#also obsessed with the idea that their elements are connected to their emotions

[someloserinajaywig]

I really like that their eyes light up when they use a lot of power :)

[melien]

deliego<3

[prahacat]

#fml#i can't think about him too much lest i go insane#him and his big stupid castle and no-one to share it with#imagine your social life reduced to nothing but horrid powerful people‚ your psychpathic boss‚ your old family who now hates you and your -#- various apprentices that you occasionally fling lightning at but end up caring for anyway#i think that just does things to your brain.#you build up layers upon layers of awfulness with all sorts of fossils inside them#and in the process you get farther and farther away from your core while also putting more and more pressure on it until it boils#which is why i really like the “he'd rather burn them down than allow them to continue to fester“ part#it's so on point#at his core he's a teacher and someone who cares so much but his circumstances compress those traits into something kinda twisted#and boy you're gonna need a BIG excavator to take some of that pressure off#anyway sorry for the ramble and the sediment metaphor but. ughh this guy#he really gets my little brain gears grinding#meta#count dooku#rael averross#qui-gon#UGHHH (prev tags by @rochenn)

May I ask about your Star Wars fanfics? I wanted you to know I really enjoy them to read on my off time!

May we know your opinions/ headcannons on Dooku and Qui gon's relationship?

How was there dynamic during there early years?

Do you think deep down in when dooku is alone in Sereno, asleep he dreams of seeing his old padawan one last time?

This lyric comes to mind I added on to it.

"Alone and forgotten, i never thought he'd look at me again, but he smiled at me, and I held him.. just like I used to do. Like I used to when he was scarred as a child. Or maybe he was holding me?

Holding me to the light as he used to hold me and look at me, those eyes so full of hope and admiration"

You may absolutely ask me about my Star Wars fics! Thank you for reading my stories! (I swear one day I'm going to finish off those WIPs, aaaaaaaaaa).

Caveat that I'm not as active in the fandom these days (on a bit of Star Wars sabbatical), but I do feel (and I'm someone who melds Master & Apprentice, Jedi Lost, and Dark Rendezvous into canon as I see fit) that in contrast to Dooku's relationship with Rael (which was surprisingly casual, especially as Rael aged. This, if I may be allowed a small tangent, is probably a combination of Rael's aggressive form of charm and Dooku's inexperience and youth)

...but anyway, in comparison to Dooku and Rael, there's this...distance, on the surface, that Dooku keeps from Qui-gon. Their relationship, at least the trappings of it, is more formal, their roles more defined. (This being said, anytime Rael pops by and the three of them are together, those neatly constructed walls start to crumble). This doesn't mean Dooku doesn't care about Qui-gon. He cares, deeply. But as we see in Tales of the Jedi, Qui-gon's apprenticeship years mark the true beginnings of Dooku's disillusionment with the Jedi Order and his slow fall to the Dark Side. And I think part of this detachment from Qui-gon (even as he shows a ferocious protectiveness over him) is, in part, Dooku trying to shield Qui-gon from his more insidious desires and actions. (This backfires, on more than one occasion, when Dooku chokes the crap/lightening attacks/otherwise manhandles out of various enemies who were either threatening his Padawan or were obviously part of the bloating corruption that was metastasizing across the entire Republic).

And to get back to their relationship, we have Dooku being a little more standoff-ish. A little older, a bit more bitter, in general. And young Qui-gon is less outwardly brash than Dooku (at least when he was younger) and Qui-gon is definitely intimidated his new Master. (Although he respects him as a teacher and while Dooku is an exacting, demanding instructor he is also always fair. Whatever his personal troubles are, Dooku is never anything less than a damn fine teacher).

So yes, Dooku cares. Qui-gon's death had no small part in his eventual choice to join the Sith and I have no doubts whatsoever that he dreams both of Qui-gon and Rael regularly as he lies alone in that gigantic, empty bed on Serenno. (I think Dooku, as much as he was trying to manipulate Obi-wan in AotC by bringing up Qui-gon's name, was also being completely honest with Obi-wan in that moment. Actually, he was wholly honest with Obi-wan that entire scene and got shot down due to - at least as Dooku would have seen it - Jedi indoctrination).

And it's this caring that helps to bury Dooku in the end. Caring about his Padawans. Caring about the Republic. About Serenno. About the Jedi. For a man that is so stoic and proper, he is passionate and invested in the future of all the different organizations and governments and societies he's tasked with defending (to the point he'd rather burn them down than allow them to continue to fester). But more than any of that - the Jedi, the Republic, Serenno - Dooku is a teacher. A teacher who is instructing in an intense, one-on-one relationship that puts him in the position of half-mentor/half-parent. We see it when he and Rael embrace after meeting again years later; we see it when Dooku asks an adult Qui-gon for information about this Sith, to protect Qui-gon; we see it when Dooku is forced to turn on Ventress; we see it when he tries to recruit Obi-wan again and again (and, for the record, does not kill him in the bridge scene in RotS when he easily could have crushed Obi-wan with that platform).

This is all to say Dooku cares. And that, to some degree, was exactly the problem.

[mitfloya]

𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

pairings. Yandere Rafayel x gn!reader

wc. 2k

synopsis. You find yourself lost searching for answers that slip through your grasp. There is a mysterious force that lures you back to the vast depths of the sea, a pull that you can't quite comprehend, a strange connection. It haunts your thoughts, you wanted to find out why does your soul keeps guiding you to ocean.

Only to find the truth that you wish to never uncover.

warnings. The following content contains elements of obsessive behavior, yandere thoughts, stalking, possessive behavior, and may include poorly written narratives. Reader is referred to as 'you'. Proceed with caution, as this writing may be unsettling or uncomfortable for some individuals.

a/n. Hiii, I'm back from the dead, I hope it's good (be gentle with me this is my first fic I've created) or evoke some kind of emotions, whatever it may be. I may have gone a little overboard with everything. This will be a small series, maybe there will be 3 parts or up to 5 parts, depends on my mood. Also, this is my thank you gift for the celebration of hitting another milestone on my c.ai acc ♡

The waves, like gentle giants, rolled towards the shore, their white foamy crests crashing against the rocks with a resounding roar. The sound echoed in your ears. With each surge, the water created intricate patterns, as if painting an ever-changing masterpiece upon the canvas of the beach.

Some crashed against the rocks with a powerful force, while others gently caressed the sand, their touch as gentle as a lover's whisper. 

Standing there, your feet were gently lapped by the waves near the shore, your eyes fixated on the vast expanse of the sea, you felt an inexplicable pull, as if there was a profound bond between you and the ocean.

Yet, you couldn't quite comprehend why.

Lost in contemplation, you imagined how the cool waters of the sea would embrace you, enveloping you in their refreshing embrace. It was in these moments that you found solace and tranquility in the presence of nature.

The ebb and flow of the waves became a soothing rhythm that seemed to wash away any worries or troubles that burdened your mind.

Yet, amidst the serenity, there was a sense of familiarity, as if there were fragments of a forgotten memory lurking within your subconscious. Every time you found yourself by the sea or on a sandy beach, a whisper of a memory danced at the edge of your thoughts, just out of reach.

Lost in your thoughts, distant calls of your name went unheard as you drifted into a daze, completely captivated by the sea, you didn't noticed the water has gone up to your knees level. It was only when a familiar hand gripped your wrist, pulling you back from the water, that you snapped out of your daze.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" His voice rang out, a mix of concern and annoyance. "You were about to walk straight into the deep sea! Do you have any idea how dangerous that could have been?" he exclaimed, gently pulling you back to the safety of the shore.

Startled, your gaze locked with his eyes, a blend of deep purple with delicate speckles of pink. In that moment, you found yourself drowning in the vastness of his gaze, unable to tear your eyes away.

His eyes held a mix of emotions, like a tumultuous sea that you couldn't quite decipher. You couldn't help but wonder if your encounter was more than just a coincidence, if there was a greater significance to the intertwining of your paths. The depths of his gaze seemed to hold the answers, yet they also posed more questions, leaving you both intrigued and captivated.

There was something undeniable about the connection you shared, a magnetic pull that transcended mere concern. In that moment, you realized that his eyes held more than just worry for your safety—they held a glimpse of a deeper connection, an unspoken understanding that seemed to bind you together.

The depth of his concern in the eyes are as clear as day, it momentarily puts you lost at words.

The situation slowly sank in, you realized that you had been so absorbed in your thoughts that you had unconsciously ventured into dangerous waters. The level of danger had escalated beyond what you initially thought, as the water had gradually risen without your awareness.

You blinked, your voice betraying a tinge of guilt as you stammered out. "I… I didn't even realize," you admitted, your words laden with a sense of remorse,. "The ocean… it just pulls me in. I can't explain it." Your eyes darted around, avoiding contact with Rafayel.

He sees the way you looked at the sea, sensing that you were searching for something, perhaps a connection or understanding.

In that fleeting moment, a glimmer of hope momentarily danced across Rafayel's face, as if he believed you had finally recollected something significant to him.

…But as he searched your eyes, that tiny glimmer faded, replaced by a mix of disappointment and frustration.

A deep sigh escaped Rafayel's lips, his eyes rolling with visible exasperation. "Oh, please," he scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "As if the ocean has some deep, personal connection to you," he muttered dismissively.

The atmosphere grew heavy with an unspoken tension, as Rafayel's words hung in the air. It was clear that he felt let down, hoping for a shared understanding that seemed to elude him once again.

Rafayel's frustration grew evident as he let out an exasperated huff, pushing away his bangs with an irritated sweep of his hand. "Look, we've got enough problems trying to win this damn classroom competition. We don't need you drowning yourself in the process." His head shook slightly, a clear expression of annoyance etched upon his face.

You felt a pang of regret wash over you, seeing the frustration etched on Rafayel's face. "Thanks for being worried, I guess," you mumbled, your tone tinged with a touch of bitterness. He could've said it nicely at the very least, you thought.

Feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over you for nearly getting yourself drowned, you quickly shifted your gaze to the expanse of the ocean stretched out before you.

The colors of the sea danced before your eyes, shifting seamlessly from the vibrant hues of turquoise to the deeper shades of indigo, as if an artist's brush had painted a masterpiece on the water's surface.

You couldn't help but wonder if there was a hidden world beneath the surface. Little did you know, you had been conversing with one of those hidden beings all along.

You noticed Rafayel's hands waving in front of your face, interrupting your oceanic reverie.

"I've heard the locals said that there is a mythical creature who roamed around this water, can you guess what it is?" His voice took on an eerie cadence. His head tilted slightly, as if he was assessing your reaction.

"Legend has it that those who make a pact with this sea creature are granted a special favor," he weave the tale as his gaze were penetrating your skin. "However," he paused, his words dripping with anticipation. "If one were to forget or break their oath, the consequences would be nothing short of catastrophic."

Drawing near, he leaned in, his voice a mere whisper in your ear. "They would face a fate far more harrowing than their most dreadful nightmares could ever conjure." His breath made your skin crawl, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps in its wake.

The tale he spoke of leave you with an eerie sense that there was more to this tale than met the eye. It was as if the threads of the story resonated with a deeper part of your being, stirring emotions and images that had long been dormant.

Yet, you shook off the discomfort, determined not to let Rafayel's words unravel your sense of reality, even as they lingered in your mind, leaving behind a lingering sense of unease.

With a light-hearted push, you nudge him away with your elbow, mustering a witty retort to maintain the casual banter. "Nice try, but I'm not one to fall victim to the legends of mermaids."

Unfazed, Rafayel continues to weave his tale, his voice dripping with a seductive charm. "How so? Don't their enchanting melodies and mysterious allure at least pique your curiosity?"

The weight of his words settled upon you, causing a shiver to ripple through your body. Yet, you maintain your composure, "Well, Rafayel," you taunt, "if mermaids are truly as captivating as you claim, perhaps I should take my chances. Who knows? Maybe I'll be the one to befriend a mermaid."

Oh, you already did and it was more than that.

Your soul remembers him, resonating with a familiarity that defies logic, while your conscious mind grapples with the mystery of who he truly is and where your paths have crossed before.

It's like your souls hold a hidden story, a shared history that teases the edges of your awareness, just beyond your grasp. The unspoken bond that lingers between you cannot be denied, as if your paths are intricately woven together, waiting to be unraveled.

In his presence, you find yourself both anchored and adrift, caught between the intangible and the tangible. The ties that bind you are not of this physical realm, but of a deeper dimension where emotions and memories intertwine like the ebb and flow of the tide.

There is a profound bond between you that goes beyond mere attraction, as if you have shared lifetimes together before.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the water, you and Rafayel became entranced by the moment, surrendering to the breathtaking beauty of the sea.

The scenery sparked a creative fire within you, the gentle dance of the waves mirrored the rhythm of your thoughts, as if the ocean had bestowed upon you the ideal theme for the upcoming classroom decoration competition. It was as if the universe had handed you a vibrant palette, ready to bring your ideas to life.

A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as an idea began to take shape in your mind. "Hey, what if we choose the ocean as our theme? We could create an underwater wonderland, wouldn't that be cool?" you suggested, your voice filled with enthusiasm.

Rafayel eyes widened with surprise, he took a moment to consider the suggestion. "That's actually not bad," he shrugged, his tone casual yet intrigued. "We could use blue and turquoise hues to mimic the ocean's colors, and hang paper jellyfish and other sea creatures from the ceiling. It'll be like stepping into an enchanting underwater realm."

The two of you continued to brainstorm all the way home, ideas flowing like a current, as you imagined transforming your classroom into a captivating oceanic paradise.

As the sounds of crashing waves slowly faded into the distance, replaced by the comforting rhythm of your footsteps, a familiar banter and laughter filled the air. The easy camaraderie between you and Rafayel created a warm and comfortable atmosphere, where the worries of the day seemed to melt away.

Minutes passed by, as if time had lost its grip on the endless conversations and moments of solace shared with Rafayel. He was like a soothing balm for your weary soul, a safe haven where your restless mind could find peace. His presence was like a sanctuary, where the weight of your worries seemed to dissipate into thin air.

Regrettably, the front gate of your house loomed before you, signaling the end of this cherished connection. With a warm smile, you waved goodbye to Rafayel, a bittersweet farewell that left an ache in your heart. "We'll talk more later, see you at school tomorrow!" you called out, hoping to preserve the thread of conversation that had woven its way into your shared journey.

He reciprocated with a smile and a wave, his eyes following you until you disappeared behind the closed door. As the facade he wore crumbled, a torrent of emotions flooded Rafayel's mind the moment you were safely inside. Frustration tightened its grip, as he struggled to understand how something so vital between the two of you could slip from your memory.

However, a twisted sense of satisfaction settled within him, as he relished in the knowledge of your home, a piece of your personal life that he now possessed, fueling a dangerous determination to claim you as his own.

This was never your home, and it would never be, for he had vowed to create a sanctuary where only he could offer you peace and happiness you deserved.

He knew that he had to do more, to make you realize the depth of his feelings. With unwavering resolve, Rafayel promised himself that he would build a world for you, free from any disturbances or distractions.

No one else would have access to this sacred space; it would be an intimate domain that existed solely for him and you.

"Wait for me, my love. I'll show you how much I adore you."

© mitfloya 2024. Kindly refrain from altering, translating, or reposting my works on any platform without obtaining my consent.

[sillybruja]

hiii, I hope you're well. I want ask you about two synastry aspects if that's okay!

so I wanted to know your thoughts on Node conjunct Mars synastry in the 12th house and also Lilith conjunct Moon

Thank you so much! <3

Hiya! I can def explain my interpretation on this. Keep in mind this is just my interpretation!

Nodes conjunct Mars

Starting with the Nodes conjunct mars. Since the North/South nodes are all involving some form of karma, as well as the 12H house... paired with mars, the planet of sex, transformation, work, etc... I would say this aspect in synastry can bring a whole lot of change into your life, BUT it could also bring you a lot of of nothing too. When you have strong Node contact, particularly with personal planets, it is safe to say these two ppl came together to sort out, reap, or collect karma together. This synastry aspect is not easy, and I have seen this manifest in numerous ways. One of the most common ways I've seen this aspect play out is usually in a "what could have been" situation and/or situationship. If basing romantic compatibility on astrology, particularly this placement, I would say it can be very hard to maintain this relationship (not for everyone though) due to the fiery, impulsive nature of mars (or mars person) Negatively manifested, this couple can bicker for days, and sometimes have physically impulsive reactions, or heated debates. More positively manifested and I see two people who come together, feeling like they were on a "mission" in this life time. Given that all of this is happening in the 12H, I think it is fair to say that these two keep lots of secrets together, and from each other -- they probably often dream about each other a lot -- I have also seen this manifest as two people dreaming about their arguments too, and any issues they have. The 12H is also about hidden motives or enemies, what this synastry aspect can suggest is a few things: 1. You two came together to truly not know the motives of the other, but with the goal to learn discernment and trust. 2. This person *could* be a hidden enemy. 3. Both people with this synastry aspect some how sabotage the connection in some way, but they do more so with South Node mars synastry. However, when this happens -- it is often because mars person (or either person) has the wrong idea about the Node person. Sometimes one or both people could be under a delusion about the other person - particularly about their motives, intentions, morals, character etc. More positively aspected, and I see this having potential to be serious, consistent, loyal, and sacred. This could also be a very safe relationship as you feel this other person you have this synastry with knows your heart and soul to the core.

Lilith conjunct Moon

In terms of lilith conjunct moon... I will give my vague opinion because it genuinely depends on who is what placement, and where this aspect is but, I have noticed there is a unique sense of vulnerability the other person brings out of you. People you have this synastry with (romantic or not) will at some point, see you at your worst, and still love you for who you are (this is also for lilith conj. moon natal). I will say, this can be a challenging placement... especially since it seems a big theme of this aspect deals with emotional wounding & reoffending. The lilith person can often trigger the moon person's emotional wounds, especially if those wounds pertain to the mother wound. There's also an element of risk to this connection -- be it actual risk like one or both of you are unavailable (this gives emotional affair vibes), or one person feels a bit afraid to be emotionally vulnerable with the other due to the other's often displaced temperament There is definitely a bit of obsession involved with this aspect, as at some point one or both people feel very deeply invested in one another, and very curious to explore the deeper, darker sides of each other's psyche. Basically, this aspect can suggest a very deep and emotional, sexy connection that could be a bit obsessive and toxic if there's lots of bad aspects. I can also say with most certainty that one of the biggest themes of this aspect involves triggering each other's mother wounds, or in general, bringing up heavy issues with a mother figure. Could also signify that one (or both) of you have a mother who lacks boundaries and crosses the line (or could) with you partner. Lots of rough stuff can go on with this placement too.

[sleeplesssmoll]

Reverse 1999: Vertin Character Analysis and Theory

Vertin and the “Hidden Desire”

I'll be exploring the Gluttony Amplification Material and how it potentially relates to Vertin. Unlike the Psychubes, Gluttony is not a conclusion built upon Vertin’s thoughts and reflection. Instead, Gluttony is “a desire hidden in the depths”. I examined this under a mostly biblical lens because Reverse1999 loves to use Biblical references. Word Count 1600+

Relevant Background Information

Psychubes are an element of an arcanist's thoughts. They provide buffs/abilities. The more you ponder, the more you gain (in game description). Vertin can reflect and meditate in a process called pneuma analysis (resource stage) twice a day, where she acquires lesser Psychubes, Thought Elements, and Thoughts in Entirety. 

Thought Elements: an element of an arcanist’s thoughts. There are so many ways to organize the mess: the furnace that burns and the blade that cuts…but I wish to keep it the way it is.

Thoughts in Entirety: an arcanist’s complete thoughts. As the disorganized has been organized, the darkened vision lightens, ideas are finally taking shape in my mind.

These are the building blocks for greater ideas, which would be higher level Psychubes. On the Psychube page in the Atlas, you will also see the phrase word anamnesis. 

In Platonic philosophy, anamnesis is a process of rediscovering knowledge that the soul already possesses but has forgotten. Plato stated the soul has pre-existing knowledge that is brought back to consciousness through the process of questioning and recollection. However, in Christian and Catholic contexts, anamnesis is recollecting the “Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus”. In other words, remembering Jesus’s sacrifice and honoring his memory (this is an oversimplification for the sake of brevity). In general, we can think of anamnesis as a profound reflection or recalling of events.

To summarize, the Psychubes interlap with Vertin's emotional state and have been cultivated by her experiences. She reflects, recollects, and creates stronger “impressions” (from the Psychubes). The definition for impression: an idea, feeling, or opinion about something or someone, especially one formed without conscious thought or on the basis of little evidence. These are all emotion/intuition based. Very fitting for an arcanist.

From a lore perspective, the Psychube Shop is a representation of Vertin’s mind as she turns her thoughts into Psychubes. The different prices represent the time and introspection needed to gather Vertin’s thoughts. She needs more complete thoughts (Thoughts in Entirety) in order to afford the stronger Psychubes, which means spending more time doing pneuma analysis (farming the stage). The lesser ideas are also the foundation of strong ones. In the game this is represented by engraving a Psychube to make it stronger. (Note: This is how I connected the game mechanics to the lore, but I'm open to other interpretations!)

Gluttony is not a Psychube and isn't listed in the Atlas. However, it consumes the most Thoughts in Entirety. The strongest Psychubes are worth 210, but Gluttony is a whopping 300. The Snake symbolizes “desire hidden in the depths.” It gorges on Vertin’s thoughts if she indulges it instead of a Psychube. However, if she allows Gluttony to devour her thoughts, she can amplify an existing Psychube. This could be interpreted as gaining a deeper understanding, but to get there she needs to get obsessed/fixated/focused. This is reflected in the large amount of thoughts she needs to invest in Gluttony before she can amplify her chosen Psychube.

But what exactly is Gluttony and why is it slithering around in Vertin’s soul? 

The Serpent and the Sin

Gluttony is represented by a snake, which we can also refer to as a serpent.

In the Bible, snakes are often associated with deception and temptation. The serpent in the Garden of Eden is commonly interpreted as a symbol of Satan tempting Eve to disobey God. Snakes also represent danger and evil.

In the biblical story of the Garden of Eden, the serpent tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit (Apple) from the Tree of Knowledge. The serpent challenges God's command, suggesting that eating the fruit will not lead to death but rather make Eve and Adam godlike, “knowing good and evil”. The serpent manipulates Eve, creating doubt about God's intentions and enticing her with the idea of gaining knowledge and wisdom. Eve eventually succumbs to the temptation, eats the forbidden fruit, and shares it with Adam. Their disobedience led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The story is a lesson on disobedience and its consequences. The snake was also cursed by God to crawl on its belly and eat dust.

While snakes aren't evil in every context, keep this story in mind.

With the Snake symbolism established, we can look at the Sin.

The Seven Deadly Sins are Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride.

Going a step further, Lust, Gluttony, and Greed share a theme: excessive desire. People carrying these sins are deemed insatiable. 

Gluttony refers to excessive indulgence in food or drink. It involves overconsumption beyond what is necessary, often driven by an unrestrained appetite or desire for pleasure. It’s a sinful behavior due to its focus on self-indulgence and lack of moderation.

However, we haven’t seen any behavior to connect Vertin with Gluttony. In fact, she displays the exact opposite and reflects Gluttony’s counterpart: Temperance. Temperance is one of the Seven Virtues (opposite of Seven Sins). According to Wikipedia Temperance is the practice of moderation and voluntary self-restraint. It involves refraining from vengeful actions through mercy and forgiveness, avoiding arrogance through humility, and curbing excesses like luxury, overindulgence in food and drink, as well as managing rage through calmness. This is Vertin’s whole persona as the stoic Timekeeper. She asks for nothing, but is always ready to give. During Green Lake, we see her explicitly say things like she doesn’t have wishes because she already has everything she needs but she goes out of her way to fulfill other people’s desires.

So Why a Snake? Why use the term Gluttony? 

In Vertin’s case, I’d say a “hunger for knowledge” suits her. She wanted to know the outside world to the extent of letting herself get hurt in (electric fence and punishments from teachers) in the process. She craved more while everyone else obeyed the Foundation and stayed in their lane. Smoltin could never be satisfied within the Foundation’s walls.

While it’s true she had an insatiable curiosity, she is not Eve in this story.

She was the Serpent.

During the break away event, Vertin enticed the other children to disobey. She tempted them, just like the snake who tempted Eve. She challenged everything they knew the way the Snake planted doubts about God. The other children were swayed by her which ended up getting them Reversed. Now she is the Timekeeper, doomed to helplessly watch history repeat as she loses friends and allies. The snake was cursed to crawl on its belly, and she was cursed to brave the Storm as Eras end.

Maturity and trauma go hand in hand since children who experience trauma are forced to grow up faster than others. Vertin wanted “too much”, and look at where it got her. She has her own goals and desires of course, but Vertin doesn’t ask for much compared to her crew. Vertin is also a victim of other people’s greed like Constantine, and as of recently, Arcana. What if she’s afraid she’ll become like the people who hurt her and her friends? Who continue to hurt her physically and emotionally?

Gluttony could be what Vertin perceives as her sin. She could have a skewed perception of herself. She wants things like everyone else, but wanting things is “wrong.”  Wanting too much will make her hurt people. This is why Gluttony is part of her psyche along with the psychubes she manifests. It’s not a conclusion or idea she needs to come to because it's already coiled up in her mind. It lives there. To clarify Vertin has desires but chooses not to act on them. Its similar to not being able to control your emotions, but you can manage how they manifest to some degree.

The repression is intense.

“The snake is hissing to find its way. It is now clear where to go and what to bite. It opens its mouth, it protrudes its fangs, it sinks them into the prey.”

Fun fact, snakes are predators that can unhinge their jaws to eat their prey whole after they subdued them. It fits right into the concept of Gluttony. Idk how you want to interpret this but to me it shows someone who knows what they want, knows how to get what they want, and has the means to claim it without hesitance. Yet, Vertin doesn't indulge this part of her (Unlike Constantine and Arcana). What do you think? There are so many ways to interpret this!

TL;DR: Psychubes are linked to Vertin's emotions and experiences, cultivated through reflection and meditation in a process called pneuma analysis. Anamnesis, mentioned in the game's Atlas, connects to Platonic philosophy and Christian contexts, representing a profound recollection of events. Gluttony, symbolized by a snake, consumes Thoughts in Entirety, reflecting excessive desire and temptation akin to the biblical story of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Despite Vertin's displayed Temperance, Gluttony resides in her heart. Her trauma represses many of her “hidden desires”.  The symbolism of Gluttony, both in the lore and game mechanics, adds depth to Vertin's character.

Disclaimer: there is also a serpent on the Insight Material “Fruit of Good and Evil” but that will be a discussion for another time because we’re focusing on Gluttony.

More Psychube Stuff:

[aesethewitch]

Watermelon Salad Spell Recipe - Summer Solstice Feast

Every year, I do a feast for each of the solstices and equinoxes. This is the first recipe for the 2024 Summer Solstice! My main goal for the overall meal is generating energy, preparing for the darkening half of the year, enhancing success for upcoming projects, and celebrating the sun. These themes repeat throughout the meal in a variety of ways.

I always serve seasonal fruits as snacks before a feast, and that’s how this watermelon salad recipe started. Now, I prefer it as a delicious side dish to provide a burst of freshness. It brings a distinctly Summer feeling to the meal that other salads don’t quite manage. I suggest getting fresh, local produce at a farmer’s market or local stall if you can! Local-grown watermelons just hit different.

Ingredients:

1/2 of a Large Watermelon 2 c Fresh Spinach 1/2 c Feta, crumbled 1/8 c Balsamic Vinegar (or to taste)

Instructions:

Wash your spinach and then pat dry.

Cut the watermelon into one-inch cubes.

In a large bowl, toss the watermelon, spinach, and feta together until well combined.

Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar.

Serve immediately. If not serving immediately, wait to drizzle the balsamic vinegar until just before serving and refrigerate the watermelon, spinach, and feta mixture.

Recipe Notes:

I first had this salad at a local sandwich shop one summer. I’ve been obsessed ever since. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s absolutely delicious.

If you don’t like balsamic vinegar, you can omit it. Instead, I would suggest a sprinkling of salt and pepper to give it a little more depth of flavor. You could also use another type of salad dressing, but I would advise against using something with strong flavors that would overwhelm the watermelon flavor.

The amount of feta in the recipe is a suggestion. I often end up adding more than half a cup, because I like it. Half a cup is the minimum amount I would suggest.

This is a must-have in my picnic baskets and at summertime parties. If you’re making this for a crowd, I would suggest doubling the recipe and using a whole watermelon. I tend to go for one without seeds, but you can choose whatever type you prefer.

To make this a more fortifying main dish, I’ve added cubed or shredded chicken to the mix. You could also toss in a bit of tofu if you prefer to keep things vegetarian.

Magic Notes:

Watermelons are about 90% water. This means they have a strong connection to the element of water and its properties. In my practice, this means it has elements of healing, calm, wisdom, and emotion. In particular, also thanks to the color and personally-studied effects, watermelon is useful for workings surrounding romantic love, self love, and joy.

Spinach is my favorite leafy green, and it’s also good for you! I associate it heavily with health and wellness, but it’s lent itself well to workings surrounding wealth and success, too.

Balsamic vinegar is made from grapes! Like wine, it’s an aged product that requires a lot of time and patience before it’s ready to use. And like wine made from grapes, it can be associated with a range of things like love, abundance, and harvest. I find that ingredients which have been aged or which require a long time to produce make excellent contenders for magical workings surrounding hard work and gratitude.

Put them all together (with the rich, salty feta cheese), and you’ve got a recipe that can lend itself toward any number of purposes. For the Summer Solstice, I’m emphasizing the qualities of joy, wellness, and hard work. The idea is to acknowledge the work that’s already been done and prepare for the second half of the year, imparting energy and motivation on whoever eats the salad.

If your watermelon has seeds, you can either leave them in if they won’t bother you, or you can remove the ones you’re able to get to while cutting the melon into cubes. Set them aside to dry slightly, and you’ve got a new component for another spell! Seeds of most sorts are good for blessing new projects or endeavors. Because their fruit is so large, I tend to associate watermelon seeds with bringing about big changes or big successes — new careers, blessing a garden for a large harvest, seeking a new home, and so forth. In my mind, the bigger the goal is, the bigger the seed’s fruit (or plant, if it’s a tree seed) ought to be.

If you enjoyed this recipe or if you plan on using it as part of your own Summer Solstice meal, please consider reblogging or tossing a couple dollars in my tip jar! Doing so has a bonus benefit:

The full collection of Summer Solstice recipe posts are going up on Ko-Fi this week for supporters only! You can tip me a couple dollars, commission me for a tarot reading or a custom recipe, buy a recipe card bundle from my shop, or become a monthly member! Support helps me keep the lights on and this blog running. (:

All of the recipes will also be sold as a bundle of pages designed to go in a grimoire next week, just in time for the Solstice!

You can view this recipe on Ko-Fi also:

[spectordameron]

The Sequel Trilogy: A Story of Choice

Do not interact with this post if you insist on just being negative, passive aggressive, or critical against the films in the tags/replies. I don't want to hear it.

This post speaks frankly about topics such as abuse, brainwashing, torture, dehumanization, and non-con elements. Proceed with caution.

One thing that I feel goes often ignored or misunderstood about the sequel trilogy, is its core message and value, which is choice - especially, choice over circumstances, or choice over blood. I would argue this is the overall theme of the entire Skywalker Saga, but the sequels really center themselves around this idea, with it becoming the beating heart of the emotional plot of The Rise of Skywalker.

According to writer Chris Terrio in one of the festurettes for the film, this theme is best summed up by the character D-0, and Rey's short initial interaction with him:

Which is meant to be a mirror to what we know of Finn, Rey and (as we learn) Poe. They all come from pasts that were not kind to them, and were treated badly, but found a home in each other. It is a case of choice over circumstances: Finn chose to leave the First Order, Poe chose to leave the Spice Runners (and become a New Republic officer, then choose to leave that when he understood how compliant they'd become), and Rey chose to leave Jakku.

Choice is also mirrored in the trilogy's antagonists (DJ being a good example of the choice to serve only yourself and not join the greater war, Zorii puts aside her resentment and helps the Resistance) but none so much than Kylo Ren himself, who is as obsessed with the Skywalker bloodline as Snoke is (understandably).

There's an opinion and idea that between Ren and the revelation that Rey is Palpatine's granddaughter, that the trilogy values bloodlines and inheritance over choice, but I fundamentally disagree with this, because I think that's a misunderstanding of the story they're trying to tell.

When Han says that "there's too much Vader in [Ren]" in The Force Awakens, I don't take that as a dismissal of Leia being an Organa by choice, not when we discover that Ren is continuously making the choice to choose the Skywalker bloodline, and ergo Vader, over the family that actually raised him: a woman who chose her adoptive family over her biological family, and a man who had no surname but instead claimed one that was thrust upon him as an insult.

There's too much Vader in Ren, because that is the choice Ren made, and continues to make. He chose Vader over Leia, over Han, over the Solo-Organa family. It's a similar mistake that Luke makes:

Blood. Inheritance. The hubris of Ren believing the lightsaber belongs to him, simply because it belonged to Vader, to Anakin, even when the Force calls a quote unquote "nobody" to it instead.

Rey is revealed, obviously, in The Last Jedi, to be born to "nobodies", and Ren (sticks his whole fucking foot in his mouth) hurts her deeply by emphasizing Rey's worst fear which is that she has no place in this story, because she is nobody. It's a moment that haunts Rey enough that she doesn't even believe herself worthy of wielding the Skywalker saber in TROS:

Obviously - and famously - this revelation is because Rian Johnson preferred the concept of underdogs becoming heroes and thought it was the worst revelation Rey could possibly have - that she doesn't have any connection to this story that means so much to her.

Unlike majority of the internet, I love the addition TROS offers, which is that the truth is so much worse. Rey isn't just "nobody", she does have a place in this story, and it's in the worst way imaginable for her: she's the main villain's granddaughter.

And I don't think it negates what we initially learn about Rey, or her status as a "nobody". Her being related to Palpatine does not inherently result in her being somehow more privileged than other characters - she was still abandoned as a child, and was forced to work in order to survive, suffered bouts of starvation, and had to fend for herself for years. She's a traumatized young woman with fractured memories, and poor self esteem from said abandonment and the abuse Unkar Plutt put her under (he also emphasizes in the TFA novelization that she is a "nobody", and likely would have pressed upon her the lie that Miramir and Dathan fed him that she was being sold for drinking money, hence Rey's conflicting memories of parents coming to return for her and what Ren finds in TLJ).

Her position as Palpatine's granddaughter, however, puts her almost immediately into the same position that Ren once found himself in, and he tries to pressure her into coming to the same conclusion that he did: that because of the blood in her veins, she has no choice in going to the Dark Side, that she will wind up abandoned (again) for it, and there's only one place in the galaxy for her - by his side.

And when Rey is frightened enough by her hatred and resentment, that leads her into the Dark Side on Kef Bir and results in her killing Kylo Ren - she flees to Ahch-To to exile herself because she believes there's no escape from her circumstances. She was a nobody who had to earn this legendary saber, who doesn't deserve to be the protagonist of this story, and now she's the granddaughter of its villain.

But she's quickly reminded that blood is not everything:

Even while on Exegol, Palpatine attempts to taunt her with the concept that she has no one but him, that she's helpless but to continue the cycle: Luke had his father, but the only family Rey has is him, and if she doesn't give in and continue the cycle of violence, then her new family will die.

And once more, the concept of blood over choice, is immediately dismantled. Rey isn't alone, because Ben - having finally made the decision to shed his attachment to Vader's bloodline and chose being an Organa-Solo - comes and saves her. Rey isn't alone, and neither is her new family, because the entire galaxy comes in to help the Resistance.

And the ultimate climax of the battle, is that Palpatine does in fact kill Rey, and it is Ben's choice to revive her. He loves her, and so did his mother and father. Rey is family, and he dies to bring her back, and so she takes the Skywalker name - and is the happiest she is in the entire saga, because she's learned that blood and circumstance isn't everything, it is choice. And Rey has chosen and accepted her own family.

But circumstance and choice isn't limited to just Rey in this trilogy - there's also our other primary hero characters, starting with Finn.

Finn is a stormtrooper, taken from a family he'll never know, that we're not introduced to. He worked in sanitation, despite being a very promising cadet in Before the Awakening. Much like Poe, Finn is introduced as being one of the biggest "red shirt" offenders of the saga (seriously do we ever expect a stormtrooper or a fighter pilot to survive? no), and almost immediately Finn gives us the thesis of the trilogy:

Finn was raised and taught for one purpose: to fight and then to die for the First Order. He flees from the First Order, and TFA is spend with him tying his loyalty to his friends - choosing them over running away. TLJ finds him making the choice to actively fight against the First Order, and join the Resistance.

Finn's choice to turn away from the First Order, brought him to his family. And TROS sees Finn at his most grounded and reassured; he's found his own peace and purpose, and it's through the choices he made over his circumstance.

Poe is probably the only character of our trio who is the most assured from the starting point, and the only one who has a tangible connection to the Rebellion through his parents. However, this is only within expanded material, with only a mere allusion to it in TROS, so the only concrete thing we have for connection in the films is his and Leia's surrogate mother/son relationship, and how he's chosen to carry on her legacy.

When we start off The Force Awakens, he's quickly established as a member of the Resistance and a high-ranking one as well (he dismisses a briefing full of generals and admirals).

However, it's clear that Poe views himself as expendable - he rushes in, unthinkingly, back to the village on Jakku and gets captured as a result. He puts himself on the line between the First Order and the Resistance above D'Qar (it is no coincidence that he recognizes Luke and Amilyn's sacrifice plays first later in the film).

Leia, and then the circumstances of the film literally grounding him by blowing up Black One, forces Poe to slow down and examine the choice he's being presented:

Pretty quickly, Poe begins considering what Leia's asked of him, and pauses while mulling over Rose and Finn's plan, before making the choice to be the one to stay behind, rather than jumping into the fray to save the day.

By the end of the film, Poe has quite consciously stepped into the latter half of the choice presented to him. He wants to survive, not just sacrifice himself in the name of the fight, and becomes the leader that Leia knew he had the potential to become:

The heart of his conflict in TROS is his fear that, like Rey, he can't succeed where the past did. He isn't Leia, and he's not so certain that he can do this by himself - but in the end, he doesn't have to, because he has Finn for support, and Rey shows them the way, in a neat inverse to Poe in TLJ:

And then the entire galaxy steps up to overthrow the First Order, and Palpatine. Like his wookieepedia so iconically supplies, Poe becomes the spark that lit the fire that burned the First Order down, and he doesn't do so alone.

The theme of choice and circumstances is often also reflected in the antagonists and villains. As aforementioned, DJ represents the choice Finn has of not joining, and serving himself, but there's another element to this theme, of characters looking down on our heroes for the circumstances they come from:

Snoke also expresses shock over the idea that a mere scavenger could resist his apprentice. It's a similar sentiment that Poe, Rose and Finn all experience within the Resistance itself under Vice Admiral Holdo:

She quickly reduces the three of them - Poe to no more than a trigger-happy flyboy, Finn to being a stormtrooper, and can't even be bothered to remember Rose, our resident behind the scenes worker underdog turned hero, despite supplementary material confirming that Rose is quite literally from Holdo's ship.

Like Rey, the three of them are underestimated and put down for or reduced to their 'inferior' roles. It's no wonder these kids are afraid they're not enough to be the heroes of this story - they've been told repeatedly that they're not, by villains and heroes alike.

Even more horrifically is the way agency and choice gets stripped away from the heroes by the villains:

Poe manages to resist an undetermined amount of time being physically tortured without giving up any intelligence, until Ren forcibly violates him by entering his mind (an experience described as "silent agony" in the novelization), and taunts Rey that he can do the same to her before she quickly turns the tables on him.

Both Ren and Snoke are able to paralyze their victims with the Force, rendering them immobile; Rey has similar trauma as Poe, albeit not from Ren, but through Snoke, as he immobilizes her and then tears through her mind in a similar manner that Ren does to Poe in the Force Awakens. Elsewhere, Finn experienced a lifetime of programming and brainwashing, reduced to a mere number without even a name to give him any sense of individuality. And Palpatine's ultimate play, before learning that Ren and Rey are a dyad in the Force and that power could restore him, was to literally possess Rey's body for himself.

It is a constant struggle for agency, with the villains quite often stripping our heroes of their autonomy - that is what the sequel trilogy is about. Three people who are consistently put down, devalued, who repeatedly have their agency stripped away, who are told they are stuck in an endless cycle, and it is about them going no, and leaving that behind and finding a home and a purpose in each other. Making the choice to find a new home, a new family, a new purpose, a new surname.

It is a victory when they emerge from Exegol, bloodied and exhausted and injured but with the sun shining, because they broke the cycle and they chose each other. It isn't about restoring the Republic, or holding onto the past. It's about three hurt people finding the value in themselves, and making a home with each other.

[duckarchives]

Elements of fear headcanons.

Well, I was recently watching a gameplay of enigma do medo, a game based on ordem paranormal rpg, so I thought I would make headcanons of which elements of fear the characters in COD would be. And for those who are confused, here is a brief description of each element:

・Blood is the entity of feeling. It seeks intensity: pain, obsession, passion, love, hunger, hate - everything that involves feeling an extreme emotion pleases the Blood entity.

・Death is the entity of time. It seeks the moments experienced, distorting the egoic perception of each individual's existence for its own pleasure.

・Knowledge is the entity of consciousness. Discovering, learning, knowing, deciphering. Having one's own perception of the Other Side and its entities pleases the Knowledge element.

・Energy is the entity of chaos. Everything that cannot be explained, the intangible, anarchy. Constant change, heat and cold, light and darkness. Everything that involves unpredictability and transformation pleases the Energy entity.

— Modern Warfare.

Price: blood or death, Price OG is more connected to death while Price from the reboot reminds me of blood.

Gaz: I can't get it out of my head that he would be knowledge.

Soap: energy or blood, Soap OG is more connected to death and Soap reboot reminds me of energy.

Ghost: him being death is kind of obvious, but to avoid being too cliché, maybe knowledge.

Laswell: definitely knowledge.

Farah: I think blood, she reminds me of another character who is also blood.

Alex: death or knowledge, maybe more death than knowledge.

Graves: knowledge, but my friend gave me the idea that he is energy.

Valeria: between energy or blood.

Alejandro: definitely blood.

Rodolfo: it reminds me of knowledge, but maybe it's blood too.

Makarov: energy, it's kind of obvious, even Price called him chaos incarnate.

— Black ops.

Mason: a mix of death and blood.

Woods: definitely energy, maybe blood, but for me it's energy.

Hudson: knowledge is a bit obvious, but I would also say death.

Adler: definitely knowledge.

Bell: it will depend on the player's actions, but my Bell is a mix of knowledge and blood.

Parker: knowledge too.

Sims: his scenes in bo6 made him look like blood.

Lazar: blood or death.

Sav: energy.

Felix: knowledge.

Case: blood.

Harrow: a mix of blood and knowledge.

— Ghosts.

I could say here that they are all death, but why not think differently from the obvious?

Walker family: blood and maybe hesh would be energy.

Merrick: knowledge and maybe blood, people who have a lot of affinity with blood go bald.

Keegan: Definitely blood.

Kick: Knowledge, in fact his eyes remind me of the eyes of someone with an affinity for knowledge and has had a lot of paranormal exposure.

Rorke: Who else could be so spiteful to the point of hunting their ex-partners to death? Definitely blood.

[mylittleponyauprompts]

You know I think if Pinkie Pie and Cadence swapped places it would be pretty seamless. Both have similar color pallets. Both have long names and prefer a shorter Nickname. Both like parties of different types, Cadence weddings, Pinkie Pie most celebrations with a lean towards entertainment. Both can represent different forms of love, Cadence romantic, Pinkie Pie platonic. Both have a strange relationship with rocks and crystals. Both are happy go lucky to different degrees.

If Pinkie Pie was the alicorn of love- she would be of platonic love, and help others with friendships and family relationships. (I think both would be of family love. Both deeply live their family) she would be the Crystal Empires new Empress, and I think her connection to the Crystal Empire would be more obvious due to her color graying and hair straightening due to certain emotions and magic overuse.

If Cadence was the element of laughter- I think she would also be a party planner with a huge lean on weddings and similar romantic events. She isn't opposed to doing a birthday party or large event that's not in her usual niche however. She is a Pie, so a very literal character swap in this case. She grew up on a rock farm like Pinkie did, and found it extremely depressing. I'm thinking that she got her cutie mark throwing her parents a little wedding party for the anniversary of their original wedding. She got the idea the same way, tge Rainboom.

I think AU Cadence would have similar chaotic tendencies as canon Pinkie Pie. Has a "sense", one of which tells her if someone has a crush and needs help working through the feelings, another one of which if someone just broke up or was widowed and needs comforting. She's not the best at baking, but she's really good at working with chocolate. She is of course obsessed with the colors pink and red and has so many heart shaped things. She has a huge snake as a pet.

[cubelogic]

i dont think ive seen anyone make this poll and im curious so :)

if you havent picked one yet just look at the elements under the cut and pick the one you identify with the most!!!

i tried to summarize everything but still beware of long

Blood

Blood is the entity of feeling. It seeks intensity: pain, obsession, passion, love, hunger, hate - everything that involves feeling an extreme emotion pleases the Blood entity.

This element is related to extreme emotions, such as pain, obsession, passion, love, hunger and hate. It is the impulse of the vehemence of the feelings of entities in Reality.

The colors that represent Blood are shades of red. Blood is effective against the element of Knowledge, because the extreme feelings of Blood overcome the reason and calmness of Knowledge, while the element of Death is effective against Blood, because the temporal distortion of Death ruins the carnal perception of Blood.

All starts with Blood. It is the flow that bathes eternity on the Other Side.

Death

Death is the entity of time. It seeks the moments experienced, distorting the egoic perception of each individual's existence to its own liking.

This element is related to several characteristics such as spirals, repetition, Black Slime and temporal distortion, in addition to distorting the egoic perception of each individual's existence. It maintains the chronology of Reality so that all stories have an end.

The behavior of the Death entity seems to revolve around itself, successively seeking the application of Potential Energy dedicated to the Death spirals. Every second that someone wastes contemplating the spirals is a second that that same person could be doing other things, living other experiences. Contemplation of the spirals strengthens the temporal distortion effects of this entity, making it more powerful.

Everything has a beginning and an end, and Time takes all things. Nothing that is taken by Death can return to what it was before.

Also being in close contact with a death relic can turn you into a cool creature called Luzidio!! cant put the image bc of image limit but feel free to google "luzidio ordem" if you want to theyre cute i think

Knowledge

Knowledge is the entity of consciousness. To discover, to learn, to know, to decipher. Having one's own perception of the Other Side and its entities pleases the element of Knowledge.

This element is characterized by discovering, learning, knowing and deciphering, in addition to being directly linked to the "Whispers of Knowledge". It maintains balance so that Reality gives rise to a purpose. The colors that represent this element are white and shades of yellow.

The Knowledge Entity's behavior appears to be directly connected to the idea of ​​discovering, remembering, learning and recording information. Events that were a great source of Fear, recorded in texts, words or even Sigils, please and strengthen the entity of Knowledge. Understanding Knowledge completely would be the equivalent of knowing absolutely everything about the Other Side. The closer you are to Knowledge the less you are yourself.

To know all is to lose it all.

Energy

Energy is the entity of chaos. Everything that cannot be explained, the intangible, the anarchy. Constant change, heat and cold, light and darkness. Everything that involves unpredictability and transformation pleases the Energy entity.

This element is characterized by everything that cannot be explained, the intangible, anarchy and transformation. It determines unpredictability, since not even the currents of Reality should control everything.

One of the most striking manifestations of this element is in a ghostly ethereal form, described as a matter that is in constant transformation between solid, liquid and gaseous states that acquires an appearance of "liquid flame", in the colors that represent Energy, which are shades of purple, blue, cyan, green and pink.

Chaos is inevitable.

👆 Anfitrião (Host), bearer of the relic of energy. if ordem was big on this website he'd be a sexyman i think

OK THATS ALL THE (chooseable) ELEMENTS HAVE FUN PICKING WHICHEVER ONE YOU LIKE THE MOST 👍

[thatgirl4815]

I saw on twitter that Book (i think?) called the Sandray relationship similar to the Joker and Harley Quinn relationship and i am SO confused haha What do you think can happen to warrant that kind of description? I can't think of anything

Honestly, I’ve been trying to see how that dynamic is at play between SandRay, and I personally think it applies much better to BostonNick as far as the criminal/villainous aspect. But there are some character comparisons that stand out.

Book seemed to connect Ray with “Joker” and Sand with “Harley Quinn,” possibly indicating that Ray corrupts Sand in some way. It’s also interesting that in HQ’s origin story, she’s a psychologist. Sand, as we know, is a caretaker, so there’s a notable crossover there. At its most basic, this comparison seems to imply that Sand starts good but turns evil as a result of his attachment to Ray (which develops into a bit of an obsession). Of course, we know the plot of the series doesn’t necessarily align with this, but the basic idea of “corruption” could still stand.

It’s very possible that Book left these comments simply to reference a certain dark aesthetic and not the plot itself. But I would be curious to see how Sand gets corrupted by Ray; I think it’s safe to say he’s already been compromised by him (as far as the “25th hour” thing is concerned). But at this point, Ray really hasn’t done anything criminal…he’s just desperate and sad. More than likely, Ray will corrupt Sand in a more emotional sense, putting Sand in a position where his dignity is threatened. I could see a lot of cognitive dissonance in Sand’s storyline; HQ essentially loses herself, and maybe Sand will lose himself too. The Joker is also known to be less-than-friendly towards HQ overall, which could be reflected in all of the screaming matches we see in the trailer.

Lastly, there’s an “addiction” element to Joker/HQ’s relationship too, and we know that Ray has his own struggles with that. Some have suggested that Sand will fill the role that alcohol has in Ray’s life, in which case he could become Ray’s addiction, furthering this comparison. (Joker seems to like the affirmation of having HQ at his beck and call, which we know Ray gets from Sand too.)

Ultimately, these are all just bits and pieces of Joker and HQ’s characters, but I do think there’s some weight to the comparison! I don’t believe that it will be quite so clear-cut though. As much as I believe in be gay, do crime, I don’t think we can expect too much criminal activity in SandRay’s future (at least, not the way the Suicide Squad does it). As far as their attachment is concerned and the issues it could create—there are a lot of possibilities.

[radioactivemelody]

Holy Quintet and their paranormal elements

I have been twirling this idea around my head for a good amount of time until I finally indulged it (and because I got some free time) so yeah. But first, let me explain to you what "paranormal elements" I'm talking about.

Simply, the paranormal elements from the Brazilian RPG called Ordem Paranormal (Paranormal Order if you will) and it has four main elements in which people can connect with.

BLOOD - Everything starts with Blood. Blood is the flow that drenches the eternity of the Other Side.

Blood is the entity of feelings. It seeks the intensity: pain, obsession, passion, love, hunger, hatred - everything evolving feeling an extreme emotion pleases the Blood entity.

DEATH - Everything has a start and an end, and time takes everything with it. Nothing transformed by Death can return to what was before.

Death is the entity of time. It seeks the lived moments, distorting the egocentric perception of each individual's existence for its own satisfaction.

KNOWLEDGE - To know everything is to lose everything.

Knowledge is the entity of consciousness. Discovering, learning, knowing, deciphering. Having one's perception of the Other Side and its entities pleases the Knowledge element.

ENERGY - Chaos is inevitable.

Energy is the entity of chaos. Everything that cannot be explained, the intangible, anarchy. The constant change, the heat and the cold, the light and the darkness. Everything that involves unpredictability and transformation pleases the Energy entity.

With that aside, let's get into it (and please, know this is my opinion based on their personality and character design overall).

Homura Akemi – Death/Knowledge

With the characterization of the anime and half of Rebellion (Devil Homura comes later), Homura has always struck me as a mix of Death and Knowledge.

For Death, obviously, her time powers. She doesn't have the ability to speed or slow things, only pause and reset. Her journey can be defined as "running around in circles" and the main symbol for this element is spirals. She seeks to live once again the happy moments with Madoka, in order to change her fate. Her mind is old but her body is young. Homura is an anachronistic. But playing with time - every story has an end eventually.

Along with that, there's Knowledge. Homura prefers logicality, she's strategic in her steps and plans. She takes mistakes as an opportunity to learn and turn better. She doesn't let emotions blind her sense of awareness. She stands on the side of reason. All of those traits are perfectly descriptive of the element of Knowledge. And yet - the holder of information, she can't even tell the others. The truth kills those who know, hence: to know everything is to lose everything.

Now, Devil Homura. She's blood and energy. Why?

What was the factor that made Homura do her board flip? Love and obsession. She tainted the entire universe with her feelings alone, creating a new world just for her beloved. This intensity is what the Blood entity seeks. An emotion so strong that is capable of changing the entire fabric of the universe.

This twines finely with her rebellion against the law and order the Law of Cycles set. Anarchy, the other side of the coin. Nobody expected her to suddenly overthrow Madoka. She's the darkness to Madoka's light. She's evil and unholy to Madoka's purity and divinity. Those traits fit into the description of Energy. Not to mention the entire purple motif going on.

Kyoko Sakura – Blood

A pretty damn obvious one. Intense with her own feelings, has a red motif. Bold, seeks carnage and hunts witches and if needed, magical girls. With a mindset of survivalism and refusal to lose against the chain of food with anger, hatred and bitterness in her heart, Kyoko's erratic intensity is basically a perfect description of what the Blood entity is.

Madoka Kaname - Knowledge

Meanwhile Knowledge is all about being logical and constantly seeking to discover, it also has this motif of purity and holiness. One of the creatures from the RPG associated with this element is literally the Angel from the bible, you know, biblically accurate angels?

Madoka, even much more in her Goddess form, fits into the category of Knowledge. The entity messes in a "psychological" way, spilling truths about things that are out of our reach - like a concept or an universal being. It maintains the balance of reality so it doesn't collapse. Guess who did something similar in the anime? The two colors which are commonly used to those who connect with the entity of Knowledge are yellow/golden and white. Once again, guess who uses this exact palette when she ascended to godhood? Madoka Kaname, you're Knowledge through and through.

Mami Tomoe - Knowledge

Just like Kyoko, Mami's also an obvious one. Thinks in the side of reason, has a yellow and white motif. She's elegant, not failing to have this aura of purity and holiness (hence, Holy Mami). When not having emotions blinding her sight, she's extraordinary. And yet… The truth is cruel in killing her. Despite fitting into the Knowledge entity, being aware of the truth behind Magical Girls makes her lose her mind without pity. She's a great explanation behind the meaning of the phrase "to know everything is to lose everything".

Sayaka Miki - Knowledge/Blood

Oh boy, I do love to analyze multifaceted characters.

Sayaka might not fit entirely into the Knowledge mood but she has some traits of it. A knight who fights for justice, for what's right or at least, what she thinks it's right. Through Sayaka's eyes, that's logical and reasonable. She fights to maintain peace and balance. In Rebellion, she used to be literally one of God's angels and lived in the Magical Girl heaven.

Despite these traits, Sayaka lets herself be swayed away by her own emotions. She's intense and isn't afraid to hide them. Despite sharing similar traits, she heavily conflicted with Kyoko, who's Blood as well. But later, in Rebellion, they connected more than ever. She summons Oktavia through her own blood because everything starts with Blood. She made a wish because of an emotion - love. Died because of that and with that because Kyoko loved her.

And for bonuses…

Nagisa Momoe - Energy

This sweet little ball of chaos. Who cares if it is God or the Devil who's in control of the universe? As long she's alive and has cheese, she's apparently fine. While Homura and Sayaka go down into an argument, she's seen running in the background, laughing. Maybe because she's free or maybe it's cool as hell to run through a river of punch juice. It's really funny to see a character who aligns with the entity of Energy be the family of someone who aligns with Knowledge. Oh, the irony. That's what Energy seeks for.

I hope all liked my shameless crossover between my two favorite pieces of media. It's fun to analyze characters through the lens of another universe. Don't care if it's cringe, at least I'm free. And if you're interested, search for Ordem Paranormal on YouTube! Recently, a special two-shot has been released with global creators, it's all in English. Other seasons have been subtitled in English as well. :)

[bigfootbeat]

Bigfoot and Abandoned Houses

Bigfoot and abandoned houses mix mystery and legend to create a more engaging story. The possibility of Bigfoot appearing in abandoned houses adds mystery to both phenomena, combining the frightening desolation of abandoned buildings with a fabled species. These sightings inspire stories of the unknown and a hidden world. Distant woodlands and wilderness, where humans are few, have always been associated with Bigfoot. Over the years, sightings have occurred near or within abandoned houses. These collapsing houses at the edge of dense woodlands or in secluded regions appear like ideal refuges for a monster that avoids humans. Believers think abandoned dwellings shield from the elements, hide from inquisitive eyes, and connect to Bigfoot's natural habitat. The idea of Bigfoot hiding in an abandoned house engenders a tumultuous atmosphere of mystery, causing a blurring of myth and truth.

Abandoned homes are unnerving. They symbolize a world abandoned where time seems to stop and the past lingers. The crumbling walls and vacant apartments evoke a sense of loneliness, as if their former residents are haunting them. When Bigfoot appears, these locations become even stranger. Imagine a huge, hairy beast peeping through a shattered window or slithering through the shadows of a crumbling frame. Such myths continue because they combine two powerful emblems of the unknown, creating an exotic yet strangely possible story. Due to the lack of physical evidence for Bigfoot, skeptics generally dismiss these encounters as exaggerations or fabrications. The conditions of abandoned properties make them suitable for such claims. These spooky structures are usually in rural regions with few witnesses, evoking strong emotions and vivid imaginations. Given Bigfoot's cultural interest, a shadow passing through a cracked doorway or a strange noise echoing through an empty hallway can be considered remarkable. Bigfoot and abandoned houses fascinate believers. It shows that this critter, typically assumed to be wilderness-dwelling, may have a more nuanced connection with humans. Bigfoot may inhabit abandoned houses as a transitional area between civilization and wilderness. It raises anxieties and curiosity that something wild and untamed may be closer than we think, hiding in forgotten corners of our world. Unsettling stories accompany these sightings. Some report finding claw imprints on walls, enormous footsteps in the dust, or odd hair on jagged wood. Others report hearing low growls or heavy footsteps in abandoned house hallways at night. These stories, whether real or not, add to Bigfoot's legend and show that abandoned buildings can lead to the unknown. Bigfoot and abandoned dwellings symbolize human mystery. Both are places where imagination takes over and understanding fails. Bigfoot challenges our view of nature, proposing that unexplored and unclassified animals may exist. However, abandoned houses show us the vestiges of human life, making the past feel alive and the present uncertain. They weave a story that makes us think, question, and wonder. Though Bigfoot may occupy abandoned house rooms, the idea encapsulates our obsession with the unknown. It shows that we want to believe the world has mysteries and that life is different in some locations. Perhaps the presence of Bigfoot in abandoned houses is not just about a creature hiding from the modern world, but also about our attraction to unusual settings where mystery endures. These abandoned structures and fleeting glances evoke a sense of dread and wonder, serving as a constant reminder that the unknown awaits our exploration.

[farfromstrange]

OKAY.

I’ve got something to share with you!!

So, you guys remember when I said that I had an idea for a new Michael Kinsella fic a while back?

Well, whatever you think you’re about to read, this little news of mine is different, I assure you. But go ahead and read anyway if you find enjoyment in my writing regardless of fandom.

So: As it turns out, the idea I had was way too complex for a fanfic. I carried it around with me for a while, started writing down ideas and that’s when it all took a turn.

Writing for Kin these past few months kind of challenged me to broaden my horizons from the action and supernatural elements I put into my Matt fics, and while I love writing that side of fanfiction, it was also fun to explore something more human.

I’ve been writing pretty dark stuff from the beginning, and as you know I also write a lot of porn. I love dark romance books, I love angst and I love morally grey characters.

My first ever original book idea was also fantasy, and while I’ve spent months planning that one, I never got around to writing it.

HOWEVER!!

When I started writing Butterfly Effect, it sent a stone rolling, and then Chaos Theory happened, and it helped me explore other areas of fiction. I was afraid of diving into Kin, but I did it and it was the best choice I could have made.

The amount of planning I put into the story so far is surreal. The feedback I keep getting makes me feel so appreciated, and I’ve realized that building and writing for morally grey and damaged characters is what I do best. In all genres, really.

While writing this series, I noticed how much easier it is to shape characters when they don’t have any special powers. Like, it is so much easier when they’re just psychologically complex people, and I bow down to everyone who has no problem creating superpowers for their characters because it always takes me so long to get it all planned out. That is a superpower in itself. And while I love it, exploring this new side of my writing is very, very exciting, and I can just write very human humans if that makes sense to you.

Don’t get me wrong, I love writing for Matt and I love working on Foreigner’s God, but writing something about a bunch of normal human beings gave me a joy I had been lacking before. And it makes it so much easier to write.

Don’t worry, I am not switching things up or anything. But I have something else to tell you that directly connects to Kin and Charlie Cox, really, because without him, I would have never gotten back into writing, I would have never started doing Tumblr and AO3, and I would have never watched Kin.

This Mikey fic transitioned into an original idea, and I am so excited right now because I have officially started my first original story!!

I have it all planned out, and while I am still working on the characters, the profiles are slowly coming together as I write. And I owe it all to the Daredevil fandom being obsessed with Kin and me jumping into it for Charlie. Thanks to you all and our shared love for Charlie and his impeccable acting, I think I might have found my niche.

I know you came here for the fanfiction and I will continue writing it as normal, but I was so stressed the past weeks, I had to channel my emotions into something and that’s kind of what brought this to life. I needed an escape. I just wanted you all to be the first ones to find out because you have all been so supportive and I couldn’t wait telling you that I’m starting to put something of my own together.

I was also inspired by that one interview Charlie did for Kin where he said he had no idea that organized crime in Ireland was such a problem, and I did some research into it because I had no idea either, and that shit is scary. I was always like ‘omg the Italian mafia is the only one we always hear about in books’ and stuff like that, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone mention the Irish mob before, so I was surprised, but also intrigued because if we romanticize the Italian mafia in fiction so much, why not the Irish one?

Yeah, you can tell what the story is inspired by if you have watched Kin. And you can tell by the name I used for my main character that Daredevil will always have a special place in my heart (but also because I love the name Matthew, don’t attack me).

AND I took some inspiration from all the fics I wrote, especially when it comes to the names of my characters because I’ve already created OC’s, why not steal some of their traits? They deserve their time to shine. They’re a piece of me, after all. They’re all variants.

So, for those who are interested:

The book I’m working on is Dark Romance. It’s like Kin meets Killing Eve meets Taylor Swift’s Reputation.

The trope: Enemies to lovers.

Title: Checkmate.

It’s not written in stone yet, so just read it for fun or don’t read it at all; I’m just so proud of myself right now. Who knows if this will ever see the light of day, but I share everything with you all already, so maybe you DO care. I don’t know. I’m bad at this.

Basically, it’s ‘mob boss meets female assassin tasked to kill him, but she can’t kill him’. And they’re all morally grey.

I’ve written a little description for myself. It isn’t the official blurb because I want to finish the story first, but to give you a little insight, this is my idea so far:

“Checkmate occurs when a king is placed in check and has no legal ways to escape. That's the law of chess.

In a world of high-stakes assassinations, an assassin dubbed The King reigns supreme. However, unlike popular opinion, The King is not a man, she's a woman, and she is more dangerous than any man could ever be.

Recruited from prison and ruthlessly trained by the Four-Thirty-Two, a lethal organization that has turned contract killing into a lucrative business, she takes only one type of job – eliminating men she deems monsters.

Her next target: Matthew Callahan, a reputed figure in the Irish mafia.

As she delves deeper into Matthew's life though, the man she thought was a heartless criminal shows a side that challenges everything she's believed. Secrets unfold, and a conspiracy emerges, intertwining their fates in a way neither of them saw coming.

It soon becomes clear that she is capable of many things, but she can't kill Matthew Callahan, and she definitely can't stay away from him either. He draws her in like a moth to a flame, and she is highly susceptible to the pleasure of desire. But there is something else about him that she can't shake.

She can't kill him, that much she knows, but is she capable of loving something other than the thrill of the kill?

In a deadly game of cat and mouse, life and death blur, and she must decide where her loyalties truly lie.

A king can't checkmate another king unless there are too many kings on the board. And once the king finds his queen, there is nothing they wouldn't do for each other, even if it means burning the world down together.”

(The assassin organization has a hierarchy based on a chess board’s hierarchy, by the way, that’s why the story is titled the way it is AND that’s why the organization is called the way it is)

I feel like I just wrote an essay and I am afraid of the teacher’s feedback. But yeah, this is what I have so far and I’ve also started writing, but I’m not gonna share that just yet because it’s still in the works.

I think I’m 10k words in so far.

I just had to share this with you because ever since I started writing at like ten years old, my biggest dream was to be able to write my own books one day. I never felt like I had enough ideas, so I took on fanfiction, and that’s when I realized that I CAN build stories and have people like them, and that there might be hope for me after all.

I’ve been waiting for an idea to come around for a while, and the other book I have planned never made it out of the notebook. Doesn’t mean I won’t write it, but somehow this is easier. It really came to me in a dirty ass hotel room before the Harry Styles concert, and it started out as a fic idea. Look how far I’ve come since May.

CRAZY.

If you do want to read a snippet, let me know. Or not. I don’t know. I’m kinda shaking in my boots. It’s just an idea, and it might still change. God, I’m too nervous sharing this. It’s like a heart attack.

Anyway, thanks for staying with me, I gotta get back to packing for my move in five weeks now 🏃🏼‍♀️ (not at all running away in fear or anything nooo)

Bonus:

Possible book cover made by me. Will be edited once the official blurb is finished. (Yes, I do have Photoshop, I’m just very self-critical and barely show anything I make lol)

(The code at the bottom isn’t real. I just put it there so I can see if it would fit)

Okay, that’s it. Bye!

*excitedly runs out of here*

[pochapal]

I decided to start with problem sleuth, thinking how long could it be? I was wrong. I will finish this beast, but I googled the length, and it's 20% the length of homestuck.

I nearly went on a large ramble here, but that seems rude, so will more vaguely gesture at the thoughts I wanted to convey with a question: Why do you think people start with the later work first, for both Umineko and Homestuck? Homestuck obviously blew up more, but Higurashi is more popular in both the east and west, and I've notices a surprising amount of people going with Umineko first.

In both Higurashi(which I have finished and am rereading) and Problem Sleuth(which I have only barely started), I've enjoyed seeing the early version of ideas I know/assume will be in the later works. It's nice to see how an author grows. This isn't really part of the question, I just thought it was worth sharing and you might have some thoughts.

yeahhhh i first read problem sleuth during one of the earlier homestuck pauses (maybe the mid-late 2011 hiatus) thinking i could get through it in a weekend. it in fact took me much longer than that.

i can't speak that confidently on the higurashi/umineko part of this question since i don't know enough about umineko and i don't know anything about higurashi, but i imagine it'll be a similar correlation just with different material factors. homestuck was the one people got into thanks mostly to the fact it was this mammoth everywhere presence that you couldn't escape for the entire first half of the 2010s (i got into homestuck back in 2010 both because a friend at school recommended it to me and also because suddenly the entire front page of deviantart became homestuck overnight) and from the vague stuff i've seen umineko kind of has a similar hyped up reputation? the odd "read umineko it changed my life and it'll change yours" post has appeared every now and then but i can't say i've ever seen a higurashi equivalent (i have also had both terms muted for over a year so who is to say how reliable this observation is).

i also think that homestuck drew people in due to the fact it was a more "alive" and sprawling project compared to problem sleuth which was written start to finish over the course of 2008 and was barely an eighth of the length of homestuck so the nature of an active piece of work inherently generates more of a fandom around it - the interaction people had with homestuck pretty much until 2018 or so was entirely coded in standard fandom spaces/activity which was bad for meaningful discussion on the story but very good for constantly attracting great numbers of readily-obsessed teens and young adults into the fold. homestuck as well was easier to connect/relate to for a fandom audience than problem sleuth as well - a story about young teens getting into situations with their online friends is far easier to connect to and understand on a relatability level than a pastiche of point and click mystery adventures. also the way that characters and systems were built in homestuck are rife to be projected upon since it's all delineated archetypes in a similar vein to zodiac signs where you can impose whatever interpretation you need to connect to your desired symbol and it'll be right. in other words, homestuck is a highly kinnable piece of fiction.

if i were to hazard a guess, i'd say something similar might be happening with higurashi and umineko? umineko is a mystery story where understanding and empathy are your tools for figuring stuff out which naturally leads to the state of "rotate blorbo in your mind at high speeds" which in turn leads to a deeper emotional connection. i'd imagine that all this stuff would be present in higurashi too, but since it's a horror story the reader is probably not implicitly and explicitly encouraged to think about the story's elements in the same way. something else i've vaguely seen that i'm not sure how reliable an observation it is is that there is a very dedicated very queer umineko fanbase and that kind of word of mouth recommendation goes a long way (for my personal reference all the people i knew who were into umineko before i got into it myself were all trans women).

so in the end i think it's a combination of a certain kind of dedicated fandom and a story that you have an easier way into emotionally connecting with it that draws people more into the latter than the former. there's also the novelty factor of homestuck being one of the longest pieces of fiction in the english language (i know umineko is long as hell too but i don't know how this stacks up compared to higurashi) so there's a kind of bucket list-esque prestige in tackling one of these behemoth texts you Need To Read Before You Die.

to respond to the second part of your ask, one really neat thing especially with problem sleuth is that by reading that with dedication and attention you're rewarded with a kind of decoder for some of homestuck's more obtuse and esoteric elements that a lot of initial readers unfamiliar with how things work struggle with, so when things get weird you're able to go "ah this is basically a reiteration of [X] from problem sleuth" and not stress trying to decipher something that would feel impenetrable. homestuck doesn't try to make itself hard to understand or anything but it does become difficult to follow if you're the kind to breeze through a story and not really take in what it's telling you in the text, so problem sleuth is especially good for building up a visual language so you understand callbacks with little more than a glance. in this way problem sleuth is the theory and homestuck is the theory in practice.