#and neither of these are notably reliable sources

[equablecanoe]

Cheng Xiaoshi, why r u reading Shakespearean sonnets about lust, misogyny, acrimony and ostensibly homoeroticism? No reason. Just curious.

[yamayuandadu]

Sorry If i am bothering you but i want to know what role did the wilderness and its animals play in Mesopotamian mythology?

I like answering questions about Mesopotamia which indicate genuine interest, so no need to worry.

The most straightforward answer would be that the wilderness was generally perceived negatively (see ex. Wiggermann’s Scenes From the Shadow Side). The steppe in particular was usually portrayed as a place where one can get robbed at best and as the dwelling of ghosts, demons and the like - or just straight up the underworld -  at worst. The mountains were frequently viewed as a site of confrontations between gods and their opponents but more neutral or even positive portrayals pop up in literature too. It’s also important to note that the marshlands were viewed pretty firmly positively. As for wild animals: by far the best overview of Mesopotamian zoology is offered by Jeremiah Peterson in his dissertation A Study of Sumerian Faunal Conception with a Focus on the Terms Pertaining to the Order Testudines. Niek Veldhuis’ Religion, Literature, and Scholarship: the Sumerian Composition Nanše and the Birds, with a Catalogue of Sumerian Bird Names is really good too. There’s also quite recent Entomological Knowledge in Ancient Mesopotamia by Vazrick Nazari but you should bear in mind the author is an entomologist, not an assyriologist, so some sections are… less than reliable and sources as old as from the 19th century, and as questionable as Paropola’s phantasmagoric visions,  are employed once the focus shifts away from identification of insects.

More under the cut.

Animals were generally seen as an essential part of the world outside human dwellings. Positive comparisons to certain taxa - wild and domestic cattle and lions - are very common in myths, royal hymns, and other genres. The bovine analogies are so popular in Mesopotamian texts that even scorpions could be metaphorically described as a sort of bull.

Demonic traits could be attributed to some animals viewed as dangerous: snakes, scorpions and dogs in particular. Additionally, omen texts indicate that ants were seen as messengers of Ereshkigal, presumably because their burrowing lifestyle made the Mesopotamians assume they could move all the way down to the underground land of the dead. Finding ants while digging foundations for a new building was therefore an ill omen; seeing flying red ants above a house, meanwhile, was a sign the owner is at the risk of being killed. Due to such risks, behavior of ants was sometimes observed by religious specialists, and some of the namburbi protective rituals specifically deal with them. Locusts were a bad omen too, but that’s a given. On the other hand, moths were viewed as bringers of good omens.

Some deities were associated with the wilderness, and broadly with animals dwelling there. Most notable examples are Ninkilim (addressed as “lord of the creatures��; his name was at times confused with ninka, “mongoose”, leading to the development of the idea that he was a deified mongoose himself), Sumugan (though he was associated with domestic animals too) and to a smaller degree Numushda, arguably. Ennugi, a minor courtier of Enlil, could be addressed as the creator of grubs, though a similar role is also attested for the mythical king Alulim; attestations are limited to incantations against field pests, though. For more context see here.

A special case is Nanshe. Two of the major literary texts focused on her focus on interactions between her and animals - Nanshe and the Birds and Home of the Fish. These belong to the subgenre called “enumeration literature”: while there is an actual plot, and deities are involved, the goal is mostly to fit as many terms from a single category into a single composition. As a result, Nanshe sounds… unusually passionate (fixated, even) on the core topics. I think it makes for really unique characterization but alas, as a major Mesopotamian deity who fits neither into questionable Bible takes nor into the madonna-whore complex she’s not getting anywhere in popculture. Something that’s generally missing from the Mesopotamian repertoire are myths involving anyone turning into an animal. There are two notable exceptions, Enlil and Namzitarra, which involves Enlil turning into a raven to test a devotee, and Dumuzi’s Dream, in which Dumuzi asks Utu to turn him into a gazelle to escape underworld gendarmes pursuing him.

Major gods were not theriomorphic, and with some small exceptions (Tishpak, whose skin is in one case described as green and scaly; Ishtaran, who might have been depicted with the lower body of a snake) didn’t even have any animal body parts. However, deified animals are nonetheless also attested - multiple examples of divine bulls are the main example, obviously (for instance Indagara, Buru, the borrowed Hurrian Sheri and Hurri, possibly Magiru, “obedient”), as expected divine lions also pop up every now then, but that’s not all.

There’s a number of deified birds, though most of them occur only in Early Dynastic sources which do not provide any real insights about their character. One example that comes to mind is the deity Kiki or Ninkiki (“lady of the kiki); we have no clue what sort of bird the kiki was though, other than that it was loud enough to be compared to the storm. Nirah is a deified snake.

Deified invertebrates are much less common but it’s still worth bringing up Eḫ, a member of the court of Nungal whose name is pretty semantically similar to English “bug” (though it might also specifically refer to a louse. There is also an either divine or demonic centipede, Ḫallulaya. Among the numerous ancestors of Enlil there is a pair named Engiriš and Ningiriš, “lord butterfly” and “lady butterfly”. It is often claimed that Uttu, the goddess of weaving, was portrayed as a deified spider, but the evidence is at best limited, see here and here for details. Peterson doesn’t list her among deified animals.

A mythical creature listed in enumerations of Ninurta’s enemies, kulianna (“friend of heaven”), might be a supernatural dragonfly, though it’s also possible it was imagined as something else altogether and the link to dragonflies is just the result of homophony with Akkadian kulīlu, “dragonfly”. For more detail see here, p. 89. In art there’s a fair number of depictions of animals behaving like humans, but the full context of such works remains poorly known. There’s a brief overview here from p. 237 onward. 

Especially in Assyria wild animals were customarily hunted by kings, and trophies acquired this way served as a way of showing off the extent of their dominion. It has been suggested that they could eventually acquire apotropaic qualities, as evidenced by the preparation of protective statues  of the apsasîtu, the burḫiš and the nāḫiru, sometimes interpreted as water buffalo, yak and whale. However, the meaning of these three terms remains uncertain, for some recent considerations see here.

[draconic-lesbian]

You there speak of dragons without wings please

Oh gosh, I mean if you want me to ramble I can certainly do that

So wingless dragons right? There's actually a ton of differing examples of wingless dragons throughout modern media, myths, art, and just about anything you can think of. So many in fact, that I would go as far as to say that wingless dragons (or dragon-like creatures) are just as common as their winged siblings! Sure sometimes they stretch the definition of what a dragon is, but I'm not someone who gets butthurt over semantics so here's some examples off the top of my head!

Drakes

Definitely what I think of first when the "wingless dragon" idea pops into my head, drakes are typically characterized as more canine like dragons, with a traditional body for a more "standard" dragon simply missing the wings. Drake as a term, historically, was synonymous with dragon for most of its life, however it started to become a more defining term for wingless dragons specifically around when people began to get antsy around the "wyvern vs dragon" debate, at least as far as I can tell. My personal favorite interpretation of this trope would definitely be the drakes in the "Dracopedia: A Guide to Drawing the Dragons of the World" book written by William O'Conner, who depicts drakes as hunters similar to big cats like lions, highly adaptable to their environment, as well as being domesticated for labor, war, and even pit fighting.

Eastern Dragons

Eastern Dragons (including those originating from Chinese myths, Japanese myths, Indian myths, and many others) all have a ton of variety among one another, depending on the culture of origin. However, notably, almost none of them have wings (Indian dragons sometimes being exempt from this, as most of them are very different from one another). Usually, in myths with these sorts of dragons, their ability to fly is a result of their magical abilities, and is often used to show their wisdom, power, or more mystical nature. Its pretty rare dragons are shown to be more animalistic from these cultures, with most of the named (and unnamed) dragons from these cultures appear to be at the very least sentient. I'll admit that I'm not as familiar with some of the mythologies in these areas, so I might not be a reliable source of information and I apologize for that!

Hydras

Hydras are where we begin to shift around what could be called a "dragon" and imo it really comes down to how the genealogy of the setting works. For example, in the setting of dnd they almost go back and forth on the matter, not really landing on solid ground on whether or not hydras originate from dragons, can also be dragons (since Dracohydras are a thing), or if they're completely unrelated. In mythology proper, as per usual most different authors of the past took there stab at describing the hydra in there own way, each giving a different number of heads or how the creature regenerated the ones it lost, however they only ever really describe it as "serpentine" in text. I don't, however, claim to have read every interpretation of the Heracles myths, so my reliability on the matter may be shaky. Some examples of the hydra "archetype" are winged, Ghidorah from the Godzilla franchise, and the Balaur from Romanian Folklore is sometimes depicted as having multiple heads and wings, however they are also shown to have neither of those traits so that would be more up in the air too.

Those are probably the most common "wingless dragons" I can think of off the top of my head, hopefully this satisfies you sister!

[jeannereames]

Dr. Reames, forgive me if this question has been answered before. Recently I read that Alexander the Great and his kingdom were mentioned in the Bible, more precisely in the Book of Daniel, depicting his victory against the Persians and the formation of the successor kingdoms.

From the King James Version:

3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

Considering that the Book of Daniel was written well after Alexander’s conquests, can we confirm that this verses are indeed about him? I couldn’t find any reliable source on this topic.

And also, considering the Seleucid Empire that succeeded Alexander in the region, Hellenism and the Maccabean revolt. Can this depiction, if it is indeed of Alexander, be considered faithful to how he and his deeds were perceived during his lifetime? Is this depiction of Alexander and the Diadochi usual, or does it depart from how they perceived and advertised themselves to their subjects? Or is this a particular viewpoint from Judea? And least, to the peoples outside of the Hellenistic sphere, or Greece, could this be considered the way Alexander’s legacy is seen?

Thank you so much in advance, and for going through this painfully long ask!

Yes, Alexander is, indeed, mentioned in the Book of Daniel. I am not an expert on the exegesis of this book, but it does refer to him and the Successor kingdoms, as well.

I don’t think it necessarily reflects how Alexander was viewed throughout the Mediterranean. It’s intended to fit the style of earlier Jewish prophetic literature, although the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) places it (correctly) among the Writings (Ketuvim), not the Prophets (Nevi’im), as it belongs to the Hellenistic period. So yes, it’s post-Alexander, even if, internally, it claims to belong to the Achaemenid Persian period.

One of the better commentary series on Biblical material (at least from a historian’s POV) is the Anchor Bible Series from Yale Univ. Press. Here's a link to the commentary on Daniel. 😊 It’s been out a while, so you can probably find a used copy pretty cheap, or check it out from your local library. (If they don’t have it, they should be able to get it for you via interlibrary loan.) That will give you a better analysis than anything I can do.

(I’m painfully aware of my limits, ha.)

[ref-mantras]

Since my previous reblog, two news publications of note (to my judgement) have come out.

The first is from Al-Jazeera. In one of their live updates from 11:30 am GMT today (June 9) (archive) they say two witnesses described Israeli soldiers arriving in aid trucks and furniture-laden trucks. Al-Jazeera still don't mention anything about having footage of the trucks, though. Additionally, neither of the trucks in the footage referenced in the original post's article can be seen carrying furniture. Regardless, this is noteworthy testimony that warrants further investigation, especially in light of the other article that I'll discuss later.

Also in the Al-Jazeera live update, a another witness is described as saying the US-built pier built was used in the attack/rescue. This is also noteworthy testimony, that warrants further investigation. That investigation may lead to corroboration by others or to differing testimony, only time will tell.

The second is an article by the Washington Post (live/paywalled, full view cache) which compiled testimony from more than a dozen different people with different connections to the attack/rescue together with open-source evidence. This was published later in the day at 8:27 pm GMT.

Starting with the testimony, the article describes witnesses (the number not given) saying Israeli troops arrived in undercover vehicles, one of which resembled the trucks used by Israel to bring commercial goods into Gaza and the other a white Mercedes truck, piled high with furniture and other belongings. This second description notably matches the one reported by Al-Jazeera significantly strengthening its reliability.

It is further strengthened by a video which the Washington Post verified as showing a white Mercedes truck in the center of Nuseirat with a woman lying still next to it and ladders coming off the truck. Based on all of this, I think it is likely a white Mercedes was used by Israeli forces as part of the attack/rescue.

The Washington Post article does not support, however, the original article's claim that an aid truck was used in the attack/rescue.

Additionally, the video provided in the original article was analyzed by the Washington Post. They describe it as taking place a mile away from the attack/rescue and that the vehicles were headed away from Nuseirat. They note though it is unclear if the video was taken before or after the attack/rescue.

Lastly, the Washington Post does not mention any evidence of the pier being used as part of the attack/rescue.

Exclusive footage obtained by Al-Jazeera showed Israeli special forces using an aid truck and a civilian car to carry out the operation. A US special “hostage cell” played a crucial role in the rescue of four Israeli captives, the American news website Axios reported on Saturday, citing a US administration official. Meanwhile, exclusive footage obtained by Al-Jazeera showed Israeli special forces using an aid truck and a civilian car to carry out the operation. The images depict civilian cars escorted by Israeli military tanks penetrating the western areas of the Nuseirat camp, amid a series of unprecedented air raids targeting the camp and various central Gaza Strip areas, resulting in over 200 Palestinian deaths and dozens of injuries so far. The Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza issued a statement, condemning the “horrific massacre committed by the zionist enemy through its planes, warships, tanks, and special forces in the Nuseirat camp”. “The massacre in the Nusseirat camp clearly and unequivocally reveals and confirms the participation of American enemy forces stationed on the floating dock in killing and slaughtering our people,” the statement continued adding that this happened “despite the criminal American administration’s assertion that this dock’s purpose is solely to pump humanitarian aid”.

[karan56346]

My Favorite Chips Manufacturing Company: A Personal Journey with Shyam-G

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[exeggcute]

am I wrong in thinking that a lot of the backlash we're seeing against AI art/writing is actually helping legitimize these tools by giving them more credit than they deserve? like, the "AI is gonna make honest hardworking humans obsolete and put artists out of a job" fear buys into the assumption (which former crypto dipshits who don't know what a LLM is but need something new to glom onto desperately want you to believe) that these tools are capable of producing human-quality work in the first place... and from what I've seen (particularly with writing) this does not seem anywhere near true, at least not yet.*

I guess the legitimacy thing just feels like it's playing into the hands of the AI-is-coming-for-your-jobs grifters because it's glossing over the many shortcomings that these tools have as tools—not even to get into the legal/ethical grey areas of how their creators are sourcing the content to train these tools; to me, it's less that people shouldn't use these tools to write their next self-help book because you're putting ghostwriters out of business, and more that they shouldn't use these tools to write anything where quality or veracity are important because the output itself is riddled with issues. whether it's writing code that doesn't work or fake scientific papers about how eating glass is good for you, AI tools produce a lot of garbage and there's no real way to tell the garbage from the not-garbage without getting a human involved anyway to do some serious editing and curation.** so I feel like a lot of "is AI bad" conversations would be more productive if they focused on the risk these tools pose as a runaway source of disinformation that makes it hard to sort the wheat from the stochastic chaff (whether it's in the form of word salad essays or visual deepfakes), or how most (if not all) AI models are susceptible to reproducing the same racist/sexist/etc. biases present in the data they were trained on.

*(I do think there's legitimate concerns that some people will still try to replace human art and writing with automated facsimiles on the wings of all this hype, but to that I would counter that anyone who's opting for subpar machine-generated facsimiles instead of reliable and effective human-generated content just to save a buck has probably already been devaluing human-generated content from the start; it may not be an "using AI instead of paying an artist" thing so much as a "this person never thought good art was worth paying for to begin with" thing. which is certainly a related issue, but it's a notable distinction.)

**(I can see a near-er future where creatives use AI to augment their own work rather than to replace it, and some people might be there already, depending on who you ask, but afaik this is neither the future that creatives seem to be worried about nor the future that grifters want you to believe in.)

[alittledragon]

Ok so I never respond to posts usually but as a french I got curious because I never heard of it before. Adding that I'm NOT an historian, just a random curious person who loves history and doing research, and even if I'm job-wise qualified for looking through reliable sources I'm NOT perfect and I'm NOT an expert. Just wanted to share what I learned so here we go:

So I did my research, in french, and turns out there ARE resources about them actually! The tricky subject is more "where does the name come from?" and there are multiple theories, notably one that suggest that people thought them descendants of wisigoths, hence the term canes gothi (goth dogs) that maybe became cagots. So, a very racist reason ultimately: goths were deemed barbarians etc, no need to be brown at that time to hate a foreigner, and coming from french countryside I can assure you that a foreigner can just be someone from the neighbouring region or VILLAGE. Not that it's less stupid, of course, but if you think about it, it's not uncommon from small communities that... doesn't communicate a lot with others, to be like that. People who always stayed in the same small village, maybe once in their lives went in the nearest big town... so, yeah. And not to defend the french because god knows we don't need or deserve it but I'm pretty sure we're not the only ones, never believe that stupidity is that far away from you.

ANYWAYS, other reason people had for discriminating them was leprosy, and it would very much explain the discriminating restrictions and laws, such as only working with iron and wood (thought to be materials that didn't help leprosy to spread), restrictions about food, clothes, etc ; the general idea you get from those are "they will not interact with other people in a physical way". And lepers were HIGHLY discriminated in general.

Oh and then they were associated with romani people a bit later so it only got worse... And I can assure you by the way that in that area, romani people are not all particularly brown, or may just look like they come from mediterranean regions, so yeah, some groups of white people CAN, DID and STILL face racism and it's important to acknowledge that (and I'm specifically talking about ethnic groups, of course, not about white privileged people whining because they got called white).

The origin itself of those beliefs is not known, truth to be told, and whether the theories are true or not doesn't even matter because neither being a descendant of wisigoth or lepers is a good reason to be discriminated of course. It is true that few resources about them still exist. We do know about some of their creations though, like Campan Hall or Montaner castle, that still exists and are well preserved.

Hum anyways sorry for the long post I just got interested and wanted to share the stuff I found, I'm quite passionate about history and learning about discriminated minorities that no one hears about anymore. Turns out that roots of apparently weird or random discriminations are always "just" well-known and ancient discriminations in disguise.

every time i start thinking about the Cagots i go a little insane

[ladyluscinia]

I've been thinking about whether Izzy is manipulative - yes and no, still pondering - and that led to how Izzy interacts with others, and then trying to suss out how Izzy functioned as a First Mate at all. So thoughts I've had:

First and foremost, in command Izzy functions as part of the Edward-and-Izzy unit (aka Blackbeard). He's not equipped to function on his own, but neither is Edward. The difference is that Edward can hide that fact for longer because he's the one with the instant charisma whose issues trip him up later, while Izzy cannot take control of a situation for the life of him but probably doesn't suck once he has it and a clear goal. This is, I think, the root of why Izzy struggles so much on the Revenge. Edward effectively abdicates his role as unquestioned top of the hierarchy, which cuts Izzy off from the source of his authority.

And while Edward can keep riding charisma / the Blackbeard mythos / his relationship with Stede to stay on top anyway, Izzy is left to fend for himself in his personal hell.

Izzy is small, and loud, and mean. He wants people to do shit because he tells them to and he knows what he's doing, but he has zero patience to actually persuade people of this. He dresses like a goth businessman which is very professional and also really not that scary. No badass scars or huge visible tattoos. His only real ability to enforce his will is with a sword - usually overkill and counterproductive - or with the threat of punishment - toothless against Stede's crew because they know the Captain won't back him.

Basically he needs people to respect him, but they are immediately primed not to due to all his Izzy-ness, and the very laidback and consequence free situation in the show deprives him of any method of proving his worth. (Worth he hasn't had to prove in fucking forever because he's fucking Izzy Hands, right hand man to Blackbeard!)

So what would Izzy be like in a different situation? Like aboard the Queen Anne?

Well Izzy is kind of a shit manager of people no matter what, but I think an established hierarchy would help him a lot. No one is going to love Izzy, but if they have to obey him, then they are more or less forced to observe that he's a dick who knows what he's doing instead of just a dick. Then suddenly there's a reason to put up with him. Also in a stricter hierarchy he probably wouldn't have to directly manage or interact with everyone. People have pointed out that Izzy doesn't do work himself, but "delegator of tasks" is a job of its own once the sphere is big enough. And often the overall delegator has smaller "team lead" style workers below him - people who do work but also can be in charge of making sure a bigger task gets done.

Izzy probably didn't interact with the base labor force on the Queen Anne beyond a knowledge of who's who. He'd just know a small group of guys he considered competent and reliable, and then assign everyone else to them. After all, Izzy doesn't have to personally check every sail stitch. He just needs to know William won't let anybody else on sail duty fuck up, and be satisfied with what he sees when he passes by.

And Izzy is a lot nicer when he doesn't think people are fucking up!

In episode 4, the main notably not-dickish interaction is when Buttons spots the Spanish and shows them to Izzy (aka does his job). Izzy gets pissed but doesn't take it out on Buttons at all. Just runs to tell Edward because that's the chain of command. Buttons -> Izzy -> Edward. This is because Izzy, for all his dickishness, is not a sadist (and really good that he's not, because it's the main thing keeping his management style functional). He doesn't punish people for the sake of punishing them or for shit they can't control. Still not great at positive reinforcement, but you can absolutely have a "good" working relationship with a boss who ignores you as long as you do what you're supposed to.

(And now we're back to Edward-and-Izzy as a unit, because Edward is great for the morale boosting that Izzy can't provide, and Izzy can just work on keeping Edward happy and the crew neutral but functioning when he isn't. Still not easy, but at least possible for him to succeed at.)

This theory is also somewhat backed up by Fang and Ivan, who seem to fall in Izzy's category of "competent and reliable" crew. Other than yanking on Fang's beard - which was a deliberate reminder of hierarchy and light punishment for questioning Edward - he seems to have great faith they will do what they are told without micromanaging and he effectively promotes them to the task of managing Stede's crew in the absence of clear leaders. Unfortunately, Fang and Ivan both fall into the muppetverse and simultaneously realize Edward won't enforce Izzy's authority on them either. They don't seem to hate Izzy, but they aren't inclined to defend him. Not a great trait in the only muscle he has to lean on.

In the end, I can see how Izzy's whole deal would work in a system that he was already integrated into. If you are a new sailor on Blackbeard's crew then the First Mate is a dick, yeah, but he doesn't talk to you. The Captain trusts him implicitly, everyone knows better than to openly disrespect him, and the senior crew who you report to have an established professional rapport with him. And then he leads a raiding party and you go "Oh shit this guy is so good at murder" right before he pays you a lot of money.

Whereas if you are Lucius, this small angry man follows Blackbeard onto your ship to rescue your Captain out of nowhere, spends a day getting increasingly anxious as his Captain ignores him and really shatters the terrifying myth of Blackbeard, moves onto your ship but isn't really given any authority over you, and then yells a bunch. He can kill people, yeah, but you don't have any particular knowledge of or respect for that skill, and you have no reason to think he's allowed to kill you. He's just a dick trying to force you to respect him, and you are Lucius and live to be a bitch right back.

No wonder Izzy just wants to go home.

[mayihavethisdanse]

Dugouts & Deathclaws??

This was pretty inevitable, wasn't it.

Individual images on my Twitter (tanaleth_tweets); alignment chart & analysis under the cut!

Disclaimer: YMMV on any of these interpretations. I tried to avoid repetition and the temptation to multiclass, which is why I limited the number of characters to the base game. (Strong fought Cait for the Barbarian slot and lost.)

I also stuck to core D&D 5E archetypes and backgrounds… except where I didn’t. Call it my Chaotic streak.

Acknowledgements: Hat tip to @bigbraincel for a lot of these ideas (like warlock Deacon). Thanks also to @theggning, @minuteminx, @third-rail-vip, and everyone else who's mulled this over with me on Discord.

Alignment chart

All the characters I drew, plus a few extras:

Why the little arrows: a lot of the characters’ arcs or core conflicts could be represented as a tension between squares on the alignment chart. Not all of the characters are comfortable in their alignments or even destined to remain static where I placed them.

Character breakdown

A couple more notes on alignment in general:

As I'm using it here, alignment is first and foremost a roleplaying tool that guides a character’s choices and actions. FO4 has a great cast of companions with really rich characterization—richer, I think, than fans sometimes give it credit for.

The lack of clear-cut LG and CE characters among the companions is notable and I think it reflects the writing's deliberate tilt to ambiguity and shades of gray. You could argue for CE among the raiders, etc., but the Fallout universe really isn't one that lends itself to LG characters. It’s very hard for a character to be both Good and Lawful in a world where institutions are all basically corrupt.

It's not entirely crapsack either, though; there’s reason for hope and there’s goodness and resilience among all the muck. Very few people or even factions are all good or all bad. (Except the Legion. All my homies hate the Legion.)

Once again: YMMV! Even where canon agrees on a character’s actions, you might interpret their motivations differently or weight the consequences differently. It’s all for fun. (Please don’t leave me nasty notes. That is not a Good action.)

Also, can I just say that formatting this kind of post for Tumblr is a pain in the butt. Tumblr is Chaotic Evil.

Lawful Evil - X6-88

Pretty much a textbook example of this alignment. X6 is driven by loyalty to authority in a way that many of the other Evil-aligned characters aren’t (e.g. Gage, who I’d put as comfortably Neutral Evil).

Equally driven by a desire for order, but less willing to commit atrocities for it is Danse.

Lawful Neutral - Danse

Danse aspires to be a Good guy—he tries really hard to be one—but when we meet him, we see him actively suppressing his own, more humane instincts in service of the ideals of the Brotherhood.

Here are some possible adjectives describing lawful neutral characters: reliable, responsible, truthful, orderly, loyal, respectful of authority, regular, structured, rigid, neat, methodical, and precise. (source)

Yep. That’s him.

Chaotic Neutral - Hancock, Cait, MacCready

Cait and Mac are solidly Chaotic Neutral. Cait is a little further south on the Good/Evil axis, but neither of them are bad people: their focus is on them and theirs. Survival first, everything else second. A very Neutral attitude.

This one is going to be controversial, since I think a lot of people read him as Chaotic Good, but I’d put Hancock over the border into Neutral too. I think his intentions are good, but he does a little too much stabby-stabby and overlooks a little too much gang violence to be Good; really, his character is all about the contradiction between his ideals and his (in)actions.

Actually, Danse and Hancock are good foils for each other. They're almost polar opposites on the law/chaos axis, but in terms of morality land at about the same place: both want to be good guys, but—at least when we meet them in FO4—neither of them are doing what they would need to to be Good guys.

But someone else is, and that's...

Chaotic Good - Deacon

Deacon was a really interesting character to ponder. I actually suspect his original or “natural” alignment is something closer to True Neutral… but he’s dragged himself into Chaotic Good by virtue of his actions and his desire to atone for past mistakes. (Looking at it in that light, when we meet him in FO4, he’s still “balancing out” that dip into Evil in his youth. Aiming for a lifetime average of Neutral??)

Neutral Good - Preston, Curie, Codsworth, Nick, Piper

The busiest square in the chart!

Within it, Nick and Piper lean Lawful and Chaotic respectively, but I’d argue that they both still fall within the bounds of Neutral Good. Piper opposes authority because it’s corrupt, not because she believes in fighting authority for its own sake; Nick supports order in general but also recognizes the potential for the abuse of power.

Codsworth might be a little lower on the Good/Evil axis than the others, I think (some of his commentary is hilariously/alarmingly violent) but overall, he’s pretty committed to being a good bot.

Preston and Curie are comfortably Neutral Good, in my reading. Both are very concerned with doing good and improving the world; both will defy an unjust law but also disapprove of unnecessary shenanigans.

And last but not least, on an alignment chart all his own:

Good Boy - Dogmeat

You know it's true. ૮ ・ﻌ・ა

[yr-obedt-cicero]

“And Now my Dear as we are upon the subject of wife, I empower and command you to get me one in Carolina.” (AH, Apr. 1779)

Hamilton referred to marrying Laurens 😔😔😔😔😔😔😔

I disagree, personally. With full context of the letter, it is more of, in my interpretation at least, that Hamilton is asking Laurens to find him a wife to intentionally spite him and make him jealous. The South Carolina part is merely because that's where JL was at the time, but not that he specifically wanted a wife from South Carolina only, nor to allude to he wanted Laurens as his wife. Probably in petty revenge for the discovery of Laurens' wife and daughter, that Laurens himself had failed to inform him of.

The reason I see it this way, is the previous statement is about Laurens' wife and child, that Hamilton presumably did not know about;

“I anticipate by sympathy the pleasure you must feel from the sweet converse of your dearer self in the inclosed letters. I hope they may be recent. They were brought out of New York by General Thompson delivered to him there by a Mrs. Moore not long from England, soi-disante parente de Madame votre épouse. She speaks of a daughter of yours, well when she left England, perhaps [– – –].”

(source)

The French part supposedly translates to “so-called relative of your wife” (beware, Google translate isn't the most reliable source). Overall, the sympathy of his wife and child seems passive aggressive, especially since paragraphs ago Hamilton was expressing poetically how much he loved Laurens.

And then come the statement where Hamilton mentions that he just so happens to suddenly also wants a wife. Now notably, it has been implied in letters Laurens begged Hamilton to get married as to “cure” him of his “devotion” to Laurens, as seen when Hamilton did eventually get married to Elizabeth Schuyler;

“In spite of Schuylers black eyes, I have still a part for the public and another for you; so your impatience to have me married is misplaced; a strange cure by the way, as if after matrimony I was to be less devoted than I am now.”

(source)

Back to where we were though, Hamilton goes into grave, yet teasing, detail of how he expects his new wife to be.

“Such a wife as I want will, I know, be difficult to be found, but if you succeed, it will be the stronger proof of your zeal and dexterity. Take her description—She must be young, handsome (I lay most stress upon a good shape) sensible (a little learning will do), well bred (but she must have an aversion to the word ton) chaste and tender (I am an enthusiast in my notions of fidelity and fondness) of some good nature, a great deal of generosity (she must neither love money nor scolding, for I dislike equally a termagent and an œconomist). In politics, I am indifferent what side she may be of; I think I have arguments that will easily convert her to mine. As to religion a moderate stock will satisfy me. She must believe in god and hate a saint. But as to fortune, the larger stock of that the better. You know my temper and circumstances and will therefore pay special attention to this article in the treaty. Though I run no risk of going to Purgatory for my avarice; yet as money is an essential ingredient to happiness in this world—as I have not much of my own and as I am very little calculated to get more either by my address or industry; it must needs be, that my wife, if I get one, bring at least a sufficiency to administer to her own extravagancies. NB You will be pleased to recollect in your negotiations that I have no invincible antipathy to the maidenly beauties & that I am willing to take the trouble of them upon myself.”

In the last statement, Hamilton assures Laurens that he's not hiding any dislike towards women, many would point to this as him being serious about the whole hunt for a wife. But clearly, it's all still in teasing nature as Hamilton writes on in the most bawdy and lewd fashion. Saying that if Laurens still cannot find a woman to fit his description, that he should advertise him in the paper. I am pretty sure Hamilton was not being a bit serious about Laurens advertising his horniness in the papers to find him a chick. And then, he goes on with the famous line about his dick, clearly trying to annoy Laurens.

“If you should not readily meet with a lady that you think answers my description you can only advertise in the public papers and doub[t]less you will hear of many competitors for most of the qualifications required, who will be glad to become candidates for such a prize as I am. To excite their emulation, it will be necessary for you to give an account of the lover—his size, make, quality of mind and body, achievements, expectations, fortune, &c. In drawing my picture, you will no doubt be civil to your friend; mind you do justice to the length of my nose and don’t forget, that I [– – – – –].”

But of course, the letter has since been censored by Hamilton's fifth child, John Church Hamilton, and thus some context has been left out.

In the end, Hamilton even frankly admits; he does not want a wife, (even calling it a plague to have one) and that the nature of his rambling was witty, and meant to frisk Laurens. As he can't do much else with him from their only connection being letters at the time;

“After reviewing what I have written, I am ready to ask myself what could have put it into my head to hazard this Jeu de follie. Do I want a wife? No—I have plagues enough without desiring to add to the number that greatest of all; and if I were silly enough to do it, I should take care how I employ a proxy. Did I mean to show my wit? If I did, I am sure I have missed my aim. Did I only intend to ⟨frisk⟩? In this I have succeeded, but I have done more. I have gratified my feelings, by lengthening out the only kind of intercourse now in my power with my friend. Adieu

Yours.

A Hamilton”

[graysquirrel7]

The real antagonists are the people who disregard conscience for profit. The people who pretend that a closed system can have infinite growth, maybe even actually believe it. Notably, these are neither STEM nor Humanities people. Not exclusively on the trading conscience for cash, and almost not at all on the unrealistic economic models. If you're not tracking, the modern economic models were developed on feels, not mathematics, and deliberately so because the math didn't support the ideology of the people these models were invented for. I've got a STEM background, and one of the things I noted when I went back to school was that there were a lot of young white men in STEM pipelines who felt like ethics courses were a waste of their time. It stood out to me because I was also in a STEM pipeline. It can make it seem like STEM pipelines encourage selfish asshole behaviors. I don't have to look very hard to find writers, artists, and other humanities figures who also demonstrate ethics and morals that are not great for humans as a whole, so it's not just STEM that has the selfish assholes.

The thing is, neither of these discipline clusters is innately selfish or asshole in character. That's on the people. Same for naivety and short-sightedness.

The problem is that we collectively have, for one reason or another, put selfish, short-sighted assholes in decision-making positions. We then made sure they were virtually untouchable.

That's how you end up with an automated bullshit generator being used in place of reliable search tools. That's how you end up destroying natural resources in order to generate a series of pictures featuring hands on wrong wrists, too many fingers, and utter lack of soul. It's also how you end up with the most accessible sources of information being pure propaganda.

This is what I'm talking about. Like, this is embarrassing. People should be embarrassed for uncritically sharing it.

"STEM people are incapable of knowing when they're being lied to--" JESUS FUCKING GOD! Is this a thing you actually believe? Like...genuinely? That the only reason why anyone understands falsehood is because they read We Have Always Lived in the Castle when they were 17?

Do the black hearts of the STEM people beat at all, in your estimation? If you cut them, do they bleed tar? Sand? Wires? Do they think thoughts, do you imagine, or do they just process binary telemetry through their neural circuitry? Do they sleep in coffins?? Do they regenerate in alcoves???

And what about you? How, one wonders, the fuck do you know what you think that you know? Were you just blindly, credulously, and uncritically believing everything that you were told until some magnanimous English teacher, Moses-like, came down from the Mountain to explain the concept of deception to you?? Do you think that this is how things work? Do you just intrinsically know truth from falsehood because you read Lolita at some point in your long and storied career???

Look---I think humanities are valuable! I'm doing a PhD in a humanities discipline (in fact, applying the techniques of the humanities to the analysis of science), so it would be pretty awkward if I didn't! Humanities can make contributions to the vast ediface of human knowledge that sciences can't. Humanities can even make valid, substantive critiques of science that sciences can't. But this? This? This is just uncharitable, self-important BULLSHIT that any humanist, with their vaunted critical thinking skills, should be fucking ashamed to spread.

[chalabrun]

tsunade & the medical ninjutsu system (theory)

Something I feel is never really properly established in Naruto canon is just exactly how Tsunade improved medical ninjutsu, its institutions, and to what extent. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding medical ninjutsu, let alone how the system itself came into place.

Basically, here are my thoughts as to just what Tsunade did as the world’s greatest med-nin.

The Medical System wasn’t yet established

Ch. 160

One thing that was made apparent during or before the Second Shinobi World War was the fact that, by all accounts, there was no medical system in place. While the common story is that Tsunade may have only established the new pecking order of including a medical ninja in each 4-man cell, as this proves, it likely went beyond that.

So, considering how broad medical ninjutsu really is, where would Tsunade have gotten it, and how would it have been passed on?

Medical Ninjutsu: A Senju legacy

From Naruto: Shippūden #467, the anime

As shown here, in episode 467, Kanna and Asura are two of the first named users of the Mystical Palms Technique--one of the most versatile and commonplace medical ninjutsu for med-nin to learn. In a way, it’s a bit of a Swiss army knife in what it can heal for a talented enough med-nin.

Kanna and Asura are, naturally, the ancestors of the Senju clan. Kanna being Asura’s wife and a healer like him. While Asura isn’t specifically known for being a healer, Kanna is, and this establishes a trend of medical ninjutsu among the Senju clan.

But, like their descendant, neither are classed as med-nin. Which leads to the next point.

Ch. 576

Despite how many disregard it, Hashirama--Asura’s next notable transmigrant--is also known for being gifted with medical ninjutsu despite not being classed as a med-nin. His contemporary, Madara, states that Hashirama was better than even Tsunade.

Ch. 576, during the Gokage battle against Madara.

Tsunade herself concedes to this fact.

Ch. 576

As I’ve stated in another meta, Hashirama’s regeneration and medical ninjutsu are considered two separate things. 

Ch. 578

As shown here, even Madara sees them as two distinctly different things.

Regeneration Ability entry (Source)

In fact, the Regeneration Ability that stems from Hashirama’s cells is never classed as medical ninjutsu. Especially compared to Creation Rebirth and Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth--Strength of a Hundred Technique that are. 

Creation Rebirth

(Souzou Saisei)

Ninjutsu, S-rank, Supplementary

User: Tsunade

The absolute pinnacle of medical ninjutsu~~ a forbidden regeneration technique!

Created by the greatest of medical ninja, Tsunade, this is the ultimate regeneration technique!! By releasing a large amount of chakra at once, the body’s cell division is forcibly stimulated, reconstruction all organs and all tissues making up the human body!

If this technique is used, a body whose vital organs are so gravely injured that it cannot bear it any longer will be instantly restored to its uninjured state. It’s impossible to die by any means… for the sake of continuing to protect the lives of one’s comrades. That’s the resolution hidden in this technique.

By releasing the great volume of chakra stored in her forehead, Tsunade can make her body do the work of an untold number of years in an instant.

This wound may have brought her on the verge of death, but she won’t die~~

The acceleration of cell division that allows for the complete recovery from wounds is paid for with the shortening of one’s life span.

- Second Databook, Creation Rebirth entry (Source) (Raw scan)

Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth--Strength of a Hundred Technique entry, 4th Databook (Source)

However, something I need to assert is the fact that Tsunade’s medical ninjutsu being less than Hashirama’s by no means diminishes her achievements. A point I’m trying to make here is the fact that medical ninjutsu is a legacy passed down through the generations that explains where Tsunade attained hers, and how she took that knowledge to share with the world by organizing and devising the medical ninjutsu system that no amount of prowess can supplant. 

In this respect, Tsunade absolutely surpassed Hashirama’s ability. Creating Creation Rebirth and the 100 Healings absolutely asserts this alone. She’s the greatest medical ninja in the world, that much is for certain.

Ch. 678, affirming that Hashirama wanted to leave the future to future generations, which would absolutely mean the legacy here.

Moving on...

Medical Fuuinjutsu: A possible origin & Uzumaki legacy

As shown here, one of the most mysterious applications of fuuinjutsu we see is in medical ninjutsu. Now, while it’s not known if it’s specifically fuuinjutsu or not (as the medical ninjutsu below isn’t described as it), it’s beyond coincidence that fuuinjutsu and its branches also use fuuinjutsu formula arrays, like below. 

While I’m not here to explore that too far, what I’m more interested in where it could’ve come from and how it applies to Tsunade, the one who established and revolutionized medical ninjutsu. 

Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique

(Chikatsu Saisei no Jutsu)

- Ninjutsu, A-rank, Supplementary, Close-range - Users: Medical Team

Using a special intensive care unit, this act is laid out. For this medical treatment, teamwork between similar jutsu users is most vital. Through the collection of cells from the hair, it is used as a medium. The lost part is filled up with new cells. Minute attention to detail is necessary. This treatment’s success rate is not high…

In this formation, a burning restoring of life, a wondrous medical ninjutsu!!

With part of the casualty’s body as a medium, that part’s cell ratio is changed, and the lost part is regenerated. Due to the extreme difficulty and chakra control required for matching up the cell ratio, this requires a long period of time.

Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique, Second Databook entry (Source) & (Raw Scan)

Ch. 235, where Chouji in shown in intensive care after the Sasuke Recovery Mission’s failure. 

Like the above, here we see another complex array of seals that are undeniably similar to fuuinjutsu.

Ch. 238, where Sakura is shown learning medical ninjutsu with what appears to be a fuuinjutsu. 

And, shown here, fuuinjutsu seems to have a part to play in learning medical ninjutsu, too. How the fuuin actually functions is anyone’s guess, but it’s likely that Tsunade developed it. How? Where might she have learned fuuinjutsu from?

4th Databook, Mito’s Entry (Source)

As we are well aware, Tsunade is the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki, the kyuubi jinchuuriki before Naruto or Kushina and well-known for her sealing prowess--enough that she sealed the kyuubi in herself by her own ability--it goes without saying that Mito’s own knowledge of fuuinjutsu likely passed on to her, too.

Something passed on between them is the Byakugou, a seal that originated from the Sage of Six Paths era.

Ch. 36 of Boruto where Sakura explains the Byakugou’s origins.

While it’s not known whether or not the marking on Mito’s forehead is also a Byakugou, what absolutely is is the fact that, since Tsunade’s Creation Rebirth and 100 Healings were both inspired by Hashirama, it’s likely that Tsunade’s own knowledge of fuuinjutsu and the Byakugou’s attainment came from her grandmother, Mito, and their Uzumaki heritage/Hiden. 

And since medical ninjutsu is an apparent Senju legacy, it’s extremely likely that Tsunade came to incorporate both in her medical ninjutsu and help pioneer its use that would be standard in medical ninja practice by modern times.

Now, can I prove this? No, I cannot; however, given the fact that Tsunade is reliably proven to have pioneered the medical ninja institution, it’s likely it would’ve come from her, as well.

Biomedical Advances: The Niidaime's contributions

Ch. 681

Ch. 619, where Tobirama relays the biological function behind Sharingan.

For better or ill, when it comes to medical ninjutsu's biomedical background, what scientific knowledge that Tsunade learned seems to stem from what she might have inherited from her granduncle, Tobirama Senju, who was an acclaimed innovator and scientist.

Ch. 699, where Sakura mentions Tsunade crafting whole artificial limbs from Hashirama's cells.

Ch. 545, after Sakura and Shizune--Tsunade's disciples--performed an autopsy on a White Zetsu clone.

As it would seem to have passed on, from Tobirama did Tsunade attain a biomedical background when it came to medical ninjutsu that would spread to her disciples generations later.

Medical Ninjutsu: Foiling poisons

Ch. 253, wherein Tsunade’s rival, Chiyo, recalls how Tsunade was the only person capable of foiling her poisons.

As we know, one of the greatest threats to shinobi is that of poisons. And, there is the fact that Tsunade established ways of producing and foiling them that passed on to her students.

Ch. 253, where Sakura Haruno--Tsunade’s disciple--utilized the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique to remove the poison from Kakuro’s body, and synthesize an antidote. Both were things Chiyo couldn’t do.

Ch. 235, where the Nara Clan Medical Encyclopedia is being consulted by Tsunade to help her heal Chouji.

Hell, even the encyclopedia utilized here likely had a hand in Tsunade becoming such a poisons expert in the first place. Even if not, it undoubtedly had influence and a place in the medical ninja system Tsunade pioneered. 

Biomedical Advances: The Niidaime's contributions

Ch. 681

Ch. 619, where Tobirama relays the biological function behind Sharingan.

For better or ill, when it comes to medical ninjutsu's biomedical background, what scientific knowledge that Tsunade learned seems to stem from what she might have inherited from her granduncle, Tobirama Senju, who was an acclaimed innovator and scientist.

Ch. 699, where Sakura mentions Tsunade crafting whole artificial limbs from Hashirama's cells.

Ch. 545, after Sakura and Shizune--Tsunade's disciples--performed an autopsy on a White Zetsu clone.

As it would seem to have passed on, from Tobirama did Tsunade attain a biomedical background when it came to medical ninjutsu that would spread to her disciples generations later.

Medical Ninjutsu: A system to put in place

One thing that can’t overlooked is how Tsunade absolutely set rules and regulations in place that would go on to influence their rules by the modern day.

Ch. 577, where Tsunade lists the 4 rules governing medical ninja.

Ch. 632 where it’s again brought up when Tsunade trained Sakura in a flashback.

Ch. 160 where the standard to place a medical ninja in every unit of ninja is first introduced by her.

And because Tsunade was the one who established it, it’s likely it spread to other countries, as well, once it was established in Konoha. While it’s not shown, her disciple, Sakura, is shown to have inspired the medical institutions of other hidden villages through her own pioneered effort in the Konoha Children’s Mental Clinic that’s established after the war.

Pg. 24 of Sakura Hiden where the success of the Konoha Children’s Mental Clinic created waves, enough that Sunagakure began taking interest in establishing their own therapy center. (Source)

Again, while this doesn’t necessarily detail Tsunade’s own exploits with spreading medical ninjutsu and practices around the world, because the motif of the next generation improving from the former, it’s likely what happened before or even after she left Konoha.

Closing Thoughts

Again, while I can’t definitively prove as to how and what Tsunade pioneered with medical ninjutsu at home and abroad, given the hints and clues in canon, I have reason to believe that it’s much, much more extensive than what she might be given credit for. 

Regardless, always draw your own conclusions and interpret canon as you see fit, but if this inspires your own portrayal of her, I’ll consider it an honor!

[wanna-b-poet31]

Abandoned Places, Abusive Spaces

So I was thinking about how space is a big theme in the miniseries. Hell (in Good Omens) is crowded while Heaven’s HQ is uncomfortably abandoned. 

Heaven is empty. But like. It’s not a “noone is here, we own nothing” empty. It’s not a “we sold everything we had to provide for the needy” empty. It’s the clinical emptiness of an abandoned hospital. It’s sterile. It’s empty. It’s purposeful. 

Heaven with their elitist bureaucracy and misguided approach to “earthly” things (these guys can’t remember what the hell a book is) would pick the incorrigible rich person aesthetic of minimalist interior design with open spaces.

Hell, on the other hand, is constantly packed with bodies and in a similar way is empty of objects but full and crowded with bodies:

This contrast in and of itself isn’t too unusual.  You can see the masses of people (entities?) traveling out the door. You can see the piled chairs serving no use except to be a pile. The clothes are disheveled and torn, compared to the “immaculate” suits of the Angels. Even their skin is decomposing (well mostly, Crowley and Ligur are notable exceptions)

There is clearly a commentary on class dynamics going on. 

Where Heaven CHOOSES to be empty, with large spaces between the individuals, Hell doesn’t have such a luxury, so people don’t have things because their currency (SPACE) is being commodified.

Making a Bookshop a Home

And I could talk for hours about the class dynamics going on, but that’s not my expertise. Abuse, Trauma, and Queer Studies is. So, let’s turn our attention to Aziraphale’s home:

It is packeddddd with books and collections that he’s proud of. Just look at the GIF above. It’s packed wall to wall with bookcases. 

And, on top of it, we know he’s got the best selection of wines (at least a good selection), he hoards books (usually first additions) and spends his miraculous wealth on things that make him happy, specifically underpinning the Heavenly choices for minimalism. It’s cramped, yes, but not cluttered. 

AND specifically not “Full” in the same way Hell is. 

Perhaps the best way to see this difference is by focusing on the lighting. Where Heaven is blindingly bright, like an “it-hurts-my-eyes-to-look-at-too-long” kind of bright, Hell is so poorly lit I have to crank the brightness up on my computer to adequately see the beginning of Ep. 6 well.  

Aziraphale’s bookshop has no such problem. Look at the below GIF:

The whole room is full of light sources. It is sprinkled with lamps, and the windows (that we see in Ep. 5) are big and wide, allowing alot of supplementary natural lighting eluminating the building.  Even at night (See the below GIF), details are clear, you can make out the time on the clock, and that the bookcases are full. Yes, it’s darker than the above GIF, but we are reliably informed it’s late at night here. 

Instead, what’s going on is that his Bookshop is being filled with Warm light. Heaven’s brightness is cold and blinding while Hell’s crowded darkness is hard and suffocating. Both have an absence of warmth and tbh “warm” is great description of the Angel himself. He exudes the soft, kind aura of someone who is willing to give you a hug (only if you wanted on though). 

Crowley’s Hall of Sparked Joy

Crowley, in contrast, IS a minimalist. 

So surely he must be a Heavenly mirror? (I mean he is but not because of this) Instead, his minimalism is much more in-line with Marie Kondo’s school of thought. He keeps only things that spark joy. 

While his flat isn’t really lived in, and that’s on purpose, the “emptiness does not really exist for emptiness’ sake. He keeps the things that bring him joy. He pours his soul into things he cares about – his plants, his art, his car, his “antique” answering machine – because he needs more breathing space after enduring hell, but he’s not inattentive. 

Even within these spaces, like in the Bentley, he has even more pockets of joy beyond the item itself. For example, it’s confirmed that he has a tin of cookies in his car for Aziraphale to munch on, and he keeps an unkempt pile of CD’s of his favorite bands (and Queen).  

If we extend our review of lighting, we can also see that while not nearly as “warm” as Aziraphale’s home -- it is steeped in deep blues and greens where Aziraphale is steeped in gold -- but it’s not “dark” in the same way Hell is. It’s bright enough to see even his most sour expression (despite no obvious light source), and despite being a creature with a black-based wardrobe, he balances it well with his “off-white” walls. 

Not Holy, Not Damned, But a Hybrid: Human

Further, you can see how the two are doing MORE than rebelling. They’re not only pushing against the prescriptive styles they are expected to have. Instead, they’re creating hybrid spaces that don’t just reflect themselves, but where they can BE themselves in their environment. 

There’s a whole lot of trauma and recovery motivating the shift. Neither Heaven nor Hell could do anything at this point that would make either space an appealing option to model themselves after.  What has been done -- 6000+ year abuse remember -- leaves both trying to cope with how their respective sides treat them as “misfits”. 

It’s easier (and healthier) for them to piece together their own interpretation of existence, together. No strings attached. 

A Nightengale Sang in Berkley Square

Which brings me to my actual analysis. If (and by if I mean 100% when) Aziraphel stayed over at Crowley’s after the Armageddon’t, then he would witness the vastly different stylistic choices in Crowley’s home and perhaps be uncomfortable with the similarities to the emptiness of Heaven. 

However, I wager, he would recognize that Crowley’s home is not, like heaven, actually empty. For one thing, Crowley has walls, but for another, he puts his heart into spaces that he can feel vulnerable in (again see his car, his home, AND the bookshop for evidence). If Aziraphel wasn’t feeling the palpitations of love in Crowley’s apartment, I think he might need a system’s check. BUT in this point of the narrative, Crowley would not know what heaven looks like (at least not the contemporary headquarters that they keep post-fall). He would not know that the collector tendencies that AZ. displays is likely a response to not having an individual personality in heaven. Similarly, Aziraphale wouldn’t know exactly how unkempt and crowded Hell is, and that it’s a big deal that Crowley feels comfortable if not SAFE in HIS cluttered bookstore.

Then, the swap happens, and layers of understanding are added to the ways the two react to their landscape. We can talk at length about how Aziraphel (disguised as Crowley) is in shock at the physical abuse going on. And we could talk about how Crowley (disguised) almost breaks character a series of times as he’s being emotionally or verbally abused by Gabriel on behalf of his angel. But both are unprepared for the kinds of spaces they’re entering when they’re kidnapped by their “side”. The fundamental problem with how Heaven AND Hell function is that both are cold, abusive, and really, aren’t functional spaces. Like I mean that literally. Scroll back up and evaluate Heaven’s emptiness. Nothing can get done reasonably in Heaven, it’s simply devoid of any personality and character. It’s not bland, it’s much more insidious than that. Rather, it’s false transparency, a “nothing to see here” while they are enabled to continuously belittle and attack Angels who question their motives. They are more than willing to use that space for hellfire torture for Aziraphale, but being left alone in that space is intimidating by itself. Under the guise of “good” or “righteous” is cold-blooded indifference to the health and wellbeing of the angels under their watch.  

Hell is also insidious, but for more obvious and in your face kind of reasons. Granted, of the 2 Hell does actually offer a trial, but the depths of abuse and uncomfortably close quarters probably shocked Aziraphale, as Hell’s landscape shocked Crowley. The takeaway being that neither place represented either of them nor their needs. But, that they can come together and create new spaces – spaces that are inclusive to different experiences – that will help them cope with their own abuse and make it so a deep-down good demon, and just enough of a bastard angel, can have space together.

TLDR: Their “chosen spaces” are much more important and healthy than their “assigned” spaces. 

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.

[reneg661]

is the main protagonist in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. As an Avatar, their name, gender, and birthday are customizable. Byleth serves as a professor at Garreg Mach Monastery. They possess the mysterious Crest of Flames and can wield the Sword of the Creator. Byleth has a very subdued personality and has difficulty expressing emotion. As a newborn, they neither laughed nor cried. People they are especially close to, such as Jeralt, are able to tell how they are feeling despite their limited emotional visualizations. A handful of their students note that their outward expressions hardly vary. Some express surprise whenever they simply smile. According to Alois, this trait of theirs may in part come from their father, as Jeralt does not show his emotions easily either and can also be difficult to read. This should not be taken as them not having emotions at all however. Due to Jeralt concealing a lot of information about the world, they are showing curiosity about the influence of the Church of Seiros, the mystery of the Crests, and the dynamic of the three nations once they were immersed into the Officers Academy. Their stoic demeanor slowly changes over the course of the Academy phase. Jeralt notices that they have become more expressive over the first few months, likely a result of the bonds they have formed with their students. Despite appearing indifferent, Byleth can be perceptive of their students and fellow faculty's problems and serve as a great source of emotional support for their issues. As the story unfolds, their emotions become more dynamic including feeling true sorrow, vengeance, and happiness. Byleth has somewhat of a reputation from their earlier years in their father's mercenary corps for being a fearless and skilled warrior, gaining the moniker of 'Ashen Demon', due to the way they seemingly emotionlessly cut down their enemies in combat. This seems to be somewhat of a sensitive subject for them, as they seem uncomfortable when Hanneman mentions their moniker in their C support. It is notable that in the beginning of the game, Sothis refuses to let the player progress if they do not acknowledge their humanity to her, refuting the "Ghost" and "Demon" options, so it can be inferred that Byleth is uncomfortable with the Ashen Demon moniker because it dehumanizes them. The three house leaders of the Officer's Academy attest to their martial prowess and have deep, profound respect for their abilities and guidance in battle and in the classroom. They alongside the other students continue to refer to them as teacher or professor even after the time-skip. The three house leaders also deeply regret that Byleth had not chosen their house if they are not teaching theirs, seeing the value in their strengths. According to both genders of Byleth in Heroes, they do not actually know the distinction between a friend and an ally due to their unusual childhood. Nevertheless, they are well liked by the student body, even those not in in their initial house. Their wisdom ultimately shapes the outcome of the events of Three Houses providing council and guidance to the house leader they chose to teach, helping to shape them into better warriors and leaders. Several students can develop an interest in them and eventually switch over to their house if not already in them. This results in them also joining their faction during the War, even those from enemy nations defecting to their cause, thus changing their fate. Those who do not join will often express regret facing them in battle. However, some students and faculty members, especially in the Crimson Flower route, will instead express outrage at them, vowing to kill them by their own hands. According to their profile in Cindered Shadows, Byleth has interests in helping and listening to people, likes swords, reliable allies, smiles, and being trusted, and has no apparent dislikes.

Byleth (c) Nintendo Art (c) reneg661

[gothamsaved]

[ … ] HER GAZE CUTS LIKES A DIAMOND,  JUST AS COLD    &&.   CRYSTALLINE AS THEY THIN TO A RAZORS EDGE GLARE.     The ever present judgement isn’t lost on him,  though there is interest clear to temper it down in the brief flicker of hostility he felt.  She’s curious,  allowing the casually flowing conversation to continue its motion with a quiet sort of assessment.  He hasn’t done anything yet to approve a reaction in kind,  though neither has she.

So for the moment,  they’re stuck in an odd sort of stand-still,  uneasy due to their respective tensions    &&.   Lingering reservations.  Logical,  if birthed from paranoid distrust.

He doesn’t make any sudden movements even as her voice responds with an almost cold sort of harshness lacing it’s growl,  keeping to his designated space with no waver,  arms still remaining comfortably crossed,  claw-tipped fingers scraping lightly along the armour guarding his biceps.  The air here has a certain scent to it,  something that does undoubtedly remind him of Gotham in the grim way it furls together,  in the way it trickles around in icy bursts.

Grimey,  the barest tinge of something metallic,  bitter like the leftover sting of an old dead flame.  Just enough to make him slightly lower his guard with an exhale,  though much like the sword at his particular companion’s hip,  he’s ready should that all change.

` “The work I do means rest of any kind leaves room for failure.  Wasting time opens up a cost I can’t afford.”

Not a complete truth   —   but it agrees with his point on how it depends what it’s used for.  He does rest, fragmented as it was.  But he means it,  wonders if the truth he does share about how restlessness does somewhat drive him to continue on his own personal crusade   —   how there is an importance when it came to his consistency in his whole fight.  It’s vaguely shared,  not much of anything too specific to grasp onto,  but there is a small thread plucked free he can’t help but study with an owlish tilt of his head.

There’s something notably brutal in her words.  Possibly born from the aspect of wasted time,  of uselessness being woven into her belief in Daylight’s use as a resource.  While he has no immediate goals outside of how to traverse this new environment,  it wouldn’t hurt to source out whether or not she’d be a reliable ally,  or a possible enemy to avoid in the near future.

` “I make use of it depending on the situation.  Whatever’s needed… I try my best to adapt when others need help the most.”

Though he doesn’t verbally pass the question back her way to answer,  the way his empty,  guarded gaze grows narrow more than expresses it.  What exactly does she do with her time?  Does she use her skills &&. her precious time to help others? Or does she cut them down with the very sword she brandishes if they’re deemed a waste?  Are all things in her mind delegated,  living or without life,  into categories regarding their usefulness?