#THE SCHOLAR. files

[haresvoid]

Mind Flayer ge.nitalia under the cut + some ideas

Illithid se.xual organs are a trait often up to debate- whether they have them or not the first one, and those that discover they do (or some do) debate reason. It could be something that simply has yet to be bred out with evolution yet when tadpole creation was different or a trait from hosts kept, or something else entirely.

Organs are completely hidden on pelvis, all internal and so finely knitted one would not be able to see an opening.

The network of the two organs can be adjusted as necessary- for example, turning the external one into a means for egg laying instead of requiring internal sex for that.

The cilia was likely a means for gripping and holding at one point, but is not developed enough anymore for that- due to lack of need

It is sensitive unsurprisingly.

Fully prehensile

Only two openings, and as said can be connected if necessary. Mind Flayer have no need for other openings one would find in similar anatomy, and don't have much need for more than one but again that has not been phase out.

[eldritchborn]

I wish to talk about Omes Elder Scrolls verse for two seconds

A rogue seeker, owing no allegiance to Hermaeus Mora anymore or any Prince for that matter.

Its residence is the College of Winterhold (cause I feel its fitting adjacent to the Society of Brilliance). I like to think it was summoned by a student at one point, and from there either request to be or bound itself to an object such as a ring so it didn't return to oblivion. Has much more interest in observing Nirn actively then just reading the knowledge kept within Apocrypha.

Quiet but kind, generally keeps to itself but does aid where necessary.

Has exposed the fact seekers are capable of speech, because it does speak to others when the need or interest arises. Uses telepathy, much like original mind flayer canon.

Tends to favor either the Midden, the Arcanaeum, or the Arch-Mages garden; of which it enjoys taking care of.

Also lil drawing I did of what it looks like:

[mindfoster]

More just a general illithid hc and not just an Ome one, but through discussions I've decided that sexual reproduction used to be a manner of which illithids procreated before the parasitic one was more prosperous- however under right conditions the recessive evolutionary trait can work.

I'm sure theres also some elder brain propaganda in there too with wanting fully formed parasitic born flayers over offspring that more over need care cause then connections can be formed and potential positive emotions which aren't beneficial for them. So this trait remains a secret

[mekammin]

i know "the field where i died" says otherwise but the ideal reincarnation au is just regular mulder and scully shifted backwards in time. scholar son of a locally influential gentleman throwing rocks at the convent window going "Sister Daena... ready thy credulity... yea, for i hath witnessed once more the flight of the celestials" and she would slam a big ass leather bound bestiary down in front of him and say "t'was naught but an owl, ghastly in visage but in troth as natural and right as any God's creatures" and the episode would end with mulder contemplating the Spheres while an we see an owl perching in the convent garden until a creepy grey hand curls around the branch and the owl takes off. fade out. x-files theme on the lute

[singeart]

@mytardisisparked and I have been going feral over what I've been calling the "everyone lives and is okay forever au" or, adoption au for short lol, where Scully adopts Emily and Gibson (to better protect him) and Mulder becomes their father figure -- it's the besties raising children together to found family pipeline <33

did this spread to study how to draw the kiddies and included a lil scene we were talking about, where Gibson gets overwhelmed at school from hearing everyone's thoughts so they go chill in a quiet corner of the playground ~

[mytardisisparked]

Almost Enough

As Scully faces the end of her battle with cancer, she writes a letter.

Read on AO3

Mulder,

I don’t want to write this letter. It’s not the first that I have written, as you well know, but those were letters I never intended for you to actually see. I no longer feel any kind of certainty that this one will remain unread.

I probably shouldn’t have told you that. I see the way you search my face during your visits to make sure that I am still fighting, that I still have hope. I am still fighting, and I will continue doing so, but I know, deep in my heart, that this is a losing battle. I see it in the doctors’ eyes. I hear it in my mother’s voice. I feel it in the treatments they flood into my veins. 

And yet, I still feel hope in the way you hold my hand. In the way you press your lips to my knuckles and forehead. In the way your eyes still hold mine so steadily, even as my family and my care team struggle to maintain eye contact.

I know I look like Death. Her icy visage has become mine; it has sunken in my eyes and cheeks and paled me to the point of ghastliness. It has taken the shine from my hair and left me bruised and weak. I no longer look like myself. I don’t expect anyone to feel comfortable around me. But still, you hold my thin hand and smile into my deathly face and kiss my hollow cheeks. 

Regardless, if you are reading this letter, none of that matters. This letter is only to be sent to you if I am gone. 

I know you believe in ghosts. I still don't, really, but I hope I haunt you all the same, in the right ways. I hope there is a small voice within your conscience that sounds like mine, telling you not to throw yourself to the wolves. I hope it warns you of when your passions are edging you towards something dangerous. I hope it protects you when I can't.

Every night, when you inevitably look up at the stars and wonder what might be looking back at you, I hope you know that I am there. I will always be there. You do not need to search for me. You do not need to chase the truth of where I have gone and who took me. 

Death has taken me, but I am always with you. Within you. Around you. I am the soft light cast by the lamps in your apartment. I am the sugar in the iced tea you drink on long trips. I am hanging on the wall behind our desk. I am tucked away in the filing cabinets between the pages of medical reports and autopsy diagrams. I am reflected in the glasses you wear when your head aches from reading. I am loaded into the gun that you rarely ever fire outside of the range. 

Please be careful, Mulder. Please don’t chase every shadow by yourself. Please find a way to live on and live well. 

Go get dinner with The Lone Gunmen. Go tell my mother another funny story from a case. Go meet new friends and love them in that wholehearted way you always do. 

And please, above all else, know that I have loved you.

Scully 

—

Her fingers shook as she folded the letter into thirds, tucking it away into an envelope. She swiped a finger under her tired eyes before reaching to the stand beside the hospital bed for her pen. 

She was halfway through writing his name on the front in big, swooping, slightly shaking letters when she heard his voice outside her door.

Quickly, she stuffed the envelope and letter under the comforter, putting a smile on her face and hoping that the dark circles under her eyes would be enough to hide her earlier tears. 

He walked in with his usual smile and a bag of what smelled like pastries in his hand. 

“Morning, Scully.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. She folded her hands in her lap to keep from fidgeting with the concealed letter. 

“I brought you something.” He smiled widely, brightly. It colored the pale walls of the hospital room as he reached into the bag and pulled out a huge, chocolate donut.

The smile on her face became genuine. “I don’t think I’m allowed to have those.”

“Actually,” Mulder pulled the serving tray table over to her bed and laid a napkin out on it with all the gusto and grace of a proper English butler, “I spoke with your doctor. It took some bribery - and, maybe, a little shaking down - but he said you can have this donut as long as you split it with me.” He laid the donut on the napkin and took out a plastic knife, cutting it in half.

She tilted her head at him, fondness washing over her. “Mulder, are you lying?”

He looked up, his gaze solid, unwavering. “No. I wouldn’t do anything to put your health further at risk.”

She swallowed hard as he turned his attention back to the donut, cutting her half into smaller bites. After a moment, she reached out and took his hand.

It was sticky from the glaze, but warm. He was always warm. He looked back up at her, a question in his eyes that soon faded into understanding. His lips drew into a soft, almost-smile and he squeezed her hand.

Under the sheets, she gripped the letter tightly, its cool pages and hard edges digging into her palm and fingers. It wasn’t enough. How could mere words ever be enough?

She squeezed his hand harder and hoped he would feel everything there that the letter did not contain. Her fingers tried to will an imprint of this memory into his skin and mind that would last longer than her own life. 

He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles without looking away, and she felt certain that he would not forget. 

It would almost be enough.

[mrhyde-mrseek]

Similar to how I made moodboards for SMS, I made some for the Case Files characters!

There’s a LOT, so this’ll be split into multiple parts. First, we have the Order of Peculiar Mortals and Other Such Figures:

Clara Holmes

Dr. Watson

Jonathan Harker

Adam Shelley

The Time Traveller

Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde

Griffin

Allan Scholar

Ichabod Crane

[tennessoui]

would it be annoying or fun for y’all if I were to write a “choose your own adventure”/“vote on what happens to the characters next” fic vía tumblr polls?🫣🤔

[fideidefenswhore]

It may occasion considerable surprise to learn that a leading biblical scholar of the era offered his opinion in favor of Henry VIII.

[awkwardnoob]

I really liked Cody/Gordy as a character in the OG awol, so I thought it was great that he got an upgrade to bachelor, but I'm about to do my second play through and hmm, where'd the blue feather go? Oh would you look at that, it's in Molly's hands again. Interesting.

Molly is my all time #1 fav bachelorette in the entire damn franchise. I can't marry anyone else while she's an option T_T

[haresvoid]

I do think it's very funny the idea that Omeluum just this chill mind flayer scientist that wants to help others, but to illithids they are a menace to society since birth. A mind flayer sorcerer who escaped the elder brains control, made a ring to hide from other ones, aids with extraction of tadpoles when possible and wanted, and has a book that's basically "fuck the (brain) government, religion is fake, it's time for revolution".

I additionally like to add the hc that since sunlight is a minor annoyance to mind flayers and not an actual like deadly thing to them, Ome walks around in it when the society moves to surface places to research instead of requiring night travel. And this little info tidbit makes that better

Mind flayer version of bathing in blood by choice

[eldritchborn]

It throughout the timeline of this verse does change its name, deciding Om.eluum no longer fits it and instead changing it to Aphrungolt- meaning loosely "The Barbed Tendril", "The Thorned Tongue", "The Spiked Limb"- any of those or various alts of those fit.

Using a hc I talked about that Absolute born illithids are hybrids between ulitharid and normal illithids, and the ulitharid genes can be triggered under certain conditions, Aphruns condition was eating the brain of a ulitharid that caused its ire. This caused unexpected metamorphosis, and the colony as desperate as it was and just by the nature of having no other head latched consciousness to the newly changed Ome.

It tried to resist but due to coercing and overstimulation its brain eventually shut down, making it more malleable and giving in

It became hateful and resentful, proving to be a cruel leader to the colony.

Initially it is Lawful Evil with an interest in twisting illithid agendas- one major way is its Grand Design being a "peace by force" plan. Though it can later become Chaotic Evil, it's interests purely on its own desires and actions born out of resentment becoming those eliciting sadistic pleasure.

Even after resentment becomes enjoyment most of its victims are other illithids. It also only eats illithid brains

Experimentation and self experimentation are not uncommon, and one resulted in its partial elder brain-ification where it keeps most of its ulitharid body but still has mental and physical properties of an elder brain

It is unstable and by all accounts mad

Also sketch I never finished of it

[mindfoster]

I know I said I'd wait till I finished the drawing but I wanna talk about evil!ome au before my mind hyperfixates elsewhere:

It throughout the timeline of this verse does change its name, deciding Om.eluum no longer fits it and instead changing it to Aphrungolt- meaning loosely "The Barbed Tendril", "The Thorned Tongue", "The Spiked Limb"- any of those or various alts of those fit.

Using a hc I talked about that Absolute born illithids are hybrids between ulitharid and normal illithids, and the ulitharid genes can be triggered under certain conditions, Aphruns condition was eating the brain of a ulitharid that caused its ire. This caused unexpected metamorphosis, and the colony as desperate as it was and just by the nature of having no other head latched consciousness to the newly changed Ome.

It tried to resist but due to coercing and overstimulation its brain eventually shut down, making it more malleable and giving in

It became hateful and resentful, proving to be a cruel leader to the colony.

Initially it is Lawful Evil with an interest in twisting illithid agendas- one major way is its Grand Design being a "peace by force" plan. Though it can later become Chaotic Evil, it's interests purely on its own desires and actions born out of resentment becoming those eliciting sadistic pleasure.

Even after resentment becomes enjoyment most of its victims are other illithids. It also only eats illithid brains

Experimentation and self experimentation are not uncommon, and one resulted in its partial elder brain-ification where it keeps most of its ulitharid body but still has mental and physical properties of an elder brain

It is unstable and by all accounts mad

In iteration with @illithilit Blurg they are an awful power couple (I can talk more about them in a different post hehe)

....may be pursuing godhood

[blackjackkent]

More explorations through the parsed dialogue files. The nymph in Sharess's Caress (the one whose Fist client turns into a mind flayer) offers you a "moment of ecstasy" in return for saving her life - and apparently there are some character-specific dialog options for all of the origin characters (minus Lae'zel and plus Minsc) regarding their deepest desires. And I'm kinda having a lot of feelings about it.

Naoise Nallinto: The all-being. Here, there is no suffering. Here, you want for nothing. Here, you are anything. You have one word. Tell me: what will you be?

DARK_URGE: Sane. Naoise Nallinto: You are sane. Time dances on in sequence, the winding path of time evens, and becomes straight. With a quiet head, you can once again hear the song of the birds and the wind in the grass. You pluck a flower, and it does not bleed.

SHADOWHEART: Whole. Naoise Nallinto: You are whole. Within and without, free from expectation and the crushing burden of solitude.You are the entirety of you. Every path outward leads to adventures yet unknown. Every path inward leads to dreams eternally fulfilled.

ASTARION: Safe. Naoise Nallinto: You are safe. The winds of fate blow you to the warmest of hearths in the most cordial of inns. Your seething passions lead only to pleasure. The touch of the sun comforts your flesh, but never burns it.

KARLACH: Alive. Naoise Nallinto: You are alive. Your senses vibrate with sensation - smell, taste, touch, sound, sight. All alert to the beauty of now. The sound of your heart - your heart - beats a steady rhythm: Hello, hello, hello.

GALE: Wise. Naoise Nallinto: You are wise. The erudition of the ages flows through you and from you, illuminating the scholars who seek your counsel. You know yourself, for such is the beginning of all wisdom. When souls would drink the waters of learning, you are their font.

WYLL: Free. Naoise Nallinto: Then be free. You are an eagle, the most divine of messengers, soaring above the peak of Mount Sundabar. No man or woman, no devil or demon, no goddess or god dares confine you within one border or one creed.

MINSC: Minsc. Naoise Nallinto: Er - you are Minsc. You are the most Minsc. Wherever you go, there is only Minsc. Every step, every breath, every thought shall be - the Minsc-est. (DEVNOTE: Confused but making it work.)

[euthymiya]

You believe in soulmates. Alhaitham does not. It’s not as though he loves you any less for his beliefs, but he certainly doesn’t entertain your baseless theories.

You’re determined to change his mind.

“What would you do if we never met?” You ask, staring up at him with your cheek pressed against his chest.

He glances down at you, sighing as he shakes his head. Here we go, he thinks silently. “I probably wouldn’t do anything, considering I wouldn’t know you existed.”

“You wouldn’t be sad?” You frown.

“How can I be sad about something that I don’t know exists?”

“Well, you could know of me,” you insist, “just because you don’t know me doesn’t mean you don’t know I exist.”

“In that case, I probably would not do anything,” he snorts. You don’t like that answer, glaring up at him as he adds, “I wouldn’t know what I’m missing if we never met.”

“You’re a real romantic, has anyone ever told you that?” You grumble. There’s a vibration of his chuckle through his chest, right under your cheek in a soft, rhythmic feeling that you’re so used to, you think it might be familiar from another life.

Over the course of the Akademiya’s years, there have been two prominent theories that have been debunked about soulmates:

1. The law of conservation of mass-energy states that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed—but only transformed. When a person dies, their body decomposes, breaking down into atoms that return to the earth, air, and water. These atoms then get recycled by nature, eventually becoming part of other living organisms, thus reincarnating from their previous life forms. It is possible, then, that two individuals could fundamentally be linked to reincarnate together from the same set of atoms in every lifetime.

It was later debunked by a scholar named Lamiya. Atoms themselves don’t retain information about where they’ve been or what they’ve been part of. They are interchangeable at a fundamental level, which means there is no difference between an atom in a human and a rock.

2. The heart and brain generate electromagnetic fields that extend outward from the body, with the heart’s field reaching several feet. Studies suggest these fields may be sensed by others nearby, subtly shaping feelings of comfort, attraction, and connection. It is possible that certain individuals’ frequencies may naturally align, creating a sense of harmony between electromagnetic fields, thus indicating that two individuals are naturally connected and could be labeled soulmates.

This theory was later disproven by a scholar named Dharmakirti. While human bodies do generate electromagnetic fields, there is no evidence that these fields influence interpersonal attractions or emotional resonance. Fields produced by the heart and brain are exceptionally weak and rapidly diminish with distance, making it unlikely they could be sensed or create harmony between individuals in measurable ways.

They fascinate you enough that Alhaitham pulls strings to allow you access to the archived files, but it doesn’t go unnoticed by you how he scrunches his nose in distaste as he sifts through them himself.

Soulmates have no plausible evidence of existing, he argues.

Lots of things have no plausible evidence, yet they exist, you always argue back.

You like to think despite all the differences, you and Alhaitham are soulmates—that some form of you, outside of your physical bodies, exists for each other and each other alone.

You think it must be the case when your eyes seem to find his in a crowd without even trying. What are the odds that in a sea of people, they always happen to come across his by chance? And what other explanation would there be for the way he always seems to just know you’re staring at him while he sleeps every morning, waking up not too long after your eyes fall on his face in admiration? And how else would you rationalize the fact that you could tell his presence apart from anyone. You’re certain that if two bodies were standing behind you from a distance, your heart would know which one belonged to him.

Soulmates, you argue. That has to be the answer.

“I think we were always meant to meet,” you murmur quietly, tracing a finger along the pale skin of his chest. “Don’t you?”

“We’ve shared numerous classes together and have offices within within the same hall,” he states blandly, “I think the chances of not meeting would be rather improbable.”

“Or maybe,” you huff, “we were always meant to meet because we’re soulmates.”

“I think that theory has been sufficiently disproven—”

“You never know! We believe in the divine even if we’ve never seen them, haven’t we? Who’s to say Celestia aren’t fake—”

“The Archons have spoken of them multiple times, and The Gods, in fact, do exist for us to see, so I think we can trust—”

“Maybe Celestia decide soulmates,” you reason, raising a pointed brow at him, “how will you disprove that? There’s no evidence that they haven’t, and you can’t collect much evidence about them, so I think it’s safe to say that it’s possible.”

“But then it’s equally as safe to say it’s not possible by that logic, as well,” he says smugly.

“Fine,” you huff, glowering up at him through puffed cheeks, “I guess you’re just too stubborn to convince.”

“I’m not stubborn,” he argues (which he does quite stubbornly, you want to say), “I apply logic and reasoning to my theories. Which is why they are hardly disproven.”

“Do you at least think we’d be soulmates in another world if they did exist?” You ask hopefully.

He looks like he wants to argue about the likelihood of another world existing altogether—it irritates you enough that it pulls a frown on your face before you grumble a quiet forget it, shuffling out of his arms and turning away to face your back at him.

He chuckles, shaking his head. Something fond blooms in his chest, like a fresh padisarah in May.

“If,” he emphasizes as his arms wrap around you from behind, pulling you flush against his chest once more, “if in another world we existed where soulmates were real, then yes. I do think it would be you and I.”

“Really?” You ask quietly.

“Yes,” he whispers. Suddenly, he sounds rather sure about a theory he never even believed in the first place.

“I wonder what we’re doing in that other world,” you hum thoughtfully.

He sighs, bringing the blanket back up to cover both of your bodies and mumbles, “I would hope we’d be sleeping at a reasonable hour before a work day.”

—————

Stay tuned for them being soulmates after all in another world *wink wink* ;)

[gomdoriboos]

scully googling stem cell therapy in iwtb... babes pubmed has been available to the public since 1996 don’t do this to yourself