#Worship Culture Crew

[banquetwriter]

୨୧ Le hannon ୨୧

pairing: Legolas Greenleaf ♡︎ fem!Reader

warnings: ୭̥⋆*｡ readers hair is described as dull and shaggy but mentions nothing of color, cut, or texture so it can apply to anyone. legolas is described as being inhumanly tall and is taller than reader, but reader isn’t necessarily short, if you squint reader is implied to be ok the chubbier side. sex and love making, OOC legolas bc this is my first time writing him

summary: ʚ body worship ɞ

Words: 2703

A/N: AHHH ME WRITING OH MY ??? i’m getting outta depression yalllllll

It was easy to feel inferior next to the prince of Mirkwood. It was easy to feel less than next to any elf. They held themselves highly, unable to simply die of any mortal ailments. Their flowing long hair whipped around as they jumped from tree to tree with such an agile nature it seemed as if the rules of gravity that burdened so heavily on your human frame did not apply to these extraordinary creatures.

They are also such strong scholars, their views and sense of other cultures and worlds seem lightyears ahead of any knowledge you could hope to possess. And the elves of Mirkwood do surely know it. How they turn their nose up to you at any given chance, the snide remarks.

You were only human. You had jagged and dull hair. Your body ached with germs and grew tired of simply existing. The mind you possessed was not so easily tuned. You weren't as quick on your feet, often taking longer for each task. Your skin was damaged, it was not soft or beautiful, it was raw.

It felt embarrassing to be seen next to such beauty. Although Legolas never embarrassed you once through his words. In fact, he had never commented on your physical appearance since the day your path intertwined with his.

He would ask about your skills in healing animals and other creatures, your traditions, and your livelihood. On your lighter days, you appreciated not having any comments to make your mind spiral out of control.

On other days you wanted nothing more than for the tall and pale elf to get down on his knees and worship you. To have his manicured hands grace every part of your skin and heal you. Not with medicine or words but with touch. His finger gingerly fucking you until you don't have any thoughts to overthink.

You sat in your guest room of the palace. You suppose you were sitting better than some elves being so close to the king and the prince. Your company needs a break from traveling, the prince suggested his home as the perfect one.

The aforementioned prince was currently taking a stroll down memory lane in the evening hours as the rest of his crew was sleeping (or trying to in your case) his Elven body did not need to sleep so he walked. He was reliving old memories, some good, some bad. He was also thinking of you, so maybe that is why as he strolled around he found his feet bringing himself to your room.

Legoland found it odd at first that he drew towards you. You were not like most women he knew, you were loud and unafraid. Drinking just as much as the men, not worrying about yourself as much as you worried about your friends and loved ones. You were a sunshine that warmed his heart like the first heat of summer.

By gods you were beautiful. Inside and out. A soul so worthy of love Legolas found himself dreaming of you night after night. The curve of your legs, the roundness of your tummy. It was a miracle to be blessed with you.

He surely couldn't wake you if you were letting sleep pass through you. Maybe he should just check to make sure you were settling in alright. Mhm yes, this is what being a good host would do. He held his slender fingers up to your door, his golden rings glistening in the moonlight and candle-lit hallways.

He knocked with his knuckles a few times against your door before bringing his hands down and massaging them, attempting to calm his nerves. “W-who is it?” you asked clearly startled.

Your eyes bored into the door in front of you as your heartbeat began to beat so violently against your rib cage it was hard to hear or see anymore. “It's me, your favorite prince.” you hear the familiar voice jest.

The words don't come out quite as smoothly as he wanted. You didn't seem to notice his anxiety. “I'm only in my dressing robes, not proper clothes,” you shouted back. It felt silly, all the time you had spent with Legolas, all the wounds he saw on your body, to now be so proper with him.

Then again it probably didn't feel that long to the elven prince. Maybe you were just a blip in his long years. “When has that ever bothered me?” he shouted from outside your door once again assuming this was an invitation in.

You gasped slightly as he walked around the door and his eyes fell on you. Poor Legoland now understood what you had meant. These weren't just any dressing robes provided by the elves. These were man-made dressing robes. Almost entirely sheer.

He has never seen in you something so overtly feminine… not that he minded either way. Gender was almost entirely irrelevant to him. Your face was raw. You had been crying. His giddy face fell with the sight of your fallen state.

Ignoring your basically exposed body. He joined your side, “Why are you crying?” he asks as his weight pushes the bed down beside you. Your mind races with awful thoughts.

All of them seem to get a little better as Legolas’s hand and arm reach around your shoulders. Your emotions drain any chance of resisting his affections. Your head falls on his slender shoulder. “I know that I as a human will never compare to the beauty of an elf,” you whisper, your lips dry and raw from wiping your tears.

“I don't think that to be true-” Legolas' comment doesn't reach your ears as you continue. “But even amongst humans, I'm nothing special. Am I so undeserving of love?” you ask as your tears are unable to drip anymore.

“How dare you speak so unsavory of my dear companion,” he says in a joking manner. It doesn’t help. Clearly, this wasn't going how he wanted to do this. “I shouldn't jest, tell me, what bothers your heart,” he asks, rubbing your shoulder with his thumb.

You roll your eyes in response, shying away from his touch. “I want to lie in bed with you, Legolas,” you confess. Now he really knew not to joke after hearing such words. He felt a jump in his lower belly, a feeling he was more than familiar with.

“I want your hands to cherish every part of my body, your beautiful fingers exploring every part of my figure. My body burns for you, and I am unworthy of such fantasies.” your words way heavy in the room.

Tension thick as your eyes avoid his gaze. Your eyes shifted looking at the ground as he watched you like a hawk. His pants get tighter as he learns how badly you need him.

It was in moments like this that showed how young Legolas truly is. His body turned into a limp servant for your every desire. It was time to do what he had been dreaming of doing to you since he laid his eyes on you.

His hands found the sides of your face as he shoved his tongue into your mouth. His elven tongue makes quick work of showing you just how completely and utterly enamored with you. When hands found his hair deepening the kiss the elven prince moaned into your mouth.

He pressed his hips into you as you slowly lay down. “Your body has never left my mind. Every curve and scar and stretch mark makes my elven blood turn to the hottest fire…” he confessed. His diligent fingers slowly remove your sheer dress. Your bare body is being revealed.

You waited self-consciously as the prince eyed your body down properly with no film to hide you. His face morphed into a pink that went from pointed ear to pointed ear.

“You are a light in this dark world. I have always found myself drawn to you as if you are the arrow to my heart's bow," he whispered to you as he pulled away from your eyes to move all the way down to your thighs.

His soft mouth sucked and bit on every available place of skin available to him. You moaned lying back. “Never speak so lowly of yourself again or I can assure you I will have some choice words to share with you dear,” he said stern but soft as his teeth grazed your exposed body.

“Legolas please I need you,” you whispered. His pleasant teasing was well… Pleasant but it left you a desiring ache in between your legs.

This wasn't your first encounter with something of this nature. Far from it but you had a sneaking suspicion this was going to be different. “As you wish,” he smirked deliciously, standing up.

He gingerly rid himself of his clothes making sure to show off his figure to you. He didn't need to. He was beyond beautiful. Lean muscles decorate his chest and arms. The low glow from the candles behind him illuminates his blonde hair. Your eyes trail below his skinny waist.

Where he was decidedly less skinny. You do not know the average size of an elf but by human standards, your dear prince far exceeded even a dream of what he would look like.

He must have seen your eyes widen ever so slightly, as he smirked again. “You seem nervous, Meleth Nín,” he says, his voice oozing confidence. Not in the slightest concerned. “You are very beautiful, my prince. Very beautiful indeed,” you whispered the last part, eyes dropping to his hard member.

In that sacred space, the once cold room now feeling warm, the blonde elf knelt before you, not as a prince, or as an elf but as a devoted friend and possible lover. "Let me honor you, not just with words, but with every fiber of my being. Estelio nin,” he said getting closer and closer to your exposed and dripping cunt.

“Legolas,” you whined, narrowing your eyes. He seemed to humor you, his long tongue taking a stripe up your cunt. Your eyes flutter shut as you arch your back. You feel him hum against you as he continues to ravish your cunt slowly making sure no part is left untouched.

His slender fingers grip into the plush fat of your thighs. His cold rings add a welcoming sensation. “Oh gods,” you whispered, feeling your finish slowly approach as he made out with your sex. Legolas didn't say anything, simply humming against you again making you tingle all over.

Suddenly his pale hand went from digging into your thigh flesh to using his manicured thumb to rub gently but quick circles on your clit which only pushed that so-desired feeling further. “Can I please? I need it please, my prince.” you gasped out the pleasurable feeling flooding your veins.

“Have your release, use my tongue to guide your pleasure.” he nearly whispers against you. Oh and use him you did. It was a short 30 seconds later as you felt his tongue hit just the right spot, your legs shook before your pleasure overwhelmed your senses and you barely recognized Legolas lapping up your juices.

Your eyes flutter open to see Legolas crawling on top of you, his hard leaking member brushing against your stomach. The sight itself was enough to have you wanting even more. Instead, your prince’s right hand found its way to your jaw.

You tasted your own self and his tongue as he nearly replicated what he was doing moments ago with you only higher up this time. “Are you ready to feel how beautiful I see you are? How your body overtakes my Elvish mind?” he asked, pulling away from your mouth and whispering down into your ear.

You don't reply so shocked at every sensation you feel. “I know you're nervous but there is no need to be,” he purred. “My tongue has gotten you ready enough Meleth Nín, it should only hurt a moment. Are you ready?” he asked, dragging his hand up your body, cherishing it like it was a beautiful statue.

You nodded, keeping your eyes trained on him. “Words my human love.” he reminded you, his finger brushing your cheek. “Yes I'm ready,” you whisper.

In the next few moments, you can only remember the feeling of his length stretching you out. He was right it hurt for a second but as you took deep breaths and relaxed it started to feel less painful and more full. A good feeling, his hand locked with yours, his forearm just above your head.

He pushes in and out so gently. He is talking to you or maybe just to himself but you can't quite hear him over the feeling of your bodily organs rearranging. Your wanton moans fill the room.

“Le annon veleth nín,” he whispers to you, you aren't sure what it means but it must mean something to him as Legolas has removed himself from your lips as he is now bucking into your hips with his forehead resting on yours.

You feel the sensation burning through you again, and your Elvish love must have to for he was whispering rapidly in Elvish against your skin. “Le hannon… Le hannon.” he was saying. You couldn't hold on anymore, your hands found the back of his neck as your walls fluttered around him.

The cause and effect of your body accepting his love caused his release as well. He curses as you feel his seed spurt onto your walls. It doesn't take long for his rapid breaths to catch up to him as he sits up from being on top of you.

He pulls out as slowly as he can to not hurt you any. His attempt mostly fails as you whine from the loss of feeling. “I know I know I'm here for you, right here. Let's go take a bath, my beautiful ok?” he asks, pinching your side.

You giggle squirming away from him with a smile. You were beyond exhausted. Legolas disappears for a few minutes before returning, picking you up with zero hesitation. His elven strength almost quiets any insecurities you may have.

He places you in a wooden bathtub filled with warm water and herbal remedies for all your aches and pains. Legolas slips in behind you, at first he just slowly kisses your neck letting you relax before taking some soaps and washing your body and hair thoroughly.

Each body part he scrubs he made sure to tell you just how beautiful you were. It helped of course. But healing scars like this aren’t going to take just one magical night with an elf prince, no matter how badly you wanted that to be true.

After you were body washed and rinsed Legolas helped you and your shaky legs into a very nice robe. He sat you down on a chair in the ginormous bathroom. “Wait here I will return in a moment,” he said gently.

And wait you did before he returned clothed. He helped dry you and applied the softest moisturizer ever to your skin. You could perhaps get used to this. Before leading you to the bed which he has changed the sheets and blanket of.

An outfit similar to his was placed on the bed in your size. He helped you get dressed again, sliding his hand up and down your body. “You have never been and never will be less than anything but desirable. You must understand that if we are to begin courting,” he told you to lift your chin with his hand.

You look down shyly at his words. “Why didn't you tell me this before? Why am I hearing of your affections just now?” you ask sitting on the bed. “A beautiful woman doesn't need to be told that she's beautiful. For you are so much more than your body, you have an excellent mind as well. That's what I chose to speak about. Out of respect for you.” he said, joining your side.

It made more sense now than it ever had. Still, it was going to take a while for these unwanted feelings to deplete.

[eggluverz]

Ooh, I loved your IL Dan Heng request where he realizes that Reader is no longer around and flips quickly trying to find them out of sheer anxiety that those who still hate Dan Feng would take out their hatred and vengeance on them.

I actually want to try and request fem!Reader getting attacked by a group who just want to hurt Dan Heng through attacking his beloved. But his beloved is no damsel in distress, and fights them off, extremely angry that they are attacking her to hurt Dan Heng for a crime he is not guilty of and finds it pathetic that they continue to hold a grudge against someone who has long passed, not adhering to the Vidyadhara laws that Dan Feng’s sins have been washed away. She tears into them, defending Dan Heng with everything as she beats their ass in an emotional rage with tears that’s only stopped because Jing Yuan has to prevent an Incident from happening even though he would gleefully let her continue beating them down.

Reader is upset that they want to hurt and cause Dan Heng pain. She could care less about them trying to torture or assassinate her.

But Reader still gets injured much to Dan Heng’s guilt and anguish and he blames himself for what happened after he arrives at the scene when he sensed that something was wrong.

Reader proceeds to reassure him that none of it is his fault.

SHOULD’VE BEEN THERE

PAIRING. dan heng x f!reader

CONTENT WARNING. swearing, reader gets slightly injured and is bleeding, mentions of blood and cut wounds

WORD COUNT. 2,317

SUMMARY. you and dan heng are exploring the xianzhou luofu and you get surrounded by a group of assassins who want to hurt you to get to dan heng. you decide to teach them not to mess with your partner. 

SOF’S NOTE. hihi!! thank u for liking my something shiny this way comes fic :3 sorry this took a while to get out but i still hope u enjoy!! badass reader was fun to write ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ she a cool bean ! LOL ty for the request xx

The Imbibitor Lunae Dan Feng wasn’t exactly known for being a beloved figure. Like many infamous individuals of history, there were some who hated him, while others continued their almost unnerving worship.

At the Xianzhou Luofu, the opinions of the general public were mixed and even carried onto his reincarnation. Some would rather have Dan Heng return to the position of leadership, while others wanted him gone from the very land his past life once considered home. 

And while Dan Heng thought it’d best to separate himself from his past, he did see the value in learning about the culture and history of the Xianzhou as well as the Vidyadhara. As his partner, you were simply glad he wanted you along during the times he felt the need to revisit the Xianzhou Luofu or indulge in their delicacies. 

You accompanied him in enough instances that some of the vendors even knew the two of you by name and what your favorite orders were. It wouldn’t have been a surprise it some locals were familiar with the two of you as well.

Today, you both decided to explore the Xianzhou Luofu separately in the morning, and then meet up late afternoon for a meal together. You wanted to try this tea spot in Aurum Alley you hadn’t heard of before. The tea was said to, somehow, make the consumers feel really good and it intrigued you enough to want to go with Dan Heng. 

However, your plans of wandering around and enjoying some time alone was cut short when a group of individuals suddenly appeared around you. 

You startled at the sight. The must’ve been been using cloudhymn magic for you not to notice their presence at all until they revealed themselves. After the initial surprise, your body instantly relaxed as you prepared for a fight. Judging by the looks on their faces’, it didn’t seem like they were friendly fans of the Astral Express crew just looking for an autograph. 

Plastering a smile on your face to turned to the man closest to you. “Can I help you guys?” 

He scowled but remained wordless, feeling like he was too important to speak to the likes of you. 

You frowned. “It’s not very nice to ignore people.”

“Since when did we say we want to be nice to you?” another group member scoffed, already drawing his blade. “Dan Feng’s whore.” 

Murmurs and grunts of agreement sounded from the rest of the group.

Sighing, you placed on hand on your hip and your other on the shaft of your spear. You had many issues with that sentiment. One, you weren’t a whore— You were his partner. And two, if you were a whore, you’d for sure be one only for Dan Heng. Not this old, dead man named Dan Feng people kept going on about. 

“I’m getting a little annoyed here, but I’ll give you one chance,” you said calmly, trying not to lose your patience. “Leave me alone and I’ll pretend this never happened.”

“Or what?” one lady chimed in. 

With a huff, you quickly scanned the circle of people. The group wasn’t too large; there were only about four individuals around you with their weapons now at the ready. You reckoned they must’ve had some skill, given they were able to use the cloudhymn magic typically practiced by assassins, but you were confident you could hold your own and knock them out by yourself if you needed to. 

You tapped your foot and pursed your lips. “You don’t want to know the or what.” There was a mocking laugh to your side and you quickly turned to him with your eyebrows raised. “Is something funny?”

He nodded. “Yeah. You’re not scary at all.”

“She’s just as pathetic as that sorry reincarnation of Dan Feng,” another snickered, nudging your back with the hilt of his sword. 

The woman in front of you shook her head, looking down at you. “No one is as pathetic as that traitor.”

Anger surged through you at his words. Dan Heng was so much more than Dan Feng’s reincarnation. He was his own person— A strong, kind, intelligent person at that. And he wasn’t pathetic. In an instant, you knocked the sword out of your ambusher’s hands with a swift kick and pointed the blunt end of your polearm at the woman who insulted him next. 

“You want to say that again?” you scowled, prodding her shoulder roughly in warning. 

When you moved your weapon, the man behind you swung his sword at your side and you just barely managed to dodge, the blade leaving a long cut across your upper arm. You flinched at the sting but ignored it. You felt small drops of blood begin to roll down onto your elbow, but you sensed the cut wasn’t deep enough for you to be truly concerned. It was nothing compared to what you would do to them if they said one more negative thing about Dan Heng. 

They could hurt you and call you names. That you didn’t care about; you could handle yourself. Sure, you might cry a little after the event took place, but when it came to it, you could hold your own. But when they continually kept insulting Dan Heng, you knew you had to put your foot down. 

Your partner, your beloved, has been through enough shit without having random strangers who didn’t even know him talking behind his back. This particular group even went as far as trying to harass you simply because of your association with him. 

You wouldn’t stand for it. You couldn’t— It hurt your own heart just hearing them badmouth him. 

Red flooded your vision as you glared at the group with your weapon in a readied position, “You only need to look in the mirror if you want to see what pathetic truly is. No need to bring Dan Heng into this.”

The group matched your stance and you rolled your eyes before swinging your polearm in a low sweep to knock two ambushers to the floor. Before you could use your weapon correctly and strike the next assailant, a booming voice sounded from your side. 

“Now, now. If we’re going to resort to violence, please do it away from the innocent civilians nearby.” 

The group of assassins around you straightened up in an instant at the sound of Jing Yuan and the marching Cloud Knights behind him. 

While you were half relieved to see Jing Yuan, the other half of you wanted him to go away so you could enjoy beating the shit out of these idiots who insulted Dan Heng. That would certainly teach them not to spew nonsense about things they did not know. 

The group silently disbanded and disappeared as they ran away, trying to avoid the clutches of Jing Yuan’s men who were soon on their heels. You frowned at their cowardly escape. They couldn’t even stand to face the lawful consequences of their actions? 

“As much as I would’ve enjoyed seeing your execution of justice, I don’t think Dan Heng would want to see you potentially get more injured,” Jing Yuan said with a small smile. “They are assassins, after all.” He examined your arm from a distance before walking up to you and offering a hand. 

You accepted, looking down at your bleeding arm with a slight wince. “They barely even nicked me…”

Jing Yuan shook his head, a fond look on his face despite his chastisement. Before he could sterilize it for you, you two spotted Dan Heng running over. His spear was by his side and his expression was frantic as he ran towards you. 

“Y/N! Are you alright?” called Dan Heng, his breathing heavy partly from physical exertion, but mostly from worry. “I saw Cloud Knights tracking down some people under the influence of cloudhymn magic.” His brows furrowed as he finally reached you and Jing Yuan, most likely remembering his last encounter with assassins using the same technique. “Did you see them? Are you okay?”

Jing Yuan glanced at the guilty look on your face before giving your arm a squeeze and nodding once to Dan Heng. “I shall let the two of you continue this conversation alone. Until we cross paths again.”

Your eyes widened at his quick goodbye. “Hopefully our next meeting will be for better reasons. Thanks, Jing Yuan!” 

“Don’t mention it.” He turned to Dan Heng before he left. “Stay safe and vigilant, Dan Heng.” 

As he walked away, you noticed Dan Heng scanning every inch of your body, eyes clouded with anxiety as he took in Jing Yuan’s words and the cut on your arm. 

Silence stretched between the two of you before he finally spoke up. When he talked, his tone was unsettling. “Who did this to you? Was it the assassins?”

Your gaze softened as his fists tightened in concern. “Yes,” you admitted, gently putting his hands in yours as you ran your thumb over his knuckles. “But I’m okay, they didn’t hurt me.”

Dan Heng looked at you in disbelief.

“This just needs to be cleaned and bandaged, is all,” you reassured with a small smile. “I’m sure the bruises I left on them are worse.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“But I’m okay,” you said, soft but firm. 

You gazed stubbornly at him and Dan Heng returned the look, neither of you backing down. Eventually, Dan Heng sighed, squeezing his eyes shut at the sight of the bloodstain on your shirt. 

“I’m so sorry, Y/N,” he said with an almost imperceptible quiver in his voice. “I should’ve been there for you.”

“Hey, don’t say that.” You frowned, lightly cupping his jaw to lift his head that had fallen to the floor. “You’re always there for me; I know it.”

“Not enough, apparently.” 

Dan Heng’s complexion was paler than normal. You could tell this was really eating him up inside. 

“You couldn’t have known I was going to get ambushed by cloudhymn magic users,” you said, trying to console him. “If you did, I know you wouldn’t have left me alone. But you didn’t know, and so I did my best to handle them myself— And I would’ve kicked their sorry asses for insulting your character if Jing Yuan hadn’t stopped the fight.”

Dan Heng’s expression softened at that, a hint of an amused smile forming on his face. “They would’ve felt sorry for trying to harm you if they knew of your skill, that’s for certain.” He reached out to hold your forearm in his hand, examining the cut with a sigh. “I just hate that you got hurt because of me.”

You shook your head at his wrongful connection. “I got hurt because of the idiot assassins, not because of you.”

“Didn’t they want to harm you because of your relation to me?”

“Yes, but that just means they’re delusional and stuck in the past and wanted to hurt us both,” you reasoned, watching carefully as Dan Heng pulled a first aid kit out of your bag and began to clean you up. “You did not hurt me, Dan Heng. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

He let your words sink in as he sterilized your wound, rubbing the sensitive skin on your inner forearm soothingly as he sensed you tightening up at the sting of pain. Once he disposed of the bloodied cloth, he wrapped a bandage around your triceps and secured the ends. 

You admired his work with a proud grin. “Good as new. Thank you!”

Dan Heng released a huff of laughter as he patted the top of your head before kissing it.  “I wouldn’t go that far, but I hope it will heal soon.” 

“As long as you kiss me daily to make the wound heal faster!” 

“I’m not sure that’s how it works,” he mused. You poured and he looked at you fondly. “For you, I’ll give it a try.” Dan Heng placed three kisses on your face—one on your forehead, one on your left cheek, and one on your right—and one kiss on your bandaged arm. “If I give you multiple kisses a day then, will it heal even sooner?” 

You nodded eagerly, gesturing to your mouth with a teasing glint in your eye. “Definitely! And there’s one place to kiss so it’ll heal the fastest.” 

Dan Heng smiled. “I believe I know the place you are referring to, but we’ll save that for when we’re in private.”

You jutted your bottom lip out and batted your eyelashes at him. “Just a little one?” 

He wasn’t much for excessive public displays of affection. You were rather embarrassed by it yourself. But in this moment, it felt as if it were just the two of you on the entire Luofu. 

Unable to resist the pleasing look on your face, Dan Heng humored you with a chaste kiss on your lips. It was plush and warm and, while the two of you wanted more, it was enough to satiate you for now. 

“Is that better?” he asked. 

“Yes.”

“I’m glad to hear.” He took your hand in his, carefully interlacing his slender fingers with yours. “Thank you for looking after me, even when I’m not there. I’m glad you have my back. I will always have yours as well,” he vowed. “I’ll always be here for you.”

As the promise left his mouth, you knew each word was one he meant from the heart. Dan Heng meant the world to you, and you would stop at nothing to protect him. And you knew he would do the same. You saw it through his actions, and now, he told you with his words. 

Your stomach warmed and your heart squeezed, feeling touched by his declaration. 

“I know you will,” you stated, a confident shimmer in your eyes as you met his headstrong ones. “And I will always be here for you, too.”

[ezrazone]

also like. i don’t have this fully articulated in my head so i’m kind of just working it out here. bear with me. but part of the “mission” of the amc iwtv show is to repair anne rice’s text, right? to respect what works and to let new things fill in the gaps where the text is, um, lacking (see: violently racist and misogynistic). and i would say that the show so far has been successful in many regards - ldpdl is an actual Black character. credit where it’s due. jacob’s here to stay. but ultimately a show that is deferent to anne rice’s estate and to the power of amc’s money is ultimately always going to be in service of antiblackness because antiblackness is the blood that oils the machine that allows television shows to make millions of dollars. plain and simple. that kind of TV money in a capitalist state does not exist without imperialism, without slave labor, without genocide, without eradication of indigenous people and their lands, without the dehumanization of black people. so there’s just never any such thing as keeping your head down and just being grateful a show is less racist than the racist book being adapted. i guess i just don’t believe in “fandom” anymore because to be a “fan” is to accept a level of subservience to capitalist forces protected by intellectual property law and ultimately normalizing of empire that i just do not fucking believe in and it does not suit the needs of fans who are the most ostracized time and time again by these white supremacist fan communities regardless of the alleged anti-racism in a given text. that anti-racism can only ever be symbolic in a pre-revolution context. the least we can do, since amc is not actually keeping our lights on, is to engage with the text and all texts as bravely as we can muster, including releasing this fucking false idol worship that makes IP holders into gods. fuck anne rice and her genius brain. she was a racist wretch who hated to share so much she blew up half of her own “fan” communities. idk man i dont think it’s a coincidence that the fans with the most concentrated hitler particles seem to be the ones with the most access to the cast and crew. antiblackness gets you really fucking far in this world. gives you access to material resources. replicates the lie that power is the most important quality in any artist, and that to love a text is to want to rub up against the chosen few who are involved in this legal iteration. you think those fans will give a fuck about jacob anderson when he’s no longer under amc contract? these old modes of popular culture worship will turn to sand in the dustbin of history full of white louis funko pops amen

[victoriadallonfan]

Not to claim Godzilla x Kong was a deep film, but credit where it’s due, it has by far the most respectful portrayal of indigenous people in all of the Kong films.

This is not a high bar and I’m NOT saying it’s the pinnacle of progressive film work, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Spoilers below, of course.

For those of you who haven’t seen any of the older Kong films outside of the Monsterverse, the general plot beat is that a wealthy businessman/philanthropist/greedy asshole goes to Skull Island to find something new to make a lot of money (film for the OG/Peter Jackson and Oil for the 70’s film), and comes across a tribe of “barbarian” natives who kidnap the beautiful white woman whom they sacrifice to Kong, whom they worship.

It’s such a cliche that even Peter Jackson does it in his 2005 film (and it’s possibly even more racist than the older ones):

As you can see, there is a very familiar pattern

The Iwi tribe of the Monsterverse is handled very differently

In Kong: Skull Island, it actually does try to play into previous viewers perceptions; we meet the Iwi as the protags stumble upon their village ruins and are surrounded by. Tension is tight, and it looks like it’ll be a repeat of the previous films… until the character of Hank Marlow arrives and diffuses the tension entirely, revealing that the Iwi have been generous and caring hosts to him.

And yes, while they do worship Kong, it’s not out of fear, but rather that Kong protects them from the hazards of Skull Island. The Iwi are the ones who help the crew get a working ship and aid them in escaping the island.

This is followed up in Godzilla vs Kong, where we tragically learn that a massive tropical storm (I think implied to be due to King Ghidorah hurricanes) sank the entire island and left Jia as the sole survivor of her tribe, saved due to Kong protecting her from the rising floods.

Kong and Jia are then seen as a near inseparable duo, further twisting the “beauty and beast” dynamic of the previous films, making it more about how they are both alone except for each other. Kong even learns sign language from Jia in one of the best movie reveals of the series:

It’s even Jia who is able to give Kong the morale boost to save Godzilla from Mechagodzilla.

And then we get into Godzilla x Kong. Kong and Jia, while having a new home, still feel isolated because of their cultures (or lack thereof) and make excuses to see each other as much as possible. Which is turned on its head as Kong finds other Apes and the Iwi tribe have returned (or at least) an offshoot of them, as the protectors of humanity who calls Godzilla to their aid.

I was a bit wary of making them telepathic, but I liked that they used it more like a separate language than a superpower, with Jia serving as that bridge as she finds her culture, her adoptive mother accepts that Jia may want this life more than one back home (where she felt out of place), and Jia becoming ANOTHER bridge as she helps resurrect Mothra who goes onto make Godzilla and Kong form an alliance!

Ultimately, Jia parts ways with the Iwi on good terms to live with her adoptive mother, happy to know there are people of her culture she can visit and Kong lives on with his people.

But I especially appreciate a moment in the film that pretty much lampshades the older Kong movies.

One of the characters is filming himself and others as they venture into Hollow Earth, desperate to get his fame and fortune in making people realize he was a hero and not a conspiracy theorist (he was a spy for Apex Labs, the ones who built mechagodzilla in the first place). Another character is an animal doctor and naturalist, who points out that, historically, native populations don’t tend to do well when exposed to the modern world.

Add on to the fact that the Iwi are telepathic and know how to use crystals to alter gravity in Hollow Earth, they would absolutely be the target of government operations and experimentation. Aka, a far more grand version of what happens in the older Kong films.

The film ends with the footage not being used and the Iwi living in peace, having Mothra once more to protect them.

Like I said, it’s not groundbreaking stuff, but I appreciate how different it is.

[skaldish]

odd question: did the norse people ever worship or venerate the warriors of Valhalla? or was it just a goal to aspire to?

The Old Norse people worshipped their ancestors, some of which went to Valhalla, and some who were definitely heroes. But I don't think they worshipped "the warriors of Valhalla" as an archetype, or as paragons to emulate. Valhalla wasn't even viewed as a goal to aspire to. Rather, it was a consolation prize for dying far from home.

Prior to the Viking Age, the Norse people believed they rejoined their family and ancestors after they died. However, this was dependent on the fact they would be buried in the family grave or barrow.

But going a-viking meant risking death far from home, and this death would most likely happen while out at sea or during a skirmish.

In order to reconcile the question of "Where do we go if we can't be with our families?", the Norse people concluded that if they died out at sea, they went to Njord's hall, and if they died in a skirmish, they went to Odin's or Freyja's hall. This way, they had the comfort of knowing they would still be with their gods and people if they perished far from home.

It's important to keep in mind that the vikings were not exactly a warrior class; as in, "being a warrior" wasn't their job. They were pirates. And like all pirates, their goal was to retrieve goods, either by trade or by raid. Most vikings had every intention of making it home alive, and just like being a skilled sailor improved these odds, so did knowing how to put an axe through a man's skull.

Dying while going a-viking was honorable for the same reason that successfully returning home with goods was honorable; it's the fact that a person risked their life to travel very far away and gather resources for their family and community. It's an honorable deed.

But just because this death was honor-worthy doesn't mean it was a goal.

First of all, let's consider the practical aspect here: In a pre-industrial era, no one in their right mind would waste an entire ship on a crew that didn't plan to come back in it.

Secondly, "dying gloriously on the battlefield" only has widespread cultural importance in imperial nations; nations motivated by dominion, conquest, and establishing their widespread rule. Not only were the Norse societies not imperial, they didn't even have a centralized military, let alone the manpower to fight the rank-and-file wars we associate with the term "war."

So I guess the short answer to your question is "neither." Heroes were definitely venerated, but the notion that becoming ulfhednar makes someone the worthiest of all worthies is a retroactive interpretation.

[twit-ter-pa-ted]

Love Language - Monkey D. Luffy

a/n: luffy looks so cute in this gif. anyway this is the second part to the love languages series! i almost put out zoro's first but decided against it😋 anyways, enjoy!🫶

Physical Touch

Luffy clings like a baby koala.

He knows almost no boundaries so he goes all out with physical touch. It's like he can't get enough of you (but he backs off when you voice it out when he's too much).

He wraps around you like a boa constrictor when you cuddle because he likes to feel only you whenever you cuddle.

When your fingers are running through his hair, he gets all soft and sleepy. He's almost purring as you do so.

He really likes holding your hand. He likes how it feels against his own.

Quality Time

He loves being in your presence!

He follows you around like a lost puppy when he doesn't have you lounging with him at his special seat.

His mouth is never at rest from talking. Or eating. Whenever he talks (which is always), he loves that you're always there to listen.

Like with Sanji, you're practically sewn at the hip with how much time Luffy spends with you. You're not complaining, though.

Words of Affirmation

Not a single thought in his brain fails to escape through his lips. As a result, you are always made aware of what he feels.

When you do something worthy of praise, he's first to do so with enthusiasm and genuineness.

Whenever you wear something new, his eyes practically turn to hearts as they lunge out of their sockets. His booming voice announces to the entire Grand Line how pretty he thinks you are.

On the other hand, Luffy is used to receiving compliments. However, you seem to have a different effect on him as he seems to suddenly turn to melted rubber the moment you utter how pretty he looks today or how cool that new move was.

Giving/Receiving Gifts

Though most wouldn't count it as a gift, it is a different case for Luffy; during meals, he would offer you his food when he thinks it's tasteful (he thinks everything is tasteful, so he gives you at least one of everything he eats).

Despite not being big on giving gifts, Luffy really treasures the gifts he receives from you.

He would boast about it, show it off like it's a trophy, and show just how meaningful your gift is to him.

When Luffy does gift you something, there's more thought put into it than Berries.

Having spent his childhood in the jungle, he found himself to be familiar with the different cultures living within the woods. If you ever mentioned your favorite flower, he would know the moment he set his eyes on it and give you a hundred of them.

Acts of Service

Though it is last on the list, it is not the least.

Luffy is a gentleman when it comes to you.

The crew was awestruck when Luffy seemed to remember his manners when you two started dating.

He would open the door for you, feed you, hold your hand while walking – hell, he would have even worship the ground you walked on if you hadn't stopped him.

There are even instances when the captain would clean your room for you. (This would only happen when he reached total boredom, so be glad when it happens because there's a slim chance it'll have a repeat.)

He would tie your laces for you! Not in an effective way though, but he tries his best <3 (Why do you think he just wears sandals?)

He'd bring you food so whenever he's in the mood for something to eat, you're always eating with him (even if it's just a tiny bite-sized snack).

[dexlexia]

scarring - zoro x reader

pairing: roronoa zoro x trans!reader (he/him) rating: 18+ summary: When Zoro found out you were trans it was in the middle of battle. You were standing in the way of the Straw Hats as part of another pirate crew. You were their swordsman and anthropologist. But when one of Zoro's swords slashed through your shirt, he saw your secret. tags: pwp, smut, deck sex, riding, transmasc!reader, chest worship, swordsman!reader, established relationship a/n: this one goes out to all my transmasc brethren. i see you

When Zoro found out you were trans it was in the middle of battle. You were standing in the way of the Straw Hats as part of another pirate crew. You were their swordsman and anthropologist. But when one of Zoro's swords slashed through your shirt, he saw your secret. 

Two thick lines of scar tissue on your chest. In a moment of vulnerability you fled. Paranoia ran through your mind as you jumped onto your ship and sailed off with the rest of your crew. You swallowed down panic, not even your crew knew and now this mosshead who you were fighting knew all about your business. 

But it wouldn't be the last time you ran into Zoro. The next time you'd see him would be months later when you woke up on the Thousand Sunny. When you opened your eyes, you were on a medical cot with your head bandaged up and the thin blanket that was up to your shoulders. 

When you noticed the green-haired man you sat up and got to the further corner of the cot up against the wall. The blanket fell to your waist and once again exposed your scarring. 

  ”Don't worry.“ Zoro said as he looked at you, “I'm not going to hurt you." He leaned forward and brought the blanket up to your shoulder to partially conceal your surgery scars, ”They look pretty nasty.“

  ”I'm pretty sure if I had gone to another island they'd look better.“

  ”A swordsman should never be ashamed of their scars.“ He looked out of the corner of his eye to the sword that had been placed on the counter of the makeshift clinic, ”I was almost disappointed that we didn't end our fight.”

  “Where's my crew?" You asked.

Zoro shrugged, “No clue, we only found you floating on a piece of ship. You're lucky to be alive.“ He looked at you once more, ”Can't let a good swordsman die until we finish our fight.“ 

The corner of your mouth curled upwards, you tried to get up but a sharp pain went through your head and you ended up back on the cot. You held where it hurt and groaned. 

 “Yeah, you're not getting up for a while.” Zoro responded, "And since you're technically our enemy, I have to stay here until you recover.“ He sat back in the wooden chair, ”Feel free to go back to sleep, it makes my job easier.“

You laid back down and looked up at him, ”Thank you, mosshead.“ 

He gave you a pointed look out of the corner of his eye, ”Just call me Zoro. Got enough people calling me mosshead around here.” He then turned to you, “Roronoa Zoro.” 

You gave your name before you rolled onto your side and got comfortable on the cot. As you felt your eyes grow heavy, you felt the thin blanket pushed back up over your shoulders followed by the chair creaking as someone was sitting back in it. 

That was how you met Zoro.

You never found your crew, but were soon adopted into the Straw Hats for your knowledge of the upcoming islands as your studies were in the cultures of the people of the Grand Land.

With that you became closer to Zoro. He wasn't upfront about his emotions, but he showed in other ways. Like he'd clean your sword when he cleaned his, he'd pass you extra food during mealtimes. He even threw a hat on your head one afternoon due to the fact it was too sunny. 

You never saw yourself as someone to fall in love with. You thought traveling the Grand Line and becoming a pirate meant romance was out of the picture. On top of that meeting someone who'd accept you for being transgender the prospect of falling in love felt like a far off dream. 

But Zoro didn't see you as some sorry excuse for a man, or a fake man, or whatever other bad thing you could think about yourself. He saw you as a competent fighter. He never felt the need to protect you when the Straw Hats got in trouble, he rather expected you to be at his side in the heat of battle. 

Time passed and without many words spoken, you two became a couple. It felt like a natural progression. Soon you shared a bed, shared shower time together, and even at times shared clothes even if Zoro's clothes were far too big on you. 

And to bring it all together, none of the Straw Hats cared that you were transgender. It was your business and your gender didn't affect your role on the crew. When you were accepted by them, you felt overwhelmed and eventually burst into tears thanking them for accepting you.

No more secrets, no more lies. You were a Straw Hat and you couldn't have been any happier. Slowly you became more comfortable with training shirtless on the deck with Zoro. 

Sometimes Chopper joined but could only really use the small weights, but you encouraged them to keep going even when he felt like giving up. The sight made Zoro smile as he added more weight to his routine. Other times you were looking at your notes from a recent island with Chopper on Zoro's back while he did push ups. You weren't able to do the same, you tried and got to about five reps before your arms turned to jelly. 

However today was a slow afternoon, the ship, the Thousand Sunny was docked at a local island. You were going to stop for a few days in order to stretch your legs and get supplies. You were offered by multiple crew members to go with them as they completed their to-do list on the island. But you declined, you would enjoy some alone time on the ship. 

Sometimes being on such a rambunctious ship like the Thousand Sunny left you feeling exhausted. So you'd take the time to organize some notes before you added anymore to your collection. 

Zoro offered to stay too, deciding to utilize the additional space on the deck to really get his reps in. He did shove his list of items he needed to Sanji who gave him an earful. 

  “What number is this now?” You asked as you looked into one of your notebooks. You hand a bunch of them and of course, none of them were labeled. 

  “Two-hundred and fifty seven.” Zoro responded. You admired his body as he moved with each swing of the weights. His toned, sun kissed muscles illuminated in the afternoon light. You licked your lips at the sight of him. 

Soon he dropped the weight onto the ground and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He turned to you and put his hands on his hips. Just as you were staring at him, he was staring back. 

  ”What are you looking at?“

  ”Can't a man admire his boyfriend?“ You felt his eyes on your skin. The scars were less noticeable now, but under the light right you could still see the jagged scar tissue. 

He smiled at you and went over to you on the upper level of the deck and took the notebook from you. He placed his hand on your bare chest, his large hand made you feel so small. ”Only if I can look at you.“

You took his face in your hands and smiled at him, ”I don't know. It might cost you.“ Then pulled him in for a kiss. He soon grabbed you by the hips and put you on top of him as he laid out of the wood of the deck. 

You stared down at him and pushed the hair out of your eyes, ”How much longer do you think we have?“ 

  ”Well, if Luffy eats the town out of house and home, we'll have enough time.“ He started to pull his work out pants down his thighs, exposing his cock.

You grinned like a maniac and you discarded your pants and watched Zoro lick his lips at the sight of your pussy. A swordsman with a pussy, it was quite the sight. 

  ”We have to be fast.“ You aknowledged, ”If we fuck on the ship I will never hear the end of it." You placed both hands on his chest and lined your pussy up with his cock. With his assistance, you seated yourself down on his length. The stretch made you ball up your fists.

He held onto your hips and leaned up to kiss at your chest. His nose brushed against the fine hairs. His lips crossed your nipples before he kissed the scar tissues. In return your hands explored the scar on his chest. You felt his heartbeat under your palm as you began to ride him. 

  “Fuck, Zoro." You moaned as you rolled your hips at a steady yet quick pace. There was no time to have the slow kind of sex that you rarely got to have on a busy ship like the Thousand Sunny. When sex happened, it was in dark areas as quickly as possible. Soon you gripped his head as he kissed your chest.

His kisses were like worship, he accepted you as fully male. He didn't doubt it for a second that you weren't a man. Even if you weren't the tallest man around or were the most muscular, Zoro saw you stronger than any man he had ever met. You fought through everything to live your authentic truth. He could tell by when he observed you taking you weekly testosterone injections. 

  “I love you.” You said as you comed through his green hair, feeling the soft hairs under your fingertips as you rolled your hips. He kept his hands planted on your hips and continued to worship your test. You moaned as his cock rubbed against a sensitive spot. You pulled his face closer to your chest as his lips moved across your scarring. 

He groaned into your chest as he felt pleasure race up his spine. You felt amazing around his cock, he remembered the first time you had sex in a broom closet and had to stop halfway because another crew was attacking the ship. He remembered he didn't want to give you the sensation of fucking you but had to come back to it later after you both cut down the enemies. 

  “I love you too.” He panted as his jaw clenched at the feeling of you riding him. His heart hammered in his chest and his toes curled at the sensual roll of your hips on his cock. He had heard stories about transgender male pussy, but those didn't compare to what he felt at that moment. He was obsessed with you in every sense of the word. 

He wanted to either marry you or die by your blade. He would gladly let you kill him if it meant being in the presence of someone so amazing. He gave one last kiss to the middle of your chest before he laid fully back on the deck and let you get a better angle of riding him. 

You leaned forward and planted both hands on either side of his head before you went in for a sloppy kiss. His mouth opened and ran his tongue across your lips until you opened your mouth and the kiss became deeper. He gripped onto your hips and encouraged your pace by fucking up into you. Letting his cock hit against all the right angles. 

  “Zoro."

 ”I know. You feel amazing.“ He said quietly, ”I can't get enough of you.“ He groaned and thrusted up further into you. Which you responded to by moaning against his cheek. Your nose pressed up into the apples of his cheeks as you raised and dropped your hips in quick succession. 

  "Zoro. Fuck. Please.” You begged which only turned him on further. You almost pathetic moans made Zoro's stomach clench. A moment of such vulnerability. You trusted him with your whole life. 

The pleasure became too much and he flipped you over so your back was on the hardwood and he wrapped your legs around his waist. He started to thrust roughly into you, he held your hips up and fucked into you. Your body jolted up and down with each hard thrust. You watched Zoro lick his lips as his eye watched you intently. 

You both felt hot under the afternoon sun, Zoro was still sweaty from his workout but now even more so thanks to the intimate activities you were doing. He soon held onto your hip with one hand and played with your clit with his other thumb. He pressed into the nub and you moaned. You grabbed onto the wood under your back for dear life as he fucked you.

It wasn't long before both of you felt the overwhelming urge to orgasm. Zoro swore under his breath as he rammed into you. He continued to pleasure you as you moaned and panted into the open air. He loved the sight of you, you were always so strong but to see you in a moment of euphoric weakness was something he marveled in. 

He loved you, more than one person could love another. You were the drive in his heart to continue his goal to become the world's greatest swordsman. If there were ever anyone to defeat him in that title, he hoped it would be you. You Were his strongest passion, the strongest man he had ever encountered. As he fucked into you and gazed down at your face. He felt his heart beat faster as he pushed himself up into you. 

  “You're mine.“ He said.

Your eyes met, ”Only as much as you are mine, Zoro.“ You grabbed him by the neck and pulled him into another searing kiss that made Zoro's mind go blank. He was lost in you, he could call his love for you borderline obsessive but he didn't care. He'd fight by your side until he had no fight left in him, even after that he'd still try. 

Because in that moment as you two fucked on the deck of the ship, he felt a thrum in his system that called out for your love in every single way. He wanted you in every way he could get you. You were what he seeked, you were the swordsman he'd fight alongside. He kissed you once more, lost in your love as he pounded into you. His body ached in a need to orgasm. The kiss became sloppier as he thrusted into you at a quick, uneven pace. 

You had almost reached your climax, you dug your blunt nails into his shoulders as you panted and moaned into the kiss. He was breathing harshly through his nose as he moved. Within a few more heavy thrusts, he finished. With you shortly behind him. 

The feeling was euphoric as all the drive left your bodies, and you laid limp against one another. Cum oozed out of you. It took a moment as the seagulls squawked in the distance for you both to recover. Zoro looked at you, his face pressed into the wood of the deck. 

He gave you a smile and reached over to get your shorts, ”Before those idiots come back.“ His hands were shaky from the aftermath of the climax. You took them from him, your hands touched for a moment as you grabbed them. 

  ”You're something else, Zoro.“

He responded, ”Not as much as you, swordsman.“ 

[aclickbaittitle]

What do Fiction Podcasts have to say about the future?

Whenever you write a story set years from now, how you construct the world around it creates a new way to see the future, a fictional image to a reality we could be headed towards.

Fiction podcasts love to play within the sci-fi genre, and the thousands of audio dramas they have given us new pictures of what our world could look like in the next century (or a few years closer).

In this article I want to analyze the settings in the following shows: Hello from the Hallowoods, Desperado and The Strange Case of Starship Iris.

Hello From the Hallowoods

Hello From the Hallowoods welcomes us to a world ravaged by black rains and capitalism’s greed. After a natural (but man-made) disaster involving acid rain and flooding the world’s successions gave birth to two different types of beings: those who prefer to dream in a company’s “Prime Dream” and those who stay awake to continue living.

Even though the world is post-apocalyptic on paper, it never feels like it. Rather it is enchanted, there are woods where gods, revenants, devils, giants and zombies fall in love with themselves and with each other, places where community is found.

This, I attribute this to the fact that most characters don’t lament a nebulous “end of the world”, since this is the world they have always been living in and they are going to make the best of it: find family, friends, lovers, build homes and destroy bigots.

You leave the world of Hello From the Hallowoods knowing that even a doomed world is worthy of being awake for.

Desperado Podcast

Desperado Podcast also takes us to a world that was looted, but this time mainly by religious colonialism. 

Neo-colionalism has made itself tangible through genocides and direct targeting to believers that worship other than the “Old man in the Sky”.  In its first episode a community in México which revere La Catrina (a goddess in the show inspired by a popular figure in mexican art) is wiped out by the crusaders. 

From there our protagonist Elio is the sole survivor of his people, however all is not lost as he teams up with Talia (the chosen of Baron Samedi) and Shinji (whom I believe is a death kami?).

Elio now literally carries the memories of his community as the vessel for her goddess. Likewise in Desperado, the magic of the characters is the legacy their ancestors gave them, and it is what keeps them alive in the violent world. 

Though if we are ever to worry that our protagonist could fall into its clutches, the structure of the world soothes our preoccupations. You see, it is the characters within the story that are narrating their own experiences to the audience so we know that after all the pain, they ended up safe.

What Desperado tells us about the future is that, even with the ongoing genocides, white-washing of our culture, and neo-colonialism in general we will end up victorious in the end, and that our history will be forever within our memory.

The Strange Case of Starship Iris

The Strange Case of Starship Iris, is the most sci-fi audio drama out of the bunch. It follows the crew of the Rumour, a smuggler's ship, as they try to uncover the dark secrets of the Federation and evade persecution.

As with the other two properties, the future is not an easy world, but our characters are making the most of it.

In a post-war galaxy, the crew of the Rumour is smuggling space-ship parts, medicine, and erotic magazines until they find a help alarm coming from the Starship Iris and rescue biologist Violet Liu. From there they are involved in a mystery which, if the truth comes to life, they could be charged with treason against the Intergalactic Republic. 

Throughout the two seasons of the podcast, Violet Liu and company heal together the scars that the war and its result: the Intergalactic Republic left them. They fight against the government not only through robberies, infiltration, and coordinated efforts with rebel groups but also by eating latkes, drinking, singing shanties, and getting gay jewish married.

To conclude

if queer podcasts are telling us something about the future, it is that it may be equally messed up as the present but that queer, disabled people of color will exist beyond the end of the world and that even in the bleakest of futures we will continue to love and thrive.

[super-ion]

Oh, hello! Welcome!

I take it this is your first time out in the deep black?

Oh no, no need to get defensive about it, Everyone has to start somewhere. We get many travelers paying tribute at our little church here. You've got the look of someone who's never been beyond low orbit. I'm guessing one of the third wave colonies?

(It's the implants. Secondwave culture is a bit more uptight about them and you don't look like you're trying to rebel)

You're wondering why we have valuable real estate set aside for a shrine of all things?

You're wondering what sort of god spacers worship?

Do you know what a god is? I'll tell you. A god is an idea given life.

So what's the idea that keeps us flying?

Most folk born planetside might think the god of spaceflight is all fire and noise. Nah. Any moron with enough money and explosives can build a rocket.

No, the idea that keeps us going out here is faith that ask these tiny little pressure vessels will hold together and find their way through the black.

Back in the ancient days, back before thinking machines and all that, the very first leaps off the ground were guided by computers that were hand made. I shit you not, little old ladies hand sewed the memory together.

Huh…? No, I mean like, hard coded read only memory, literal ones and zeros locked into magnets and wire.

That's my point though. Our god began life as the god of seamstresses. She's the god of sewing and weaving. She's older than civilization and she's gone by many names in many cultures.

Yeah, no, of course we don't hand sew our computers, that lasted all of like a decade. Hell, textile work itself went totally automated not long after. Point is she took men into space and brought them home safely. That sorta thing leaves a mark on a god. It changes them.

A ship. A station. A fleet. They're all systems. People and life support and sensors and actuators and control loops. It's all a web, a giant fucking tapestry of connections and she's the master weaver at the center.

But of course the web is massive, and she isn't literally weaving shit. She's all of the maintenance. Corrective and preventive. So it falls on all of us, the pilots, the mechanics, the algae farmers, the sanitation workers, everyone. We're the sewers and weavers. We're the ones patching and mending the tapestry. We're the ones adding to it constantly.

So that's what the shrine is for. That's the religion in out here in the black. Deep space is a bitch, and all we have to count on is the ship and the crew. She reminds us of that.

[dumb-ghost-child]

Humans are weird: Music

Ok so y’all seemed to like the one about intrusive thoughts, so I figured I’d do one about music too because it’s a super interesting topic to me!

The “Guide to Handling Humans” was ever-increasing, but one particular article seemed to confuse many. Spacefaring civilizations had dealt with adrenaline, extroverts, introverts, those who had a compulsive need to pat everything they saw and those who wrote stories of worlds that never existed (called “fantasy”). But one thing they never thought of was music.

Sure, other species had music. But none had focused so much of their civilization around it.

Clara was chatting with Indigo one day, and the topic of celebrations came up. The woman smiled, a gesture Indigo had learned meant that she was either about to do something utterly wild or share an entirely insane story, and started- “Oh! That reminds me, a few years ago I went to this one music festival, right? And there I saw the most amazing bands! I mean, I did lose my voice for a week after but it was totally worth it.”

Indigo was shocked; “Human-Clara what do you mean you ‘lost your voice’? How does one do that?”

“Well basically when someone yells- or does some other stuff- too much for too long, your voice can get messed up. Sometimes you can’t speak, sometimes it’s just super quiet, but it goes away after a bit,” she grinned as she spoke as if this horrifying experience was a positive one. “Have you got music on your home planet?”

Xe thought for a few moments before responding, “Well, yes… but it does not result in losing one’s ability to speak!”

Clara laughed, another positive expression that Indigo had learned about, “Eh, that’s just sometimes. And it just happened because I was singing along really loudly.”

The more Clara explained, the more confused Indigo was. Humans gathered together in crowds that could rival the sizes of some armies in order to celebrate the music of one individual? And sometimes they would be too loud that they would lose their speech? It was shocking to xem.

“Plus,” Clara continued, “some people use music to help them focus or deal with sensory overload. I know a few people on other ships that do it- if you ever go to the Sarina-XI crew, you’ll see a few other humans walking around listening to music, it helps them keep their focus.”

“So.. who creates this music?” Indigo was now more curious than ever, xir quills raising somewhat in curiosity.

“Oh, loads of people! It really depends on what genre it is. But some of the most popular are musicians like Taylor Swift.. her fans are a little scary,” Clara laughed again, “you diss her in front of them and they’ll actually tear you apart.” Indigo’s quills raised more, changing to a color of concern, so Clara clarified- “No, they won’t actually hurt you. They’re just really dedicated.”

To Indigo, this culture was.. odd. Humanity confused xem once again with their obsession with music. Treating ‘idols’ like practically gods, worshipping them and their songs.

The Qu’ral were a people who enjoyed music. The humans were a people who worshipped it.

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

How ‘Our Flag Means Death’ Became the Funniest Show on TV

Creator and showrunner David Jenkins breaks down the new season of TV’s most adorable star-crossed pirates.

Our Flag Means Death debuted in March 2022 to respectable viewership numbers that grew. And grew. And grew some more. With each week of its 10-episode run, viewership increased, eventually tripling its original audience. The little gay pirate workplace and romantic comedy-cum-historical fantasy that could is back for a second season on Max, and fans will be glad to know that piracy power couple Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Ed Teach, aka Blackbeard (Academy Award winner Taika Waititi) won’t be parted for long.

The first season of Our Flag Means Death introduced viewers to fictional versions of the real historical figures Stede Bonnet (aka The Gentleman Pirate) and Blackbeard, as well as their respective crews. The two captains instantly forged an unlikely connection. Stede, who decided to exorcize his midlife crisis by abandoning his family and taking to the seas, despite being at best a piracy novice, hero-worships Blackbeard and is thrilled to make his acquaintance. The fearsome Blackbeard, who among friends goes by his real first name, Ed, is taken with Stede’s commitment to enjoying the finer and frillier things in life, marveling at his new friend’s on-ship library and massive, beautiful wardrobe.

While the two captains are an odd couple, each of their crews regards the other as an entirely different species. Aboard the Revenge, Stede reads bedtime stories to his crew and encourages them to use their words when conflicts emerge, while on Blackbeard’s ship, Ed’s first mate Izzy Hands (a deliciously scowling, jealous Con O’Neill) rants that his captain is now a shell of the terrifying legend he used to be. Over time, Blackbeard’s crew begin to appreciate the healthier work-life culture on the Revenge, where there’s room for romantic and collegial dyads to form and pair off.

Of course, the path of true love never runs smooth even for a couple as invested in each other as Stede and Ed. At the end of the first season, the crews are split between ships and land, and Ed believes Stede has permanently abandoned their relationship for his original family, causing a heartbroken Ed to revert to his fearsome Kraken persona. As the second season opens, Stede is frantically trying to get back to Ed and explain that he’s all in on their relationship. Ed’s behavior has been swinging erratically from depressed to murderous, even toward Izzy, and when the two captains and crews meet again, there’s an extra twist: Stede and company have been co-opted by the far more capable and successful Chinese Pirate Queen, Zheng Yi Sao (Ruibo Qian).

On the eve of the second season’s three-episode premiere, creator and showrunner David Jenkins reflected on the series’ approach to workplace dynamics, male friendships and romance, and the character arcs he’s most excited for fans to see.

The first three episodes of the season premiere feature a bunch of breakups and reshuffling of romantic and work relationships—not just Stede and Ed. Were you chasing anything in particular, narratively, by splitting up so many dyads?

Definitely. To watch the effects of Stede and Blackbeard’s relationship reverberate through everybody's lives is so interesting. Their separation doesn’t just happen to the two of them, it’s happening to all of them, because they’re a family. Just as the breakup reverberated throughout both crews, getting back together is going to do the same thing.

That makes sense.

The goal was just being true to the character beats and finding ways to make them ring true. Oluwande (Samson Kayo) and Jim (Vico Ortiz, they/them) are friends who got romantic. It rang true to me that they’d watch each others’ lives move forward, and then come back together to find that they still care about each other, and each of them is also happy for the other person. I've seen that happen in real life a bunch of times, but I don't see that dramatized a lot. I think there should be a lot of different flavors of relationships in this show. And there's so many different pairings that you get a lot of chances to be like, “Oh, how are these two different from Stede and Ed?”

How does that relate to your interest in exploring tenderness and vulnerability in male characters? In previous interviews, you’ve referred to Our Flag Means Death as examining the burlesque of masculinity. What does it bring to your work to be exploring it over the course of many hours of storytelling?

That’s an area where Taika’s and my interests overlap a lot. There’s something so understated about his sensibility—I think some of it derives from his New Zealand accent, actually—that suits asking questions about masculinity. And it's fun to look at pirate stories, to play against that genre’s whitewashed, heteronormative conventions. Growing up as a guy, you get a lot of pressure to be just one type of a guy, the guy who refuses to feel things. Men are in terrible trouble in that way. We’re getting better about talking about feelings, but there’s so much more to cover—body dysmorphia, vulnerability, not just talking about feelings, but understanding them and having this whole range of emotions—those are always the things I want to watch.

Do you have favorites among on-screen stories that make room for a broader emotional palette?

Heat and Midnight Run are two really lovely Robert De Niro movies where characters have these very big emotional lives. It’s a similar thing with Robert Redford and Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I like extending that. We can push it further, because there's so many different ways to be a man! Not everything has to be a shoot ’em up action thing where people don’t have feelings. A lot of men feel like they need permission to just be their weird selves, to be funny, to dress differently. Try some different things! Maybe wear a color! Put some product in your hair! Don't worry about it, it's gonna be fine. You're gonna be fine.

Our Flag Means Death is not a casual show. It’s very funny and playful! But there is not one single frame of the show that plays it cool. As an artist, what’s the significance of qualities like sincerity and earnestness?

I hate coolness, it’s so ungenerous. And I like that you said that it’s not casual. I’m not a casual guy. This is a deeply uncool show. There’s something so special about seeing comedic actors like Rhys or Taika, who are so used to coming into a scene, being incredibly funny and destroying, and then leaving, having to use their earnestness, and not using their weapon of immediately diffusing it by going for a laugh. When I see that, it makes my heart leap. There’s something particularly special about seeing a comedic actor do it.

It’s really fun to watch comedic actors dispel the notion that dramatic acting is 180 degrees away from comedic acting.

Characters that call for that type of performance are a lot of what I love about Robert Altman, Christopher Guest, and Harold Ashby movies. They’re comedies, but those characters really grow and they experience pain, and the pain they feel is real. And then the funny shit that they do is even funnier because of it. Those are the things that bring me the most joy.

Tell me about Zheng Yi Sao, the Pirate Queen. She’s such a good foil for Ed and Stede—her ambition, competence, and leadership style are all so distinct from theirs.

Zheng Yi Sao is the most competent pirate captain on our show, and was the most successful pirate captain in history. She lived about 100 years apart from these fellas, and she was so successful that China had to cut her in and do a treaty with her so she would move on to some other field. She wound up making another fortune in gambling!

One thing that jumped out at me in these first three episodes of the season is how much therapy-literate dialogue is used—where did that come from?

I just think it's funny. The thing about a workplace is that they all see everything that’s going on with others, because they're all on top of each other all the time. I don't want to go l too far with it, but it’s fun that some of these characters can see that one of their friends is in a weird relationship with his boss, and then say “hey, you might want to look at that.”

Where do you think that comes from for the characters themselves?

There’s a level of care on that ship that Stede almost infected them with in the first season, and now those ideas are more alive because of how Stede built the Revenge’s culture. You can see that that spirit is still kind of alive when Jim tells the story of the wooden boy to Bang to calm him down. That’s a little bit of Stede’s kindness being alive in the world still, and of Jim needing and being able to call on it now that everything’s so dark. For them to go from an “every person for themselves” ethos to thinking “there was a time when life meant something on this ship, it doesn’t have to be this way” is interesting growth for the character, and is true to Vico as a person. There's a real kindness to how they carry themselves—they’re one of those people that just makes everybody feel safe. It’s nice to see some of those character traits bleed through to Jim.

Without getting too spoilery, what’s coming up over the rest of this season that you can’t wait for viewers to see?

I’m really excited for Izzy’s journey. Con O’Neill did such beautiful work, and getting to see where that character goes and how he grows, I think is one of the most exciting things of the season. To see where Ed and Stede’s relationship goes is gratifying—to see how they navigate each other and find, hopefully, a more mature way of being together.

Jim's relationships with Archie (Madeleine Sami) and Olu develop, too, and more broadly, the crew coming together as a new kind of family, now that Mom and Dad are getting back together. I also like that Lucius (Nathan Foad) is back, and has an angry young man thing going on that he has to process. For Lucius to go through something really harrowing and have to grow up with it is so interesting, because he had all the answers in the first season.

We can’t not talk about the mermaid sequence at the end of the second episode. How did that come about?

We really have to pick our shots on the show, so that was very storyboarded out. I knew I wanted Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” for the scene, so that was incorporated in it. Unfortunately, Rhys had had a really bad near-drowning experience shooting in a tank before, but I didn’t know that until we were working on the stunts! But when Rhys saw the gorgeous tail, and it looked so cool and beautiful, he decided to go for it. He knew the scene was going to look awesome. So he navigated that costume, which is basically a big flipper that he needed to move his entire core to make it work, and Taika’s there with all this glue to keep his wig on underwater all day. When it’s humming and all the departments are working, everyone feels safe. It gives everyone a feeling of “let’s do it—let’s jump in!”

Speaking of jumping in, what degree of pressure did you all feel coming into the second season, knowing how high the expectations were from the show’s incredibly passionate fan base?

I don’t feel pressure from the fans, I just feel unconditional love and acceptance, and I think that the writers room feels that too. We all want it to be good, and we want the storylines to be cool. But it’s less pressure, and more just the level of freedom that it gave us, knowing somebody’s watching. It makes doing all the hard work a joy, because you know it’s going to be appreciated. Some people will have critiques, and that’s fine.

I just know that this—the fan reaction to this show—will be the honor of my career. The fan community is so kind and nice and talented—it's just a good vibe, and it’s been safe and affirming for everyone.

We’re all basking in the glow of the adoration of the show from our fanbase. It’s infectious—when we all get together, it saturates every element of the show, and it's a very special thing for all of us.

Source: The Daily Beast

[fantasticarcadefan]

Teyvat and the Ascended. Part 4: Aid from the void.

Warning: Possessive behavior, bad descriptions, religious worship, mentions of people seeking to harm others, mental trauma, use of gender related titles from both genders.

"I believe we have a lot to discuss in order to save you from your hunt, no?" Isalo says, making her way to a desk with two chairs that're in the room, beckoning you to follow. You, unsure of what to do, decide to follow her, due to her not being overly worshipful. At least, for now. "Please take a seat" she says, pulling out a chair for you to sit in, which you wearily do. "Now great forger, as much as we would like to help you," Isalo says, putting down a black cylinder with a few buttons on top of it and pressing a few of them, with a hologram emerging on it. "However, we mostly don't know anything about what the world you descended into has, or what it's like, with the only info that we do have being that it'll be humanity mainly, with some beings from humanities ancient cultures used, and that it'll incorporate a very strong presence of a realm that we call, The Planes."

She says while putting down the black cylinder onto the desk, before a series of images show on the hologram, all depictions of energies and beings, organic and mechanical, emerging from this realm. "We can discuss the Planes another day, but for now, we must get an idea on what's going on with you." She says, turning to you. "All we ask, is that you hold the Remoril," she says while gesturing the Black Cylinder, "and tell us about this world, and what's happened there. It'll record your thoughts and mental images of the land that you're in right now." She finishes waiting for your response.

You don't know what to do. Your mind's telling you not to trust her, yet your guts are saying to. Unsure of what to do, you decide to test what would occur. Grabbing the Remoril, you think for a bit on what to say, before deciding on when this was a game. "Genshin Impact." You say. As you finish rolling the name of the game, images immediately appear. The image of Paimon's icon first shows, followed by a map of Teyvat, and then an image of the seven elements of that world. Pulling back your hand, you check yourself for anything new, only to find nothing. Looking back at Isalo, she nods at you in approval. Looking at the crew, you see them in various states of adoring, curiosity, and wondering about the nature of the land you're in. Looking back at the Cylinder, you decide to tell your story from when you descended to now. The crew that were here for the most part were calm, but upon their discovery of your look-alike, that changed.

"What in the forgers name!" "This heretic!" "What the Keba!" "By the Guider!" Are some of the things they said. You tried to keep calm and remember that they're referring to the imposter, which somewhat works, but their rage starts to overwhelm you, recalling the threats you received back in Teyvat. The most vocal of the crew was Kul-Tan. "Who does the heathen think they are?! Attempting and failing to bear the creators image! They deserve the- Ahh, my nolii!" Kul-Tan says, covering where you think his ears -or nolli, as he calls them- with the rest of the crew and you doing the same. The origin of the sound once again being Isalo. "I understand that impersonation of our guider is the greatest sin to us, but please keep in mind that right now, they're still mortal!" She says, gesturing to you. "And if they were still in their highest state, do you think we'd be talking like this right now??!!" She yells, with the following silence speaking. You're not sure what this highest state that she's talking about is, but you decide to ask her later, and grab the Remoril again to continue your recollection of your first life through Teyvat.

Upon viewing your first death in Inazuma, there was silence. You were still holding the Remoril, remembering information about the nations, with you going over the info for Monstadadt and it's economy while trying to not think of the other deaths. During your thoughts, you heard Isalo tell one of them to retrieve something from somewhere called "The Chapter" but didn't hear what they were going to get, which is followed by you hearing the sound of a door opening and closing.

By the end, everything you knew about Teyvat was there. Celestia and the Abyss, those that help or hunt you that you know of-both willingly and begrudgingly-, the monsters, the nations & their ideals,the history that you could recall, and materials of the world. As you let go of the Remoril, getting up from your seat, you see the doors to the room open, with the Cybernetic elf carrying what appears to be a long, grey glove with the arm covered by a metal tube of sorts."Here Commander." He says, handing it to Isalo. "Not for me, Private." She says, gesturing to you. Oh, Is- I see. The private says, tripping over his words while walking towards you. "My lord." He says. "My name is Private Jewil of the Keopans. On behalf of Commander Isalo, this" He says, holding out the glove before you "is for you."

You take the glove and put it on, with it fitting on perfectly. Towards the top center of your arm, there's 3 rings, each smaller in size and in the bigger one. On the bottom-center of it, there's a mix of a blade and a miniature crossbow, with the crossbow and blade being able to move positions at a mental command. The glove has your hand covered in a chromic plating, with what appears to be blue wires a little deep into it

Pressing a button on the bottom of the rings, a holographic screen appears, with a window screen, showing several icons on the main screen.One being a book icon, and another being of two, what you assume to be, arms. "This, my lord," Jewil says "Is the Maienal 53 Holo-hand computer. Developed by the Delius Corporation, the holococomputer has 100 TB storage on it, with it having everything you'll need to find on there. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the ability to manually make your own tools, but with your current situation right now, I don't think that's a concern for now, sorry for the comment." He says, apologetic for the extra comment. That, sadly, was true. You've been running across Teyvat for who knows how long? Always changing locations, coming into contact with those helping you by peer chance, the life of a nomad on the run.

"My lord. There's something that you must know." You turn to Isalo, unsure of what she's going to say, but hopeful it'll be good. "You have the ability to contact us through a technique known as Jie-Abolic, allowing the user to project their soul across places they've visited." She says in a hopeful tone. "Naturally, it comes at a cost, with the amount of energy being needed to transport your soul depending on the distance it is." She says, her voice taking a somber tone. "Usually," she continues "with the distance we're at from each other, it would take a few months for the person who used that technique that far to even wake up. Fortunately, you'd usually be able to recover that amount of distance with an extra hour or two, based on what you've told us before. However, based on your condition, it may take an extra amount of time for you to recover, so please," She says, her tone turning into one of worry and concern "until your condition recovers, contact us sparingly. We'll be contacting you one week after you wake up." She says. "But now, we must part." For as much as we want to keep you around, any pain you feel there could interrupt our talk here, leaving you in a vulnerable state, and likely dead."

You're scared and worried. You fear dying again, not wanting to be on the run again, scared of those that may hurt you, despite those that seek to help you. "Even though you'll be hunted for now," Isalo says, snapping you out of your mind "That won't last forever. We expect to reach your world in around 200 days. Use what's there to plan out your defenses, and hold out as long as you can, for we are coming." Looking at those that were there, you see reassuring faces and gestures coming from those that were ready to draw blood, a sad reminder of how the opposite of what happened here is occurring in Teyvat. But an idea filled your head.If they were like this, then you could work to shake faith in the imposter, breaking them down, and hopefully overthrowing them. Filled with hope, you walk back to the portal, reassured of a light coming soon. As you're about to enter the portal, you look back at those that you're with this eventful dream. For you not feeling pain here meant it was a dream. And thought it'll take more then 200 days, you'll overthrow your duplicate. One way, or another.

------------------------------------------------------------

As you walked into the portal, Isalo thought of the great task that was at hand, and the great debt to be repaid. 'My ancestors,' she thought 'the Je-Lem, were saved from a great plague by a previous iteration of you, with the plague rendering just about all Je-Lem unable to reproduce, with those that remained able to too few.' She recalled, remembering the tales her teachers taught of you and her species. 'You gave us a new lease on life, giving us a new chance in metal bodies, Atulics, your previous form called them. With our new forms, we took to the Stars, expending greatly, and meeting some of the earlier races you saved and raised, and we helped form the alliance that would be "The Ascended."'

'Now, in your weakened form, being hunted, was a chance for us all to repay their debts.' Isalo thought, looking at the crew there.'And as much as the xenophobic radicals would like to bring your salvation alone, I know that I and those here can't keep it a secret, for 73 separate races are in this fleet, with this one being one of the largest in the alliance, over 1,000 vessels in it, I know that word would get out eventually. '

'And even if I could,' Isalo thought, exploring her thoughts, 'the fact that an imposter was ordering the devoted ones on where you called Teyvat, no one could replicate your face, for the casters and the clone would be destroyed. And that knowledge to even attempt that was lost to time with the destruction of...' "Commander!" Maria said, startling Isalo out of her thoughts "Y-Yes sheildent, what was the question?" Isalo asked "What are our orders?" Looking at those there, she saw all eyes on her."Jewil" she says, looking at the Keopan, "Divert all unused energy to the engines, the sooner we get out of this nebula, the better." "Yes Commander." He says, rushing out of the room, with the rest of the exciting the room. "Contact all the ships, and have them do the same." "Yes Commander!" The 3 floating molluscs, Topils, they're called, said, floating ahead to the control room. "Get me in contact with high command! She said, entering the control room of the ship.

Inside it, there were around 100 aliens on there, doing various tasks at hand. Near the front of the ship, there was a viewport of the void, showing the outside of the ship, where it was in a Nebula, surrounded by hundreds of other vessels, each running on a city in it. "Commander, The High Admiral is online." Mil-Kuv says, interacting with a projected screen with the info of High Admiral Xykes Leswin, a Human-Tealik hybrid, mainly having the physical traits of a Tealik(4 arms, purple skin, greater height, three eyes.) with some of his human characteristics remaining (2 Non-Webbed 5 finger hands,two legs & feet, hair and two ears.) His mental inheritance was the opposite, with his human habits remaining, but his Tealik parent caused him to seek to do things more efficiently, wasting as little resources as possible in endeavors. "Commander Isalo," Xykes says, uninterested as he's focused on another project. "I was informed that you have to contact me about a critical problem. I'd like to inform you once again, that riding sol- "It has nothing to do with solar winds this time, sir." Isalo interrupts, her voice rising in volume wanting to spend as little time on this talk. "It's about the world forger." At the mention of the title, the entire command room goes silent, wondering what the situation is. "The Great Unifier?! What's the problem!!??" He says, having his attention fully on Isalo. "Sir, the world he's on," She says, taking a deep breath, bracing for the yells about to come. "The people there want him dead."

Following Isalo's report, the alliance of the Ascended went into overdrive. Much of the Alliances navy went into full mobilization. Many of the fleets began to move to the coordinates sent by Isalo. In the Jalico system, the center of the alliance's economy, many stock holders and companies began funding private fleets to secure you. In the Lajeb system, the many warring marauder clans of the Hunil race came to a temporary ceasefire, with the goal of saving the goddess they called "She of the Stars.", the one that brought them to the stars, and the descendents of the heretics that betrayed her will upon her ascension, with the goal to rescue you, for those that saved you would earn your favor, and unify the Hunil under their banner. In the Mandieus system, in the world that's known as The Courier, the many priests there called for a crusade to save the "Godfather"

But there were others that saw you as a chip. The God emperor of the Anoxil, Meliom Le-Polik, sent out his paladins, in his own words, "to bring forth the saint of the Ascended to the stars."

The Mildeku, a Lithoidic(Rock species) race, heard of your legends and feasts, upon hearing of you being hunted, sent mercenaries to capture you in order to discover what knowledge and power you held.

The stars, whether you like it or not, now have their eyes on you, and are making their way to Teyvat.

------------------------------------------------------------

Waking up from your slumber, you feel several weights on you, each giving off a different temperature. Some warmer, some the same and some cool.

Opening your eyes you see several geo, anemo, and pyro slimes all over you in a worried tone. Beside them, there are a few Hilichurls keeping watch over you, keeping an eye out for any dangers. Raising your hands, you notice how your right hand feels different when petting the anemo slime. Looking to see the cause, you see it, the Holo-Hand.

But how? Looking at it, you press the same button that you did back in your "dream", unaware of those around you watching patiently to see what you'd do with it. And it was the same time to boot up. On the home screen, the icons were the same. Tapping the icon of the arms, you felt nostalgic on how you used to play on your phone before this nightmare. Looking through it, you saw various fighting stances and techniques on how different aliens battled. That was when it finally dawned on you.

That wasn't a dream.

That dream, somehow, was reality, and they were in the stars. A smile and tears of happiness started to form, as you got up, so excited that you accidentally knocked off the slimes and startled the Hilichurls. After a quick check to see if everyone was okay, you continued your self-celebration. Heading out to the cave exit, you saw the sun setting, with the stars coming to life.

Among the sea of stars, your salvation awaits, free from the horrors of now, free from that dreaded imposter. But for now, you will fight. You will survive this hunt. You won't take more suffering from the zealots of Teyvat, blindly following the imposters still. If they speak with violence, you speak louder.

[ringleaderising]

Godfall Terminal Access Approved- Data: Entities and Culture.

System access permitted. Research Data On phenomenon "Godfall" now accessible. Secondary information Request, central data upon "Entities and Culture."- H.A.E. Employee Detected, Hello, Bastian.

Please note that the following research content is highly classified and contains the following sensitive topics: None. Inhabitance of dead giants? maybe?

THE ENTITIES || A COLLAPSING GOD

"How powerful does something have to be to qualify as a Godfall? || How often do they occur?"

To determine the frequency and power of a Godfall it is essential to note the fact that there are multiple forms of the phenomenon. A Lesser Fall Is the descent and subsequent death of any number of spirits or dragons that bears some form of heightened magical concentration that can be reliably harvested. These falls, much like the others, are heralded by higher magical concentrations, but can occur without the presence of a portal or disturbance in reality. These deaths often do not attract as many Thronebreakers, as many of these dragons are capable of living completely hidden from opportunistic hunters.

This is not the case for a Collapse. Signified by a long period of higher magical concentration, and the presentation of portals and 'interference' where the entity will eventually appear, a Collapse will present itself with the decedent appearing larger than any example of their species should be, even Veilspun and Everlux appearing from within these so called "gaps" at sizes that dwarf even Imperials- a fact that led to the essential presence of Breakers within Thronebreaking crews, and their regularity as large, hardy breeds like Snappers, Guardians, or the aformentioned large light breed. A collapse can take multiple days to complete, depending on how capably a dying entity can withstand the constant injury and damage inflicted by those around their legs. These occasions are far rarer occurring typically only 5 times a year, and often draw greater concentrations of thronebreaker crews.

Within this classification is a Hostfall- A Collapse-tier event but the death of a worshipped entity among The Host- these events are almost unheard of, and regularly replace one of the small handful of Collapses that might occur in a year. Each time they've been observed- only a small handful of times in recorded history of the Godfalls themselves- a number of the spirit's "faithful" have dropped dead across Sornieth, most of them in good health.

There is, of course, a theoretical tier higher than even these three, and it is known as the Eleven Descent. These have never occurred, and in H.A.E's observations and research, are unlikely to ever happen, but relies on the possibility that one of the Eleven might eventually fall victim to a loss of control, power, strength, and then ultimately fall the way these lesser entities do.

THE ENTITIES || CULTURE SURROUNDING THE GODFALL

"Can you make a living off scavenging the godfalls? // Are there specific disposal methods?"

Due to the noted infrequency of larger Godfalls, the ability to survive off of the aftermath depends entirely on the willingness of a crew of Thronebreakers to follow the draw of smaller incidents. These Thronebreakers are often more akin to Exorcists, chasing off and destroying lesser spirits for their magical remnants and manifestations on the 'living' plane. Those who seek the grander Godfalls and the brutal fighting for magic, remains, and glory often supplement these pursuits by being sellswords and mercenaries in their off-seasons- things they can quickly drop and leave behind in the event of a proper Godfall occurring elsewhere.

This doesn't mean there aren't those who live off what they've managed to gather- or those who don't make use of what's already been picked over. Corpses are too large to be disposed of or harvested completely and therefore dot the landscapes they've fallen into, and opportunistic thronebreaker crews capable of getting along long enough to form a clan (or enterprising locals able to hold their own in a fight) quickly overtake the remaining bones left behind. Referred to by other Thronebreakers with seeming derision as "Bonesquatters" these crews often retire within the bodies they've claimed, building sprawling bridges and lofty cities between ribs using bones scavenged from elsewhere in the body, grand skulls used, almost universally, as a town hall or place of worship- though some become marketplaces for the clan that grows within- as magic can still be harvested from the surrounding earth for a time.

Presently, there are no known disposal methods that completely nullify the magic or prevent leeching into the surrounding areas and those who live within them. But as the benefits seemingly greatly outweigh the cons, most who pursue the godfalls would not care to 'contain' the high volume of magic they have access to in the aftermath.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

https://www.lifo.gr/stiles/optiki-gonia/kaos-einai-i-shesi-mas-me-ti-mythologia

Can they stop with modern labels? Every time they try to say that ancient Greece was a queer paradise where it was far from this.

It was criticised in society unless the man was powerful and rich. Like it was a tiny minority and they create this narrative of ancient Greece have over 50% being queer or something.

It's time for our xenoi friends and followers to learn another Greek term. Xenolatreia. It means "worship of anything foreign (mainly from the western countries)", which is a widespread phenomenon among Greeks for the past 2 centuries. It's the following sentiment: "Anything that comes out of western countries is good and it should be praised because we here in Greece are a bunch of illiterate monkeys who live on trees, and cannot see the Deeper Message our Superior Westerners show."

Lifo has had some decent articles over the years but this one reeks of xenolatreia. Lifo supports that the Greeks hate the series because it has queer people in it. so it goes on a campaign to show that Greek mythology had queer people. Which, sure, I don't disagree, but it misses the point. While some Greeks surely have been offended just by the existence of queerness, Lifo misses the REAL reason why Greeks in large felt their mythology was butchered by KAOS. They even wrote it in the article themselves:

"Zeus is a paranoid authoritarian dictator in mid-life crisis who fears losing his power and murders his aides to vent. Hera is a promiscuous goddess who repeatedly betrays Zeus and has mutilated mute priestesses for protection. Dionysos is a spoiled and immature zoomer who, apart from pranks, indulges in orgies with all genders. Poseidon a sadistic god of the sea, who tortures the crew on his ship for fun. Prometheus is gay and killed his lover so he could overthrow Zeus. Orpheus is a famous pop singer and Eurydice does not love him. Theseus is black and gay. The Erinyes are tough-as-nails mechs that look like they stepped out of 'Sons of Anarchy'. The Fates resemble a three-member jury in a talent show. The Trojans are a terrorist group that acts against the gods. Crete is more reminiscent of California than the Mediterranean."

Queer and diverse identities in general are nothing bad. The way KAOS mixed everything into a salad is the real bad thing, and the showrunners hide behind the queer representation when they are met with any other kind of criticism. It's the same tactic Lifo follows here. Only extremely stupid people would have an issue if Ganymees and Zeus were a couple in the show when it was also a part of our mythology. The problem about KAOS for the larger population is not the queerness.

Lifo continues:

The idea we have of Greek myths is, at best, a jumble of bits and pieces created by the Greek school: Zeus has sexual relations with mortals, Hera is jealous, Dionysus engages in revelry, Persephone for some reason resides in Hades , a bird eats the flesh of Prometheus, Aphrodite is the most beautiful and Athena the wisest of the bunch, Artemis hunts, Apollo plays the lyre: a very general and vague idea, much more chaotic than the mixing of myths which "Kaos" attempts.

What a shitty argument. Did you pay any attention in school, I wonder?? Do you know that we know our myths also outside the Greek school and that the Greek school teaches based on the ancient sources, and we often read the ancient text itself?? Also, no, the situation here is not more absurd than what KAOS does. The mythology is what it is. KAOS takes an already established thing and makes a turd out of playdoh.

Instead, we demand that a series aiming for commercial appeal follow our preferred script line and stay true to what? In our own obsessions, revisions, angulations and Christian puritanisms?

To our freaking culture, dear Lifo. To the myths we wrote and passed down for two and a half millennia, dear Lifo. They are fairly widespread and they are very difficult to get wrong.

[justlisalisa]

FIC BACKLOG!!

So, I have decided (mostly to hold myself accountable) to make a concise list about all the fics I want to write, some of which I have already started working on. It´s about 99% Shrancher r18, though.

Shrancher Highschool AU (r12): Shran is the first intergalactic student at Starfleet after the Federation was founded. Therefore heavy AU. He´s got a massive crush on Jonathan Archer, but Shran doesn´t know how to approach him due to Jon being closeted still. Shran is still openly poly and usually gives lots of talks about Andorian culture and customs. Probably 5-6k.

-> @sensitivelittlevorta my beloved will do a counterpiece to this!

Shrancher Raceswap (r18): I´m aiming for 2-5k words, this is going to be in the same spirit as my Bodyswap-fic. So, some thinly veiled plot which turns into nsfw.

Shrancher BJ (r18): Pretty self explanatory. Shran blows Archer. About 1k.

Archer bottoms (r18): I will probably make this either Shran/Archer or Archer/T´Pol, but i just want to write some tooth-rotting, sheet-gripping smut where Archer bottoms, maybe for the first time. I aim for 2k.

Shran crossdress (r18): Post-Canon Enterprise, everyone lives AU where Shran is part of the ENT crew. The gang makes first contact with a species which worships the color blue and as Shran beams down with the rest, the natives kidnap Shran and dress him in traditional clothes. This will likely be two larger chapters, one for buildup, one for SMUT!! I am not sure how big this will be, but considering my other fanfiction of this nature are about 8k each, it will likely be a similar length.

-> @sensitivelittlevorta will also be doing a counterpart to this!

"A different kind of Federation" (r18): Everyone lives AU, but by that I don´t mean the usual gang but Admiral Maxwell Forrest. Slash between Forrest/Soval/Andorian General from S3,13. I have no idea why but I need them. It´s gonna be such a crackfic.

OC/ OC Fight/Hate-fuck (r18): Since I develop my stories smut first, this is going to be an exerpt of my huge project that I´m working on with my Andorian OC Iravothra sh´Azaveth. She discovers the ship´s counselors dangerous secret, aiming to take him out since their mission doesn´t allow for interruptions. They brawl, fight and mate. I assume this is gonna be bigger, so 7k?

UNDER THE CUT WILL BE DEAD DOVES. DO NOT EAT.

Archer/Dolim (r18): So... that episode where Jon gets beat up and tortured by the repitilian xindi? Yeah.... 1-2k.

Shran/Phlox (r18): Post-Canon Enterprise AU, Everyone Lives AU. So, what happens when the two crew members, whose species are known for their aggressive mating behavior, go into rut simultaneously? Maybe there will be a Jon getting caught in the interspecies conflict. 3-5k.

[punks-never-die205]

What do you think the Kid pirates think about religion? Like to me they seem like they'd be either satanists (the proper version and not the bullshit kind), atheists or pagan or something🤔or a mix of everything?

Hmmm....

I'd have to lean toward the Satanist vibes, honestly. While not 100% eye for an eye, the vibes are similar. Hate what deserves it, love what deserves it, etc. (I am super simplifying because I'm not trying to make the entire post about it XD -- but I know you mean the "not devil worship")

It aligns well with what they've shown us in the show.

I feel like there's some [Catholicism] in what they believe - since we see Bibles and nuns with some regularity in the world, I'd imagine that's the "proper" religion, whatever it happens to be called. Something like that edges its way into a lot of social and cultural practices on purposes.

Which is to say, I feel like they'd celebrate Christmas, but I don't think anyone's going to church on Sunday unless they feel like it for whatever reason.

Heat, I think, probably has the closest to religious vibes - but I only think that cause I head canon him having a big family. Big families tend to fall into popular religion for a lot of reasons, but the structure is often useful. I feel like it was pretty relaxed though, and not orthodox or strict.

He probably looks to the sky and makes a cross when he's convinced the captain's about to get them all killed, but he's not kneeling at an enemy's corpse and lighting candles while he prays.

House is stoutly atheist, but she doesn't hold faith against anyone. Killer might actually be the only one of the crew who even knows that fact about her.

Kid has faith, I think, but it sits in the back of his mind and he doesn't worry about the details of it. In form and function it's probably more pagan and earthy than anything else.

Wire could recite the WG's Bible, but I can't say I think he believes any of it. He's too apathetic to be religious or anti-religious, but I think he has a head full of like a dozen different religions or more. He vibes with a few recurring ideals, but that's about it.