#Doomsday for the Deceiver

[queenofthemasquerade]

Flotsam and Jetsam - She Took an Axe

[damnationrazor]

[bizarrobrain]

"Metalshock" by Flotsam and Jetsam - From "Doomsday for the Deceiver" (1986)

[randgugotur-6]

𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟔 #𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐉𝐞𝐭𝐬𝐚𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐦 "𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫" #𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤 #𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 #𝐈𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 #𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 #𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐀𝐧𝐀𝐱𝐞 #𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰...

𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚.

[onlyhurtforaminute]

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM-HAMMERHEAD

[inafieldofdaisies]

(WIP) Music Monday / The rules: Post a song that is relevant to your WIP or inspires it. I’m also including the lyrics.

What's worse, being wanted but not loved Or loved but not wanted? What's worse, hearin' what you wanna hear Or hearin' what's honest? Our love's misaligned 'Cause you're on my mind every night I ignore the signs And I don't know why 'Cause, baby, I saw the end when we began You couldn't love the way I can I tried to bargain with the stars For more than half your heart But you have more pieces of me than the desert has sand And I have less pieces of you than I can hold in my hand

one could argue if this goes harder for Mer or Jacob, since she's so difficult to pin down

We are looking up to the sky, searching for a reason why We are holding onto our hope, blinded by the smoke But we're coming in like a hurricane Heads down in the pouring rain We'll fight till doomsday When the world's in ashes Lost to all the havoc Raise our swords, and fight till doomsday When the earth is severed We will not surrender In this war, we'll fight till doomsday

I wake in the night all alone in my head Lost all focus Left me breathless Blinded by the light Twin flames, two hearts Can burn out in any second And twin flames, two hearts Can implode, live in the embers Twin flames, two hearts on fire We're burning together We burn We're burning together

I chase the high I beat you at your game There's no place to hide There only is one way I'll bleed you dry This is my domain

Tagging, @socially-awkward-skeleton @josephseedismyfather @quantum-lover @direwombat @corvosattano @strangefable @thesingularityseries @the-silver-chronicles @adelaidedrubman @wrathfulrook @clicheantagonist @nightbloodbix @jillvalentinesday @madparadoxum @onehornedbeast @g0dspeeed @shegetsburned @aceghosts @voidika @theelderhazelnut @unholymilf @trench-rot @josephslittledeputy @dumbassdep and anyone that would like to share some songs this week 🤍

[then-be-a-warrior]

Season 5 Observation/Theory

@alilcherry @cherllyio

So Mk was created to be a sacrifice. That was his purpose. But because he got woken up a thousand years too early, the whole plan was changed.

Right?

So now:

We have this EXTREMELY powerful being who's alive when he shouldn't be. He's only getting MORE powerful and MORE mentally unstable....and he's not all-knowing. Meaning another powerful being could deceive him or use him (like Macaque, LBD, and Azure all did).

Sorry, Mk but that IS chaos.

Not to mention, Wukong might get in trouble because why would you train someone so unstable and give them access to more power...such as the powers of the Monkey King himself? Nah he's not getting away with that-

We don't know what his limit is because he wasn't made with one in mind.

He's a ticking time-bomb.

Well, more like an atom bomb.

-

Alright, everyone.

Grab your doomsday buddy.

The end-times are upon us.

I'm currently making an underground bunker to hide in-

[heartfullofleeches]

You may not rest. There are monsters nearby.

Yandere Entity + Doomsday Prepper Reader

Gender Neutral Reader. Light horror elements. Reader has severe paranoia.

-

It isn't safe up there anymore.

Even now. Sectioned off from the upper levels of your home in a coffin of your own making, you can still hear it. The scrapping. The whispers. Small instances you made the pitiful, careless error of mistaking as the odd creak of your bedroom door. Why hadn't you left when you had the chance? Your fears and doubts hounded you like a plague, yet - in earlier days - you willed yourself to believe the trick of sound was just that. Your sight was the only true you needed. If only you knew it was your very own two eyes that had deceived you from the start.

Precious hours, finances, and the pain of departure stranded you in this place. This was your house - your home. The safe zone you created to protect yourself from the world and everything in it that would ruin you. You were so caught up keeping every danger out, you knew bothered to check for ones that were already there - decades before you took your first breath. An ancient, rotting carcass; old as if not predating the foundation of the worn, but well kept house that felt like a steal at the time of purchase for the bring it was listed. It smells the decay from your flesh as you waste each day away afraid of the unknown and discovered the ideal candidate for its equal.

A mortal who frees the world that birthed it to the degree that you do is not meant for that reality in its eyes. You gave up everything to make their land a safe haven for yourself and now it is too late. Where else is safer for you than the arms of a being who would embrace what others consider a fault?

"Are you still down there, Y/n? Look, there's nothing here. I checked every nook and cranny of this place, but there's nothing to be afraid of besides that wasp's nest on your porch. Come on out, take a shower, and we'll get you something to eat- Sound like a plan?"

The blankets wrapped around your shivering body nearly suffocate you as you press them firmly against your face. Your close friend of several years. You would've believed it was them had they not kicked you out of their apartment after chunks of spoiled meat began appearing on their doorstep. It's trying to trick you again. It's done so before. Loved ones, figures of authority, even characters from shows you watched in the past - It won't stop at nothing until you open that basement door.

"Y/n? H-hey... It's me. We used to sit together and lunch sometimes? Your parents gave me your address, but when I got here I noticed your front door was open.. Are you okay in there? Are you even in there? Open the door so I know you're s- so I know you're alright."

The fatal flaw in its mimicry. That word - it makes the creature upset. In its eyes, you won't be safe until you submit and thus promising your safety while wearing a false face angers it. Its not like the high-school crush act would work on you anyway. You doubt it was a car accident that took their life, but the less you knew the better.

"It consumes. Swarms. Devours. The fears you let puppet your sweet flesh will tear away at your meat and leave nothing in its wake before any disaster takes you from this world. Allow us feast upon your pain. We will pluck it from your bones before there is nothing for it to cling onto. This house is your domain. Embrace it. Embrace us."

There is it. That....thing's real voice. The exhaustion latching onto every word matches the heavy weight of your eyelids as you fight to keep them awake. You know it can't get in, but you can't take the risk of falling asleep. You're tired. So very tired, but you can't rest now.

There's a monster nearby.

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

What would happen if Galadriel joined Sauron?

Many think he would make a slave out of her, or something of that sort. But is that what would really happen?

Tolkien sort of answered to that on his Letter 246, when discussing the Three Elven ring-bearers (Galadriel, Elrond and Gandalf) in connection with them taking the One ring for themselves:

It appears that Galadriel conceived of herself as capable of wielding the Ring and supplanting the Dark Lord. […] Galadriel would have proceeded in the policy now adopted by Sauron: [she] would have built up an empire with great and absolutely subservient generals and armies and engines of war, until [she] could challenge Sauron and destroy him by force.  

Galadriel would be worse than Sauron, in the long run. Because, according to Tolkien, Galadriel would be Sauron 2.0., and she would follow the “Saruman route”: she would join Sauron conspiring to replace him and take his power for herself.

Which is pretty much what she says in “Fellowship of the Ring” book:

“And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!

She lifted up her hand and from the ring that she wore there issued a great light that illumined her alone and left all else dark. She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful.

And this could go both ways: either Sauron would want her as Queen, or as a servant. She would try to take his place, all the same.

Anyway, with them blood bond together, Sauron would give her his power, and turn her into a Goddess. Since he was created as a Maia, and needs to serve a Vala, he can’t escape his own submissive nature. And, so, Sauron wouldn’t sideline Galadriel, quite the opposite. And in the long run, their dynamic would return to what it was in Season 1, no matter his intentions; because Galadriel is a natural born leader, while Sauron is a natural born follower.

And this would be absolutely terrifying. I don’t think there would be any light, there. Galadriel would be corrupted (and Sauron wouldn’t need to do much, if I’m being honest). Sauron’s power would turned her into a super-villain Dark Afrodite; she would make everyone fall in love with her (“all shall love me and despair”), her appeal maximized, irresistible and seductive. Everyone would fall at her feet, on their knees, and be slaves to her. She would get anything she wanted from everyone around her.

Don’t believe this self-deceiving evil diva; there would be no “light” involved in this.

Not sure how this would work with Sauron’s jealousy and possessiveness, though; probably he would start to resent her the same way he did with Morgoth. Galadriel would have to find a way to calm down Sauron’s obsessiveness. Because this would be wild, and the stuff of nightmares for everyone else, but them.

This would probably be Sauron all the time.

And all of this would destroy Middle-earth. Galadriel’s suitors would be going around killing each other over her. Universal warfare. And Sauron himself would probably join this fight if any of them were to cross a line with Galadriel. This would mean apocalypse. The doomsday of the simps.

[vladdyissues]

To be honest, Vald is the one who lives the most in his dreams, AI maddy With the clone Danny, it can be seen that he hasn't been able to have a beautiful dream for many years. So, if he wants to live in this dream forever after the Nocturne incident, I wouldn't find it strange, so I'm thinking……

AU sleeping beauty

vald He is good at dreaming and always deceives himself. For decades, he has been building his own false dream of a perfect family every day. To him, every minute and second of reality is like a prison isolated from the world. Vald doesn't want to wake up from this dream, but will it really be forever?

Or in other words

Will there be a handsome boy with a kiss that awakens Sleeping Beauty from stagnant time?

————————————

Nocturne is here, Danny felt the different behaviors of the people around him in his dream because he always had a real connection with them. He was scared and woke up on his own. He solved the nocturne and woke up everyone in the town except for the mayor masters

Danny certainly wants Vald not to wake up and threaten his family life, but as a hero of Amity Park, he cannot let the town enter a state of anarchy without a mayor. After Vald was unconscious for three days, Danny reluctantly and angrily sneaked into Vald's mansion under the persuasion of friends and the blind concern of his parents' ignorance, and decided to wake him up

"Creazy up fruit loops"Danny Watching Vald sleeping on a four-column bed holding a homemade Maddy doll. He rolled my eyes, let out a deep sigh, and got up to sneak into Vald's dream.

He opened his eyes from the darkness and looked around, realizing that he had fallen in front of the magnificent gate of Vald Wisconsin Castle. He secretly flew to the window and poked out a head to look into the green and gold colored room. He thought he was about to see a gray doomsday scene where Vald was ruling the world, or a nauseating family picture of Vald leaning against his mother with a possessive expression and placing his hand on his shoulder. Indeed, he was right. The fake mother and fake self were indeed here, but he didn't expect to see myself sitting there with his mother, comforting and holding Vald, while…… Vald ……cried?

This feeling is both unbelievable and reasonable

He fought with Vald countless times, He was on the brink of deathwitnessing his angry failures, triumphant victories, and daily pretending to be approachable while actually looking down on all sides. he even resorted to coercive measures when acne flared up，on the brink of death —Vald never showed his inner vulnerability.

But once again, he never made Vald's dream come true. How could he have anticipated how Vald would react when his dreams came true—Vald always surprised him.

He didn't know if it was because he felt a chill down his spine about himself and his mother continuing to stick to his archenemy, or because he didn't want to think about the meaning behind Vald's revelation of a side he wouldn't have seen for a million years. He didn't want to dwell on it, so he remembered his purpose for coming here and took action.

Danny Rushing into the house and stopping in front of Vald, he now needs to stimulate Vald and make him realize that everything is a false dream, so that he can wake up immediately, vald After seeing Danny's appearance, He widened my eyes and was clearly startled. It seemed that this chaotic dream was finally coming to an end

The young half shouted, "Wake up quickly! Fruit loops!! This is all a dream, fake! oops， It's so creepy, to be honest, do you think the real me and mom would do this to you?" But as Vald listened to what the boy was saying, he slowly closed his eyes and lowered his head. He took out the red silk handkerchief from his suit chest pocket to wipe away the remaining tears at the corner of his eyes, no longer looking at the uninvited intruder. The two dream image in the room were manipulated by the threads behind them. They obediently stepped back and stood still, then stopped moving, Danny Hands on hips facing Vald, waiting for the end of the dream, only the clock on the wall kept making a regular sound.

Tick tock tick tock tick tock……

Time slowly slips away, a few seconds, dozens of seconds, a few minutes, Danny Continuously staring at Vald, he gradually twitched at the corners of his eyes and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He began to feel bewildered and increasingly lost in thought

Why... is this dream not over yet?

The subtle silence was broken, and the smooth baritone echoed in the room, "Daniel, go back"

The older man put away his handkerchief, straightened his waist and adjusted his sitting posture. He looked up at the young man with sharp eyes and a commanding tone full of superiority. Apart from the red corners of his eyes, there was no trace of the fragile figure of the man just now

……？ what?? Has he not realized all of this yet?

Danny The fluorescent green gaze was filled with surprise. He widened his eyes and lowered his arms, his tone full of disbelief. As he slowly shook his head, he said, "Do you think I'm fake?" He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples before continuing, "Okay! I didn't know you needed to conduct cloning experiments in your dream, such as doing some half ghost son army and other dark behaviors. Anyway, I'm not going to obediently return to the clone storage room in your laboratory like you want ……"

“Daniel， I know this is a dream, but it's my dream. I don't need you to arrogantly rescue me. You leave now and go back to the real world. You're not welcome here. If you need a farewell order, then I'm happy to offer it to you"

How arrogant and conceited, how arrogant and conceited, how infuriating! Vald always knows how to press the buttons on his body, Danny If he hadn't been overwhelmingly confused by the other party's statement that they didn't want to wake up, he would have been beaten up straight away

"W, what? Why? To be honest, wake up now! Vald, do you still want to spend your whole life in your dreams?" Danny stared at Vald, furrowed his eyebrows and took a step back. What exactly did Vald want to do……?

"Why? Little Badger, what do you care about?"

There was an imperceptible bitterness in the man's tone, and he raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to continue arrogantly and absentmindedly speaking

"Ah, of course, your little hero duty. If it's just because of the vacancy in the mayor's position, you can contact the previous mayor to take office. I have a contract signed with him, during which he will help handle these positions and exchange them for my money. His contact number and related documents are in the third drawer on the left side of my study desk."

Danny The purpose of coming here seems to have been solved like this. From now on, there are no annoying fruit loops threatening his life. It's like killing two birds with one stone, but why does Vald's heart become more and more dull with every word he says? Why is he speechless and frozen now? Isn't he very good at throwing out inner stones and small bumps as witty remarks when he is a phantom? He flashed some images in his mind, feeling that he had vaguely guessed the reason, but he didn't want to think about that possibility. It was too low, on another level……

The man's gaze slowly returned to the two dolls beside him, and his deep blue eyes became dull again. After a moment, he looked back at Danny with a gloomy and cold gaze, sighed angrily, and continued coldly.

"There is something on the bedside table on the right side of my bedroom. Before you burn it, for the benefit of your family, I think it's best for you to take a look first"

Upon hearing these words, Danny finally regained his senses and his anger returned. Ah! That's it, just like before, he's still the same fruit loops! Another threat manipulation strategy, who knows what new tricks he's playing to force him and his mother to join him and get rid of his father!

"Uh, you know what?! Your conspiracy won't succeed, I will definitely come back and kick your butt! "You lonely cat owner! He was so angry that he didn't even want to say the last thing he didn't say, Danny Pointing at Vald with his fingers, he let out an angry hiss and finally gave him a sharp glare. He turned his back and decided to go out and see what kind of situation Vald was really using! Kicking his butt in his dream is not painful enough, he must make him wake up before kicking his butt. This is at least what he deserves.

————————

Probably this feeling... Oh well, I don't think I can write anymore (although I really want to see: Danny kissed Vald to prove he cared about him, and finally made Vald willing to wake up ，this scene)

vald is it a sleeping dragon or a sleeping beauty?

I do hope you turn this idea into a fanfic, I love it :)

[kratioed]

𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐅𝐈 & 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐈 , 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐊𝐈

It’s clear that Hel will one day appear in future releases, as hinted in both GOW(2018) and GOWR, but anyone who is a myth enthusiast knows that Loki had other children besides his monstrous offspring in Norse Mythology because interestingly enough, GOW’s wiki community decided to include "Narfi & Váli" despite no evidence of their existence whatsoever throughout the Norse era.

Of course, it’s also a fandom site; while they can be a reliable source, said sources on their encyclopedia are sometimes inaccurate. Knowing the impossibility of their existence, I also thought about how they can coexist throughout GOW.

EDIT UPDATE 2/1/2024: Recently, the GOW's wiki community updated Atreus' "uncertain future" category and the links to Váli's & Narfi's wiki pages no longer existed. Doesn't mean it'll stop me from enjoying my fun. 😎🔥💯

EDIT UPDATE 7/22/2024: Nevermind, they're mentioned on Angrboða's wiki page for some reason…Váli & Narfi aren't the same as Fenrir & Jörmungandr ☝️🤓 but okay. ☠

And the more I thought about it, the more apparent it became that they’re essential for the franchise…but it’s more like my personal headcanon rather than my “crack” theory so might as well call this an AU for shits and giggles. I thought it would be fun to share my overly long detailed analysis with those who are fixated on Atreus’ other (im)possible children as much as I am because I need this to get it out of my system since they have been living rent-free in my head for almost a year just now. This blog is now officially a Narfi & Váli stan account and Kratos would have LOVED his grandsons if they ever appeared in GOW, but it's very unlikely that would happen. This analyis is going to be a long one so bear with me!

I think it would be poetic for GOW to end off including Narfi & Váli (alongside Atreus) for the final conclusion of the franchise; and yes, Hel would be an adult in this timeskip, contrary to popular belief that they were children in Norse Mythology. Despite their unfortunate demise, their backgrounds are nothing like their half-siblings’ in the Norse Mythos, making them the most ordinary of all Loki’s children. But you know what? The concept of Narfi & Váli being the epitome of normality of all Loki’s offspring gave me an a idea...I’m not sure if anyone has noticed, but Narfi & Váli exhibit some similarities to Kratos & Deimos.

Before the Olympians (Athena & Ares) pursued one of the brothers due to a doomsday prophecy, Kratos & Deimos believed they were mere mortals during childhood as they still fit the epitome of normality as children, similarly to Narfi & Váli. They’re also gods at birth, but the only difference is that Narfi & Váli most likely knew about their divine nature, whereas Kratos (excluding Deimos) only discovered it later in adulthood (a silly parallel, but I still think it counts).

Another example would be in the parallel dynamics of Váli & Kratos, as they both had experiences where they succumbed to their primal instincts in different circumstances; Váli unwillingly turned into a wolf and killed his brother driven by primal instincts under the Æsir’s (or presumably Odin’s) influence, almost similar to how Kratos was deceived and unaware, killed his first wife and daughter fueled by his primal desire for blood under Ares’ influence. While Váli’s fate remains unknown after Loki's Punishment, we can infer that both Váli & Kratos are the only survivors other than their brother.

While the deaths of Narfi & Deimos are an obvious parallel, they're also linked to Bounds and Punishment in distinct ways; like Váli, Narfi was punished with his entrails used as bounds in retribution against his father, as well as due to his relation with Loki while Deimos, on the other hand, was bound and punished due to his existence as the "Marked Warrior" (same thing goes with Kratos since he too was also bound and punished at one point in Ascension).

On top of that, they were also subjected to violence as children inflicted by Gods. Consequently, it ultimately led the downfall of both Æsir & Olympians, as predicted by their prophecy. The prophecy of the "Marked Warrior" bringing destruction upon Olympus began the moment they abducted Deimos. The sufferings of Kratos' family (including Sparta and Pandora) at the hands of Gods contributes the downfall of Olympus. Their tragedies are the major cause of Kratos' justified vengeance to destroy the entire pantheon, ultimately leading the devastation of the Greek world.

In Norse Mythology (with my limited knowledge); the Æsir's (mostly Odin's) retaliation on Loki's monstrous children, particularly Fenrir, due to prophecies contributes their downfall in Ragnarök, especially with their involvement in Loki's Punishment. However, I believe that the suffering of Narfi & Váli at the hands of Æsir Gods is the primary cause for Loki's justified desire for vengeance. The Æsir's use of Narfi's entrails, his own son, as restraints adds insult to injury, intensifying Loki's anger. Obviously, Loki joined forces with those against Æsir Gods with his army of Hel's people while the events of Ragnarök lead the devastation throughout the lands.

But since this is GOW, I found this YouTube comment (which I've kept for quite some time) that perfectly said my thoughts out loud:

With the absence of Loki's Punishment; not only Kratos saved Narfi & Váli from Æsir's (particularly Odin's) wrath, he also prevented a similar tragedy that would inflict upon his grandsons the same way that Gods once inflicted upon him and Deimos as children, in which, fits the overall theme of subverting prophecies in GOWR.

𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Santa Monica could have easily had Atreus name his sons "Narfi & Váli" as everyone expected from Norse Mythology. But given Santa Monica's innovative approach to myth characters through creative liberties, using "Narfi & Váli" wouldn't work within the narrative structure of GOW's distinct retelling of Folklore, especially the Prose Edda of all settings.

From what I've heard, there has been a debate about whether "Váli" is a son of Odin or Loki, or both Valis existed as sperate characters. Additionally, in GOWR, there's already a boss character named Vali (The Oath Guard), which I assumed (correct me if I'm wrong) it's a cultural practice for parents to name their child after a Norse figure in Scandinavian countries, but I find it unlikely for Atreus to name one of his children after an Æsir or any God in general. Similarly, Narfi shares a name with another Giant unrelated to Loki whatsoever...but given the wide variety of Gods and other myth characters we've seen from Greek Mythology depicted in GOW, it wouldn't be surprising if other Narfi, and particularly, Váli Odinson were to mentioned or featured in future releases.

If you're not aware or need a reminder, Atreus gets to learn about Deimos during "Animal Instincts" side quest. Whether you choose to bring Atreus or Freya doesn't matter, it doesn't change the fact that Santa Monica had intended for Atreus to know about his uncle, it's still canon either way.

Atreus' identity has roots that go beyond his Norse counterpart (both symbolically and narrative wise along with the origins of his Greek name) and very likely that Santa Monica would take a similar approach with "Hel" in future releases (I've seen people suggest her name could be Faye/Laufey or Calliope, or even Callisto or Angrboða's mother). It's only fair that "Narfi & Váli" should get the same treatment…so imagine how moving it would be if Atreus were to name his sons after Kratos & Deimos.

"Váli" 𝐊𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐒 𝐈𝐈, named after his grandfather, transformed from a monster into a benevolent God due to his ability to change and open his heart, representing the beacon of hope...and "Narfi" 𝐃𝐄𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐒 𝐈𝐈, named after his great uncle, whom Atreus had known but never met (but wishes they had), honored his uncle by naming his youngest son after him.

EDIT UPDATE 3/7/2024: Just recently discovered in Greek Culture, it's common for children to be named after their grandparents, in which, aligns with my case for "Váli" to be named after his grandfather! While "Narfi" is named after his great-uncle, I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) the naming tradition also involves material/paternal relatives, which is fitting within the context of GOW. ^^

There are hearsay, or statements from Cory Barlog, that Kratos couldn't bring himself to name his son after his brother due to past memories…Atreus, on the other hand, seems open to the idea of naming one of his own children after his uncle he never met.

𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐅𝐈 & 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐈/𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Besides Narfi Lokison and other Narfi, their accounts become somewhat unclear when Narfi's brother is addressed as "Nari." This time, it's Narfi who turns into a wolf and kills Nari. However, some sources later changed Narfi's name to Váli, both in historical texts and modern media...

EDIT UPDATE 7/21/2024: Initially, I thought this version was made based on the notion that Váli was Odin's son rather than Loki's. But after some further investigation, I'm inclined to believe that Váli is a singular character while Narfi & Nari are Loki's sons. It's also possible that "Narfi/Nari" is referred as the same character, as the belief that Váli is Loki's son is a common mistake in today's media. It would have been so easy to overlook the mistranslation and go along with the usual understanding of "Narfi & Váli"…but thinking about it now, this could actually work within the narrative structure as prophecies are ambiguously depicted in GOWR.

How about this: "Váli & Narfi" (or "Narfi & Nari") can shapeshift into wolves. Not only it emphasizes their connection with Atreus/Loki, but as a reflection of Kratos & Deimos through Speki & Svanna.

EDIT UPDATE 7/26/2024: This might be a overreach...but if Kratos' presumption that Speki & Svanna were boys did reflect something, then it could be described as a projection of his experiences as a military general as well as an extension of subconscious affection. For Kratos' case, people form stronger bonds with animals than with human (and Gods) since often times they can be deceitful/malicious, conceited, narrow-minded, backstabbing, or calculatively manipulative through obligations/false promises while animals (wolves) would instead be much more pragmatic about survival and tender care.

Speki & Svanna (+Fenrir) have been usefully vigilant and reliable wolves that aid him and Atreus, and given the history of humans surviving in collaboration with animals, there is precedence for Kratos subconsciously associating the wolves with memories of Spartan warriors he had by his side almost as though they were his own family, where survival relied on the coordination of his armies and the care given to ensuring that his men were left standing after battle.

This can very easily be associated in the mind as symbolic of a dedicated and responsible soldier as a result from a pivotally formative part of his life revolved around the Sparta's military…and out of remorse (for the casualties of people under his care amidst the war he's wrought) and love (for those who've either perished or lived as well as the people who stood by him), it felt plausible that he could've associated this with Speki & Svanna (shout out to my irl friend for cooking this up!).

Regardless, I can also imagine this as a foreshadow of Kratos' doting relationship with his future grandsons!

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

EDIT UPDATE 7/21/2024: As much as I adore the relationship between Kratos and his grandsons, I personally think it would be better if they never met in person (rest assured, Hel is fortunate enough to know their grandfather as a child). As I mentioned before, Narfi & Váli should appear by the end of the franchise, and what better way to conclude Kratos' journey than being remembered as the benevolent God even after his death?

Kratos once quoted, "Death can have me, when it earns me" might foreshadow his potential death for the final installment. Given that Kratos had "died" in previous games and even evaded his predicted "death" in GOWR, I think it would be flitting to conclude his journey if the franchise comes to an end (in which, would have opted Atreus to name one of his sons after their grandfather). But it's just a personal theory of mine, so I digress.

Narfi & Váli serves as character foils for Kratos & Deimos, illustrating their childhood origins from Ghost of Sparta to the narrative's conclusion with Narfi & Váli emerging at the end. With wisdom gained from experiences and mistakes, Atreus, aged with greying hair, gazes at his sons and feels as if his father and uncle are reunited once again…relieving their childhood they never had as children.

If you made it this far, then congratulations! Here's a quick (and old) sketch of my variant of Váli would look like:

EDIT UPDATE 12/19/2024: Tried my best to replicate his facial structure. He's basically Kratos 2.0 with a decent childhood who smiles a lot more than his grandfather ever did in Sparta (he also has his grandfather's eyes and freckles from his father). Narfi, on the other hand, looks a lot more like his father with the iconic mark as a homage. They're basically Yuki & Ame (+Atreus w/Hana) from Wolf Children (I never watch the movie, but it's the vibes I'm get from them)! ^^

[geffenrecords]

2nd physical media collection update... for i am nothing if not the hoarder... smiles

everything minus books (too many) and records (too few) listed below

TAPES:

a recounting of the pearl harbor attack

so far, so good, so what! - megadeth

the four seasons - vivaldi

concerti - vivaldi

hangin' tough - new kids on the block

piano concertos - tchaikovsky, lizt

symphonies no. 40 in G minor - mozart

defenders of the faith - judas priest

flute sonatas - bach

highlights from the phantom of the opera musical

days of future passed - the moody blues

doomsday for the deceiver - flotsam and jetsam

st elmo's fire, original motion picture soundtrack

i do not want what i haven't got - sinead o'connor

sunrise on the sufferbus - masters of reality

diary - sunny day real estate

nevermind the bollocks, here's the sex pistols - sex pistols

destroyed - sloppy seconds

killing is my business... and business is good! - megadeth

synchronicity - the police

spreading the disease - anthrax

delirious nomad - armored saint

this is johnny cash

natural born killers, original motion picture soundtrack

diary of a madman - ozzy osbourne

fantastic - wham!

garage days rerevisited - metallica

VHS

metallica: year and a half in the life of...

cliff 'em all (both of these tapes are the originals my dad bought when they came out, which he gave to me :) )

BBC walking with dinosaurs

dead poets society

the lost boys

flatliners

family values tour '98 (i actually gave this one to my sibling, but its still in the picture. whoops)

star wars: attack of the clones

aliens

the terminator

hackers

CDS

the black parade - my chemical romance

danger days - my chemical romance

american idiot - green day

21st century breakdown - green day

in love and death - the used

may death never stop you - my chemical romance

baby one more time - britney spears

life on the murder scene, movie and soundtrack

dookie - green day

nimrod - green day

nevermind - nirvana

uno!, dos!, tre! - green day

nirvana, greatest hits

weezer (blue)

selfish machines - pierce the veil

collide with the sky - pierce the veil

three cheers for sweet revenge - my chemical romance

from under the cork tree - fall out boy

teens of denial - car seat headrest

in utero - nirvana

licensed to ill - beastie boys

lost and found - mudvayne

what it is to burn - finch

slipknot, first album

no strings attached - nsync

infinity on high - fall out boy

fallen - evanesence

weezer (green)

mellon collie and the infinite sadness - the smashing pumpkins

tallahassee - the mountain goats

bleach - nirvana

in the areoplane over the sea - neutral milk hotel

the downward spiral - nine inch nails

facelift - alice in chains

placebo

(this is around where i turned 16, you'll notice a shift lol)

smash - the offspring

dirt - alice in chains

peace sells... but who's buying? - megadeth

garage days rerevisisted - metallica

folie a duex - fall out boy

spit - kittie

the devil put dinosaurs here - alice in chains

alice in chains (self titled)

incesticide - nirvana

hot fuss - the killers

american beauty / american psycho - fall out boy

among the living - anthrax

oops!... i did it again - britney spears

...and justice for all - metallica

let's knife - shonen knife

kill 'em all - metallica

ride the lightning - metallica

lithium / been a son / curmudgeon - nirvana

you brought me your bullets, i brought you my love - my chemical romance, copy that my dad handmade :)

no prayer for the dying - iron maiden

unplugged in new york - nirvana

killing is my business...and business is good! - megadeth

enema of the state - blink-182

take off your pants and jacket - blink-182

pretty hate machine - nine inch nails

screaming for vengeance - judas priest

fabulous disaster - exodus

let go - avril lavigne

metallica - metallica

master of puppets - metallica

hidden treasures - megadeth

dude ranch - blink-182

there be squabbles ahead - stolen babies

twilight, original motion picture soundtrack (i litr dont remember why i bought this ? lol)

neighborhoods - blink-182

south of heaven - slayer

blink-182 - blink-182

angst - kmfdm

adios - kmfdm

never mind the bollocks, here's the sex pistols - sex pistols

hybrid theory - linkin park

the lion and the cobra - sinead o'connor

seasons in the abyss - slayer

reign in blood - slayer

meteroa - linkin park

toxicity - system of a down

jar of flies - alice in chains

core - stone temple pilots

louder than love - soundgarden

ultramega ok - soundgarden

korn - korn

life is peachy - korn

follow the leader - korn

deathconciousness - have a nice life

no more tears - ozzy osbourne

rust in peace - megadeth

system of a down - system of a down

s&m - metallica

unplugged - alice in chains

artwork - the used

issues - korn

misfits - misfits

asia - asia

randy rhoads tribute - ozzy osbourne

ke*a*h*** (psalm 69) - ministry

practice what you preach - teastament

faster than the speed of night - bonnie tyler

christmas collection - carpenters

the dark - metal church

spinal tap

boogadaboogadaboogada - screeching weasel

DVD

IT (1990)

IT (2017)

IT chapter two

ready or not

beetlejuice

glee season 1 & 2 (listen...)

jaws

the secret of nimh

jurassic park 1, 2, 3

metalocalypse seasons 1-4

flatliners

the lost boys

diary of a wimpy kid

aliens

alien resurrection

tmnt

the outsiders, the complete novel

trainspotting

over the edge

donnie darko

venom

jennifer's body

jackass number 2

twilight

the karate kid

the princess diaries

fight club

star wars prequels, 1-3

narnia; the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe

the osbournes, season 1

little miss sunshine

spider-man, 1-3

the amazing spiderman

elephant

kung fu panda

star wars, original trilogy

the polar express

scream

heathers

surf's up

bowling for columbine

hackers

a clockwork orange

natural born killers

terminator 2 judgment day

mysterious skin

moonrise kingdom

the world's greatest albums, green day's american idiot

that was then, this is now

jackass

suicide kings

matrix

the goldfinch

speak

the day after tomorrow

stand by me

kids

rumble fish

grey's anatomy, seasons 1-2 (again. listen...)

30 years of national geographic specials

what's eating gilbert grape?

carrie

little shop of horrors

the breakfast club, sixteen candles, weird science (john hughes collection)

bill and ted, bill and ted 2

girl, interuppted

the story of star wars

the exorcist

good will hunting

kansas

this is spinal tap

spirit: stallion of the cimarron

kalifornia

not pictured here, stuck under a stack of books, BBC's planet earth

[wrecking-man]

Komi-san Can't Adventure Chapter 47 - A Touching, and a Reunion

Click here to read the full chapter on AO3.

A year and nearly a month in the making, I finally finished chapter 47. 16k words are packed into this one. Which is about 38 pages.

Two hours passed.

Over the course of those two hours, Komi basked in the company of the many friends she had made over the past few months.

...You know, once they were finally able to find her.

Okabe and his Doomsday Party had already left the shrine before then to go make their own preparations ahead of returning to the Kingdom of Marvel, so for a short while it was just Komi and all 22 of her friends (plus Tony) moving as one cohesive unit.

They were one big huddled mass of friendship, with Komi naturally finding herself dead in the center of them as if they were a giant slime monster and she was its nucleus.

After praying and receiving their fortunes, most of Komi’s friends eventually peeled off from the group one after another to attend to their own separate matters. Nakanaka and Yamai, however, remained steadfast at Komi’s side from the moment they had laid eyes on her.

Rei stayed with her ‘mom’ Komi as well. As did Tadano and Najimi... But those two go without saying, do they not?

As would be expected, Nakanaka’s state of health was quickly discovered.

By this point, she was—embarrassingly enough—leaning into Yamai’s side for support while they walked... (Purely for medical reasons, of course!)

There was no longer any chance of keeping her condition concealed.

Thinking fast, Yamai had quickly spun up a believable enough excuse as to what happened:

“I-It’s just food poisoning!”

She could not help but laugh anxiously after saying such an absurdity, knowing full well just how flimsy that cover story was.

“I-it’s n- ...nnnghh!” Nakanaka said in knee-jerk fashion, finding that lie to be more than just a little insulting. She looked away while growling under her breath after catching herself.

She tightly clenched her teeth together to keep from contradicting her girlfriend. Annoying as it was, she could only bear with it for now, because what else could she say that it was...? Only the truth came to mind.

As a small bit of revenge, she pinched Yamai’s side... This only made Yamai laugh again, however, even though it did hurt quite a bit for a few seconds.

The explanation Yamai provided was bullshit, but... Komi believed it.

After all, why would her friends lie to her?

The two lovers naturally felt guilty about deceiving Komi like this, but the reality of their situation was far too embarrassing for them to disclose. Especially since disclosing that would also require disclosing the true nature of their relationship.

That was something they could not abide!

Yamai was resolutely against revealing it to Komi.

And for damn sure not to Tadano!

Yamai stared daggers at him. Her reaction to his mere presence was more than enough to mask her otherwise giddy and flustered state.

She feared that he would figure out the truth on his own if given the opportunity.

From her perspective, his ability to read people was ‘creepy’... It was far too accurate! It was as if he could literally read their hearts and minds at times.

One step too close to either of them and he might well unravel their entire web of lies and deceit, and then ‘get a little too comfortable’ with Komi!

Yamai growled under her breath in his direction at the thought of it. Just because she was now in a relationship with Nakanaka, that didn’t mean that her goddess was suddenly fair game!

That sentiment rang true for Nakanaka as well, albeit to a lesser degree—she was much more passive in her disapproval.

After all, she could already tell it was a foregone conclusion. And if it was going to happen eventually, why bother fighting it at all? Doing so would only serve to put a strain on her and Komi’s friendship, and she would much rather die than let something like that happen.

Just as well, regardless of her own personal feelings on the matter—mongrel or not—she knew that there were far worse people in the world than Tadano who could be standing alongside her sworn ally.

It annoyed her to admit it, but at the very least, she knew that he could be trusted. Better him than somebody else...

Still, she scowled at Tadano whenever he happened to glance in their direction for more than a second or two.

Begrudgingly allowing him near Komi was one thing, but him staring at her and Yamai was another matter entirely! It was embarrassing enough already doing this awkward half-sideways hug while walking! She didn’t need an audience on top of that! (This sucked!)

...

For a while now, as they traveled, Tadano had noticed something strange about those two.

...You know, aside from the usual things.

It was the odd way in which mana gathered and dispersed around them like a swirling vortex of mist.

He was more than just a little curious about it, but upon sensing their hostility... He decided to just ignore all that and avoid eye contact with them as much as possible for the rest of their trek.

They were on foot, following Komi’s lead to her grandmother’s home, as that was where her parents and brother were currently holed up.

She felt it only right to inform them of her plans before departing for the so-called Land of Enchantments.

She could have done so by phone, just as Tadano had done with his family, but that would not have sat well with her. It felt too impersonal. And in truth, she also wanted to be doted on just a little bit more before leaving.

Before long, the six of them made it all the way to Komi Yuiko’s lavish, yet traditional home.

They were just a few meters away from reaching the door when Komi suddenly got cold feet and stopped in her tracks.

She wanted to invite her friends inside—really, she did!—but when the time finally came, the prospect of actually doing so made her eyes go wide in shock, and she started trembling in fear.

In her eagerness to get things moving, Komi had all but forgotten about her grandmother’s rather intense personality. She didn’t know what to expect should her grandmother come face to face with her friends here—most of all, Tadano.

Her grandmother had reacted quite negatively when she found his name at the top of her phone’s contacts list before... Remembering this made Komi tremble yet again.

She stood there for what, to her, felt like several minutes with her heart pounding loudly in her ears as she tried to decide what to do.

The clock was ticking. Between fight or flight, what should she choose?

...Well, being more realistic about it, what choice did she really even have in the matter? She had already delivered her friends all the way up to her grandmother’s doorstep, hadn’t she? What was she going to do, turn around now and just tell them to leave?

No! She could never do something like that! That would be rude!

And even setting that point aside, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she had truly locked herself into inviting them in for one reason if not another.

Nakanaka needed to rest.

Komi suddenly felt guilty, having not even considered the option of hiring a carriage for the lot of them.

Poor Nakanaka had been forced to walk all the way there—assisted by her ‘rival’, no less.

In Komi’s defense, her grandmother’s home wasn’t terribly far from the shrine, and there were no carriages in sight... but she probably still could have called one up or something, right? Why didn’t she think of that before?

...

Okay, well it’s more like Tadano could have called one for them in her stead... But still! The point remained.

It pained Komi to think how humiliating this all must be for Nakanaka to endure. It was already bad enough that she had food poisoning!

Komi shook her head to snap herself out of her spiraling negative thoughts... Or more like she shook the entire upper half of her body, with her hands raised up in front of her chest and balled up into loose fists.

It was much too late to worry about such things. They were already there, and they were going to go inside. That’s all there was to it. She just needed to steel herself for it first.

Of course, that was the hardest part.

Click here to read the full chapter on AO3.

[metalcultbrigade]

Flotsam And Jetsam - Doomsday For The Deceiver. 30/06/1986

[heavnlyhetfield]

jason ??

teach me moar abt newsted

okay. jason.

he is bubbliest and sweetest man i’ve ever heard of. i am quite literally in love with him

he grew up on his family’s farm in battle creek, michigan, and they raised horses until he was (roughly) a teen. he’s mentioned a few times how impactful it was growing up taking care of animals and watching the babies be born every year. in one interview he said he’d have been a horse farmer or big animal vet if he hadn’t gotten into music.

his first band was flotsam and jetsam, who put out their first album doomsday for the deceiver in 1986. jason wrote most of the songs (and it’s evident, the bass is absolutely monstrous.) their record company’s ceo brian slagel was actually the one to recommend him to metallica when they were holding auditions. (you can listen to jason’s first audition here.)

he was a metallica fan long before he joined the band (which james has mentioned he didn’t like in the beginning, and part of the reason they hazed him so much in the first seven to eight months was to get him to stop.) but him being a fan showed when he was on stage and made him the heart and soul of metallica for the 14 years he played with them. he was the first on stage and last off and didn’t take any breaks for three whole hours. he always stayed to sign autographs and talk to fans even when the other three had gone back to their dressing rooms.

(we all know the story of …and justice for all and the lack of bass.) however that album wasn’t his first release with metallica; on august 21st 1987 they released the $5.98 EP, which has 5 (purposely under-produced) covers of the guys’ favorite songs. (personally it’s one of my favorites simply because of how great the bass sounds.)

jason recorded his parts for ajfa in a week, and part of the reason the mixing of the bass is so low is because he felt he was too new to advocate otherwise. however there are multiple fan-made versions of the album with audible bass. (this one is my personal favorite.)

his writing credits with metallica include the riff for blackened, the bass part for my friend of misery (which was originally meant to be an instrumental and should have stayed that way), and where the wild things are.

following his departure from the band in 2001 (which you can read more about here) he released a record with his band echobrain.

… i just realized this ask is almost a month old. i am SO SO SORRY but this is all from memory if it helps

[divineerdrick]

Warhammer 40,000 Balance Changes for December 11, 2024: Necrons

Necrons may not be the terror they were, but they're still able to get to the top and bring home the trophies. They've also got some nice internal balance with multiple play-styles and builds and well over half their codex regularly seeing play. Hypercrypt is probably still the best detachment, but Awakened Dynasty and Obeisance Phalanx can also do well. Unfortunately the nerfs aimed at Canoptek Court worked a little too well, and players aren't having success there anymore. And no one is touching Annihilation Legion.

We start with Hypercrypt's Cosmic Precision as one of the nerfed strats. Perfectly fine there. Annihilation Legion is getting a much needed buff, with Destroyer Cults getting an extra pip of AP when they target the closest unit. Finally Hypercrypt can now use Hyperphasing on one less unit per battle round. A much need nerf there.

Next we have some sweeping changes to the MFM. In fact it's the most changes I've seen yet. For nerfs, every C'tan except the Deceiver is going up 10 pts. Meanwhile Royal Wardens are going up 10 pts and Hexmarks are going up 5 pts. The C'tan and Hexmarks are all relevant datasheets, frequently seen in top lists. But Wardens aren't that big of a deal. Maybe they got mistaken for a Custodes and caught their nerf?

There are far more buffs though. I'll list them out here:

Canoptek Wraiths: -10 pts/3 models Ghost Ark: -10 pts Immortals (5 models): -5 pts Necron Warriros (10 models): -10 pts Ophydian Destroyers: -10 pts/3 models Plasmancer: -5 pts

That's quite a few buffs for such a strong faction! However all of these units, with the exception of Warriors, rarely see play now. So this is all about internal balance and won't have much effect on currently strong lists. However it might promote some new list ideas.

But the biggest buff is what isn't in the MFM. Somehow, Doomsday Arks have completely evaded the nerf bat! And don't think I've forgotten about Starshatter! With their rivals getting hit so hard, Necrons are in great shape. They may become dominant again.