#but mostly you just need to know that the iteration is messy as hell. and i love it for that :]]

[avidlylivid]

so many swag epic awesome tmnt iterations (/gen /pos) and then I realise I Have Not Solidified Mine

anyways need to actually make the au premise other than random fun facts about them and their dynamics then come up with a name and then :3 the guys !!!

[henrysglock]

Local Man Uses The Cyclical 27-Year Torment Nexus To Try And Change His Fate [EPIC FAIL COMPILATION]

You probably guessed that this is the time-travel post I've been slaving over. You'd be right. This is the newest and most formal iteration of my long-standing time loop theory (I have drafted flowcharts back from February that actually predicted a dimension/time fuckery event in 1943 in relation to Brenner, which was made canon by TFS). So...Let's just dive right in. Note: I'm planning to keep calling TFS Henry "Henry" here just for simplicity's sake.

Now, fair warning: There are a few big "bear with me"s in this post. I promise they make sense, I just need you to hear me out.

It all started with Henry's self-proclaimed superhero name: The Stardust Spider.

Some of you may have seen my original post about The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars (here).

Before anyone says "Oh, but that album didn't exist yet", a reference in 1959 about a Bowie album that wouldn't be recorded until November of 1971 is in keeping with TFS's habit of directly referencing things from the '70s that "don't exist yet".

However, all that aside, there's a specific piece I want to return to, because it bugs the living daylights out of me.

There was a cut song that was meant to go on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars titled "Shadow Man":

For obvious reasons in relation to Henry in The First Shadow, this song already stuck out.

Specifically, though, these few stanzas hit me weirdly:

You should call and see who answers For he promises to come running Guided by the truth For the Shadow Man is really You Look in his eyes and see your reflection Look to the stars and see his eyes He'll show you tomorrow, he'll show you the sorrows Of what you did today You can call him foe, you can call him friend You should call and see who answers (see who answers) For he knows your eyes are drawn to the road ahead And the Shadow man is waiting 'round the bend ('round the bend) Shadow man is waiting up ahead

The Shadow Man is you from the future. He's waiting up ahead to show you the the truth/the consequences of your actions.

Considering that the TFS version of Young "Henry" has a direct connection to both the Shadow and Dimension X from a young age, and he also experiences what seem to be Vecna-type visions, this becomes particularly interesting to me...Especially seeing as said fates are not only possible for future "Henry", but also canon for future "Henry". (See: Vecna guy vs Mindflayer guy)

So, when I see an almost comical number of lines in TFS relating to rewriting known, undesirable endings (here are a few of my favorites):

And when we revisit some of the on-film classics:

I start to think it's time we revisit the concept of time-travel and trying to change your own fate.

It's always hard to know where to start with posts like these, so I'm going to kick things off with the technical aspect: The Cycle.

Something I've talked about in the past year, mostly on Discord, is this concept of a time loop. Not just any old time loop, though. A 27 year cycle, specifically.

Not 20, not 30...

Now, we all know the TFS timeline is messy as hell and doesn't actually align with anything that's possible in filmed canon...or within its own time span, even.

For example, the attack on Mr. Newby happens both some point after October 1st, 1959 and before November 20th, 1959...but the papers for the incident report it on March 20th, 1958:

The timeline we're given also largely fabricated, as I pointed out in relation to the newspapers with dates that don't actually exist.

However, much like NINA, the sequence itself being fake doesn't mean the events didn't happen. It's just not happening in the time frame we're told it's happening in:

It's a set of real events, just portrayed on a different time scale.

So, with all that in mind, I want to lay out a timeline, starting from Season 4 and moving backwards in time:

— Vecna opens the rifts, and El opens a gate to Dimension X in NINA, both in 1986. The March 1959 Creel Murders occur exactly 27 years before the Rifts and NINA's Dimension X gate open in 1986...at which point the Mindflayer is shown to be active.

— Mothergate opens through to Dimension X at some point between November 1983 and October 1984, this being somewhere between 16-28 months prior the Rifts opening. The paper about the attack on Mr. Newby, dated March 20th, 1958, is released exactly 610 days, or 20 months, prior to the Creel murders on November 20th, 1959. It's not necessarily the exact dates that are important here (again, these dates are relatively unreliable), but the gap between the dates.

When put in accordance with filmed dates (i.e. setting the release of this paper exactly 610 days prior to March 22nd of 1959), the paper for the attack on Mr. Newby would have been released on July 20th, 1957. This would be in line with Edward Creel's move to Hawkins in the spring of 1957...while also occurring 27 years before July of 1984, at which point Mothergate is open, and the Mindflayer is active.

This July date is especially funny to me considering we get "throwaway" lines like this...with shots in filmed canon from summertime:

Top: Joyce and Jim beginning their investigation into the attic attack. Hopper Sr. is questioning why Joyce and Jim are investigating, rather than attending school. Bottom: Alice and Henry with the rabbit death scenes in filmed canon, the setting showing full foliage and both children in summer clothing. "Is it summer break?" I don't know. You tell me, Chief.

Per TFS, Henry went missing in a cave system near his home town of Rachel, Nevada (hold that thought) at some point in the year prior to the attack on Mr. Newby. We've been told that Dimension X was involved in this event in Nevada, something happened there that left "Henry" altered physically. He was also flayed at some point around this time.

This all coincides with Henry's dramatic mood shift from a "normal and good" boy to one suffering from Mindflayer-induced psychosis. This change happened in tandem with the Nevada incident, dating back 10 months prior to the attack on Mr. Newby:

If we set Henry's initial disappearance in line with filmed canon like before, it becomes September of 1956, which is just over 27 years before Will's disappearance in November of 1983, at which point we know at least one gate is open.

We also have 1952, at which point TFS Henry would be 7 per his age as a 14 year old/freshman in play canon. This exists in a 27 year interval against 1979, when El opens the original gate that sends One to Dimension X, where he subsequently shapes the Shadow into the Mindflayer.

Here comes the first "hear me out".

My questions are:

Since Henry/Vecna/The Mindflayer/etc. in general don't show any capability for opening gates before 1986, then how the hell is the Mindflayer possessing anyone in 1959?

How did "Henry" get involved with Dimension X in Nevada in the 1950s?

Unless, by some chance:

Dimension X exists all the time simultaneously (i.e. it's a space outside time)

The gates exist simultaneously across time and space in the Right Side Up in 27 year intervals. By which I mean: A gate that opens in, say, 1983 would exist simultaneously in 1956, so on an so forth.

There's the disappearance of Captain Brenner and the USS Eldridge in 1943, which would, interestingly enough, align with 1970, the supposed year of El's conception.

Then, 1952. Now, I'm not sure what's special about 1952, when TFS "Henry" was 7, because they don't actually say what happened to make that year important! They make a point to show it to us, though, meaning something happened...we just don't know what. All I can say is that 1952 does exist in a 27 year interval against El's 1979 gate. Hold that thought.

Those addressed, let's fast-forward 4 years: 1956/1983.

Now, to be fair, there is some uncertainty in my mind about whether this specific gate incident stems from Brenner's involvement with Project Rainbow in Nevada pre-1957*, or if it stems from Mothergate in 1983, or if they created some kind of wormhole between the two locations 27 years apart...but that's a concept I need to explore more thoroughly in a another post.

In short, though: Did a singular El open a singular Mothergate? Did El open mothergate? Did Mothergate actually open on November 6th, 1983...or are we just supposed to assume it opened the same night Will went missing/the demogorgon came through? We're never given a concrete date for when Mothergate actually opened.

* In TFS, Brenner claims he's dedicated his life post-1943 to Project Rainbow with the goal of finding Dimension X, and that he's doing so in pursuit of knowledge regarding the circumstances of his father's death in connection with the Philadelphia Experiment. The USS Eldridge, Brenner Sr.'s ship, disappeared into Dimension X briefly on October 28th, 1943. "Brenner Sr." was the sole survivor. "He" returned to the Right Side Up with a completely unique blood type, supposedly altered by his travels into Dimension X. This is what ultimately led to him succumbing to his injuries, due to his body rejecting all forms of blood transfusion. Brenner Jr. tells us that about 10 months prior to Henry's first stay in HNL, a scientist from Project Rainbow escaped Brenner's lab carrying a container of a dangerous material, and ended up near the same Nevada cave system Henry disappeared into. We don't know how or when this material was collected, or what it was, but we know they found Henry's Captain Midnight spyglass next to a body (identity unspecified) with no trace of that dangerous material. We get no further detail about the Nevada Disappearance.

Anyway, someone opens a gate in the fall of 1956 and/or 1983 (my money's on it being directly linked to an El in 1983 either way). No matter who did it, though, someone opened a gate at both time points, showing us this 27 year link between the 2 dates, 2 key locations.

"Henry" goes missing in Nevada in 1956, and ends up involved with Dimension X...Which aligns with the choice of song surrounding this version of the Creel family while they move into their new home:

Coincidentally, 27 years in the future, so does Will, in Indiana. Their experiences are linked across those two spaces via that 27 year period.

We know that regardless of the gate in Nevada...Mothergate, at least, stays open until from fall 1956/1983 to fall 1957/1984. That covers exact time frame that the adjusted dates for both Henry's accident with the boy in Nevada and his accident with Mr. Newby fall in (as well as Will's time between his disappearance and his flaying).

The closer we get to Will's flaying in 1984, and the closer the Mindflayer gets to crossing through Mothergate, the more TFS Henry sounds like One (post-1979) while he's possessed in 1957, the more strangely he behaves in general (almost as though the Mindflayer is more enmeshed in his everyday life/closer to the surface), and the stronger the possession attempts seem to become overall. He begins giving nightmare visions to other people, namely tormenting Virginia with spiders and her past. He has his final and most powerful "Vecna" vision on the night of the attack on Mr. Newby.

Any kind of reciprocal gate irt Mothergate in the '50s would have gone unnoticed, since the papers in TFS indicate that HNL wasn't established until Brenner showed up to take Henry in.

Mothergate closes briefly, only for a gate to open in July 1958/1985 in the underground location of the future Starcourt Mall. This, in 1958, is during our unaccounted-for 20 months between the attack on Mr. Newby and the Creel murders. (Something rattles about this and the scene where Henry nearly makes full contact with the Mindflayer, when he has a handful of duplicate lines re: his 4.07 monologue self, but I don't have sufficient evidence to make that claim with any certainty.)

That gate closes, until Vecna opens gates in Hawkins in March of 1986, and El opens a Dimension X gate briefly and simultaneously in both Hawkins/Nevada in September of 1979 (September of 1952) and Hawkins/Nevada in March of 1986 (March of 1959) during NINA, concurrently...at least one of which may have gone unnoticed, since the Rainbow Room and the surrounding labs seems to have been abandoned entirely after 1979, and HNL as a whole has once again been abandoned after the events of 1984 ("unnoticed" and "abandoned", I say as if the building isn't still being surveilled by Brenner/Owens et. al...I just mean that the building isn't in use by the government at that point in time.)

We're shown the Shadow activating all the way in Russia due to one or multiple of these events. 27 years earlier, in March of 1959, the Mindflayer once again becomes active, per TFS's adjusted dates. Chaos ensues.

At this point, "Henry" starts swapping between sounding like his young self and sounding like his 4.07 Monologuing Adult self again, doing that kind of "I've seen the future" foreshadowing talk with Joyce that his visions did with him:

Here, he also sounds distinctly like ST3 flayed Billy, specifically in the way of the scene with El in the cabin when "Billy" outlines the Mindflayer's plans for her, her friends, and all of Hawkins while crying.

The rest is, well...history. Whatever fuckery went on, it doesn't seem to have made much of a difference. After all, TFS is a "canon event", meaning it had to end the way it did.

Remember those thoughts I asked you to hold?

TFS being a "canon event" means it had to end with Henry in the lab alongside baby El...thus completing our loop, which starts again with the events of 1979/1952. A 27 year loop. TFS may be indicative of a time loop.

Hence:

Out of place dates from the 1970s start to bleed into the 1950s: - A town like Rachel, Nevada, which wasn't established until 1978, now exists circa 1952-1959 after El opens a gate to Dimension X circa 1979 in Nevada circa 1986 via NINA, which exists...about 40-50 miles from Rachel.

- An album like Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (November, 1971) or a song like "Chuck E's In Love" (April, 1979) gets referenced circa 1957-1959. - An article about a "younger, more handsome" alien clone of Elvis appears in a 1959 Weekly Watcher paper about the Creel murders, despite Elvis having been 24 at the time...making this an article more likely to have appeared in the '70s or later, likely sometime around Elvis' death in 1977.

2. The Shadow is always depicted as the fully formed Mindflayer circa 1956-1959, despite the shaping event happening in the 4 years between 1979-1983:

3. Henry has Vecna-type visions, despite being the only vision-giver we know of circa 1957-1959.

4. 6 different guys later in the HNL massacre: 2 with the original baby El, 2 with teen El via NINA, and 2 in an as-of-yet unseen product of NINA's Loop (see: the final scene of TFS).

All this laid out, some questions remain:

Why do Henry's visions show him the genuine, terrifying reality of his future?

Why are these visions generally lacking in coercion?

Why are Vecna chime sounds heard before the major supernatural events that deal with visions, even though we never actually see the clock? (They're heard before Virginia in the attic, before the attack on Mr. Newby, before the Creel murders, and in the basement when Henry monologues at Joyce while viewing the corpses of his family.)

Why don't these chimes play when the Mindflayer alone is present, e.g. when no visions occur? (See: Henry contacting the Mindflayer in the lab)

And we don't really get an answer to any of these. Not an easily spotted outright answer, anyway.

But what's really fascinating, which I mentioned just a second ago and takes me back to the top of this post, back to the "Stardust Spider" and Shadow Man, is the fact that despite occurring concurrently with the possession attempts...none of these visions contain an ultimatum. There's no "If you don't obey me, I'll hurt someone you love", no "I'm showing you what's going to happen if you don't obey me", nothing of the sort.

The closest we get to coercion is the bathroom vision, when Henry fights off a possession attempt in the school bathroom and ends up in a vision regarding Patty. When "Patty" starts to talk to him about his future, about how Henry's going to kill her and so many others, Henry says "you're not Patty...what are you?" Then he gets into a physical brawl with her, which is surprisingly well matched. Vision Patty encourages him during that fight, saying things like "That's it!", "We want the same thing!", and "We can have her!"

Those seem like pretty straightforward "the Mindflayer's encouraging Henry to kill" encouragements, right?

Yeah, at first glance. However...lets read that back right quick, but with Moral Objectivity Goggles on this time. Henry openly, verbally identifies that Vision Patty is "not her, not Patty", but is, in fact, something else. He does this multiple times before he lunges at "not Patty", and he is subsequently encouraged by not-Patty...who tells him they want the same thing. That's not suspicious at all. The motives here are definitely crystal clear and totally aren't conflicting in any way.

There's the straightforward surface aspect, and then something else piggybacking on it, complicating it. Hold that thought.

Other than that instance, the negative parts of Henry's visions are all just...information. They're showing him what will come to pass...almost like they're motivating him to fight the Mindflayer. Hold onto that thought too, it buddies with the previous one.

Henry's freaking out about Prancer because he's getting close with Patty, and he's worried he'll hurt her?

His vision informs him that he's going to kill more, that he's going to hurt things, that he's going to kill Patty if he stays around her and/or gives into the Mindflayer's desires. And then it happens. All of it. He kills more animals. He hurts things and people, the pets and lab animals, Mr. Newby, and Inmate 58361 being prime examples. He gives in to the Mindflayer's desire to kill and kills Virginia. He does, by the extent of his perception, kill Patty in the accident.

The same goes for his vision in the attic. Henry's up in the attic using his powers to find someone/snoop on them, fearful of opening himself up for a possession attempt?

The vision version of Patty's mother catches Henry and tells him she "wants to tell him a secret" while his body is being puppeted to attack Mr. Newby. The next time the curtain rises to show us the inside of Henry's mind, he's seeing himself as Vecna, strung up on the tentacles and strangling people with them...just like the end of Season 4. Once again, he's seeing the future that will come to pass...should he fail to fight the Mindflayer off.

We can tell it's a vision, not what's physically happening in reality, because: a) Henry's watching himself in the attic from the stage below. b) It's got the messed up red lighting c) They show us reality just moments before, not a tentacle in sight and without Henry on the stage there observing:

d) The ending of the vision doesn't match with reality:

At the end of this vision, Henry passes out both in the void and IRL, while the vision version of Henry remains crouching. That is a different guy, entirely separate from IRL/Void Henry. There is at least one other person in the visions who is not a product of the vision itself.

Remember those thoughts from a bit ago that I asked you to hold?

Well. This also happens to be the sequence where we not only get Vision-Patty repeating Henry's own words from just after Prancer's death ("It's not real. It's not real. It's a nightmare") back to him, a phrase IRL Patty has never heard, but we also get:

Visions Patty telling Henry how to fight and evade the possession, as if she knows what she's doing ("It's your dream, remember? Anything is possible").

Vision Patty telling Henry she loves him as the last-ditch effort when his "good dream" memory of the real Patty fails to save him from the possession.

These are both things IRL Patty wouldn't know or think to say, since IRL Patty fully believed that Henry attacked her of his own volition out of malice, and she needed to be shown a drawing of the Mindflayer by Mr. Newby in order to abandon that belief.

IRL Patty's behavior is not the behavior of someone who a) knows the ins and outs of Henry's situation with the Mindflayer, and b) coached him through overcoming a possession attempt a little while earlier. It's just not.

Just like before, we're seeing contradictions and complications between vision-selves and IRL selves, along with a sense of piggybacking within possession attempts, wherein the vision serves as motivation for Henry to fight harder in resistance to the Mindflayer...while the Mindflayer is possessing him.

It's starting to become my favorite thing in the world: A pattern of behavior.

In summary:

Henry's are visions are visions of his future, and they're being shown to him by someone.

They are separate from, but piggybacking on, the Mindflayer's possession attempts.

The purpose of the visions isn't solely to torment Henry or coerce him into doing the Mindflayer's bidding. In fact, the content of the visions seems curated to make Henry fight harder in resistance to the Mindflayer.

So if, for example, Vision Patty ≠ IRL Patty, but she's acting against the Mindflayer's best interest/in support of Henry...then...

I think my answer to the questions of "who", "when", and "how" should be at least somewhat clear by this point:

Someone...from the future.

Specifically, someone from 1979-1986 who has access to the gates from the Dimension X side, someone with both vision-giving and time-related abilities who's directly connected to the Mindflayer/the Hive Mind, but who has a vested interest in countering the Mindflayer, saving Henry Creel, and trying to change the course of the future.

A traitor. A spy, if you will.

"A spy...from the future?"

[gestures at the Signs] Yeah, you heard me.

A spy from the future.

So, on that note: The point in this section wherein I ask you to hear me out.

I get the feeling TFS Henry is being told and/or shown what will come to pass in the future by himself...the Mindflayer.

And you're probably going "How do you figure that one, James? Isn't the Mindflayer a villainous force?"

I mean, yeah. Of course it is. However...

There are clearly multiple forces at play within the Mindflayer (hive mind!), and TFS shows us that Henry Creel wouldn't choose to be a villain.

Thus I think the visions in TFS are situations where, as in the 4.07 rabbit scene, things look really damning on first view. They play on our empathy using small, visibly-frightened, helpless victims and shocking, violent circumstances to guide us into making the assumption that everything about the situation is inherently malicious.

We're shown this poor little guy, "Henry". He's 14 years old, he clocks in at 5'5", he's skittish/scared of (ha) his own shadow, and he's geeky to the nth degree about comic books (just LOOK at that Captain Midnight salute? What an cute little nerd). He's immediately lovable. He's also, we find out rather abruptly, plagued by horrific visions and murderous fits of possession.

The immediate response is to go "He's being psionically tortured by some sick, sadistic son of a bitch who hungers for nothing but blood and control", just like Nancy and the ST fandom collectively did with Young Henry's rabbit scene...only to be proven wrong about Henry's intentions via TFS.

I mean, does anyone (anyone who's able to read this post, anyway 🤭) look at TFS Henry, filmed Young Henry, or even Orderly Henry and go "Yeah. He totally wanted what he got, and if he had the chance, he definitely wouldn't try to save himself from that fate"?

No.

TFS Shows us that "Henry" was a terrified, traumatized boy who wanted it all to stop. He's kind, brave, and stronger than he seems. We're also shown that he's capable of overcoming the Mindflayer to issue warnings to people he cared about (i.e. telling people to run, or prophesying dangers he'd seen via the visions). He was trying to survive with next to no help while causing as little harm as possible. He was a good kid, and he certainly wasn't evil.

So, all that said...I think that, via the Shadow's hive-mind capabilities, Henry's "fronting", in a manner of speaking, in order to show this version of himself the future. Probably as a warning, probably as motivation to fight the Mindflayer, and all with a nice side-dish of "here's how you fight this thing off so that my current future doesn't become our future" before someone else tapes over the figurative laptop camera.

[coughs, drops this Brenner-Mindflayer collage on the table in front of you, and then scurries away]

With that said, I'd like to loop all the way back to the top of this post: The "Shadow Man" may be Henry from the future. He's waiting up ahead to show his younger self the true outcome of his choices.

We all know how TFS ends, though. Hence:

[EPIC FAIL COMPILATION]

This brings me to my final "bear with me" point: The matter of the strange double-agent vibes from the UD in every season.

I'm not sure if anyone else outside the unholycule has noticed this, but in every season there's at least one instance of the UD just...offering up information.

"It does?"

Yup! Let me explain.

On first glance, we look at things like Nancy's vision and even El's vision with Billy in the cabin, and we go "Oh, it's because [insert "the bad guy's cruel/he wants to scare her/his hubris will be his downfall/all serial killers want to be known for their crimes" etc here]"...but maybe that's not the case.

For example: Vecna told Nancy his backstory, and then he immediately went

"Oh hey, so not only am I revealing my identity (Which may help you find out more about me via lab records later on, things like...maybe a list of my abilities, or my weaknesses, like the fact that I have a nut allegry. Allegedly.), but I'm also gonna give you a sneak peek of my apocalypse plans. For free. As a treat. Don't use these to prepare or anything. I'm totally not giving you a head start".

Terrifying, yes. A taunt and a threat on surface view, yes...but also showing his hand. "I want you to tell Eleven everything you see" Why. Why would he want that. He may be confident in his plans, arrogant, even...but he's not that stupid.

I'm serious, though. Check it out in comparison to Henrys visions of the future. The pattern is patterning:

We can track that back to El's cabin scene with Billy, wherein he tells her she shouldn't have looked for him, warns her that they all can see her, and that they're going to be coming after her...and he cries about it. That's vision Billy. That's someone else who piggybacked into El's mind from Billy's mind. That's not real Billy, just like how Billy in Max's vision wasn't the real Billy. The person giving El that vision warns her. Why on earth would he tell her that they can see her, that they're coming for her? That's sensitive information! It would be smarter to let her think she's safe and use that false sense of security to catch her off guard.

In fact, this pattern patterns so well that I'd like to argue this: Henry's TFS visions, Nancy's vision, and El's vision are all the same type of behavior displayed in NINA's chess scene, just in different contexts.

Henry ("Henry") gives some kind of scary prophetic information ("He and the others are going to attempt to kill you", "I would very much like to show you where I am going", "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"), and then we're left to question if it's a scare tactic, manipulative misinformation, or helpful inside information.

It's not that the Mindflayer or Vecna can't hide things from people (see: "Somewhere he didn't want me to see")...like, say, the fact that the Mindflayer is now able to see El, or that Vecna's planning to open 4 gates with his 4 kills.

It's always this miraculous "Huh! Weird info-dropping behavior from the UD's side. Shouldn't look that gift-horse in the mouth though. It's probably just a writing oversight or a shoehorned exposé, so really there's no need to question it." situation where it's just...information that's offered up with no real explanation.

Some of my favorite examples:

...and it's all topped off with Max's line:

"He's been telling us his plan this whole time".

That is to say...You're telling me:

The first message from the Upside Down isn't any of the messages that are concretely Will's, but instead it's the one that's a repetitive Henry line...and it's conveyed in a distinctly not-Will style? A message that saves Joyce, something that's definitely not in the UD's best interest given her tenacity in finding her boy...but is definitely coming from the UD nonetheless?

Will, who fell total prey to the Mindflayer in less than 3 days, was not only able to figure out how to defeat the Mindflayer, but was also strong enough to convey it in Morse code? The Mindflayer, who is able to keep secrets (see below), just...let that information slip?

El, who acknowledges that the Mindflayer is more than able to hide things from her, is suddenly released into Billy's memories and allowed to find the source unimpeded?

The Mindflayer, as Billy (Remember: not actually Billy, because Billy can't give visions or invade minds), is telling El that because he's able to see her now, she shouldn't have looked for him? The Mindflayer, which was supposedly building the Fleshflayer to track El down and kill her? Suddenly he's telling her she shouldn't have done the thing that allowed him to find her more easily?

Vecna's giving up all the information about himself and his plans before he's even gotten the 4th gate open, despite him being so secretive about it up until that point?

Henry's visions in TFS are going to scare him into resisting the Mindflayer, making it less likely that he's going to upgrade to killing humans, i.e. the very thing the Mindflayer wants him to do?

None of that makes any damn sense...until we hit this last point:

Orderly Henry is known for giving inside information about "Papa" to El with no clear motive other than getting her to leave the lab.

Now, if you know my page then you know Em's been talking about double meanings in phrasing recently (see: this post about "who"s and "what"s).

So, with that in mind, I'd like you to chew on this:

"He's been telling us his plan this whole time." vs "He's been telling us His plan this whole time."

By which I mean: "He's been telling us some other man's plan this whole time."

[Mike voice] Superspy.

As a parting thought, I made it all into a nice, neat set of collages:

Not to mention this final, parting bit:

[danny-chase]

It’s always been weird to me that while the Fab Five (Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, Wally West, Roy Harper and Garth) are rightly too old for the Teen Titans and have all “graduated” so to speak, the same seemingly isn’t the case for the New Teen Titans generation as well? Like Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven should all be in their early twenties at least? Vic and Kory moved on in the New 52, but Gar and Raven seem perpetually stuck where they started, when frankly I’d rather see how they could work in other team dynamics - say, Raven in the Shadowpact/Justice League Dark and Beast Boy with Justice League International. What do you think?

Calling what happened to Kory in the New52 "moving on" is pretty generous. like she worked with a different team, but like. she was there to be eye candy to male readers (which has been a problem in titans comics too, but generally titans comics give her a bit more... purpose???) This is beside the point though.

The thing to me is - the titans aren't just a team, they started out as friends in the og series, they lived together (under Mr. Jupiter), and helped each other grow up, and eventually it seemed like they outgrew one another and went their separate ways - as you do when you grow up, you leave your family.

Then Raven brought together a new generation of the Titans, bringing along some of the old ones (Dick, Wally, Donna) and adding in some new ones (Gar, Kory, Vic) and i think in this iteration of the Titans, they grew closer than they had before, partly because out of this generation - a lot of them didn't have anywhere else to go. Like Raven - who brought them together - couldn't go home to Azarath, so Titans Tower, effectively became her home. Kory couldn't go home - she started living with Donna soon after. Dick was on the outs with Bruce (for different reasons pre and post crisis), Dayton sucks as a parent to Gar, Donna's got the Amazons but she's outgrown them (and at least in the first titans series, they left her behind at one point and she was living in the titans cave until Roy was like "guys you know she's living here right" and they found her an apartment), Vic's dad dies soon after the series starts, and Wally is mr. normal because marv didn't like him. The characters at this point were mostly adult, and found family in one another. And eventually everything blew up because *gestures vaguely at DC editorial making stupid decisions*

Now from here we have The Teen Titans (1996) as the next iteration of the Titans which is it's own unique team with all new characters. After that there's The Titans 1999 which has the fab five + Vic + Kory + Jesse + Toni + Grant. And they directly formed because the fab five missed each other, they missed being with their family. And of course this also ends in disaster - Donna and Lilith die and they split again, leading to Teen Titans (2003) and Outsiders (2003) and eventually this generation of the titans don't come back until The Titans (2008)

To me, though. The titans aren't something you outgrow. They're a family - they're messy as hell, yeah, but they all love each other and they need time away from one another, but they're family. One of the reasons I dislike Teen Titans (2003) so much is because the core four doesn't feel like family to me (they feel like a friend group in the middle of their break up era), they're there out of obligation of fucking things up with Donna (and they shit on the old version of the Titans more than I like). Kory, Vic, and Gar are there as mentors, they're there because it's the titans and they'll always be there for the titans. And the arcs it gives Raven and Joey i just... they literally understood the characters so poorly. This is also the comic that started de-aging Raven and Gar, and forced them together to match the shipping that went on because of the cartoon *blegh* I would also like to point out, that I feel like this comic does have Kory and Vic as older - so at this point they join the fab five in graduating age wise

Now in Titans (2008) which is a comic that is. such a mixed bag (flaming dumpster fire, with some occasional sweet issues). We have a lineup that has: Dick, Roy, Donna, Raven, Vic, Kory, and Gar. Raven and Gar are younger, due to de-aging, but again, it's a team brought together in crisis because their family is being attacked. And they fall apart again, Deathstroke makes his own version of the Titans *blegh* and the reboot happens erasing the Titans all together up till Titans Hunt. The rebirth line ups are pretty ehhh in my opinion

I think one of the issues with the Titans stems from the fact that they think Robin is replaceable, and they can just slot which ever one they want in, mostly match up with the lineup on the cartoon and boom success. Yeah no. The appeal of Titans to me is the found family dynamic, and having a Robin younger that's not Dick, erases all that messy family history, and while you can successfully start writing new dynamics, a lot of the writers do so... poorly. Like I only read the first 30 issues or so of Teen Titans (2003) before giving up, and Tim felt out of place on the Titans - they didn't really do much to build up Kory and Vic's relationship with him, and had him as the de-facto leader of the core four, despite them previously voting him out of the role (because he's Robin and Robins get to be the leaders or something). Then you have Damian kidnapping 4 characters that are stronger than him to start off his Teen Titans Rebirth run, which i thought was super dumb. They may have different Robins on the Titans at different points at time, but the Titans are Dick's family, they're part of his history, they're where he grew out of the Robin role (which frustratingly was erased by NW: Year One) and became his own man/hero. They're people he grew up with, they're people he helped grow up, and so on. Just swapping him out and expecting things to work is silly to me, there's a reason the other titans heroes listen to Dick and that respect was built up through decades of comics, you have a lot to build off of rather than starting from scratch

Now another issue as i've mentioned, is this idea that they have to match the cartoon to get people to read. And it's so frustrating!! The titans were popular as a comic first! The cartoon totally shaved down the characters to make them easily identifiable to the kids watching the TV shows and Kory and Raven's characters especially never recovered. Like all you need to do is read the first issue of the Starfire SOLO to see how badly her character was impacted - yeah she got to grow up, but at what cost 😭. i think you're equivalating growing up and moving on as a character to getting good content but you can't look me in the eyes and tell me Kory's been treated better outside of Titans comics (at best she's treated the same, at worst the comics make me so uncomfortable i have to put them down). The show also spawned the stupid as fuck ship between Raven and Gar, which would have never happened between their comic book counterparts, and requires constantly aging Raven down to messily slot them together. I think yeah, Gar was always going to be a bit younger than the Titans, because he started out roughly 3 years younger than most of them. At this point i feel like the comics have just shot themselves in the foot by insisting the two must be a pair at all times, and that Raven must follow her personality in the cartoon (single word: goth). I don't think just putting them on new teams is going to fix that. i think a writer is going to have to do actual research on their characters, stop just referencing the toon, and commit to writing them older and possibly broken up. putting them on different teams or giving them solos would be an opportunity to define them outside of one another and the titans, but as we saw with the Starfire solo, unless they actually commit to doing the "hard" work of doing research, you're just going to get the same old garbage as a result

TLDR: i don't think the Titans is something you graduate, i think it's a family, and i don't putting Gar and Raven with different teams would automatically "fix" their de-aging issue

[thetriggeredhappy]

Could i request an ace sniper fic? I really like that headcannon, and i dont think i've seen much fic about it

absolutely and hell yeah, anon. aspec sniper is best sniper. went with ace/aro specifically for this one but every iteration of aspec is fair and valid. also the demo-sniper-scout friendship because i love the idea of them hanging out

(no warnings)

-

Lunch break, Hightower. Scout and Demo were the only two who ever consistently visited Sniper in Hightower on account of being the only ones who would ever bother going all the way to wherever he’d posted up for the day, and they were aware of that fact, and so had started a habit of eating lunch up there with him whenever they could. It was a good system. Especially because going to that trouble had the added bonus of privacy, being able to talk about things they didn’t feel like talking about in front of the other mercs. Not that Sniper was particularly talkative—he preferred to listen.

Things they were embarrassed about were a topic, sometimes.

“—and so I’m beatin’ myself up over it, right? Like, yeah I’m barely scrapin’ by on my second senior year and workin’ one job for real and another one under the table and I’ve got sports the rest of the time so of course I can’t pay much attention to her, so figured she’d get annoyed, but I still felt bad right? But then, turns out, buddy from my track team sees her like four days after we break up holdin’ hands with some other guy!” Scout rambled from his place vaguely lounged back against Demo’s arm as both Sniper and Demo ate their respective lunches from their respectively marked tupperwares. None of them remembered who started it, but they tended to sit almost shoulder-to-shoulder, and it had escalated into leaning against each other and a wall and looking out over the field as they talked. “So, like, man, wantin’ to focus on her college stuff and too busy for dating, yeah right.”

“What you get, dating a lass who’s younger than you, lad,” Demo hummed around his mouthful.

“Yeah, yeah. Only a year difference, but man, felt it all at once, huh? Anyways. She got told off by a buddy of mine about it, and we had an argument at some point, but... yeah. That’s the messiest breakup I ever had, probably, just because everyone knew everyone,” Scout trailed off. Silence for a second. “What about you guys?”

“Told you mine,” Demo said, had to pause to finish his mouthful to get the rest out. “Chemistry class, dated three times, she cheated twice.”

“Oh yeah. Jesus, yeah, fuck,” Scout sighed, remembering. “Why’d you put up with that a second time?”

“She was cute,” Demo shrugged, almost dislodging Scout and jostling Sniper a little on accident. “Ah, sorry Mickey.”

“Y’alright,” Sniper assured under his breath.

“Any messy breakup stories for us?” Demo prompted.

Scout tilted his head a little back towards Sniper. “Hey, yeah. I feel like I ramble about relationship stuff like, constantly—“

“You ramble about everything constantly,” Demo teased.

“Eh, fuck you,” Scout said offhandedly, rolling his eyes. “But I talk about that stuff constantly, and Demo brings up stuff sometimes, but you’ve, like, never told us any stories.”

“Not much to tell,” Sniper shrugged simply. “Not my thing. End of story, really.”

“Not your thing?” Scout repeated, audibly confused, sitting up a little bit to look back at Sniper. “What’s that mean?”

“Never much liked dating, relationships, any of that,” Sniper replied without needing to think too deeply about it. “Didn’t care much, that’s all.”

“Thought that was me as well for a while,” Demo said carefully. “Realized I just didn’t have time for it, mostly, between the job and friends and that, so I’d rather wait until I do. Same with you?”

“Nah. Had the time, had the energy, just didn’t like it. Not my speed. Made me uncomfortable, mostly,” Sniper murmured, itching idly under his hat. “Went out with a few sheilas from around, they’d either properly like me or not, and... I just never liked them much. Mostly went because I didn’t know what else to do. Thought I was turning down too many chances, something like that. But then I figured out, nah. Just skip the whole thing.”

“Wait, for like, dating? Or for one-night stands?” Scout asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“Both. Or, er, neither. Wanted nothing to do with either.” Sniper pulled his hat back on straight. “Figured for a minute in my, er... must’ve been mid-twenties? Figured maybe my problem was just that I was into blokes instead, but nah. Just as bad. Just as... nothing, really. So I stopped bothering with forcing it.”

“Good on you,” Demo said appraisingly, jostling him cheerfully, and the corner of Sniper’s mouth quirked up a little.

“Nothing, huh?” Scout repeated, musing aloud. “What, so... like, how people will go on a first date and just never try and call each other again? Just, no sparks? But for everyone?”

“Presumably. Don’t have a frame of reference for what those sparks are like,” he said, then sat up a little a moment later. “No, wait, I know I’ve felt, er... felt something similar. Not sparks, the, er, the nervousness. Then I realized that wasn’t a romance sort of thing, it was me being, er... jealous, and intimidated, and just thinking they were good-looking objectively. Happened with a few blokes, s’why I thought I’d try men for a while. Didn’t last, not past properly meeting them. That’s all, really.”

A nod of understanding from Demo, a general sort of ‘huh’ noise from Scout. A pause. “Would you ever do the, er... marriage of convenience, then? No risk of it getting messy,” Demo joked.

“Nah,” Sniper said, laughing a little. “Nah. Thought about maybe trying it for citizenship at some point, but only on paper. I don’t tend to stay places too long. S’why I like this job.”

“Man, I’m kinda jealous,” Scout huffed. “It’d kick ass to not have to deal with crushes and shit.”

“Eh. Sometimes I’m curious, what it must feel like,” Sniper admitted. “Wouldn’t change it, it’s just... interesting to imagine. I like romance novels.”

“Really?” both Demo and Scout asked, sitting up and looking at him, and he huffed a laugh.

“Can’t be that hard to believe. Liked Jane Austen later on in school, kept reading more. They’re... I liked fantasy when I was young, it feels like that. Adjacent. And I know what love is, I’ve got parents I love, had pets, had relatives who were essentially siblings, it’s just something different from the sort I know about. S’pose it’s, er... just strange sometimes, nice to laugh at the characters for being so ridiculous about things.”

“Don’t tell me you pick up novels from the dimestore, Mickey,” Demo said disapprovingly. “Or those dry historical ones. Tell me it’s all good, not just the same few stories recycled.”

“Only if I’m particularly bored,” Sniper admitted, and Demo made a sound of vague disgust. “And I don’t read much, besides. Have other hobbies.”

“Is it the same thing with why you don’t talk to the rest of us guys much?” Scout cut in, speaking for the first time in a bit. “Just don’t feel it? Not a thing on your radar?”

“Nah. That’s because I’m just not the talkative type. I like you lot plenty, it’s why I go sulk in the base with you all quietly, if I didn’t like you then you’d never see me,” Sniper replied. “If anything, I think it means I appreciate you all more. Less worrying about balancing things, all that.”

“That’s fair,” Scout said, settling back down, nodding vaguely. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

A pause between the three of them. “So I don’t have any particularly interesting breakup stories,” he added. “But I’ve got farm stories, if you’d like.”

“Obviously!” Demo laughed at the same time that Scout chimed an emphatic “Fuck yeah!”, and Sniper rolled into a story about how particularly dumb sheep are as farm animals, and that was the end of that discussion.

[foxcyare]

Safety in Silence

Chapter 1 - Trust 

2.3k Words

Pairing: Din Djarin X kitsune!fem reader

Summary: Being stranded on a hostile desert planet with your supplies freshly stolen is not an ideal situation. Avoiding both the Empire and the Republic's notice while doing so is even worse. Add a chance encounter with a kindred soul? Maybe this can work. 

Tags & Warnings: Slow burn, Kitsune!Reader, Herbalist!reader, canon-typical violence, implied drug use.

AO3 link

A/N: This is my first foray into writing for the mandalorian! This story has been bouncing around my head for a while now, and I really wanted to write it. It’s going to be a multi-chapter series, going into (kind of) canon eventually. It’s SFW for now, but I do plan for it to be smutty later on. 

Note about Kitsune!reader- I tag it with kitsune because its the most recognizable iteration of the ~fox sprite~ folklore creature. But it won’t necessarily follow the Japanese kitsune more than it follows the Korean gumiho, etc. I hope you read, and feedback is welcome! 

----

Another grimy cantina. Another day of trying to find that goddamned aqualish that stole the entirety of your stock. You curse the carelessness that led you to stashing your heavy pack away to find accommodations in town. It took months to find that patch of gindo root, and now you're stranded with no stock, little money, and no way off this planet. You grit your teeth as the smell of ethanol and unwashed bodies assault your senses. Even with your mask on, this one is worse than usual. What is an aqualish doing on a desert planet anyways? Making your life as hard as possible, you decide, making your way to the bar. 

"Has an aqualish passed through here?" you question the bartender.

He looks down at you lazily, continuing to polish the glass in his hands. "Why? You lookin' for trouble?" his posture is aggressive, leaning over close, close enough to smell his tepid breath. 

"Not unless you give me what you want." you counter. The bartender laughs meanly and turns away. "Get outta here unless you're paying for drinks" 

You growl in frustration and glare at his back for a minute. Fine. 

 You're hopping off the stool to try to find someone else when you run headfirst into a wall of metal. A Mandalorian? That's rare. 

"Ow! Jeez. Personal space, dude." you rub at your aching forehead. The figure doesn't move, their visor unmoving. 

"What did you say about an aqualish?" The voice is modulated and abrupt. You stare into the visor, trying to make eye contact, wherever that may be. "I'm looking for one. Know any nearby?" You reply. 

The mandalorian mutters something, you can barely catch the swearing, and a name? Karga? He turns on his heel and leaves as swiftly as he appeared. Weird, but this was the most promising lead you've got yet. If you knew anything about mandalorians- which admittedly wasn't much- he was probably hunting a bounty, and they don't take failure as a result. He didn't seem too friendly, though, so you resolve to keep your distance as you follow him out of the cantina. 

----

At least it's easy to see the armour in the blazing sun. The helmet shines like a disco ball. It's been a couple hours, and you've tracked the mandalorian as he makes his way through marketplaces, shady alleys, and another cantina. He's still in there as you laze around on the roof of a house across the way. He's impressive, you note. The way he makes his way through a town, methodically checking every place an outlaw might hide. 

Hopefully the mandalorian gets the guy before he figures out what is in your pack. To the untrained eye, it may seem like a mess of leaves, flower bundles, muddy roots, and unlabeled vials. To you, it's your livelihood. Rare remedies, natural drugs, dyes, and ingredients for all sorts of delicacies. All sorts of things that clients pay premiums for, and the things you hop from planet to planet to forage. 

The click of a safety going off brings you back to full alert. Damn it. The warm sun and stress of the day must've caught up. You raise your hands and slowly turn to see a barrel pointed between your eyes. The mandalorian you've been tailing stands over you, silhouetted by the sun.  

"Take it easy, I'm not here to cause any trouble with you." You try to keep your voice from betraying the shakiness you feel.

"Why are you following me?" He counters. Fair enough. 

"I'm looking for an aqualish. Same as you, right?"

"You with the guild?" 

"I'm not a bounty hunter, if that's what you're asking. He stole my stuff, and I'm just trying to get it back." You slowly reach up to your mask and pull it down to expose the rest of your face. His helmet tilts slightly. 

"I can help you find him, because I'm not doing anything else until I get my stuff. I can pay too." Your hood had slipped down during your nap, and you feel too exposed next to this armoured figure. The intensity of his gaze makes you catch your breath. 

A tense moment passes, and he slowly lowers his blaster. He doesn't holster it, however. "Do anything suspicious, and I will shoot you. And don't get in my way." He warns.

You nod and mock salute. "Yessir." 

You get up and dust yourself off, pulling on your mask and hood once again. The mandalorian keeps a close watch as you leap off the roof, catch on a balcony, and land gracefully on the sandy pathway. His descent is rougher, opting to jump onto a nearby wall and land hard on his feet. 

"You know, that's really bad for your knees." you point out, as he takes a second to adjust his legs again. "I don't know what your armour can do, but I don't think it'll keep your tendons from snapping next time." 

He doesn't respond, just takes your arm and starts to walk you down the street. 

"So have you found any leads?" you ask. You were mostly hopeless until you had bumped into the mandalorian. Your sense of smell, your usual tracker, is dulled significantly in these hot dusty planets. Another reason to get off this awful rock. 

He leads you through a small alleyway. "He's hiding nearby. But he's not alone. Can you fight?" 

You weigh your response. "I can use a blaster fine, but I'm better with my knives." You pull back your cloak, showing him the myriad of blades and shoddy blaster on your belt. "They're mostly for harvesting, but a blade's a blade." You shrug. The mandalorian may be permitting you to tag along, but you had no idea if he could be trusted with knowledge of what you are.

He grunts approvingly. "I need to bring the bounty alive. If it turns into a fight, let me handle it." 

He stops at a door, and tucks both of you into the wall. "Hey." you whisper, getting his attention as he preps his blaster. "Remember, I need my stuff. Try not to destroy anything?" you ask softly. He takes a second, nods, and positions himself in front of the door. You grip your hunting blade tighter. 

The mandalorian kicks open the door, and all hell breaks loose. As he charges in, you hear shouts and fumbling. Blaster fire rings out and as you peek in, you see the mandalorian grappling with another figure. Quickly scanning the room, you don't see your pack, but the smell hits you. They were smoking your elfroot! Bastards! You step inside to help the mandalorian when you're grabbed by thick arms around your neck. Something hits your hand and your knife skids away. You're restrained, and it looks like the mandalorian isn't doing so well either. Two others are holding him down, but he's putting up a hell of a fight. One of them, you recognise, is the one that took your things. You kick at the man holding you, but he's a lot stronger, and he's got a lock on your airways. Only one way to get out now. 

You shift into your fox form, and slip out of your attacker's grasp. You run in between his legs and shift back as you grab your knife, plunging it into the neck of the aqualish that was holding you. He falls, grasping at his throat, and you run and deliver a swift kick to one of the guys holding the mandalorian down. He's stunned, and that gives enough of an opportunity for the mandalorian to take the other down with a vibroblade. His back is turned, and he only turns in time to see the stunned aqualish fire a blaster directly at him. You react instinctively, summoning fire to catch the shot before it hits the mandalorian. It works, and the mandalorian is immediately upon him, kneeling on his chest and locking him in cuffs. 

Fights are always so abrupt. It feels like forever, until it's over in a blink. You scan the room as you pant, feeling the ache in your throat and muscles. In the corner, in a messy heap, you see your pack. You gather your things, relieved that the elfroot is the only thing they took. It's messy, as they must've sorted through it roughly, but everything is intact. The mandalorian is roughly pulling the bounty to his feet, as he spits and groans at the armoured man. He's staring again.

"Do you have a ship?" You ask, padding over to him, careful not to get too close to the bounty. He nods with effort, and you notice his chest is still heaving, small grunts and pants coming through his modulator. 

It isn't until you leave the room you're able to smell the blood coming from the mandalorian. You thought it might've just been your knife or on your clothes, but human blood smells different. 

"Hey! You're hurt, slow down." You take the mandalorian's arm. He stops and his helmet turns to you. "My ship is close by. You got your things, I have no more business with you." He grits out. 

Your eyes narrow. "I can help, and I'm not leaving until you're okay. I did say I could pay you."

The bounty hisses something in a language you can't understand, and the mandalorian gives him a shake. His other hand is holding his side, and you can tell the movement is agonising. You grab the bounty and shove the mandalorian's hand off as gently as possible. 

"Where's your ship?" you demand, smacking away his attempt to grab at the bounty again. "Just keep holding the wound. I'll hold him" You snatch a cloth from your bag and hand it to the mandalorian, he takes it and presses it into his side. Too much blood is already soaking it, and the smell doesn't help the rising panic.

He points down a street, into a hangar. You try your best to move fast, while staying at a pace he can keep up. 

It feels like an eternity but you make it to the hangar. A silver ship waits, a model you've never seen before. The mandalorian presses something on his vambrace and a ramp lowers, and you have to help him up. The bounty doesn't resist when you shove him into the room the mandalorian points out. "He'll be fine there for now." he murmurs, collapsing onto the floor. 

You catch him and lower him down, propping him up on the wall. The cloth is soaked now, and he points weakly at a cabinet. "Bacta." it's almost a whisper. 

You're about to get up when you realize that won't be enough. Digging through your pack, you try to be soothing. "Hey. Hey. Stay with me okay, can you get your armour off?" You ask, finding vials and sniffing at them to find the right one. 

"What are you doing?" He mutters, but starts to unbuckle his chestplate with his free hand. Finally, you find the right one. The mandalorian has managed to peel back the layers and you take the cloth away, gasping at the torn flesh. He must've gotten clipped by one of the aqualish's blades. 

"This is going to hurt, but please, trust me." You plead, uncorking the vial and pouring it onto his side. The effects are immediate, and you try to keep him still, sitting on his legs with both hands on his chest. Even as he tries to keep quiet, he can't help the yell that bursts out. "What did you do?" He demands, thrashing and stiffening in pain. 

"Stay still! This will close up your wound and replenish some of the blood you've lost!" You're using most of your strength to keep him down. Even wounded, he almost shoves you off. Gindo oil is one of the most potent healing substances around. Thank the maker you still had one vial left. If it wasn't so expensive and sought after, you wouldn't bother going to these awful desert planets to forage some. However, you knew the pain he was in. You've used it on a blaster shot before, and it was one of the worst things you've ever felt.

He calms down after a while, breathing heavily. He's quiet, and you can't tell if he's passed out. You get up, and start to clean the blood that's on both of you. 

"Thank you."

 The voice makes you jump. You turn and see the mandalorian's helmet tilted up to you. His wound looks a lot better, an indented pink crater on his tanned skin. It won't even scar. You smile apologetically. "Are you feeling better?" 

"I.. yes." He clears his throat. You sit down next to him. 

"I'm sorry that was so painful. Bacta wouldn't have been able to close it up soon enough, though." 

He thumps his helmet back to the wall with a big exhale. "It was fine." 

You raise your eyebrow at him but say nothing. The silence is calm, when he starts. "The bounty." 

He gets up with a groan, and goes to check on the bounty. There's some shuffling and the mandalorian steps back into the room, alone. "He's taken care of." is all he says. 

There's a pause, as you stare from the floor, and the mandalorian watches you from the doorway. 

"Can you-"

"Do yo-"

You both speak at the same time, cutting each other off. He clears his throat and waves you on. 

"Can you take me with you? Just for a bit?" you ask. "I have nothing else to do here, and I don't have a way to get around on my own. You're a bounty hunter, you travel a lot, right? Could you.." You trail off, somewhat awkwardly. 

The mandalorian tilts his helmet at you. "It's the least I can do." He says. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. He was hard to read, and it could’ve gone either way. You grin at him. "Thank you."

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #216

“cocaine in a crucifix, say your prayers, take your licks.”

How much money is in your wallet right now? Not a lot. Maybe like $10. What’s the last thing you purchased from the store? Me myself? No idea. Have you ever seen the movie Mean Girls? If so, did you think it was funny? Yeah, it's a nice movie. What do you usually get on your sub at Subway? Ham, American cheese, bacon, banana peppers, pickles, and Chipotle sauce. I think that's it. Is your bed made right now? Do you usually make your bed, or does someone make it for you? I'm in my bed. I always am. Have you ever had a crush of one of your friends’ brothers/sisters? No. Do you take naps often? I take one most days. Are you an only child? If not, do you get annoyed by your siblings a lot? No, and they don't annoy me, but then again, I live with none of them. What’s your favorite Disney movie? The Lion King. Does it take you a while to fall asleep? Ugh. Too long. Do you watch TV before you go to sleep? No. Do you listen to music every day? It's very rare I don't. If you could have ANYTHING in the world right now, what would it be? To be satisfied with where I am in life. Do you still watch Spongebob Squarepants? No. I don't not enjoy it, you know I just don't watch television. What kind of bottled water do you drink? Mom buys big jugs of some Great Value-esque or whatever brand. Do you collect stuff someone else would consider junk? If so, then what? No. What's the most your electricity bill has ever reached? Idk, I don't pay it. How much was your tax refund this year or did you pay? N/A How are the kids doing? I don't have any. Do you see a bright light at the end of your tunnel? Just being realistic, not deliberately depressing or anything, I don't know. I could have a very dull and unsuccessful life or a thriving and happy one. What's the most you’ve ever lost gambling? Don't gamble. Have you ever waited in line overnight for something? No. How many concerts have you attended? One. Do you think having an expensive phone is a good investment? To a certain high price, no. So long you can call and text easily and reliably, I don't find it necessary to buy a $500 or whatever phone. Any tattoos? How many do you need or want to cover up? I have six. I'm getting my "ohana" one covered at some point, and I'm going to have "perfectly flawed" tatted over as well; I just want to move it elsewhere, considering I want something else where it already is. How many funerals have you attended? One or two. Have you lost anyone your age to death? No one that I was especially close to, thankfully. Have you ever witnessed a birth in person? Not a human one, thank Christ. I've seen cats give birth many times, and maybe other animals, but I'm not sure. What gender do you identify with? Female. What’s your opinion on astrology? It's total, ridiculous bullshit. Are you more of a science or math person? I'm clueless in math, while science makes sense to me and is far more interesting. What religion/spirituality do you identify with, if any? Theism. I think something made the universe, but I don't pretend to know jackshit about him/her/them/it. What is your opinion on peanut butter & banana sandwiches? I like them every now and again. What is your favorite book that was turned into a movie? The Outsiders, probably. Do you like the movie or the book better? This was so long ago that I honestly don't remember either well... so I really dunno. If you identify as a girl, would you ever consider getting a pixie cut? Yeah. If you identify as a boy, would you ever consider growing your hair out? N/A Are you a metalhead? I guess I mostly fit the definition, but I don't like labeling myself as such considering honestly, the metalhead community tends to have such a "that's not heavy enough" attitude and ridicule anything less than their interests and treat those that like softer metal as outcasts and/or posers. Not even trying to stereotype; befriend or observe people in this category and you'll see what I mean. Do you even listen to metal? Hell yes. Do you watch porn? No. If you don’t, do you have a moral reasoning behind that decision? I just find it... very strange. I don't see the appeal of watching. That's just something I want between me and my partner, you know? Like if you watch it, good for you, so long your s/o (if applicable) is aware and fine with it, but it ain't for me. Do you know anybody who is a Wiccan or Pagan? Yesssss, she's cool as fuck. I need to reconnect with her more. Do/did you ever attend church regularly? I did as a kid. Do you have a godmother/godfather/both? I have no clue. Do you listen to Supertramp? I have no clue who that is. Do you watch Supernatural? Not anymore. I think I stopped at the end of Season 6. What’s your favorite character in your favorite TV show? That '70s Show, probably Hyde. I love and relate to Eric, though. Honestly I love every single character; they're very unique to each other and recognizable with strong personalities. Both Fullmetal Alchemist iterations, most likely Edward. Or possibly one of the Sins, but I don't remember them all well... Oh. I know I loved Envy, for one. Are you wearing any rings right now? Yeah, my Supernatural friendship ring w/ Sara. Calling each other "bitch"/"jerk" between Sam and Dean is a thing in the show, so I have one that says "bitch" on the interior, and Sara has "jerk." Bracelets? Yes, also the one Sara gave me. Necklaces? No. Anklets? No. Chokers/collars? No. Do you go to a firework show every 4th of July? No. Are you diabetic? No. I'm forever proud of that considering it runs heavily in my family, yet even at my worst weight, I didn't develop it. But more importantly, a recent blood test I had for my thyroid or something showed I don't have any indicators of even coming close/being at any risk at this point in time. Are you allergic to gluten? No. Are you lactose intolerant? No. What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries, yum. Your favorite vegetable? Broccoli. Do you live with your parents? I live with my mom. Have you written a formal essay lately? Not in years. How much experience do you have written down on your resume, approximately? I don't have a resume currently, but if I did, it'd only have two months as a sales associate as my other two jobs were so short-lived it'd be stupid to add, especially when you consider the obvious fact that would make me look awful. How long have you had the shirt you’re wearing? A year. What happened last time you got drunk? N/A When’s the last time you straightened your hair? I have zero clue. Do you bite your toe nails? Wtf no. Last time you laughed your head off? Idr. Do you find piercings attractive? Yeah. Did you accept or reject your last friend request? I rejected it. Had no clue who it was, even though we had quite a handful of mutuals. How many cigarettes have you smoked today? N/A Do you have a hard time admitting you’re wrong? It depends on what the subject of the matter is. Do you like potato chips? Is there a human that doesn't???? Do you give out second chances way too easily? Yes. Ever stayed up all night on the phone? Not all night, no. There was one night Jason and I were up a long time talking, but it wasn't all night. What are you excited for? SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you ever shoplifted? No. If you have shoplifted, are you afraid of getting in trouble? And are you afraid to go back in that store? N/A Have you ever gotten caught shoplifting? If yes, what happened? N/A Have you ever plotted revenge against someone? No. Are you mad at someone right now? Nah. Have you ever egged someone’s house? Fuck no, because I'm not a dick. If not, have you ever WANTED to egg someone’s house? No. Have you ever wanted to kill someone? I was fucking psychotic when I found out Jason was in a new relationship after we broke up. For a long time I wanted her dead. Are you glad you don’t own a gun, because of what you might do with it? Quite honestly, yes. I'm impulsive on bad days, and I don't entirely cross out the possibility of me shooting myself on an awful day. Do you avoid people when they’ve hurt you? Yes. Do you make the most of every opportunity? No. Are you honestly succeeding at life, or failing? Failing miserably at most things. What does your newest journal look like? I don't remember the last time I got a journal. Is there anything you currently want but can’t have? A lot of things. Do you have no one you can trust? No, thankfully. Do you like meatball subs? No, they're so messy. Are you severely sleep deprived? No. What music are you listening to? "LA Devotee" by P!ATD just came on. If you go to school (HS or college), does your school have a rival? N/A What’s your school’s mascot? N/A If you have a sib, do you call him/her “brother” or “sister” sometimes? No. Do you own a Wii? If not, do you want one? Yes. Are there any songs you could just listen to over and over and over? No. I get tired of a song after around 100 repeats. No, I'm not kidding. Before you could loop YT vids (or anyway, before I was aware), I used a website that repeated the video for you and kept track of the repeats. Do you have a favorite basketball team (NBA or college?) No. Have you been baptized in any religious tradition? Yes. If your best male friend got a mohawk, would he look good or ridiculous? Save Him. What did you have for breakfast? A PopTart. What kind of booze did you last take shots of? I've never taken a shot. Have you slept over at a member of the opposite sex’s house in their bed? Yeah, but we were dating. Who last slept in your bed besides you? Sara. If the last person you had sex with asked you to date them, would you? No. What color is your car? (Or the one you drive most often) White. How long have you been single? (Or dating your current interest) Sara and I have been together a year and ten months. Has someone of the opposite sex ever told you that you were sexy? Yeah. Do you own any books written by musicians? Yeah, Ozzy's autobiography. What is your most interesting invention? Probably some RP characters. Have you ever seen someone sleepwalk? Once. Have you ever thought about getting your tongue pierced? It is pierced. When you’re bored in class, what do you usually do? N/A yet. Do you like your phone? NO. Honestly, are things going the way you planned? Bitch hell no. Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts? The woman who adopted Kaiju. I miss him, damn. Have you ever snuggled with someone you weren’t dating? No. Do you know a James? I knew one years ago. If you had to choose to have a different accent than the one you have now, what accent would you choose and why? British. It sounds sophisticated and just generally attractive to me. Have you ever or do you currently live in a Gated Community? I don't and never have. Do you know how to use a DSLR camera? Yeah. Have you ever owned an Axolotl? No, but they cute. What has been the longest amount of time you’ve spent on a plane? I actually don't know. Probably just around two hours. How often do you use Snapchat? I don't have one/never had. Have you ever adopted an animal from an animal shelter? Yes. Where do you usually find surveys from? Tumblr, and if I'm desperate, LiveJournal. Have you ever missed a flight? Yep. The airport biz took WAY longer than any of us expected. What is your favorite film from your childhood? The Lion King. I think it's always been my fave, honestly, I just never really thought about JUST HOW MUCH I love the film and its story since I was a kid. Do you know anyone who is named after a state? Uhhh I know at least one Caroline, and that's close enough? Jason's mom's name is a state, too. What was the reason for your previous doctor’s visit? I was getting a full blood panel done to check my thyroid. Have you ever been to an outdoor cinema? No. Well, my elementary school and church used to do these "movies on the lawn" type things where they used a huge projector to play a movie outside around late evening, but I don't know if that counts. Have you ever had a “bad trip”? If yes, what happened? N/A How often do you use Instagram? I usually check it once a day or two to follow certain celebs' stories 'n shit. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? If so, do you still smoke? No. Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey? Jim. Do you enjoy learning about conspiracy theories? If so, what is your favorite? Y'all know I love me some conspiracies. My favorite - as in most interesting, not that I seriously believe in it - is the one that our current reality is just a simulation from a "future" civilization for study or just play purposes. It's interesting to think about with alarming evidence. Elon Musk 100% believing in it puts more "hey this might actually be worth considering" into it, but I think I lean more towards it being false. It's not something I think about much though as I have THE most Detroit: Become Human mindset about it ever, lmao. It just doesn't matter to me. Wow, what a ramble. Do you find hand tattoos attractive on your preferred sex? I find tattoos (usually) attractive in general, so like- What is your favorite Netflix original series? I have no clue what's Netflix-exclusive. I don't watch it. Have you ever owned a Tamagotchi? Yep, or at least something similar to it. My sister especially loved those little things. Do you have a favorite “survey blog” on Tumblr? If so, who? Dunno if tagging random people in surveys is annoying, so I'll break the link, but @/thedarkeststarsurveys seems super cool and nice. Would you rather be able to control fire or water? Probably fire for self-defense purposes, and I just like fire. Water seems... overall pretty useless to control, unless you can like, manifest it. Then you could solve a world of problems. Have you ever used your phone in class or at work without anyone knowing? Actually no. Have you ever been to Canada? No. What is your favorite condiment to put on fries? Ketchup. Do any famous people follow you on Twitter or Instagram? Definitely not to my knowledge, but I highly doubt it. Do you usually take the stairs or the elevator? Elevator. Even though I'm scared of them. Stairs and my horrible knees don't mix. What salads do you usually get on your Subway order? None. Have you ever made your own cocktails at home? Not myself. My old friend did. Have you seen all the Star Wars films? I watched the first three disinterestedly with Girt once, and neither of us liked them. I didn't get the appeal at all. Do you own any shirts with funny words or pictures on them? Yeah. Are your eyes the same color they were when you were a baby? They were more blue. Do you take the pickle off your burgers? No. Who do you share your bathroom with? Anyone else in the house. What color is your bed frame? Brown. Have you ever kissed someone you met that day? No. Do you share a bed with anyone? No. Well, excluding Roman and sometimes Teddy. Name all the people you know that you’ve seen today. My mom. When a car cuts you off, is the driver a jerk or is there an explanation? "Most of the time the driver is a jerk." <<< Yep. What are your thoughts on cosmetic surgery? You do you, boo. Has a man/woman ever broke your heart? If so, have you recovered? Yes, and yes as well as a PTSD victim can; your brain is literally changed after trauma, and considering I still have dreams/nightmares about him very regularly and he suddenly crosses my mind literally every single day despite never wanting to think about him, I don't think you could consider me totally recovered. Name a few things that make you really happy. Really happy? Being with Sara, Mark doing so much as blinking, long car rides with my music blaring way too loud, finding a new song and binging it for hours, a mount dropping in WoW goddamn y'all I have over 300, being complimented on my photography (or like... anything), my niece and/or nephew saying they love me or anything along those lines without being prompted (ex. when leaving, that kinda stuff), going to Olive Garden 'cuz breadsticks and spicy shrimp fritas lol, finishing a drawing and actually liking the result, getting Venus out and she acts like a cuddlebug the whole time, uh... other stuff that isn't coming to me. What’s your favorite type of sushi? Never tried it, don't want to. Have you ever read a book about a character in a psych ward? I don't think so. Have you ever been in a mental hospital as a patient? Too many times fuck but those days done fam. Do you take birth control pills? Currently for taming the pain and symptoms of my cycle, but it's hopefully changing to a longer, better solution soon to just totally eliminate it to remove its effects on my mood entirely for mental health tracking purposes. When’s the last time you got a new outfit? I don't buy full outfits. Do you have an imaginary best friend? (i.e., someone you wish was your best friend but currently isn’t) No. Do you like soy sauce? NO. Do you have a good doctor? I haven't had her long, but she's nice and seems knowledgeable. What’s your favorite store to browse around? Whew, Hot Topic my friends. Do you ever meditate on Scripture? No. Do you like poetry? Yeah. What’s the name of the most recent baby a friend had? Dawson. Do you have expensive tastes? Definitely not. What is your dream job? Meerkat biologist or paleontologist. What is your favorite music style currently? I've been digging power metal a lot lately. I like, live off of Powerwolf. I've been wanting to find more symphonic metal I enjoy, too... Are you wearing comfortable clothes right now? Yeah. Is there a bad habit you’re trying to break right now? Yeah, rather just keep it quiet. Is it easy to find a job in your preferred field in your home town? Fuck. No. When is the last time you went to a fun fair? ~August 2015. I remember it because it happened pretty shortly before the breakup. How about an amusement park? I have zero clue. Probably not since I went to Disney World as a child. Ladies: Would you ever consider proposing? If not, why not? If I'm with a woman, yes. I don't really have a proper reason why I wouldn't if I was with a man... I have NO problem with women proposing to men, I just think I'd personally feel weird. Oh, that makes sense; the fact of how I am with men - scared and doubtful - probably says a good deal. I'd want to see "oh wow he actually wants to be with me so much he's asking himself." Gentlemen: How would you feel, if you were proposed to? N/A Have you ever played the original Mass Effect trilogy? No. If so, which Shepard and who do you like romancing the best? N/A Let’s say there’s a person in need. They need money which they can’t make. Would you be more likely to help them out, if a celebrity asked you to? "Tbh right now I’m not really in a position to help anyone out financially. But hypothetically if I had the money to do so, some celebrity’s opinion wouldn’t matter." <<< This. When you go to a restaurant, do you have a go-to dish? Pretty much always. I don't tend to try new foods. Or do you always try out something new? ^ No. Would you rather live next to a kindergarten or an old folks’ home? Holy fuck, the latter. Living next to a school, esp. elementary, might even be a deal-breaker as far as buying a house goes. I'm not dealing with the noise and traffic. What was the last game that you played? I'm "playing" World of Warcraft currently, waiting for a stupid dinosaur to spawn to be denied a mount again. :^) What do you know about Finland? Nothing. Where was the postcard from that traveled the longest way to you? I don't think I've ever gotten a postcard. Have you ever made jewelry? Besides like those bead, "friendship," and plastic bracelets that were popular in the early 2000s, no. Which app do you use the most on your phone? Uhhhh I think Facebook? I don't use apps much. Did you learn to play an instrument as a kid? If so, which one? Recorders in elementary school and then flute in middle school-junior year in high school. What is the best part of your most ordinary day? Mark uploading cries. What’s your dad’s hair color? It's almost entirely gray now, but it's naturally black. Who was the last person you heard sing? Myself, I think. Surprisingly. Do you bite your lips a lot? My bottom one, occasionally. Have you ever dated someone with tattoos? For less than a day. Did you donate to Haiti? No. I've never had a source of stable income. Are your parents rich? BITCH- What’s your mom’s job? She's a pharmacy tech. Have you ever thrown up in public? Yes. In the middle of my 1st grade class lmaaaoooo. Have you ever failed gym in school? No. Are you scared of dogs? Nope. What reality show would you like to be in? None. What TV show makes you laugh? Most consistently, That '70s Show. Doesn't matter that I've seen I think every episode multiple times, I still laugh so easily at it. Family Feud gets me good too, if it's Steve Harvey hosting it. Have you ever heard of Joe Purdy? If so, do you like his music? Never heard of 'im. What is the saddest movie you’ve ever seen? Probably Johnny Got His Gun. Would you ever wear real fur? Fuck no. Who do you envy and why? Successful people. Because I'm the polar opposite. What color is the house you live in? Khaki. Which one of your friends is most likely to be famous one day? Why? Probablyyyy... Shannen. She is phenomenal at photography and already employed in NY with a fashion company for it. I am unbelievably envious of her, too, but also very happy. She deserves it. Do you have a favorite cousin? No. I rarely ever see my cousins, and if I do, it's usually just two. What is the worst present you have ever gotten? I've never gotten a "bad" gift. I appreciate the thought behind anything. Like I've gotten things entirely unrelated to me, but I still appreciate them. Who was it from? N/A Who is your favorite author? Don't have one. Do you shave your arms? No.

[twelvedreamsfortheredqueen]

Vampyr’s Vampires and Their Connections to Previous Vampiric Figures in History: An Analysis

When Outermode interviewed Stéphane Beauverger, narrative director, and Grégory Szucs, art director, of Dontnod, they both spoke of the sexual elements of the vampire as a creature itself, it’s history and mythological roots, and why that within Vampyr, the player is always damned to misfortune no matter their choices. Above all, however, they spoke about their vision for what kind of vampire that Vampyr was meant to represent:

“We wanted to go back to the roots of the vampire figure. The Victorian, tragic, romantic, and adult vampire. Who is very sexual. Who is a very erotic creature, always seducing his prey. I wanted to go back to this gothic vision of that particular character...The vampire is seductive. He knows what he was, who he was, and he’s always trying to remember his love. He’s a quite erotic and sentimental figure, a romantic figure actually.” 

I wanted to dig deeper into this aspect, of exactly what the developers were trying to accomplish with the vampires they presented to us within the game, and most importantly, what type of vampire Jonathan is as well as other characters in the game, and how we got to those kinds of vampires. This will be a pretty long essay, and will only be covering vampire works that I believe Dontnod may have taken some inspiration from (since Vampyr’s inspirations as a whole branch much farther than only vampiric literature), but I will do my best to split it into sections so you can skip around. I also don’t have any kind of formal training in writing essays, so I apologize if anything seems messy or hard to follow! Just send me a PM/ask if anything is off or strange to read. And of course, please message me if you feel there’s something inaccurate or want to share any thoughts! Feel free to respond and add to this essay as you wish!

Be wary of unmarked spoilers! Most of the sections in this essay will discuss Vampyr in length and will be chock-full with them, so do not read the essay if you don’t want the game spoiled or ruined for you (there will also be spoilers of other vampire works, but they will be marked)!

Tagging you, @cursedbethechoice as asked! And a big thank you for helping me with sources and editing!

Here are the sections to skip through with CTRL + F/Scroll to in order: 

I. The History of the Vampire: Background II. The Dichotomies of Vampyr’s Species: Ekon, Skal, Vulkod, Nimrod, Ichor (Ikor), and Disasters III. Credits, Extra Comments, and Sources

I. The History of the Vampire: Background

Before we start any discussion on how Vampyr connects to other vampire works, we first need to establish what a vampire was and most importantly, what it has become in our era and the era during Vampyr‘s  time, which was 1918, and just generally answer the questions: What is a vampire? What were they known as before present times? And what has remained throughout all the years of their interpretation? This section will mostly be re-iterating the history, and will have a little bit of analysis here and there, but it’ll mostly be to help give a general understanding of how the vampire came to be! (*Also note, that vampire works and history are INCREDIBLY long and require their own anthologies to truly go through them all, so I only picked and discussed notable ones, but many more works in vampire history have changed the way we view vampires!). The vampire that we know of is actually very modern compared to the whole history of vampires. Vampires in ancient times were not even referred to as vampires. Ancient vampires were always associated with some sort of ruin, unholy aspects, and said to be the work of Evil or the Devil itself. Vampires are stories of humans, and we as humans are made of blood, so something that rids of that life force, is something that invites death to our door. The majority of cultures in the world have some sort of vampiric variation of a mythological creature: shtriga in Albania, garkains in Australia, jiangshi in China, lamia in Libya.  Many figures or creatures that already existed became vampires in a variation of these myths or shifted into one, the same applied to religious figures. Lilith (or Lilītu)  is the most famous example in Abrahamic religions (Islam, Christianity, Judaism), seen as a dangerous woman and demon of the night for denying Adam subservience before Eve, and has existed since the Old Testament in the Bible, from Genesis 1:27, where it was stated that she was born from the same soil Adam was in. Away from Jerusalem, were the kumiho (gumiho) in Korea; wicked, nine-tailed fox spirits that could freely transform, often as beautiful women, in order to seduce men and eat their livers or their hearts.  In the interview I linked above, Beauverger mentions his own ancient vampiric creature, the Greek creature known as a “vrykolakas”  (or vorvolakas or vourdoulakas), which is an example of an ancient vampire creature that spanned to ancient Greece. It is a word derived from the Slavic word “vǎrkolak”, and was known ultimately known as a creature of blood. The Greeks believed that a person would become a vrykolakas if they lived in an unholy manner, were excommunicated from their communities, left buried in unconsecrated (unblessed) ground, or by eating the meat of a sheep that was harmed by a wolf or even a werewolf. This legend spanned from Ancient Greece to the Ottoman Greece periods, the earliest recorded being the Neolithic period at Cyrpus, or circa. 4500–3900/3800 BCE. Vampyr itself actually mentions these creatures within the game:

Full screenshot

Full screenshot

But throughout the eras between ancient times to our modern beliefs, what did these creatures look like, and what abilities did they develop that stuck with us today? Given how unholy they were and believed to be, many of them did not take the shapes of humans, and instead took the shape of monstrous, grotesque beasts. Many creatures could even be compared more to werewolves, and some took shapes that were incomparable altogether. The most modern example of this monstrous look before the evolution to the more humane, walking corpse that we know of, was the old German horror film Nosferatu in 1922, who looked like this. 

Chupacabras, or literally “goat-suckers”, are creatures famously known in parts of the Americas and were first have said to be seen in Puerto Rico, and expanded to Chile and Mexico. “Chupar” means “to suck”, “cabra” means goat, and this refers to how they would often attack and suck the blood of livestock. They’re described in a variety of ways, but all of them remain quite monstrous. 

Jeff Carter, Flickr, 2001.

Some interpretations are much more dog-like, and is one of the many examples of how vampiric creatures have been compared to werewolf or canine-like mythological creatures (many legends often considered the two synonymous, as werewolves were known to have a craving for flesh, and were also seen as damned or cursed).

“Chupacabra” by 000Fesbra000 on Deviantart.

The abilities denoted by these creatures, be they humane or monstrous in appearance, have remained rather consistent throughout folklore. The main key ability would of course, be the ability to consume blood or at least, have their main source of sustenance be from blood. The majority of their abilities came from some malicious and profane force, often victimizing the poor soul through means of brute force, seduction, or by haunting their own bodies. Vampires are creatures of physical and spiritual violation (in the act that they both violate the body by ripping it of its life force, and by spiritually “corrupting” the soul and shaping the victim to a vampire, in many legends). Many succubi and incubi, for instance, are synonymous with vampires due to their legendary notoriety for preying on those in slumber, and because sexuality in many religious was deemed impious outside of marriage. Many ancient cultures considered sleeping to be a moment where one’s dreams held a greater meaning to the Gods (Ancient Egyptians), or that it was reaching a state of pure consciousness (Hinduism). Thus, anything that disrupted such pureness and piety would be something that one could easily deem as demonic and evil. 

The Nightmare, 1781, Johann Heinrich Füssli 

Incubus, c. 1870 - 1879 

To further expand on how incubi and succubi were seen as bastardizations of religious faith, notice the pose the incubus takes in the second image. It is similar to the pose Jesus took during his crucifixion. There is also fire in his right hand and a dagger in his left. The right hand is often associated with salvation and fortune, yet it is being burnt, much like the infinite flames that occur in Hell. The left hand is the sinister hand due to it’s association with evil in the Classical Latin era because of translations; the word “sinister” during this era was synonymous with outright malignancy. It was seen as the hand touched by the Devil. Estries of Jewish mythology were specifically female vampires that were considered identical to succubi. The name is a derivation from the French word “strix” or lit. “night owl”; blessed with haunting beauty and a craving for blood, they were seen as mistresses of the night that fed on the living. Specific legends tell of succubi that would kill pregnant women or babes out of spite and envy, and some would seduce (or rape) men as they slept. Much like many other vampiric creatures, they could take the shape of various animals that are still symbolically associated with vampires—cats, bats, and birds. This seductive and beguiling quality of the vampire we know today came due to the nigh-synonymous association with sexually demonic creatures. The ability of mesmerization we see in modern vampires is also due to this association. From these monstrous depictions, however, as time moved forward along with science, the vampire transitioned into a much more humane form (while the succubi and incubi I mentioned above could take a humane shape, they were rarely depicted as such and were more commonly depicted as eerie beings that simply took the flesh of a human as their skeleton of sorts). This is where the most modern examples start beginning to take shape. European folklore (Western and Eastern) had an intense craze and mass hysteria in the 18th century due to the fear that the dead were now rising from their graves to haunt their loved ones and cause mischief. This craze fascinated and feared many, spreading all across Europe and causing the mass desecration of graves, stalking, and accusing very healthy people as vampiric in this hysteria. Why the hysteria at all? And why was the dead during this time associated with vampires in the first place? Without becoming too grisly in details, this was due to ignorance about the process of human decomposition. Our image of the modern vampire being pale with translucent veins, and lack of breath or heartbeat, is due to this old belief. Early folk beliefs around this time believed that the “swelling” that occurred during the process of death was proof that the corpse was indeed, undead, believing that the swelling was their stomach after feeding on the blood of the living. Remember the ancient vrykolakas that I mentioned? Their features, when not described as lupine, fit this obsession with corpses perfectly.

“They do not decay; instead, they swell and may even attain a "drum-like" form, being very large, they have a ruddy complexion, and are, according to one account, "fresh and gorged with new blood". People with red hair and gray eyes at this time in history were thought to be vampires according to accounts near the region of modern Serbia.“

Corpses that still did not decay were seen as vampires for appearing “healthier” than expected, and holes near the grave, for whatever reason, was seen as a sign of the vampire leaving their coffin and returning. Some even said the corpses had fresh blood on their faces (this is due to that gases that build up in the body, which causes blood to ooze from the mouth and the eyes, and other orifices), or that they felt that throughout the night if they lived near a graveyard with a vampire, that they were being pressed on in their sleep (another allusion to succubi and incubi), or that the work of a poltergeist occurred nearby in malicious ways (vampires were commonly also seen as disturbed spirits; to be technical, the creature did not have to be physical to be considered a vampire—it merely had to feed on blood and be seen as “evil” in some aspect). In reality, this was the result of decomposition either being slowed or naturally occurring at a different rate than expected due to either the condition of the soil or the temperature of the land. The pathology of this presumably unimaginable dilemma in pre-industrial society was explained perfectly through Paul Barber’s work in “Vampires, Burial, and Death”:

This causes the body to look "plump", "well-fed", and "ruddy"—changes that are all the more striking if the person was pale or thin in life. In the Arnold Paole case, an old woman's exhumed corpse was judged by her neighbours to look more plump and healthy than she had ever looked in life. The exuding blood gave the impression that the corpse had recently been engaging in vampiric activity... After death, the skin and gums lose fluids and contract, exposing the roots of the hair, nails, and teeth, even teeth that were concealed in the jaw. This can produce the illusion that the hair, nails, and teeth have grown. At a certain stage, the nails fall off and the skin peels away, as reported in the Blagojevich case—the dermis and nail beds emerging underneath were interpreted as "new skin" and "new nails"...

Even multiple diseases were presumed to be the work of vampires. There is even such a thing as “Clinical vampirism”, which is an obsession with drinking blood (poor Mr. Renfield)! Porphyria was linked with vampiric legends as modern as 1985. Rabies also shared a common connection, because vampires throughout this time period of European hysteria were seen to be weak to garlic and light. Rabies also caused an animal (or person) to have neurological disturbances in their brain that caused them to become hyper-sexual, nocturnal, feral, and most of all: bite others and froth at the mouth with blood; all common traits of a vampire. Bats and wolves also carried Rabies as a disease. Not to also mention real Vampire Bats do exist! Three species specifically exist, the Desmodus rotundus native to the Americas, Diphylla ecaudata native to South America, Central America, and Southern Mexico, and lastly, the Diaemus youngi native to Argentina and Trinidad. These kinds of occurrences truly show how superstition originates from the environment around us and that, in our ignorance, we seek ways to explain what was otherwise seen as fantastical and more importantly: impossible.  With impossibility, comes infatuation.

Now, instead of monsters written in books and told through word of mouth as bedtime stories to haunt us, we were starting to see vampires as something very real through this hysteria. Our own loved ones, reanimated to haunt us and cause mischief, corrupted by the Devil himself. The vampire of this era was now inevitably human, yet horrifically inhuman, but what was once human, is often left behind as something romanticised and mourned over. Romanticism in Europe spanned from the 1800s to the end of the 1850s, alongside it came the revival of the Gothic Era, architecture, and literature, a juxtaposition of movements that focused on what it means to be human, and what it means to face death. We see here the birth of the Penny Dreadful, serial tales of horror that costed you a penny, telling the stories of the supernatural, the underworld, and other thrillers. Here is where we finally get to the modern vampire that we know of and is seen in Vampyr. The modern, romantic, charming, and heartrendingly melancholic vampire of our age originated itself in the work of The Vampyre by John William Polidori in 1819, just 99 years before the events of Vampyr in 1918. Lord Ruthven makes his iconic appearance as one of the first vampires in English literature; a suave, charismatic, and seductive gentleman who is both amorist and deceiver. (THE FOLLOWING BLOCKQUOTE SPOILS THE ENTIRE PLOT OF THE STORY):

“In the story, a young Englishman Aubrey meets Lord Ruthven, a man of mysterious origins who has entered London society. Aubrey accompanies Ruthven to Rome, but leaves him after Ruthven seduces the daughter of a mutual acquaintance. Aubrey travels to Greece where he becomes attracted to Ianthe, an innkeeper's daughter. Ianthe tells Aubrey about the legends of the vampire. Ruthven arrives at the scene and shortly thereafter Ianthe is killed by a vampire. Aubrey does not connect Ruthven with the murder and rejoins him in his travels. The pair are attacked by bandits and Ruthven is mortally wounded. Before he dies, Ruthven makes Aubrey swear an oath that he will not mention his death or anything else he knows about Ruthven for a year and a day. Looking back, Aubrey realizes that everyone who Ruthven met ended up suffering. Aubrey returns to London and is amazed when Ruthven appears shortly thereafter, once again alive. Ruthven reminds Aubrey of his oath to keep his death a secret. Ruthven then begins to seduce Aubrey's sister while Aubrey, helpless to protect his sister, has a nervous breakdown. Ruthven and Aubrey's sister are engaged to marry on the day the oath ends. Aubrey writes a letter to his sister revealing Ruthven's history and dies. The letter does not arrive in time. Ruthven marries Aubrey's sister, kills her on their wedding night, and escapes.”

The short story became immensely popular, due to the clear connections to Lord Byron’s works and the work of a Byronic Hero, arguably the titular character of the Romantic age. Lord Ruthven came decades before Dracula, and was the character who transformed the once atrocious creature of the Devil to a suave man or woman of the night, whom stalks and dotes on his prey before consuming them to their ultimate demise. The vampire from thereon was now a creature of sole temptation, of a now very humane lust and representation of our sins. It held so much influence to the public’s perception of vampirism that the story itself has become a citation when discussing the development of vampiric folklore. It led to an even further vampiric craze all the way to just before the Edwardian Era (Georgian and Regency eras, from 1714 - 1837 and 1811 - 1820 respectively, to the most infamously known Victorian Era 1837 - 1901 of where vampire works were the most prominent, all the way up to the��Edwardian Era of 1901 - 1914. Vampyr takes place just at the end of the First World War Era of 1914 - 1918), with works such as the play Le Vampyre in 1820, the opera Der Vampyr  in 1828, Varney the Vampire: Feast of Blood from 1845 - 1847, and the ever famous Dracula in 1897.  Varney the Vampire may seem unknown and foreign compared to the legacy of Dracula, but the 876 page epic itself deserves mention. Many of the major tropes of the vampire we now see was even passed onto Dracula from Sir Francis Varney himself. The image of the vampire with fangs to leave the trademark punctured flesh wound on the neck, attacking a sleeping maiden through a window in the dead of night, hypnotizing others with a mere glance, and of course—bearing unnatural, inhumane strength and prowess. Most importantly, he defines the sympathetic vampire of the Romantic era and ours. One whom despises his condition yet cannot help but succumb and stay slave to it; it is virtually its own archetype and a definitive trait of the Romantic vampire. Several times through the series, Varney attempts suicide only to return in another kind of origin story, immortal and undying, suffering evermore. His vampirism, unlike works that succeed this one, was not granted to him, but rather it was cursed onto him. Only after betraying Oliver Cromwell, a royalist of the English military, and murdering his own son by accident in a fit of rage, the curse was then put upon him. 

This idea that vampirism is a “sin” and only placed upon those who lived an unholy life or committed a great crime is not new, but Varney brought this sympathy and sin to the modern age, and its legacy has remained with us since. The archetype of the sympathetic, self-deprecating vampire finally saw its natal day with Varney.  Of course, Dracula would forever change the face of vampires as we know it, expanding onto the Romanticised image that Lord Ruthven’s and Sir Francis Varney’s legacies left behind with the archetypal vampire of Count Dracula. A charming foreigner from Romania, Transylvania, seeking refuge in London, situated in a decaying castle near the Borgo Pass of the Carpathian Mountains. Unlike the typical depiction of Eastern European folklore of vampires which was that of decaying corpse or spirit that ravaged the lands (strigoi) Dracula was more like Ruthven, boding the proud, aristocratic charm so commonly shared with vampires in modern times. He is nostalgic with Jonathan Harker about his travels, seducing with his knowledge and kindness towards his guests whilst hiding his deep plots of terror beneath the castle walls, three brides, and unbeknownst to Jonathan, begins to haunt the women he holds dearest to him. All of these figures associated vampires with traditionalism, old spirits in youthful forms, and most of all, aristocracy and human gentry (Ekons). 

Dracula also began to make vampires a representation of the greatest sexual sin or forbidden desire of that era, and some saw vampires as downright sexual predators, given their relation to sexual demons (for Dracula, it was a hint to Invasion Literature, of Eastern European men coming to the West to ravage their pure, demure women. For Carmilla (1871), it became a representation for the sexual fear of lesbianism. However, it’s good to note that, overall, the majority of the works from the Victorian Era had a very looming theme regarding vampires and sexuality: that female sexuality above all was seen as forbidden and dangerous. To have them as victims and victims alone is the most purest form of representing them, which is why male vampires are much more popular). 

This archetype that Dracula shaped from both Varney and Ruthven is arguably the most well-known, and now the most shared around the world for our haunting, mysterious image of the vampire. Lord Ruthven birthed the ideal image of the Romantic vampire, Sir Francis Varney expanded upon it, with Count Dracula finalizing its full form, its influence still grasping us today.  For Vampyr, 1897 is not a far cry from 1918, being a mere 21 years after publication; the first edition covers were still being sold during this time period. A copy of the book can actually be seen outside of a bench at Pembroke. Ashbury’s manor also contains an original, signed copy with the same cover.

Full screenshot

Full screenshot

There is one last thing worth noting about vampires, and I believe this aspect is one of the most prevalent in Vampyr, that being, the psychological and psychiatric aspects of a vampire. Vampires are naturally creatures of death, or rather, undeath, and the hysteria that came before and during the Romantic era was very reflective of the psychology of the people at the time concerning this so-called “horror”. That, in some way, the concept of a vampire was a way of seeing a loved one once again with the mourning projecting their loss onto the dead believing that they, too, did not want to die at any cost. This is where the correlation of how a vampire is often seen as a curse or a deal with the Devil; immortality at the price of another life, or immortality at the price of being seen as something accursed for your unworthy and unnatural life, comes to play. This ideal, that the dead do or did not wish to be dead, is where the idea of how vampires come to haunt their loved ones stems from. 

Some even speculate a sexual connotation with this aspect of death, or a “morbid dread” of sorts—desire replaces fear; sadism replaces love; loved people and objects are replaced with strange entities to escape the dread. Some hold a much more simple idea; that the idea of being with a loved one who can never die, allows them to escape their inevitable thanatophobia (fear of death), hoping that their loved ones may turn them to be the same (a scenario which is exactly described by Lady Ashbury, who deems it to be extremely painful to consider). 

The dichotomy of being haunted, cursed, and ultimately damned for all your eternal life, entwined with the Romantic, Gothic ideal of living on forever with those whom you love, to live one’s eternal life with the possibility of eternal solitude and happiness, is the concept which has us all entranced by the horror and love of the modern vampire: To live eternally, you must take the lives of those mortal for eternity. The modern vampire has become the ultimate, Romantic idea of selfishness that we cannot help but become enthralled with, for we feel pity, envy, and love for the vampire.

II. The Dichotomies of Vampyr’s Species: Ekon, Skal, Vulkod, Nimrod, Ichor (Ikor), and Disasters

The species presented in Vampyr are all rather archetypal, but still have their own intricacies when looking at them individually verses looking at them all as just a collective of vampires. So I’m going to try and match them to a specific kind of vampire, overall analyze their influences, themes, and how they are presented within the game!

1. Ekon

The Ekon are the most easy to distinguish, given the characters that represent them and what kind of abilities they have. With their ability to manipulate shadows, hemomancy (blood magic), mesmerization, and perform overall supernatural feats combined with the ability to sense things no mortal can sense and yet, to be able to appear as mortal as ever. The Ekon are, without a doubt, a representation of the Gothic, Romantic vampire, or what we by now consider as the “traditional vampire”. This is easily shown with the characters that inhabit this kind of vampire, both sympathetic and unsympathetic. 

Jonathan struggles with his vampirism throughout the entirety of the game and suffers several moral dilemmas with himself. Even when you play him as evil, one cannot help but feel sympathy for him, as it can easily be seen as him being unable to cope with what he has now become. A good playthrough plays the sympathetic vampire archetype straight, with how he despises his condition and does his best to not succumb to its temptations. He also seeks to heal the people he is meant to feast upon. 

Lady Ashbury is a mentor figure within the game, wise and old in spirit but not in charm or appearance, abstaining from feeding on the living and only gives herself a chance to feed to grant the dying their merciful deaths. Her curse through the Blood of Hate, implanted into her through William Marshal, makes her realize that she is the walking epitome of death and despises herself further, feeling that true death from there is the only key to salvation.

Lower on the moral compass, we get the Ascalon Club, with Lord Redgrave acting as leader of of it in his haughty, blue-blooded manner. Believing himself to be above the “lesser” vampiric races stating Ekon supremacy, (though, he interestingly detests the idea of “purebloods”) intensely stubborn and Gothic, as well as holding onto his antediluvian values. He represents the archetype of the “vampire lord”, and most of all, an eternal struggle between vampires and the world around them, that being—the world around them changes, but the vampire often can never change, let alone escape their origins. Aloyisus also represents this with his bitterness and hatred towards those who are not like him (the wealthy gentry, and most likely later on, mortals). 

Edgar Swansea is arguably one of the most morally ambiguous, as he fully embraces his condition, much like Redgrave does, but for very different reasons. To me, he appears to be a “mad scientist” archetype mixed with an all-too-eager vampire. 

McCullum is an even more ambiguous character. He mentions how he can possibly be the greatest vampire hunter there ever was with his newfound power, but there also appears to be doubt and guilt within him, despite knowing that his vampirism was forced upon him by Jonathan (once more, a circumstantial victim of “sin”). He was also begging for death just before his Turning. Because of this, interpretations can either lead to him becoming Nimrod OR Ekon.

Mary takes a completely darker turn morally, being a representation of how low one can go; a remorseless killer who sees no point any longer in attempting to remain human. Yet, she seeks the most human thing of all—death. Morrigan bearing another scorned woman’s flesh, scarred by grief and now a corrupt soul of what was once an embodiment of empathy and compassion. Mary represents how, for some, the monstrous nature of the vampire cannot come to terms with the kind heart of a human. She represents how quickly this immortal gift turns to a curse.

It appears that Jonathan himself is considered to be of a power lineage because he can efficiently use Blood and Shadow abilities; the Rogue Ekons you begin to see in West End are either solely Blood focused or solely Shadow focused. Blood Ekons are also unable to see you in Shadow Veil, unlike Skals or other mobs that can with their indicating white eyes. This correlates with Jonathan once again, being a chosen figure, even if it comes at the cost of tragedy. 

To inspect deeper, the word “Ekon” has it’s origins in the Greek word, “εἰκών”, and is defined as:

 “An object shaped to resemble the form or appearance of something; likeness, portrait; that which has the same form as something else; that which represents something else in terms of basic forms and features.”

The word itself comes from the word “εικόνα”, or “eikóna”, which means a picture, image, illustration, or some form of portrait. Further back in the etymology leads you to the word “εἰκών”, or “eikṓn”. It also has a second definition, which refers to a religious icon or a religious painting, with synonyms such as:

αγιογραφία (agiografía, “religious painting”) εικόνισμα (eikónisma, “religious icon”) ίνδαλμα (índalma, “cultural icon”)

In English, we have an eerily similar word known as “Eikon”, which is most known specifically for a religious being or figure that is idolized, or at the very least, stands as a representation of something sacred or holy. From all of this, I believe that the was chosen to specifically represent how Ekon walk freely with mortals. As Lord Redgrave himself stated; the Ekon are the only race he knows that is able to blend in and take not only take the shape of a human, but to also mimic the presence of one. @cursedbethechoice summed this idea up nicely:

“In Vampyr’s world, Ekons are simulacra of humans. They look like, talk like, walk like, sound like humans but are are not actually humans themselves.”

Beauverger wanted to go back to the more Gothic roots of the vampire, as well as the seductive, romantic, and particularly erotic charm that the vampire has from the Romantic era. The Gothic roots Vampyr took with it’s presentation (among many other aspects across all the vampires) have to do with the biting itself. In the present day, the most popular type of vampire works involve being able to feed partially from the victim while still keeping them alive. Vampyr most certainly does not have that. The concept itself is actually much younger than Dracula (anything bitten by the Count was instantly turned or became very ill), and the presentation Vampyr gives when it comes to how vampire bites someone, it is to the death, it is actually much more accurate to Gothic vampire works. However, this applies to all species in the game. 

What I want to discuss are the “erotic” aspects presented through Ekons, which both the Ascalon Club and Jonathan himself have perfect examples of to talk about.  In the E3 2017 trailer for Vampyr, there is a scene where a woman (who uses Venus’ NPC model, for... some reason) is being fed upon by Redgrave, surrounded by the other members of the Ascalon Club, all of which are male. 

This image, of a delicate, pure woman being fed on by a male vampire (or multiple, in this case) is an erotic staple of the vampire, seen in multiple works all across vampire media and has existed since even the ancient interpretations of the vampire. For the Ascalon Club specifically, Redgrave states that victims are brought in only for “special occasions”, which could mean many things and could be theorized in quite the variety of ways (either incredibly explicit, or just truly sharing a meal. Another essay topic, maybe?).

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Naturally, since vampires are seen as sexual predators and women are meant to be seen as a virginal, demure maidens, there was nothing more perverse in the Victorian Era than the perversion of the Victorian woman. Even in Carmilla, which is the origin work of the lesbian vampire, she, too, was feeding on a woman that was seen as chaste and unsullied, which was seen as the greater sin than the lesbianism itself. This image also usually invoked the “Death and the Maiden” trope, an erotic trope involving a figure representative of death, often cradling an innocent, youthful woman. Some examples of this would be:

(SOME OF THE FOLLOWING IMAGES ARE NSFW)

“Interview with the Vampire" (1994 film, 1976 book), Anne Rice

“Dracula”, 2010, Anne Yvonne Gilbert

The next example of Vampyr’s Ekons invoking this trope, and being representative of the erotic and seductive outlook Dontnod wanted to share, has to do with a detail I noticed in Jonathan’s worst/most evil ending and in the second worst ending. Specifically, how in the both bad endings you can get, all of his victims shown in the cutscenes are women. Let’s start with the monstrous/most evil one. 

These endings alone deserve their own in-depth essays as to why the only victims we are shown are women. It could have to do with him losing Elisabeth and filling to the void, it could be preference, something much darker, or something else entirely. I believe that this choice to make all of his victims thereon to be women (or at least, appear to be women), is to directly go back to not only the seductive qualities of the vampire, but also to present another theme Beauverger wished to share—the quality of a vampire that seeks to remember what he loves. An image that reeks of decadence and hatred, but also telling of a hollowness that is unyielding and undying as the creature that holds it. Vampires are victim to the world around them changing, for they themselves lie in still, never-changing bodies. Jonathan in this moment, no matter what, is succumbing to his thirst because of his loss. The ending makes you believe there is the slightest bit of chance to the player’s heinous actions, only to tear it away from both you and Jonathan. The woman he loved denied his attempts to accept his own monstrosity, and in retaliation, he shall deny himself love and only seek pleasure, yet forever continue to remember that lost love (alongside that; the first shot of him that we are shown shows him in Paris, the country of love. Hmm...).

This image, of remembering what one has loved and lost, is also present in the second worst ending you can get. Redemption is even more tantalizing in the beginning, but instead of accepting Elisabeth’s choice to put herself to the pyre (in a rather haunting, almost emotionless way), Jonathan is mad with remorse and instead begs for Elisabeth to reconsider. She casts him aside, yet states that she forgives him in the end. We are left with this image:

Rather than this:

This ending is for the most morally ambiguous Reid played throughout the game; it involves him burning the castle down much like the first ending, yet here, a tear is shed a tear for what is lost. He loses Elisabeth in agony and grief, but does not retaliate with hedonism or rage like the most monstrous interpretation of him—he instead retaliates by condemning himself to eternal solitude, feasting still, but instead of filling him with pleasure, it fills him with an even greater void. 

This ending actually feels much more sympathetic to me, as well as much more bittersweet. Notice how he took a painting of Ashbury for himself before burning the castle to nothing. The same sihiloute seen in the worst bad ending is also shown here, which leads me to further believe that no matter which bad ending you get—it is ultimately about the loss of love and condemnation to eternal isolation. Dontnod truly shows us in these endings, what it is like to be an immortal creature with mortal emotions. Eternal suffering piled on by the cost of consuming mortal life that share the same emotions as thee.  Jonathan himself, however, only represents one kind of vampire that I have described, that being the sympathetic, self-deprecating one. A inhumane creature wearing humane flesh. Ekons, according to Dontnod, are considered to be the most “fertile” of vampires, fertile in both emotion and in the physical. The primary target for considering the human condition. They also claim benevolence in vampires, are an “exception”. How true that claim is, depends on how one views it.

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“In Vampyr, Ekons are the most fertile of the blood drinkers, closest to the traditional Vampire figure. Unlike most vampires, Ekons are still able to feel human emotion. Some of them even appear to show benevolence to humanity… but they are the exception...”

What of the others I mentioned above? How do they represent the image that Dontnod wished to show us with the presentation of the Ekon?

Given how Ashbury is Jonathan’s love interest, I feel as if she and him are of the same ilk (putting aside all the complaints of how forced their romance is, anyway). They only become polar opposites if Jonathan takes the completely evil route through the means of the player, where he is much like Mary instead. In that, his own kind soul becomes corrupted because he can no longer cope with the fantastical, yet monstrous being he has become and gives in to his more primal desires as an Ekon. Ashbury is one thing that Jonathan is not, however, and that would be the mentor figure and a message about gender and symbolism within vampire history.

We learn either in the middle or the end of the game that Ashbury was born in 1551; the specific details being these:

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Full screenshot

For some context, only very recently have minority groups gained equal social power and standing compared to previous generations in the vast scope of history involving such events. Even in Vampyr’s 1918, women were still fighting for their right to keep their suffrage amongst a variety of other class issues that still plagued Europe and other developed nations. Ashbury, by design, almost appears to outright ignore these things for this era, presumably due to her vast experience throughout each generation and watching women slowly progress. Yet, she’s still self-aware to realize from all this experience that Lord Redgrave’s ideals are backwards and as she says, antediluvian. 

The role of women in the Victorian Era, even under the role of a Queen at the time, was still incredibly kept to the cult of domesticity even, arguably more so than ever as Europe approached it’s industrial, modern age. Anti-sexual ideals ran rampant at the time. The concept of chastity, purity, and the myth of the Victorian woman being the demure “Angel of the House” and nothing more, had made such an impact in such a short amount of time that parts of its influence have lasted well into the First World War Era. Remember, a female vampire is already seen as a corrupt version of a woman, and thus, no longer the perfectly pure Victorian ideal, because vampires are corruptions of sexuality, something that the Victorian era was very keen on scrutinizing to the fullest extent (even if none would dare to admit it).  Here is where Ashbury presents us with another kind of vampire as well, one that is not only a branch into history (akin to Dracula who woo’d guests with tales of bygone ages), but she is also something else; an ironic form of progress for a creature that never grows itself, which is what makes her the perfect mentor figure for Jonathan. She has learned something that Redgrave and other vampires like him have not; she has learned how to change. Something very distinct for the Romantic vampire, where one of the main attractions to such a character, is their haunting love and connection with their past, and due to it, never change. A walking relic in the flesh. We see it when she actively mocks such propositions even when showing her affections for Jonathan:

Sexuality as a concept for vampires has and will forever exist, from the idea of gender roles throughout the eras (as we see with Ashbury and to an extent, Redgrave with his sexist views), as well as various implications, but those deserve it’s own analysis and history section. However, staying on the topic of gender, we veer to another female figure that is much different than the rather pure Ashbury—the tragic figure that is Mary.  Mary is many things. Other than a possible allusion to Bloody Mary, she is, without a doubt, a figure of tragedy, and yet, resembles her older brother very much. After the loss of her son and husband, she seeks Jonathan in a mass grave hoping that he, too, has no succumbed to the insurmountable loss she has been facing, only to face loss herself. We see her full of hatred, anger, and above all, a fatal sadness. She attempts to murder her own brother for what he did to her, even while knowing he was remorseful and attempted to his own life. She releases their mother if Jonathan is played as a moral soul, or slaughters her before Jonathan if she feels that he is now as irredeemable as she.  She represents what Jonathan’s evil end represents and is much like a twin in this way. A compassionate soul twisted into a nightmarish version of what she once was because she cannot believe what sort of monstrosity she has become. Even after Mary goes mad, there is a moment of clarity. A moment of peace, where she contemplates her immortality.

“Don’t you see? This is not me. Flesh that never ages... All nightmare, no dream. Bring it to a close. Let me sleep.”

In that moment, we once again face the very mortal crisis of a vampire. The crisis of living only by killing another. Denied refugee to God’s holy palace. Faced with death all around you, whilst becoming death yourself. A symbolism for insanity, perhaps. That those who are mad now see a very real aspect of the world that Jonathan himself cannot describe nor see. It is quite Lovecraftian—madness through witnessing the reality, be it of one’s world or condition. Vampirism has always been linked with illness, so it would not be unwise to consider the idea that Vampyr is using a very Lovecraftian about it—that madness beseeches enlightenment.

Mary herself is most likely afflicted by the Blood of Hate that once afflicted Ashbury, and simply has succumbed to her immortal vs. mortal crisis—she cannot bare to understand how one could live as a metaphor of death whilst attempting to still remain a symbol of love, hope, and kindness which is why she finds Jonathan’s words useless no matter how he is played. They are no longer humane, they are the inhumane and thus, the evils of the Earth. This is why she only forgives him when he kills her, because she sees only a fragment of kindness from Jonathan when he commits murder because it is now, in her eyes, their true nature. Ekons are merely simulacra of humans, so can one still consider them human at all?

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The vampire is nothing but a symbol of death, no matter how humane their understanding and flesh, and Dontnod tells us well that through the character of Mary, and with the fact that we are able to play Jonathan as a complete monster. Even a moral Jonathan still struggles between his urge to kill, and his duty to heal. Ekons are Romantic, aristocratic, and above all, symbolism for how one’s morality can shift as quickly as their mortality does. 

They must, above all, decide as to how they shall live their immortal lives—decide as to whether they shall become savior, or stalker. 

2. Skal

Skals are curious creatures to place, given how much they vary with behaviour and the capacity to communicate. We have the mobs that are akin to mindless ghouls and mobs, but then there are places like the Skal sewer hideout where we get creatures that, while deformed, are able to communicate and understand who they are. Curiously, too; unlike the Ekon, they are said to feast on vampire blood much more than human blood. According to Ashbury, they are the deformed versions of their makers, the result of carelessness. With the ability to also produce claws, canines, manipulate the shadows, and their own unique ability of producing acidic clouds and blood, they are undoubtedly representatives to how vampirism throughout all mythology had been seen as an illness or pure corruption. However, Ashbury states they are lesser beings, from their abilities to controlling their hunger, so they are not as powerful as Ekons. A calling to the more monstrous interpretations of the vampire before it took the flesh of an alluring, humane visage. Various characters and types represent this dynamic about them, as well as... interesting in-game issues as to their creation.

The most obvious examples are the Rouge Skals and other variations of the mob we hunt and maim endlessly throughout the night. They seem to be lacking any resemblance of their former selves, with the only connection to Ekons being that they have similar abilities. They are mindless ghouls that spread the Skal Epidemic.

Old Bridget is an example of a Skal that is not only somewhat more human in appearance, but has retained her personality and has not succumbed to becoming a mindless ghoul. She was created by an Ekon, curiously, that being Redgrave, but it is unclear as to how. Ashbury states that it is because Redgrave comes from a bloodline that can only produce Skals, but how can this be, then, if Redgrave himself is an Ekon? It was not implied that it was done as an accident since we are told that he intended to have Old Bridget as his immortal wife; that would have fit the theory Ashbury states that Skals are simply the result of careless Turnings (and really, should have instead happened to Mary, in that case). Does the bloodline dilute and produce decayed vampires that are Skals? But Old Bridget is not mindless nor rouge; is she something in between? An Ekon gone wrong, perhaps? 

Sean inevitably goes mad if you leave him be and do not decide to Turn him, which implies that Skals, depending on what they are turned by, do decay mentally. Which may also indicate that a lot of the rouge Skals both outside and in the Sewers Skal sanctuary, all share the same fate because of the Skal Epidemic. There seems to be a sort of “advancement” in the vampire species within the game, however. A Skal can become an Ekon with their blood, but can an Ekon decay to a Skal? He interestingly, also vowed to following the Lord’s way, but we see with Jonathan that one can be attacked by their faith. Yet, Sean easily opens a shrine filled with religious figures which has little effect on him. Are Skals immune to the faith, or is it simply an exception to him?  

Elza Mullaney and the McPhersons are both mini-bosses, but are quite decayed and are considered to be part of the spread of the Skal contagion in the West End. However, the amount of mutation we see still doesn’t detract from the fact they can still talk, and are actually aware of their condition despite becoming completely fueled by rage. They also suggest that Ikors are a mutation of Skals (see more below), alongside all the Ill-Formed Skal mobs you begin to see starting with the West End. 

We can tell that Dontnod clearly wanted them to be the game’s version of a ghoul through the concept art (which also portrayed them as very eldritch), which is an that is not foreign to modern vampire works. A human corrupted through vampire blood is also not new to vampire history at all, given their older depictions representing them as monsters and symbols of disease. Remember my comparison to Rabies? Skals are a good application of such a comparison, with their rabid, mindless flailing, as well their primal thirst for blood and flesh above all else. Even Jonathan himself in his 2015 concept art has a suspiciously Skal-like look. 

Florent Auguy

Some examples of Skals in their earlier works, still appearing very similar as they do in-game:

Adrian Meriabault

We are told that the word Skal means “slave” by various characters and notes, but the etymology of the word goes quite a lot deeper than that. Here is what the game tells us of them:

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The word “slave” has etymology in the Old French word “esclave”, which comes from the Medieval and Late Latin variations of “sclāvus”, Medieval Latin standing for “slave” while Late Latin having the word standing for “Slav” (often due to Slavs being forced into slavery throughout the Middle Ages). While slaves have the first, and most known definition, that being: 

a. (n.1 and adj.): One who is property of, and entirely subject to, another person, whether by capture, purchase, or birth; a servant completely divested of freedom and personal rights. 

This is fitting for the position of the Skal in Vampyr, mentioned above with how they are kept as literal servants and overall, akin to slaves in reality, are seen as lesser by both humans and vampires. However, another interesting definition can be put to a slave, a much more symbolic one of desire, which fits all vampires:

adj. One who has lost the power of resistance; one who surrenders to something.

Beyond the connections to their bloodlust as well as social positions, comes their physical forms. Skals are connected to disease as they are representatives of ghouls, which are often seen in folklore as hulks of decaying flesh that still somehow walk the Earth. Skal, as a word, is incredibly similar to the word “scall”, which is a word to describe a disease of the skin, and “skal“ is actually a variation of this word. Alongside versions such as “scalle”, “skalle”, “skall”, and “scal,” this word (presumably) rooted in Old Norse etymology has much to share about the very visual deformities of the Skal in Vampyr.

adj. A scaly or scabby disease of the skin, esp. of the scalp. dry scall: psoriasis. humid or moist scall: eczema.

This is a clear reference to how they often lose hair on their scalp, as well as the various skin blemishes that plague their skin and are unable to be hidden. An extreme form of eczema, in a way. They are the centerpiece of the epidemic, a plague to be rid of, which all connects to how they are perceived by both humans (the Guard of Priwen in the West End hunt them furiously; leading Skal mobs to them also causes their A.I to attack them over Jonathan; they can also hurt one another), but Dontnod, with the inclusion of characters such as Old Bridget and Sean and all the conscious figures within the sanctuary, clearly wish to tell us that not all who seem monstrous are monstrous, while those who often appear the most human are often more likely to be the most evil, due to how fate likes to play its ironic game. 

Speaking of evil, the origins and etymology of the word “ghoul” also bring up an interesting connections. Ghouls themselves actually originated from Arabic folklore, and became very popular once Arabian Nights, or, One Thousands and One Nights (أَلْف لَيْلَة وَلَيْلَة‎) was translated for the rest of the world to experience. Stemming from the words “غُول - “ghūl”, which comes from from غَالَ - “ghāla”, which means “to seize”, as a reference as to how they take the shape of human bodies. Persian folklore also has a reference to ghouls, named “غول”. A good, historical definition of a Ghoul would be this.

n. or adj. late 18th century: from Arabic ġūl, ‘a desert demon believed to rob graves and devour corpses.’

Skals are said to only feed from the dead, while Ekons must feed from the living; even Nimrods only feed from live vampires. The robbing graves part, however, could be a connection to many things. Ghoul is sometimes seem as a way to mock someone with an intense interest in corpses, mortality, and death. Graverobbers and gravediggers were said to be such. It would also not be too out of the ordinary to imagine that Skals dig through graves in a cemetery to feast on the recent, and decaying, dead. We see an example of this in the game’s art after Mary’s death in a cutscene. 

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One connection to Ekons, strangely enough, is the aspect of disease, but in a venereal (sexual) sense. Given how vampires were not only seen as corrupt vessels that plagued the Earth, but also as the darker half of human sexuality, it isn’t too far too imagine that the very physical skin lesions on Skals are symbolic to venereal diseases. A stretch, perhaps, but the hand lesions shown in the concept art above are very similar to many types of rashes one can get from those types of diseases (given how a lot of images on these things are essentially for shock value, I won’t put up any in this essay out of respect, but if you are curious, here is a link to the Healthline Newsletter showcasing some). They are also unflinchingly similar to the famous 1346 to 1353 Black Death/Bubonic Plague that consumed 1/3rd of the world’s population, crippled Eurasia for the following centuries regarding health, and has continued to stand as the most famous, widespread epidemic up until the Spanish Flu.

With the presence of Skals like Old Bridget, Sean, and the lucid ones we see in the Sewers, it feel as if Skals themselves lie on a scale. Given their canon, humanoid-esque appear, the only inhumane aspect is their decay, but that too varies almost on their lucidity. Sean still looks like Sean, but is beginning to experience a slight necrosis on his face. Old Bridget also has necrosis and has lost her hair, but she looks very humane otherwise. Redgrave is an Ekon that can only produce Skals, Skals that behave more like unfinished Ekons, than Skals. Skals can also become Ekons with enough Ekon blood, “finishing” the process, so to speak. We know that something like this is true due to Dontnod’s cards about Skals and Ashbury’s descriptions of them, of how they are victims by surprise, or that they are somehow “failed” attempts at completing the process into an Ekon (Redgrave also remarks that many willing Turns lead to death because the human body could not survive the process).

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As Usher Talltree states, however, Skals, no matter how humane they are or could be, stand as the lesser, decayed half of the very much undead species of vampire. 

3. Vulkod

Now here is where things get rather dark... on information, that is. We do not know much about the Vulkod other than the accounts of research done by Carl Eldritch and the statements from Lord Redgrave. At this point, we can generally conclude that all vampires appear to share the ability of manipulating blood, having canines, shadow magic, and other dark forces at their disposal. Unlike the Skal, however, they do not appear to be capable of making acidic substances. They do, however, have the ability to appear as large, canine beasts, as well as harbour immense physical strength. They are primal and territorial (much like a wolf), and also unlike the Skal, they still seem to be relatively conscious and capable of speech and intelligence. 

Fergal is the most obvious example, as well as the Sewer Beast. Similar examples are also the Rouge Vulkods you find roaming around in the West End alongside with various other rogue vampire species beyond the Skal.

Large Beasts are most likely the reason why Redgrave states that humans often confuse them for werewolves. However, in the game, we never see a large beast capable of speech or intelligence. Given how Vulkod seem to also be a kind of “decayed” version of vampires alongside the vampiric/bloodline ladder, perhaps this is the most irredeemable version or the most primal version of Vulkod? Newton takes the (blond) shape of one in the sewers, and I believe Oswald does as well, and neither of them seem capable of speaking, but...

If Thelma is murdered, Thomas goes missing and takes the shape of a Large Beast too, yet he also speaks to you during the encounter with him. This could simply be mere consequence of the ludo-narrative nature of Vampyr (in that, the game mechanics often don’t line up with established narrative ones; I blame this on the game’s budget), or perhaps something else entirely about how vampires work, depending on how they are Turned?

Here are the notes Lord Redgrave writes on Vulkod.

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This “exotic”, yet bestial nature of the Vulkod is further emphasized in Carl Eldritch’s notes.

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So what can be garnered from these creatures? They are clearly meant to be an allusion as to how commonly vampires were compared to werewolves due to their similar thirst for blood and flesh. They are arguably described as the most primitive of all the vampire species in the game, but I would argue that such a title would better suit a Skal or Ikor. Their personalities appear to take quite a shift into primal rage, fury, and an increase an aggression. However, they do not appear to be completely red-eyed with rage and are still capable of enough intelligence to utilize their other vampiric abilities, be they in hulking human shape or in their more wolfish, beast shapes. Vulkod as a word, though... appears to be the most fictional, as I cannot personally find any connections to the word. Perhaps due to a misunderstanding of what they were known and confused for? Talltree makes note of such a common mistake, as does Redgrave. What they are confused for, a “Werewolf”, that is, is indeed something we can analyze and begin connections with. 

The etymology of “werewolf” comes from the Old English word “werewulf” (think the Old English tale of Beowulf), with “wer” standing for “man” and “wulf” standing for “wolf”, hence, “man-wolf” or “wolf-man”. The Ancient Greeks had a word for them too: “λυκάνθρωπος lukánthrōpos, or, "wolf-person", as did many other languages (The old, West German Franks had “wariwulf”. Norse figures had multiple words and analogies for wolves and “wolf-men”, but the most popular would be “varúlfur”. Also; like vampires, they, to, have a clinical condition named after lycanthropy). Associated heavily with witchcraft, the Medieval Era, curses, death, cannibalism, Therianthropy (shape-shifting humans in folklore), and symbolism for another primordial sin of the human condition (vampires being primal Lust, werewolves being primal Wrath), the werewolf was very popular throughout the 13th - 17th centuries, but subsided just before the vampire boom of the 18th century (most likely due to the rise of Victorianism, and I suppose necrophilia was more alluring than bestiality). What do all these have to do with Vulkod?  Quite a bit of connections can be made. The most obvious would be their highly aggressive, territorial nature that they develop upon turning. Another obvious connection would be their appearance, their dark, pitch-black skin resembling more the tone of fur given the rest of their physiques, and the Large Beasts are essentially just bi-pedal wolves, the exact definition of what a werewolf looks like in folklore. 

Gabriel Lemaire

Adrian Meribault

The Werewolf or the Cannibal, Lucas Cranach der Ältere, 1512

Lyacon Changed into a Wolf, Hendrick Goltzius, 1589

Werewolves, once bitten, have the exact same personality change—as symbols for primordial wrath and a deep, humane rage, it could be said that Vulkod are turned through their own kind of Blood of Hate. Being wronged and dying in anger at some point in their life leads them to becoming a beast, rather than a decayed version of what they are, since Skals are a symbolism of disease, which takes victims unknowingly. Anger is something that is very noticed, and perhaps may BE the only thing they can feel or process anymore.

The Facebook reveals of each species by Dontnod, reveal that the Vulkod can no longer feel emotion. This implies that their primal, irritable nature stems from the fact that they can only feel the most baseless of emotions. Husks of what they are emotionally, but certainly not physically.

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Yet, this still begs the question of what decides the fate of those who are Turned. Is your vampire species forced through bloodline, or is there a more symbolic, emotional bond that occurs in the blood? Vulkod appear to be part of the epidemic, given how we have NPCs that are able to be turned into them rather than mindless Skals, but some become Skals and some do not in this supposed Skal Epidemic. Vulkod, in all their beastly mannerisms, bring forth quite human questions about what true changes occur when one is forced to turn.

4. Nimrod

Nimrod are more fictional concepts in Vampyr, frankly because we never see one until the very end. Much like the Vulkod and the following species I will be speaking about, we have little to go on in terms of in-game lore as to what these things were and are, and if anyone we see is afflicted. However, we do have some historical accounts in the game for Nimrod, as their general premise is that of the self-hating vampire. A vampire hunter that feasts on vampires alone, hunts them actively as their immortal goal, and much like the Ekon, is able to blend in with mortals easily. 

William Marshal is very likely a Nimrod. We see him starve himself, only sustaining himself on Ashbury’s blood, and speaks of how he was touched by the Archangel Gabriel for his “immortal” gift so that he may slay all other impurities in the world. However, the Blood of Hate that consumed him and later Ashbury leads him to becoming a true hunter of his own kind, mourn for what he did to Ashbury, and symbolically die at the hands of another vampire. 

The founder of the Brotherhood of Saint Paul’s Stole, Pawl, is revealed to be a Nimrod after completing the True Dragonbane puzzle, which, of course, is both blissfully ironic and incredibly fitting. A self-hating vampire creates a group fully centered on these immortal beings and nothing else. 

McCullum deserves his own place here again. As I said above, he can be either Ekon OR Nimrod depending on how one takes his character down the line. He seems rather accepting of his condition, or at least it’s benefits, at the beginning of his change as we see with Jonathan but who knows how quickly that may change. 

All of these men also imply that, given how Nimrods can blend in with mortals, that Nimrods can only descend from an Ekon, as they are the only species we know of that can mimic human beings the most. Nimrods could essentially just be considered Ekons that commit cannibalization instead. Nothing ingame indicates that their physiology is different from that of an Ekon’s.

No discussions on Nimrods could start without the most sacred letter about them in the game. The note, “Recollection of Paulus Aurelianus”, tells of Pawl, the original founder of the Brotherhood of Saint Paul’s Stole.

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This is also another thing in the game that very much deserves it’s own essay, but for Nimrods and vampires as whole, it provides us with some rich information. The story we see here of Pawl is an engaging one, because not only does it give us an idea of just how far back the true history of Vampyr goes and some knowledge into what the original Brotherhood was like. It also shows us a glimpse as to why the Brotherhood of Saint Paul’s Stole was birthed in the first place. Usher Talltree speaks of a schism that occurred in the Brotherhood that gave birth to both the Brotherhood of Saint Paul’s Stole and the Guard of Priwen. 

If you have Jonathan ask Talltree who the founder of the original Brotherhood was, he will respond like this.

Jonathan will then ask a question about whether or not the Brotherhood of Saint Paul’s Stole act as much than just the scholars and academics they claim to be, which leads to this interesting dialogue.

Upon completing his sidequest, “Pandora’s Box”, he gives you a note that speaks about the Brotherhood’s origins which also shed some more light.

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1801 puts us at exactly 117 years ago from 1918. Ashbury makes mention of the first Great Hunt that the Guard of Priwen launched to be about a half a century before the current game’s events; she specifically states 75 years ago. 

This means the first Great Hunt occurred roughly around 1843 (1918 - 75 = 1843). Knowing this and Talltree’s explanation of events, this most likely means that Pawl’s Recollection note was made in 1801 because he mentions one of the split factions of the Brotherhood. This may indicate that Pawl, as one of the first Nimrods to exist, is alive, and since the Brotherhood still hunted at this time, those hunters would of course be outraged to know that one of the founders of the old, original Brotherhood was a vampire. 

There’s a kind of irony in the idea of Nimrods, given the definition of what a Nimrod is in a Biblical sense and how ironically see them as sympathetic. A hunter of his own kind, using his eternity not to feed on the flesh of the living, but to smite the corpses of the undead. Their origins in Vampyr all come from them trying to either eradicate or co-exist with said creatures, but never trying to follow the “true” nature of a vampire. Such extreme ideologies on how vampires should be treated, of course, only lead to the schism we see today. 

It also brings forth McCullum’s conflict and what I believe exemplifies the Nimrod Vampyr means to share, if we were to ever get one in the flesh (because sadly, you do not get to see much of Turned McCullum since it is at the very end of the game). His first instinct when you force him to Turn is to beg for his death, for the one thing that defines an immortal from a mortal, their ability to die and leave this world. We learn that he most likely joined the Guard due to the tragedies that struck his family regarding vampires (interestingly, this is also very telling of his character. Swansea adores his vampirism and sees it as a gift, yet his own family faced the same kind of fate; McCullum uses his immortality to continue hunting vampires, Swansea uses his immortality to continue experimenting with them, and to keep peace).

If you have Jonathan ask him how he is doing with his new immortality, his first answer is how he could imagine himself becoming the greatest vampire hunter there ever was. But he also expresses the realistic concern of the Guard of Priwen; trained hunters who can discern a mortal from an immortal by a mere glimpse, yet his first suggestion is to still consider attempting deceit to remain the leader. Not unlike Pawl, no?

As mentioned prior, the word “Nimrod” has religious connotations; referring to the Hunter Nimrod, a grand king who was reknown for his hunting abilities by Christ, as well as being the great-grandson of Noah, the man who sailed his vessel that is now known as “Noah’s Ark”, during the Book of Genesis’ Great Flood. Nimrod also has connections to the Tower of Babel.

Genesis 10:8-10, King James Version (KJV)

“And Cush begat Nimrod, who began to be mighty in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Wherefore it is said, As Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.”  

“And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”

Usher Talltree’s notes also talk of the Nimrod in this fashion, referencing the mythical nature of the hunter.

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Nimrod’s etymology is not very different; stemming from the late 16th century Hebrew word “Nīmrōḏ” or “נִמְרוֹדֿ”. Nimrods in vampire represent the same fervor that the Biblical Nimrod did, becoming mighty hunters of the same evils that Nimrod saw himself face, yet unlike their Biblical counterpart, they are the embodiment of the evils they so wish to defeat, encapsulating these vampire hunters into their own twisted fate and irony. 

The Nimrod also remind me of another figure that you cannot mention vampire hunters without referencing, the character of Professor Abraham Hellsing from Dracula, the vampire’s sworn enemy and, in many interpretations of the doctor, a vampire hunter turned hunter himself. McCullum is very much the Van Helsing to Jonathan’s Dracula. Not only that, Nimrods are defined in that, they deny the supposed natural instincts of the vampire, using their dark abilities instead to cleanse the world of the evil that vampires represent and spread. Van Helsing’s personality is described in Dracula very thoroughly, and in it, there is a particular line that shares (what I believe) the same ideology and true goal that Nimrods seek.

“...This, with an iron nerve, a temper of the ice-brook, and indomitable resolution, self-command, and toleration exalted from virtues to blessings, and the kindliest and truest heart that beats, these form his equipment for the noble work that he is doing for mankind, work both in theory and practice, for his views are as wide as his all-embracing sympathy.”

— Letter From Dr Seward to Arthur Holmwood, chapter 9,

Nimrods deny their nature by hunting what they are to ensure the betterment and continuing kindness of mankind. In their conquest to deny all that they are, they forever hunt what they have become and what they now hate, never foregoing that cause and perhaps even hoping that, through this endless hunt which they have made themselves slaves too, they may find redemption for themselves and their sins.

5. Ichor (Ikor)

We don’t really see any mobs that are outright labeled as Ichor, and the only real  information we have of them are from Dontnod’s introduction to vampires on Facebook, and one note from Carl Eldritch about their threat. However, I have some theories, given the one thing that discerns them. They appear to be indistinguishable from Skal and otherwise share all their abilities but they have one key difference. That difference being, that they attack with the intent to spread disease, rather than to outright kill. 

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“Meet the Ichors! In Vampyr, Ichors are putrid monstrosities carrying sickness and spreading epidemics, and among the most feared of all blood drinkers. Instead of killing their prey, Ichors seem to prefer infecting their target by bite or touch – turning them into contagious carriers of disease.”

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I believed the Ill-Formed mobs that we see are the Ichor, as they are a mutation that now spreads the contagion through means of touch rather than by direct biting, which is what the Ichor are said to be. Skals may have picked up the mutation from Ichor, the Ichor themselves may just be the Ill-Formed prefix mobs and only kill because the ludo-narrative of the game requires it. Jonathan himself expresses shock as you investigate West End’s source of plague of these creatures after you kill Elza Mullaney, as he believed the epidemic was only transmitted through biting.

There is not much to say on Ichor, other than their curious choice of name. We do know that they are always female, according to reports from Friar Tobias Whittaker, which could mean they are the precursor to Disasters. They represent as much symbolism as the Skals do with their grotesque appearance and as symbols of plague and contagion that haunted all vampires in past generations. Lore-wise, they also appear and act the same, for the most part (even if they prefer not to kill directly, they are still rather violent and just seek death through means of plague regardless). However, The word “ichor” is a far cry from plague, if you look at mythology. “Ichor” is most known for being the name of the fluid that flowed in the veins of Greek Gods. Some comparisons would see it akin to the Precious Blood, or the Blood of Christ, from which one drank at communion. A fluid that was not mortal blood like our own, but rather something of an immortal fluid, and it is often why Communion has us “drink” the Blood of Christ so that we may be blessed by him.

An Iliad verse tells us of this supposed, ethereal fluid.

Iliad V. 339–342[2]    “Blood follow'd, but immortal; ichor pure,    Such as the blest inhabitants of heav'n    May bleed, nectareous; for the Gods eat not    Man's food, nor slake as he with sable wine    Their thirst, thence bloodless and from death exempt.” 

“Ichor” as a concept originated in Classical mythology and the word itself comes from an Ancient Greek, but it’s exact etymology is said to be unknown and lacks a concise theory as to how it was created. Fitting since the word is used to describe something that is already unknown and otherworldly to begin with.  

n. ˈaɪkər/ or /ˈɪkər/; Ancient Greek: ἰχώρ. also mid 17th century “ikhōr“ - The fluid that flows like blood in the veins of the gods.

Of course, “ichor” has another meaning as well; a medical one involving pathology, even if it’s considered archaic. It is the more fitting connection as it is a direct reference to the plague they carry and how they walk around as decaying corpses with deep mutations and acidic blemishes.

n. pathology - a foul-smelling watery discharge from a wound or ulcer. fetid discharge.

“Fetid” meaning an extremely unpleasant scent, originating from the Latin word “fetidus” or (erroneously) “foetidus”, with “fetid” having its arrival in Late Middle English. This is an obvious correlation to the bleeding ulcers found on the Ill-Formed Skals and even Large Beasts that you encounter much later in the game when the epidemic begins to take a deep hold onto London as the contagion progresses. 

Given the supposed rarity of these creatures according to Carl Eldritch, and Jonathan’s shock when he first begins to encounter them throughout the West End much later in the game, Ichor only appear when plague has spread so rapidly and only after a very long time has passed for mutations to start appearing. This implies that Ichor are a type of “advanced” form of Skal almost, that not only can they have the potential to kill directly with their strength, they also have the potential to cause an epidemic or worsen an epidemic, like we see with the Skal Epidemic, where the plague begins to start spreading by touch alongside the violent biting. 

6. Disasters

Disasters are the ultimate form of the contagion in Vampyr, the embodiment of the Red Queen’s rage and the final result of the Blood of Hate’s influence. They exemplify the eldritch horror of the Red Queen’s influence, only targeting women who have been wronged and have become creatures of ultimate hatred, while Myrddin counters this by Turning men who have a purpose, as champions to resist the utter, perpetual cycle of hatred. Very much real, biblical, and mythological all at once in the Vampyr universe, Disasters are not exactly vampires in their own right, but much like the Ichor, are meant to represent the hatred and the chaos that consumes many vampires. As the sole source of the Skal Epidemic and other tragedies, as well as the main fear of the Guard of Priwen and their reason for commencing Great Hunts to avoid their existence coming into fruition, Disasters act as boogeymen to both vampire and hunters alike. With their eldritch, grotesque appearances and the ability to plague any land or person they touch, much like Brood-mothers, Disasters are Hells that haunt the Earth wearing female flesh. 

Doris Fletcher is the first Disaster you encounter right before you encounter her mother who is also a Disaster, a sad tale of both mother and daughter being scorned. As the greatest actress of her time, her dreams wore torn asunder when she caught the plague from the original Disaster in London, that being her own mother. The infection became a greater, grotesque beast that began to infect the West End. A scorned starlet that was doomed by her own mother’s hatred and bitterness, that being...

Harriet Jones, the original Disaster and start of the Skal Epidemic, caused by Edgar’s experiments and furthered developed her own bitterness and acrid hatred against the world, as well as her own daughter for not visiting her anymore. Jones wanted everyone to suffer for what they did for her, for abandoning her as a sad old woman, and this tragedy developed into London’s Skal Epidemic, all planned by the Red Queen.

Lady Ashbury was the original source of both of these predicaments, however. William Marshall infected Ashbury with the Blood of Hate, and while she believed herself to be cured thereafter with the Tear of Angels, the Blood of Hate’s influence still coursed through her veins and caused her to be what Jonathan described as the “healthy carrier” and true origin of the Skal Epidemic. The Tear only cured the outward symptoms of her hatred and rage, but the condition in her blood never left, which is what made Edgar’s experiment so deadly, unbeknownst to both of them.

Disasters remind me very much about the Biblical “Day of Judgement” told throughout all Abrahamic religions, where the soul is judged based on their sins and virtues, and are chosen for Hell, Purgatory, or Heaven. The variations vary between religions, but overall it is generally a judge of character, of the soul, and how much that soul has escaped their Original Sin at birth. Usually, Judgement Day occurs at death, but what of the creatures of blood like we see? Of immortal beings who now represent death and the Reaper, rather than it’s victims?  Getting into the religious symbolism of Vampyr as well as the mythological concepts behind the Red Queen and Myrddin would require their own book, let alone an essay, so I will focus on the connection I feel matches: the cyclic nature of Disasters. We know that in the past, Disasters have plagued England as well as neighboring nations, with Carl Eldritch telling us of how William Marshall brought one of the first Disasters (due to his Blood of Hate), and how McCullum accuses Swansea and Jonathan of attempting to recreate another Disaster to start a plague of vampires during his boss fight at Pembroke.

Full screenshot

Full screenshot

This kind of “Day of Judgement” seems to be something that the Red Queen always brings down upon the land from Stonehenge once her avatar awakens, and Myrddin attempts to fight against his mother’s hatred by making “champions” of his own to protect the land from her wrath. Jonathan succeeds in saving the Red Queen from destruction and kills the Disasters of London, but Myrddin has mentioned that his champions have not always succeeded in their cause, or fail somehow in other ways. such as being unable to even accept their own immortality, or causing their own self-destruction through other means (take Jonathan’s bad endings). 

It seems that Disasters are always inevitable, because hatred and evil within humans are always inevitable, but Myrddin seeks to also show that benevolence and the will to fight are also inevitable parts of the human condition. It is a balance, a Yin-Yang of sorts, with the Red Queen’s Disasters being the much more evil half whilst the Champions of Myrddin being the more benevolent half (to various, ambiguous moral degrees. ‘Good’ in this sense is simply being Turned to save the land, but how they go about it, is the moral ambiguity of it. For instance, no matter how much of a monster you play Jonathan to be, London is going to be saved, but at what cost? In the end, he can save London, but if all the districts are Hostile, overrun, and more mausoleum than city, does that not make him no more greater than a savior to a dead Empire?).

The Blood of Hate was the original “sin” that caused all of this so to speak, but even further back than that, is Pawl’s existence. Is it not impossible to think that a self-hating vampire from 500 A.D, could not already be a precursor to how far and how deep this bloodline follows to William Marshall’s era? Nimrods could arguably be considered the first kinds of Ekons we can actually hold any recollection of, so would it not make sense for the culmination of such hatred in vampires to be a Disaster? The cycle of life, death, and undeath that brings forth nothing but more death and inevitable hatred towards all involved; even if it is a mere cycle contained by Myrddin and the Red Queen’s existence. 

Disasters, much like all vampires, are victim to an ancient, biblical, and mythological circumstance of the human condition, almost as if vampires themselves, are akin to the Original Sin from the Bible—much like Adam during the Fall of man, plaguing all humans thereon with the capacity to sin, vampires represent the ancestral sins of Myrddin and the Red Queen; that all mortals from birth have the capacity to become corrupted, immortal versions of themselves.

Yet, we only see Disasters as scorned women, she-devils in the flesh, and the only mention of Champions are men, be they victorious or as flawed as the Disasters they were born to face. This could be mere preference on both Myrddin and the Red Queen as a just another addition to their long lists of dichotomies between them, or could there be anything deeper with this? Eve was seen as the sinner for speaking to the serpent, as was Lilith when she denied Adam subservience—cursed, scorned women are not new in Biblical verses. Mórrígan, the female figure from Celtic mythology that the Red Queen has been referred as, is a symbol of both war and fate (the Red Queen incites wars with her Disasters, and the fate she produces is cyclic; fate is often something described as everlasting and primordial), as well as a symbol for the Earth and guardian of the people (Myrddin could be this, rather than the Red Queen herself—she incites war, but Myrddin, as a part of “she”, guards the Earth by creating Champions. A metaphor to the hypocritical nature of a vampire that seeks to save others or themselves, perhaps?). 

Many natural disasters are seen to be the work of fate and otherworldly creations as well. Friar Tobias Whitaker, in all his insane ramblings, does hold some truth when he speaks of the Skal Epidemic as the work of the Devil, or as a sort of Armageddon for London’s sins (the earliesr Disaster also occured in 1666; 666 is the trademark number of the Devil. Coincidence?).

An Armageddon is a sort of prophesied “battle of the end times”, and nowadays is used describe a sort of end-of-the-world scenario, not far off the Skal Epidemic’s influence given how much it can take over. Several comparisons of this sort of “primordial” belief about disasters can be made to the Red Queen’s cycle of her own Disasters and the various plagues that come with it.

Isaiah 45:7, English Standard Version (ESV)

7 I form light and create darkness;    I make well-being and create calamity;    I am the Lord, who does all these things.

Chronicles 7:13 - 7:14, King James Version (KJV) 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Disasters, above all, are prophecies, a true representation of how vampires plague the hearts of man, of how vampires shall always be seen as nothing more than a courage that must be vanquished by a scourge of equal deadliness. A traditional view of the vampire, but also a very human one—for Disasters do not become Disasters solely due to being infected, they become Disasters once their hearts and souls pass the point of no return. Once more, the vampire lies bare in it’s true form, as a victim of a primordial, circumstantial “sin”, at the behest of the Red Queen. 

After losing all hope for their own humanity, their redemption, their happiness, their love—they plague the Earth, haunting the land as slaves yearning for the most human thing that they, and all vampires, have lost—the gift of mortality. 

III. Credits, Extra Comments, and Sources

CREDITS:

I would first off like to thank @cursedbethechoice for all their help and advice in writing this essay, as well as allowing me to use some of their work for this project. They also helped me access sources I otherwise would not have access too that were incredibly valuable and academic. A lot of this couldn’t have been done without them! Their essays cannot also go without notice, and I really recommend you checking out their blog for their own analysis on the game!

I’d also like to give a shout-out for @orionali, as they helped me with datamining the game and it’s assets, which came in handy multiple times while creating this essay.

EXTRA COMMENTS:

This essay is a whooping 14,293 words long! It took roughly 2 - 3 weeks to complete between my own life busy-ness, procrastination, and research. I assure you, I did not expect it to become this big.

This section is mostly for extra tidbits and comments I wanted to share, as well as some other interesting parts of the game that I feel have some relevance to the essay, but didn’t warrant enough of a reason to be elaborated upon. I ALSO APOLOGIZE to mobile users. sadly, Read Mores don’t block off the content... which sucks.

It is not mentioned in the Ekon section, but they can detect disease according to Edgar’s note in Jonathan’s office. This is why Jonathan is able to see what kind of illnesses people have, and to what degree it has decayed to! (I also imagine he’s able to clearly identify and name them because he’s a doctor). 

Most of the music I listened to while writing this was the official soundtrack.

A vampire can Shadow Jump with a human (or anything) without them falling out of their grasp. 

Vampires really dislike natural substances (because they’re unnatural beings, I suppose?), which explains this, I imagine.

Vampires have obtusely large fangs if this texture is anything to go by.

Pembroke Hospital was overcapacity by hosting more than 300 patients, as revealed if you send the district to Hostility Status. Is this due to Jonathan Embracing the hospital staff, or something else?

The Ascalon Club is wary about the Brotherhood’s traditions.

While writing, I felt like this sometimes.

ALL SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY (in no particular order):

Oxford English Dictionary DONTNOD’s Facebook Page Ernest Jones’ “The Pathology of Morbid Anxiety” - The Journal of Abnormal Psychology (1911) Dr. Elizabeth Miller’s Dracula Homepage "Greek Accounts of the Vrykolakas" by D. Demetracopoulou Leefrom The Journal of American Folklore, No. 54 (1941) "May the Ground Not Receive Thee" An Exploration of the Greek Vrykolakas and His Originsby Inanna Arthen (1998) Bible Gateway’s Versions of the Bible Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality, Paul Barber (1998) Staking Claims: The Vampires of Folklore and Fiction, Paul Barber (1996) Prest, Thomas Preskett. Varney the Vampire; or, The feast of blood. Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library Bramstoker.org’s resources The Bryon Society’s resources Dracula (1897), by Bram Stoker Dracula’s Guest and other Weird Stories (1914), by Bram Stoker Deities or Vampires? Hecate and other Blood-Drinking Spirits of Ancient Times, by Ancient-origins.net John Polidori, "The Vampyre" Created by Keffer, Jeremy L, last modified by Goodmundson, Scott D on Dec 17, 2010 The Vampire in Literature - Old and New, University of Iceland, Elísabet Erla Kristjánsdóttir (2014) Did Vampires Not Have Fangs in Movies Until the 1950s?, Brian Cronin, Huffington Post (2015) The Vampire Goes to College: Essays on Teaching with the Undead, Lisa A.Nevárez, Editor. Jefferson: McFarland, 2014. The Vampyre, a Tale by John William Polidori (1819) - Arizona State University Merriam-Webster’s Online Dicitionary Wiktionary Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Holy See THE MYTHS OF THE VICTORIAN WOMAN - NY Times WOMAN AND THE DEMON, The Life of a Victorian Myth. By Nina Auerbach. Illustrated. 255 pp. Cambridge, Mass.: JSTOR - Harvard University Press "Penny Dreadful: From True Crime to Fiction > Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert”, PBS.org JSTOR’S Open Academic Resources Adam and Eve, Genesis 2 - 3, Christian Bible Reference Site Adam and Eve, New World Encylopedia The Word "vampire": Its Slavonic Form and Origin, Brian Cooper (2005) The Soul, Evil Spirits, and the Undead: Vampires, Death, and Burial in Jewish Folklore and Law, Penn State University, Saul Epstein and Sara Libby Robinson (2012) The Vampire Myth, Johns Hopkins University Press, James Twitchell (1980) Vampire bats have been caught sucking human blood for the first time, Helena Horton, Telegraph Press (2017) Vampire bat, ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA Biblica.com’s bible references Vampires of Capital: Gothic Reflections between Horror and Hope, Amedeo Policante (2010) From Demons to Dracula: The Creation of the Modern Vampire Myth By Matthew Beresford (2008) Re-masculating the Vampire: Conceptions of Sexuality and the Undead from Rossetti's Proserpine to Meyer's Cullen, Emily Schuck (2013) "Every age has the vampire it needs": Octavia Butler's Vampiric Vision in Fledgling (2008) Coitus Interruptus: Sex, Bram Stoker, and Dracula, Elizabeth Miller, Professor Emerita, Memorial University (2006) Werewolf Legends from Germany, University of Pittsburgh, translated by D.L. Ashlimann (1997 - 2010)  British Library’s list of Penny Dreadfuls, Judith Flanders (2014) The Book of Were-Wolves, by Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine), 1834-1924 “Ghoul” - Arabic Mythology, ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA The Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture, Ahmed Al-Rawi, Rustaq College of Applied Sciences, Sultanate of Oman The White Devil: The Werewolf in European Culture, By Matthew Beresford (2013)  Death and the Maiden - La Mort dans l’Art The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3 rev. ed.)  Edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone (2009) “Original Sin” in the Cambridge Online Dicitionary “Armageddon” in the Oxford English Dictionary Pslam 51:5 - Biblegateway Porphyria and vampirism: another myth in the making, A. M. Cox (1995) Slayers and Their Vampires: A Cultural History of Killing the Dead, Bruce A. McClelland (2006)  Porphyria - Mayo Clinic Rabies - Mayo Clinic The Iliad of Homer, Volume 1, translated by William Cowper, ESQ., (1809) The Black Death: Bubonic Plague - Themiddleages.net De-coding the Black Death, BBC.co.uk The etymology of εἰκών in Wikitionary Summary of “The Vampyre” from Wikipedia’s Article The etymology of “Nimrod” in Wikitionary

[somnusvincitomnia]

SHIPPING INFO !! Answer the following for your muse so people know how shipping works on your blog.

WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER?: It’s more of an ot4, but I think polyship roadtrip/chocobrot4 is both my favorite and also inherent to how I play my character & how I see their dynamics. Regardless of who in particular I’m playing with or who I ship Noct with, I write him as having had some degree of feelings for all three of his friends (and Luna, tbh). Polyamory doesn’t always work/happen and because I don’t have a lot of shared verses yet on this blog, most of my threads that are headed in a ship direction/are shippy are for 1x1 pairs- but I still see Noctis as having or having had feelings for all of them, and (in non-ot4 situations) putting them aside to try and focus on making one partner happy. (Or, as it sometimes is in the case of Promptis- Gladio and Ignis already being in a relationship, and Noctis not wanting to disrupt/intrude on their feelings for each other, so sharing his romantic partnership with Prompto and simply admiring Gladio & Ignis/their happiness with each other from afar) I just feel like he loves them all so much! Who he is as a person is shaped by how deeply he loves all three of them, and while I adore the individual ships I think the concept of Noctis being able to pick a favorite/romantically loving one but not the others just isn’t plausible to him. It’s just whether the relationship works out or whether he’s willing to act on those feelings that changes verse to verse.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO WRITE WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?: A pretty broad range of stuff. While I adore a good, healthy, loving ship, I’m also both willing and interested in exploring the unhealthy, the messy, the unrequited, etc. I- so far- have mostly focused on small-scale mess on this blog- mutual feelings that are unable to be acted upon for propriety’s sake, leftover feelings that are unresolved between two trauma survivors who never expected to live this long, the uncomfortable question of consent and power dynamic in a situation where a lover is appointed by one’s birthright, etc. But I’m also perfectly willing to work with downright unhealthy ships, manipulation, gaslighting, abuse, you name it. It requires a little more trust between partners, but ultimately I like exploring every aspect of relationships, good and bad. I actually tend to prefer a little drama to pure, happy fluff! I think the ideal state of a thread for me is bittersweet- they’re in love, but ___.  That being said, I have some boundaries! My rules page covers most of them, but they’re mostly common squicks/triggers- I also generally discuss what I am and am not willing to do with partners OOC before we get into any ship situation, so I’m always willing to have someone approach and ask, so that at the very least I can give an honest yes or no!

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?:

two thousand years is still within range so Honestly, it’s character dependent. There are some characters well within Noct’s age range I’m uncomfortable shipping him with, and some outside of it that I am. In general, I’m completely uninterested in shipping him with anyone in his father’s retinue- so Weskham, Clarus, Cor, etc, but this is more about history and his view on them than about age gap. On the other hand, Ardyn is still on the table for sheer interest in the chaotic, messy, awful dynamic there. In the other direction, I won’t ship him (at his canon age of 20) with anyone younger than 18-19. 20 is not terribly much older than an 18 year old, but I’m still more inclined to ship him with characters who are 19+. While I do like post-canon Noct/Iris, it’s a hell of a lot different for a 25 year old and a 30 yo than it is a 15 and 20 yo. But in AUs where he is younger- pre-canon, or (for example) the Hero Academia AU, I’m willing to ship him with classmates or peers the same age as him.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?: Absolutely, but I’m highly selective when roleplaying, too. Overall I need a good OOC and IC dynamic before I ship, because... well, first and foremost because I want someone who it’s fun to discuss (read: scream about) our ship with. I’m also a slow burn bitch, so I prefer a nice buildup or at least a good amount of IC exchanges/asks & ooc talk before we ship.

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NS/FW?: Honestly I would say the moment a character makes any mention of/reference to being turned on. I’m pretty cautious with my NSFW tagging, so once things look vaguely heavy, I’ll at least stick a “mild nsfw” tag on there. 

WHO ARE THE OTHER CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?: I have a pretty broad range of them, but the main ones are: Prompto, Ignis, Gladio, Luna, (25 y/o) Iris. I can also be persuaded to like him with Cindy or Aranea, depending on the interaction and buildup.  Aside from that, it’s all based on interaction! I can like him with anyone, including OCs and/or crossover ships, if we have a good dynamic!

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?: Definitely. It’s absolutely fine to have characters flirt or make advances and/or send in romantic memes without asking- but before presuming romantic reciprocation or relationship I definitely like to talk OOC about it. All the ships I have going/building right now came from talking OOC about them! It’s a great way to figure out what you want out of the ship and how to build it.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU LIKE TO SHIP?: Despite Noctis’s feelings for the others being a central component to his character, I think I prefere a good exploration over pure fluff/pure shippy stuff. Almost all the ship threads I have/ships I have on this blog focus on exploring both characters rather than focusing on the happy or sexy aspects of a relationship. It’s super fun writing some kinds of fluff, but I get a little worn out if it’s more than a little kissing/cuddling/sweetly making macaroni together or whatever. Gotta have conflict, internal or external!

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?: Definitely. Well, first and foremost I play Noctis as poly, so IC he’s comfortable with the idea of multiple partners, and OOC I like lots of different ships and dynamics! I am a little hesitant about shipping with multiple iterations of the same character- not because I don’t like shipping with multiples, but because it can be kind of hard to come up with multiple unique scenarios for them to interact/get together/etc and I worry about ideas from different threads bleeding into each other. But if I think the dynamic is right and if they mesh well, I’m down for that too!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?: I gotta say chocobrot4 again!! I just want all of them to be happy. Together. And kiss. Because they all love each other.

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?: 1.) begin playing with me (send meme/approach on messenger/starter call/etc) 2.) have characters interact 3.) ask if i am interested in shipping 4.) ????? 5.) profit

Tagged by: @lustralium  Tagging: @bestchocobro @floweringeclipse @edenslostwallflower @descientia @silenceisgoaded @ravusnightblossom @oraculideluna and uhhhh thats all that tumblr auto suggested i tag so im gonna also say anyone else who sees this and wants to tag me!

[grumpyangeladvice]

What do you know about the choirs and spheres of Heaven?

Short answer: It’s a load of bullshit.

Long answer: The entire concept of choirs of angels and spheres of Heaven doesn’t seem to match up with how things actually work/worked in the High Angelic Period. Really, the entire idea of categorizing things in that era doesn’t really work, because none of it is as clear cut as people would like it to be.

You see, it’s human nature to try finding patterns in things, and to categorize things where possible. I remember seeing a video a while back that explains that it’s that part of us that is the reason that we can see two completely different dog breeds (chihuahuas and German shepards, for example), and immediately identify them both as dogs, even if we’ve never seen either of them before. It’s an incredibly useful trait to have, because it helps us understand new things by comparing them to things we’ve previously experienced. Chihuahuas might be tiny, but we can understand that they’re shaped like a dog, and act like a dog (mostly), and understand “Hey, that’s a weird looking dog!” It’s great.

The problem is, when you try applying that to things outside of this particular iteration of reality, it starts working a lot less. People like to think that there are neat little categories of angels, and “choir” is a nice poetic term for that kind of category. The thing is, angels aren’t like dogs. There aren’t distinct physical attributes one can look at and say, “Hey, that’s a weird looking angel!” The traits that are commonly associated with angels (wings, halos, all that jazz) are simply artistic renderings of what people think angels look like. So trying to create a set of neat categories for angels isn’t going to work out well.

Now, you might be thinking, “What about categorizing angels by their role in Heaven? Surely that will work.” The thing is, every example of “choirs” I’ve seen thrown around aren’t based on roles. More specifically, they claim that an angel’s choir determines their role, not the other way around. The problem is, there’s absolutely no reason to believe that an angel with certain characteristics is automatically in a specific role. There are/were numerous similarities between Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel, but they had/have vastly different roles. Yet people try lumping them together under the umbrella of “archangel”. (An aside: I have issues with using “archangel” as an umbrella term like that, but that’s a separate rant altogether.)

So we can’t categorize angels by their appearance, because there’s too much variety for the categories to be meaningful (rather like how categorizing people by race isn’t actually all that useful unless you’re discriminating against some of those races), and we can’t categorize angels by their role, because there’s no consistent traits that we can connect to a given angelic role (rather like how categorizing people by occupation isn’t actually all that useful). That doesn’t leave us much to use as a basis for categories, unless we start diving into things that most people seem to have trouble comprehending (on account of filtering unearthly things through a lens of earthly understanding). By this point, I hope you can see why the idea of “choirs” just doesn’t hold up. It’s just the human need to categorize things being applied in a situation where it doesn’t apply.

Then we move onto the idea of the spheres of Heaven… There’s plenty of rant to be had here, but I honestly don’t have the energy to go into it in full after going on about choirs for that long. The big summary is this: There is absolutely no reason to think that Heaven is/was made up of discrete “spheres”. Again, this is an attempt to apply earthly thinking to unearthly things. The whole idea doesn’t match up with anything we know about Heaven, and it’s probably tied into artistic renditions of things that have been repeated again and again until they’re taken as fact.

As a vaguely related aside: It bugs the shit out of me when people talk about places in Heaven as if they’re the only example of that thing. It’s always The Garden, or The Library, or any number of other things starting with “The”. There is absolutely no reason to assume that there’s only the one big example of those things in all of Heaven. Even if Heaven were half the size of earth, that’s still a fuck-load of space to fill, and there’s no way there’d only be one of a given thing. Plus, it’s pretentious as hell to refer to things like that. If someone in New York starts talking about THE Park, the logical thing to assume is that they’re talking about Central Park, but even then, there are plenty of other parks in New York they could be referring to.

So, yeah. Teal Deer is that the whole idea of choirs of angels and spheres of Heaven are flawed assumptions based on trying to apply human thinking to inhuman things. You’re better off putting the whole set-up aside and approaching things without it. You’ll have much better time dealing with things then.

(A final, unrelated aside: English grammar does not work well when you’re talking about something set in an indefinite moment in time. Given that there’s no way of knowing if the High Angelic Period is entirely in the past relative to here and now, is currently ongoing, or hasn’t even happened yet (or some combination thereof), I opt to go with the present and past tenses simultaneously. It’s messy, but hopefully it gets the point across.)

[jestbee]

Fic: Sun-Kissed Confessions

[grumpyangeladvice]

What happened with your wife, exactly? It's cool if you don't want to share.

Alright, so this gets kinda messy. Trigger warnings for violence, gore, wing trauma, and possibly a couple other things. Just... Caution is advised if you're sensitive to things of that nature or things related to them. Due to that, how personal some of this is, and the generally sensitive nature of it, everything is under the cut.

There's a lot I don't clearly remember leading up to what happened. Most of what I have is brief snippets of memory, combined with things I was told years ago, and subsequently got told again more recently by people with no way of knowing what I'd previously heard.

The first significant part I remember is Michael sundering my wife, and making sure I saw it happen. The intention was very much to destroy her in a permanent way. No chance of reforming, no reincarnation. The goal, quite simply, was to unmake her. I watched it happen, though the details of it are fuzzy for me. Probably the whole "human mind can't fully comprehend that kind of thing" problem. I saw the remaining pieces scattered, and I felt that she was gone. Michael, who serves as His Hand, destroyed my wife and tried to make sure she could never come back.

The next part I remember is the rampage, or at least flashes of it. They're the clearest memories I have of anything from back then. Hell, they might be the clearest memories I have period. I don't remember if there was any rhyme or reason to it, if there were particular angels I targeted or not, or if there was even any real goal in mind. All I remember is that I wasn't looking to kill or destroy the angels I attacked. The goal was to break them, ruin them. If they were killed, they could just reform no worse for wear. If they were destroyed, they would be getting merciful release from what I was doing. The single clearest memory in there is the feeling of my hands at the base of a pair of wings, feeling things tear and crack as I slowly pulled them off, ichor running over everything. If there was screaming, I don't remember it, but I know I was enjoying every aching moment of it. It felt good, and right, like it was exactly what I needed to be doing in that moment. I enjoyed it more than I can really express, and that honestly terrifies me. Part of me worries that it's something I could very easily fall back into, and since those memories came back to me, I've been extra vigilant about not letting myself fall back into that kind of mindset.

There's a gap in my memory after that, but I know that eventually I got caught, and Michael put a complex set of metaphysical locks on me intended to keep me from remembering things. They were also intended to keep me from remembering how far back I actually go, where I came from, and what I'm actually capable of. Someone else was given the keys, and I was set on my way, unable to access a lot of things.

The details of what happened after that are hazy, but I know I eventually moved from that iteration of reality to this one, started a fairly normal reincarnation cycle. Eventually, I wound up here and now, and the past decade or so has started tying back into things.

Somewhere around 2006 or so, I started remembering a bit of where I came from, and the old ways we used to follow. I dove into things, and in mid-2007, I met someone online that subsequently introduced me to someone who was carrying a fragment named Ruby. Sparks happened between Ruby and I, and years later, we came to realize that Ruby was one of the pieces of my wife (though the significance of that wouldn't become clear until fairly recently). Unfortunately, Ruby wasn't able to hold herself together, and was gradually fading away. Somewhere in there, I managed to pull off an unconscious miracle and pulled Ruby out of her vessel and into my head, where I managed to (for lack of better words) start nursing her back to health.

A few other people carried Ruby for me in the years that followed, since in some ways the inside of my head is actively toxic to her. Over time, we started helping her heal, and the realization happened that she was skilled enough to crack the locks off my head. In order for it to work, though, we'd need to get her healthy enough to work with that kind of energy, and get her a vessel willing and able to let her take over long enough to get things done. Both were a long struggle.

From somewhere around 2013 until early 2016, Ruby was carried by a dear friend of mine that she proved particularly compatible with. She wasn't in decent enough shape to work yet, though, and that friend of mine also had trouble letting Ruby take over completely. In early 2016, I met someone who Ruby seemed to take a particular interest in, and she took it upon herself to move herself some 900-ish miles into them. Took a bit of help to get her all the way there, but she settled in, and from there we managed the second great miracle in all of this. Sometime after midnight going into May 10th, we managed to pull together all the lost pieces of her into one place and put her back together. She settled into full control for a bit, and we had a video call that let me see my wife again, in a way, for the first time in countless ages. I still have a screenshot from that call saved. We were both emotional.

Some life stuff happened in the months after that, and for various reasons (mostly related to mundane things), we got Ruby's new vessel moved here at the very end of 2016. It's been a bit of a trip since then, but the important bit for all of this ramble is that in July of this year, we did our next impossible act, and managed to get most (if not all) of my locks removed. Things have been slow to come back to me since then, but practicing the old ways has been easier, and I'm getting used to the old senses again.

So in summary: Michael destroyed my wife in a way that should have been impossible to come back from. We did the impossible and brought her back. Now I remember exactly what he did, and I fully intend to make him pay for it for a very long time. It took me countless ages to get my wife back. I figure I should take at least that long with him.