#Mythical Weaver

[tmctales]

Banner of Eternity

Once upon a time, in a land where the stars were so close they seemed like you could pluck them from the night sky, there lay a small kingdom surrounded by a vast, enchanted forest. This kingdom, known as Lumora, was unlike any other, for it was home to the wisest of scholars, the bravest of knights, and the most intricate of flags. Each flag told a story, stitched carefully by artisans who believed every thread carried a fragment of the kingdom’s soul.

But the most remarkable flag of all was the Banner of Eternity. It was said to have been woven by the kingdom’s founders using strands of starlight and bound with the breath of a dragon. The banner was stored in the Great Hall of Symbols, where it inspired the people of Lumora with its intricate patterns: a golden sun for hope, a silver crescent moon for wisdom, and a red phoenix rising from the ashes, symbolizing eternal rebirth.

The Banner of Eternity had protected Lumora for centuries, glowing faintly whenever danger approached. But as time passed, the people grew complacent, and the banner’s magic dimmed. The tales of its power became myths told only to children.

One cold winter night, when snow blanketed the kingdom in silence, an ominous shadow spread across the sky. It was a monstrous wyvern, its scales blacker than the depths of the night, with eyes that burned like molten gold. The beast, known as Kalvorr the Boundless, had long slumbered in the depths of the forest. Now, it sought to claim the Banner of Eternity and extinguish the hope of Lumora forever.

The banner flickered weakly in its glass case as the wyvern roared, shaking the Great Hall to its foundations. The people of Lumora turned to their king, a wise and battle-hardened ruler named Alden, for guidance. “We must find the Weaver of Stars,” he declared, his voice steady despite the chaos.

The Weaver of Stars was a mythical figure said to reside in the heart of the enchanted forest. She alone could restore the banner's power. Many dismissed the king's words as folly, for none who entered the forest had ever returned. But one young knight, Ser Caelum, stepped forward.

“Your Majesty,” he said, kneeling, “I will find the Weaver and bring her to Lumora.”

Caelum was no ordinary knight. He was a dreamer, often found gazing at the stars and sketching new designs for the kingdom’s flags. His heart was brave, and his mind sharp, but what set him apart was his unwavering belief in the power of symbols and stories.

With the king’s blessing, Caelum set out into the forest, armed with nothing but his sword, his wits, and a small flag he had stitched himself. It bore the image of a lantern, symbolizing his hope to guide Lumora through its darkest hour.

The forest was a maze of towering trees and whispering shadows. Each step seemed to lead him further into an endless night. But Caelum remembered the stories of the Weaver: she could be found where the light danced like fireflies, and the air hummed with a song older than time.

After days of wandering, he stumbled upon a clearing bathed in an ethereal glow. At its center stood a woman draped in a cloak that shimmered like the cosmos. Her hair flowed like silver rivers, and her eyes held the wisdom of ages.

“You seek the Weaver of Stars,” she said, her voice like the rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze. “But why should I help you, young knight?”

Caelum unfurled his lantern flag and knelt. “Because my kingdom needs hope,” he said. “Without the banner, we will lose more than a symbol. We will lose ourselves.”

The Weaver studied him for a long moment before nodding. “Very well. But to restore the Banner of Eternity, you must face three trials. Each will test your courage, your wisdom, and your heart.”

The first trial led Caelum to the Valley of Echoes, where his deepest fears came to life. He was surrounded by visions of failure: his people in chains, the wyvern reigning over Lumora, and himself, powerless to save them. But he raised his lantern flag high, its light piercing the illusions. “I am more than my fears,” he declared. “I am the hope of my kingdom.”

The illusions vanished, and he moved on to the second trial: the Pool of Truths, where he had to answer three questions from his reflection. Each question probed the core of his being, but Caelum’s honesty and humility guided him through.

The final trial was the hardest. In the Garden of Sacrifice, he found a radiant flower that held the power to restore the banner. But the flower’s magic came at a cost: his most cherished dream would fade from his heart forever.

Caelum hesitated, for his dream of creating the greatest flag Lumora had ever seen had always driven him. But then he thought of his people, their faces lit with hope under the Banner of Eternity. “Some dreams must be sacrificed for the greater good,” he whispered, plucking the flower.

The Weaver reappeared, her gaze soft with approval. “You have proven yourself worthy, Caelum. Take this flower and return to your kingdom.”

With the flower in hand, Caelum raced back to Lumora. The wyvern had begun its attack, but as 

Caelum approached the Great Hall, the Banner of Eternity flared to life. Its glow drove Kalvorr back into the forest, its magic renewed by Caelum’s courage, wisdom, and sacrifice.

The people of Lumora hailed Caelum as a hero, but he shook his head. “I am no hero. The banner is not just a symbol; it is all of us, united by hope.”

From that day on, Lumora thrived, its people forever inspired by the young knight who believed in the power of stories and symbols. And though Caelum never stitched another flag, the lantern flag he carried became a treasured relic, a reminder that even the smallest light can guide the way through the darkest night.

And so, under a sky filled with stars, Lumora stood as a beacon of hope for all who dared to dream.

The End.

[nickysfacts]

wish all of you who are reading this a wonderful day and that you learn something new every day!

🎋🌠🎋

[allgirlsareprincesses]

Super-proud of this and excited for next week's Episode 2! Please watch and share!

Crash Landing on You Part 1 mythic deep dive

Cowherd and weaver with @allgirlsareprincesses

Full video:

Also available as a podcast:

[hobbitsetal]

The Hoard

The year the dragon came had been shaping up to be a bad one. The crops were barely adequate. The deer were skittish, the boar extra fierce, the fish sleepy and hard to reach. The old folks in the village predicted a hard winter, predictions born of fear and grief and anger that boiled down into pessimism. 

Inada, as the village leader, tried to counter such talk, but there was little she could say. The food would be stretched thin at best. The old and the very young were likely to die. All she could do was squirrel away extra portions where she hoped Trovar’s men would not think to look, and pray she could save some lives in the winter.

At the end of the summer, he came. They saw his shadow first: big as a cloud, almost to be mistaken for a cloud’s shadow. But no cloud had those curved wings or that long tail, and they knew what he was before he landed and changed shape and strode into their village. He was tall, dark-haired and golden-eyed, and he was surprisingly young. Inada had sons grown and older than he, she thought. 

Dragons lived to be five hundred years or more. But after all, before one could be five hundred years, one must be ten and twenty and thirty. Perhaps it should not have been so surprising that he looked no more than twenty summers, if he had reached even that many.

They watched, huddling in doorways, stopped at their work, clutching their children, as he walked through the long street and the square in the middle of the village where they traded when the peddler caravans passed through. His arrogantly lifted head swiveled, taking in the shabby village and the silent inhabitants watching him.

What reason could he have for coming to their village? They’d heard of dragons taking over lands, of course. Anywhere west of Elbiss, where they had driven the dragons out and hunted them now with frost weapons and relentless hatred, anywhere else might fall prey to a dragon. Some ate humans. Some enslaved them and forced them to produce whatever the dragon chose to hoard. Some, the less powerful, especially since Elbiss had cast them off six hundred years ago, lived among humans as ordinary citizens. Not every dragon could be a tyrannical ruler, it seemed.

There was nothing in this village to rule over, even if this one meant to be a tyrant. They didn’t have so much as a name for their village. They lived near no mines, gold or ores or jewels. Their forests were not unusually rich with game or fish. No mythic beasts lived near that anyone knew of. They were not renowned for crops or goods. The only unusual feature to their village was the twice-yearly visits from Trovar and his men, but even that was not so remarkable. Small villages with no protector often fell prey to bandits.

So they watched and braced themselves to learn this dragon ate humans. 

He sniffed the air and then turned toward Inada, gold eyes boring into her. “You. You are responsible for this place?”

She curtsied immediately and kept herself from falling to her knees. Better not to kneel. If she had to beg, she wanted someplace to lower herself to. “Yes, my lord.”

“It’s shabby.”

What did he care? Dragons never lived where others did. Still, all she could say was, “Yes, my lord.”

“You are not a knight protector. What are you?”

“I-I am…a weaver?” As with everyone else in the village, she was what was needed at the moment. They all tended little vegetable crops, they all fished, they all wove. Some, like Alma, were better at things like twisting flax fibers together. Some, like old Gregoire, were better at fishing. But they all did whatever needed to be done. They were too tiny to have specialists in the different trades, though she would have liked to have been a weaver.

He snorted impatiently, smoke clouding around his head. “You have those among you young enough to breed. Why does your village not flourish more? Are you lazy?”

Indignation choked her a moment, overriding her fear. Lazy? “We are a tiny village, my lord,” she said. “How can we thrive when those stronger than us come to take the best of what we have?” 

Of all the irony, a dragon demanding why they did not flourish was too bitter to be borne. 

“You have no one at all to stand up for you?” He turned as he spoke, casting the question–the challenge–out to the rest of the village. No one met his eyes.

Inada swallowed down tears and rage together, dropping her own gaze to the dust. “What do you want from us, my lord?” she asked quietly.

What would anger get but a village reduced to ash? What would resistance earn them but bones and perhaps one person left to bury them? Making herself sound humble, making herself bend her head and round her shoulders was not hard when she had done the same for the lesser threat of Trovar and his men.

“Bah,” he said, and turned away. A dozen steps from her took him to a clear space. He leaped into the air and changed as he leapt. The wind from his wings staggered her and sent up a great cloud of dust. 

And then he was gone, leaving them baffled and a little dirtier than they had been. Slowly, the villagers trickled toward Inada, necks craned to track the dragon.

“Will he come back?” Hella asked.

“I don’t know,” Inada said.

A restless murmur ran through the crowd. Eventually, they shuffled away, different scattered groupings muttering the same fears and wonders and answerless questions to each other. Inada went back to weeding her garden with her forehead furrowed. Surely the dragon would not come back. He had strolled through their village for curiosity’s sake and found they had nothing of worth. Surely Batran would protect them from more oppression than they already bent under. She sent up a silent prayer to that effect and resolved to sacrifice something small when she had time.

They saw his shadow a few more times that week. He seemed to be circling around the top of the small mountain that loomed over their village. Once, Old Horace said that Young Horace saw the dragon flying with a boar in its claws. That troubled Inada for a day, until Hella pointed out that perhaps the dragon was in the area only to hunt. That would explain his curiosity and his subsequent lack of interest. After all, there were plenty of boar for one with the stamina and strength to take them down.

Inada had other worries. Trovar was coming. The delicate balance of giving enough to satiate him and keeping enough to survive, of placating without arousing suspicion, weighed on her. Two years ago, his men had found one of her hidden stores and Trovar had been angry with the village. They had beaten her and taken extra food in punishment. The winter had been lean indeed. Last year, she had barely dared to hide anything. Trovar had been more merciful, sensing her defeat. But the village could not afford another winter with as little as he liked to leave.

She daydreamed of a protector. They would send out an appeal and someone would answer. A lord with restless men, inclined to be merciful, or a band of Elbissian warriors eager to deal justice, or better, a group of armed travelers seeking someplace to settle and join.

Foolish fantasies. A lord’s men were as likely to pillage as Trovar’s. Elbissian warriors were concerned only with hunting dragons, whether they offered harm or no. And armed travelers might kill the villagers and take the village for themselves rather than join peaceably.

Young Horace came running one golden day in the autumn to announce breathlessly, “They’re coming!”

Inada uttered a prayer under her breath and tipped a little vinegar into the dust as an offering. Then she strode out to supervise the half-yearly tribute. Bags of grains and dried fruit, casks of fruit wines and fish pickled or dried, racks of animal furs and smoked meats: they laid out what they had for Trovar’s men to take.

They watched the cloud of dust approaching. Then they heard the singing: raucous, bawdy songs, bellowed cheerily. And then Trovar, followed by his men, came out of the woods and strolled toward them. He was of middle height, compact with muscle, with a full beard and dusty clothes that had once been fine. He was quick to smile and he had a taste for pinching women’s buttocks and teasing them. In other circumstances, when she had been young, Inada might have laughed at such liberties even as she slapped his hands away. In these circumstances, at her age, such liberties were a veiled threat.

The villagers huddled in the square. Trovar’s men would wander through their houses, picking what they pleased, while their comrades watched the villagers and made sure no one had thoughts of rebellion. They would sort through the food. And then they would leave again, with their stolen bounty piled high on shoulders and the two pack mules, and the village would be left to face the winter.

Trovar strolled up to Inada and chucked her under the chin. “Inada. Lovely as ever. I swear, you look younger than you did in the spring! All that summer sun has you glowing.”

She looked at some point past his shoulder. “I am older, that is all.”

“Bah, you are younger! You’ve found some unicorn’s horn, haven’t you?”

He teased, she knew he teased, but the question sent a chill down her spine. If they had something precious and kept it back from him, the consequences would be unthinkable. “I have found nothing but more grey hairs.”

He clicked his tongue. “Really, Inada, you must learn to take a compli–Who by Batran’s balls is that?”

Startled, she turned to see what he was looking at. The villagers were parting, scattering, for the dragon. He strode through, gold eyes locked on Trovar. Smoke hazed the air behind him. “You,” he said, and his voice was a growl. “You take from them?”

Trovar snatched for his sword. “What is it to you?” he snapped back.

Inada backed away from him, huddling into Hella. 

“You are done,” the dragon announced. “Leave.”

The sword rang as it came free of the scabbard. Trovar was not a man used to denial. Trovar was a man used to force and to taking what he pleased. Trovar was a man who died by dragon flame, foolish to the end. 

The dragon did not waste time watching his ashes fall to the ground, as the stunned villagers did. He turned his gaze on Trovar’s men, lips peeled back from his teeth. His teeth were pointed, sharp: predator’s teeth. “Leave,” he said again.

They dropped what they held. They bumped into each other in their hurry to flee. The three archers among them made no efforts to string their bows or reach for their arrows. Empty-handed and silent, they scurried away while the wind blew their leader into the dust of the road.

Inada looked at the dragon and tried to think of something to say. Thanks, perhaps, or ask him what he wanted of them, or– But her throat stayed closed. The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air.

The dragon surveyed them, chin ticked up slightly. “I am Lord Cazadan Isvrayne, and this is now my village. You will build me a dwelling on top of the mountain, according to my specifications, and then you will build me a hosting house. I will not permit bandits or miscreants to harm you. Your village will thrive under my rule. Am I plain?”

Glances flickered among the villagers. There was a catch. There must be a catch. Why would a dragon choose to protect them for nothing more than the cost of building a home and a guest-house?

“My lord–” Inada began, voice wavering.

His gaze settled on her. “You are a tiny village,” he said. “Unimpressive. But I will make you thrive. My kind will see how well I can manage and protect, and your kind will see the benefits of my rule. The best of what you have will grow your village.”

“Yes, my lord,” she said, voice faint.

He nodded once. “Send someone up to the mountaintop with me to begin marking out where my dwelling will be. The rest of you, put this food away. The flies will get to it.”

And then he leapt and changed and sent dust everywhere as he winged away, heading for the mountaintop.

“What was that?” Hella whispered.

“I do not know,” Inada whispered back. “But…Jola should go to the mountaintop.” Jola knew much about building houses. Her grandfather had been the most skilled carpenter their village had ever seen.

It would be a month before the village understood what had become of them, a month before shock wore off and they settled into the mundanity of working for a dragon. In that month, they let themselves feel cautious joy over their sudden abundance. Old Horace spearheaded the efforts to weatherproof their homes. Inada supervised parceling out the food properly and setting the excess aside into stores. They might even have enough to trade in the spring, she thought.

It was a month before they all fully realized that they had become a dragon’s hoard, and that Lord Cazadan would protect them with his life.

[demifiendrsa]

South of Midnight | Official Gameplay Trailer

South of Midnight will launch for Xbox Series and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) in 2025. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

Title Logo

Key visual

Screenshots

Overview

About

From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third-person action adventure game set in the American Deep South.

As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and -if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home.

Key Features

A Dark Modern Folktale – When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world where reality and fantasy are interwoven, and ancient creatures from folklore emerge. In this coming-of-age adventure, Hazel journeys forth to rescue her mother and delves into a haunting web of folklore and family secrets, untangling her own identity.

Confront Mythical Creatures – Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry.

Haunting Beauty of the Gothic South – Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South.

[river-in-the-woods]

“Yin-Yang theory is based on the philosophical construct of two polar complements, called Yin and Yang. These complementary opposites are neither forces nor material entities. Nor are they mythical concepts that transcend rationality. Rather, they are convenient labels used to describe how things function in relation to each other and to the universe. They are used to explain the continuous process of natural change. But Yin and Yang are not only a set of correspondences; they also represent a way of thinking. In this system of thought, all things are seen as parts of a whole. No entity can ever be isolated from its relationship to other entities; no thing can exist in and of itself. Fixed essences are abstractions; there are no absolutes. Yin and Yang must, necessarily, contain within themselves the possibility of opposition and change.”

Ted Kaptchuk. “The Web That Has No Weaver.”

[talonabraxas]

THE EL ARE ANGELS “Mushrooms are the original angels. Angel in its oldest root of the word: messenger of Hebrew mal'akh and ancient English aerendgast. Root messengers. Weavers. Communicators. Sew dirt to plants, trees to trees. They hold ecosystems together like conversations, making sure every strand of chemical in question reaches their plant receiver. “Like angels are said to send messages from a higher realm, mushrooms connect us with messages from an even older prehuman paradise: the mythical underworld.”

[autumnmobile12]

Felt like sharing some speculation today:

All right, so we know My Hero Academia has the something of the same premise as X-Men in the sense that select a group of humans were suddenly born with powers, the whole 'evolution leaps forward’ deal.

We see in My Hero how the First Generation of people with Quirks, especially the ones who appeared non-human or semi non-human, were originally ostracized like the mutants of X-Men are, but then more people were born with powers and then more people had powers until it became a widespread phenomenon and ‘normal’ people became the minority and society had to restructure itself to accommodate the new normal.

But have you read The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black?

The plot is a 19th century doctor who theorizes that mythical creatures like the minotaur, harpies, sirens, and the like all existed millions of years ago but slowly interbred with humanity and eventually died out altogether.  So he believed that when someone was born with extra fingers, limbs, a tail or otherwise didn’t have the typical human shape, it wasn’t so much a mistake in genetic coding as it was the extremely recessive genetics of those ancient creatures trying to reoccur in the modern day.

...

Definitely an interesting premise, so now I’m wondering if the My Hero world has a cult, conspiracy theorists, or even some scientists/historians that have similar views regarding mythology.

If this whole Quirk thing happened back in the Stone Age where no one had the benefit of science or awareness of DNA, anyone born with an otherworldly power would have been worshipped as a deity. Or the ones born with a non-human appearance would have been reviled as monsters.

So following the idea of The Resurrectionist, maybe the sudden appearance of superpowers did lead people to take a closer look at the old myths and consider the stories of the gods/goddesses of old were originally stories of people with 'Quirks' who rose to power.  Humans with meta-powers ruled the world for a few centuries, then those powers inexplicably died off. For a variety of reasons or maybe unknown reasons, humanity lost that history but remembered the old stories and chalked them up to just myth until the powers that made it possible began to reappear full force several millennia later.

Some myths began as historical events but in being handed down hundreds of generations, the multiple tellings and retellings exaggerated them into the realm of impossibility.

Lightning/electricity powers:  Zeus, Thor, Hinon

Fire powers:  Hephaistos, Surtr, Hestia, the phoenix

Foresight:  Any seer, prophet, or oracle that appears in any myth ever

Ice powers:  Yuki-onna, Skadi, Morana

Water powers:  Poseidon, Chalchiuhtlicue, Anuket, Tlaloc

Plant-related Quirks:  Demeter

Gigantification Quirks: Giants, titans, nephilim

Ryukyu:  Is a dragon.  ‘nuff said.

All Might:  Herakles

Tokoyami having a bird head but otherwise appearing human is pretty reminiscent of the old Egyptian gods.

Hawks:  Any winged creature; take your pick.  Personally, the one that comes to mind for me is Hermes.  He only had wings on his sandals, sure, but the trickster archetype resonates.

Tsuyu: Naiads, nymphs, rusalki, any kind of water fae

Momo: Sedna (created sea life from her finger bones), Ukemochi no Kami (produces food from her own body)

Best Jeanist: This one's a bit of a reach, but the fabric thread thing coupled with the long, spider-like limbs kinda brings to mind the story of Arachne the weaver.

We do get a nod to Ancient Greek mythology with the prison Tartarus.  What better place to lock away beings with god-like powers than the prison of the Titans itself?

Obviously an incomplete list, but you see my point.

Personally, I'm leaning toward cultist ideology with this one as I find it hard to believe every civilization would have forgotten about a previous appearance of Quirks. But civilizations die off, civilizations are overrun by others and their histories are suppressed, maybe this hypothetical 'previous Quirk phenomenon' wasn't as widespread as the current one and so fewer people were affected and therefore fewer people were alive to verify the truth of facts, maybe this hypothetical time was from an age of oral history and nothing was documented properly, so not impossible just really, really improbable.

Still, I love mythology and I find it an interesting headcanon to think about.

[that-dreaming-dragon]

Archetropy

In some way, I see archetropy as embodying one's own symbolism. Or is it perhaps becoming a symbol yourself? To take on a role, to be in the framework, to embody or identify in some way with a archetype, trope. Compare to being something monstrous, or mythical, or celestial, to have a archetrope feels like to wholly embrace and live being something, and a bit more. It gets a bit fuzzy and there has been discussion of how having archetropal identity can share similarity to having conceptual identity. Yet, the distinction is there, for one is a solid identity, being it, or existing alongside it (conceptual alterhumanity), and the other is something more like symbolic or metaphorical relationship (archetropal alterhumanity).

If I were to say I have a solid relationship with orange or dream, I'd call those conceptual alterhumanity. For me, Mew, ninja, and Affinity Weaver (name pending) are the roles, archetype that I have, took on, or is already. They are not solid identity, but almost like a lifestyle, something that has a shape, a hole which I myself fill in.

In the case of Mew, it's the mythical, whimsical, cryptid nature of Mew. But it's also a sort of special side character in a game that isn't all powerful like the big L Legendary pokemon, yet it fills its own niche. The little mischievousness are also tied in, and a flavor of chaos. I am not a Mew, or identify with mew, but because of all these attribute that I have, my impression of what Mew is, the role Mew filled, which I myself have, Mew is a paratype-archetrope (or, paratrope) to me.

I feel like ninja is self-explanatory. This is definitely one of those chicken-or-egg situation. Is it because of my Naruto hearttype being a potential past life that I have this something with the archetype of being a ninja? Or is it something more generic, a past life outside of Naruto, which I'd suspect to be some sort of Japanese warrior, potentially a shinobi. And it's not just ninja, I have a penchant for stealth genre game, sometimes you are some sort of assassin, sometimes you are some thief. I guess ninja wrap those two up neatly into a single package.

What is Affinity Weaver?

It is something I already embody and live by. I have a self-made title, 糸編むの夢化竜, Thread-weaving Dream Dragon. The thread in question, currently English translation is much lacking and doesn't translate well at all, possibly due to not having such a cultural concept. I'm talking about yuanfen, Wikipedia translate it as "fateful coincidence", a concept in Chinese (and other Asian culture that has Chinese root, potentially Buddhist root) that talks of one's potential connection in life that was due to past lives, like a seed that's planted, a web that had been woven over centuries. I like to talk about it a lot in my earlier alterhuman community life, and I really wish to introduce the concept more in a more official setting, it is such a wonderful concept. Some may thought of only "fate" or "destiny", or even "soulmate", and they are all kinda touching a bit on the concept that is yuanfen. It's like trying to translate certain Chinese word into English, the complexity within a single or two characters is so difficult to express, even with a dozen English word used, it still can't really encompass the whole thing. Yuanfen is like that. I had wrote a bit on my view of how it is very prominant within alterhumanity, and just in general what it could be. I will transcribe it over to tumblr and dreamwidth at a later date, or write up a new one.

What I do on the regular, is that I connect others. If someone express a need for specific sub-communities, and I happen to know or are in them, I try to get them a invite into those spaces. Or if some folks share similarity, if not identical experience, I try to connect them to each other. Sometimes it is me learning niche word and to toss them at people should they need it, but that's something the community already do. Sometimes it's simply me sitting down with someone, and help them figure out their alterhumanity, in their appearance, or any possible way they connect to something. These all seem like something any community member does, but I'd like to think that I especially embody the role of being someone that Connects others. In a punny sort of way, perhaps that's why I enjoy and like Othercon and Otherconnect so much. Maybe I can jokingly call it a Otherconnect archetrope.

Really though, if English weren't the community's primary language, or if it were to be more accessible, I'd probably call myself a Yuan Connector archetroper. Or just have my title directly used, ("Fate") Thread-Weaver archetroper.

[antispopausandstuff]

my SPOP universe pt. 1 - character bios ( very long, i'm sorry )

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disclaimer // note - it'll be SPOP-focused, but i do take a 'few' things from the original show and implement them here.

preferred style(s) - ATLA // LOK, ROTTMNT, LMK ( s1-s4 ), Spiderverse, or Kill la Kill

( part of the reason for these styles is the VFX, battle coordination, and creature // environmental design, esp with vibrant media like Spiderverse, ROTTMNT, and LMK )

.

theme song - something akin to "The Call" by League of Legends or "The World That Ends in Three Days" by Koji Kondo, ROZEN, & Celica Soldream.

rating - PG-15 ( i'm not a writer for young children and don't handle things in a very kid-friendly way )

note - here's some gender // sexuality hcs of the characters, though it isn't all of them.

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established changes:

the runestones don't exist

the cast is 18+ unless stated otherwise

roles will be changed for plot relevance or sense ( for ex, neither perfuma, entrapta, scorpia, spinerella, or netossa are royals )

the first ones are not evil

mara and adora are the only she-ras

most ships will remain noncanon

there's no white people here, sorry

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cast ( pt. 1 ) . . .

Adora - Long Lost Princess of Eternia, Force Captain ( former ), Daughter of Hordak and Shadow Weaver, and She-Ra. 20 yrs old, 5'0, was abducted as an infant, from her home planet, and taught to be a solider for the Horde. raised by Shadow Weaver and Hordak ( it's separate care, not romantically coded ). unofficial caretaker of Catra.

she was raised to be very serious and no-nonsense like, always remaining calm and strategic in drastic situations to prevent the worst case scenario. due to this built-in stoicism, along with other factors, Adora struggles with interpersonal relationships and knowing her own sense of self, including what she is or isn't comfortable with ( such as unnecessary conflict ).

before She-Ra is even a possibility, the weight of the world was already bestowed upon her shoulders, and she sets on carrying out her duty to protect the world from those who wish to harm it.

beneath it all, however, Adora is a young woman who desires connection and peace. she secretly hopes for that to be her reward.

design would be inspired by Cal, Zav 1, Zav 2, Zav 3, and Fern ( blue guy ) by animatorroseoak, Midas by sleeepybacon, and with these details by me! outfit color palette would go from black and red to white, gold, and blue. just to clarify, though she is mythical, she'd still be afro-latino coded.

theme song - Song of Healing by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

-

Glimmer - Princess of Brightmoon, Daughter of Queen Angella and King Micah, and Leader of the Rebellion. 19 yrs old, 5'6, was raised by her widowed mother ever since she was an infant. due to her lineage, she is a demigod and will likely live longer than the average Etherian.

ever since she was born, Glimmer's powers were too great for her body to handle, causing her to lose control very quickly, especially when her emotions were heightened. Angella brought her to Castaspella, her aunt and the greatest sorceress on Etheria, to teach her control and balance.

Glimmer has always been a bright mind with an even brighter personality, striving for excellence and success, and has never let her misfortunes, whether it be her powers going haywire or a plan not going through, weigh on her. at least, that's what she shows to her people and mother.

but, on the inside, she is actually very insecure over her lack of understanding of her own powers, what her mother thinks of her, and how she can handle being future Queen. afraid of change and what fate could hold for her, Glimmer is avoidant of talking about her upcoming role to Brightmoon, seeing Castaspella again ( they haven't talked in years ), or taking a break from her leadership in the Rebellion.

design would be inspired by Ube by kleahvii, Mika by kienan_lafferty, Marlowe & Buwa by sleeepybacon. high focus on the astral theming, with minor details of the angelic theme. i imagine her with either pinkish blonde hair or black hair with pink and blue ombre streaks. her species would be a hybrid of elf ( Micah ) and chimera ( Angella ).

theme song - Termina Field by Koji Kondo & ROZEN

-

Bow - Guardian of Whispering Woods, Friend of Madame Razz, Best Friend of Princess Glimmer's, Son of George and Lance, and Co-Leader of the Rebellion. 20 yrs, 6'0, is a runaway from home after a particularly bad argument ensued between himself and his family. he is a pacifist and uses his archery to assist, not to cause harm ( or, at least, irreversible harm ).

his reasons for running away aren't exactly known, even to Glimmer herself, and he always gives half-truths or not-necessarily-lies to anyone who asks about his family and history. but he is very open about his beliefs, his current living situation ( currently resides in the Whispering Woods ), and how he feels.

as the Rebellion's mechanic and stealth strategist, Bow uses his technological intelligence and creativity to aid his allies. he's proven time and time again to be reliable, intuitive, and thinking of just about everything. whether or not that's a good thing.

in contrast to his secrecy, Bow is open-minded, well-meaning, and has a very strong belief in kindness. after living in the Whispering Woods on his own for a few years, and experiencing hardships unbeknownst to anyone else, he aims to be the example for others that people weren't for him.

design would be inspired by Jequ and Agnes by dewfroq, and Earth-42 Miles Morales in Across The Spiderverse. i think i want to make him a cyborg-type of character.

theme song - Goron Lullaby by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Angella - Queen of Brightmoon, Mother of Princess Glimmer, Widowed Wife of King Micah, and Angel of Etheria. 47(?) yrs old, 7'5, her exact origins are unknown, even to her daughter. some speculate that she was born from a star or moon, others guess she is from a different dimension entirely. the only one who even had an idea was the late King Micah.

benevolent, calm, and wise, Angella has been Queen for longer than she has been anything else. in some ways, she considers that a blessing. in others, she considers it a curse. accepting her fate decades ago, the pain has dulled enough to be barely noticeable.

though most don't know it, she has lived way longer than almost any of the Etherians, having experienced more than the Horde's genocide and eventual war. maybe even the universe beyond Despondos.

her abilities align, though not rely on, with the moons and stars, especially with specific constellations. but, as Despondos has a lack of those constellations ( and there are much less stars in the sky ), Angella has not reached her full power in decades.

it's only to Glimmer that she shows her true self, the self that is curious, easily endeared, and overall heartful and passionate, which is a stark contrast to the all-knowing, mysterious, powerful being that is the Queen of Brightmoon. because of this, her daughter has a hard time explaining to others that her mother isn't as stonewalled as she appears.

design would be inspired by Lucifer by fourleafisland, Sera by idolomantises, and Lifegiver and Sold Adopt Design by sleeepybacon. she is a flight-based chimera that has a lot of astral and angel theming, with her facial features obscured by a secondary, smaller set of wings.

theme song - Song of Time by The St. Louis Ocarina Trio

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Hordak - Emperor of the Fright Zone, Father of Adora, The 'Big Boss'. 55 ( appearance wise ), 6'7, his origins are about as unknown as Angella's. it's unknown if he even likes or dislikes to discuss it, as no one has dared to ask him about his life before the Horde.

having brought Etheria to its knees decades ago, Hordak is easily bored or disinterested in his surroundings, often indulging himself in sadism for entertainment. however, he does have a soft spot for his children, Imp and Adora, and finds enjoyment in their company.

when She-Ra comes around, he isn't all that irritated. in the beginning, at least. in fact, he's rather riveted by the new challenge. discovering her identity, however, made all the difference. now, he constantly has to pick between being a father and being an Emperor.

design would be inspired by Fei by cronchy_baguette, Jacks by par0llel, Unnamed OC by crazycomet107, and Miguel O'Hara Illustration by sairasays. his design would definitely be a mix of cyborg and beast, lots of predator and prey metaphors.

theme song - Elegy of Emptiness by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Shadow Weaver - Sorceress of the Fright Zone, Second In Command, Mother of Adora and Catra. 50(?), 5'11, was raised in the Crimson Waste, but ran away and became a student in Mystacor at a young age. after obtaining the dark arts, however, she was banished and considered a freak of nature. soon after, she was found by Hordak.

the 'freak of nature' title didn't leave, however. rather, Shadow Weaver had to embrace it in order to become immune, using her dark magic to protect and provide for herself and whatever or whoever she needs to succeed or gain power.

she keeps most, if not all of her relationships at arms length, paranoia and trust issues running deep. though this doesn't exclude her daughters, Adora and Catra, it's less so with them. even if it's for separate reasons.

after Adora turned on the Horde, this instilled Shadow Weaver's already unstable mindset and kicked it into overdrive. obsessive, aggressive, and erratic in behavior, she eventually becomes a danger to herself and others.

design would be inspired by Peter Pan & Captain Hook Illustrations by sairasays, The Heads and The Witch by kelpible, and Arek ( 3rd form ) by sleeepybacon. her design would be parallel to her life as Light Spinner.

theme song - Midna's Theme by Monsalve

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Catra - Cadet of the Horde ( former ), Force Captain, Daughter of Shadow Weaver. 19 yrs, 5'7, was abducted as a toddler and taught to be a solider, though succession rates are varying. she was originally born in a Kingdom, but her memories are limited and she's rather uninterested ( or unmotivated, it's not clear ) in finding out where she's from.

as she was raised by Shadow Weaver, Catra became an odd mix of codependent, lazy, defiant and aggressive, borderline sadistic, obsessive, and jealous, driving away most people, which only solidified her unhealthy relationships.

once Adora left the Horde, she was no better than her mother, in terms of mental decline, and it was part of the reason why she became Force Captain. unofficially speaking.

design would be inspired by Eralisto by animatorroseoak, Bacon 1 and Bacon 2 by sleeepybacon, Cairo by cronchy_baguette, and Elliot by spam0_llel. i like to think her design becoming more and more feral // unhinged as she develops.

theme song - Majora's Mask by Koji Kondo & ROZEN

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Scorpia ( Lynda ) - Force Captain, Ex-Warrior of the Crimson Waste, Sister of Octavia, Harbinger of Poison. 21 yrs, 6'3, a fighter with a tough exterior, but a gentle soul. once she gets to know you, anyway. in her time in the Horde, she has formed a bond with Octavia and knew of Catra and Adora, but hadn't met them personally until Catra becam Force Captain.

after running away from the Crimson Waste after killing the leader, Scorpia was recruited by Hordak for her strength and poison // paralytic touch. though, it wasn't exactly like she had a choice.

when meeting Catra, the two were at arms-length for a while, with Scorpia being a little off-put by the other's intensity in bringing Adora back. but, somehow, they eventually become friends. as much as they could be, anyway, considering the circumstances.

design would be inspired by Gora ( tall, dark-haired goliath ) by pen.lilixeesketche and Tora and Gabu by par0llel. i read up the original character's details and decided to have kind of a 'mish-mash' of the original and reboot ( not quite, though ).

theme song - Bolero of Fire by Giulio Capone

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Entrapta ( Es'Tra ) - The Fae of Entanglement, Lady of Dryll, Heart of Technology. Late 40s ( forgot specific age ), 4'10, works for the Horde as their technician, isolated and muted, but finds comfort in the Emperor's company. when he has time for that.

no one really knows why or how she got there, but it's evident that she's chronically exhausted and has a habit of becoming hostile with those who don't respect her space ( it's how she met Catra one on one ). when she's in a better mood, however, she's more likely to talk, but not guaranteed, and shows to always have more knowledge than anyone would expect.

in the rare instances she's completely happy, Entrapta is very friendly, engaging, and there's an increased percentage she'll share technology // technological-know-how with you.

design would be inspired by Bitten Lady and Faubron by animatorroseoak, Eris by boots.oc, and Remi by par0llel. lots of plant cycle symbolism in her environments and hair.

theme song - Song of Storms by ROZEN

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Double Trouble ( Rebekk ) - Diamond of Mischief, Multi-Mask, Fae of Deceit. Early 20s ( exact age is unknown ), 5'11, a busybody that absolutely hates the Horde, which helps them not give a damn about anything more than bare minimum privacy, and who also happens to be Glimmer's cousin, adopted by Castaspella.

when they're not busying spying on the Horde, Double Trouble spends time working on their own plays and shows or trying to play around with their peers, being a generally needy person that craves attention and validation. it's not hard to make them happy, though. usually, a simple compliment makes their entire day.

none of their family knows of their work, though. and they'd like to keep it that way.

design would be inspired by Rue by lizard_b.rain, Thraniavas by spidertams, Cantaluse by animatorroseoaks, and Original Character Animation by kelapabiru. a random design tidbit that doesn't really matter, i like to think their hair is dyed blonde, but they have brown // black roots.

theme song - Minuet of Forest by Giulio Capone

.

not all of the character biographies, not even close, but i'm currently working on pt. 2 as we speak, so that'll be out soon! probably will have a pt. 3 and pt. 4, though, there's a lot to go through.

thank you for reading! this and pt. 2 took forever.

[lloydfrontera]

a list of crimes bk moon has committed against me personally with the sequel in no particular order but you will Know which ones i feel more strongly about anyway:

javier smiling to himself and getting all nostalgic as he watches rakiel because he reminds him so very much of lloyd

like seriously this man cannot stop comparing the two of them and getting quietly happy because it brings back fond memories it is heartbreaking he literally has to remind himself to not get swept in sentimentality several times every time he talks with rakiel

and as if that wasn't enough damian and rakiel remind him so much of himself and lloyd that he ends up offering to help them without even thinking about it. like. he feels so identified with them, remembering how hard it had been for him and lloyd to go through that whole ordeal on their own that he just. tells them they have his support before he even realized what he's doing. he wasn't planning on doing that. good work on not getting sentimental babe.

when lloyd and javier are on a call planning how to defeat the demon king, despite the awful circumstances javier can't help but smile and then laugh at himself because no matter how terrible the situation is he still finds it enjoyable to prepare for something with lloyd like they used to do. "it was a feeling similar to a distant longing. or a joy that felt like going back to the past"

javier is pining so hard. like. it's insane.

AND HE JUST KEEPS SMILING SOFTLY WHENEVER HE GETS CONFIRMATION THAT LLOYD STILL HASN'T CHANGED HE'S STILL THE SAME PERSON JAVIER SPENT HIS LIFE WITH SOMEONE SEDATE ME

anyway

lloyd asking rakiel about javier. asking how he's doing. acting all nonchalant about it even kind of annoyed. and then once he's alone. sighing and then smiling faintly. "like the smile he used to smile at someone"

"'so you're doing well? i'm glad' a feeling that blooms for a moment. a memory that's suddenly missed."

i am. going to fucking explode.

and then. there's their actual face-to-face conversation. which. oh my god. i don't even know what to start with.

javier always saying "it's been a while lloyd-nim" no matter how long it has been since they last talked?? because any time at all is too long???

lloyd saying that if anyone hears him say that they'll think they're gyeonwoo and jiknyeo. y'know. the mythical forbidden lovers that live in different realms and can only meet when the stars align so to speak.

y'know. just casually comparing your protagonists to one of the most romantic and tragic couples in mythology. no biggie.

and again. javier smiling when he sees that lloyd is still just the way he was when they were together. hello. hi. can i help you.

lloyd knowing exactly how long it's been since they saw each other in person. down to the very day. "107 years, 7 months and 17 days".

javier getting really, really, really happy about it. about lloyd still being the same. and thinking that, maybe, lloyd feels the same way deep down.

lloyd being so very, very casual about saying "it's been a while so i'm glad to see you" very specifically calling back to the very thing javier says to him whenever they talk.

and then. and then javier. thinking as he sees lloyd leave. that it was really nice to meet him after so long. and that the sight of him leaving still felt the same as it did before. and wondering if those gyeonwoo and jiknyeo lloyd mentioned before felt like this too.

javier. comparing what he feels at seeing lloyd leave. to what the cowherd and the weaver girl felt at separating again.

bk moon i am crawling on your ceiling

anyway if this novel doesn't end with the barriers between hell and heaven falling apart so lloyd and javier can spend the rest of eternity together instead of helplessly pinning over the other and reminiscing over the lifetime they already spent together i will throw someone off a bridge <3

[cryingpariah]

So here's a funny twist of fate, Monty's mother Isabella's family is from Dressrosa. They're blacksmiths who left the country a few decades back to expand their business throughout the New World, which is how Isabella came to live on Gospoll Island (a combination of Goshawks and Redpolls, both birds who live in snowy environments as a nod to Swallow Island where Law and Corazon's story came to a heartbreaking end).

Isabella doesn't pretend to understand everything about 'genetic memory' or the full extent of the evil Doflamingo has spread both as a warlord and as Joker, but she's a very intelligent woman and knows that because of that her son probably isn't going to be welcome in Dressrosa for quite some time. Maybe years.

So she teaches him what she can about their ancestral home, speaks to him in the native language and tells him to be kind to any little fairies with fluffy tails he meets.

They along with Richard, a weaver by trade, live a life very similar to the one Kyros, Scarlet, and Rebecca lived and she has no idea how ironic that is.

It’s by no means a simple life, it can’t be with a cybernetic child to raise, but it’s a good life. There’s wide open areas for Monty gets the zoomies and the townsfolk consists of mostly old folks who adore having a child around to dote on and cheek pinch to their hearts content.

Isabella tells tale after tale of Dressrosa's fiery beauty and Monty eats it up almost as quickly as he does her signature Paella! The people there sounded so fun and passionate! (Maybe a little too passionate if those rumours about stabbings hold water). He flies around the forest looking for little mythical friends he could make! He even brought some snacks to share, there’s no need to be shy!

Richard being a weaver means the two spent a lot of time together as Richard teaches Monty all manner of loops and hitches that he can incorporate with his Devil Fruit! His first project comes out a little lopsided but Richard wears that scarf proudly every day!

(There was one time Monty came back home so excited his back flame was sparking nonstop. He launched into a dramatic reenactment of his time near the riverbanks where he saw a ghost! An oddly friendly one too! He looked…kinda familiar funnily enough but before he could put a name to the apparition it disappeared.)

[arielskylanddefender]

Ariel dark form have two forms one is the negative emotion another is dark version of herself, ok I have draw them before this is after a event of little nightmares the dark wood or the dark islands I have made a Au about it of mythical creatures, spirits and of course monsters any sort of kind like werewolves and vampires.

She’s well used her dog to track down unknown survivors and tried to hit them with her claws or her dagger, she’s also turn in to a giant centipede to go underground to spot next to ciphers or the exit gate as a the centipede, then as a spider half grasshopper she’s we’ll do is through webs any passage it’s like the soul weaver,

I did my best to draw them they are gonna be like three mask if nerf is necessarily.

I really hope you like her and no I’m the art story that she’s not going to be corrupted like nightmares and others whose been controlled by the dark crystals

[khulthuskaotika]

Lammas Labyrinth 2022, Part 1

Some footage from our interactive Labyrinth installations at Le Chalet Crepuscule in the Ardennes forest, Belgium. If you would like to participate in this year's Lammas Labyrinth (9th-11th August 2024), please see www.crossroads.wild.net.au/lammas2024.htm for all information and program. In this immersive and interactive ritual theatre, guided by the Three Fates and the messengers Hermes and Iris, participants meander through elemental mazes, hearing various live instruments according to the element they have spun upon the Wheel of Fate, and interacting with mythic characters along the winding Way of webs woven through the woods. Clotho, the Spinner of the Three Fates, gives them their threads, which upon reaching the centre are woven together into the webbed skirts of the Hekate Trimorphe statue (sculpted by Orryelle) as Lachesis, Weaver of Fates Three. On this particular Lammas (2022) She was in zoomorphic form with heads of horse, snake and fox. She has since returned to having fully human faces...

[paranoid-throwaway]

The Fallen King

So, I just started a new fort, and in the first wave of migrants was one of the most unique dwarves ive ever seen. Firstly, he’s a necromancer, which ive never had before, and he’s also a high master weaver. But whats really crazy is that he’s the ex king of our civilization, and in fact was its original founder in year 1. So i immediately had to go into legends mode to figure it out. So in year 1 he founds our dwarven civ and its mountainhome, the next few decades is just him participating in competitions and winning all the time. Then, another historical figure shows up, and starts beating him at the competitions. Its a dwarf necromancer, who became obsessed with mortality and found the secrets of life and death by venturing to the underworld. Over the decades, the two face each other many times in competitions, and eventually become friends. Then suddenly, in the year 103, the necromancer tells the king the secrets of life and death. They both immediately leave the civ( i wonder how this went down. It seems dwarves lose noble status upon becoming necromancers. Did he abdicate willingly to devote himself to the dark arts, or was it a huge scandal and he was forced off the throne?) and either found or join a dark tower. the ex king becomes the original necromancers apprentice, and takes an apprentice of his own. Over the next century, their group goes to war with the dwarf civ the king founded, and it seems eventually they get conquered and incorporated back into the original dwarven civ. Over 200 years since establishing our mighty dwarven civ the ex king shows up at my fort, in the first migrant wave, arriving at my fort located in a haunted biome and within a days travel of a necromancer tower. 

Not really sure what to do with him now, I’ve never had a necromancer citizen before. it seems the haunted biome i’m in is non reanimating, so there’s plenty of potential for him to start raising undead. Should I lock him away? try and turn the entire fort into invincible zombies? I’m kind of tempted to proclaim him the baron when the time comes and have him ascend the ranks and retake his position through years of intrigue and betrayal. He didn’t have kids or a spouse, so the monarchy passed to a different line. Such a crazy story though, the literal mythic hero and founder of a civ is corrupted, goes to war with the kingdom he founded, before being totally defeated and rejoining it as a lowly weaver, secretly plotting his revenge. Once we get a sheriff he’s getting interrogated immediately.

There;s also two ways to see the kings conversion to necromancy. Were the secrets of life and death and their accompanying transformation forced upon him unwillingly, in an effort by the original necromancer to weaken the kingdom? Is he a tragic figure, forced to turn against the kingdom he created but now despises him? Or was he corrupted, a once noble king turned to greed and evil, betrayed by the insidious necromancer who pretended to be his friend?

[my-my-my]

Loved your answers to the meta hcs on Aizen. Any chance that you can include more? Thanks!!

Sure! I feel like many of these are hcs several others also share, so it may not necessarily be new, but these are things I think about when it comes to him. He's a complex character imo, and there are so many tidbits I like to overanalyze haha!

I also apologize because this isn't very meta - but more of a word dump about how there are little references that add to Aizen's complexity (even if it's from me overanalyzing everything lmao).

This is incredibly long, so thank you to those who take the time to read this! I really appreciated how responsive people were to my last meta post, it means a lot.

I apologize for not replying to comments (I can't on this account), but it truly means a lot that people also feel similarly about Aizen!

👓 NAME 👓

I'm not fluent in Japanese AT ALL, like super basic, rudimentary skills, but I'd like to think Kubo put thought into the names of his characters.

Let's breakdown his last name: Aizen (藍染). I think many common assumptions is that his name is tied to the god of lust and wisdom (Aizen-myoo) but the kanji is completely different from that mythical figure (愛染明王).

The kanji in our Aizen, represents indigo dye. It also shares the same kanji as a Japanese-native psychoactive mushroom (Psilocybe subcaerulipes [藍染芝生茸]).

I find indigo an interesting colour. I always saw it as leaning towards blue, but other times I've seen it lean towards violet. In a sense, it blends between the two - you can interpret this as how Aizen blended between being a wonderful captain, to a murderous traitor of Soul Society. Or going even further, an excellent and skilled shinigami, to an even more powerful, dangerous transcendent being.

Indigo dye, purple, deep violets, etc. are family of colours perceived as royalty in historical Western kingdoms - what did Aizen want to do? Become the Soul King.

Aizen's own reiatsu is depicted as being a violet colour.

In Japan, the shades of indigo have a different meaning: benevolence/virtue (again, this is where you can interpret indigo as more blue or more purple). He saw killing Tosen, attempting to kill Hinamori, etc. as "benevolent" acts (even if his perceptions are deeply skewed). He was also known to be a virtuous captain before his betrayal. Here is a link to traditional Japanese colour theory.

This is more of a stretch, because the likely reason the psychoactive mushroom has the name "Aizen" in Japanese is because it bruises into an "indigo" like colour, but again - psychoactive mushrooms cause hallucinatory effects. When you're tripping, your senses are deeply affected.

There's something to be said about tripping on shrooms. From personal experience, you want someone you trust, to be sober and watch over you, you want to be around people you trust, etc. This is from the concept of "set and setting" - your emotions are deeply affected by shrooms. The hallucinatory properties of kyoka suigetsu deeply affected many people's emotional responses. Aizen, who would be the "sober" one, is untrustworthy and pushed people further into his hypnosis until he undid it, leaving many mentally scarred for a time being (Hinamori). This is also a massive risk when taking psychoactive drugs.

Another way to see interpret his name is that it could be a reflection of his family's status. Many cultures, historically, had names based on family's main occupation. Indigo dye could be interpreted into many facets: were his family merchants? Were they silk weavers? Indigo is a very difficult colour to create, so it would be expensive - it could be a fair assumption that Aizen grew up comfortably, but still very, very far off from the nobles.

This could explain how Aizen understood the meaning for birthdays - as even Hitsugaya pointed out, being in Rukongai 1, birthdays were not important. Again with Aizen, you can interpret him as being knowledgeable about everything, or it could reflect that he grew up in an environment where birthdays were celebrated, making him "better off" than those in all of Rukongai.

You can interpret that the association of his family having some mercantile occupation, giving him insight as to how the noble families operated, and him growing his disgust towards them. "These people rule over Soul Society? They're complete idiots." or something of that effect haha!

On the other hand, there are similarities between Aizen, the god Aizen-myoo, and divinity.

Within the Japanese Monarchy, there are 3 items tied to it and the royalty's associated godhood: Kusanagi (sword); the Yata no Kagami (mirror); Yasakani no Magatama (jewel). KS represents both the sword and mirror - the hogyoku represents the jewel. Aizen held both at one point in the story, but were "destroyed" - thus stopping him from reaching the royal palace ("godhood").

The hogyoku was revealed to be a "wish-granting" item, which is very similar to the "hoju" in Japanese Buddhist mythology. There are certain gods and goddesses associated with this jewel: Kannon (who is the figure in Urahara's sword/bankai); Jizo Bosatsu (Mayuri's Ashisogi Jizo) and Aizen-myoo. It could be that Kubo wanted Mayuri to also be involved/have a connection to the hogyoku too!

Both Aizen and Aizen-myoo open their third eye, associated with beings of a higher consciousness, spiritual awareness, and enlightenment.

Aizen and Aizen-myoo can be seen as foils in their depiction, aside from having similar sounding names. Aizen-myoo's skin is flushed red, while his hair is wild and unkept - which is tied to passion, rage and lust - raw emotion. Aizen Sousuke is the opposite, his skin is stark white (devoid of passion), his hair is slicked back (composed). He's controlled in his emotions until Urahara seals him in bright red seals. His hair also becomes wild!

Another thing about Aizen-Myoo: he is the patron god for many occupations, one of those are trades relating to fabric-dyeing, going back to the indigo aspect :).

So Sousuke/Sosuke, as Kubo wrote it is: 惣右介

The 惣 represents:

A historical term for rural, self-governance (and what did Aizen want to do again…). Specifically referring to the "Muromachi period". Interestingly to note, this period is where Zen Buddhism flourished, especially in the arts (like calligraphy!!).

右 represents "right-hand side" (as in "turn right at the corner") 介 for being "concerned with one's self".

Sousuke/Sosuke is a popular Japanese name, which adds another layer to Aizen's deception. His name is very common, almost like he's an NPC - he's so innocuous in the world of Sereitei. Mild-mannered, disciplined, refined, he doesn't stand out too much, but enough to be recognized for his work ethic.

At the same time, I'm not taking too much stock into this interpretation of his meaning :). For example, Kisuke (喜助) also has the same suffix in romaji (-ke), but different kanji associated with it (介 vs 助).

🪞 🌸 🌊 🌙 KYOKA SUIGETSU 🌙 🌊 🌸 🪞

I'm not doing a breakdown on the idiom kyoka suigetsu represents (as there are countless, and better explained posts breaking that down better than I can). What instead I'm bringing, is how kyoka suigetsu is a tool to show how ambitious and focused Aizen is. This section is very much thanks to this Reddit post and additional "research" I wanted to know more about lol!.

One of the most prominent books on swordfighting, strategy and warfare in Japan is "A Hereditary Book on the Art of War" written by Yagyu Munenori in 1632. This book is split into three arches: 1) The Killing Swords; 2) Life-giving Sword; 3) No Sword.

In this book, Munenori breaks down the same idiom kyoka suigetsu represents, but ties it to sword fighting.

Munenori takes the idiom "moon in the water" but equates it as the moon's ability to instantaneously cast its reflection on the water's surface, and how a warrior must do the same.

A warrior must be able to "see" far ahead, like the moon, and "cast his reflection" (killing strike, his ambition) on where he wants to go, just like the moon reflecting on the water. His ambition will guide his "body, hands, and feet", thus without ambition, your physical strength is useless.

To be able to utilize their ambition and physical strength effecitvely, the warrior must be focused and disciplined. Aizen (prior to his loss against Ichigo and Urahara), exhibited a lot of Zen values/attitudes, even in his fighting.

Munenori also discusses that the warrior, who is able to mimic "the moon reflecting on to the water", must be unreadable, mysterious, to his opponent - the opponent should be confused on when to strike (the warrior's "inscrutable sword").

What Munenori states as "body, hands, and feet" is just knowing/being able to read your opponents

"Sickness" isn't the literal physical ailment of being sick, but in the Zen meaning of "being free of fixations".

Zen teachings explain that true freedom comes from "freeing the mind of fixations without losing concentration, attention, or control". Aizen's own focus is an great example of that - his ability to make near perfect illusions is not a testament to kyoka suigetsu, but of his own mind.

Aizen was constantly focused on the "present", while being very aware on what he needed to go "further ahead". His ability to continuously wield his strength/reaitsu, with his high intelligence and tactical mind, made him probably one of the strongest enemies Soul Society ever faced. We can argue that Aizen's "fixation" on being the Soul King led to his downfall.

Combining this, kyoka suigetsu is powerful because Aizen is the one wielding it. Even Gin said so himself, it's not KS that's powerful, but Aizen - his focus, his ambition, intelligence, etc. make him fearsome. Applying Munenori's tactics to Aizen's own sword fighting ability, also adds an additional appreciation of Aizen's immense strength.

🤫 APPEARANCE 🤫

This is a shorter section lol, but Aizen having glasses as part of his attire is a very deliberate choice imo. It's pretty much the same reason the protagonist of Persona 5 wore them:

it creates an "unassuming" appearance; Aizen appears as a non-threatening, and ✨intellectual✨

Without his glasses, he has a intense, even menacing stare. I'm sure the students at the Soul Academy were curious to see what he looked without them, but they would probably be very intimidated if they saw him without his glasses.

Shaggy, almost unkept hair, gives a sense of approachability.

I think Aizen was very aware about how he looks/is meticulous about his apperance. His disguise as "Lieutenant/Captain Aizen" had to be very believable - he was deliberate in how he presented himself.

Even in a modern AU setting, I can see Aizen having a wardrobe that leans towards timeless, classic pieces, and pieces that avoid him standing out. He is an observer, and he also likes to take people by surprise. Maybe the nice, cashemere sweater he's wearing, costs $500 haha! Something like that.

It's not that he cares what other people think of him, but he has goals he wants to achieve, and showing is "true" self, will not yield him that reward. He's aware that he can further his agenda by playing into the hands of how the public treats and reacts to him.

👩‍🔬 🧑‍🔬 👨‍🔬 SCIENTISTS 👨‍🔬 🧑‍🔬 👩‍🔬

Aizen, Urahara and Mayuri are the three (in)famous scientists in Sereitei. I would also argue Shutara Senjumaru of the Royal Guard also deserves a spot for that, so I'm going to include her in this as well.

We see that Mayuri and his sword, if you were to "categorize" what science he fell under, it would be "toxicology" which is more chemistry and biology driven. Mayuri is focused on poisons, their effects, and his tolerance/immunity to them. Urahara on the other hand, would be biological engineering. He also invented the hogyoku, as well as the untraceable gigai, and many other tools. His bankai is also representative of anatomical dissections, which is pretty prominent in many applications of biological engineering.

Shutara would be associated with materials science since she created the Shinigami uniform, which has built-in defense properties. She also created the Shutara scale to detect hollows and their frequency (again, dealing with the material, physical world).

Aizen on the other hand? Neuropsychology. His powers and skill are focused on the person's brain/mind and soul. He's skilled at reading people and observing them - to the point in strategizing and using their emotions for his own plans. I mean, there's even a whole subset of how psychology can be used in warfare...

WOW. This was massive. Thanks again for those who read this!!