedictine abbey in Northern Italy. The monk was found dead in a vat of pig blood and the villagers blame the Devil. Taking a cue from Van Halen, The Nun runs with it.

Valak is seen as something more than a possessive force. Possessions are rare, and often part of a bargaining process. Believers might call it “the fine print.”

Read more

Movies

Hereditary: The Real Story of King Paimon

By Tony Sokol

Movies

The Conjuring Timeline Explained: From The Nun to Annabelle Comes Home

By Daniel Kurland

Valak is a heavily petitioned demon. He is used for curse works like revenge but is also thought to help find money through random events. He is who you call on when you want a raise or promotion, an inheritance, or before financial negotiations. Valak doesn’t work for free, however, and “Demonic Magick” demands certain sacrifices. Luckily, Valak is partial to licorice, as well as gin, knives, coins, and public proclamations in his name. He does not respond to sexual offerings or blood. Summoning Solomonic spirits is traditionally done through ceremonial magic.

Old grimoires are written from a Christian point of view, and the rituals are invocations. In the Middle East, Valak is a Djinni, known to us in the west as genies. Like Aladdin! The djinn are supernatural creatures in early Arabian mythology and theology during the Pre-Islamic period. The djinn were not immortal but were feared because they brought disease and madness. The 72 spirits represent 72 psychological pathologies of the unconscious mind. Djinn are summoned through evocation, allowing the Djinn to be redeemed.

According to an adept practitioner we spoke with, who declined to be named, organized religions demonize Valak and other Lesser Demons, in part, because they “imparted wisdom via the use of astrology. Which is an excellent tool that has ancient roots in all of mankind. It enlightens and empowers people which is exactly what organized religion wants to suppress.” 

But before you go rubbing any lamps with licorice sticks, the unnamed Goetic warns, “Wisdom is imparted, but not without a price. You have to really be empowered and very stable and sure of yourself if you want to work with them versus letting them control or overpower you. They do have a maleficent nature; however, without darkness light doesn’t exist either.”

The Conjuring 2’s Valak is a fun film creation. You don’t have to be Catholic to be scared of nuns. Cherubs, not so much. Even on a dragon with two heads, the image is far too accessible to convey what Wan needed. There are so many more horrid descriptions of angels and demons found in religious texts than Valak. But be assured, you never want to take candy from this baby.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post The Conjuring 2: The Real Story of the Demonic ‘Nun’ Valak appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2MuVhZB