#ESPECIALLY with the war dove stuff.

[neontaxidermy]

I love when old, bad, F&R choices can be made into old, GOOD, F&R choices with a small helping of making Jess a worse* person again

[apiswitchcraft]

altars for greek gods (pt.2)

this post includes zeus, hera, poseidon, hestia, hephaestus, dionysus, ares, demeter, and athena. for part 1 including hades, persephone, artemis, apollo, aphrodite, hermes, and hekate click here, for the titans and protogenoi click here.

keep in mind that this is largely UPG, new age stuff, and historically accurate offerings to the gods include meat, wine, grain (specifically barley), honey, and incense (myrrh and frankincense).

colors can be used for candles, banners, decor, whatever you want

ZEUS

Colors: white, blue, and grey for association with the heavens, yellow and black for association with storms. gold because he's the King of the Gods

Offerings: rain water, oak, olives/olive branches/olive leaves, vervain, cinnamon, laurel. images of himself or lightning bolts are particularly recommended for Zeus

Crystals: diamonds, gold (i think pyrite, aka fool's gold, would be offensive), turquoise, lapis lazuli, celestite, iron/steel, any quartz

Animals: eagle, bull

POSEIDON

Colors: blue and white for association with the seas, gray for association with storms, brown for association with the earth/earthquakes

Offerings: coffee, mint, ocean water, salt, seashells

Crystals: coral, petoskey stone, abalone, opal (especially water opal), blue calcite, aquamarine

Animals: horse, bull, dolphin, hippocampus

HERA

Colors: red, pink and white for association with love and marriage. gold because she's the Queen of the Gods.

Offerings: iris, rose, patchouli, coconut, cypress, maple, peacock feathers, pomegranate

Crystals: pearls, garnet, citrine, diamonds, lapis lazuli, topaz, opal, moonstone, rose quartz

Animals: peacock, cuckoo, cow

HESTIA

Colors: red, orange, and yellow for association with fire, brown or white for the hearth/home.

Offerings: tea/coffee (especially if you drink it with her), pine, bread, cider, apples, anything on fire, cinnamon

Crystals: amber, jade, garnet, ruby, carnelian, sunstone, amethyst, honey calcite

Animals: donkey, pig, crane

HEPHAESTUS

Colors: red, orange, and yellow for association with fire, metallics for association with metalworking.

Offerings: spicy things, hot beverages, handmade things, dragon's blood incense, seashells, anything on fire

Crystals: metals, fire opal, honey calcite, obsidian, hematite, carnelian

Animals: donkey, dog, crane

DIONYSUS

Colors: purple and green for association with grapes/wine, leopard/tiger print for his holy animals

Offerings: grapes (or any derivative), alcohol, cinnamon, ivy, pinecones. there's a particular emphasis on non-physical offerings with dionysus, like playing music, partying or sex/masturbation

Crystals: grape agate, leopard jasper, crazy lace agate, tiger's eye, garnet, rose or rutilated quartz, amethyst, jade

Animals: panther/leopard, tiger, bull, serpent, dolphin

ARES

Colors: red and purple for association with war

Offerings: spicy things, yarrow, chocolate, basil, cinnamon

Crystals: bloodstone, garnet, red jasper, smokey quartz, black tourmaline, hematite, metals, obsidian, carnelian

Animals: eagle owl, barn owl, poisonous snakes, boar, vulture

DEMETER

Colors: green, brown, and yellow for association with the earth/harvest. black for her ruthlessness

Offerings: oats and grain, anything baked, flowers, spices (like cinnamon or cloves, allspice is good too), leaves that have begun to change colors for fall, mint, poppy

Crystals: jade, tree/moss agate, carnelian, amber, aventurine, rutilated quartz

Animals: serpent, farm animals (especially pig), gecko, turtle-dove

ATHENA

Colors: white and grey/silver for association with wisdom. red for association with war

Offerings: anything handmade, olives/olive oil/olive branches/olive leaves, snake shed, cedar, cypress, cinnamon

Crystals: metals, celestite, fluorite, lapis lazuli, bloodstone, obsidian, iolite

Animals: snakes and owls

[xielianslver]

Divine Warriors

Here is some info dump about MCD's Divine Warriors in my rewrite, not all of this is known to the public of the mortal realm (especially the stuff about Shad.)

Irene the Matron: There isn't much known about Lady Irene's past, the only evidence they have are the scriptures Enki had written. Though most were burned. It is a common concept that she grew up in a small village (later Scaleswind) in Ru'aun. born from the ash of a god they say. She is incredibly strong, having healing magicks and the ability to bring those back from the dead as well as other abilities (mainly dimensional), Irene did not have a weapon. She can also change her form into a man but she rarely ever did this and it's said that she hated the form. After her disappearance (presumed death) which was 40 or so years after the fight with Shad. She was worshipped more commonly, which her worship later became widespread. Irene is worshipped as the god of medicine/health, the afterlife, agriculture and hope. She is associated with doves (because of her wings) and lavender, around churches and royalty/nobles homes, you will see statues of doves and fields of lavender. It's said that natural forming fields of lavender are places blessed by Irene. Although mainly worshipped in Ru'aun she is seen and heard all over the world.

Menphia the Fury: She grew up in Tu'la near the capital, one of the very few in Tu'la who was human. Menphia came from a well off noble family, she was a strong girl who could wield almost any close combat weapon. She became one of the princesses' guards at the age of 19. There was a rumor that Menphia and the princess were having an affair but it was never denied nor confirmed. She became a protector of Irene and later one of the Divine Warriors, she also had a pet tiger. Her magicks are very limited but they consist of strength and speed. Menphia used multiple different close combat weapons (swords, maces, battle axes, etc). She died during the fight with Shad to save Enki. She is worshipped mainly in Gal'ruk and Tu'la and usually by guards or soldiers. She is worshipped as the god of rage, strength, war, and courage. She is associated with tigers and fire. Her statues always have a tiger at her legs.

Shad the Destroyer: Not much is known about Shad at all, Enki himself destroyed practically everything that he had written about Shad. Them and Irene were close, the common conception was that they were lovers. Irene and Shad had a fight because he was a danger to mortals. Irene sealed Shad deep inside a mountain for 10 years, he later escaped and caused havoc. Although Irene and many of the other warriors had pushed her to their breaking point it was Shad himself who decided to be spiteful and become the Shadow Lord. Xavier was the first ever shadow knight. Their magicks consist of strength, telekinesis, and break dimension barriers. She can change their form much like Irene, to a woman, man, or a form of neither. He seems to enjoy this unlike Irene. Many depictions of Shad are different in gender because of this. Very few mortals worship him but she is seen as the god of deception, chaos, death, and tragedy. He is commonly associated with crows and lily of the valleys.

Enki the Keeper: Enki had many journals detailing both his and the other warriors lives yet he either burned most or hid them away, very few were actually found. He grew up in a home of warriors in Gal'ruk but despite this he became a scholar. He is known to have been in love with many, Menphia, Irene, Esmund's brother. Likely Xavier too. He was born without any magicks but he did know a bit of witchcraft. His abilities after getting a relic were; un-human observation, speed, and levitation. Enki barely fought but when he did he used an ink brush (much like Qiu Yongsi from Tianbao Fuyao lu). Enki died 5 or so years after the battle with Shad. He is worshipped in Gal'ruk and is a common figure head for literature. He is the god of; ink and paper, literature, language, and love. Enki is commonly associated with owls and snow.

Esmund the Protector: Much is known about him as he was the eldest son of one of the most well known historians, Ruthin Ro'meave. He grew up in Ru'aun, he became a guard and later became a Divine Warrior. Esmund was commonly known for his beauty that rivaled Irene's. He was deeply in love with Irene which caused a strain between Irene, Shad and Esmund. His younger brother was horrifically injured during a battle while under Shad's watch which caused Esmund to become even more resentful of Shad. Despite wanting to help defeat Shad he decided to stay behind and protect. He died 30 years before Irene's disappearance. He is worshipped in Ru'aun usually by Lords of villages seeking protection. He is the god of; protection, safety, loyalty, victory, and family. Esmund is associated with shields and jewlary.

Kul'zak the Wanderer: They grew up near the docks of Tu'la, they were a meif'wa. They helped with travel when ships docked on Tu'la. Kul'zak was the first Divine Warrior after Irene, and a nomad. They were a very good bard and a little mischievous. They were the oldest of the Divine Warriors and the one to have kept them all together. After the Divine Warriors split they traveled and spoke of legends for 10 years before dying. Unlike the other Divine Warriors they aren't worshipped in one place, they are worshipped as the god of; travel. merchants, alcohol and music. Kul'zak is associated with intoxication and the flute.

[doggygutz]

hello!! you can call me Viscera, this is my blog dedicated to being a weird freak on the internet. it won't be exclusively nsfw/sexual, just Weird and Freaky in a variety of ways. it will feature taboo kinks and fantasies, and dead dove content, though. it'll probably mostly be reblogs but who knows, maybe i'll post my own stuff too

i'm 18 (born 05/21/2006), i use it/she/he pronouns (neos are cool too, especially nature, dog, or rabbit themed ones, just no they/them), and i'm good with all kinds of gendered language. i'm also autistic, schizospec, mentally ill, and physically disabled, some of which may come up occasionally

i'm a rabbit & dog therian, and a vampire & fallen angel otherkin, please refer to me as such!!

my interests are listed below the cut :3

sfw interests:

marvel has been a big special interest of mine since i was a kid, and i've recently gotten into the x-men movies as well!! i've watched every marvel movie, and most marvel shows

other movies i like include: all of the star wars movies, studio ghibli movies, and horror and thriller films

other shows i like include: the mandalorian, house md, hannibal, invincible, the boys, michael shur shows, breaking bad, and succession

music; my favourite bands and artists are depeche mode, the smiths, the clash, the cure, harley poe, and bo burnham! i'm also learning to use computer programs to make my own music

visual art; i enjoy photography, and paint, draw, and make jewelry, and i sometimes sculpt. i also plan on learning embroidery and improving my sewing

spirituality -- i've identified as pagan since i was 13, and i'm still exploring some more parts of spirituality and religion, and i just generally find it an interesting topic

alternative subcultures (i'm goth myself, and almost all of my friends are some flavour of alternative as well)

video games (mainly stardew valley, acnh, legend of zelda botw & totk, spiritfarer, and hollow knight)

ARGs and unfiction

animals & nature (some of my favourite animals are crows, sharks, rabbits, and wolfdogs)

nsfw interests:

bondage (especially shibari)

collars & leashes, muzzles, harnesses, and other similar gear

body worship & examination

ageplay & petplay (mainly puppy play)

primal play & scent/sweat

teratophilia (monsterfucking!!)

cnc, free use, intox (mainly weed), and somno

age gap & power imbalance

overstim & edging

sadomasochism (especially spanking, slapping, and caning) & blood, and general violence ig??

marking (bruises, scratches, bite marks, hickeys, sometimes branding)

kidnapping & imprisonment

both degradation & praise

dumbification & objectification

religious themes (imagery, costumes/uniforms, roleplay scenarios) & corruption

exhibitionism

fauxcest

some watersports

i am a switch and a verse (with a domtop lean tbh), and that applies to everything i’m into

this post will probably be updated pretty often as i learn about more stuff i’m into

i’m also a big fan of cannibalism, but it's hard for me to categorize it as either sfw or nsfw because it sort of toes the line between the two

[bonefall]

I was never able to really get a feel for Leafpool's personality in the books, especially since she's always contrasted with Squirrelflight who has a pretty consistent personality (at least for Warriors standards). She's kind of like Hollyleaf where they change her personality depending on what they want to happen in the plot I think. How do you approach writing her? I'm really fond of your Spottedleaf, so I was wonder if Leafpool has any fun quirks like her.

[ID: Leafpool from Warrior Cats. She is chunky, has a mane, and green eyes. Her stripes are horizontal.]

I approach Leafpool as being VERY tired. Her life is characterized as never really being in control of her own fate, being punished for any simple pleasures she takes tenfold, so I write her as becoming very defeatist. Poor girl.

Because Leafpool is never in REAL control, somehow, it gives her this air that she's in total control. You can't scare her. StarClan can tell her that her kids are cursed, Hollyleaf can tell her to kill herself, Bramblestar can jump in front of her and snarl, she's never more than briefly phased. "Yeah sure this may as well happen."

In a way, she's almost the total opposite of Jayfeather, who never met a rule he wasn't willing to punch. It is interesting that each one of the Three has a unique relationship to the fate that chains up Leafpool.

Allows herself to love Mothpaw... war breaks out and Moth has to return to RiverClan.

Tries to warn Squilf about Brambleclaw in spite of StarClan wanting them to be together, first fight with her sister ever.

Runs off with Crowfeather, returns home to find out her mentor died before she could say goodbye.

Gives birth, allows Squilf to take them, eventually gets threatened by Hollyleaf.

(side note: i am considering leafpool's name being an honor title, with her old name being Leafstripe, and Squirrelpaw failing two assessments just like Nightheart)

But a big change in my rewrite is that the dramatic scenes that aren't consistent with that resigned sorrow go to Crowfeather. He's a complete and utter ham. Leafpool isn't out here trying to name Hollykit 'Crowkit' or confessing her unwavering love for him in front of his wife and child, THAT is Crowfeather making an ass of HIMSELF in front of that wife and child lmao.

Leaf's feelings are more complicated and repressed. Hard life.

On the bright side though, there ARE changes from canon so that the Clan has more nuanced feelings about her instead of her whole life being a nonstop beatdown.

Most of ThunderClan, which heavily leans Fire Alone, agrees that Leafpool did the right thing by giving her kits to Squilf to invoke the Queen's Rights. Sure she lapsed, but Fire Alone cats are softer on the Cleric's Vow in general.

Bramblestar demoting her in Cruel Season has a VERY mixed reception. It's Leafpool!! Leafpool Moonpool!!!

Her death many years later in the Sister Raid actually tanks Bramblestar's reputation. It was seen as cruel, pointless, and avoidable, and they lost a very popular and experienced Cleric.

(side note again: still considering how the 'unclear sign' plot beat is going to go in my rewrite, because i cannot imagine jayfeather not just lying about that. "yeah yeah yeah they said yes bramblestar, im supposed to heal this cat obviously. move.")

Misc Design Stuff:

She's got a mane that you can see on Dovewing too, since Dove is Leaf's grandchild now.

Like Sandstorm, uncle Longtail, and grandpaw Runningwind, Leafpool's stripes are horizontal.

I'm still doing research into what she has specifically, but Bonefall Leafpool is intersex. Those are stud jowls.

Considering the cat version of PCOS because it explains a lot; weight gain, a receding hairline that could be shared with Lionblaze, the jowls as a facial hair parallel, difficult pregnancy, etc.

Still doing my research though.

And lastly, Mothpool is endgame in this Rewrite. They can never be together officially, but it's about the yearning. It's about finding freedom with your escapist fantasy partner or being in shackles with your true love. She chose the CHAINS.

[kahvilahuhut]

writeblr re-intro ☁️

hiiiii! i'm red, 23, a coffee lover. this is my writeblr! <3

about me

i love drawing, playing video games, reading and replanning my routines every month only to get back to my old ways two days later. i'm also a social scientist currently trying to survive master's courses :')))

i love reading scifi, satire, contemporary books and especially things that have some kind of social commentary :^) my favorite books that i've read lately are the employees by olga ravn, the murderbot diaries series by martha wells & this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar & max gladstone

writeblr stuff

after a very long hiatus due to being consumed by one video game and its very good plot + the character i originally made for it, i have returned to completely revamp and work on my (currently only) project, Cynosure (<- click to see the intro post) ✨

do not interact if you're into pr/oship or don't specify dead dove stuff or are pro-g*nerative ai.

[randomperson99sworld]

Hope

~ Chapter 2 ~

Summary: Dean and Sam Winchester save a young woman —Natalie Johnson, from a coven of witches who are after her deceased grandmothers spell book. At first Dean doesn’t trust her, will he ever? Natalie is just simply a woman who gets roped up in the supernatural world from a mistake her grandmother made.

Paring: Dean x OC

Warning: Age gap, slow burn, smut (during later chapters), language, gore.

Word Count: 1,278

A/N: Hope you’re like the story! Happy reading! ♥️

Natalie had been restless in the bunker for over a week. At first, she was just trying to wrap her head around the world she had been thrown into—hunters, witches, spell books, and actual supernatural monsters—but eventually, she started getting bored. The Winchester brothers were always going off on hunts or researching the next big supernatural threat, and Natalie was just... there. She hated feeling useless.

So, one morning, after Sam returned from one of his endless trips to the bunker's archives, she made a decision.

"You know," Natalie began, leaning over the table in the war room where Sam had spread out a bunch of lore books, "I could help with this."

Dean, sitting nearby and cleaning one of his guns, snorted. "Help? How? Gonna knit us some monster repellent?"

Sam shot him a warning look, then turned back to Natalie, curious. "What do you mean? How can you help?"

Natalie took a breath, bracing herself for more of Dean's sarcasm. "Well, before I was kidnapped by a bunch of witches and thrown into the twilight zone, I was actually doing something pretty useful with my life. I work as a cybersecurity analyst. You know, hacking, tracking digital trails, all that stuff. I'm good at research, too."

Sam raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really?"

"Yeah," Natalie nodded. "I went to school for computer engineering, and now I help companies lock down their networks. Finding obscure information and hacking into databases is kind of my thing. I figured if you're dealing with monsters and lore all the time, maybe I can dig up stuff online, hack into things you can't."

Dean looked up from his gun, raising an eyebrow. "So, you're a geek."

Natalie's mouth twitched in annoyance. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It is when you're dealing with real-world stuff, like decapitating vampires and blowing up demons," Dean muttered, his voice gruff. "Not everything's about computers."

Sam gave him a sideways glance. "Dean. We're always doing research. You and I spend hours looking through archives and databases when we're not hunting. Hacking could be really useful, especially for tracking down things we can't normally get access to."

Dean grunted, clearly not thrilled with the idea of relying on Natalie for anything. "Fine. But don't expect me to hand over the keys to the Impala or anything."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I wouldn't want to touch that fossil anyway."

Sam hid a smile, glancing back at his notes. "Okay, Natalie. Let's see what you've got."

It didn't take long for Natalie to prove she was more than capable. After that first offer to help, she dove headfirst into researching the latest case—a series of strange deaths involving men being burned alive in the middle of seemingly normal activities. The police reports were baffling, and there was no obvious supernatural connection at first glance.

Natalie hacked into local police databases, pulling up witness statements and security camera footage that wasn't available to the public. Within hours, she'd found patterns that had eluded both the police and the brothers.

"It's not spontaneous combustion," she said, leaning over her laptop, her fingers flying over the keys. "Each victim was seen just before their death with a strange symbol carved into their skin. I've enhanced the footage, and I'm pretty sure it's witchcraft."

Sam leaned in, impressed. "That's incredible work. How did you—?"

"IT degree, remember?" Natalie smirked. "I can analyze digital footage faster than you can look through your lore books."

Dean, who had been watching silently from across the room, crossed his arms. "Great. So now we know it's witches. That still doesn't mean we can stop them with a keyboard."

Natalie shot him a look. "No, but it helps knowing what we're up against, doesn't it?"

Dean opened his mouth to argue, but Sam cut in. "She's right, Dean. We needed this lead, and now we have it. Thanks, Natalie."

Natalie gave Sam a small, satisfied smile, ignoring the grumbling coming from Dean. "Happy to help."

Their latest hunt took them to a small town outside of Wichita. Dean, Sam, and now Natalie had tracked down the source of the deaths—a witch coven disguised as a small-town charity group. The witches were powerful, but they needed to carve the symbols into their victims to complete their rituals, which gave the trio a small window of opportunity.

Natalie stayed back in the bunker at Sam's request, continuing to monitor communications and hacking into the witches' emails and security feeds as they tried to locate the next potential victim.

While Sam and Dean were out chasing down leads, Natalie sent them real-time updates, directing them to potential sites where the witches were likely to strike next.

"This is insane," Natalie muttered to herself, eyes glued to her multiple screens. "I'm literally tracking witches in real time. How did my life turn into this?"

She sent a message to Sam's phone: Found something. They're targeting a city council member. Check the courthouse—they're holding a fundraiser tonight.

Dean's voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. "Courthouse? How the hell do you know that?"

"I hacked into their event calendar and cross-referenced with their emails," Natalie replied, her tone clipped. "One of the witches is scheduled to attend tonight. If I'm right, they'll strike during the event."

Dean didn't respond for a moment, but when he did, his tone was begrudging. "Fine. We're heading there now."

When they arrived at the courthouse, everything was just as Natalie predicted. The witches were already in place, their next victim unaware of the danger. Sam and Dean made quick work of two of the witches, and the third tried to flee. But Natalie, still monitoring from the bunker, was one step ahead. She hacked into the security system, locking all the exits remotely and trapping the witch inside the building.

The brothers cornered her, Dean delivering the final blow with a blade etched in runes designed to kill witches. The threat was over.

As they drove back to the bunker, Dean stared out the window, silent. Sam glanced over at him. "You know, Natalie was a big help tonight."

Dean grumbled under his breath. "Yeah, well, doesn't mean I have to like it."

"You don't like it because she's good at something you're not," Sam said with a smirk.

Dean shot him a glare. "I'm good at plenty of things. Like... I don't know, everything else that keeps us alive. But sure, let the geek take care of the computers."

When they returned to the bunker, Natalie was still sitting at her laptop, tapping away. When she heard the heavy footsteps, she looked up, her eyes meeting Dean's.

"So," she said, crossing her arms. "Did my geek skills help or not?"

Dean opened his mouth, ready to throw out another snarky retort, but the words stuck in his throat. He hated to admit it, but she had been useful. Hell, they wouldn't have cornered that last witch without her.

"Yeah," Dean said, finally grunting. "You helped."

Natalie raised an eyebrow, surprised by the acknowledgment. "That's the nicest thing you've said to me since I got here."

"Don't get used to it," Dean muttered, moving past her toward the kitchen. "I still don't trust you."

Natalie rolled her eyes, smiling as Sam gave her a thumbs-up from behind Dean's back.

Dean might never admit it, but Natalie was becoming more useful by the day. And while he wasn't ready to start handing out trust like candy, he couldn't deny she was starting to feel less like a liability—and more like part of the team.

[vidavalor]

What do you think the Ineffables think of the word 'callipygian' (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/callipygian), and which of them would you (and/or they) say it best describes?

Well, g'evenin', @jotun-philosopher! 😂 I guess we're having peaches tonight for a snack for absolutely no particular related reason.

I love this word & I'm sure Crowley & Aziraphale would, too. The fact that it's pronounced "kal-ah-pigeon" also lends itself well to plenty of dirty puns in their bird-themed world. Feels like it could very much fit in the same tone of the recurring ducks thing. I feel sure that Anthony J. "it'd be a real feather in your wing" Crowley, in particular, could not resist the lure of the word callipygian.

[Unrelated to the ooh-la-la-ness of your ask but while we're talking about pigeons/doves... one does have to get in all pigeon-related stuff when the topic comes up as how often does it ever, really? 😂... Jemimah's name means "dove". Crowley and Aziraphale have saved a dove in each season so far. 🕊️ Doves = peace = the opposite of war. I wonder what that'll look like in S3?] But back to callipygian...

Since Aziraphale uses doves (pigeons) in his magic shows sometimes, seems likely that Crowley has before looked at his angel's caboose in those magician's trousers and amused himself by thinking Aziraphale was looking especially callipygous. Hopefully, he told him so.

The word being tied to The Aphrodite Kallipygos/The Callipygian Venus sculpture is something they would like. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and the origin of aphrodisiac, almost always on seen on oyster shells in ancient paintings... yeah, that is meaningless to these two. 😉

The Erotes-- Aphrodite's retinue of winged gods of love and sex-- were known in Roman culture as Cupids. The Cupid statue in the bookshop shooting its arrow of love to the east-- to the Angel of the Eastern Gate's desk. 💘 Dryly self-aware that he basically really is a Cupid and loving every minute of it, this one is:

Speaking of sculptures who got that callipygian, I headcanon that Aziraphale is the one who influenced Cardinal Borghese into commissioning Bernini to sculpt the ancient Roman bed for The Sleeping Hermaphroditus. For, ya know... reasons. 💘

I don't think it will be a wildly controversial stance to take if I say that they both think each another got that bootylicious, ancient Greek cake. I believe I've heard of this land called AO3 where about 86% of it is about such things. In an art history context-- this sentence is sounding way too cerebral for the fact that we're talking about nice asses right now 😂-- the word refers to the particular kind of rear end seen in these types of sculptures but it overall really just does mean a pleasing rump and they both find each other's appealing. I likely do not need to show my math but I am prepared to support this thesis with empirical data collected in the wild:

We have the two, different scenes of Aziraphale shamelessly checking out Crowley's ass as he's leaning into The Bentley (1941/in the theatre alley & 2023/putting the plants in the car)-- and that serpent bending so unnecessarily both times that it's very obvious he's aware and putting on a show. It's not just Aziraphale wanting that sinewy behind, though...

One bit of the Crowley-penned Aziraphale entry in Demon's Guide to Angelic Beings-- aka the spicy etymological love letters-- involves Crowley describing Aziraphale as a ship to mmm over the angel's broadness/the thiiiiiighs/that badonkadonk.... It involves using the word found in its nautical meaning, which is a ship that is, by definition, both, ahem, well-equipped (well, now!)... and fully stocked.

The Serpent's anaconda don't. want. none. unless *breaks up laughing*

[andean-deer]

tagging system for andean-deer (deer god)

🦌

SUPPORT

ayni — reciprocity, for community organizations

yanapa — aid, for individuals or families

LIFE

sumaq kawsay — living life deliciously

ñuqa — me … (ñuqapta — mine)

shunqu kamasqa — things i cherish / heart artifacts

shunqu allpa — places i love / heart lands

uyakuna — faces

shimikuna — words

runakuna — people (warmikuna — women, qarikuna — men)

ayllu — family / herd / pride / clan

🏺🏷️ — trowellers

☀️🌙 — two-spiritedness

🌈 — queerness

🦏 — butchness

🦋 — transness

⎇ — alterhumanity

⛓️ — kinkiness

t’ipip — sex

chawpit’ipip — intersex (i am not intersex, but want to make it clear that this is a safe space for intersex people. especially those of andean descent. you have every right to be here and voice your concerns.)

kamamanta — gender

yananchay — sexuality

yuquy — sexual intercourse

pampayruna — sex workers

wachaytaqkuna — parents (mamakuna — mothers, taytakuna — fathers)

wawakuna — babies

warikuna — siblings

masikuna — friends

qatu — markets / the vibe

🕯️🪶— a circling of condors: the cycles

wañuy & ismuy — death & decay: vulture culture tag

uywakuna — animals

yurakuna — plants

waytakuna — flowers

llamakuna — llamas

pakukuna — alpacas

wanakukuna — guanacos

wikuñakuna — vicuñas

lluychukuna — cervidae

asukakuna — pinnipeds

ukukukuna — bears

allqukuna — canines

usqukuna — felines

atuqkuna — culpeos

pishqukuna — birds

urpikuna — doves, pigeons

tapyamach’aqwaykuna — caecilians

ararankakuna — lizards

mach’aqwaykuna — snakes

challwakuna — fish

palamakuna — insects

suntukuna — beetles

pillpintukuna — butterflies

wakakuna — bovines

wisuntikuna — bison

antilupikuna — antelopes

qasillikuna — gazelles

sasínkuna — indian antelopes

sprinqwukkuna — springboks

hirinukkuna — gerenuks

tiwataqkuna — dibatags

kichkawaqrakuna — pronghorns

chitakuna — sheep

kawrakuna — goats

kawallukuna — equines

hyinakuna — hyaenidae

surrukuna — foxes

tiwrunkuna — sharks

wallina tiwrunkuna — whale sharks

ART

kapchiy — art

taki kapchiy — music

ruk’asqa kapchiy — digital art

kawsachiy — animation

kuyu walltaykuna — films

llimpiykuna — paintings

achala — jewelry

muru llamk’ay — beadwork

p’achakuna — textiles

pallaykuna — patterns

ch’iquy — sculpture

k’aprakuna — pottery / ceramics

pukllanakuna — toys / figurines

willarinakuna — stories, tales, and books

arawikuna — poetry

TIME

pachakuti — revolution & upheaval

ñawpa pacha — yesterday / the past

mawk’arumi pacha — paleolithic / old stone age

chullunku pacha — pleistocene / ice age

rimasqa ruwakipay — oral tradition

mushuqrumi pacha — neolithic / new stone age

qillqasqa pacha — literate age

runamasi pacha — pre-inka period

tawantinsuyu pacha — inka period

kamaychallimanta pacha — industrial age

kunan pacha — today / the present

ruk’asqa pacha — digital age

qipa pacha — tomorrow / the future

runa pacha — decolonial age

THE SACRED

[HANAQ PACHA]

Pachamama — cosmos and everything within

Tayta Inti — sun & sweat

Mama Killa — moon & tears

Pani Ch’aska Quyllur — beauty, flowers, divination, and love

Wawqi Illapa — rain, thunder, lightning, and war

Chuqi Chinchay Qaqya — great dancer!

[KAY PACHA]

Allpamama — earth, new life, and the harvest

Akshu Mama — mother potato!

Apu Urquchillay — shepherd

Mama Uqllu — motherhood, spinning and weaving

Urpi Wachaq — mother doves & fish!

Mama Nina — mother flames!

[UKU PACHA]

Mama Qutra — mother waters!

Supay — death, life, shadows, puppetry, uku pacha

Apu Urkawari — guardian of precious metals

Ñawpa Runa — those really sacred ancient ones

Ayakuna — ancestors <3

[THE FEARS]

The Hunt — primal fear

The Web — intrinsic fear

THINGS

. mikuna — for recipes & stuff

. maskapay — research & archaeology

. chaniyuq — important or helpful information

. munay — things i really really want and/or need

. q’ipina — backpack: where i put language resources

[jessequinnfirstofhername]

Just want to thank you for being active in the anisoka community. I was ten when tcw came out and deeply in love with Hayden (and let’s be real, projecting a bit) and it was something I was into from a young age. Back then it wasn’t harmful, most people were either cool with it or into it, which is a full 180 to now.

Anyways now in my 20’s it was fun to revisit, especially with Vader/Ahsoka fics set during the rebels period where she brings him back to the light (which seems to be closer to your experience with it), so on behalf of one of the OGs, thank you for keeping it alive! ~

Aw, you're too kind! You absolutely brightened my day, thank-you!

Yeah, when I come down on gross TCW-era Anisoka stuff, I'm not referring to fans who are themselves in their tweens/early teens and don't know any better. I completely get being that age and projecting onto Ahsoka, and not seeing any issue with her and Anakin being together at that point.

(I'm so sad I wasn't really a SW fan when I was younger, I would've adored Ahsoka from the get-go. Lucky you getting to grow up with TCW!)

I do feel a little lonely, sometimes. Being an Anisoka fan can feel like being stuck between SW fans calling you a disgusting pervert, and SW fans who are disgusting perverts and are way too into Ahsoka when she's under-age. It's always lovely to hear from a true Anisoka fan! xx

...do I sense a chance to shamelessly self-promote? I think I do!

My Star Wars muse is currently under the weather, so I haven't uploaded any SW content on AO3 in a while (sorry guys!), but here are all my posted fics that feature Anisoka.

All Dead Dove: Do Not Eat fics have a 🕊️ emoji next to their titles.

Reckless

The Great Evil & Th3_Ch0s3n_1 🕊️

Scum And Villainy 🕊️

Snippy When Wet

Play With Me (I Won't Leave You)

To Defeat An Enemy... 🕊️

So Much Like Your Father

You are so very welcome, dear Anon! My inbox is always open for further ramblings about Anisoka!

On a related note of unfairly hated-on Ahsoka Tano ships, I want to give a shout-out to Sokabine (Ahsoka Tano x Sabine Wren). If you like Anisoka, chances are that you'll love Ahsoka's complicated and angst-filled relationship with her own Padawan.

-Jesse xx

[ocrpfinder]

🦇🩸 | 18+ Only! Seeking a fandomless ( oc / oc ) mxm or mxmasc rp! I’m looking for characters who are perverted players, cherry hounds, play boys, guys with commitment issues, assholes or pieces of shit who also have soft spots, other criminal scum, big and bad dudes, cold and gruff guys, experienced fighters who can handle their own, guys who can scare others just with a stern look, etc; I’d love for a dynamic of two guys stuck in a shit world ( dystopians anyone? ) or shit situation who have to rely on each other or find comfort and solace in one another, maybe they’re in the same gang with the same brutal leader who constantly treats them horribly and works them like dogs and in a violent fucked up world, the downtime they get with each other is some of the only things they look forward to, maybe they find comfort with each other underneath the sheets eventually. I’d love to have a tense, drama filled, angsty relationship, with complicated feelings for complicated characters — my guy being just as hesitant and scared for a real relationship as yours but oh so desperate for connection; but otherwise I’m all for post apocalyptic, vampires, mortal/immortal, exes, faking one’s death or thinking they’re dead and their partner/lover finding them long after, manipulation and coercion, omegaverse, monster fuckery, medieval fantasy, war plots, cults, viscous and twisted dystopians especially, and heavy dead dove 🪦🕊️ plots with violent and dark themes ranging from murder, horror, crime, gangs, gorey violence, toxic or abusive relationships, incest, noncon or dubcon, age gaps, etc. I have few limits to what I’ll write! The character I’m writing is trans just a forewarning incase that’s not your cup of tea. On that note I’m very much open to trans characters! My guy is no dom top but he’s not a shy, soft, darling type. He’s rough and rugged around the edges. ( Bonus shot in the dark but I’d love to do something inspired by Beastars or in a Beastars like world with a wolf/rabbit dynamic. I’m down for anthro or hybrid stuff, either works. )

A little about myself: I’m a 21 y/o Transmasc writer. I only write on Discord. I’m CST timezone, but I work the night shift currently, so replies out of rp can be spotty. ( I also do my best not to check my phone at work as well. But I will be off for 2 weeks. ) My writing ranges from lazy lit to novella. I need at least 3-4 good paragraphs to be able to work with. They don’t need to be luscious with details, but descriptiveness is much appreciated and preferred. I’ve been writing for around 9 years now, it’s a great passion of mine. I love the escapism of fantasy and made up worlds you can dive into. I don’t do rapid fire replies! And my activity can vary! I will always try to get rp replies in at least once a week though. I can get pretty busy, and rp is a hobby for me right now. ( Trust me if I could do rapid fire, believe me I would, I’d love to write all day long. )

A little about my character: A 4’10” - 5” ft tall street fighter who’s in a gang. Sammy has the body of a rabbit but the heart of a wolf. He’s an insolent, stubborn, younger guy who may be petite but he packs a hard punch and can handle his own to a certain point. His unwavering loyalty and obedience only lies within his gang leader. He might be his pet, but he is in no way tamed. He’s all fire and rage, he absolutely refuses to back down or bite his tongue. He’d find a way to give lip even if his tongue was cut out. All around his familial relationships are shit to say the least. He doesn’t trust easily, he’s paranoid, cold hearted on the outside, and violent. Like a mad dog he’ll snap without warning, his fangs are always bared, and his lips are always curled in a snarl. He’s hooked on cigarettes and booze, and he can’t last without his mood stabilizers. He works at an underground fight club and can often be seen sporting bars, even if he isn’t of age for a plot. The club is a front for the gang. I do often prefer to write Sam in a violent dystopian like setting where crime is rampant, bodies are in the streets, the city’s in chaos, etc. Think the purge almost. Otherwise, he’s just got a rough life on the streets in a gang. ( His age can vary for the plot btw! 🍪 is fine with me. I primarily write him as 20 default, and 25 the oldest though. )

That’s enough yapping for this post, I can talk more plot in DMs! So if you’ve got some characters that match the energy I’m looking for or any you feel would vibe with my guy give a like and I’ll reply asap! Thank you for reading🫶

.

[finn-writes-stuff]

I dunno if I'm late but maybe scar and grian? Or either one by themself if you are uncomfy with poly

Caught In The Middle

You wake up to find your boyfriends in the middle of a prank war, both trying to win you over.

It's very sweet of you to want to be careful of my boundaries, but I myself am polyamorous, I'll absolutely write it lmao. I also write Scar with various mobility aides (A cane in this) and Grian with wings.

GoodTimesWithScar x Reader x Grian

Fandom: Hermitcraft

Format: Oneshot

Warnings: N/A

Gender-neutral Reader

Hermitcraft Masterlist Kofi Link

Your house had been peaceful this morning. From the moment you'd woke up, sunlight streaming in through your window, to now, as you stepped out the door, it had been calm and quiet.

Naturally, you knew that meant something was wrong. This server was never calm and peaceful; nowhere was that more true than your home. Your boyfriends constantly found themselves in the middle of chaos and started it more often than not.

It wasn't rare for them both to be gone before you were awake. They were early risers and always had more plans than free time. Given that you'd slept in longer than morning, it made sense that you hadn't seen them yet. But usually, you'd see a note left behind by Scar or a scattering of feathers.

Today, there was no sign of them at all. Everything was clean and in its place. It was eerie.

Closing your door behind you, you set out to find out what was going on.

-

It didn't take you long to find Grian sitting in a tree and trying to pull a trip wire taut. With his brightly colored wings, stealth had never been his strong suit. But he clearly wasn't trying to hide from you, as the moment he spotted you, he dove down from the tree with a grin, landing in front of you.

"Good morning, love! How's it going?"

He was bouncing on his toes as he spoke, in a way that you knew was a sign of trouble, especially with how he kept glancing over your shoulder.

"I'm fine, what are you up to?" You asked, glancing behind you. There was nothing there, but you wouldn't put it past him to be staring at a dot on the horizon.

"Nothing! Working! What are you up to?" He pressed a quick kiss to your cheek, clearly trying to distract you.

"Mhm? And the tripwire is for work? I'm not stupid, what are you doing."

He laughed, sheepish and endearing. "Alright, yeah, you got me. I'm setting up a prank. But it's not for you, it's for Scar! Do you want to help? We'll be partners in crime, the terror of the server!"

You couldn't help but smile at him. "You are ridiculous. I have stuff I need to do today, but good luck with your pranks, I won't tell him."

He shook his head, feigning disappointment, but he was still buzzing with the excitement of his mischief. "Alright, I love you! I need to get this done before Scar gets back."

"Love you too, birdbrain," You replied, briefly kissing him before you set off to continue your day. You could hear Grian whistling behind you, and his joy was infectious.

-----

Scar, naturally, was getting into just as much trouble as Grian was. You really couldn't expect anything less from either of them. They were drawn to trouble like moths to a flame.

You heard him before you saw him, recognizing his warm voice in the gentle coo that was reserved for his cats.

"Now you see, Jellie, our Grian cannot resist pressing buttons. Especially if we add a sign that says 'Do Not Touch'. It's his kryptonite."

Your boyfriends were both ridiculous. You chuckled as you stepped up to the edge of the clearing he was standing in.

"Morning, Scar," you called out.

He was standing in the midst of a bunch of signs with a cat (That you were pretty sure was a wild cat, and was not his pet) and he scrambled up with his cane when he heard you.

"Hello! Good morning!"

"Are you building a prank for Grian?"

"What? No, no, no, what would ever give you that idea?" He was still smiling widely at you, in the soft affectionate way you'd become so familiar with. He was also desperately trying to cover the signs that he had been writing.

Stepping closer you could see they were mostly variations on warnings to not press a button, some directly addressed to Grian.

"Mhm? Then what's all this then?"

"Uhhhh, a game? A scavenger hunt we're doing! Yep, absolutely!"

You laughed and walked right up to him, kissing him with a grin. He was smiling into it too, and his free hand gently rested on your waist.

"Mm, now that's a nice good morning, don't you think?" He asked after you pulled back. "And yeah, it's a prank. But you can't tell him!"

"I know, love, I won't." You really had a type, didn't you?

"Although, now that I think about it, you could be a great help if you'd like to join me! He'd never see it coming! We have a bet riding on this, and I'll split the winnings with you~" His voice leaned into a sing-song tone as he tried to convince you.

"No way, Scar. I am not getting into the middle of this competition. I know exactly how it'll turn out if I do. I'll be pranked more than either of you will."

"We would never! Just ask Jellie here. Jellie, would Grian and I turn our pranks on them?"

The cat stared up at the both of you for a long moment, then yawned.

"That was a no," Scar immediately said.

"No, it wasn't, honey," You snicked and kissed his cheek. "Have fun, I need to get going. And if any of this competition gets brought into my house, you are both getting locked out."

[eenochian]

it’s very funny how this fandom suddenly cares so much about sensitivity, meanwhile no one was up in arms about folks calling valeria shit like “cartel mommy” and simping for her. and, if you point this out, you get told that it’s “less important” or incomparable. way to tell victims of cartel violence that they don’t matter. y’all can’t preach about sensitivity and mindfulness while doing the exact opposite of that.

sensitivity is something that needed to be brought up a long time ago. people need to be mindful about the content they’re engaging with and producing. COD and its characters are based on very real issues and very real situations, mindfulness is needed for every single character.

seeing this only be brought up in the context of makarov and graves is honestly so, so frustrating. they’re not the only problematic characters that you need to consider when making content. western militaries like the US and UK are incredibly controversial and have devastated vulnerable people and their countries. price, ghost, soap, gaz— any member of the military, especially the special forces, is problematic. they’re not good people and should not be treated like saints, nor should they be idolized for what they do.

that all being said, the concepts of “be mindful and sensitive when making content” and “let people enjoy problematic media” can absolutely, 100%, co-exist. art is not meant to be a paradigm of moral goodness, it has always been a medium for people to explore things that are considered "taboo" in a safe space. there's a reason why "dead dove: do not eat" exists as a genre – with proper warning and precautions put in place, people can explore darker topics. for some, it's morbid interest. for others, it's a way of coping with trauma and experiences they've had in real life.

i want to repeat this just to make it very clear: be mindful and sensitive with the content you're producing. do not romanticize topics that should not be painted in a good light. don't minimize the impact of characters' actions or act like people are in the wrong for being uncomfortable with them. in this fandom especially, people treat atrocities like jokes because we're becoming desensitized to them. it's up to every individual to ensure that they don't forget how impactful a lot of this stuff is in real life. war is not a joke. terrorism is not a joke. people dying is not a joke. do not romanticize any of these things in your content, even if you're exploring the different sides of the people behind these things.

humanize the characters all you want. horrible people are still people, after all. humans are not one-dimensional beings. humanize them, but do not romanticize them.

be kind to victims, be sensitive, and be mindful about what you engage with. no one is perfect, no thing is perfect, but we can always do better. we need to approach every topic through this lens instead of picking and choosing who to support. everyone is deserving of it, everyone is entitled to basic respect. we don't need to compete and argue over who has it worse, we just need to be better across the board. support real victims. don't let media warp your perceptions of reality. be conscious of the content you make and consume.

[bell-of-indecision]

✨I ranked all the indian stuff I watched in 2023✨

For context, this July I finally gave in to my decade-old urge and dove head first into indian culture. It's been nothing short of phenomenal. The more people I meet, the more foods I try, the more music I listen to, the more Hindi I learn, the more I fall in love with India.

Although I became more of a TV serial person, eventually, I gave in to the movies as well.

So here's everything I watched, ranked from worst to best.

(I'm sorry in advance)

10. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

This movie is useless, I'm so sorry. Somehow, it fooled me into thinking Naina was the main character, then the whole thing became about Bunny and I was so confused, who was I supposed to care about anyway? Can't complain though, Naina is a boring and uncharismatic cliché, I couldn't care less about her, had she disappeared midway into the story, I would've been thankful. Avi, Bunny, and Aditi, on the other hand, are loveable characters that deserved to be in a better movie — especially Aditi, I liked her so much. Too bad the movie seems to be about absolutely nothing. There was a message, I think, but it felt so shallow it didn't even matter to me, there was no actual relevance, no lesson, no impact, nothing. Maybe I'm stupid, but this movie is a drag. And the soundtrack SUCKS, Ilahi is the only good song in it.

2.8/10

9. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

The very first Bollywood movie I've ever watched. I wanted to like it so bad, it makes me sad that I didn't. Is it a comedy? A horror story? A dramatic murder mystery? Somehow, it's all of these and none at the same time, it can't decide on a tone to save its life, not even the humor can decide on what exactly it wants to be (most of it is just bad). The main couple has negative chemistry, their romance is so bland it's almost funny. Ruhan carries the whole movie on his back and is the only character with enough charisma to make me care, I honestly love this guy. His scene where he pretends to be possessed is incredible, and Tabu as Anjulika was great too. The plot twist was really nice, possibly the only good thing about the whole story, but then the movie ends so abruptly and on such a heavy note that it almost made me sick when the upbeat theme song started playing immediately after. This movie could not read the room, everything about it throws me off.

4/10

8. Jab We Met

Aditya is a dream, Geet is kind of a nightmare. I have nothing against characters that are lively, optimistic, and cheery, but they have to be bearable, she was just way too much for me. I loved Aditya's character development, it was fun and endearing to watch. The movie itself is not bad, just overrated. Nagada Nagada slaps though.

6/10

7. War

I wanted to love this movie just as much as it wanted to have a good twist. We both failed. Underestimating the audience's intelligence is one thing, but toying with us and making us feel like fools for the sake of a “big reveal” is something else. And no, it wasn't worth it. It wanted to be surprising, but it was just frustrating, shocking for all the wrong reasons. The action was fire though, no complaints there, and I loved the relationship dynamic between Kabir and Khalid, I would watch 11 seasons of those two going on missions with their team and fighting together, their chemistry is so good, I enjoyed every second of their scenes.

6.4/10

6. Arjun: The Warrior Prince

As a Mahabharat fan, I had hopes, but that's on me. Loved the way the story was presented to the audience, simple but brilliant. Shaheer Sheikh's Brihannala altered my brain chemistry, and I was elated to see her again. The animation was gorgeous, that goes without saying. I just hated how it ended right before the war, right where Arjun has some of his best moments, and hated even more how they practically erased Krishna from the story. At least they made him dark skinned this time.

6.7/10

5. My Name is Khan

Had this been based on a true story, I would've been the biggest fan of this movie to ever exist, I am a sucker for movies based on real life stories. Still, despite the disappointment of finding out this whole thing — as good as it was — was fictional, I see it as a touching, lovely, honest, and relevant story that kept me interested and broadened my horizons. Say whatever you want about allistic actors playing autistic characters, Shah Rukh Khan sold the heck out of this character and I bought it like the big neurodivergent fool that I am. I see a neurodivergent character onscreen, I am immediately on-board and loving them despite all their scripted flaws because “they're just like me fr”. "Marry me", indeed.

7/10

4. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Is it innovative and groundbreaking? No, but it is so much fun. It's deep and honest enough, charismatic and funny enough, it's just good entertainment with a good message. I expected nothing to be honest, either way, the story just kept getting better? The dynamics kept getting deeper and more complex? Wait a minute, this was actually good! I went in for the soundtrack — I'm obssessed with Dhindhora Baje Re — but I stayed for everything else. I laughed out loud many times, I shed some tears, I rooted, man, this movie made me feel actual things! What a lovely surprise.

7.9/10

3. The Railway Men

I went into it with such high hopes. Some of them were met, but part of me was left unsatisfied. As I said before, real stories are my favorite, but the way this show was presented feels too much like fiction. Good fiction, but still. And I know it’s not fiction. I am aware that many creative liberties were taken, and I'm not against them, at all, but the thing is: I could see them, I knew they were there. When I watched HBO’s Chernobyl, I was fully convinced that everything that was presented in the show was reality, exactly how it had happened, and I doubted nothing. I was shocked when they revealed that Ulana Khomyuk was a character created to represent many scientists that were involved in the incident. I had eaten her up, and I still can't believe she wasn't a real person. The Railway Men feels like the opposite of this, most of it feels like a creative liberty, very little reads as a real event, a real interaction, or a real person. I doubted a lot of what I saw, and had to do some research to fully understand what exactly had been real. But like I said, it was still good. I found myself caring deeply for each and every character, no matter how minor, I deeply empathized with their pain, rooted for them, cried with them, cried for them. It's heartbreaking, gut wrenching, revolting, yet it still manages to be inspiring. Why I never learned about Bhopal before watching this show is beyond me, but at any rate, I will be recommending this show to everyone I know.

8.1/10

2. Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva 

I will defend this movie's honor, I don't even care. I loved it so much that I made my mom watch it with me the next day, and she loved it. The dialogue is cringy, yes, unbearably so, some lines make my skin crawl. But COME ON, the plot is great, the concept is creative, the visual effects are wonderful, the soundtrack is divine —Mohan is dreamy— hear me out, I was hooked, on board, immersed, you name it. This movie made me feel so excited, I felt like a 7-year-old watching a super hero movie and wanting to have cool powers just like those, I honestly can't remember the last time a movie made me feel this energetic. Do I understand why Shiva and Isha were so deeply in love despite having met each other a week ago? No, but I was still rooting for them. Do I understand why sometimes people yell out the Astra’s powers in order to activate them like the Power Rangers? No, neither do I vibe with it, but do you think it mattered? The next moments were so freaking cool that I completely forgot what I wanted to complain about. (Oh, and Saurav Gurjar was in it! I gasped so loud when I saw him on screen, and playing a villain no less!) I was genuinely sad when it ended, I would've watched three more hours of that, despite the terribly written lines. I will fight for this movie and forgive every bad line of dialogue if it kills me.

8.7/10

1. Mahabharat (2013)

In case you haven't noticed, I am absolutely obssessed with Mahabharat. Initially, I’d decided to face the 267 episodes of this show because watching stuff in your target language is a good way to learn (also, that Krishna guy was very easy on the eyes, looking at him a bit more surely wouldn't hurt). It took me a few episodes to really get into the story, but once I did, oh boy, I was so hooked on the plot I even forgot about the language (although I did learn some words from it). The thing about this show, other than the freaking superb plot and phenomenal cast, are the characters. They all made me feel something. And that's the thing with characters, I believe, they don't necessarily have to be good or bad, morally speaking, they have to be well-written and entertaining, they have to make you feel things, positive or negative. Shakuni, a villain, was freaking great because of how good he was at being bad. And the good guys, like the Pandavas, weren't just good, that'd be boring, they were also charismatic, unique, funny, inspiring, and sometimes morally grey, which made them even more interesting, even more human. Watching them get in conflict with their morals when things got dark was insane. Even when they messed up —I'm looking at you Dharmraj— I still wanted to see them win. They felt like family, I watched them grow, I felt so close to them that their struggles and victories felt like my own. “My boys”, I call them. Mahabharat is my Roman Empire, man, I could talk about this show for HOURS. Anyway, this became my favorite show of all time and I'm so glad I didn't let the number of episodes scare me away. (And yes, I am still very much in love with Saurabh Raaj’s Krishna, he is probably one of my favorite characters ever, my heart raced when I first saw him and it still does to this day, BYE)

9/10

Oh, this ended up being a Top 10. Nice.

I both thank you and applaud you for reaching the end of this ramble that is ultimately just a result of my obsession with making lists and ranking literally everything. And also my admiration for indian culture.

I would've included Porus and Chandragupta Maurya but I'm not yet finished watching them, but I thought I should say: I am liking them a lot.

What do you people think I should watch next year? Recommendations are welcome!

✨🇮🇳 ✨

[mistbow]

Water Armatus, Bow and Arrow

I’ve always thought that it is interesting that the Water Armatus wields bow and arrow, especially since it holds many significances in the Japanese culture that Zestiria draws many inspirations from. I believe it’s a deliberate choice that the Divine Artifact needed for Water Armatus is a bow too, so I will try to elaborate more on this, since the many meanings for it might not be apparent to people who aren’t familiar with it.

Remember: Symbols can have more than just one meaning.

First off, and I know we start with the ending part here, but since it’s actually stated in the novel, I will talk about how Mikleo offers to go first, as the whistling arrow (嚆矢). Our first symbolism, but far from the last, for the Water Armatus.

「スレイ、最初に僕を撃ち出せ」

「ミクリオ……！」

息を飲むスレイをミクリオは決意に満ちた瞳で見つめる。 最初に撃ち出す仲間を迷うであろうスレイの気持ちをくみ取った提案だった。

「この旅の終わり、僕が嚆矢となる」

僕たちの決意と覚悟を最初に撃て。

“Sorey, shoot me out first.”

“Mikleo...!”

Mikleo looks at Sorey, who gulped, intently with eyes full of his determination. It was a suggestion that took into consideration the feelings of Sorey, who had been hesitating about which friend he would shoot out first.

“At this journey’s end, I will become the whistling arrow.”

Shoot our determination and resolve first.

The whistling arrow (嚆矢) often symbolizes “dawn” or “beginning”, since it’s used to signal the beginning of battle. Particularly, around the time of Heian period, an arrow with a whistle (kabura, 鏑) attached (so often known as kabura-ya, 鏑矢 as well) would be shot, not only to alert the enemy, but also to ward off evil spirits and alert friendly kami to lend their support through its whistling sound. Befitting for the seraph whose Divine Artifact is a bow, since he does this to reassure Sorey, as well as to ask for support for him from the friendly kami—other seraphim that will come after him. Mikleo is also the one seraph who has been with Sorey since the beginning too, even before Sorey became the Shepherd. Since the dawn of the Shepherd (導師の夜明け).

(An arrow that flies straight and steadfast signifies no hesitation for its resolve.)

But bows and arrows mean so much more than this, so I would like to take a look at other meanings too, as well as going earlier than straight-up the final battle. The first obvious thing that stood out to me is that in Japanese, bow and arrow (弓矢, yumiya) is often a symbol for the battlefield, since 戦 (read as ikusa), meaning war or battle, used to be written as 射交矢 (also read as ikusa), roughly meaning exchanging arrows (射交わす矢). Hachiman (八幡神), the Shinto-Buddhism syncretic divinity of archery and war, is also known as Yumiya Hachiman (弓矢八幡), because his messenger is a dove that symbolizes bow and arrow. Hachiman’s wife, Himegami (比売神), often refers to Munakata Sanjoshin (宗像三女神), the three matriach kami associated with water born from the ukehi or oath (宇気比, 誓約) between Amaterasu and Susanoo (I will talk more about this when I talk about Mikleo’s association with water divinities in Japan, since it can get even more interesting if you dive deep and go down this rabbit hole, and I tend to overthink this kind of stuff anyway).

However, going back to a time even older, the ancient times, bow and arrow used to be written as 箭霊 (read as sachi), with 箭 being the outdated kanji for arrow and 霊 being the kanji for spirits, representing 霊威 or mysterious power. The word 箭霊 (sachi) here has the same reading as 幸 (sachi) meaning happiness, thus bow and arrow are also associated with happiness and blessings. As such, in Japan, where the animism of primitive religion remains strong, the bow and arrow is also a tool for divination of good fortune. In terms of shamanism/sorcery (呪術, jujutsu), often it is also called 天之返矢 (ama-no-kaeshiya, Divine Returning-Arrow), and this word comes from the myth in Kojiki, where a bird named Nakime (鳴女) who was sent down to earth to check in on Amewakahiko (天稚彦 or 天若日子). Amewakahiko shot the bird with his bow. The arrow pierced through the bird, but the arrow flew all the way to heaven. Takamimusubi (高御産巣日神) saw the arrow and threw it back at the earth where it hit Amewakahiko while he was laying in bed, killing him.

There are also Narugen (鳴弦), which is used like a weapon or musical instrument to exorcise invisible demons and evil spirits, and Hama-ya and Hama-yumi (破魔矢・破魔弓), symbols of the bow and arrow’s magical power, as seen in myths and legends.

Hama-ya, in general, has come to mean ceremonial arrow to ward off evil. In Buddhism, there is a legend that the gold bow and arrow held by Umarokya (烏摩勒伽), one of the four yaksha who follow Shoumen Kongou (青面金剛), the blue-faced Vajra, is the origin of the Hama-ya, and Ryuujin Hamaya (龍神破魔矢), the dragon deity, is named after it. The tip of hama-ya needs not to be sharp, since it is used to purify, as to remove the obstacles, not to target and break the person themself.

(I’d like to also remind that the seraphim are based upon Four Symbols, and Mikleo is based on the Azure Dragon. This can even be seen in the Water Armatus’ Banish Blast, 水神・清龍, which can literally be translated to Water Divine: Azure Dragon.)

There is this one story, the tale of extermination of Nue (鵺)—a Japanese mythical creature with a monkey’s head, tanuki’s body, tiger’s limbs, and a snake tail—in “Heike Monogatari” (平家物語) where the Emperor was afflicted with an illness, but when Minamoto no Yoshiie (源義家) plucked the bowstring three times, the evil spirit was dispelled and the Emperor was restored to health. However, the source of the disease itself was not dead and continued to threaten the Emperor. Minamoto no Yorimasa (源頼政), then, climbed to the rooftop of the Imperial Palace at night and shot an arrow, and in just that one shot, slaying the source of the disease, a monster called Nue, with Yumiharidzuki (弓張月, representing the bow or the Moon, the crescent moon that looks like a bow).

And thus, the bow and arrow is associated with purification or exorcism (祓い清め) of the mind (心) from taint (穢れ), malice (邪気), evil (魔), and disaster (厄), as seen in a lot of metaphors in Japanese. The pure-hearted is said to be able to immediately hit the bull in one hit. The arrow of the noble is destined to strike the enemy and hunt the beast of fables.

Now we turn to Buddhism. Senju Kannon (千手観音) or Senju-Sengen Kanzeon Bosatsu (千手千眼観世音菩薩), the bodhisattva of compassion and mercy, is perhaps the most widely worshipped bodhisattva in Japan. Senju-Sengen (千手千眼) literally means Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes, originating from the fact that she has one eye in each palm of a thousand arms. These thousand arms and thousand eyes represent Kannon’s vastness of mercy and the abundance of means to save, as endeavors to relieve every living thing. In her many hands, she holds many objects, and each of these objects varies in meaning.

Two of them are houkyuu (宝弓) and houzen (宝箭), a bow and an arrow, respectively. Houkyuu stands for “increasing the honor” (“栄官を増す”), but more relevant is the meaning of houzen, which is “chance meeting with good friends” (“良き友に巡り会う”). A poetic way of saying reconnecting with true friends.

The final version of Aqua Limit, Aqua Limit: Ultima, is actually called アクアリムス・リユニオン, or Aqua Limit: Reunion, in Japanese. This indeed foreshadows their reunion in the epilogue, that they will meet again, and it is by chance (through a connection that ties them, that cannot be seen, yet can be felt, or it is precisely because it’s not seen that it can be felt stronger). Neither knew how long it would take, perhaps it would take centuries, but they could finally get there, reuniting with each other, in the end. Reunion of true friends. Mikleo, the bullet, the whistling arrow, is that connection with true friends that will never fade way, even as he is shot to the risk of his death in the final battle, and after this, Sorey will go to sleep to purify Maotelus for who knows how long. Eons, perhaps.

(Mikleo himself doesn’t consider himself as Sorey’s true friend, since he thinks that as a seraph, he can’t perceive the world the same way as Sorey does. It’s why he invited Rose to join the party. But true friends complement each other, just like how Sorey and Rose have different approaches [sees in different ways], Sorey and Mikleo complement each other through their differences.)

In Buddhism (especially Shingon Buddhism), there is a deity that is often associated with bow and arrow, Aizen Myouou (愛染明王). He has a very distinctive appearance, wearing a shishi (獅子, magical lion)’s crown on his head and sitting on a lotus flower. Sometimes, he is depicted with two heads: of his own and of Fudou Myouou (不動明王, and I believe I’ve talked about Sorey being a Fudou Myouou figure here), symbolizing a commingling of subjugated, complementary energies, and in Japan, they are both enshrined together, Fudou Myouou and Aizen Myouou on the left and right of Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来, I talked about him and his symbolism more in the context of Zestiria here) as the principal object of worship. In Nichiren Buddhism, in the Great Mandala Gohonzon, Fudou Myouou’s bīja “हां” is placed on the right and Aizen Myouou’s bija “हूं” is placed on the left (more on Sorey and Mikleo and Right and Left here and here and here, also while we’re at this, the Left, when paired with the Right, has significance in Shinto here, so there are many layers of meanings to this).

Aizen Myouou is known for transforming worldly desires (kleshas) into spiritual awakening, as seen from his name literally meaning “Love-Stained Wisdom King.” In Nichiren Buddhism, it is said that if Fudou Myouou embodies “life and death (saṃsāra) are precisely nirvana” (生死即涅槃, shouji-soku-nehan), then Aizen Myouou embodies “worldly desires (kleshas) are precisely enlightenment (bodhi)” (煩悩即菩提, bonnou-soku-bodai), which are the two tenets of hongaku (本覚, the innate or original enlightenment). This is because Aizen Myouou doesn’t deny love, and he is indeed known as the Buddha in charge of love, marriage, family harmony; of relationships and connections in general. His name, Aizen (愛染), can also be interpreted as the color(s) aizen (藍染).

I say uniquely Japanese, because the colors are indeed called Japanese blue; depending on how many dips, the shade changes--not just in value but also hue. The lighter it is, the closer it is to blue-green hue. The deeper it is, the closer it is to indigo blue hue.

(I also must say that the lighter green-ish blue shade is called 水色 too. Literally the color of water. Commonly translated as aquamarine.)

Like the traditional Japanese blue shades, Sorey's blue is more on the deep indigo blue side in its hue and Mikleo's blue is more on the light aqua blue. Meanwhile, Water Armatus (the two of them) is the "balanced" blue in the middle.

(I have an entire Twitter thread too for this too here)

Finally, I want to talk about a certain saying that also originates from Nichiren Buddhism:

やのはしる事は弓のちから、くものゆくことは・りうのちから、をとこのしわざは・めのちからなり。

The original writing is rather hard to read because it’s written almost entirely in hiragana, but it can be transliterated as follows:

矢の走る事は弓の力、雲の行く事は竜の力、男の仕業は婦の力なり。

Which can be translated to:

It is the power of the bow that determines the flight of the arrow, the might of the dragon that controls the movement of the clouds, and the strength of the wife that guides the actions of a man.

(Remember, again, that Mikleo is connected to dragons/竜, that he is based on Azure Dragon/清龍, and clouds are connected to rain/water and thunder/lightning, two elements associated with Mikleo and Sorey respectively.)

This is from the letter of Nichiren Daishounin (日蓮大聖人). I hope the meaning is obvious enough even without my explanation.

The bow and arrow work in tandem. Without the bow, the arrow cannot work. Without the arrow, the bow cannot work either. It is in the relationship, that even a relationship between a husband and a wife is likened to this.

The same dialogue from the first Water Armatus battle above is repeated again in this scene:

MIKLEO: Sorey, I’ll do the aiming. SOREY: Right. And I’ll pick when to fire.

Despite the Armatization being literally a process of becoming one, of two different physical bodies becoming one, interestingly the human and seraph still retain each of their own consciousness. They don’t blend into one, and the workings of this can be seen in Sorey and Mikleo coordinating to handle the timing and aiming, respectively, when in Water Armatus. Armatus does work in mysterious ways, and it perhaps cannot be described in feelings known to common humans.

SOREY: By the way, Mikleo. SOREY: Because of the Squire pact, I can’t see out of my right eye anymore. SOREY: So... SOREY: Lend me your power! MIKLEO: Got it, Sorey. I’ll do the aiming. SOREY: Right. And I’ll pick when to fire!

The manga outright makes Mikleo act as Sorey’s eye when aiming at the target, while Sorey handles the timing because of this. This communion, tacit understanding is a major part of their bond, after all, even without the Armatization. The novel also makes it a point that Mikleo offers to do the aiming because he has realized for a long time already that Sorey is blind on his right eye.

異体同心 種族は違うが、同じ想いを抱いて育った。人と天族の可能性を示す。

One Heart in Different Bodies They are of different kinds, but they grew up embracing the same feelings. Showing the possibilities of humans and seraphim.

Exactly because they’re different that they can understand each other, can complement each other, as has been said before. I’ve talked about how Mikleo had needed to learn this, shortly, when I said he didn’t consider himself Sorey’s true friend, but even Sorey needed to learn about this.

SOREY: Wait, hold on now! MIKLEO: You’re right, I am stubborn as a rock! SOREY: Huh? MIKLEO: I admit it. I’m hell-bent on becoming a Sub Lord. MIKLEO: But there’s something important that you don’t understand! SOREY: I do understand! I just didn’t want you to get involved! MIKLEO: Get over yourself. SOREY: ! MIKLEO: Do you really think this is your dream alone?

SOREY: This is our dream.

Sorey’s flaw in the beginning is that he tends to carry everything by himself, that he doesn’t want the people he cares about to be hurt because of him (or what he thinks as his own responsibility, and not anyone else’s). He was alright with sharing happiness, but afraid to share anything else, even though it was implied that Michael failed as a Shepherd because he carried that burden alone. Even when Sorey and Mikleo fought (because they cared too much about each other), this had already had an effect on Sorey: he didn’t feel the excitement of exploring ruins, he couldn’t see the Earthen Historia, he wasn’t able to de-Armatize at will; and it was only when he accepted Mikleo’s offer to help him, that he could do all these and more (like how Alisha was finally able to hear the seraphim’s voices.)

MIKLEO: I know because it’s you; you were thinking that you didn’t want me to be involved, or that you didn’t want me to carry the burden. MIKLEO: But it’s too late for all that. MIKLEO: Our journey began a long time ago already. MIKLEO: It’s not just your dream. SOREY: ...Yeah. SOREY: This is our dream!

A relationship is balanced if it’s two-way. Their bond is meant to show the limitless possibilities of how a human and seraph can work together to reach their dream together, the dream of coexistence, of being together. To be together is to share not just happiness but also sadness. It’s because life is not lived just by yourself alone, but also with others.

I won’t let you carry this by yourself.

Even until the very end. Just like the power of the bow determines the flight of the arrow, the arrow that flies straight and steadfast without any hesitation for its resolve, warding off anything that is evil, purifying the heart from taint, calling for friendly divinities to aid them. It will reunite them, the true friends, no matter the odds, just bet on that one chance. And this love is not to be denied.

You’ve matured through the course of this journey, and I’m proud of you for that, but don’t forget, I’m also here, right next to you, and I won’t let you carry everything by yourself.

唯一無二の 互いに誰よりも負けたくない相手。だから成長できる。今までも、これからも。

The One and Only They do not want to lose to each other more than anyone else. That’s why they can grow. Until now, and from now on.

Mikleo is the best support Sorey could’ve gotten, even if he didn’t ask for him himself.

May these bow and arrow represent happiness and blessings, just as they used to in the ancient times long past.

弓を構えて真実射抜け

Pull the bow and aim for the truth.

[konata-izumi-kinny-writes]

Captain John x F! Clown Lolita Reader

(with a pet crocodile)

Romantic HCs and mini-fic

[Tw: clown stuff, Captain has some... interesting.. nicknames, Mini-fic includes tons of death. Ya use acidic cotton candy to melt peeps n stuff.

THERE IS MENTION OF CIRCUS ANIMALS, THEY ARE NOT REAL IN THIS FIC. I DO NOT SUPPORT OR CONDONE THE ACT OF ABUSING WILD ANIMALS FOR ENTERTAINMENT.

Your pet croc is NOT considered a circus animal, you share a good relationship and you take care of it unlike how circus animals are treated.]

Outfit for minific (feel free to imagine a different color scheme):

🎪 He thought you were really fuckin weird at first, especially with a croc wearing a clown collar following you around.

🎡 You definitely grew on him though, lemme tell ya. He loves the croc now too.

🐘 Bro finds you hilarious! You're able to make him laugh without even trying

🎭 but the crush REALLY hit him when you surprised him with some snacks and a balloon animal.

🍿 He talked about you a lot to Steve. He was happy to hear at first but after a while he was just flat-out irritated that John wasn't confessing to you.

🎠 You eventually confessed by attaching a love note and cotton candy to your croc, and having it give them to John.

🍭 Later on he had someone bring you to his office. He sat you down as your croc jumped on his lap.

🔮 "So... you have feelings for me, huh?"

"..yes sir, i do."

"Heh, never though you felt the same, sugartits."

John smiles at you before plucking a small piece of cotton candy off of the giant cone of it you gifted him and eating it.

"Haha... quite a cruel joke, sir...... er- was it a joke??"

"Nope, it was not. You're mine now, babe."

He gets up and put his hands on your waist before he kissed you on the forehead. You give him a hug after kissing his cheek.

AND THATS HOW YALL GOT TOGETHER

🎢 and yes he calls you "Sugartits" on a regular basis. No matter how you identify... hes calling you that. (Unless you ask him not to)

🎪 Hes a good dad to your croc. Gives it lots of back scritches.... and enemy corpses.

🎡 He loves how fluffy and full your skirts are. He'll have you spin for him among other things. You're pretty, you're cute, you're his silly princess, and he loves you.

🐘 Despite how silly you are, Captain thinks you're the hottest person on earth.... which you are.

🎭 He honks your nose

🍿 Pet names are; Babe, Lovey, Sweet Cheeks, Sugartits, Tiger, Dove, Cookie, Jellybean, and Circus Peanut

🍭 For that very reason, the past months you've been working on some acts... deadly acts. Along with fatal treats to give out.

🎠 Because he loves you so much, John is very protective of you. Obviously. Yall are in a war, why wouldn't he be protective? But lately hes been feeling stressed af so hes even MORE protective.

🔮 Balloons that drop people from extreme heights, an electric whip, acid spraying flower, amall robotic animals that maul anyone in sight (didnt have enough materials for life sized ones), hoops with extendable blades, and a pair of uzis in case things go wrong.

🎢 As for the snacks, you made acidic cotton candy, exploding popcorn, Snowcones that freeze people from the inside, poisonous Funnel cake, expanding circus peanuts that choke people or break their stomach, lots of things.

🎪 So you packed up said items in a huge backpack, put on a cloak and followed John and his team to wherever they were going.

"Dying of Laughter"

You followed John and his team to the other team's base, they then split off into different sections, hiding behind rubble and in ditches. Everything was in place.

Were they ambushing them, mayhaps they were trying to get the upperhand over something? In the midst of your thoughts you see the other team starting to leave, so you jump out into the clearing before John can give the team permission to fire.

"Wait- who the fuck is that?!"

"Uh hi??"

"Whats with the fucking bag?"

"Hey dude is that your mom under that cloak?"

"Very funny, shut it."

Murmurs spread across the atmosphere like a virus on both sides. John was confused and perplexed, is this another enemy, who the fuck is this person, is it a person??

"HEY!" He shouted towards you, you turn his way to acknowlege him.

"Who are you!?"

".....I suggest saving the questions for after the show, sweetie."

He recognized your voice immediately, and radioed his team to hold their fire... but he still didn't know what you're doing out here.

Now the figurative stage is yours. You throw off the cloak as robotic doves fly out, revealing your attire.

"Helloooo~🎶 Its been a long time since i've had an audience, it feels just like it used to.... other than the fact that i'm in a fucking post-apocalyptic war."

That last line earned a few chuckles from the audience, you take that as a sign to keep going.

"But of course, I can't sustain you on jokes only, so i got tricks too, and snacks. After all, we gotta add some spice so things aren't boring, hehe, thats what she said."

Almost half the audience guffawed at the jest, including John. While they were distracted, one of your robo-doves delivered a note to Steve and John.

'Don't eat the snacks. And do not engage in the acts in any way. They are deadly.'

They quickly relayed the message to tthe rest of the team. Captain knows what you're doing now, and he loves it.

"Now what do do first.... anyone have requests?"

"Balloon animals!!"

Perfect. After making and handing out said balloon animals to the enemy team upon request, you moved on the the second act.

"So.. animals! We don't really see them anymore, do we? Quite sad, I loved them... i still do. And i managed to acquired some!"

Your robotic circus animals came out of your bag and did their routines. Some interacting with the enemy team, gaining their affections.

The rest of the acts went smoothly and without issue as well. Everyone was happy and enjoying your little displays, time for the sillystring to catch fire.

You let out a laugh of your own before you pull out a red button. You go over to John and give him a kiss, then sit on his lap. His face is bright red. You give a smile before you cheerfully say to the other team...

"This was fun, it really was. But enough with the games... this is war, goodbyyyye~🎶"

And with the press of that button, everything goes haywire. People are melting, exploding, suffocating, freezing, being mauled, just dying in general.

Hours later you're skipping back to base alongside John and his team, happy as a clam. There weren't as many casualties as usual, and you finally got to be on the front lines with the love of your life.

It was after you got your pajamas on that you were summoned to John's office.

"Hello, honey!~🎶 what do ya need me for?"

"Can we... talk for a second?"

"....did i do something wrong, did you not like the show, dearie?"

"I did, and that was very clever! I'm proud... but worried at the same time. Babe, you really put yourself in danger out there! In fact you still are!"

"What do you mean, love?"

"Sweet cheeks, now that they know what you look like and who you are to me, they will actively hunt you down if you so much as take a step out of base."

"Ah.... shoulda thought of that... sorry John, I really wanted to help. You've been stressed lately and i figured some support would take some weight off your shoulders."

"Heh.. I appreciate it sugartits, you really did help us out there... hey maybe you can support me in a different way."

You laugh at his teasing before you give him a hug and pepper his face with kisses.

"Okay, Circus Peanut. Its time for bed, by the way, what happened to all of those weird little animals ya made?"

He questioned as he lay down beside you on your shared cot.

"Oh, i have them stored in some crates behind the showers. If its okay, I'd like to control them from base to help you more, I added speakers so i can talk to you too."

"That sounds amazing, dove... goodnight, I love you."

You give him a kiss before you close your eyes.

"Love you too, sweetie.."

Lmfao the end. this is very cringe

Requests are closed, also why tf do my fics always end with you falling asleep-

Thanks for reading :)