#Dominion fixed it but STILL

[deeneedsaname]

Joe Johnston I hope that every pillow you sleep on is uncomfortably warm because you didn’t think that Sam Neill and Laura Deron were hot together. No one cares YOU didn’t want to see them together, everyone else did!!!

Contrasted with Trevorrow, who is a wonderful wonderful person <3

[braveparanoiac]

🎤 :0

i use a lyric from this song for the billford relationship tag! which i need to edit to fit leggo's new url!

[cornfieldsrambles]

YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO INFODUMP PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT WIGGLY'S SIBLINGS???? THAT HE APPARENTLY HAS????

omg ok SO

Meet the Lords in Black. Charming, aren't they?

Yes, Wiggly does indeed have four brothers who all do different things, so I'll cover them one by one, in order of introduction (since we've already met each of them in Nightmare Time at least once). BTW Nightmare Time has a fuckton of lore in it that I won't go into here, so even though I am about to spoil significant parts of it for you, I do recommend watching it, it's really good and if there's enough interest they might make a third one!

(Also you might notice they're all in doll form in this picture. This is how we knew them up until NPMD introduced us to what I call their Tumblr sexyman forms. Which are rad as hell by the way.)

So you already know Wiggly. That little green fucker, Wiggog Y'Wrath, the Capitalist Cthulu who does uwu-speak and starts a cult by invading people's minds. This will become a bit of a reoccurring theme with these guys. He's also the only one to successfully start an apocalypse, and the only one to have attempted to birth himself into our reality. (Or is he? We'll get to that...) He does seem to have some kind of dominion over the other LiB, as whenever all five of them show up there's always emphasis placed on him, like in NPMD where he does most of the talking while his siblings occasionally butt in.

Now for Bliklotep. Blinky seems to have slightly lower-scale ambitions than Wiggly, but don't let that fool you. Eyeball Boi is still incredibly dangerous. He runs an amusement park, WatcherWorld, deep within the Hatchetfield Witchwood. But it's not for the amusement of the patrons. Oh no. It's for Blinky's own amusement. Once you step inside, every insecurity, every shred of potential conflict will be ripped to the forefront, turning people against each other to the point of trying to kill each other until he's fully infected their minds. It's implied that, if not all, but a significant chunk of the workers at WatcherWorld were once patrons before having their minds taken over by Blinky. He's also implied to be the thing in Trail To Oregon that Jack Bauer sees during his venom-induced hallucination, as Blinky is referred to as "The Watcher With 1,000 Eyes", which is exactly what JB says he sees? Making Blinky the only LiB to induce a Starkid crossover. My headcanon is that the Dikrats founded Hatchetfield. But regardless.

Next up on the roster is Tinky. T'noy Karaxis, the Time Bastard. You may be wondering about that one line in NPMD where he recognised Pete as a Spankoffski, and said he "could have the whole set in his toybox". Has Tinky gone after Pete's relatives?

Well. Um. You know Ted, right? Yeah, his name is Spankoffski. He's Pete's big brother. We actually got the surname reveal before the brother reveal, lol. And that's not the only reveal we got about Ted. Our boy Teddy Bear has this whole entire tragic backstory and it turns out he gets fucked over in literally every timeline! Isn't that fun?

So, to summarise an entire episode: Tinky makes travel fuckery happen, Ted wants to go back in time to fix his life, accidentally goes back to before the time machine was created and gets stuck in the past, literally. Tinky is watching and laughing at the whole thing, then shows up to blow Ted's brain to smithereens with his weird little magic box, the Bastard's Box, where he stores all the people he toys with. Anyway Ted eventually catches up with the present by aging, except now no one knows who he is, he's... actually I won't spoil that. But once he dies he ends up eternally trapped and tortured in the Bastard's Box. Yaaay.

Fast forward to Nightmare Time 2 and we get introduced to Nibbly, in possibly the most unexpected way imaginable. He's revealed to have been behind a whole episode literally right at the end of said episode, and even though it was kind of foreshadowed, it hits you like a freight train in the best way. Remember when I said Wiggly was the only one who tried to birth himself into reality? That was kind of a lie. Nibblenephim can sort of do that anyway. Every year, he can possess a bunch of carcasses and create a living form to walk the earth for one night. He also has a cult of followers who provide him with the carcasses, as well as a sacrifice to feed on. There's a little more to it, specifically with how the sacrifice is chosen, but again, I'm trying to spoil as little as possible. Go watch Nightmare Time. Nibbly also seems to have a "pig" motif, and his theme song, The Nibbly Ditty, is a banger, easily my favourite of the three LiB theme songs we've heard so far.

And finally, we are introduced to Pokotho, in the very last episode of NMT2.

Except no. We were formally introduced to Pokey there, yes, but we've seen his apocalypse already. Long before NPMD, before Nightmare Time, even before Black Friday.

Yeah, remember me saying that Wiggly was the only one to successfully start an apocalypse? That was also a lie! Pokey already did that, and he did it without ever showing his masked face. Remember The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals? The blue spores that came down in a meteor and turned everyone into singing zombies? That was Pokey's doing! That's his blue spores! That's his apocalypse!

This also provides an explanation for why blowing up the meteor didn't work. Emma and Hidgens were right about the hivemind thing, but wrong about the location of the central brain. It wasn't the meteor - the meteor was just the vessel which carried the spores to Earth. The central brain was sitting safely up in the Black and White, laughing as Paul blew himself to smithereens. The central brain was Pokey, the Singular Voice, the most uncompromising of his brothers. The one who hates every voice that is not his own, hence the hivemind and making all of his zombies speak in HIS voice.

Anyway in NMT2 he's happily collecting musical zombies by taking on a human form and infiltrating a fighting ring of superpowered children until he has enough to kickstart another apocalypse. (Don't question it, we're almost done). He also calls himself Otho, not Pokey, making him the only LiB to have two different abbreviations of his name. Hannah is also there (remember her? Lex's little sister?) and she is like incredibly important to this whole thing, she has a super powerful mind, but that's a whole other thing.

But I did mention Hannah for a reason. Because you said "Wiggly's SIBLINGS". And while the Lords in Black are always referred to as brothers, they do have one more sibling. A sister. A Queen in White. And her name is Webby.

Yep, Hannah's imaginary friend isn't imaginary, who could have guessed? She's benevolent, always trying her best to combat her brothers' antics, but given that there's one of her and five of them, this is a bit of an uphill battle. Webby doesn't have a full name that we know of, nor does she have a doll. We don't know much about her. And she may not be all-powerful - but then again, neither are her brothers.

Infodump concluded. Hope this helps, it was very fun to write.

[dolcettamagica]

𐙚˙⋆.˚ 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞

gangleader!sukuna x reader, modern au

tags: possessive & obsessive sukuna, choking, lowkey stalking translations: piccola - little one/baby notes: listen to "salvatore" by lana del rey wc: 1.7k

In the dimly lit underbelly of the city, where shadows whispered secrets and alleys told tales of violence, there existed a figure feared and revered in equal measure: Sukuna Ryomen, the enigmatic leader of the most dangerous gang. His name struck terror into the hearts of those who dared oppose him, while his charisma drew countless souls into his fold.

Sukuna was a man who commanded respect without uttering a word. His mere presence exuded power, his icy gaze capable of silencing even the boldest of adversaries. With a network spanning the city's underworld, he held dominion over illicit trades, clandestine operations, and the very pulse of criminal activity.

Yet, amidst the chaos and the conquests, there was one enigma that eluded Sukuna’s grasp: a woman whose allure ignited a fire within him. You, a mysterious beauty with a spirit as untamed as the flames dancing in the night. You moved with a grace that defied the chaos around you, a silent tempest in the midst of the storm.

From the moment Sukuna laid eyes on you, he knew you were unlike any other. You were not bound by the rules of his world, nor swayed by the promises of power and wealth. Instead, you remained an enigmatic force, unyielding and unattainable.

Driven by an insatiable desire, Sukuna sought to possess you, to unravel the mysteries that shrouded your existence. He offered you riches beyond measure, a throne by his side where you could rule the underworld together. Yet, each offer was met with a gentle refusal, as you remained steadfast in your independence.

Frustration festered within Sukuna's heart, a tempest of emotions that threatened to consume him whole. He was a man accustomed to getting what he desired, yet you remained beyond his reach, a tantalizing mirage in the desert of his ambitions.

Despite his best efforts to suppress the yearning that gnawed at his soul, Sukuna found himself inexorably drawn to you, like a moth to the flame. He watched from the shadows as you moved through the city, a silent guardian cloaked in mystery.

In the depths of the night, when the city slumbered and dreams took flight, Sukuna found himself haunted by visions of your captivating gaze. You were the one anomaly in his meticulously crafted world, the one puzzle he could not solve.

And so, amidst the chaos and the conquests, Sukuna Ryomen, a formidable leader, found himself ensnared by the one thing he could not possess: the heart of a woman who danced beyond his reach, a forbidden desire that burned brighter than any flame in the darkness.

In the depths of his lavish office, Sukuna sat with unwavering determination, his gaze fixed on the phone before him. His frustration simmered beneath the surface, a molten rage that threatened to erupt at any moment. With a swift motion, he seized the device, his fingers dancing across the screen with a commanding presence.

"Where are you, piccola?" he typed, each word a declaration of his unwavering dominance. "You cannot hide from me forever. I will find you, and when I do, you will answer to me."

There was no room for hesitation in Sukuna's messages, no trace of the desperation that had once plagued him. Instead, his words dripped with authority, each message a demand for her submission.

"Do not test my patience" he continued, his tone brooking no defiance. "You belong to me, and you will come to me willingly. There is no escape from my grasp."

With each message sent, Sukuna's resolve hardened, his determination driving him forward with unrelenting force. He would not be denied what was rightfully his, not by anyone, especially not by a woman who dared to defy him.

"Tell me where you are," he commanded, "I will not ask again."

But still, there was no response, no sign of surrender. Anger flared within Sukuna's chest, a wildfire of fury that threatened to consume him whole.

"If you think you can hide from me, you are sorely mistaken," his words a warning laced with venom. "I will tear this world apart to find you, and when I do, you will regret ever crossing me, piccola."

With a final message sent, Sukuna leaned back in his chair, his eyes burning with a fierce determination. He would not rest until you were in his grasp, until you bowed before him in submission. For in Sukuna Ryomen's world, there was no room for defiance, only dominance and control. And he would have it all, no matter the cost.

As Sukuna's fingers hovered over the screen, poised to send yet another commanding message, the door to his office swung open with a forceful creak. In strode one of his most trusted lieutenants, a figure cloaked in shadows and whispers, bearing news that ignited a spark of hope within Sukuna’s hardened heart.

"Boss," the subordinate – Toji – began, his voice low and deferential, "we've received word. She... she's in Miami."

The words hung heavy in the air, a tantalizing promise of victory amidst the tumultuous storm of Sukuna's emotions. Without a moment's hesitation, he rose from his seat, his movements swift and decisive.

"Prepare the jet," he commanded, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "We leave immediately."

There was a sense of urgency in Sukuna’s tone, a hunger that burned brighter with each passing second. Miami beckoned like a siren's call, its neon-lit – ruby, blue and green, neon too – streets promising the chance to reclaim what was rightfully his.

As his subordinates scrambled to fulfill his orders, Sukuna's mind raced with thoughts of the woman who had eluded him for far too long. He could almost taste the sweet victory that lay within his grasp, the moment when you would finally bend to his will.

With a steely resolve and a heart set ablaze with determination, Sukuna embarked on his journey to Miami, a man possessed by a singular purpose: to capture the one who dared to defy him and to assert his dominance once and for all.

The sun hung low on the horizon, casting its golden rays upon the pristine sands of the Miami beach. Among the throngs of sun-seekers, Sukuna strode with purpose, his eyes scanning the shoreline with a predatory intensity. And there, amidst the azure waves and the gentle sway of palm trees, he spotted you.

You laid upon the sand, a vision of beauty that stole the breath from Sukuna's lungs. Clad in a bikini that left little to the imagination, you exuded an aura of confidence that only served to fuel his desire. Your bronzed skin glowed beneath the sun's warm embrace, your tousled hair cascading like silk upon the sand.

With measured steps, Sukuna approached, his gaze never wavering from the woman who had haunted his every thought. He stood before you now, a towering figure clad in shadows and sinew, his presence commanding the attention of all who dared to gaze upon him.

"Piccola," he said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down your spine. "You cannot hide from me forever."

There was a flicker of defiance in your eyes, a spark that ignited the flames of desire within Sukuna's chest. But he would not be deterred, not by your beauty nor by your resolve. He had come too far, fought too hard, to let you slip through his fingers once again.

"You belong to me," he declared, his words laced with a possessiveness that bordered on obsession. "And now, you will come with me."

But you remained unmoved, your gaze steady as you met his with a defiance that stirred something primal within him. You were a challenge, a tantalizing puzzle that begged to be solved, and Sukuna was more than willing to rise to the occasion.

“I was working on my tan, boss.”

"Working on your tan," he repeated, his voice betraying none of the turmoil raging within him. "In Miami, of all places."

There was a subtle tension in the air, a silent battle of wills as you and Sukuna locked gazes. Your defiance sparked a flicker of admiration within him, even as it fueled the flames of his frustration.

"Indeed," you replied, your tone cool and composed. "Is there a problem with that?"

Sukuna's jaw clenched, a silent testament to the storm of emotions swirling beneath his stoic facade. He had come too far, searched too long, to be met with such casual indifference.

"No problem," he finally replied, his voice a low growl. "But I must insist that you accompany me. We have unfinished business, you and I."

Your lips curved into a sardonic smile, a glimmer of amusement dancing in your eyes. "I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, boss. I have many businesses, all of them quite finished."

Sukuna's patience wore thin, his frustration bubbling to the surface like molten lava. He had pursued you across oceans and continents, faced down countless adversaries in his quest to claim you as his own. And yet, she remained as elusive as ever, a tantalizing enigma that refused to be solved.

"Enough games, piccola," he snapped, his tone cutting through the air like a knife. "You cannot hide from me forever. Sooner or later, you will bend to my will."

The tension crackled between you like electricity as Sukuna's hand shot out, seizing you by the throat with a force that bordered on violence. His grip was firm, unyielding, a silent declaration of dominance that sent a shiver down your spine.

For a heartbeat, time seemed to stand still as you stood locked in a primal embrace, your gazes locked in a fierce battle of wills. But beneath the surface, a different kind of energy simmered—a raw, unbridled desire that pulsed between you like a current of electricity.

Your breath came in ragged gasps as Sukuna's grip tightened, his fingers leaving imprints on your skin like branding marks. And yet, there was no fear in your eyes, only a smoldering heat that mirrored his own.

With a low growl, Sukuna leaned in close, his lips brushing against your ear with a tantalizing promise. "You cannot resist me, piccola," he whispered, his voice thick with desire. "You were made for me, and you know it."

A shudder ran through your body as you felt the heat of Sukunas breath against your skin, your pulse racing with a heady mixture of fear and excitement. You knew that you were as drawn to him as he was to you—a dangerous truth that sent a thrill coursing through your veins.

“You will always belong to me.”

[walkingstackofbooks]

"Are you happier? Now that the war is over?"

It had been meant as a serious question, but from the look on Kira's face, she hadn't caught onto that. "What sort of question is that, 'am I happier'?" she asked, laughing a little as she spoke. "Of course I am! Who isn't?"

Shrugging, Julian forced himself to smile back at her. "No, of course," he agreed. "Silly question."

His smile clearly hadn't been convincing: Kira's own smile had faded as she looked at him more closely, her eyebrows creasing into a frown.

"Have I done something to make you think I'm not?" she asked sharply. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"No-- no, nothing like that," Julian said hurriedly. "I mean, obviously Odo's gone now, and Keiko and the Chief, and Worf, and... and the Captain... But that-- That's different, isn't it, I guess. You can be sad and happy at the same time, right?"

He cringed, knowing that he hadn't quite managed to make sense there: years of practice had made him very good at recognising Kira's 'baffled' expression.

"All these years," said Kira, slowly shaking here head, "and I still don't understand you, sometimes. Of course I miss Odo, and the others -- and while we're at it, of course I'm still angry and-- and upset about the things that happened during the war..." She made a face, banging her fist lightly against the table. "Damn you, you know I'm no good with feelings, that's... there's a lot more there, besides," she added. "And I'm sure as hell not going into that right now...

"But if you're asking whether I'd rather be here, now, living without the threat of the Dominion or the Cardassians, knowing my friends are alive and safe -- and if they're not, at least being able to mourn them in peace, not having to make decisions that could get us all killed if it goes even slightly wrong... or if I'd rather be back there, in the war -- well. It's no contest, is it?"

"In theory, no, of course--"

"In theory?" Kira asked incredulously. "Julian, are you saying you were happier in the war?"

"No!" he exclaimed: that hadn't been what he'd meant at all. "The war was-- it was... Well, you couldn't be happy during the war, could you? Everything was too awful, it was impossible."

"A lot of the time, yeah," Kira said softly. "And that's gonna stick with us for a long time -- but they're only memories, now. We made it."

"We did," Julian said quietly, his eyes fixed on the table. "I just... I thought I'd be happier, I guess. Now that it's all over."

Kira reached forward, brushing her hand over his. "That's what this is all about?" she asked. "You aren't happy?"

"I never said I'm not," Julian objected hotly, looking back up at her -- but a sigh slipped out of him as he realised he didn't actually have an argument, and he shook his head, slumping back into his chair. Kira watched him, not saying anything.

"No, you're right," he admitted, pulling his arms across himself, almost too tight. "I know I'm supposed to be-- I know, after everything, it's so stupid... But, Nerys, I don't-- I don't think I am?"

Stopping to swallow the lump that had risen in his throat, he noticed he eyes had grown wet, which for some reason made him chuckle. "Isn't that silly?" he asked, leaning forward again. "We won the war, but I'm still not happy."

"No, Julian," Kira replied slowly. "I don't think that's silly at all. It's just... It's just very, very sad." She took a breath, reaching out to hold both his hands this time. "I'm sorry," she continued. "I didn't know."

"It's not your fault," he said, squeezing her hands tightly. "For a while, I just thought everyone else was pretending, too, so I just went along with it... And then I started to realise that no, you were all actually at least a little bit okay, and so I had to keep pretending, because happiness is so fragile and I didn't, you know, want to make anyone else feel bad just because I..."

He trailed off, shrugging a little. "I don't know, Nerys. I guess I just wanted to check that it wasn't just me, but it is just me, and now I've told you, and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad--"

"Julian, no," Kira interrupted. "Thank you for sharing this with me -- I'm glad you told me, okay?"

Ears growing hot, Julian ducked his head, not quite sure to do with the wave of emotion spilling over him. Now that he'd told her some of it, he kind of wanted to let everything out. Distractedly, he started tracing patterns on her hands, pushing into them with increasing intensity.

"It's just-- I'm just..." He stumbled over his words, struggling to give voice to the one thought that he'd been trying to ignore for months. "What if this is it for me? What if I'm like this forever? It's been years, Nerys--"

To his horror, his voice cracked, and he covered his mouth, trying to hold back the sobs that were threatening to burst out. Hoping that no-one else had noticed, he looked around the replimat; thankfully the other diners seemed more interested in their own conversations than in him and Kira.

"Would you like to go somewhere less public?" Kira asked. Not quite trusting himself to speak, he nodded, and together they left the replimat.

As they walked down the promenade and up to the habitat ring, Kira steered clear of their previous conversation, chatting about the station, her week, her latest grievance with Quark, and Julian was grateful for the respite. But as soon as they were sat down in her quarters, she turned to him with a most serious expression.

"It isn't right, you feeling like that, you know," she said. "I don't have the answers, I don't know how it gets better -- but we both know someone who would. You haven't tried telling Ezri any of this, have you?"

Julian's stomach tightened: Ezri was the last person he wanted to have this particular conversation with. "Oh, yes, because that would go so well," he retorted sarcastically. "Hi Ezri, I love you, but you don't make me happy. Don't worry, it's not you, I'm just unhappy most of the time. Most of the time? Yeah, it gets better when I'm around you, because then I just kind of feel... nothing. What an improvement!"

"Julian..." whispered Kira, but it was all coming out now and Julian couldn't make it stop. He rose from the sofa, starting to pace as he spoke.

"Did you ever make me happy? Maybe, sweetheart, but I'm not even certain of that. I might have been so desperate for anything even resembling happiness that I just deluded myself into thinking I was in love... Do I even love you? Who the fuck knows, Ezri. Is love even real, or did it die in the war along with every-fucking-thing else?"

His voice had risen louder than he'd intended, condemning him with every word it pushed forcefully into the air. He'd made Kira cry, he thought, but he couldn't quite be sure, his vision being clouded by his own mess of tears.

"How could I possibly tell her that?" he asked, sitting back down heavily, his voice dropping to a hollow whisper. "Kira, how the hell do I tell her that?"

"Come here," she said in way of a response, pulling him against her and holding him tightly, so that he could feel her lips move against his hair as she answered him. "I don't know," she was saying, "but you have to, Julian. I can be there with you if you want but, Prophets, Julian, you have to. How could you not?"

How could he not?

Julian closed his eyes and let himself fall apart against his friend, not even bothering to try to answer her. It was terrifying, after all this time, to finally allow someone to see how broken he really was, but he was far, far too tired to keep it in any longer.

[izaanagi]

There is a moment of panic when you knock on the door, your nerves giving a jolt - before a curt ‘Come in’ seals your faith. 

As the door creaks open, exactly like it would in a horror movie, you step in only to have the man sitting at his desk and typing away at laptop fill up your vision. He does not look up from the task he is completing, but even the clacks of his drawn out fingers sound elegant and useless to argue with. The aura that Barou exudes is simply that of complete devastation and utter dominion: there is no way to fight such a beast and even for a second hope you could come alive out of it. 

“I have the documents you asked for earlier. I am going to leave them on the desk, sir,” you put out, as the boss has not spared yet a glance, and you don’t  have enough time to waste. 

He does not answer, and so all is left to do is to pace forward, place the pile on top of the flawlessly arranged working desk and turn around to leave. But you still have to make a step towards the door, when the clacking stops. 

“Wait,” he snaps, as you hear him getting up and cross over to go towards the door, and shut it close. 

It’s not a good sign, and you swallow the clump of saliva just formed inside your mouth. There is anticipation and dread, and they’re both equally as powerful. 

As Barou approaches, all you can do is step back - but there is nowhere to go, as soon your back hits the desk and his splayed hand trap you right where you would not like to be at this time: right in his cage, his eyes fixed on yours, his cologne being overbearing of the citrus lemon ambiance diffuser he has somewhere hidden on one of his shelves. 

“You thought you could simply go like this after what happened yesterday?” He asks, almost curious. “Did you think that it was a one-time thing and that now we could just go back to working in the same space with no repercussions?” 

You swallow again, and shake your head. “I did not dare to think so, sir.”

Then, he comes closer and closer, until your mouths are a breath away and his deep red eyes are the only splash of colour you can focus on. 

“Then you can get on your knees and make me forget that for a second you did, little peach,” he whispers, as a grin tries to appear on his mouth. 

There is already a knowing pool of wetness forming over your grey panties, your hands slightly trembling both in fear and anticipation of what his newly formed connection will be like. It does not matter that Barou’s cock was inside you not even twenty four hours prior, this is a place of work and tainting it with the smell of sex is not something that you could have imagined. 

Almost on autopilot, a dull throb possessing your faults hidden beneath a layers of clothes, you sink on your knees, your face landing directly in front of your boss’ crotch, a tent in his pants evident. He’s semi hard by the time you pull down his zipper and his pants. 

Your nose bares close to his cock, a small smear of pre cum staining the white boxers - when Barou’s hands grabs your neck, almost enveloping it, and presses your face against himself. 

“This is all your fault. I’m sitting here and all I can think about is how tight your pussy was,” he almost moans. 

Your lick his shaft through the fabric, the firmness of his member weighting on your tongue. The fabric gets in the way, wet under your ministrations, until Barou gets tired of it and with a small “Fuck this,” simply tugs at his waistband, and draws his dick out, red and swollen. 

You lose no time to envelope his tip inside, sucking on the soft skin and trailing your tongue over his slit, salty from the precum. Your left hand then wraps around his length, from the base up to the middle, as your struggle to let your fingers meet, given his girth. There is a ton of Barou and your mouth is simply too small to take him all in. 

“You look good on your knees with my cock in your mouth,” he says, as he pushes your head once again, his tip almost hitting the back of your throat with the power behind it. “Make use of that mouth wisely.”

Your head starts bobbing up and down, taking as much of him as you can, as your tongue swirls around his vein underneath, his glans and wherever it reaches. You almost gag before you can remove yourself from him, a thread of saliva connecting you to the majestic statement of manhood. You look up only to find Barou Shouei flushed, one hand still on the desk to support himself and the other ready to take advantage of you again. 

Blowing him is a hard job, as you twist your hand around the parts you cannot reach with your mouth, licking his shaft up and down with your tongue, and then sucking in his tip, cheeks hollowed up. 

As his cock hits the back of your throat again and you gag for the umpteenth time, you can feel Barou’s cock twitch. It reverberates throughout your wet pussy, looking for some kind of release, but Barou’s hands are soon on your head and all you can do is grasp his hips as he thrust into your mouth with ferocity, seeking a climax. 

There is an abrupt “Holy fuck,” as cum flows into your mouth, thick and hot, the taste of sea water. There is no time to spit out as his hand closes your mouth and all you can do is swallow his semen, make a disgusted face and wipe your mouth. 

“I hope you enjoyed your meal,”he says as he shoves his dick once again in your mouth, in order for it to be clean. But that’s as far as it goes, as you stand up, your knees hollering at you from being in that position a minute too long and wobbling at the door, mentally scanning your desk to remember whether you brough some water with you. 

“Close the door as you go,” Barou adds, as he zips himself up and goes to sit back again at where you found him when you came into the office. 

“You are such a dick,” you mutter to yourself as you bang the door after you, and can all but see the satisfied shit eating grin that Barou Shouei has plastered on his lips. 

[cosmic-metanoia]

The Ruler of Life and Death

***Spoilers for Final Fantasy XVI***

<Edited to add some missing scenes!> Over time, I have written several FFXVI character analysis posts and Joshua is intertwined throughout most of them.

But I held off on writing his own post because frankly...there is just too much to say. As Johnathan Case (the English VA) once said, Joshua is "full of contradictions."

But the Tumblr world deserves more Joshua so...here we are!

My angle of approach - I will choose one word that encompasses many of his astounding qualities - self-possession.

(You got it! It's a word that Jote uses in her inner voice about a completely different character.)

Self-possession doesn't just mean "control over one's emotions." Afterall - having "control" over something implies that you can lose it.

Self-possession refers to mastery over one's destiny and being a fixed point within the chaotic storm rather than being pulled under the waves.

As a child, Joshua understandably had imposter syndrome. Makes sense considering who stood beside him. His highly admired and beloved older brother who, for reasons unknown, was passed over by the Phoenix. Instead of selecting the heroic teenager, the Eikon of Fire chose the sweet and frail little brother.

Thirteen years later, we witness in awe as a well-travelled Joshua confidently strides into Drake's Head to protect Clive and Jill. Everything about him emanates self-possession - his gestures, his stance, his diction, his facial expressions. HE is the shield now and he knows exactly how this game of chess with Ultima will end. Every move is intentional.

Five years after that, we see his self-possession when he kindly turns away Kihel's offer to heal him of his blood-ridden coughs while travelling on the crystalline road with Jote. He would rather have Kihel save her medicines to help others.

And despite the couple of times he doubts his abilities to keep Ultima sealed, Joshua presses on with grace and determination.

One of the most BEAUTIFUL examples of self-possession was when he emerges uninvited in Dion's tent. The man who was supposedly dead now stands before all with complete composure and authority. Through his subtle yet monumental gestures, it is plain that Joshua holds absolute conviction in his heart that Dion will not harm him or turn him in - despite the fact that Dion's loyalties lie with the very nation that destroyed Joshua's homeland.

The chilling reunion between Joshua and Anabella really tests Joshua's self-possession in the midst of so many emotional barrages from earlier. Instead of dismissing her or ragefully calling her out for destroying so many lives, he does something extraordinary. He reaches his hand out to her in a last act of mercy that no one else was willing to give her.

Another example of self-possession is when Joshua reveals the extent of his dire situation to Clive and Jill in the infirmary after the fall of the Crystalline Dominion. Notice how he revealed it with a soft smile and a gentle voice in contrast to Clive and Jill's horror and outrage. Joshua knows the consequences of his actions and chose that path willingly without a single regret.

Joshua is far from weak. He's the only Dominant able to seal Ultima within and continuously heal himself. Yet he STILL wakes up every day to fight by Clive's side and slay every beast in their path...all with a kind smile and words of wisdom. Always mindful, always demonstrating self-possession in the midst of pain.

A small but notable dialogue exchange between the brothers is when Clive expresses concern for Joshua's ability to take on a huge ambush of beasts in Waloed. Joshua's answer is one of acknowledgement and even humor. He is clearly in command of his situation - the situation is not in command of him.

One of the most noteworthy scenes that rarely gets touched on is the battle with the Behemoth in Waloed. When Clive reaches out with his hand to stop Behemoth's meteor and wanted to prime into Ifrit, Joshua exclaimed, "Why do you turn to him, brother?! When we fight, we fight together." And does Joshua also reach out to prevent the meteor from obliterating them? Nope....he heals Clive's hand continuously - being his support and his fixed point in the sea of chaos.

And there were several emotional scenes throughout the game where Joshua is spiritually and emotionally the steadfast center in Cilve's tumultuous world as symbolized by the phoenix feather he carries.

Of course, Joshua isn't always perfect in maintaining self-possession at all times.

Generally speaking, he is patient and not easily aggravated....but when he does snap, you freaking watch and listen. I'm talking about THE infamous Clive-gets-a-hook-punch-to-the-face-from-lil-bro that was felt around the world. But even in that context, Joshua was still thinking about Jill and standing up for her.

During the VERY dangerous encounter with Barnabas on the Enterprise, symbolically speaking, Joshua dangled on the edge of the self-possession but kept one hand gripping firmly at its edge. He almost lost himself in the fires of frustration and anger that Barnabas attempted to stoke.

We also see a heart-breaking example of his self-possession - Joshua foregoing romantic attachments in order to spare them the inevitable suffering if he doesn't make it in the end.

In the end....

Despite so many fans thinking Ultima would puppet his body and/or mind, Joshua demonstrates his mastery of self-possession - literally until the moment he dies in Clive's arms.

Joshua had every reason and opportunity to be spoiled (former little prince of Rosaria), self-centered (messiah of the Undying), haughty (like Anabella), unforgiving (Phoenix Gate/Night of Flames incident), greedy (being a Dominant), and hateful (a mix of traumas within his lifetime).

But this man OWNS his trauma and processes it to make him strong in the spirit and self-sacrificing for those he loves.

Perhaps that self-possession is something we can all apply to our own lives.

[ko-existing]

the reliance on an AI bot (or on anyone/thing for that matter) seems so counterproductive. a thought appears that says "i don’t understand", you identify with that thought and take it to be true, and then look for ways to resolve that thought because you consider it to be your problem that you now have to deal with. you think you don’t understand, you think you’re not there yet, you think you’re not fully realized and you act accordingly; you go to different sources, asking questions, seeking answers, collecting more useless information. but how do you know you "don’t understand" besides the thought that tells you so?

in reality, there’s nothing to understand because what you are cannot be understood. you can only be that. and you already are it, all the time.

the thought that you do understand, and the thought that you do not, are both equally illusory. the key is to do nothing* about any thought. stand apart from them. leave them alone. you act on the thought "i don’t understand" because you take it to be you, you self-soothe and read more, you think "now i understand" and are relieved momentarily, that thought eventually passes too, and then you’re back to square 1. stuck in a constant loop. thoughts are baseless. meaningless. they appear, then disappear. they are harmless. the only power (reality) they have is that which you give them by taking them to be true. you’re a slave to empty things that you have given authority to. 🫰wake. up. 🫰

there is absolutely zero knowledge to be gained. no more reading to be done, nothing. here and now, you are totally ready. you are at your full potential right this very instant, in every instance. at every moment you are choosing the experience. you are absolutely no-thing right now, dressed up as "this person" in "the world". you have the option to be any person in the world, to go beyond this illusory world to another one for that matter, to be/do/have literally anything… but you keep choosing the same experience out of habit and convincing yourself you’re "stuck" as this. you’ve got so used to what you’re doing that you don’t recognize it anymore, you think it’s forced upon you, that this is the life you were born into, but i promise you it’s all your choosing. investigate it just a little and see.

searching for more and asking more questions is totally useless. you are a dog chasing it’s tail. you can do absolutely nothing to become what you are seeking, because you are already that. act accordingly.

"you need not stop thinking. just cease being interested. it is disinterestedness that liberates. don’t hold on, that is all." —Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

*in case it’s not obvious, by "do nothing" i do not mean don’t eat/drink/walk/talk etc. you can never do nothing. even the act of doing nothing is doing something. staring at a wall all day is still a doing. continue to tend to your tasks, look after the seeming body, socialize with family and friends — just fix your attitude. don’t get involved. don’t be pulled in any direction by any thought. be like a calm sea, unstirred by whatever happens. know yourself to be beyond it all. when a thought arises, and the impulse comes to act on that thought, study it. inquire about it. peel it back. break down your beliefs. you will soon see how "reality" naturally follows your lead, bends to your will, moulds to fit your ideals, because it is all just you. you have always had total dominion.

Well said, thank you💯🕉️

[ec1ips3]

-;༉‧₊˚✧ 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬

⚡︎ pairing: marcus lopez arguello x fem!reader

⚡︎ summary: you’ve been having some problems at school but at least you have marcus. 

⚡︎ warning: swearing, mention of blood, established relationship, mention of beheading??, teachers being a dick, she/her pronouns, brandy, just a bad day, cutesy fluff, stress stress stress. 

⚡︎ word count: 3,060

⚡︎ a/n: hi everyone, how are you?? If you said something good, i’m happy for you! :D. If you said something upsetting, i’m sorry :(. anyway, new fic with a new character. i think i plan to write for every character before i repeat one for any of the others. but i’m still taking requests for anyone in my masterlist so PLEASE request. i love writing for y’all :). anyway, there isn't much to say, hope you like this. happy reading! <33

masterlist | marcus’ masterlist | taglist

To say you were having a bad start to the day, would be an understatement. Your roommate in your dorm heard your alarm go off and didn’t bother to wake you up. Because you slept in you rushed to get your uniform on, and when you left your room to go to the bathroom, you realized it was backward. So once you fixed your uniform and went to your first class, you were already sent out to Master Lin’s office.

You rolled your eyes and looked at the board, this was when your patience started to decline tremendously. When your class ended you followed your roommate out of the room. You called her multiple times but she never faced you. So when you got closer and grabbed her arm, you got her attention.

“What the fuck is your problem, Bonnie? You should’ve at least moved me a little bit” You say.

“What the fuck is your problem, Bonnie? You should’ve at least moved me a little bit” You say.

“I’m not your babysitter, Y/n. Maybe try to not stay up so late with that rat, Marcus” Bonnie said, pulling her hand away. “But I’m not surprised you’re with him anyway. Dirty likes dirty” she left with a smile on her face.

You stood there furious. You didn’t mind when people spoke about you, it didn’t phase you. People talk about everyone at King’s Dominion. But blood would be shed if anyone spoke about someone you cared about, especially about your boyfriend. 

You have gotten into multiple fights because of Marcus. Not because he did something, or said something he shouldn’t have. People would talk so poorly of him, and you never understood why. He would breathe and someone always had something to say. So when he became friends with him, he became even more unlikeable because who would want to be friends with him? When you finally started to date him? Forget about it, everyone thought he was the worst being on earth.

Just when you were about to walk up to Bonnie again, a soft hand landed on your shoulder. You turned around quickly, wary of whose hand it was. But of course, it was Marcus’, why wouldn’t it have been?

“Woah, you alright?” He took his hand off, taking a step back.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” you ask him.

“You seemed jumpy just now. And you looked pretty upset at Bonnie” he took a step forward.

“No, I’m alright. Just had a bad start today” 

“Talk to me,” Marcus says, he grabs your hand and starts walking in the direction of your next class. He doesn’t think you know that he knows your entire schedule, the paths you take, and the speed you walk in. But you know, you just don’t want to tell him you know. 

“I just woke up late, nothing much” 

“Why do I feel like there’s more to the story?” 

“If something happens, I’ll tell you. Promise” You put your pinky out.

Marcus puts his pinky out and when your pinkies wrap together, he pulls your pink closer and kisses them as their wrapped together. 

“You’re such a nerd” you pull your pink away, giggling. 

“Maybe a little bit” Marcus laughs a bit, looking at you with so much love, it truly kills you inside. 

The topic between both of you quickly changes, it’s one of your favorite things about Marcus. You and Marcus are slowly getting more comfortable with your communication skills in your relationship. He’s always here to listen, just as you are. But both of you respect each other's boundaries and both of you know when you’re ready to talk. You’ll talk. 

As much as you want to continue your conversation, you’re now standing in front of your class. 

“This is where we depart,” Marcus said, a small frown on his face.

“Or, we could skip,” you tell him, slightly pulling him.

“I don’t think Master Sohl would appreciate that,” Marcus said, he looked into the classroom, and Master Sohlookedng at him. “Hi, Master Sohl,” he says with a smile on his face.

“Marcus” Master Sohl said, eyeing Marcus up and down, before looking away.

Marcus kisses the top of your forehead, “I’ll see you at lunch” he says lowly. You kiss his cheek in response.

“You guys are gross,” Billy says from down the hall, waiting for Marcus at their class door. You and Marcus look at him and laugh. 

“I’ll be right there Billy” Marcus says, “bye,” Marcus says, giving you a peck on the lips before walking away. God, he’s cute. 

You’ve been in Master Sohl’s class for a total of 20 minutes, his class is meant for beheading. There aren't many things to do in this class so today you’re just practicing on dummies. Master Sohl’s thing is to behead someone in the most painful way, which is fine, but it’s usually the messiest. 

You’re working well with the dummies, you’ve always worked well in all of your classes.

“You’re doing it wrong,” Master Sohl says behind you, you stop what you were doing. 

“Excuse me?” You ask

“You are doing it wrong. If you continue to do so, I will have to fail you” he repeats.

“How?” you say, getting annoyed. Failing is not an option for you, especially if it’s a class as easy as this one. 

“They’re meant to be in pain when they die, Y/n”

“Is beheading someone not painful?”

“Y/n” he warns.

You usually get along with your instructors, mainly because you do everything right. This is the first issue you’ve had with Master Sohl. You always do well in his class because it’s basic. It isn’t anything special.

“I just don’t understand how what I’m doing is wrong” 

Other students are beginning to slowly stop what they’re doing to look at the both of you.

“You’re doing well with speed. You don’t know where to cut” He says, the way his long beard moves as he speaks makes you laugh internally but it makes you angry externally. 

“Look at this. I know exactly where to cut” you move to your dummy and point to where the head is a part of his body.

“Where you are cutting Y/n does nothing. You want them to be in pain” Master Sohl says, but he says it with so much anger. He sounds annoyed like you did the dumbest thing ever.

“They are in pain” you defend your work, “They’re just not in the way you want them” 

“It isn’t the right way”

“If the head detaches from their body. It is the right way”

“They’re meant to be in agony! You are letting them get away with what they did and what you are doing is not the right way! I will not argue about this any longer!” Master Sohl says loudly.

The whole class is now staring, the room is silent. You stare back at Master Sohl, angry at him. He made a scene for no reason, it isn’t a big deal. For him to think about failing you over it is insane you think.

You gather your things and walk out of the classroom. Angry and full of rage you walk to the cafeteria earlier than anyone else, passing Marcus’ classroom. 

You don’t understand why everyone chose today to piss you off but it truly makes your blood boil. First, it was Bonnie letting you wake up late, then it was your uniform, then it was your teacher, then Master Lin, then back to that same teacher, then Bonnie again, then Master Sohl, and lunch hasn’t even begun. 

You sit at the table you usually sit in with your’s and Marcus’ friends, not so much waiting for their arrival but waiting when the chaos comes in. You’re dreading it because the day had already given you a headache. After some time alone, students already pile into the cafeteria.

Your head is in your arms, and your eyes are closed, but you don’t need to see to feel the new presence with you. Also, the first person you hear is Lex. 

“Well if it isn’t my favorite person!” he says loudly, sitting across from you. Marcus glares at him and Lex returns him a smile before you could look up.

“Why’d you leave class early? Master Sohl gave you guys a break?” Billy asked, genuinely curious.

“No, he was being a dick and I couldn’t stand it anymore” You Respond

“But Master Sohl isn’t that bad?” Petra was confused

“He isn’t, he was just being weird I guess” you respond, putting your head between your arms again. Marcus is next to youkissing youss on the top of your head.

“How come you never do that to me” Lex complained

“Probably because you aren’t her” Marcus responds, his attention going back to you.

The table goes into thein conversations that neither you nor Marcuisre listening to. Marcus lays his head on his hands and gets closer to you.

“Do you want anything?” he asks quietly, no one at the tably hearing him. No one but you.

You turn your head to look at him and shake your head no. 

“I’m sorry about Sohl, I could give him a lesson or two”

You laugh at him, “please, you’ll be used as an example”

Marcus gasps dramatically making you giggle quietly.

“What are you doing after class?” he asks.

“Probably stay in my room, or go to your’s”

“But I thought you had to go to the Death Squad today?” Marcus reminds you. You groan loudly, but none of your friends seem to mind as they continue their conversation.

“I forgot about that” you confess. Marcus smiles, “I knew you would,” he says.

You roll your eyes and move your head in the direction of your friends, listening to their conversation but not adding anything to it. Unlike Marcus who is adding to the conversation.

Your next couple of classes doesn’t give you much of a problem, mainly because in those classes you’re with someone you know. The last two are with Marcus, Billy, and Lex which is weirdly enjoyable.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You go back to your dorm when the day ends, changing into your Death Squad cheerleading uniform, and grabbing the pom with knives in them from under your bed. Just as you put on your shoes, there’s already a knock there. You don't need to open the door to already know who it is.

But when you do open a door, Marcus takes a step toward you and grabs your waist immediately, pulling you in for a deep kiss.

He’s so eager and so hungry. But he’s also so gentle and soft. It was like the first time Marcus kissed you. It takes you by surprise for a second but you quickly catch on, following the movement of his lips. 

After what feels like hours, Marcus pulls back, catching his breath once he’s apart from you. 

“What’s that for?” you ask.

“You’re dealing with Brandy shortly. And what’s wrong with kissing my girlfriend?” 

You laugh a little. “Nothing is wrong with it, it just felt like yoy needed that,” you say, lightness in your voice. 

“It was more so for you. You seemed like you needed it and it seems like it worked.” Marcus laughed.

“Well, iy made my day better. But I gotta get to Brandy before she has another screaming match” you say, grabbing a few things before pushing Marcus out of the way so you could close your dorm door. 

“I’ll see you around Marcus,” you tell him, kissing him one last time before leaving with a smile on your face. 

 You get to the gymnasium and Brandy is immediately ready to start, her obnoxious voice and accent already making your ears bleed. 

After about an hour and a half, everyone was doing the routine, but still, some of the other girls were a little sloppy. Earning dirty looks from others and a scolding by Brandy herself, some racist comments to go along with it. 

When you had to be lifted into the air, Brandy was your second base. So when your foot felt wobbly, you knew you would fall, which you did. But when you fall, so does everyone else.

You groan a bit but you shake it off, getting up quickly to collect your pom poms. But you hear another grunt. 

“Are you kidding me?!” Brandy asks loudly, you roll your eyes. 

“I am not doing this with you, not today. Let’s just do it over” you say, getting back into position.

“We shouldn’t even be needing to do it all over again when you can’t even stand properly” Brandy complains. 

“You’re fucking with me, right? You cannot try to pin-point this on me right now” 

“Who else is there to blame? You were the one that broke” Brandy says, her voice both annoyed and annoying.

You laugh a bit, “Brandy, you’re my second base and you didn’t even support my foot just now. If yoy want to blame someone, let’s blame the actual person” you say rolling your eyes. 

“Maybe you’re just too big to even be in that position,” Brandy says, you look at her. 

You shake your head, choosing to ignore your comment.

“Cat’s got your tongue? You know, Marcus is pretty cute. If he wasn’t a rat I wouldn’t mind having him wrapped around my finger” she continues.

You pause.

“I bet I could have him now. It isn’t like he wouldn’t want me. He seems very open to anyone I guess” Brandy laughs. 

Brandy looks at the other Death Squad members, still laughing. When she faces your direction again, she sees the familiar knife that is in every pom, slashing her face.

Brandy screams, holding onto her bleeding face, the other Death Squad members running to assistance. 

You grab your pom poms, and your small bag, and walk out of the gymnasium. You quickly pass other students who were on their way to the room you just left. You didn’t want to be near anyone, you shouldn’t have to be. 

By the time you got on the floor before the rooftop, more than a handful of students found out what happened to Brandy, and the words were quickly spreading. When you finally got to the rooftop, it was empty, thankful none of your friends were here for once.

You just needed some time alone, even if it was for 5 minutes. You were breathing heavily, not because you were tired or because of how many stairs you walked up. You were breathing heavily out of anger.

You wanted to kill Brandy at that moment, she’s lucky she only got a slash in the face. You already knew what tomorrow will bring. You’ll be given detention by Master Lin for a few days, which is a terrible punishment that you cannot escape. 

Who did Brandy think she was? Talking to you like her shit doesn’t stink. Talking about Marcus like he didn’t throw a drink at her almost a year prior. Talking about your boyfriend and how she could get with him however and whenever she pleased. 

How dare she?

You look at the knife you took out of your pom pom. You stand up and when you turn around to face the door, you’re met with Marcus. 

He looks at you with his arms crossed around his chest. You just stare back and sit back down, your back facing him again. Marcus going and sitting next to you shortly after. 

“What happened today, Y/n?” Marcus asked so gently, he looks at you with so much love and softness in his eyes.

He can’t be upset with you as much as he wants to be.

“Bonnie didn’t wake me up for my alarm. My uniform was backward. I was late for my first class. Master Lin yelled at me, again. I was yelled at by my instructor for being late. Bonnie said something bad about you. Master Sohl didn’t think my beheading was painful enough to the point he threatened to fail me and we argued over it. Brandy made me fall. And then she said some things about you”

Marcus is quiet, that was a lot. He knew that was a lot.

“I- I know I shouldn’t have cut her. But I was just so overwhelmed today. It felt like everything was going wrong. And I just felt- stressed. I hit my breaking point. And I know you told me not to hurt anyone for you. But god, Brandy is one of the most annoying people on earth. And-” you were cut off by Marcus’ lips on yours.

You kissed him back, holding the side of his face to pull him in even more. Marcus was the first to break apart. Your foreheads against each other.

“Why did you do that?” you ask

“I knew it was the only way to stop you,” Marcus smiled. He leaned back so he could look at you. “I completely understand where you’re coming from. I’m proud of you for keeping calm as long as you did”

“I hear a but coming”

“But-”

“There it is”

Marcus laughs, “I don’t want you to be that overwhelmed again. We told each other that we would tell each other any and everything. I don’t want another situation in the future where you end up murdering Brandy” he jokes.

“I was about to-”

“I know,” Marcus said, closing his eyes and laughing. He grabs your hand and kisses the top of it. 

“I want you to practice breathing, thinking it through, and relaxing your body when you get angry,” he says, still holding your hands. 

“I don’t think that’ll help, Marcus”

“We just have to try it. Together. Baby Steps.” He says.

You smile and nod, giving him a peck on his lips. Marcus smiles and kisses you gently, putting an arm around you.

You spend the rest of the time on the rooftop together, being close to one another, looking at the stars and the sky. This is what you needed to help you calm down. 

STOPPPPP

[wutheringmights]

I finished rereading The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce a couple of days back. I already talked about the first book in a post that garnered more attention than it deserved. I guess we were all happily reminiscing about the menstruation scenes together, or Tortall fans are so starved for content they (we) will reblog anything.(Understandable. I too am starved for a thriving Tortall fandom.)

I'm too lazy to make separate posts about each book, so we're just going to do a mega post covering the second, third, and fourth book.

Unlike last time, I will be giving a little criticism to this series. I still love it endlessly, but there were a few things about the prose I thought was interesting that I want to talk about a bit.

So, without further ado~

In the Hand of the Goddess

I think this one is my favorite one, despite how rushed the plot it. It contains all of my favorite plot points, like awkward romances with George and Jon, attending knight lessons, and a little summer war. Fun stuff.

But it definitely feels rushed. I really wish someone told Pierce to make this a 12 book series, expanding on Alanna's years at the castle. It would have gone so far to better develop the romances and the friendships in these books.

I am fascinated by what Pierce chose to skim over. Characters would die or kiss for the first time off screen, with the prose resuming with Alanna reacting to it. It demonstrates an understanding of character work that I personally adore and try to emulate in my own writing-- the real bones of a story being in how characters respond to fantastic events as opposed to the fantastic events themselves.

Also, the whole veil spell Roger cast in objectively stupid, and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible. You're telling me that Roger used magic to make Alanna lose interest in doing anything about the obviously evil things he was doing? That's fucking hilarious. You know an editor came back to Pierce and asked her to come up with a reason why Alanna wasn't just going to spring into action at the first sign of Roger trying to kill her, only for Pierce to come up with this. It's so silly. I love it.

Woman Who Rides Like A Man

Did this book age poorly? Yes, but not as badly as I remembered. That's not a stirring defense, and it's really not meant to be.

The Bahzir are a mess of Orientalism, and Pierce definitely deserves criticism for not only the way she wrote them but for the ways in which she frames their cultural practices as something that needs to be fixed. Having Alanna want to force them to change their culture to suit her beliefs is not a great look for both the character and the writer. And that's not even getting into the whole assimilation plotline.

But I did enjoy Pierce's attempts to expand on the definition of womanhood, especially as a part of Alanna learning to embrace femininity. There is this running thread in these last two books of Alanna learning about all the different ways to be a woman and choosing for herself what her gender means to her. It's not done particularly well, and anyone looking for a revolutionary examination of gender roles and identity is going to be sorely disappointed. But there's an attempt here that I can't help but appreciate.

This book is also where Pierce starts to slow the plot down, which lends it to having the most reasonable pacing out of the bunch. That being said, it's also the book where the lack of development for a bunch of the side characters start to hurt. I really wish Gary or Raoul joined Alanna in the desert. Raoul gets his moment in the sun with the Protector of the Small books, but Gary remains largely forgettable. In fact, I spent this entire read-through convinced this man dies at the end of the last book, if only because I can't remember where he appears in any of the other books.

Lioness Rampant

This book somehow has the improved pacing of the third book while still feeling rushed. The quest for the Dominion Jewel really should have been it's own book, if only to give Thayet and Buri more room for development. Thayet in particular really needs her moment to shine, especially when she continues to be an important character in the other series.

But do you know who did get a lot of screen time? Liam.

Remembered shit about this guy before going into this book. I could only vaguely recalled disliking him as a kid, but not as much as I venomously hated Jon. (Speaking of which-- I love the way this man is realistically shitty. Him getting dumped by Alanna is always my favorite scene.) But Liam? Fuck that guy. Holy shit. I give full applause to Pierce for portraying the important milestones every girl goes through growing up, which includes having a situationship that is so shitty that it becomes essential character development.

Roger's return feels very... cheesy? I think Alex should have stepped up to be the final villain on the story. Unlike Roger, Alex was Alanna's friend. They have history. The betrayal would have imbued that final fight with so many more emotions than it ultimately had. I also would have liked Alanna to have at least meaningfully talked to Alex sometime before the climax.

Honestly, it's impressive how reactive Alanna is as a character in the last half of the book. She doesn't seek out how to stop Roger's plan, or fix Thom, or anything. Other characters make plans and she just... waits for something to go wrong.

That being said, by virtue of Alanna's relationships with George, Liam, and Jon all happening sometime in this plot, this book becomes a good place to look to get the full berth of how Pierce handles romances. Which, I love her approach. The romances are never over the top or, for lack of a better word, too romantic. It's very down to earth, with characters dating, marrying, or breaking up for realistic reasons.

Jon and Alanna were friends who broke up because they had different life plans. Liam and Alanna broke up for having fundamentally different values. As much as I bitch about how shitty Jon and Liam are, they're not cartoonishly evil. They're just a little shitty the way most of your exes will be. Jon and Liam are men could find love with someone else. They just aren't suited for Alanna.

Meanwhile, the most romantic things George does are wait for her and be supportive. He doesn't fight or get territorial. He makes his feelings clear, then waits for Alanna's cues. Alanna definitely loves him, but she ends up with him in the end because their lifestyles and core beliefs meld together. There's no grand romantic gesture or whirlwind affairs. They are just a good pair.

I have read stories with far heavier focuses on romance, and none of those couples feel as perfect as Alanna and George. Those stories prioritize all the gooey moments over showing why the main couple should get together. For how little romantic interactions they have, you believe these two could have a successful marriage. Perfect stuff.

---

Over all, I really enjoyed rereading these books. For all my griping, I still love the story. I love Alanna. She's a character who is fundamental to my soul. No matter where I am in life, I will always want to open these books and find her again, to walk back into Tortall and join her on her quest to be a lady knight.

My copies of the series come with forewards from a previous edition. In one of them, Pierce wrote that this series started off as an adult fantasy story that was much darker and edgier. I need to know what that story looks like, what happened in it. Pierce can claim as she wants that she hardly remembers what it looks like, but I refuse to believe that. Release the unedited first draft, Pierce. I am begging you.

[sleepnowmychild]

Prayers and hymns to Hypnos:

Anytime I find one in a book or site about ancient texts, I save it for later use. So here’s what I’ve collected so far.

Orphic Hymn 85 to Hypnos (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) :
"To Hypnos, Fumigation from Poppies. Hypnos, king of Gods, and men of mortal birth, sovereign of all, sustained by mother earth; for thy dominion is supreme alone, over all extended, and by all things known. 'Tis thine all bodies with benignant mind in other bands than those of brass to bind. Tamer of cares, to weary toil repose, and from whom sacred solace in affliction flows. Thy pleasing gentle chains preserve the soul, and even the dreadful cares of death control; for Thanatos, and Lethe with oblivious stream, mankind thy genuine brothers justly deem. With favouring aspect to my prayer incline, and save thy mystics in their works divine."

Statius, Silvae 5. 4. 1 (Roman poetry C1st A.D.) :
*prayer by an Insomiac

O youthful Somnus, gentlest of the gods, by what crime or error of mine have I deserved that I alone should lack thy bounty? Silent are all the cattle, and the wild beasts and the birds, and the curved mountain summits have the semblance of weary slumber, nor do the raging torrents roar as they were wont; the ruffled waves have sunk to rest, and the sea leans against earth's bosom and is still. Seven times now hath the returning moon beheld my fixed and ailing eyes; so often have the lights of Oeta and Paphos revisited me, so oft hath Tithonia passed by my groans, and pitying sprinkled me with her cool whip. Ah! how may I endure? Not if I had the thousand eyes of sacred Argus, which he kept but in alternate watchfulness, nor even waked in all his frame at once. But now--ah, me!--if some lover through the long hours of night is clasping a girl's entwining arms, and of his own will drives thee from him, come thence, O Somnus! Nor do I bid thee shower all the influence of thy wings upon my eyes--that be the prayer of happier folk!--touch me but with thy wand's extremest tip--'tis enough--or pass over me with lightly hovering step."

By Sophocles in Philoctetes:

''Divine Hypnos, god who knows no pain, Hypnos, stranger to anguish, come in favour to us, come happy, and giving happiness, great King! Keep before his eyes such light as is spread before them now. Come to him, I pray you, come with power to heal!''

[autisticlalna]

okay gang place your bets: who said this

V.P.:

is the one usually leaving these messages

glitch effect like in the solo Skyblock series with Wanderer, although not affecting the text itself this time

however, this is not V.P.'s font. this is the font Viking uses in a lot of other instances-- thumbnails, Dominion intros, stream assets and offline image.

Summertime (SBK Viking) himself:

could be his internal thoughts

...but why would he have this reaction? why specifically "here?"?

glitch effect suggests something more external / not supposed to be here

Navigator:

is the other established presence observing the Vikings

confirmed to be monitoring SBK (if we assume that it was Navigator talking to tRuby)

would likely have reason to be concerned about IOUs, especially with Fix involved

i am very biased towards him bc hes my special little guy

Wanderer:

honestly im just mentioning him because a) Skyblock and b) also a lot of glitch effects, but that was specifically Messages From V.P. About Him and he has no reason to react to IOUs like that

also he's busy probably getting possessed by 1/3 of Avid's love triangle

Blue & Yellow (Dominion Viking):

would definitely have a strong reaction to IOUs, especially ones involving Fix

the plan for the Dominion s2 finale was for them to end up in the void

...with the idea, iirc, being that they would be kept in there as something that could later be pulled back out if needed.

however, high chance of continuity lockout, especially because of the "dViking gets dumped into the void" thing being from a noncanon ending

dViking made a surprise appearance in Twitch SMP (as did Summertime!), but that was very brief and was more for demonstration purposes of Navigator(?) being able to swap Vikings around.

Someone Else Entirely:

Viking loves curveballs and there's a chance that it's either a character we haven't met yet or someone we have but dont realize yet

so, like,

my personal take: im squinting at Navigator for biased reasons, but im also side-eyeing Blue and Yellow. still, this is the first Lore Moment that might develop into something more, so we just need to wait and see where this goes.

...oh, god, am i gonna need to update the powerpoint.

[skyrim-forever]

TES Summer Fest Day 1: Breath

A/N: Omg she managed to do something??? :P Decided I'm gonna make these prompts low stakes for myself and use them to write snippets of my oc Theodora. Tagging: @tes-summer-fest

Warnings: Brief mention of suicidal ideation and alcoholism, one line each but tagging just in case <3

The waters of Lake Ilinalta were cool against her skin as she dove below the surface. Theodora’s body had been aching, the bruises and cuts still fresh from the fight with Alduin. Though the battle had been a few weeks ago, her body had much to go in the way of healing. The Greybeards had fixed her up well enough that she could make her way to Lakeview Manor. Where she had been hiding out since, the bottle being her constant companion.

The world did not know yet of Alduin’s defeat, nor did they know she was alive. Well, one did know she was alive. Giving the courier strict instructions to not let the letter get into anyone else’s hands, she sent word to Ondolemar. A simple message “I am okay, it is done. Will see you when I can.”. She didn’t want him to worry, but not even he could comfort her now. 

Coming up for another breath, Theodora floated on her back. The water had proven to be soothing for her aches, the fresh water making her feel somewhat well again. She could have visited Danica at the Temple in Whiterun, that probably would have sped up healing; but then she would have had to talk to people. Paraded around as the Hero, titles and duties throw at her, any chance of a normal life would turn to dust. It had gotten worse as her fame became more known, every Jarl wanted her in their court, every warrior wanted her advice, and when she reentered the world it would be unbearable. With the Civil War ended by her hand and the threat of Alduin quelled, it was only a matter of time before Tullius’s eyes turned towards the Dominion. Theodora didn’t have another war in her, the echoes of the Great War in Anvil and being pivotal in the Skyrim Civil War had taken their toll. And even if she could, how could she fight the one she loved? She had found solace in small moments with friends, traveling with Serana, swapping stories with Camilla, sparing with Irelith. They made her feel normal, she had connections to this world again. Secure connections in the way that Ondolemar couldn’t be, due to their opposing sides. 

Thoughts raced through her mind, too quick to be fully formed, mere fragments of ideas. The Empire, love, war, pain. All leading up to an idea that had plagued her since Sovengarde I wish I had died there. But of course she did not, she had been made for this, and by Akatosh’s will, she was not done on this mortal plane yet. Holding in her breath, Theodora submerges herself again, hoping when she arises she’ll feel whole.

[tyrantisterror]

What's the worst legacy sequel you've ever seen? What, in your opinion, separates a good legacy sequel from a bad legacy sequel and what's the worst thing you think a legacy sequel can do?

The worst that I've seen is probably Rise of Skywalker. It's close competition, though - both Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic World: Dominion have moments that are significantly more stupid than anything in Rise of Sky Walker, but I also think both have a bit more creative effort put into them - Fallen Kingdom has that third act where it basically becomes a Resident Evil adaptation except with a murder-saurus in place of the Tyrant, and Dominion has the whole locust plotline which, while terrible, is at least an unexpected direction for a Jurassic Park sequel to go into that tries to figure out something ELSE you could do with the genetic engineering premise of the franchise beyond just making dinosaurs. Like, all three Jurassic World movies have big problems and they get progressively dumber with each installment, but they're also all ambitious to some degree that I still feel respect for, even if they never really actually reach those lofty aspirations.

Rise of Skywalker, on the other hand, has no ambitions at all. It has nothing it wants to say, no unique twists to pull, no real identity of its own. It's a potroast made of leftovers from better movies, a resuscitated corpse of something much more interesting, patched together like a Frankenstein's monster and abandoned to a cruel world just as callously.

It has no desire to do anything new, merely a checklist of Things You've Seen Before That the Focus Groups Say You'd Probably Like to See Again. Any character that can be slipped into an arc that was done in a previous Star Wars film is slipped into one no matter how little sense it makes for them, and any character who can't is either forced to tread water with nothing to do (hi Finn!) or just quietly shoved off to the side early on and forgotten about (hi Rose!).

Any story beats that weren't in the original films are simply grabbed from a box that reads "time tested cliches to keep your script moving with minimal effort." Make the plot a treasure hunt so we can just race from scene to scene with the flimsiest justification possible and try and trick the audience into thinking something is actually happening! What's that, audience interest is flagging? Quick, throw in a cameo of someone from an older movie! What's that, they're bored again? Pretend to kill one of the old characters, but make sure to reveal they actually lived in no more than two scenes down the line, or else we might piss off the fanboys! Hey, let's look at the Cinema Sins videos for the original movies and see if there's some gripes we can "fix" with this one for added fan cred! Can't disappoint our audience!

It's the story-telling equivalent of smothering something in salt to cover up the funky taste of the close-to-the-expiration-date ingredients.

As for what makes a good vs. a bad legacy sequel... ok, so, let's define legacy sequel first. A legacy sequel is a film or TV show that is a sequel to a popular film or TV series that ended a good many years ago, which brings back some of the old cast of characters (generally played by the same, and thus much older, actors that played them in the past) along with adding a new cast of characters played by younger actors. It tries to replicate the tone of the original series despite being made in a different era and probably by different writers and directors, and generally aims to give you that Ratatouille style moment of nostalgia.

I think most Legacy sequels are kind of doomed to be mediocre at best on the outset because the goal of them from the moment of conception is so mercenary - they're not created to Tell A Good Story, they're created to Keep Consumers Invested in a Lucrative Content Franchise. They have the artistic aspirations of a McDonald's Hamburger - "This tastes exactly like what you had as a kid, and doesn't that make you crave more of it?"

I don't think that art made for mercenary reasons is doomed to be bad, mind you - I mean, almost ALL movies and television were made to make money first and foremost. Even the classic High Art movies I love like Seven Samurai and The Third Man were made for mercenary reasons at the end of the line - it didn't stop the people who were working on them from having artistic goals, but it's a fact nonetheless.

But Legacy Sequels just have an uphill battle in the "artistic aspirations" department, because most people with artistic aspirations don't want to recreate the feeling someone else inspired with their art - they want to put their own stamp on it, their own spin, their own voice. And that will often mean something VERY different will be made, something that might piss of the fans - something that doesn't taste like the McDonald's hamburger you had as a kid, even though it came in the same wrapper.

The worst parts of Legacy Sequels are the only parts that Rise of Skywalker is made of - the parts where the story is clearly only trying to show you things you know, only trying to reheat the leftovers so they taste like your memories, only trying to trick the nostalgia center of your brain that you're four years old again eating at McDonald's. "Here's the thing you know! Here's the running gag you liked, repeated five more times by actors with far less enthusiasm! Here's the same basic premise as the first film, but the stakes have been inflated to make it feel like a progression! Cameos! Catch phrases! Eat your hamburger, you consumer pig!"

The rare good legacy sequels don't really TRY to be legacy sequels. They're just... sequels. Another story in the same world as the first, bringing back the characters who actually have interesting arcs left in them, creating new characters with their own shit going on who have good chemistry with the pre-established characters and setting, expanding on themes from the original and exploring parts of the setting that hadn't been explored yet, and all in all telling their own story that's related to the first one's but still manages to be its own distinct thing.

There are not many good legacy sequels, because a good legacy sequel is different than the McDonald's hamburger you ate when you were four, and might make less money than desired because of it.

[paingoes]

Destroyer - In Shadows

(Masterlist)

another pretty short section, had to do a little check-in on delta

(Content: dissociation, conditioning, guilt, past trauma, implied child abuse, nightmares)

================

Delta struggled to remember a time he had felt worse in all his life. He was sure there were times. In his early, early childhood, when he was first broken in. He barely remembered those days anymore. It was too painful to think about when he didn’t have to. But the memories did come to surface, sometimes. He had internalized an alien way of being and had been made to hold it permanently if he wanted to live. He must have been more pliable then. The act took on a life of its own and whatever might’ve been there otherwise would never — could never — be known. It was a soft wrongness. He did not remember it well, but he imagined it must’ve felt very similar to the way he did right now.

He sat folded up in his room, clutching his head, struggling to breathe. He was drawing, which he never did. He drew out the forms he had seen in his dreams. Some of them were of real memories, but just as many were images sliced together from a life at war. He drew them over and over again, then tore them up so that there could be no evidence of his distress. He wanted to scream. He wanted to be good. These two impulses chafed at each other in his mind. He tilted his head forward and blood poured out of his nose. 

His body kept producing these reactions against his will. He kept getting sick. He choked down his own symptoms in front of the others, not wishing to be sent to the doctor’s unwillingly. He didn’t want to take pills. The shivers, though, they wouldn’t go away. No matter how much he tried to calm himself, he kept flinching abruptly. Each shadow seemed deadly and alive and inert.

He hated it here. He could admit it to himself now, but it didn’t lead him anywhere. He hated everything on the ship and everything outside of it. He hated the Empire, selfishly. He hated what his life had become, the way it never could have turned out any other way, the thousand ways it could all come to an end. He didn’t hate Paris, exactly. Though that would be easier. When he thought about the prince, his chest just got hollow and achy. Loyalty felt like an open wound.

Delta wished he couldn’t feel anything. That was the idea. That was always the act. But when Simon — or god forbid Paris — started to talk to him like he was a person, how was he supposed to keep it up? How could they speak to him like that and still-

Maybe he did hate them after all. He wished he couldn’t feel gratitude. He could’ve drowned in it. 

“I’m sorry,” Delta said, so many times that it lost its meaning.

“Will you knock it the fuck off already?!” Paris yelled. Because it had become self-indulgent, really. He didn’t know why he was apologizing. He just wanted to make things right; that’s all it stood for. But it was hopeless. It was all fucked. Delta was so, so confused.

He kept going back to the forums. His hands shook when he opened the laptop, but this time it wasn’t fear. It was guilt. Paris had spared him once already. Delta had begged his forgiveness. He had sworn not to do it again. Still, late at night, almost every night, he got back online. He was a lurker; it was a natural progression of what he’d been all his life. 

Delta had never been outside of the Empire’s walls. It was vast, yes, but it was not everything. The internet was an artifact left mostly untouched by its dominion. Delta studied it with a kind of numb curiosity. People spoke so differently there, so casually. A lot of them were just as cruel and as angry as Empire’s players, but then a lot of them weren’t. Again, he felt a strange ache. The world felt so far away from him.

That night, he got the strongest urge to remove his collar. He couldn’t, of course. That would defeat the point of having it. But he still felt with certainty this was the thing that would fix him. If he could just see without senses, feel the pulse of all the energy around him, let the light out…he was sure it would help. It always did a hard reset on his mental state and he needed badly to stop feeling the way he did right then, to let some new and overwhelming force come to replace it. His wish went unfulfilled. Instead, he just went to sleep, sinking back into the unconscious world. The shadows rose up to meet him.

[malicious-fisheeves]

Thoughts and Issues with the DLC

So I've made no secret I've issues with the DLC but in an effort to stop whinging and be less upset I've written up something a little more formal. To state first: if you enjoyed the DLC, by all means, I am glad. I'd much rather have people be happy than feel the way I do/did after beating the final DLC boss. And in talking w some people who did like the DLC story, I was softened a little bit in some regards.

However. Below the cut is ~3k words on my thoughts. I attempted some formatting but it might be a little disorganized. Needless to say, big dlc spoilers.

Marika:

I simultaneously appreciate Marika getting some much needed nuance back. Marika is complicated for a number of reasons. Her regime is oppressive and unrelentingly cruel, the Erdtree and its wars were incredibly brutal, and yet the DLC calls to mind that this is the outcome of her own people’s oppression, eg in that Marika was incapable of growing beyond the limited worldview transferred to her by living in a world wherein failed saints and ‘criminals’ were turned into meat goo. Cycle of violence and so on, but therein also lies some critique. Generally speaking, irl, such a thing is… basically impossible example wise, to think of off the top of my head. I suppose broadly one could perhaps liken it to the original Roman persecution of early Christians but that’s a fraught comparison for a number of reasons – wildly overblown for theological reasons, for one, and also makes an exemplar vs Roman generally crushing and enslaving ‘savages’. Also the current and historical violence committed via christian can by no means be rooted to mistreatment by Romans. So. It’s something I find interesting while also not jiving with 100%. Especially relating to what she’d end up doing to the Omen.

I think one can possibly point to a general corruption of goals, for Marika, by virtue of her godhood—once granted absolute power, she lost sight of her original goals of building a better world than the one she was born into. An empire of ruin built on top of a pile of corpses. Marika herself seems to come to this understanding and so sets in motion the events of the game—sending the Tarnished off, and shattering the ring—possibly incentivized by the death of Godwyn, or at least the understand of that her dominion was faulty.

Miquella:

Oh Miquella. Here’s the thing; I am by no means shocked or surprised that the question of Miquella’s charm/compulsion abilities would come into play for the DLC. I had a feeling that the NPC crew would be under Miq’s influence and that would be a source of conflict. I was not someone who thought ‘yay miq’s going to become god and fix everything.’ But the way in which this was accomplished felt not only like a dropping of the ball but a deliberate spiking of it at the ground.

In the base game, though we only rarely get information about Miquella, we have an understanding that he very much wants to do good. To create a new order not revolving around the oppression and subjugation of the masses. Miquella’s plans were already doomed in the sense his grand plans involved ‘what if I made my own Erdtree, but cooler’ and the fact the implications of certain items (the haligtree soldier ashes, the bewitching branches) indicate he has some ability to influence/control others, but this ability remained nebulous. St. Trina and sleep, the other half of his, again spoke to some interesting if troubling aspects, but also again spoke to a sort of attempted lighter touch in his approach. Someone confined to sleep forever can’t hurt you anymore, even if you basically doom them without killing them. When the DLC began with him shedding his flesh, his strength, his Great Rune and therefore ability to charm, I was very interested in how this all related. Except then he…. Becomes a God anyway? I’m still confused by this. Narratively, the game points towards him shedding these things to become a Perfect God, uninfluenced by things like love (which again, confuses me when he says that the new age will be guided by compassion, but I think the point here was to make the confusion The Point eg Miquella you can’t do both those things, sir) that might blind him or bias him. But Ranni also cast aside her Empyrean flesh… specifically so she could not become a God.

This wouldn’t bother me as much were it not for other issues, I think.

Miquella in the base game is defined by his compassion, outright bordering on naivety (hand in hand with his curse). He waters his new tree with his own blood rather than the blood of others. Elphael and the haligtree are specifically home to the unwanted and oppressed (namely misbegotten and alibnaurics)--he literally builds a secret treehouse. He forges the unalloyed Gold needle to save Malenia’s life. Of course there is a paradox here. To build his new order based on compassion, he has to betray the old. In the base game, originally I viewed this as a sort of corruption of his own goals ala Marika’s, by sending Malenia out to do this for him. She takes her army and conquers most of the continent save Leyndell and the Academy before getting defeat-by-tie’d with Radahn. Miquella does not want to do this but feels he has to, one might surmise. Given Malenia’s apparently reverence for him, we are led to believe that she did so because she really, really, believed in him, even if in doing so was at great personal cost.

And so the compulsion comes back into play in the DLC—just bend everyone else’s wills to your own as a God, is at least what I believe we’re supposed to take away. But this bothers me thematically in that why did Miquella not do this earlier? We kill Radahn and Mohg and suddenly game over, because Miquella brain-beams us into submission and we all prance around in perfect unending submissive euphoria. Why are we not only around long enough to stop it, but even able to? We (the Tarnished) have no influence on whether or not Miquella achieves godhood, unlike with the other ending options wherein we have quests to have NPCs fail or achieve their means by which they either create a mending ring or, in Ranni’s case, finally kill Marika for good and thereby have No Gods in the Lands Between. Even getting his great rune is just optional—if you don’t get grabbed twice, you don’t need to worry about the instant kill. So it all just feels a bit like a wet fart, especially given what happens after you kill him and Radahn. Which is a memory of when Miquella, pre godhood, asking Radahn to be his consort so that Miquella can achieve godhood and make the world better. You can’t even get ontop of the divine gate. It just feels so…. Nothing, in the end. We kill Miquella, and then that’s it, nothing. Nothing changes, no means by which to maybe try to make the world better. Annsbach tells us to be a lord of men and not gods but there’s no means by which to do so. Ranni’s ending takes us to the stars, the other endings have us become Lord Consort in various flavors, or we burn everything down. Elden Ring, to me, defined itself in some ways from Dark Souls and Bloodborne by having a certain hope where the others could be rather bleak. The DLC, giving you no means by which to make the world better, in any way, mostly going around just killing everyone and thing, and then returning to the sliding scale of ambiguously-good-ambiguously-bad-extremely-bad base-game endings. It’s just… it is something.

I also have more meta-textual critiques, which leads me to…

Mohg, Malenia, Radahn, or Incest et al.,

Mohg in the base game is defined by his evil. He bears on-its-face evil satanic imagery, growling and gurgling at you during his fight. He kidnaps and tortures war surgeons, the only one of which who survives relatively in-tact, Varre, is cast aside. Varre dies, begging for Mohg’s help, and Mohg could not care less, because Mohg is the self styled leader of a cult. He kidnaps Miquella with the hopes of raising him to godhood so he can establish his own dynasty. Albinaurics who come to him seeking assistance/shelter are also tortured. It speaks to a great evil. However, we also come to understand that Mohg is the opposite side of the coin as Morgott. Both were omen children of Marika, given the relative ‘mercy’ of not having their horns cut off and abandoned to their fate in the sewers beneath Leyndell. Morgott spends his whole life desperately wishing to be loved by the Erdtree and gets jack shit. Mohg abandons it, rightfully, but is violated by the Formless Mother and has his blood set on fire. Mohg’s tragedy actually serves better to illustrate how suffering makes no one a good person than Marika’s story in the DLC, in some ways, given that Mohg literally replaces the austere and thinly veiled cruelty of Marika and her Order with just outright violence and terror. And then the DLC goes ‘actually, Mohg was manipulated into being evil by Miquella for his elaborate plans for godhood!’

When I read this, I almost felt insulted.

Not only does it strip Mohg of his agency, making his evil the fault of someone else, it also completely demeans the original tragedy of the kidnapping. Miquella, trapped in a state of suspended animation, forever sleeping and therefore failing Everything he set out to do, because he was kidnapped by someone who he would’ve wanted to help? Mohg, kidnapping and abusing a person who abhors what was done to him and his people? This tragedy again spoke to the themes of Elden Ring. Having it so that someone who, while flawed, is shot in the foot by someone warped and corrupted by a life time of abuse suffered first by their mother and then by a greater cosmic deity? That the violence put upon by Mohg resulted in yet more needless suffering? Heart breaking.

Instead, the DLC makes it so Mohg is abused yet again, and this time it is far less meaningful.

Radahn’s story also frustrated me greatly. I am biased, as someone who went insane trying to piece together his motivations for the past 2 yrs and writing nearly 200,000 words about it, but during that time I came to the conclusion that the explicit point of his lack of motivation spoke to a sort of glory seeking that is why, while he had some apparently good personal qualities, also made him a war lord. In the base game, Radahn’s established as someone who cares about having a ‘good death’, who stopped the stars for Reasons, and learned gravity magic in-part to ride his favorite horse forever. However he also is the General of a large army, who at the very least in his absence have taken to stringing up corpses and setting people on fire. Grant it, it might be due to the Super Plague, but it’s just vague and unsaid enough it is entirely probably it was not Just That (nor makes it less horrific, burning plague victims caused by the Stupidest Fight Ever). He admires Godfrey, who served Marika in her genocidal wars. He tries to take Leyndell for reasons not known to the player, but one can surmise either A. he was trying to help Rykard (Rykard, who’s war in the Shattering was considered one of if not the Worst) B. he was just doing it for a laff (eg conquering for conquering sake, morally vacant and also abhorrent, but speaks to a glory hunting that says Something) and/or something to do with Godfrey. It speaks to, if nothing else, a Giant Ego.

So it felt really weird and out of left field to go. Yeah he and Miquella made a vow that Radahn would become his consort so he could ascend to godhood and establish the kindness brigade. Like, huh? Nowhere in the base game does Radahn, at any point, seem to especially care about being kind or helping the oppressed. There are certain elements that indicate he might not have sucked As Much, but by no means does that make him a good person (especially since he seems to hold some relationship with Rykard and Rykard is Extremely Awful to the albinaurics). Not only that, but again if we are to believe Mohg was not at fault for any of the evils he committed because Miquella forced him to be evil, then we cannot believe that anything about Radahn and Miquella’s relationship was consensual (not that any incestuous relationship can be but it adds another layer of coercion).

So they make this vow and Radahn later reneges. Maybe he realizes he’s been charmed and breaks it, somehow, but we don’t actually know. And so Miquella sic’s Malenia on him like a dog, dooming Caelid. Firstly, overall it just makes Radahn less compelling as someone who could’ve potentially been better but decided he loved war too much, doomed by the world he was born into to want something that destroyed him and everything he loved. Secondly, it just really hurts the construction of Miquella’s character as someone perhaps jaded and optimism crushed by a shitty world built by his mom (and also Malenia’s). But thirdly, and most importantly to me, it completely decimates one of the most powerful narratives themes to me in Elden ring.

The deliberate obfuscation of Why Radahn and Malenia fought in the first place was one of the most important pieces of the narrative to me. It spoke greatly to Elden Ring’s themes about war and violence. That there are no real winners, that it leads only to death and destruction. That whatever reason why they fought was not important enough to result in all the devastation. The point was that it was pointless. It spoke to both Malenia and Radahn’s weaknesses and showed how even great people (even people with good qualities) have those qualities ruined by war. The fight dooms both of them; Radahn becomes a zombie, Caelid is turned into a rotten hell hole. Malenia has to be dragged back to the Haligtree and without her brother, she basically just Waits To Die, now aimless. It is, again, tragic.

And again, in comes the DLC. It is now just a punishment for not wanting to marry your half brother. It turns Miquella into a childish abuser, and Malenia into basically just a dog Miquella can send out on other people, his original enforcer/tool to be discarded once she was at her usefulness's end before he even stripped himself of his love for godhood. It also becomes Extremely dark if you consider that Malenia knew of Miquella and Radahn’s vow and decided to go and kill Radahn anyway, but there’s also no way to say for certain. Speaking to Malenia and Miquella’s relationship, there is a part of me that wonders if she was originally supposed to be in Radahn’s shoes. It would still create issues, but others would at least be partly remedied. It would be bad and fucked up, but it'd feel way more cogent and meaningful. Their toxic and codependent relationship resulting in them both being at their worst would actually fucking say something. Giving Malenia and non-rot afflicted body, even if it means doing something incredibly fucked up to someone he already victimized? the sort of ruthless goal seeking that better speaks to how Miquella is flawed even as a god, because it’s impossible to be a Perfect or Good God?

Meta-textually it’s also just troubling to, yet again, only depict mlm relationships through coercion and incest. Fromsoft does not traffic in good or healthy relationships but the unhealthy heterosexual relationships are given much more depth and apparent care to its members at least somewhat. Marika and Radagon have a Whole Thing going on but its clear they’re equal players in their one million year psychic battle against one another. Radagon and Rennala had a loving relationship (though there are misogynistic elements of Rennala being So Crushed after Radagon left her, she at least was powerful and active at one time). Marika and Godfrey’s relationship is somewhat vague, but we do know Godfrey believed in her vision enough to give up many aspects of himself. Not healthy, but again Godfrey and Marika are both active agents in their relationship (and he does come back for her, even if either by feeling because he Has To or for other reasons it still says something about His character). Tanith and Rykard are on some Insane Shit but they are insane for each other in a mutual sense. Even the incestuous elements in both Miquella and Malenia’s relationship, and Lorian and Lothric’s in ds3, correctly points to incest arising from unhealthy family dynamics/life situations. Now we’ve re-contextualized Miquella’s kidnapping so that it edges dangerous close on 'victim of incest lying, actually, was manipulating everyone, should die.’ Like What Are We Doing Here, man.

By comparison, Mohg is completely stripped of almost all the elements of his narrative that made him interesting and compelling and Radahn is weirdly pigeon holed into being the victim of Miquella’s violence and coercion. Radahn is dragged back from the dead after an end to his suffering, and turned into Miquella’s new enforcer. Freyja says something to the effect that it’s ‘what Radahn would have wanted’ but given how the rest of Fromosft’s entire library of work operates I do not take the word of a single NPC as gospel. And then we kill him, and Miquella. Mohg’s body gets desecrated, the end.

To some points, one might say that Miquella viewed all these evils as a means to an end, and I can’t say you’d be wrong. To me, though, it feels like many of these actions needlessly muddle the narrative, speak to the worst impulses society has around coercion/abuse, and ruin a lot of the interesting character narratives of the base game. Cards on the table, I felt utterly crushed by the DLC, and am still feeling really raw. Partly because the flaws of the demigods being products of Marika and co., were fascinating and impactful. The changes made, to me, cheapen a lot and feel somewhat like Fromsoft was sort of spitting in my face for attempting to piece together all the item descriptions, dialog snippets, and environmental storytelling elements to make a hazy image of a group of people we don’t exactly get to know, or rather only get to know by their actions and the outcomes of such. I’m less upset than I was, but ultimately I still feel so sour.