#Zeus Software

[mod-a-day]

José Martin "Pueb" (Village) Risky Woods (1992) Zeus Software

[shinysoroka]

What frustrates me endlessly about those who defend using AI to write is the argument that boils down to "it's unfair to expect people to make an effort".

I know capitalism is hell, I know that having time is a privilege and that not everyone can be that single parent eeking spare minutes to write in between caring for their child, working and doing chores. I know people have mental struggles and writers block and a ton of other things that stop them from engaging in creative pursuits. As a neurodivergent nervous wreck who is constantly overwhelmed with work and other responsibilities, I get it. But those problems are hardly new. They have literally always existed. And people have made art despite them.

If you want to give more people access to creativity, you need to fight for better labor conditions, UBI and a strong safety net for those who are struggling. Using software built on stolen art only fucks over the artists who came before, massively fucks over anyone starting out and, more importantly, does not even help you be creative in the first place. You have given up your agency and intentionality the moment you chose not to make your own art and asked a software to spit something out for you. If you want the satisfaction of having made art, you have to go through the process of actually making it. You can't have it both ways.

But I just use to to get started! But I just use it to get my brain to fire up! But I have edited it later! Okay, but consider this. Even if you rewrite it later, you are not developing very important skills which is to start with that blank page. I cannot overstate how crucial those first steps are. Building your work word by word, deleting stuff that no longer fits and expanding upon other things in your story IS how you will get better at something you struggle with. I'm not even talking about that vague touchy-feely aspect of personal satisfaction and growth or whatever. I'm talking about AI actively preventing you from building a new skill before you can even get started.

Yes, I know it's hard. Everyone sucks at first. You have to make an effort to suck less. The flawless artist who sprung fully formed from Zeus's forehead is and will always be a myth.

[hadit93]

What do you think of using pop culture elements in magic?

I think the healing incantation from Tangled makes an amazing healing charm. I use it as a charm along with Psalms while working with a planetary spirit or an angel.

I usually recite it while moving my hands over the injured area and visualise a golden light flowing from the universe to my body, to the injured area. It seems to have worked, or maybe placebo or coincidence.

I have never used any such things before. I used it only on my pets. But, does something like this work or am I imagining things?

Do you have any resources on such ideas?

If you would have asked me ten years ago I would have scoffed and told you to grow up.

These days the lines between fiction and reality, imagination and reality, and art and magic are blurred for me. In truth, if it helps, it helps. I don't care the source.

The bible is fiction, yet we can make magic out of it. The necronomicon mythos is fiction, yet people make magic out of it. Most myths are fiction, yet we make dramatic ritual out of it. Why not animation?

There are lines I do draw however. I would not start worshipping Pokemon or Disney characters. All you are doing there is feeding childish egregores or thought forms. I believe if a work of fiction is going to become a cult it has to have connections to archetypal forces already in existence, or have a magical quality about it- which is what Lovecraft's stories have.

But if a chant or a visualisation help you focus intent and direct energy- then so be it! It doesn't matter what the source is so long as it works.

These are software, you are the hardware. So long as you can run processes you need to run it doesn't matter what the software looks like- so long as it makes sense. You wouldn't write a novel using photoshop, but it wouldn't matter if you used ulysses or Microsoft word.

Praying to Pikachu for lightning would not be a substitution for praying to Zeus.

I feel like I'm going to have pissed two different types of occultists off with this response. Oh well!

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law......so long as it makes sense.

[spectorcsm]

AvA6 EP1 SPOILERS

Alright peeps I'm joining in this chaos and you should all fear me This post has no plan or path this is just a ramble analysis of things I notice in the new episode so :D

EXPECT MAJOR SPOILERS, PLEASE WATCH THE EPISODE FIRST ^-^

Ok so like first off guys- maybe like- don't fire your glitch weapons in the middle of a crowded city?? This seems like a bad idea?? You guys are worse than the Avengers when it comes to collateral damage smh

Ok but Chosen stopping mid-chase to save that civilian by destroying the debris really goes to show how he's improved as a character, this guy went from destroying Alan's PC, to rampaging various sites with Dark, and now to this. Glad to see him as a proper hero now :D

I'm happy to see the ice powers coming back cuz after that one time he froze the Firefox I thought they just forgot about it lol

Chosen is Zeus now Also he just like creates a glacier 2 seconds later cool

Also quick shoutout to Alan's Desktop organization He has come a long way

I find it funny how much everyone focused on this clip in the trailer especially, like "Oh no does Orange get mad at Alan again?? Is this related to Vic???" and the reality of it is "lol wanna fight me guys?" "Sure sounds fun :D" Alan you have bamboozled us again

I find this moment rather interesting So after Alan pulls up the thingy and sends them all flying then crashing down, Red appears to be acting like they hurt their head and Yellow notices and crawls over to see if they're ok (Awwwijascsdhljw) but as soon as they do Red just punches em?? However then Yellow puts their hands up in a way almost to be like "whoa whoa it's just me" and then Red accepts the comfort. Idk I just find it interesting, like Red is still in fight-mode after the sparring match and doesn't quite register that it's Yellow touching them at first XD

Chosen: "COME ON DO IT, DO THE EYE THING" Orange: "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT IDK HOW TO DO THAT" Chosen: "YES YOU DO JUST DO IT, LIKE THIS:" Orange: "AAAAAAAAA" *Tries to do laser-eyes with every ounce of focus they have*

Red: "uhhh are they ok-" Green: "Maybe you should stop them?" Blue: "yeahhh maybe-" Yellow: "Hmm, yes. Interesting"

Chosen: "UGH FORGET IT YOU'RE COMING WITH ME" Sticknapping 101

Aight but like where did this guy (Btw I'll call him Striker cuz that name was going around and it's cool) get this stuff? Has their group attacked a Desktop before and managed to steal enough UI to make this guy OP? Cuz he uses a lot of really crazy stuff during this fight and I can't help but wonder what poor animator woke up just to find the entire UI on their software missing lol

I love how Chosen really just pulls the "Throw the kid in the pool to teach them how to swim" on Orange and his powers here lol Then to Chosen's surprise it does not work "Aw shoot the kid is drowning now I gotta save them smh"

YEAHHHH ART POWERS Ok but actually though I find it interesting how differently the Pencil tool works outside a Desktop, like usually Orange like speed-draws the whole entire thing but out here it's like Ah yes, line scribble = E e l I mean it actually kinda makes sense, in the 3D world it'd be really difficult to draw anything really so the Pen just changes function a bit based on the environment

Poor Green does not enjoy climbing it seems :(

This guy can forever one-up everything "Ok but have you beat up a shark with your bare hands and won?

Ok but this guy's style is just like tribal or primitive and it's honestly pretty cool I have no clue what to call them though so that's up to the rest of the fandom to decide ':D

Also someone else on a different site suggested the name "Warnman" for this guy cuz he looks like the typical hazard sign guy who's always showing the dreadful things that will happen if you don't obey the sign and I think the name fits so Warnman is honestly my favorite of these guys just cuz of how wacky they are lol

Also this guy has to be like Anime Stick or something I do not understand this dude at all but they're sick

Let it be known that Warnman is canonically 2D

Dude how much charge do those electro-bullets hold if that thing is STILL zapping Chosen This poor guy Also the way Striker fights throughout this whole scene is so cool

I find it interesting and I think Alan pointed out in the reaction video (really funny btw you should go watch that too) That Striker is totally just messing with them before that, like sure he probably has to be close to the target to use the Pause attack but I like to think he was enjoying the fight before that and is only just doing it now cuz he's bored lol

Aight so the Rocket Group is the one hunting Chosen I wanna know though- why Chosen specifically? Are they just after all Hollowheads with the powers or is it just Chosen they want? Maybe they're after all of them but Chosen is the only one with a super known presence? Also who are these guys?? They seem to be just some independent group but do they hold any sort of actual authority over Stick City? Man I have so many questions

How do you pause fire-? Does it still burn? I assume not cuz I think it woulda burned the guys bringing him by now Man that's wacky but cool Also another question here is like, is that white box a containment unit or some sort of display case? I'm thinking more along the lines of containment but like he's already paused and they left the door open I think??

Aight now we're getting to the theory-fuel Why are they studying all this UI? Where'd they get this UI? Why do all these sticks look exactly the same??? Like I get that it's just supposed to represent a large group of workers and stuff but they are all exactly the same shade-

A h a A h a a a . . . VICTIM???? VIC MY GUY WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?? LIKE I GET YOU'RE PROBABLY MAD AT ALAN LIKE KILLING YOU AND ALL BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH CHOSEN AND EVERYONE?? I have many questions Also I am wondering if all the UI decor in his office is just art or what, are they trophies maybe? They probably had to get the UI for Striker's setup somewhere, did they raid Desktops before? Are those trophies from animators he's beaten? Man Idk but this is so interesting My final take on the episode: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA LET'S GOOO AvA 6 HYPEEE :D

[ask-mirage-mews]

Zeus: “Cloning someone does not copy their memories, just their body. Mosy has looked through the records of this facility countless times and none of their previous clones have awoken on their own. The body is a blank slate. Assuming all goes well, it will be like downloading software on empty hardware.”

Zeus: “Regardless of the unlikelihood that any clone birthed form this facility gains independent sentience, I am still monitoring its brain activity. If such an event were to occur, we would have to let them free and start over.”

@stopandfreeze

[demifiendrsa]

Persona 3 Reload — The Hero Character Trailer

Japanese version

Yukari Takeba Character Trailer

Japanese version

Iwatodai Dorm Life

Japanese with English subtitles version

Junpei Iori Character Trailer

Japanese version

■ Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (New S.E.E.S. Combat Uniform)

This remake updates the classic combat uniforms worn by the party members when exploring Tartarus. Check out all-new character art of the Protagonist, Yukari Takeba, and Junpei Iori in their new gear!

strong>Protagonist (voiced by Aleks Le in English, Akira Ishida in Japanese)

Weapon: One-handed short sword

Initial Persona: Orpheus

Theurgy: Cadenza, Best Friends, and more.

His weapon of choice is a one-handed short sword, and the first Persona he summons is Orpheus.

Normally, a person can summon only one Persona, but he holds the power of the Wild Card—a special trait allowing him to handle multiple Personas and different types of Theurgy.

—Orpheus

Orpheus is the first Persona that the Protagonist awakens. In Greek mythology, Orpheus was known as a heroic poet and master of the lyre.

Yukari Takeba (voiced by Heather Gonzalez in English, Megumi Toyoguchi in Japanese)

Weapon: Bow and arrow

Persona: Io

Strong Skills: Wind, Healing

Theurgy: Cyclone Arrow

An expert archer with the unique Persona Io.

She specializes in wind and healing abilities, and her Theurgy skill Cyclone Arrow ignores an enemy’s natural affinity to deal heavy wind-type damage.

—Io

Yukari’s unique Persona is Io. In Greek mythology, Io was known as a priestess in service of the goddess Hera, favored by Zeus.

Junpei Iori (voiced by Zeno Robinson in English, Kosuke Toriumi in Japanese)

Weapon: Two-handed Sword

Persona: Hermes

Strong Skills: Fire, Slashing

Theurgy: Hack n’ Blast

A hard-hitting attacker with a two-handed sword.

He specializes in fire and slash attacks. His Theurgy, Hack n’ Blast, deals heavy slash damage to a single enemy regardless of affinity.

—Hermes

Junpei’s unique Persona is Hermes. In Greek mythology, Hermes was known as the messenger of Zeus, revered by travelers and merchants.

■ Social Stats

As you go about your daily life, you may be challenged to meet a certain standard of aptitude in three Social Stats: Courage, Charm, and Academics. These can be improved through activities like studying and part-time jobs. Without sufficient Social Stats, you may not be able to use certain facilities or develop Social Links, so be proactive in self-improvement.

■ Dorm Life

While living in the student dormitory, you can spend time with friends in the common areas. Together, you can cook, study for tests, read books, watch movies, tend to a rooftop vegetable garden, and more! Doing so can raise your Social Stats and teach your friends passive skills called Combat Characteristics, which you’re sure to find useful.

By experiencing dorm life together, the Protagonist and his friends will grow as people. As these bonds grow stronger, they may reveal new sides of themselves.

Public Computer

You can use the public computer in the dormitory lounge to study with software or gather intel. In addition to raising Social Stats, you may also learn useful skills for combat and exploration.

Acquire Special Characteristics

When you spend time in the dorm with fellow students, they may acquire special Characteristics with effects like increased critical attack rate, reduced cost for healing skills, and more. These are sure to come in handy during battle, so try to make time for your friends.

■ Schoolmates

Through student life at Gekkoukan High School and being a member of SEES, you’ll get to know all kinds of people. These bonds are called Social Links, and by raising their ranks you can experience special scenes with them. You’ll be able to find a number of fellow students to hang out with after school hours. Interacting with them will also strengthen your Persona abilities, so be proactive in building these relationships! For this remake, Social Link characters have received all-new portrait illustrations, and their scenes are now fully voice acted.

Classmate: Kenji Tomochika (voiced by Joe Zieja in English, Wataru Hatano in Japanese)

A second-year at Gekkoukan High—one of your classmates. A good friend of Junpei’s who wastes no time asserting himself as your friend as well. He professes his love for older women and soon turns to you for advice on dating.

Gourmet King: Nozomi Suemitsu (voiced by Paul Castro Jr. in English, Fukushi Ochiai in Japanese)

A third-year at Gekkoukan High known as the Gourmet King. He has toured restaurants all over Minato Ward, eating everything on the menu—including secret menus. He appoints you as his bodyguard after helping him escape a dispute with a shadowy figure.

Track and Field: Kazushi Miyamoto (voiced by Mark Whitten in English, Eiji Miyashita in Japanese)

A second-year at Gekkoukan High—one of your classmates and a fellow member of the track and field team. He’s a star athlete who has ranked highly in competitions thanks to his hard work, spirit, and perseverance. He recognizes you as a worthy rival who can go toe-to-toe with him.

Track and Field Manager: Yuko Nishiwaki (voiced by Shelby Young in English, Emiri Katou in Japanese)

A second-year at Gekkoukan High and the manager of the track and field team. She’s childhood friends with fellow track team member Kazushi, referring to him by the friendly nickname “Kaz.” Kind and caring, she watches over you as a new member of the team.

Student Council: Hidetoshi Odagiri (voiced by Austin Lee Matthews in English, Masaya Matsukaze in Japanese)

A second-year at Gekkoukan High, vice president of the student council and head of the Disciplinary Committee. He’s known for his ruthless enforcement of rules, earning him the ire of the other students. Once you join the student council on Mitsuru’s recommendation, he seems to take an interest in you.

Student Council Treasurer: Chihiro Fushimi (voiced by Kelly Baskin in English, Aya Endou in Japanese)

A first-year at Gekkoukan High and treasurer of the student council. She tends to have trouble expressing herself to others, and is particularly uncomfortable around men. Overcoming this struggle is at the top of her mind.

Art Club: Keisuke Hiraga (voiced by Griffin Burns in English, Yuuichi Iguchi in Japanese)

A third-year at Gekkoukan High and head of the art club, where the two of you meet. As the son of a doctor, those around him believe he will follow in his father’s footsteps—but he himself is torn between medical school and arts study abroad.

Foreign Exchange Student: Bebe (voiced by Jeff Berg in English, Mitsuhiro Ichiki in Japanese)

His real name is André Laurent Jean Geraux. An exchange student from France who loves and admires Japan, from kimonos to historical dramas to Japanese gardens. After the two of you meet, he encourages you to join him in the fashion club.

Persona 3 Reload will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) February 2, 2024 worldwide. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

[thunderclasped]

elias. • bodyclaim. • headcanons. • isms. • threads.

BASIC INFO

full name — Elias (Matthew Benjamin) Hawkins age — thirty-seven (january 20th) gender — cis male, (he/ him/ his pronouns) orientation — homosexual (but in the closet tbh) occupation — software designer + engineer deity connection — thor  weapon/armor — thunder bow (longbow) + studded leather armor clothing style — sportswear, suits, soooometimes casual, but always too tight oops

PHYSICAL INFO

face claim — Henry Cavill hair — brown / eyes — blue height — six foot & one inch build — like a big ass T, broad af shoulders & generally thicc - check me scars — he's got a very faint, thin line around his neck - like some dogs do when their collars ate into the flesh, the same on his wrists & ankles, a few scars on his back from a belt, they mostly faded now though tattoos — he has a barcode and a paw on the inside of his wrist, his adoptive parents thought about letting it be removed, but they wanted him to decide when he was old enough, he kept both piercings — none special characteristics — he's a good actor when it comes to being social, he seems to get along with everybody everywhere, will bring coffee to quests sexual preference— bottom switch

PERSONALITY

alignment — lawful good positive traits — gentle, educated, smart, ambitious, nerdy negative traits — perfectionist, workaholic, coward, nervous, nerdy hobbies — dnd, gaming, streaming, coding, jogging, coffee (!!!)

MEDICAL INFO

mental — ptsd (check phobias tbh) physical — fit and healthy phobias — selenophobia (focus on full/new moon) eyesight — 22/20 although avrae tends to disagree dominant hand — ambidextrous drug use — nop alcohol use — sometimes diet — balanced, but he will die & murder for coffee

BACKGROUND

birthplace — castle cary, UK parents — Lana & Brandon Hawkins (adoptive parents), Zeus (biological father) siblings — Sarah-Jane Hawkins (little step sister), Mona Maria Hawkins (big step sister) pets — tba education — high school graduate, comp science + engineering bachelor + various awards notable skills — a+++ coding and hacking (everything tech-related), due to being project leader at his job before he followed the call, he's chill with taking the lead

BIO

(cult mention, abuse mention)

Elias was born during a devastating storm, the skies had been ablaze, the winds had been so quick on their feet they'd taken no prisoners in their path of destruction. His mother, a prisoner of sorts in a life she didn't choose and yet accepted, because she was born into it and didn't know better. Her parents' parents had already lived in these lands and had been proud members of a rather small and yet, incredibly radical cult that believed in witchcraft and the influence of the moon on the mind.

The circumstances of Elias' birth ended life for the newborn before it began. He was found a bad omen, a lost child and declared enemy of the 'new religious movement' of the Dark Rose. Usually, children like him would be discarded, but his family was part of the group of the founders of their community, so when Elias' mother begged for her son's life, they granted him ....that. But only that. Not more. And a lot less. As to not spread misfortune on the others, he was held separate from the other newborn, in a room far off.

As he grew older and began to escape from his crib, the leaders sat down to talk about his fate once more. His mother hadn't seen him in months and yet, she - again, pleaded for his life. So, the toddler was put in a cage in the dog shed. He was fed and he was groomed with the dogs, but he was alive. Some time later, a collar and shackles were added to ensure he couldn't escape the shed when they let out the dogs. Elias grew up without a name, without purpose, without a guardian in his life to show him the way. At best, he thought he was a dog and he'd never be more than that. Even the dogs had names..

He never was taught proper speech, only enough to understand basic commands, though he did pick up bits and pieces of the spoken word, but ... it made only little sense to the boy. Full moon nights and storms were the triggers Elias had to endure, because every single storm - or even bad weather was blamed on him and the full moon - they said, would have the demon within him at its strongest. For those nights, he was bound to a tree out in the forest for the entire night with only the cold and the full moon to keep him company.

During a police raid after several complaints from neighbors and anonymous calls hinting the big farm was used for drug trafficking, they found a ten year old boy with bright blue eyes and beautiful locks held in a kennel with other dogs.

They were shocked to see a boy of ten or eleven years held like a dog. He was taken to the youth welfare services in Manchester and ended up in the system for difficult to place kids due to his age and ...deficits. Adoption came with a price, therapy and responsibility to re-socialize him - his temporary name was Lukas.

Newspapers spoke about the wolf boy and an American family currently in town for business read about him. Their reputation was good, they were wealthy and pledged to pay for the extensive care the unnamed boy would need to find his way back into life. They stayed for a few months, but eventually returned home to the United States after paperwork on all ends was done.

The boy was named Elias Matthew Benjamin Hawkins.

The Hawkins owned an area by Toluca Lake - in the sunny Los Angeles. They already had a thirteen year old daughter when they invited Elias into their home. Mona Marie was hesitant at first, unwilling to share her parents with a strange boy, but she soon became protective of him, like the big sister he never had. The first year wasn't easy on anybody, but the Hawkins' were loving and gentle with the boy, they spent a little fortune on his therapy, his education and everything else he could have wished for and he worked hard, grateful for this life they offered.

A few years later, they had another daugther Sarah-Jane Louise to complete the family. (They have a thing for impressive names apparently.) That was around the time, Elias found out he .. wasn't normal. His parents handled it naturally and after a lot of wondering and then finally meeting his biological father, Elias was granted summers in Camp Halfblood - if only to learn how to control his powers.

Elias found his passion in computers, their software and hardware and went to college after graduating (only a year later than ordinary) from high school. His parents, of course, had no qualms about him striving to come far in life - build something of his own. He did.

Before he chose to follow the Call, Elias lived in his own house, not too far from home - in Venice Beach with a loft in Downtown LA as well to be closer to ihs workplace during the week. Putting work before everything else was Elias' standard setting, his ambition a constant driving force going hand in hand with his perfectionism. He never quite made it past the mental mindset that he owed his parents perfection. Success. All to repay the debt that could never be repaid.

After getting attacked at his work place, Elias followed the call and relocated to the Ark. Surely there's wifi on the island?

[fauxraven]

The Time Paradigm [IV]

pairing: Dream of the Endless x fem!reader

summary: love, love, rubies and seeing him again

warnings: good ole gore (but with eloquence?), awkwardness, booze, godly plonkers, Dream

word count: 2.6k+

Enter the Dream, weary traveller

Chapter IV: Endless First Impressions

She speaks, sees, hears and understands Greek.

She doesn’t know how, but she doubts her five-ish Duolingo lessons have payed off so well in so little time.

She doesn’t want to know.

Idly, a nagging thought tells her to take the small victory—everything else is already hard enough. She grasps it, holds onto it, a new lifeline in this strange world.

But then what happens if she actually does speak Greek? Will it translate into English? What sort of English then? What if she suddenly had a southern accent?

She’s got an aunt lost somewhere in the depths of Georgia, and she’s watched a few episodes of The Closer when in Rome, so she knows that most definitely would not be a good thing.

Why was she going on about accents again?

Oh, yes. Greek.

She doesn’t know any words; carrot and water, maybe, but one can hardly make a full sentence with carrot and water. Of course they’re not simply just carrot and water, they’re carrot and water and water and carrot but maybe she’s deflecting because she’s about to step through gilded doors and see Dream and he isn’t going to see her and she’s going to die inside and she wishes it were over already but she also wishes she could just jump into his arms and never let go and—

‘’Stop fretting. It is unladylike.’’

Her brain short-circuits; she’s a seven-year-old Iphone whose cracking charger has been pulled from the socket mid-software update. In other words, she won’t last the night.

‘’I’ll fret if I damn want to.’’ She replies, shakily.

Her nail worries at the skin of her finger, a nasty habit she’d eventually dropped with Morpheus’ help.

But he wasn’t here anymore. Or rather, he was—but not for her. How she wishes she could simply run to him and tell him how she loves him and how she’s so very sorry for everything and how she wishes things had been different. And everything else left unsaid.

But there are so many things she still doesn’t know.

Why here? Why now? How?

To punish her, is the answer to all of the above. Allow her to atone for someone else’s sins.

She doesn’t know why the sun beats so fiercely upon Ancient Greece, or how Mount Olympus seems to catch the rays so painfully, from its shelter stretched above the clouds.

She doesn’t know what Chiron thinks when he comes at night to replace her spoiled bandages.

She doesn’t know what the Fates know about her.

She doesn’t know what the armoured guards are waiting for, posted on either side of the door, eyeing her critically.

With Adiona, it’s different.

It’s all too much and not enough at the same time.

She is not necessarily nice, but not unkind either. She reminds her of Lucienne, only sterner; possibly older. She isn’t old by any means—actually, she’s quite young in every way that really matters, but there’s a certain air about her, something that doesn’t quite unsettle her, but almost. Something godly and nurturing that despises fretting ladies.

‘’So what is this?’’ She wonders aloud as the doors begin to creak open, desperately trying to still her nerves. ‘’A council of some sort? A debate? Do you have a debate team? Who makes decisions here? Zeus? Is this a crisis meeting, like in Percy Jackson or a—‘’

The ancient gilded sigils fade away, revealing the most praised and highly-regarded gods of all Olympus, sat around tables, sharing trials and tribulations and stories of war and love and conquest and… wine?

The word hedonistic stems from Greek. It means pleasure, leisure, failure—could be any of the above.

‘’There’s a killer on the loose,’’ she notes as soon as Adiona gives her jaw a light tap, forcing her gaping mouth shut. ‘’And you’re… partying?’’

‘’What do you think the guards are for? Come now, you’re making a fool of yourself.’’

And what a fool… amongst fools.

She doesn’t know any names, only vaguely recognises faces forever etched in stone, symbols of office, tools and the faint flutter of feathered sandals, but she doesn’t know anyone.

Too many faces, too many fates, too many things.

Someone or something is plucking the strings of a harp out of frame. The only constant she can grasp—wine. Loads and loads and pitchers and… is that a fountain?

‘’How very cliché of you.’’ She mutters, treading past the doors.

So what if she’s stumbled into Grecian Coachella? She’s here to see Dream. Her dream. Her hope.

The doors snap shut behind her, echoing thud deafening in her ears.

A tear rips through the universe; a large wormhole swallowing all hope of light and sound and life. The eerie harp melody drops, a few chalices full of wine spill over, the condensed chatting of a thousand mingling voices stops—the world has stilled for her, like a Renaissance painting.

‘’No pressure.’’

A distant figure approaches, Adiona spares them a glance.

The stranger-traveller-saviour-turned-curiosity finds herself frozen in place, pinned to gargantuan doors by impossible shades of gaping eyes. Suddenly, she’s taken back to a fifth grade’s pale imitation of a Midsummer Night’s Dream where she plays Puck and her mom holds up a VCR and there’s only a hard tumble down a stage to keep her from dying of shame.

She counts to ten in her head.

She’s seen the end of worlds, fought against gods and demons, backed the Kindly Ones in a corner; she will not yield before wine-drunk gods.

She takes a step forward. Two steps back. Puck rhymes with duck. Luck. F-

The universe mends the wound in its swirling violet fabric, sheds some light on the stage, and she is no longer falling in front of the entirety of the student body.

She’s floating on a cloud made of candy floss and he’s beside her, holding her, telling her he loves her, kissing her. He’d done another thing—just one more, one so significant she’s completely forgotten.

A flash, a promise, and then Dream Country, her second favorite place in all the realms stands before her.

The road to Hell may be paved with good intentions but the path to him is sprinkled with tiny specks of golden sands.

They lead her across the room, inviting like a dance partner, twirling her once or twice so she can spare a wide-eyed stare at a creature with the body of a stout woodcutter and the head of a bull. With every twirl, the path of sand vanishes beneath the sole of her feet, and they all stand, gaping, but her eyes are for him alone.

A mirror of his own, Destiny will recall, many aeons past.

Dream of the Endless sits at the oblong table at the very end of the festive room. Surrounded by his kin, all on a diamond pedestal, he is the first thing that she really sees. He is the only one who looks as sullen as she feels. How she loves him.

Their eyes met—and simply never looked away. His elder sister’s words.

She runs to him, pushing and pulling; she’d rip apart the universe for a split second with him, just to see, just to touch.

In the past few days, everything she’d felt had increased tenfold.

Unable to see him, to call to him.

Any torture of Morningstar’s design pales in comparison. It felt like being trapped in a glass orb, never quite able to reach out to the other. A fever's dream in a street magician's basement.

Yes, yes, Brother Dream and Sister Traveller and puppies. Loads and loads and loads and loads of puppies. Long-eared and blue-striped. They’re fuzzy around the edges and they’ve got liquorice for legs! And they’re full and full of love—Like Brother Dream and Sister Traveller; they fill up like balloons and then they pop and they paint love all over us. Have I ever told you about the time I made a boy go ‘pop’?[…], is delivered to you from Delirium’s Unwritten Hazardous Memoirs, the last series ever unwritten.

In the real world, far from Mania's Domain, something falls; drops. A bullet, fired by a rifle that’s not hers.

She shoves her elbow through the thin crack webbing across the sphere and takes a deep breath.

But what is love? If not the outcome of creation and destruction?

She’s here, finally. She stands before him, in a green peplos and sandalled feet and jewels that are not her own. She feels inadequate; like she’s betrayed him, somehow.

Loving, is protecting. And that would not change. If I were a bear, a flower or a bee, I will always take care of you.

The memory slips away with a sharp crack of pain whipping close to her heart.

‘’Are you…’’ she can’t find the words. Somewhere deep down, a part of her is vaguely aware of all the eyes trained on her being, beyond her being. She does not care. She only cares that he’s alright, that he’s not hurt, that he’s hers. But what if he wasn’t? What if he were terribly hurt and she hadn’t done anything to stop it?

The functional part of her brain takes over and curls her fingers, channeling universality and all that is known to man in a single, unfinished question.

Across time, countries, civilisations and universes, the King of Dreams would know her; would know what she means without the need for words.

Slowly, barely, gently, his chin dips into a nod.

Relieved, the universe sighs with her. He blinks; she keeps from laughing.

She would give him her heart if she could. She already has.

The organ hasn’t much to offer—save for a few misplaced beats and halfhearted thrums, but it does acknowledge the tension in the room, feels its palpitations. Everyone and everything in the whole of creation is looking at her.

‘’They are waiting to make proper introductions,’’ A sterling silver necklace with a woman’s voice explains as it drops around her neckline. A simple silver chain with a clasp and a plant carved in a coin. She does not recognise either. ‘’It is custom.’’

She lifts her gaze from the coin, offered by a graceful hand. ‘’Thank you… um, I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.’’

The woman smiles, enchanting. It blinds her, this much beauty found in one vessel. ‘’I greet you, Traveller. I am Calliope, Daughter of Zeus.’’

‘’Thank you, Calliope.’’

She fades away with a bewitching smile, stepping into the gaping crowd. No, not quite gaping—they’re gods—rather, entranced?

She hasn’t the faintest idea how to describe it either. Then, she remembers Calliope’s words.

My name.

What’s my name?

You don’t know your name?

Of course I know my name!

Confusion takes over, then sadness and then the King of Dreams’ blue-blue eyes. Her name becomes a stammer, a secret carried by the ether, whispered for his ears alone.

The wind carries it elsewhere, everywhere, and suddenly, the crowd erupts in a chorus of chants, all preaching her name on Mount Olympus, saviour of their dreams.

It dawns on her again like whiplash—no, she’d rather get whiplash. There’s a killer hiding in their Ivory Tower, and they’re drinking. To their credit, some aren’t—they’re knocked out cold, cup dropped within reaching distance of twitching limbs in a way she’s only seen dogs and shitfaced drunks do.

The observation doesn’t last. The harps pick up on an unchained melody, and she’s dragged from the pedestal by eager hands.

She tries to look for the Dream of her dreams—in vain. He’s on his honorary table, surrounded by family members she hadn’t even acknowledged in her haste and they’re all around her—pushing and pulling, the irony. Gripping, fondling in some places—their idea of dancing, she realises with a groan. When a cup is thrust into her hands, a resounding baritone echoes through the room.

‘’Enough.’’

The Dream King does not raise his voice.

Ever.

He sulks, which is even worse.

But that even tone of his pours over her skin like honey and the fantasilk of a shared bed, a fabric woven by dreams, the softest material found in the known universe.

His voice alone, rippling with quiet authority is enough to spin the nine worlds on their axis. It leaves her wanting in each and every one of them.

The hands fall away, the dream is over.

He looks at her with intent, all the way across the room and the rest just fades away. He can read her, he knows how to, he just has to look close enough and he’ll know everything about her. About who she is. About who she loves. He can’t.

In the collective blink of a thousand eyes, he stands next to her.

‘’Are you…’’ he stops, measuring his words. For a moment, she thinks she might laugh, but there is nothing funny in the cool unperturbed face he displays, even if the slightest crease dips his dark brow. The façade of a king. ‘’Alright?’’

She is here. She is with him. ‘’Better than alright.’’ She is bleeding.

He sees it before she does, alert blue eyes narrowing as they zero in on a secret spot just below her ribs—a spot he’s unknowingly kissed and kissed a thousand times over.

‘’Oh. Oh!’’ The lovely forest green protecting her heart has turned a dull maroon shade, like dying branches in the cold of a Canadian winter. She presses a feeble hand on the wound wishing a world of shame would just swallow her whole. ‘’It’s okay, happens all the time.’’

It does nothing to ease the thinly-veiled concern etched on his features. ‘’It should not.’’

And their eyes met again, a wild torrent of desperate longing coursing through their veins at the mere thought of each other, naked in the sack. Delicious, tells a melodic, mocking voice.

Desperate, echoes its twin wistfully.

The air clogs in her throat. He cannot look at her like this—not while she is this; not his.

She runs away, muttering an unintelligible apology as she tears through the crowd.

Two minutes. Two earthly minutes and sixteen and a half Daxamite clicks.

That was how long she could handle an interaction with him. And yes, sixteen and a half Daxamite clicks was pitiful.

But he was alright.

He wasn’t hurt; he’d healed, she’d healed him. She could breathe now.

In the hallway, she exhales a thin breath tickling her throat. She squirms, feeling the tickling spreading through her bones, to the problem of her problems.

The bandage peels off easily, like a one-layered onion. It certainly shares its colour.

Now—she relishes the knowledge that she has been surprised by very little in her life since discovering her uncanny abilities, but this—this is insane, worthy of the freakiest episode of Buzzfeed Unsolved.

Her blood is red. Crimson. Scarlet. All shades of red she can think of and those only seen by shrimps.

But below the barely crusted blood are sprinkled specks of gold leaves, etched within the healing skin.

Nothing has contaminated her wound; nothing has even touched it—nothing but bandage after bandage and lukewarm bucket water.

This—whatever this refers to—is sprouting from within.

‘’What on earth—‘’

Rustling.

Pinching.

Hiding.

Any onomatopoeia that dutifully describes all of the above but sneakily.

She turns in the direction of the sound, pressing the bandage to the scar.

She releases a breath.

There’s nothing there.

Nothing but pearly pillars and gilded walls and the faint outline of a cloaked book, hanging by a shackle.

Due doctor follow-up appointment in Chapter V: Library of Everlasting Deceit

[queen-of-deans-booty]

Slumber Party: Part Two

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.9k

Warnings: canon angst and violence

Summary: Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West making an appearance, Charlie coming to visit, and Castiel getting used to being human, oh my! Ding Dong, the witch is dead!

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. Any and all comments on these are appreciated.

x

It's not long until Charlie shows up, and she walks inside the Bunker with a wide smile on her face. Maryann has been put down for a nap, and Joanna is content with playing with Zeus in her room.

"Hey, I'm having a birthday party for Joanna tonight. You're coming, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she beams.

"Thank you for coming," Sam says.

"Not a problem, especially since I got fired last week."

"What happened?"

"It turns out the company I work for was outsourcing to child labor, so I took a big Wikileak all over that. It's cool, though. It's given me more time to focus on my hobbies like LARPing, macrame, and hunting."

"Excuse me?" Sam and Dean say at the same time.

"You didn't know? I thought Y/N would have told you."

"You knew about this?" Dean asks you.

"I might have," you wince. "I knew how you'd react, but she's been really good about it. She's being safe."

"Yeah. Plus, it was just a couple of little cases. I took down a teenage vampire and a ghost, which sounds like a Y.A. novel if you say it out loud."

"How did it go?" Sam asks, still concerned.

"It was... intense. I wish hunting was more magical, you know?" Sam and Dean look confused, and she moves on. "Never mind. So, where is this Commodore 64 of yours?"

Sam escorts her back to the command center with the big computer, and she gasps in amazement. She rushes over to the computer and begins messing with it to see if she can try and figure it out.

"Sweet Ada Lovelace. This thing belongs in a museum. I mean, it's got encryption software. It seems to be powered by something magical. It's kind of an alarm system. Maybe for global badness? This computer is what locked this place down."

"Can we use it to track angels?"

"Let me see what I can do." Charlie is a master at technology, so she hooks up all kinds of wires and switches that are hooked up to her laptop. "Alright. It took some doing, but now we can download it. This beast has all the Men of Letters files."

"It's a start. Thank you, Charlie. This is great."

Sam and Dean look at each other, and it's clear they want to ask her something.

"So, you've been hunting... alone?"

"I know," she sighs. "Not a good idea, according to the 'Supernatural' books."

"You really can't delete those from the Internet?" Sam asks, annoyed.

"Not even I can do that."

"Where do you even find them?"

"A top-secret place I call Amazon," she says with a cheeky grin. "Someone uploaded all the unpublished works. I thought it was fanfic at first, but it was clearly Edlund's work."

"Who uploaded it?"

"I don't know. Their screen name was beckywinchester176. Ring a bell?"

You can't help but let out a loud cackle. Sam gives you the biggest bitch face, but you can't help but continue to laugh.

"Remember when you got married to her?" you giggle.

"Keep it up, Y/N," Sam nods in annoyance.

Charlie types on her laptop only to huff out in frustration

"Ugh, these files are encrypted. This is gonna take a while. So, takeout, sleepover, and braid each other's hair?"

"I have an idea," Sam smiles.

Since Dean got Game of Thrones for Sam, Dean thought it would be best to watch some of that with Charlie since she is an avid watcher. Sam grabs some books and files regarding what might be on that computer and sits next to the bed to read while Dean and Charlie watch their show. You're sitting at the head of the bed on your own laptop, looking at decorations for Joanna's birthday party. You need to grab stuff with same-day shipping so it'll be here before the end of the day.

Dean and Charlie watch three episodes before deciding that it's a good time for a break.

"Wow. That Joffrey's a dick," Dean scoffs.

"Oh, you have no idea. Wait until he--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Sam stutters. "Spoilers! I haven't read all the books yet."

"You're reading the books?"

"Yes, Dean, I like to read books. You know, the one without pictures?"

Dean rolls his eyes, and Charlie shifts on the bed a few times to get a feel of the mattress.

"Man, this bed is about as comfortable as a brick. Any plans on moving in anytime soon?"

"I am moved in. This is just my style."

"Yeah, this is his style," Dean rolls his eyes.

"I'm sorry I haven't hung up the 'Hang in there, kitty' poster yet, Dean. Feel free to redecorate."

"So, what, our home's not good enough for the 'Hang in there, kitty' poster?"

"This isn't our home. This is where we work."

"You bet your ass this is our home," you snap at him. "This is the place where we're going to raise our kids. There is nowhere I'd rather be, so you better get used to living here. This is your home because we're going to make it our home. Am I making myself clear?"

"Okay," Charlie clears her throat and stands up. "We should all take a breather."

"I'm gonna go get us some more beers. How about that?" Dean says and leaves the room immediately.

"So, Charlie, what was that about how hunting isn't magical?" Sam asks.

"Saving people, hunting things, the family business, right? I am down, but I was raised on Tolkien, man. I mean, where is all this?" She holds up the Game of Thrones disc. "Where are my White Walkers and my volcano and magic ring to throw in the damn thing? Where's my quest?"

"Magic quests suck. Trust me," Sam sighs.

"I'm pretty magical myself," you say. "I can give you magical quests if you want."

"The download should be done by now."

You three meet Dean in the kitchen, and the four of you head down to the command center to check on the computer. As soon as you enter, you notice the shelving units have moved, and no one was down here to do that.

"What the hell?" you say.

You walk close and see some sort of gray stuff on the wall behind the shelving units. Sam and Dean move them out of the way to reveal two gray pods on the wall. Sam pulls his gun out while Dean pulls out his knife. He cuts part of the way through one pod, and an arm falls out. Charlie yelps out and you put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Dean cuts the rest of the way, and a woman falls out of it and onto the ground.

You're not sure what to make of this. Who the hell is this woman? She's only out for ten minutes, and when she comes to, everything starts to make sense. Her name is Dorothy, like from The Wizard of Oz. Sam found her file pretty easily, and as he was reading it, Dorothy started to explain why she was there and what was going on.

The Wicked Witch of the West was destroying Oz so badly that she was sent to your world as punishment. In turn, that also sent Dorothy here to kill her, but they both ended up being stuck in "cryosleep", which is what those gray pods are. The other pod is sliced open, so the witch is somewhere in the Bunker looking for whatever she needs to return home.

You conjure up a big ball of magic and shoot it out of the room knowing it will be sent to your kids' rooms. Their rooms will be spelled so that the witch won't be able to get in and harm them. When Dorothy sees you using magic, she becomes very afraid of you.

"Whoa, calm down. I'm not a bad witch," you quickly say. "Think of me as Glinda, the good witch."

That seems to ease her fear.

"Holy shit!" Charlie gasps as she reads her file. "The first case investigated in this bunker involved Dorothy. She and the witch came into this room, and they never came out. This will never stop blowing my mind!"

"Okay, pace yourself, Toto," Dean rolls his eyes.

"Oz is real. It's part of the fairy world," Dorothy says. "We have to find her."

"No, we have to talk before anyone does anything, okay?"

"Talk? Typical Men of Letters, standing around, and having a nice, little chat with your noses buried in your books while your little secretary takes notes," she scoffs and stands up.

"We're hunters."

"Who are you calling a secretary?" Charlie scoffs.

"You're not a secretary? You're a Woman of Letters? How long have I been out?"

"That's why we need to talk. You've been 'out' for over seventy-five years. Now, according to our files, you came here to kill the wicked witch and then disappeared. What happened?"

"We couldn't find a way to kill her, so I did the only thing that I could. A binding spell that came at a price--her soul with mine. I've been frozen with the witch all this time. She can't be killed, and if I'm awake, then so is she."

"Wait, if she's here, why didn't she kill you?" Sam wonders.

"She can't."

"You're protected by the Witch of the North's kiss. It's from the books," Charlie says.

"Forget the books," Dorothy rolls her eyes. "They're not important. I'm protected. You four aren't, and neither are the kids you're trying to protect. Now, the witch came here looking for something. I have no idea what it is, but we have to find her before she finds it."

"Don't worry about my kids. Let me worry about them," you say and cross your arms.

You're not worried about your kids getting hurt because you've spelled the room. Not even the strongest magic can penetrate because you will it so. The only thing that can overpower it is you, and that's a fact.

"Alright," Dean raises his hands, "Charlie, dig into the files. See if you can find anything that puts a dent in a witch. Sam, Y/N, and I will have a look-see."

"I'll stay with Charlie. She might need some help," you offer, and Dean nods.

"I'm helping you," Dorothy demands.

"I don't doubt it. For right now, why don't you rest up and help the smartest person in the room?" Sam says and points to Charlie.

The brothers leave you three alone, and Charlie looks at Dorothy with a shy smile.

"So... big fan. Ozma of Oz--"

"Is a total ass," Dorothy cuts her off.

"You were much nicer in the books," Charlie pouts.

"Those books are the ravings of a sad, old man who is also my father."

"Wait, your dad was L. Frank Baum?" you ask in interest.

"A Man of Letters. Another glorified librarian if you ask me."

"Hey, these guys may have been sexist, but like all librarians, they were wicked smart, too. The dude who was here when you first came in, Haggerty, kept your case file open and worked it every day until he retired. Obviously, he never found you, but if you took five seconds to read, he did find a way to fight the Wicked Witch. Do you remember the poppy fields in the first book?"

"That's not actually how it happened. It was much bloodier."

"Stop ruining my childhood," Charlie groans. "Do you remember the poppies?" Dorothy nods twice. "Haggerty made a deal with a fairy and got some poppy extract. I'm gonna get some bullets from the gun range and make some poppy bullets. So, are you coming or what?"

Charlie leaves without waiting for an answer, and you and Dorothy follow her to the gun range. When you get there, you three work hard in making the bullets. Charlie finishes with one gun and hands it to you, but you push her hand away with a chuckle.

"Sweetheart, I am the gun. You need it more than me."

"Right," she chuckles.

There are four guns with poppy bullets made, and three bullets for each gun since there weren't a lot of poppies, to begin with. Once you have all four guns, you set out to find the brothers.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[sororalice]

Book Review: “The Hierographicon” by Cory C. Childs

A font system for occultists and more from the author of “A Little Orphic Initiation: Three Easy Pieces for Prose, Poetry, and Piano”

Disclosure: I know the author/compiler of this text and software personally and work with them professionally. Nonetheless, I will endeavor to be as objective as possible.

“The Hierographicon” by Cory C. Childs, billed as a “Technical Toolkit for Esoteric Artist and Academic Esoteric Alike”, is actually a compilation of several texts, separated using a schema based upon the Greek Muses, an ennead of goddesses that, according to Hesiod, are the children of Zeus, king of the Olympians, and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. From this divine origin comes art in all its forms, and each muse is reflected in the present text as different aspects of the work are brought to light.

At the core of the work is the font system (for that is the only word I can use here, for this is no mere font) which is linked to at the beginning of the text and available free of charge. The installer for the font also installs a shortcut to activate the massive and complex system of shortcuts that make the font system usable.

As an offering, especially a free offering, the font system is excellent. It allows for a single Windows installation for an extensive number of languages and symbol sets useful to occultists (note that while I am sure classicists, philologists, and folklorists—among others—may benefit from this font system as well, I am primarily speaking as an occultist writing for other occultists). This font system works in any Unicode-based writing software (though, as noted in the text, it will argue with Microsoft Word’s shortcuts…solutions are offered within the text) and, for those with an urge to get under the hood, the entire Unicode specification document is included.

The use case given by our author for the font system is that of an occultist researching a particular spell in the PGM (the “Greek Magical Papyri”), which almost certainly contains several ancient languages the reader does not know. Speaking from experience, this can be a difficult task involving several reference texts in addition to the PGM itself, and part of why it is so difficult is because until now it has been nearly impossible to take accurate notes for later research and reference. This font system makes this laborious process much easier, allowing the working occultist to note down accurately exactly what the text says in a document for later work, which saves time and energy for the actual research required to make sense of the spell and make it useable.

The font system itself is articulated in to several subsystems, which are helpfully explained by the Muses in turn. In addition, several appendices are included. This is where our dear author shows their impishness as well as their literary ability. Among the appendices are works by the odd and interesting author of the 19th century, Isaac Preston Cory, with whom our author clearly feels a peculiar kinship and with which the average reader may feel varying degrees of interest, but the real gem of the work, at least from an aesthetic point of view, is our author’s brilliant and scintillating literary offering satirizing the best and worst of our little occult community.

About halfway through the book, in section Ω, right after the “Agrippa’s Pseudo-Koryphanean Alphabetic Correspondences” and right before “Orphicum Fragmenta” sits the sort of long, fantastical riff one would expect to run into into in the best of William S. Burroughs on a real good fix (think “Interzone”, “Nova Express”, or of course “Naked Lunch”) where the reader is led through a goth club filled with a menagerie of magickal helpers and hazards. While it is a short piece wedged in among the “real material” on offer here, I feel like this jazz solo of a short story can stand alone on its own merits.

All in all, “The Hierographicon” is an interesting, if uneven, contribution to occult literature. The font system will, I am sure, prove invaluable to many, and the various appendices are interesting enough to support their added weight. Well worth the price.

“The Hierographicon” by Cory C. Childs can be purchased on Amazon here (not an affiliate link): https://a.co/d/68rUK14

[phdizone-blog]

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[fromrosepetalcottage]

Wabi sabi life

Photo by Sakagura London.

I've been thinking about the Japanese practice of kintsugi as seen in ceramics, as well as the sashiko mending technique in clothing. Kintsugi encompasses the concept of wabi sabi. Wabi-sabi is the view or thought of finding beauty in every aspect of imperfection in nature. It is about the aesthetic of things in existence, that are “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete."

Is this not something that we can apply to humans in all our imperfections, psychic wounds new or old, bodies easing into "vintage" years? I read something on a Japanese website that translated the concept in an accessible way that really made me think of how wabi sabi could apply to us, especially as older women. To quote:

Wabi sabi is a beautiful way to describe what is natural and pure and to acknowledge the beauty of any substance or being in its most natural and raw form. It eliminates the rather Westernized concept of artificial beauty and idolizing a state of perfection that is seemingly unachievable and unnatural. The western world has made the concept of beauty into something that is becoming more and more refined as well as more and more unachievable with each passing day and it distorts the idea of natural beauty and accepting the flaws of existence, however, on the contrary, the Japanese belief and concept of wabi-sabi embraces just that and allows the people to be more accepting and open to embracing the beauty of flaws and rawness. Source: https://www.kyoto-ryokan-sakura.com/archives/191

I can't be the only person who scrolls social media and is dismayed by the ubiquity of certain types of selfies. There is a depressing sameness of makeup, hair, expressions, poses. A famous actress once said that adolescence was the time of life when young people had to prove their individuality by looking exactly like everyone else. And that's what social media has become. Extended adolescence on a worldwide scale. Even influencers targeting a mature crowd seem to have fallen into the look alike/dress alike mold. Style blogs that are supported by retail outlets spotlight similar fashions, and while some might link to different size ranges, few share resources that help women understand their shapes or unique natural coloring, leading to a different type of clone wars.

As the Japanese point out, in the West our idea of beauty is something that is so airbrushed and Photoshopped into perfection that it's often unrealistic. A friend and I recently had lunch then stopped in a local IG hotspot to shop and get a couple of snapshots. A nice bystander took a few photos of us, but I was dismayed to see the unfiltered evidence of my current age. I look old, was all that I could sputter. As my friend pointed out, I'm pretty good with editing software and apps, so after a little tweaking, I uploaded the best shot later. But that reflex has nagged at me a little. I don't like looking older, but it's my reality. I am 64, although I could pass for late 40s on a good day.

In the Western Hemisphere, as well as the U.K., the idea that youth is best reigns. When I was in my 20s, I learned that once you hit 30 you were considered over the hill in Brazil. Maybe this idea came from ancient Greece. During the Classical period, idealized sculptures had perfect proportions, but also illustrated the Greek's belief that people peaked at about the age of 18 or so. Even a sculpture of Zeus, king of the gods, might have depicted him as an older man with flowing hair and beard, but Zeus still rocked a body that would make Arnold envious. Over millennia canonical artists have continued to use youthful models. However, the two years of art school that included life drawing classes with nude models ranging from fit and young to older and soft taught me to look differently at bodies.

Model mama, art school, 2002.

For whatever reason, I had an easier time drawing bodies that had a surplus of "fluff" on them. Students weren't supposed to have contact with our models, but our class threw a shower for one. She had taken a maternity leave and on her return, still obviously hadn't lost any of the baby weight, but it didn't matter. Her Rubenesque curves were a delight to try and capture on my drawing board. Unlike some of the young guys in my classes, for me there was nothing sexual about drawing an unclothed body. I saw light, shadow, lines, curves, textures. It takes a certain kind of bravery, and maybe some healthy vanity, to model nude for a studio full of strangers four days a week at universities and art schools around the county to earn enough to live on. This woman gave no fucks that she was considered large in that pre-body-positivity era. Her body had functioned beautifully as it was meant to. She brought a healthy baby into the world. The abundant curves of her abdomen and hips were certainly evidence of their recent use, and she was still breast feeding - again her body was functioning as nature meant. What society might consider imperfect served not only her child, but also students looking to refine their technique in depicting the human form.

We all have some type of imperfection whether visible or invisible. Childhood wounds to the psyche aren't always apparent, although the effect of physical wounds remain visible or physiological in limps or twinges. Our culture pushes near perfection via magazines, films, television programs, and online influencers who seem to want to sell us something that will bring us closer to that elusive goal.

I have another friend who is fond of saying that we already have all we need inside us. While meditating this morning, that thought drifted into my consciousness. I was focusing on wholeness and trust - self trust to be exact. I've made so many mistakes at this point that they could be used as examples on how NOT to live. But I'm ok, and I do have all that I need externally. I have a job and good friends. My home isn't the fanciest, but I have a comfortable place to lay my head at night, there is food in the pantry, and there's good reading and music at hand. Experience has been a tough teacher, but instead of being broken my body has mended the external damage, and the practice of meditating and journaling has helped to salve the emotional wounds.

As those thoughts came to me after I finished meditating, the concept of wabi sabi surfaced. Beautiful imperfection. The kintsugi technique is the repair of shattered pottery and then using gold leaf to highlight the lines where the vessel had come back together. The jagged lines aren't seen as flaws, but as something to be cherished and the gold makes a treasure of the piece. Sashiko mending involves using decorative stitches to patch or darn a spot on a garment that is fraying or has developed holes. The technique has come into fashion in the West with people becoming more conscious of sustainable clothing. Rather than disposing of a worn garment, repair it and add a personal touch that is a thing of beauty in and of itself. I tried sashiko on the elbow of a much loved topper that I was wearing at work every day. The technique salvaged the piece and kept it out of the recycle bin.

Sashiko source: https://perennialstl.org/event/boro-sashiko-mending/

After a pretty traumatic road accident the same elbow on my body had to be stitched back together, along with some other spots. The stitches didn't quite heal right, and 12 years later, the scars are still there on my arm. Maybe they're my personal kintsugi, although it's not possible to apply gold leaf. The scars are evidence that I am still here, still functioning - got motion back - and I'm still useful. I'm broken but unbowed.

I believe that anyone who has made it this far is going to have some internal or external damage; it's natural. Life is not perfection; life is messy and if we just accept that we can't control everything, it's a bit easier to accept the occasional mess and imperfections. While I certainly have things I'm still working on, things that are in my sphere of control, the rest is what it is. Like the kintsugi vessel, my scars are golden. If you've read this far, yours are as well...

[definitelynotthedarklord]

My idea for a Batman Animated Series.

In the first season he's that stereotypical year one Batman, dark and gritty, a boogeyman to be whispered about by cops and crooks alike, fighting mostly his more reality grounded enemies like Falcone and Black Mask as he struggles to find balance between being batman and Bruce Wayne, and in the finale we see Batman thwart some mobsters trying to break into Ace Chemicals, led by, you guessed it, Red Hood.

Then, in season 2, things get a bit crazier when characters like Riddler, Mad Hatter, Two Face, Penguin and Catwoman make the scene, but none of them come close to the insanity that is The Joker in the finale.

Then season 3 comes around and we begin to expand on Batman's character and the universe around him, bringing in actual supervillains like Mr Freeze, Man Bat, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and others, while also bringing in Dick Grayson, who Batman meets as Dick's looking for the man who killed his parents, Batman sees part of himself in Dick and takes him in, and offers to teach him how to be like Batman so he can bring his parent's killer to justice, but over the course of Dick's training it becomes clear Dick is not Batman, hes loud when he should be stealthy, makes jokes in serious situations and takes unnecessary risks because of his overconfidence in his abilities, but after a a fight with Mr. Freeze where he almost dies to protect his wife, Bruce starts to wonder if its better if Dick isn't like him, if he could be a better hero than Batman, and thus Robin is born. It would also be the season we start introducing other heroes, like after fighting Maxie Zeus, Batman has a brief and combative encounter with Wonder Woman, and in another episode stops his long lost friend, Oliver Queen, from killing the man who tried to kill him, and in stead brought him to justice, inspiring him to become a hero like Bruce (he'd get the idea of being green from getting green paint spilled on him and a news photographer getting a picture of "The Dark Knight and The Evergreen Archer.") And another episode where Lex Luthor approaches Bruce about buying some tech, but Bruce shoots him down, knowing all too well Lex would use the tech for evil, but the tech gets stolen so Batman travels to Metropolis and meets Superman, and despite neither trusting or even liking the other, they manage to stop Luthor's evil plot, and it would of course have a scene where Superman x rays Batman's mask and sees he's Bruce Wayne, but Bruce would hit him back by sending Clark Kent a pair of glasses with a note that says "These will help with facial recognition software." after he left.

Then season 4 starts with showing Bruce actually going to therapy, and who's his therapist? Why none other than his old friend from med school Harleen Quinzel. This is the season where we see a softer Batman, one who understand some criminals are as much victims as villains, and really steps up as Bruce Wayne, putting his money towards preventing crime rather than punching it, but not to worry there's still plenty of punching, namely against foes of Bruce and Batman alike, such as Hush, Ra's Al Ghul, and the court of owls. Also in season 4 and episode where Robin wants to hang out with other teen superheroes like Kid Flash, Speedy, Aqualad and Wonder Girl, though with Batman helicoptering to make sure they didn't get into too much trouble. This teenage outing inspires Batman to contact other heroes and form thr Justice League. We'd also introduce Batgirl in there somewhere, where after saw some goons break into a warehouse on Halloween, she put on a Batman costume to try and scare them, but the goons saw through the ruse and started shooting, and then the real Batman shows up and tell Barbara to leave it to him, but she couldn't, and using the skills she had learned from her Father, Jim Gordon, she tracked down the thieves, who had been working for Firefly, and helped the Batman take the villain down, but not before escaping a burning building. Commissioner Gordon approached the two of them, but because of the costume and soot that coated her, couldn't recognize Barbara, when asked Batman said she was part if his team. She and Dick would of course be rivals at first, but after time would become friends, and maybe something more..

Season 5, Dick leaves to become a full time Titan, though it's not because he and Bruce have a big fight, more like he feels like it's time to spread his wings and get out from Batman's shadow. Batman would also meet Jason Todd as he's stealing tires, and after taking him in would ask Dick for advise and eventually his blessing to make Jason the new Robin, Dick would agree saying he was working on a new identity anyway, because it's hard being Robin without Batman. Jason would prove more of a handful than Dick was, angrier, more rebellious.

Season 6, The Joker captures Robin and Batgirl, and after beating Robin to death with a crowbar, shoots Batgirl and leaves her to die next to Robin's body. Batman finds them and goes on a rampage, leaving criminals bloodied and more broken than he ever had in his early years, but none of it mattered in his hunt for The Joker, all the while he's questioning himself, if all the work he's done, both as Batman and Bruce, mattered if monsters like Joker existed, and when Batman finally finds The Joker, he beats him to an inch of his life, and almost finishes the job, but Gordon talks him down. And there's a beautiful funeral scene with other heroes there, but after, we see minions of Talia Al Ghul digging up the grave, and it's revealed that the whole thing was orchestrated by Ra's to try and push Bruce over the edge to get him to his way of thinking, something Ra's and Talia didn't see eye to eye on. And we also get to see Joker, in a full body cast, in Arkham, where doctors are discussing what to do with him, and they decide to call the best psychiatrist in Gotham, Harleen Quinzel.

Season 7, Bane breaks Batman's back and puts him in a coma, in Batman's absence crime goes rampant, and Nightwing comes back to Gotham to take up the mantle of Batman and with Barbara/Oracle's help, take down Bane, but they're not the only ones, Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown both try to be Robin but after a lengthy debate decide Tim can be Robin and Stephanie can be Batgirl, Kate Kane, Bruce's cousin becomes Batwoman, Luke Fox, son of Bruce Wayne's tech developer Lucius Fox, becomes Batwing, and even Azrael shows up. Dick, of course, tries to tell the others to leave Bane to him, but even dressed like Batman Dick isn't a convincing Batman, so he takes what he's learned, both from working alongside Batman and from leading the Titans, and leads newly assembled Bat Family to bring Bane down and restore order to Gotham. At which point Bruce wakes up and Dick leaves joking that "they're you're problem now." And at the end we get a little glimpse of the next Big Bad, Red Hood/Jason Todd.

Season 8, After the defeat of Bane by the Bat Family left a power vacuum in Gotham's criminal underworld, Red Hood and his gang of Outlaws take over the streets, leaving death in their wake, but the Bat Family is having trouble dealing with them because somehow the Outlaws know exactly what the Bat Family is going to do, and then it's revealed that Red Hood was Jason Todd and he's mad at Bruce, and it's very emotional, but when Jason puts a gun to Bruce's head, Bruce says he's sorry and accepts his fate, but when Jason can't pull the trigger Talia Al Ghul steps out from the shadows and reveals how she was the mastermind behind the whole thing, how she brought Jason back to life and brainwashed him into being the Red Hood, then uses a sleeper agent code phrase on Jason to make him kill Bruce, but Bruce manages to beat Jason. Talia escapes and Bruce takes Jason back to the cave to try and un brainwash him. Meanwhile Talia crawls back to her father and agrees to his plan, whatever it may be.

Season 9 Joker's back and has Harley Quinn with him, and in a moment alone woth Batman, Harley reveals how she knows Bruce is Batman, but she won't tell because "Mistah J ain't interested in the man under the bat," but it ends with Harley betraying the Joker because she realizes he doesn't love her. Afterwards we get to see Harley being put in a cell in Arkham next to Poison Ivy.

Season 10/Final Season. Ra's Al Ghul declares war on Gotham and exposes Bruce as Batman, but with the help of his family, including Jason who's no longer brainwashed and in his spare time built The Batmobile, and the help of various villains, including Catwoman who says if they survive this they should run away together, they manage to stop Ra's' plan to destroy Gotham, but not before Bruce gets stabbed in the side by a young boy who escapes with Talia as Ra's lays dying. And as the sun begins to rise, all of the Bat Family gathered wonder what happens next, now that they're secret identities have been revealed, but a voice from behind tells them not to worry, as the previously invisible figure presses a button on his wrist a wave of energy pulses over Gotham. The figure says he used some of the Mad Hatter's tech to erase the memories of the Bat Family's secret identities from everyone's mind who didn't know before. Then the figure briefly mentions he's Batman from the future and that they shouldn't worry about Damien, "after all, it's hard being evil when you're the son of Batman." which surprises everyone, "you did know he was your son, right? Uh...gotta go!" Then he disappears. Then we see them all returning to Wayne manor, Alfred sweeping up glass from a broken window, and says "Ah, I see we've survived another night, shall I get the celebratory champagne?" Jason nonchalantly replies "We met a Batman from the Future and Bruce has a son." Alfred processes the information and says "The good whiskey, then." Then as Bruce is getting his stab wound stitched he says he thinks it's time he retired as Batman, the others protest, but Bruce continues to say its just for now, how after everything that's happened he trusts his team, his family, to keep Gotham safe in his absence. Then we see later, at night as Commissioner Gordon stands next to the batsignal on the roof of the gcpd, about to light his pipe Dick, dressed as Batman says "those thing's'll kill ya, ya know." Then the two of them talk about how Batman had retired, for now, and left Gotham in Dick's hand, and Gordon contemplates retirement, and wonders what would happen to the city without him, what would happen to Barbara, to which Dick replies "I wouldn't worry about Barbara, she's made of some pretty tough stuff." Gordon agrees, but when he turns around to ask how Nightwing knows his daughter, Dick's gone and Gordon says to himself "I guess some things never change."

[olympianmultimedia]

GET THINGS DONE- EPISODE 30

In this episode of GET THINGS DONE, Zeus Cruz discusses how to turn your midi keyboard into creating synths without the need of purchasing a synthesizer by expanding your creativity by using music software like Arturia. The specific software spoken in this video is called Arturia Pigments. This video outlines key features of the program and how to start your creative process by utilizing its hardware component, KeyLab Essential S49.

[thunderclasped2]

elias. • bodyclaim. • headcanons. • isms. • threads.

BASIC INFO

full name — Elias (Matthew Benjamin) Hawkins age — thirty-seven (january 20th) gender — cis male, (he/ him/ his pronouns) orientation — homosexual (but in the closet tbh) occupation — software designer + engineer deity connection — zeus  pet name — tba weapon — 2x great words (?) + halfplate clothing style — sportswear, suits, soooometimes casual, but always too tight oops

PHYSICAL INFO

face claim — Henry Cavill hair — brown / eyes — blue height — six foot & one inch build — like a big ass T, broad af shoulders & generally thicc - check me scars — he's got a v faint, thin line around his neck - like some dogs do when their collars ate into the flesh, the same on his wrists & ankles, a few scars on his back from a belt, they mostly faded now though tattoos — he has a barcode and a paw on the inside of his wrist, his adoptive parents thought about letting it be removed, but they wanted him to decide when he was old enough, he kept both piercings — none special characteristics — he's a good actor when it comes to being social, he seems to get along with everybody everywhere, will bring coffee to quests sexual preference— bottom switch

PERSONALITY

alignment — lawful good positive traits — gentle, educated, smart, ambitious, nerdy negative traits — perfectionist, workaholic, coward, nerdy hobbies — dnd, gaming, streaming, coding, jogging, coffee (!!!)

MEDICAL INFO

mental — ptsd (check phobias tbh) physical — fit and healthy phobias — selenophobia (focus on full/new moon) eyesight — 22/20 although avrae tends to disagree dominant hand — ambidextrous drug use — nop alcohol use — sometimes diet — balanced, but he will die & murder for coffee

BACKGROUND

birthplace — castle cary, UK parents — Lana & Brandon Hawkins (adoptive parents), Zeus (biological father) siblings — Sarah-Jane Hawkins (little step sister), Mona Maria Hawkins (big step sister) pets — tba education — high school graduate, comp science + engineering bachelor + various awards notable skills — a+++ coding and hacking (everything tech-related), due to being project leader at his job before he followed the call, he's chill with taking the lead

BIO

(cult mention, abuse mention)

Elias was born during a devastating storm, the skies had been ablaze, the winds had been so quick on their feet they'd taken no prisoners in their path of destruction. His mother, a prisoner of sorts in a life she didn't choose and yet accepted, because she was born into it and didn't know better. Her parents' parents had already lived in these lands and had been proud members of a rather small and yet, incredibly radical cult that believed in witchcraft and the influence of the moon on the mind.

The circumstances of Elias' birth ended life for the newborn before it began. He was found a bad omen, a lost child and declared enemy of the 'new religious movement' of the Dark Rose. Usually, children like him would be discarded, but his family was part of the group of the founders of their community, so when Elias' mother begged for her son's life, they granted him ....that. But only that. Not more. And a lot less. As to not spread misfortune on the others, he was held separate from the other newborn, in a room far off.

As he grew older and began to escape from his crib, the leaders sat down to talk about his fate once more. His mother hadn't seen him in months and yet, she - again, pleaded for his life. So, the toddler was put in a cage in the dog shed. He was fed and he was groomed with the dogs, but he was alive. Some time later, a collar and shackles were added to ensure he couldn't escape the shed when they let out the dogs. Elias grew up without a name, without purpose, without a guardian in his life to show him the way. At best, he thought he was a dog and he'd never be more than that. Even the dogs had names..

He never was taught proper speech, only enough to understand basic commands, though he did pick up bits and pieces of the spoken word, but ... it made only little sense to the boy. Full moon nights and storms were the triggers Elias had to endure, because every single storm - or even bad weather was blamed on him and the full moon - they said, would have the demon within him at its strongest. For those nights, he was bound to a tree out in the forest for the entire night with only the cold and the full moon to keep him company.

During a police raid after several complaints from neighbors and anonymous calls hinting the big farm was used for drug trafficking, they found a ten year old boy with bright blue eyes and beautiful locks held in a kennel with other dogs.

They were shocked to see a boy of ten or eleven years held like a dog. He was taken to the youth welfare services in Manchester and ended up in the system for difficult to place kids due to his age and ...deficits. Adoption came with a price, therapy and responsibility to re-socialize him - his temporary name was Lukas.

Newspapers spoke about the wolf boy and an American family currently in town for business read about him. Their reputation was good, they were wealthy and pledged to pay for the extensive care the unnamed boy would need to find his way back into life. They stayed for a few months, but eventually returned home to the United States after paperwork on all ends was done.

The boy was named Elias Matthew Benjamin Hawkins.

The Hawkins owned an area by Toluca Lake - in the sunny Los Angeles. They already had a thirteen year old daughter when they invited Elias into their home. Mona Marie was hesitant at first, unwilling to share her parents with a strange boy, but she soon became protective of him, like the big sister he never had. The first year wasn't easy on anybody, but the Hawkins' were loving and gentle with the boy, they spent a little fortune on his therapy, his education and everything else he could have wished for and he worked hard, grateful for this life they offered.

A few years later, they had another daugther Sarah-Jane Louise to complete the family. (They have a thing for impressive names apparently.) That was around the time, Elias found out he .. wasn't normal. His parents handled it naturally and after a lot of wondering and then finally meeting his biological father, Elias was granted summers in Camp Halfblood - if only to learn how to control his powers.

Elias found his passion in computers, their software and hardware and went to college after graduating (only a year later than ordinary) from high school. His parents, of course, had no qualms about him striving to come far in life - build something of his own. He did.

Before he chose to follow the Call, Elias lived in his own house, not too far from home - in Venice Beach with a loft in Downtown LA as well to be closer to ihs workplace during the week. Putting work before everything else was Elias' standard setting, his ambition a constant driving force going hand in hand with his perfectionism. He never quite made it past the mental mindset that he owed his parents perfection. Success. All to repay the debt that could never be repaid.

Elias followed the call and relocated to Camp Halfblood, but instead of giving up everything he knew and loved (his work), he chose to bring it with. Surely there's wifi at Camp?

[justanotherkinrequest]

⌢➳ Names + pronouns for wood man from siivagunner ++💿 With themes of nature, computer virus/software, and music!! 　　 ⌣🪵 They’re below the cut

🍯+ —> Names

🌿₊ Linux 🥥₊ Brio 🪶₊ Carol ☘️₊ Adobe 🌿₊ Sparrow 🥥₊ Carnation 🪶₊ Dove ☘️₊ Apricot 🌿₊ Zeus 🥥₊ Reed

🍯+ —> Pronouns

🌿₊ Riff/Riffs/Riffself 🥥₊ Tune/Tunes/Tuneself 🪶₊ Canyon/Canyons/Canyonself ☘️₊ EXE/EXEs/EXEself 🌿₊ Flow/Flows/Flowself 🥥₊ Disc/Discs/Discself 🪶₊ Orchid/Orchids/Orchidself ☘️₊ Error/Errors/Erroself 🌿₊ Alt/Alts/Altself 🥥₊ Chord/Chords/Chordself