#cerberus ;; mindset

[mask131]

I have a question about Greek Mythology, more specifically Hades.

What's the deal with Hades?

What was his original role in Greek mythology and religion, and how and when did the subsequent demonization happened?

Oh, and how correct is it the modern perception that he was "one of the nicest Greek gods"?

Oh a most interesting question indeed! I will try to be as simple and efficient as possible - but since people spend their entire lifetime dissecting this kind of topics I am bound to miss or oversimplify certain details. (I'll put this under a cut because it will be quite long!)

I. Basic stuff

So... In Greek mythology, Hades is one of the "three kings of the world" (not an official term! It is just a random denomination, the same way the Riordan books use "The Big Three"). The six first Olympians, born of Cronos and Rhea, were three sisters and three brothers - and after vanquishing the Titans, the three brothers split the world between them. Zeus had the sky, Poseidon the sea, Hades the underworld.

The role of Hades in Ancient Greek mythology/religion is that he was the ruler of the Underworld and the "king of the deads" so to speak. The underground realm where all the shades went after their physical death is his, and in fact it is often called "Hades" - showing the true connection between the two, since both the realm and the ruler share the same name, Hades the god being LITERALY the personification of the underworld. (I use "shades" because the concept of "souls" would come much later and mostly in philosophico-religious currents, by the old mythological texts the dead were "shades" or "shadows").

Hades main "role" or "function" in the greater scope of things is to maintain not the balance, but the divide between the livings and the dead. On one side, his job is to keep the dead in the Underworld and make sure they do not return or stay among the living. This is why he got VERY pissed off at Sisyphus for cheating death and returning among the living ; and this is why only the greatest and mightiest heroes could manage to bring back a soul from the Underworld (Orpheus, Dionysos). It is also why Hades' main threat, during the whole Persephone debacle, was to unleash the dead upon the world if he wasn't allowed to keep his wife: one thing to understand is that, in the mindset of Ancient Greek religion/mythology, death was not a nice thing. It was a scary and dirty thing - literaly. Death was seen as something impure, the shades of the dead were perceived as being frightening and horrifying. The gods absolutely HATE death and dead things (since you know, they are immortal) - and if the sight of the shades is mostly just unpleasant to them, if the dead returned to earth the humans would all perish in horror and fright upon merely seeing them. (I'm exaggerating a bit - but the Ancient Greeks did have an immense fear of dead spirits and what is beyond death, and so in their mythology going to the Underworld is always a horror movies and even the bravest men shiver in horror merely Upon seeing the shadows even of their loved ones. See Odysseus' journey to the Underworld, not a happy camping trip)

On the reverse, Hades job was also to prevent the living from accessing the Underworld - the living should stay with the living, the dead with the dead. This is why there are so many guardians around the Underworld - Charon, Cerberus and more. Not just to prevent souls escaping, but also to make sure no living being can come down there - hence why very frequently in hero legends a trip to the Underworld must happen at some point to prove their heroism (Herakles, Theseus, Odysseus, Orpheus and more). This clear-cut "isolationism" is part of why Hades very rarely leaves his realm - in fact almost never outside of important business (like snatching a girl out of a field as if she was the last orange juice bottle at a store). Because that's something that is needed to be established: Hades is and is not an Olympian. As in, Ancient Greeks did NOT recognize him as one of the Twelve Olympians, and Hades did not live on or even visited Mount Olympus - mostly because the Underworld is literaly the sort of opposite realm/opposite pole to the celestial, immortal Olympos. But he "was" an Olympian, as in during the Titanomachy he was one of the six gods who dwelled on Olympos and made it their "headquarters" for the war, and he was originally an "Olympian". And while he is not part of the Twelve Gods anymore, he is still one of the major gods of Greek mythology - as proven by one of his famous titles, "Chthonian Zeus". He is literaly the "dark twin" or "dark clone" of Zeus - both supreme masters over their respective realms, the sky and the underground, the up and the above, immortality and death.

If you want a more technical term to designate Hades' Olympian/notOlympian status, you can use Cronid, a term designating the children of Cronos.

II. Was Hades nice?

Now that the basis were laid down, I'll tackle your specific questions. What about the modern "Hades was the nicest god"? Well... it is a yes or no. It is important to fight off the "demonization" of Hades and to point out he was not an evil god. Depictions of Hades in the Disney Hercules movie or the remake of the Clash of Titans, depicting him as some sort of evil plotter out there to overthrow Zeus - that's deeply wrong. I'll return to the demonization later. Yes, Hades (unlike Zeus or Poseidon) wasn't a womanizer who went around sleeping with everything ; yes, Hades did not meddle with human businesses, caused wars or threw curses left and right ; yes, Hades always stuck to his word, and always respected the law, and just did his job and didn't bother anyone else with it. And that, indeed, makes him much more positive than what we usually think of him as. However! Positive does not mean "nice". Hades was FAR from being a "nice" or "benevolent" god.

The thing with Hades is that he is neutral. A neutral entity, in all that it entails. As a result yes he is "positive", as much as neutrality can be. But the key trait of Hades is that he is what you would call today "heartless" ; or rather "flint-hearted" to take more ancient poetic imagery. Hades always stick to his word and to the rules and just does his job and duty, true... But he is also an extremely stern, austere authority figure who never allows for any nuance or compromise (the fact the whole Persephone deal could even be settled by a compromise is like a big WOW!). Hades does not have pity or compassion for people. He is not moved by tears, by cries, by begging, by anything. If he felt pity every time someone begged him to release a dead back to the living, well he wouldn't do his job anymore so to speak. Hades is a cold and uncaring figure in many ways: the whole reason Orpheus' plea to Hades is remembered as the peak of his legend, is because Orpheus managed to MOVE Hades. He managed, with his magic and emotion, to touch Hades' heart, something that NEVER happened before and that no other mortal ever did. This is VERY important. Hades embodies the cosmic rule of "the dead are dead, and the living are the living, and that's it." In a sense he is a form of cosmic balance and justice who maintains the world in order ; but to human eyes, he is still an unfair oppressor who enacts and defends the principle of death in all that is unfair to our mortals' eyes. This is part of the complex beauty of the Persephone legend: you have Demeter and Hades, life and death, battling over the young girl (who embodies all young people), and both are in the right and both are in the wrong. Because Hades stands by a stern, cosmic point of view: what belongs to the dead belongs to the dead, there's no return and no use in obsessing over what is gone. But Demeter stands by a human point of view: she is a mother who saw her young child being taken by an early and unpredicted death, and she tries her best to mourn and return her daughter to her.

Another thing people tend to forget is that Hades is not a joyful or humoristic or enjoyable god to be around. There's a lot of takes of Hades as a, I don't know, shy little thing or joyful person. But Hades was in the image of his realm. A cold, dark, damp place devoid of laughter or smiles or light. Nobody is happy in the Underworld in the sense we understand it. Yes the Greek Underworld has the Elysian Fields, which is the Ancient Greek equivalent of Paradise - but it also has Tartaros, the Ancient Greek equivalent of Hell. And here's the thing... The Elysian Fields and Tartarus are not the "regular" Underworld. They are extremes and special cases. The Elysian Fields are only for mighty heroes - and heroes are not your regular Joe, and they are above regular humans. Tartaros is for those that perosnally offended the gods, and again this is not an everyday occurence. Regular people, be them good or bad, rich or powerful, famed or unknown, ended up in an Underworld that people describe mostly today as the "Asphodean Fields". Just... a life of endless wandering and awaiting. As shades, living shadows without any body (and thus without any need or desire). They don't even have a voice - one must bring them blood sacrifice for them to speak again - and they sometimes don't have memories thanks to the whole Lethe deal. This is just... the very typical Antique conception of the drab and dreary underworld that you find back from Hel's realm to Ereshkigal's domain. A place of shadows and silence, or forgetfulness and endless, meaningless wandering, a place without punishment or reward, just to keep what doesn't live anymore. "All equal in death", but this equality is not pleasant. And thus Hades himself is not pleasant. Heck, one of his epithets, Agelastos, was tied to the concept of "melancholy", and another, Stygeros, means "horrible".

While Hades seems to a modern audience much more pleasant and decent due to his role (or non-role) in myths compared to other deities, we have to remember how the Ancient Greeks themselves considered him. And the Ancient Greeks DREADED Hades. They feared him - one had to avoid calling him directly by his name (hence his numerous nicknames, often pleasant in the old apotropaic logic of calling negative entities by nice names not to anger them - like the Erynies becoming the Eumenides, the "kind ones". Similarly Hades was "The Rich One", "The Host of Many", "the Chthonian Zeus", all names based on his traits but twisted in a way that sounds more pleasant). Hades was at the core of Ancient Greek superstitions because there was the belief that attracting Hades' attention would cause one to have an early death, or to be "welcomed" too early in his realm. You know, it is the old logic of "death calls for death", "since death is a soilure, it can corrupt the living who interact too much with it", "if the god of the dead pays too much attention to you, he might send his underlings go get you". And while Hades was dreaded, his underlings were EVEN MORE SO (Hades wasn't the god of death per se... but he was the god who could boss around the personification of death, Thanatos, and he had "hired" numerous primordial monsters, such as Cerberus).

So while Hades was more positive than, let's say Ares or Hera in mythologies... It doesn't mean he was liked or perceived as a jolly good fellow. The most accurate thing we can say is that Hades was a lot like Hestia: the most neutral of the "Olympians". But "neutral" doesn't mean "good", "nice" or "pleasant"...

III. The demonization of Hades

Now that I took down the recent "moeification" of Hades, I do need to talk about his demonization, since you asked. Hades might have not been a pleasant guy or a good guy, he was dreaded and hated by the Ancient Greeks, and by extension the other gods were known to be uneasy with him or not particularly wishing to interact... But there was a big demonization inflicted upon him that clearly turned him into an evil caricature of what was just a scary neutral big force of the dark side of the world.

When did it start? I would guess with Christianity. And it isn't just how Christianity, when it came to the Greco-Roman world, slowly started taking actual deities and turned them into devils and demons (the most famous example being Pan and the satyrs who provided most of the devilish imageries of the Middle-Ages). You see, one key element must be taken into account: Bible translations. One of the most famous and spread out Bible translations was the Greek one, and the Greek translation used the term "Hades" quite regularly - to designate very negative and unpleasant death-places like the Sheol or the Gehenna, that would later become the Christian Hell. A Hell typically called "Hades" in Greek - clearly divided from the Heaven/Paradise of God and angels. And this would be the start of Christian culture assimilating Hades with the devil, demons, and the torments of the dead.

This religious confusion still exists today in many countries with a dominant Christian culture. For example, in France there is this famous linguistic complexity. French languag does not have a single world for "underworld" as the English have - or rather they are, but they are not commonly used. So in common language, the mythical underworlds of various cultures are designated by "enfer"... a world which means "hell", in the Christian sense of the term. Which always forces people to explain "Greek Hell wasn't Christian Hell". In fact, the tacit rule is that to designate the Christian Hell, you must use "l'enfer", singular, while for a mythical underworld you must use "les enfers", in plural. But it is still very, very confusing.

And so, through Christianity, Bible translations, demonization of Greek principles, etc etc, we ended up with stuff like the Disney Hercules movie, whose original concept-art for Hades was literaly just the Christian "red horned devil living in flames":

IV. The technical details

Now this post is already a bit long so I'll move on to the last thing you specifically asked - origins and religion. (Because so far I speak mostly of mythology or broad point of views)

Hades did have a cult and worship, since he was one of the main gods of Ancient Greece. But it was a careful worship, due to the superstitions I evoked above. For example you did sacrifices to Hades, of black-colored animals whose blood was thrown on the ground or in a pit - but by avoiding looking at Hades' faces (well his statue's). You could praise Hades, pray him or call for him, even banging the earth with your hands to make sure he heard you - but you avoided saying his name, and you certainly did NOT use his name for oaths.

Mind you Hades HAD a worship... but not a big one. In fact, his sanctuaries and temples were so rare in Ancient Greece that a scholia of the Iliad went as far as to claim there were none at all and Hades was a cult-less god. Pausanias did note that the only place where he knew of a real cult of Hades was the Peloponesse city of Elis, where Hades had a temple opened only once a year, to welcome Hades' priest and him only, and then it was closed for another year ; but he evoked other cults he heard about elsewhere, and Strabo did mention an Hades worship at another Peloponese city, Hermione. Though, again, reports are conflicting - some authors claiming Hades had libations of the blood of black sheep and bulls, others like Euripides saying Hades never had any libation... And we do know of some "peasant ritual" or "agrarian superstitions" where before sowing a field, the farmer had to call and pray to the Chthonian Zeus (aka Hades). That was because Hades, as the master of the underworld, also was seen as having ownership and influence over everything located below ground - be it the grain under the soil, or the various metals and stones dug out of mines. This is why his most famous and common epithet was "Plouton", "The Rich One, "The Wealthy One" - and also why Hades got involved with Demeter, as the Persephone myth can be read in an agrarian angle (Demeter is the life-force force of plants and the goddess of harvest and crops ; Hades is the one who keeps the grains under the earth until they grow out of the surface).

Finally, Hades' name is written in Ancient Greek "Aides", or variations "Aidos, Aidoneus", which is commonly agreed to etymologically mean "The Unseen One". A good reflection of Hades as the master of all the things located beyond life (afterlife) and below earth (underworld), associated with darkness and shadows and the things you SHOULD NOT SEE. Plus there's how, during the early Titanomachy, of the Cyclops' three gifts, Hades received a "helmet of invisibility" that prevented anybody from seeing him.

[phantomyre]

Analyzing Vincent's Chamber in Rebirth

Vincent's Chamber as seen in FF7 OG

Vincent's Chamber as seen in Crisis Core Reunion

Vincent's Chamber as seen in Dirge of Cerberus First off-- this is obviously highly speculative, and borderline obsessive, but anyone who knows Squeenix and has done any kind of deep-lore investigation with FF7, you'll know that they like to include a lot of details and symbolism. As such, I think we can glean a few things based on what we see within the 4 seconds of Vincent's reveal. For those who've played FF7 OG, you may immediately notice the 'dungeon' Vincent is meant to be locked in no longer resembles a prison-- but rather a study lounge. Cobwebs, skeletons, chains, etc are all absent. Not only that, it is furnished in such a way that implies someone still lives there. One of the first details we may notice is the ample books strewn about, both half-hazardly stacked around an antique luxury leather chair, and many more by a large bookshelf and others besides. One book in particular is laid open beside on a nearby coffee-table, indicating it was the most recent book of study. Notably, there is a porcelain mug beside the open book, presumably filled with alcohol as there are several liquor bottles nearby. The lantern placed in the center appears to belong to Cloud and Co as the room is already heavily lit by wall lights and candle-sticks. Likely Cloud and Cait ventured into the chamber on their own before the rest of them team showed up, Vincent being awakened by Cloud and Cait as they've fallen beside the coffin. And speaking of coffin...

Not only does Vincent have a Cerberus gun and phone, but now he has a custom Cerberus coffin as well. While we can speculate who might have decorated his coffin, Cerberus is symbolic for Vincent's mindset (Cerberus guards the gates of hell in Greek lore, meaning Vincent is associated to being the 'keeper of hell's gate' and how he has locked himself to his nightmares/past). The fact that now he has a custom coffin implies that it's no longer a temporary piece. Instead, it has become a part of him, if not permanently. Much like his Cerberus gun. Notice how it's also not dusty but very clean, plush on the inside, and even has a pillow of all things. Certainly doesn't look to be something a self-deprecating, self-loathing individual would sleep in. Moving on to the other parts of the room... One of the more interesting pieces of furniture in the room is the wood stove placed conveniently close to Vincent's coffin and the coffee table (no, that is not a TV). It looks as though Vincent has decided to forego suffering the chill of the damp cold basement, this time-- a stark contrast to the overall environment he had previously been placed in.

Once we get a better view of the other side of the room, the room is notably very warm in terms of color-tone, juxtaposed to the cold tones of the outside of the chambers. Might this be a type of metaphor for how Vincent appears cold on the outside yet is warm on the inside? What is also strange is that there appears to be yet another basement just outside of Vincent's chamber as it goes even deeper into the basement. This implies that Vincent is not locked in the deepest part of the basement as was once assumed. Once again, the room is clear of dust and otherwise looks fairly clean. Yet again implying someone has been active within the room. Looking towards the back, the doors are now double-doors as opposed to the single dungeon-style door. Last but not least-- Vincent himself is different. As seen in the image above, and as many have noted, Vincent's hair is no longer unkempt or barbed. As a matter of fact, it is similarly styled to Cloud's hair but more importantly, looks pretty soft for being asleep for almost 30 years. SE has progressively been adding barbs to Vincent's hair, but this time around, he is completely devoid of Chaos-aesthetics. His cloak is no longer torn in exaggerated forms, as well, though it still looks very worn on the hem. Some minor details are that his buckles have been rearranged as seen on his thigh and waist (thankgoodness they kept the tiny DoC waist and slutty hips). The buckles on his leather 'shirt' are all arranged on the front instead of off to the side. He also appears to have something on his left thigh, though it is extremely hard to tell. His gauntlet looks slightly altered and his sabatons look more functional in terms of movement, though keeping the overall iconic design. The biggest alteration of his attire are the grieves attached to his shins which look as though they will provide a lot more protection (and damage) while performing melee and close-range combat. Over-all, Vincent looks a lot more like a medieval knight than ever before.

CONCLUSION: What's all of this tell us, you might ask...? Of course it could all be merely over-analyzing. However, I think what is being presented to us is a visual representation of who this version of Vincent really is. It doesn't look like he has been merely sleeping in his coffin for the past 20-30 years and condemning himself to eternal torment. Unless the room is being regularly used by someone else, it appears as though Vincent actually been fairly active, albeit behind closed doors. Everything from the books, the wine, the layout, etc. all seems to indicate we may no longer be dealing with a Vincent who only wanted to seal himself away in his despair-- but rather someone who is actively searching for answers. The Vincent we meet in Rebirth may no longer be the ultra 'emo' character fans have always known him to be. Something has changed about Vincent. And with the way things are going in the Remake trilogy, I don't think anyone should be surprised at this point. Because if there's anyone outside of Sephiroth and Aerith (and now Red) who ought to have some knowledge of what's taking place-- it should be Vincent. Edit: One story-point I neglected to note--- if Vincent has indeed been delving into the archives of Shinra Manor, and by default the library, then we might expect him to have some working knowledge of Omega/Chaos, and the Protomateria already. This might be expected to an extent, given what we've already seen in Remake. And if anything else... it was just a fun silly fan-speculation.

[burr-ell]

"the tendency of this fandom to only engage with what THEY want these characters to be#as opposed to what their creators are trying to do and the stories they want to tell" slap this on a bumper sticker, you just summed all cr discourse (about PCs at least) in 2 sentences

It truly is maddening (and it's not by any means exclusive to the CR fandom). The reason why the discourse always goes the way it does is that at the end of the day, the loud fanwanky people only see what they would do, if they were self-inserted into the story, as a valid choice; and they are, more broadly, fundamentally disinterested in what others think or feel. There are several examples of this, and the variety of spaces within the fandom that produce these ideas is an indicator that this isn't endemic to one specific group of people.

-Keyleth is an important character whose feelings and choices are validated by the other PCs and cast even if they still disagree with them, in spite of how she and her preachiness get in the way of the Murderhobo Jubilee? It's not because the cast are all friends and they genuinely believe Keyleth is valid and are interested in how these discussions and choices can guide the story. It's because Marisha is the DM's girlfriend, and also here's my totally unbiased theory that my pet favorite players Sam and Travis secretly hate Marisha and Keyleth.

-Vax's presence is still felt and nodded to in the post-canon VM oneshots? It's not because he was an important character who mattered. It's because Liam wants to make everyone talk about his tragedy because he has Main Character Syndrome. Scanlan Wishes for Vax to appear at the wedding? It's not because he cares about Vex or because Sam and Liam wanted a sweet tribute to Vex and Vax's relationship and by extension Liam and Laura's friendship. It's because Liam thinks Vex's life should always revolve around Vax, and Sam wants to enable him and jerk himself off as the one who facilitated it.

-Beauyasha and Fjorester become canon? It's not because the players wanted it and it happened naturally. It's because there was a secret behind-the-scenes push to "force" those ships to become canon instead, and like, Dani Carr is some sort of shipping puppetmaster who made the players do it, and "they" (whomever "they" is) decided to sink Beaujester or Widojest because it was "obviously" going to become canon before the pandemic hiatus gave them time to "make the corporate-approved ships happen".

-Beau and Caleb try to reform the Empire and dismantle the Cerberus Assembly from within? It's not because it makes sense for their stories or that people who would take this position regarding a corrupt government might have a valid perspective that differs from your own. It's because the people at Critical Role Productions LLC are all spineless neoliberal cowards who won't commit to real activism. The best activism, after all, is violent, and violent revolutions have always resulted in stable aftermaths, and the real world has never demonstrated that this mindset is foolish.

-Relatedly: Caleb doesn't kill Trent personally? It's not because the most poetic justice would be to deny Trent the thing he wants most from Caleb. It's because "Limo Brain" is too obsessed with tragedy to have the stones to do "what needs to be done".

-Asmodeus, DnD Satan, turns out to also be CR Satan? It's not because it fits with the cosmology and the lore; it's because Matt Mercer is too attached to the "establishment", and the Prime Deities should have actually turned out to be the bad guys because of my personal baggage about Western religion and Christianity they're a little mean to my blorbo sometimes.

There's a pattern here: fans had expectations that they'd built up for themselves after projecting and building up fanon and deciding what players meant before they explained themselves fully, and when the players strayed from that, they were derided for all manner of reasons. I think we're seeing that same pattern play out in C3 as the story progresses in a way that fans dislike, and in fact we have seen fanwank spread whenever someone does anything that interferes with personally catering to a) the favored ship and/or b) the favored philosophy. (Orym, Ashton, FCG, Percy, Pelor...all valid when they affirm the Fandom Opinions and all disdained when they don't.)

Don't get me wrong, I think there's a place for comfort stories that deliver a personal catharsis. And I'm not going to dismissively say "well if you want it so bad make your own" because, as an artist, I am very familiar with the fact that creating is hard and draining and sometimes you just need to consume instead. But when you become so wrapped up in yourself and your feelings to the point where your perspective is the only valid one, someone else's feels like a betrayal when it isn't. It's always "They aren't doing what we wanted and here's why they're terrible people because of it" and never "Hmm, why is this what the cast wants? Let's examine that."

This isn't a new phenomenon, but I think it ultimately stems from not assuming that other people can differ from you in major ways in good faith. There are a lot of reasons for that (some more understandable than others), but I think you rob yourself of the potential to enjoy something new when all you do is demand what you already want. No matter what you're doing or where you are in life, you tend to become a better and wiser person when you open your mind to what other people have to say, no matter how mundane the subject matter. Sometimes the stories people have to tell are challenging—and the only healthy way to deal with that is to engage with them on their own terms.

[a-d-nox]

web of wyrd: the bottom-most number, your primary karmic lesson and the root chakra

the number we are focusing on today is based on the SUM OF YOUR PUBLIC ENERGY NUMBER, HIGHEST SELF NUMBER, AND YOUR DESTINY NUMBER - ex: as you see above, my number is 21 (9 + 10 + 2 -> 21). recall that numbers must be summed a second time if they total 23 (i.e. 2 + 3 -> 5) and above.

but what does this number mean?

this number represents our root chakra as well as our main karmic lesson. the root chakra is the first chakra we must unblock in order to work on the next chakra(s). when the root chakra is blocked people experience fear, anxiety, uncertainty, difficulty sleeping, constipation, fluctuations in weight, weakened immune system, fatigue, feeling unsafe in your environment, negativity, and/or doubt in your existence on earth. these are the first tasks you must face to move forward in this lifetime, thus they tend to be karmic issues leftover from past lives.

so let's talk about some examples:

8 - strength

rider-waite's strength card depicts a woman in white adorn in a flower belt and crown. she stares down at the noble lion while closing it's hungry mouth. the woman and her lion can be paralleled to the mythical characters persephone and cerberus. the card alludes to a perviously discussed card with flowers and an infinity symbol overhead - the magician. the two's reappearance illustrates worldly (the flowers) and spiritual (the infinite symbol over her head) abundance. she appreciates this abundance presently, as she does not face any given side of the card but rather faces the lion and corrects its gluttonous mouth. the lion appears ever happy to obey her maternal touch as it appears as docile as a domesticated animal - almost dog like. she models for the viewer that internal peace and self-confidence has the power to promote external peace in the world presently around her.

blocked 8s often have a lack of self confidence and may experience social anxiety. they may not trust themselves or their own body. oftentimes these people experience a moment in time where their body does not do what they wish it would. this can be something heredity, like a gene mutation that causes blood clotting or something along the lines of lupus - the point is that they tend to not trust their own bodies. they are thus less likely to trust themselves around others - fearing they might look weak and incapable. they often shut themselves in, embrace the feelings of being weak, and feel uncomfortable with being vulnerable around others.

enlightened 8s believe that they can be better and that they can overcome anything that keeps them down. they trust that they can handle anything that the world throws at them. they believe they can overcome any internal or external issues that arise - they face their fears without hiding from the speculation of others. they continue to proceed through each of life's various levels no matter how hard they may become. they aren't afraid to be vulnerable and seek help when needed.

the karmic lesson of 8s tends to originate in a lifetime in which they were overly prideful of their life. they may have been reckless and thought themselves invulnerable to the world around them. and more importantly, they could have thought they were invulnerable to the people around them - they could have been a cold individual who didn't mind hurting those who trusted them entirely and now they are set in this lifetime to be the person who must be vulnerable with others.

17 - the star

click here for the card description of the star found in a prior wyrd web post.

blocked 17s feel disconnected from the divine and often lack faith in the world around them. they suffer from a lack of hope which often causes them weakened immune systems or other health (mental or physical) issues. their mindset tends to control their life for the worst. they often don't trust others enough to be in their personal, intimate environment. they feel uncertain when creating because their inspiration tends to waver. it is their pessimism towards the world around them that keeps them down.

enlightened 17s, though they may feel like they do not belong, do have hope that they will find their people and they will persevere. they raise the spirits of those around them and inspire them with their confidence. they let creativity overtake them whenever it arises, not letting slumps bog them down or discourage them. they are often dealt a poor hand when it comes to health, but they don't let that stop them from believing they will get better

17s karmic lesson often comes from being someone in a pastlife who believed in nothing and trusted no one. they may have harmed others or discouraged them from believing in change and thus are "meant" to feel the pain they dealt others in this lifetime. they could have also (or alternatively) have been someone who was overly boastful about their talents and gifts and thus are meant to experience frequent blocks in this lifetime.

21 - the world

the depiction of the world, in rider-waite smith's deck, depicts a nude woman floating in the heavens surrounded by a laurel wreath - a greek symbol of victory. many cards are alluded to in this single one. her legs are in the akimbo position of the hanged man - showing that at the end of a journey we are, yet again, found at a crossroads as to what comes next. in the corners are the icons of the fixed signs of astrology that can be found in the wheel of fortune card. and the double-ended candles of the magician - showing the gained spiritual wisdom she has accrued. she glances over her shoulder showing her acknowledgement of this pervious journey but her hips angle her body to carry her forward to the future.

blocked 21s fear the ending of things and the future - they often have control issues. they aren't often willing to accept that the ending has come and gone. they experience a great deal of negativity when they lack-closure in a situation or have delayed gratification. they are prone to slipping into depressive states as they are the least willing to let go of how things once were.

enlightened 21s affirm themselves and provide themselves with their own closure without fear of what could be or could have been. they are ready for adventure and eager to seek it out. they humbly accept the reward(s) their pervious experiences provided them with. they celebrate their own wins - validating their own experiences and existence without needing to receive such from others.

the karmic lesson of 21s tends to be from a pastlife in which they were miserly and got in their own way. they were obsessed with keeping what they had and being celebrated/praised by others. they are now forced in this lifetime to often succeed in one facet of life and get pushed into the next phase without assurance from the world around them. they have to award themselves. they have to justify what they are doing and provide closure solely to themselves without external validation from others.

that's all for today. the next number we will be looking at is number in the center of the matrix.

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[brineffxiv]

Hi!

Er.. So. Dawntrail is imminent. I have been meaning to make this post for some time? But I procrastinated. I sort-of hoped that I would be able to catch up to my huge backlog of posts? Ah, but I suppose I should confess, I finished the game!

I loved it. It was awesome. Incredible. I cried so much.

Yeah. Kind of a poor excuse for a "liveblog" at this point, eh? So, when we last spoke... I got to the end of Elpis, and then that biiig cutscene happened. And I couldn't manage to articulate how I felt about it. Like. The first time I saw it, I was so upset and cried through the whole thing. I loved it. I hated it. I was so very angry with Venat. But I couldn't put it into words why. In the end, I was very glad I'd taken screenshots of it, and could go back through it and see it slowly, because my initial impression of what happened, turned out to not be what actually happened when I looked at it again?

I am still angry with Venat. But not necessarily for what she did in the moment, more, a collection of her actions and her overwhelming need to be in control at all times. Her mistakes were made long before the sundering, and I think at the time she did the best she reasonably could. Unfortunately, her best wasn't good enough.

BUT! These are all conclusions I should save for that post.

Which I still would like to write.

That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. See, like I said, I finished the game. But. I kept taking screenshots all the while, expecting to write posts. I had just hoped to have caught up before this point. Because as I understand it, Dawntrail will bring with it a significant graphical upgrade. And then it's not really possible to pretend that this is still a "live" blog, yeah?

And I mean, regardless, pretending it's all still "live" wouldn't be fair to you all. That'd be telling lies. And that's bad.

So how do you feel about this? When I get to writing posts I will still call them a liveblog, and I will try to write them in the mindset I was in when I first played through them. But we all know that it's not truly live.

The other option is I can just... not write the posts and quit the liveblog.

I don't know. Up to you to decide, I suppose. Do you even want to see the rest of it?

Anyway. So what happened was, I stalled out on writing that post, but I really wanted to keep playing. So I thought I'd play just a little... And, well, you know what happens with "just a little" - before I knew it I was in Ultima Thule facing down the Endsinger. And I still couldn't finish that damn post.

I did a lot of fun stuff after finishing the game!

I did all of Eureka! I cleared the Baldesion Arsenal enough times to complete 4 sets of gear and 4 Relic Weapons! I even did calls and led some of the runs through BA! It was a lot of fun! (I did it through the ABBA discord, which, while there are some lovely people there, upper management are assholes and I would not recommend sticking around long term. Use them and lose them is what I'm saying)

Then I went and did Bozja! I ran Delubrum Reginae Savage (with the Lego Steppers discord. Very well managed run. Full stars) and got my Cerberus mount. I hate Bozja! I'm not going back there! You can't make me!

I joined a raiding static and cleared EX6 when it was current! Then we cleared EX7! Then last Monday we cleared P9S! Such fun!

I joined a second raiding static! I was asked to leave the second raiding static! Because I am not very good at raiding!

Hmm... what else did I do? I maxxed out my Island Sanctuary. I got all my Blue Mage spells and completed the Masked Carnivale. I even got my umbrella! And I completed all my Splendorous Tools! I have 25 fish left to catch in the game!

I won a Medium house and decorated it. If you want to come see it some time, it's on Marilith, Mist, Ward 17 Plot 29. I filled it with secrets. And a little shrine to my favorite character (It's Emet-Selch, of course it is).

I even built a personal FC with my alt and am experimenting with subs and airships!

Speaking of alts. I may have made too many.

I did the raids (and cried), I did the tribal quests (and cried). I did a lot of crying! But it was good. It was worth it! I love this game!

I am so looking forward to Dawntrail (and I hope you are too!).

[aceouttatime]

7 and 10 for the shep game? :-)

Thanks for the ask Mars! <33

7. How approachable are they?

-> Pre-Lazarus? He's got a very severe case of resting bitch face, though not much more so than your average traumatized serviceman. I'm tempted to say not very approachable on that front.

He's decent at sussing out people's intentions, but generally gives them the benefit of the doubt, so once he's actually talking with you, he's less 'unknowably annoyed and terrifying.' I've mentioned before that his eyes are unnerving. Both how he's constantly shifting his gaze, like he's checking corners where there are none (whoops, paranoia), and the way that just-too-bright green bores into a guy when he's look at 'em. As far as body language goes, he's partial to leaning against walls and railings like he's cool (back issues) and doing the old 'crossing your arms and jutting a hip' type deal (also back issues).

Post-Lazarus? Downright unsettling, uncanny valley, kind of unapproachable. Even if you didn't know who he was or that he was supposedly missing in action for about two years, he has a presence about him that's not quite right. The angles of his face are too sharp, like the features were meticulously pieced together and ripping along the red-scarred, patch-worked seams of his body. When he moves, he moves like he is overly aware of his body, or like his body isn't in sync with his brain. He seems sensitive to even the lightest touch or sounds outside the range of what his hearing should be. It's most noticeable when he uses his biotics--he hadn't had them before Cerberus' intervention. He's the juxtaposition between a fawn finding its footing for the first time and an old god as assured and aware as the earth beneath its hooves.

'They came back wrong' is my favorite way I've heard Shepard(s) in general described, and that absolutely applies to Sylvan. This post sums up my thoughts so well.

10. How do they handle a teammate being badly injured during a mission?

-> A stranger would be different. Even a squadmate he has been able to stop himself from becoming emotionally vulnerable to, no matter how much he values them, would be different. But if someone close to his heart is injured in a life-threatening way, it impairs his judgement, and he'll take more fire than he should because of it. It can leave other forces vulnerable, and it's not yet been enough to entirely compromise a mission, but enough that his actions don't align with how he acts under other sorts of heavy pressures he's forced under.

It is a weakness that has been exploited, and it is one that has been attempted to be beaten out of him. It's the major one that almost made Nihlus keep hold of his recommendation of Shepard for the Spectres. He had planned to force Shepard to compensate for his deficiency.

Shep's had good conversations with Anderson about it, as the captain has faced similar lapses in judgement. It's a sensitive subject for Anderson too because of his past with Saren and the major difference between their modes of working being their regard for collateral. "That's our humanity, Shepard. You can't change it, I can't change it, shouldn't, really, if we don't want to lose it. It's almost selfish, that we're these vehicles of our own morality; Spectres are not. It's a numbers game for them. For you, now."

It's part of why he keeps up so many walls, and it's a byproduct of Akuze and Virmire and all of the other losses he's faced, but above all, Mindoir.

He's proficient in battlefield first aid, and he will laser-focus on that task if he's in that more panicked mindset. He's followed squadmates into the medbay more times than he should.

[shizuma-akira]

Hey have you seen Sander's new post on swiftspace? How will Jekyll react they're hanging out or is he just fine just letting Hyde hang out with him?

Jekyll is not the jealous type, well, he's clingy but not jealous kjdsh

He doesn't mind Hyde hanging out with more people and having some hobbies with them, he encourages it since Hyde spends a lot of time in his lab and has to drag him out when it's too much - although he doesn't vibe much with Sander (or people in general that are like him) for having the "weak vs strong" mindset, major side eye he gives if that topic is brought up.

Jekyll also tried to hangout as an spectator in one of the chess matches Sander and Hyde did, he doesn't understand chess at all so once it started to took too long, he fell asleep xD

I believe he'll only would assist another chess match just to keep Dreco (One of the heads from Hyde's cerberus) from eating the pieces

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Honestly, I kinda assume the Cerberus form thing Ortho seems to have going on in Book 7 is his version of Unique Magic. You know?

[Referencing this post!]

I don't know/j

Mmmm, honestly?? 🤔 I've never seen it that way… Ortho changes his gears very frequently throughout the course of the main story, events, and vignettes, so even if the Cerberus Gear is specially made for a certain scenario, it’s really no different than any other gear (which also all serve highly specialized functions).

The Cerberus Gear also doesn’t particularly serve as a big shift or a cap to Ortho’s character development (which is something typically associated with UM development, similar to Deuce and Epel’s). I’d actually argue that Fairy Gear is more significant in that regard, since it was Ortho who came up with how to best utilize its abilities to captivate the fairies (and even refused help from his brother). Even Rabbit Gear is more significant to the character, as it marks the first time Ortho designed his gear by himself rather than rely on Idia or Crewel to do it for him. The Cerberus Gear by comparison doesn’t have that; it’s made for him by his parents. Yes, the Cerberus Gear is important for the story, but it’s not as important to the individual character since it doesn’t mark a huge change in their perspective or mindset. Ortho has always wanted to save and to support his brother; it’s not a feeling or motivation unique to the Cerberus Gear.

In a way, the new gear is also quite limited so if it was the equivalent to Ortho’s UM then it’s… not a very good one? Like it’s not particularly designed for combat (which you’d think Ortho would want if he’s gun-ho about saving everyone), but rather for data collection. It also has a limited time (20 minutes) within Malleus’s magical force field. Maybe that’s just because the enemy Ortho’s up against has such different power levels, but it still doesn’t give Ortho’s “unique” Cerberus Gear much of a chance to show off or to demonstrate how it reflects his personality (which is what a UM should do, no?).

I think if we were to discuss something “unique” to Ortho, the closest thing I can think of is his ability to readily change forms and skills. He’s the only one of the cast who can just transplant his subconsciousness into empty vessels as needed. Again, this is largely dependent on what bodies and tools are available to him rather than what character changes he goes through, so it isn’t a 1:1 parallel with UMs. His “true” special “magic” arises from how he utilizes his new gears because of his new spirit (post book 6) which allows him to better empathize with human emotions and actively seek out his own independence. That’s not really a UM though, it’s just the result of the main story’s events and how they’ve impacted him as a whole.

[tealenko]

Me2, Horizon... And the struggles of getting in the skin of your character.

It's a week later, I still haven't played Horizon, but I wanna adress why I don't really want to, just in case I'm sending the wrong message here.

After more than a decade playing thins game, I'm no longer bothered with the dialog with the Virmire survivor (Kaidan, in my case), and I've reached a point where I kinda enjoy it, in a weird way (I've already talked about this in ch.3 and 4 of my fic Somebody that I Used to Know, if you wanna know more about it).

Do I wish they let my Sole Survivor Shepard say: "Look Kaidan, you're right. I hate myself for having to work with Cerberus and I know they are the worst... But I have no other option if I want to save the galaxy, sorry."? Yes! 10000% But, in the end, I'm okay with the outcome and general angst of their whole conversation (also, because of this I have Mars at the beginning of ME3... And I REALLY love Mars XDDD)

Anyways, I just wanted to say that for me the interaction it's okay (although I understand why other people in the fandom disagree with that statement XDDDDD)

I do like Horizon... What I don't like is PLAYING it.

Why? Very simple.

I'm always creating and writing ME fics for my canon Shep (most of them never see the light of day, but they live rent free in my memory for all eternity XDDDD) So, when I play the games, I'm 100000% in the mind of my Shep, to the point that I feel happy when good stuff happens to her and I feel like shit when she's being tortured by the plot.

Playing the beginning of ME2 it's already quite hard for me... Like, I feel a pressure in my chest just thinking about it. You may not believe it, but that's me lol

I simply cannot handle the angst when it's too much... And Horizon, it's the worse thing ever when it comes to that.

Knowing that, let me put you in the mindset of my Shep (and mine) during the mission:

She's been asking about Kaidan for forever (but no one gives her any info).

Forced to work for the people responsable for the death of her best friend and the rest of her unit back in Akuze.

When she finally has any news of Kaidan it's because he is in a colony that's being attacked by the collectors.

And knows that everyone dies or disappears when that happens.

So, Horizon for me, it's my Shepard (and me, despite knowing what happens) desperatly looking for Kaidan in every corner and every turn she takes, dreading the though of not finding him or to find him dead.

That's what kills me every fucking time.

Yeah.

I know this is a quite random thing to post and no one cares... But I care, so I wanted post it.

Anyways, that's it. I think I'll play it tonight (or at least I'll try).

[doberbutts]

Anyway the question that always gets asked whenever I reveal that I'm not actually into the Cloud/Tifa thing is who do I ship them with if not each other.

The answer is a little more complicated than all that because from the start I considered their relationship something closer to a QPR before I even knew what that meant. I was calling them platonic life partners back then. People who don't feel any romantic love for each other but have chosen to stay regardless, or perhaps because.

I think, before, Cloud thought he wanted to be for Sephiroth what Zack wanted to be for Angeal. A puppy-like affection, a mentor/mentee comradery, and a close connection. I think Sephiroth would have hated it. He was cold and standoffish to Zack until circumstances forced them together, and even then he only really opened up due to Zack's connection to Angeal. I don't think having his own "puppy" would have been welcome at all. And I think Cloud would have been forced to come to terms with reconciling his hero worship with the reality of everything.

He and Zack were friends, but Zack was actively dating Aerith at the time, and Cloud didn't know Aerith existed back then. And within the narrative, Zack and Aerith are "parents"- with how often Aerith is referred to as a mother with Zack standing beside her, and Cloud is among those who repeatedly mistake Aerith for their mom. Zack does it once within the complilation, before he meets her for real, Cloud a few times, *after* he knows who she is. Clearly even when [redacted], Zack and Aerith are intended to be read as a couple, but then that once again removes an option for Cloud.**

The others... eh. I could be pursuded with the right argument but within canon itself it doesn't hold much water. Once we eliminate those four, he's got affectionate negging with Barrett, a quiet respect for Vincent, and a mutual back-scratching with Reeve. He's vaguely willing to play ball with Reno and Rude but not willing enough to let his guard down, while he treats the other Turks with some distain. He mostly tolerates Cid and Yuffie he both treats like and calls a child- she's the youngest so fair, but still removes her from the playing field. Anyone else connected to Shinra he actively dislikes, so Rufus and his flunkies are out.

We've got confirmation that he doesn't remember Kunzel and if Tseng remembers who Cloud is, he's being characteristically tight-lipped about it but Cloud certainly doesn't remember him. The OG Avalanche crew all died, even though Biggs lived in the Remake, and they weren't close. The Remnants of course mostly wanted to kill him the entire time. Deepground barely acknowledges his existence. Angeal died before Zack met Cloud and Genesis was too deep in his own shit to care.

So like. That doesn't really leave anyone.

Personally I think Cloud has way too much unresolved grief and trauma that he still has not worked through. It's years later in Advent Children when he's finally able to begin to move on from [redacted], and despite that even more years later in Dirge of Cerberus he's still notoriously distant and moody and prone to flaking. He's still questioning who he really is, can he actually trust his own memories and senses, and how much guilt is he willing to shrug off his shoulders for his actions while under someone else's control.

And I think being a distant moody asshole that pushes your friends away because you don't know if they're actually real or not is a difficult mindset to be in while also trying to be in love. So he doesn't try. His friends do love him anyway however exasperated they may be with him at times when he shuts them out while Going Through It. But it means he's not really building anything with any of them either.

Except Tifa, who keeps a room and a bed and a desk for him when he decides to come back, whose bar he calls home, who adopted a scared little boy with him, who watches their friend's adopted daughter with him. Who takes a family photo of the four of them together, which sits on that desk. Who quietly sorts the research papers as he hunts for a cure for an incurable disease affecting their son. Who yells and scolds him not because he left and stopped coming home, but because he gave up and shut her out when he contracted the same disease rather than letting her help.

"You don't answer the phone, but I don't see you throwing it away."

Out of all the voicemails on his phone, it was hers saying Reno had dropped by the bar looking for him and being vaguely threatening with the kids that got him to go see the Turks. He did not followup on Reeve's invite to the WRO. He didn't go chasing oil with Barrett. He didn't visit Yuffie in Wutai. But Tifa says "Reno was here being his usual weird self, I think something was wrong", and he went to investigate.

I don't ship it. I think he believes he's too broken for romance. And I think she's very patient to wait for him and give him the space he needs. Maybe they're FWB. Maybe it's entirely platonic. But the compliation has shown us that it's *something*, even if it's deliberately vague on what type of something.

**I do sort of like the "first this guy [redacted] my boyfriend, then he [redacted] my girlfriend, after trying to [redacted] my childhood best friend and succeeding in [redacted] my entire village and also my mom. This Sephiroth guy sucks" paired with Sephiroth's "tell me what you cherish most, give me the pleasure of taking it away" vibes of Cloud/Zack/Aerith don't get me wrong, but also as said Aerith and Zack were dating at the time but Cloud does not know who she is (or even that Zack has a girlfriend) and it is Very Important that Cloud not know the name Aerith until after Zack [redacted] which would imply sort of shadey behavior on Zack's part. And I don't really see him as the type to cheat, so.

[phantomyre]

Vincent could prove to be a problem for Sephiroth this time around... regarding Cloud.

I'll preface this by saying all of the main characters in the party will have a part in creating the fibers that make up Cloud. Granted, we have characters such as Tifa who help piece his mind together, and Aerith whose death he felt personally responsible for. However, with the coming of Rebirth and the focus on building strong relationships amongst the team, I think it's safe to say every character will play a part in influencing Cloud's being. The friendship bond will be the strength that keeps Cloud whole as an individual--- and it is that strength that Sephiroth seeks to wield as his own. As such, Sephiroth will likely destroy that bond, come end of Rebirth or part 3. It is on this premise that I will focus on Vincent-- the one character who was not only reluctant to fight Sephiroth, but is also a reflection of Cloud. Both are one and the same, and yet very opposite.

Exploring Vincent's Mindset

Due to his past, Vincent purposefully disassociates himself from others-- particularly those he cares about. In OG, when Cloud asks the group to think of why they are choosing to fight, he is the most shocked when he sees Vincent return to the Highwind, saying he thought Vincent didn't care. In the novella On the Way to a Smile, Vincent immediately leaves Cloud and co after defeating Sephiroth, ignoring Yuffie's disappointment about him abandoning his friends. By the time of Dirge of Cerberus, Cait calls Vincent out on his bluff for saying he didn't want to take part in helping his friends in their efforts. Yet in every instance where he turned a cold shoulder, he could never fully resist his nature to address someone's earnest plight.

After opening his heart to Lucrecia and allowing his emotions to take control of his actions, it cost him his humanity, his lover, his life, and everything he once treasured. This phobia of imparting grief to a loved one is not unlike Cloud's fear, as is depicted in Advent Children. In essence, this element of Vincent's will/mindset can also be seen in the way he functions during his Limit Breaks, particularly when an enemy attempts to inflict statuses on him.

During Vincent's uncontrollable Limit Breaks, Vincent actually becomes immune to both Berserk and Confusion statuses-- regardless of what form he takes. Even while his mind and body are lost to the whims of the beast via rage and pain, befitting a true berserk state, Vincent is incapable of mistaking friend or foe. This in turn allows him to never act impulsively, unlike Cloud. Perhaps this is also why Marlene found refuge with Vincent, even though she presumably had never met him before. Amidst his agony, Vincent has learned to master his pain and use it to protect others.

Exploring Sephiroth and Cloud's Mindset

It is well-known that Cloud has been through hell. Everything from losing his family, his home, his best friend, and even his identity. Cloud easily falls into despair, thus making him an easy target of manipulation. Sephiroth is aware of Cloud's desire to become strong, and uses Cloud's pain as a motivator every step of the way. Both Cloud and Sephiroth desire to grow stronger, and throughout the various compilations, Cloud indeed gets stronger. But what of Sephiroth? Initially, it looked as though he only enjoyed tormenting Cloud just to make Cloud suffer. But since then, we've had a peak at Sephiroth's backstory entailed based on Ever Crisis' latest event (Pumpkin Harvest).

In the Halloween event, there is an interesting bit of lore that gives us some insight into Sephiroth's past with Hojo. Once Sephiroth enters the Shinra Manor and begins looking over the library, a flashback is triggered, and he is thrown into a whirl of pain. We learn that Hojo tortures Sephiroth in order to draw out Sephiroth's power.

Thus, it is implied that Sephiroth experienced 'kindness/love' in the form of suffering, believing that through pain, he can accomplish his greatest potential. And it is through this indoctrination of twisted psychology that Sephiroth also seeks to impart this 'kindness' to the one he deems worthy of his attention, aka Cloud. It wouldn't be far fetched to say Sephiroth may in actually believe he is doing Cloud a favor. But what does this all have to do with Vincent...?

Vincent's influence could thwart Sephiroth's control over Cloud

Consider the psychology of pain between Sephiroth and Vincent. One uses pain as a motivator to protect, while the other weaponizes it for his own gain, and perhaps as a contorted form of kindness. Vincent bemoans the loss of his humanity and his inability to feel. Sephiroth has not only been robbed of basic human experiences, but has also willfully discarded human emotions into the Lifestream (Lifestream Black Chapters from On the Way to a Smile). While both were tormented against their will, both chose to approach their afflictions contrary to one another. Both seek to protect and preserve Cloud, yet with very conflicting methods and reasons.

From OG onward, Cloud develops a connection with each of the characters. And in the case of Vincent, both seem to share a unique bond that is almost akin to a brotherly relationship (think alike, act alike, share the same pain, mutual respect, etc). Even so far as being the only two who visit Aerith's watery grave on a regular basis in Advent Children (Vincent says "I come here often"). But it isn't simply due to their past hardships or their travels together. Cloud lacks something that Vincent has an aptitude for--- the ability to harness pain and use it to protect others; the opposite of what Sephiroth is trying to instill within Cloud. Vincent, who is the harbinger of Chaos-- death and destruction, willfully chooses to instead become the protector. Cloud, easily mislead and vulnerable to Sephiroth's control, is being primed to become death and destruction himself. Should Vincent and Cloud's bond strengthen, and Cloud learns to harness his pain for the better, Sephiroth's grip on Cloud would be threatened. Vincent represents how perpetuated abuse can be used and controlled in order to help/protect others, while Sephiroth is the embodiment of that vicious cycle of pain being imparted to others for a selfish gain. With the theme of Rebirth and how strong relationships are key to the strength of the team, this inevitably sets the stage for those bonds to be torn apart either later in Rebirth or part 3. Cloud's strength being derived from his friends threatens Sephiroth's very existence. Every thread of connection is destined to be torn apart; only to be securely fastened to Sephiroth, and Sephiroth alone. And if there's one thing that Sephiroth fears the most, it is his bond with Cloud being severed. Therefore, Vincent (along with everyone else) will likely become a major threat to Sephiroth's existence... and that's not even including the fact that Vincent is connected to Sephiroth's past (his humanity), has knowledge of who his true mother is, and has proven he can successfully thwart Nero/Jenova/Sephiroth's escape by destroying Omega. But that is a discussion for another time.

[greypetrel]

For the WIP thing, may I ask about "Heathers" and "the thing about Miranda"?

Hi Mo! Of course you can, any time! ✨

The WIP thing...

So, starting with Heathers...

I like Looking hotEnding wars they cannot 🎶

it's a doodle I did this August, but it stayed in my folders and well. I should finish it. (Cassandra is Veronica.)

And "The thing about Miranda" is a snippet I wrote on Mass Effect, still very much a wip (Max, my Shepard, has a very clear voice, I'm just trying to figure out how to convey it in writing). I was pondering over her relationship with Miranda. I really like her character, it's so full of contradictions... But it's on the opposite of many of Max's core values, and I wanted to explore their (rocky, ending up in negative) relationship. A snippet under the cut!

Shepard really tried with Miranda. Or well, it took her a while to get in the right mindset and do. At first, she allegedly wanted the least to do both with her and with Jacob, as Cerberus faithful agents. At first, she avoided them and stood on the backline in battle. Not something she really was used to do, acting from the back, sending drones and taking aimed shots at enemies, but she did not trust the both of them at her back. She didn’t particularly want to end up with a knife between her shoulderblades just yet. If she ever met Garrus again, she though, she could bear having him smug because she was mimicking him as a sniper. She would have loved to have a smug Garrus by her side, mocking her because finally she wasn’t jumping in and hacking mechs from up close. Or just hitting people with the back of her gun. She really would have loved having him around. Quite frankly, she felt terribly alone, and Miranda looked at her half as an investment she had to protect, half as she was expecting her to prove said investment was worth it. As if she ever asked them to bring her back and had to be grateful and compliant. “I know, bimba. But you have to bite your tongue, some times, hitting your head against a wall would only give you an headache.” Her grandma would say. So, Max bent her head down, make herself scarce, made shameless use of Cerberus’ terminal and resources to find a blueprint of a Triumph Bonneville from 1985 and a shit load of spare mechanisms and parts, and started to build. Heads down, one problem at a time, break the bigger problem in many smaller and solvable ones. Stick with Joker if you feel alone.

[rimeiii]

Using WHB as an excuse to talk about gaming (pt. 2)

With the character voicelines being revealed in WHB and Xeno Cocytus Crucible FA gaming/Arknights x MonHun event grinding in the background (I stopped at 2 FLB copies by the time Xeno Crucible ended), it's about time I talk about one of my favorite things when it comes to talking about games, that being character development through voicelines! Because these voicelines come a long way to actually describe how a character actually is, and it's often these little details that can make or break a game for me.

What do I mean with these tiny voicelines? It's those little cut-ins, those quotes characters throw out in battle. For me, a good quote is one that displays aspects of their personality without making it seem like those aspects are the sole part of their personality.

(More under the cut, along with a spoiler warning for the What Makes the Sky Blue trilogy from Granblue Fantasy, as well as both Integrated Strategies 2 and Guide Ahead from Arknights!)

WHB's in-battle quotes seem to really hammer in the fact that they're in a war and are out for the angels' blood. Which is completely fair - this is the main premise of the game, after all. But there are several standout lines for me personally, especially in the context of their brief character introductions.

First of all, Naberius. Cool, calm, and collected - demons aren't exactly keen on pissing him off because he can shapeshift into a cerberus in his rage. He himself isn't fond of getting angry and going on a rampage, which I feel is exemplified in his quote.

To me, this is an indication of the ability to keep his emotions on check, so that he won't rampage on the battlefield. It's a warning of sorts, a "You won't like me when I'm angry", spoken with an air of confidence and mastery of his own abilities. Not quite unhinged, he still has his wits on his head - that is, until you push him enough for him to fly into a rage.

Now, you want to know who's unhinged period? Dantalian.

I compared Dantalian to Executioner Specialists because that's really how I envision his fighting style - specifically Kirin R Yato's second skill. Get up close and personal, beat up a prime target while drawing attention to yourself, retreat and go into hiding while finding another opening. Dantalian offering his enemies to write on his skin actually plays well into his character design, with the writings on his skin, as well as him fighting up close and personal just to feel fear!

Also, important to note that it would seem like he's taunting the angels. Given what we know about him, I think it's more than likely he's pissing the angels off by implying that this is definitely his victory, not the angels'.

And on the other side of the coin, we have a relatively sane individual whose only priority is to defeat the angels - Leviathan!

My baby boy, despite his jealousy and agoraphobia, is still able and willing to fight for the sake of his people on the battlefield. Very task-focused, he also shows signs of protectiveness towards his fellow demons on the battlefield - perhaps, it shouldn't come as a surprise, considering the fact that he is a beloved king.

In fact, it would seem his mindset in battle is 'battle first, emotions later' - his battle quote comes off as very...detached, for lack of better words. No threats, no taunts, simply a promise to eliminate all hostiles.

For a less detached yet equally serious person, we turn to Marbas.

He is sharp and succinct in his delivery of treatment progress. Efficient as well, because you're in the battlefield, and injured people will keep on rolling in until the fighting is over.

Another way I like to see skill proc voicelines getting utilized is characterizations that may not necessarily reflect only their fighting styles. Some voiceline cases in Arknights may be similar to WHB, like Lumen - but the delivery by all of his voice actors makes it clear that our therapist fish man Jordi Fontanarossa simply isn't someone used to combat. He is, by his own admission, just an ordinary person - prone to anxiety, focused on his job as a healer. He brings a briefcase into the battlefield in his chibi sprite for crying out loud.

While Lumen's voiceline essentially has the same 'function' and setting as Marbas's voiceline, in the sense that they are stating the progress of their healing, Lumen's delivery is noticeably more frantic compared to Marbas's calmer delivery. Well...he is one of the few people who asks for some time to breathe upon being asked to lead a squad (placed on slot 1 in the squad formation screen).

Contrast this with the more battle-hardened but equally dedicated Executor, real name Federico Giallo, an executor from Laterano's Notarial Hall and literal angel with a shotgun. He is extremely dedicated to his job, and his reference to 'breaking the taboo' is one directed towards one of the Sankta's laws.

See, the angels of Arknights, the Sanktas, live under a set of rules universally known as the Law. One of these rules is the fact that they cannot aim their guns at fellow Sanktas, lest they become a Fallen. However, there are known exceptions, such as the climax of Guide Ahead with both Pope Yvangelista and Andoain shooting at each other, as well as executors like Executor/Federico being allowed to shoot and kill fellow Sankta if they are proven to be a danger. Hence, his mention of breaking the taboo.

As for fellow, non-Sankta Laterano citizens...we turn to Fiammetta, a Liberi and Mostima's keeper.

Fiammetta is often seen as a dry and serious woman who's tired of the shit her coworkers put her through (finballs spiked with peppers, the many codenames her superiors gave to her, wing stickers on her back, and more). She is driven by anger towards Andoain, not being able to forgive him for an incident in the past - the exact same incident that turned Mostima into a Fallen. She really only flies off the handle when facing him, all but telling him that even if the entirety of Laterano would forgive him, she would never do so. "I will sodomize and face-fuck you", anyone?

Yet she keeps her prickly attitude outside of facing Andoain, and it shows - the delivery of this line in particularly sells it. It's dry, matter-of-fact, and borderline sarcastic - she's not actually sorry for forgetting to hold the shot back. Her hot-headedness and emotionality really does show here, in spite of her relative calmer image. And honestly, I'd argue this is how she really is - I often get the impression that she really does care and worry about the Doctor, even though she insists that the things she does are due to contractual obligations. She just doesn't get easily flustered.

And what about someone who's at least a little bit unhinged yet attempts to keep themself sane? Then we turn our attention to Shalem.

Shalem is a man who defected and ran away from a mysterious theater troupe known as the Crimson Troupe - who are actually assassins in disguise. The things he experienced in the past, including the Crimson Troupe, was enough to break him, and his emotional stability at this current point in the timeline is...let's just say less than ideal. And what better way to reflect that in his absolutely unhinged laughter in one of his battle voicelines?

The Crimson Troupe is the main antagonist of the second instalment of Integrated Strategies, Phantom and the Crimson Solitaire. Here, he is the Operator you get by playing the game mode, and he is the one who decided to save Phantom - otherwise known as Lucian, the man who massacred several of the troupe members and is being brainwashed by the troupe in the events of the game mode. So, Shalem ends up taking on the mission to save Phantom from the troupe.

Shalem apparently also has the same VA as Leviathan, btw.

ANYWAYS! One last thing I really like to see in terns of voiceline usage is making them reflect character development! It's present in the unlockable voicelines as you promote and increase an Operator's Trust in Arknights, but I do feel it's done really well in Granblue Fantasy. As an example: meet Sandalphon.

Sandalphon started out as an antagonist in the first What Makes the Sky Blue. Blinded by hatred and anger towards Lucifer, he vowed to destroy everything the Supreme Primarch held dear to his heart - which just so happens to be the Skydoms. He even goes so far as to drop the player character down to the endless skies near the end of the event! His Grand version (the Earth version) is him at his peak, after absorbing the four tetra-element Primarch's wings to use as his own.

He is rendered in an 'imprisoned' state until the time the second What Makes the Sky Blue event rolls around, and the Paradise Lost sub title is fitting. Because by this point, Lucifer is killed by Beelzebub by decapitation and his body taken by Belial to revive Lucilius, leaving behind Lucifer's head for Sandalphon to find upon leaving the angelic cradle he was imprisoned in. Lucifer bequeaths his Supreme Primarch powers and role to Sandalphon, fulfilling his original duty - to serve as Lucifer's replacement should he one day fail to perform his duties. But there is no fanfare to this event, and Sandalphon is left with many regrets and unspoken apologies towards Lucifer, his first friend and companion in their mutual loneliness - with Sandalphon always remaining behind while Lucifer often left to tend to his Supreme Primarch duties. This is the Sandalphon that is the base of his event version (Light element).

A large chunk of his character development is resolved on the final instalment of the trilogy, 000. Here, Sandalphon vows to see through Lucifer's wish for a blue and peaceful sky, and he fights off Lucilius and Belial just to do so (Beelzebub was first weakened by Lucilius and then sealed away by Cagliostro, so err...better luck next time, Bubs). A lot of parallels happen to tie off loose ends - Sandalphon uses the wings of the tetra-element Primarchs to fight toe-to-toe with Lucilius on Michael's insistence, Sandalphon is now the one to say "ittekimasu (I'm going now)" instead of Lucifer who now says "itterashai (I'll be waiting)", and the player character is the one who grabs on to Sandalphon's hand to save him from a deadly fall to the bottom of the skies. This is the version being showcased in the above vid, as a skin for his Earth version - the version itself being a 5* uncap for the event version from Paradise Lost (the uncap material is the event reward).

All of his voicelines reflect his promise to Lucifer now! In order (as translated in the GBF Wiki):

This is the power of an angel/Primarch. Use it well.

I won't let you destroy our wish!

I will annihilate you...

I will put an end to all calamity...Ain Soph Aur!

Which is insane because the other previous versions of Sandalphon, not counting his Valentine's and summer alts? They're a touch too emotional, a touch too angry, and a touch too hateful (Earth). The summer alt also reflects some character development from The Maydays event, and hnghhh Primarchs are good give playable Gabriel and my second Michael weap (or should I say Fire PnS-) please I am a suffering Water and Fire main

Anyways yeah! Voicelines gud. Tiny character snippets gud. Me likey.

[clericofshadows]

hmm curious: does miranda ask for the alliance intelligence/resources in regis' canon? if she does, how is his response in terms of giving it over to her?

she does! but he's very cautious because he gains a lot of trust issues during ME2. he knows she's a strong asset, and Regis has a mindset during ME3 of "what can I use during this war to our utmost advantage," which feeds into him willing to give her the information, despite his issues. and after Horizon she joins the Normandy and he lets her onboard with no hesitation (like in Miranda Mod).

in fact, after Regis learns who brought his body to Cerberus in the first place and confronts Miranda about it--and why she didn't tell him who did it in the first place--(which will be its own fic after the reunion™ fic), they kind of... start over?

their relationship gets better after Regis learns more about her history and her loyalty mission, and Regis kind of starts to realize that a lot of Cerberus's members turned to the org because it appeared to be their only choice. not that it really changes his opinion on anything, but he lessens up on his strict black & white view. he's still a major ass to the Cerberus crew, but he's now willing to take Jacob and Miranda on some missions.

during the party (which for me is about one year post-war) they both admit to each other that if things were different, they could have been great friends. they have a lot of similar interests and have a lot to bond over--and eventually years post-war, they do get there--but what could've been is stained by Cerberus.

thanks for the ask <3

[lavampira]

wip whenever

the cerberus side questline still haunts me with malena’s origin and specifically her akuze trauma so I’ve been working on her mindset from that situation. tiny section of it:

“What the hell was that?” Ashley shouts over the noise.

Malena ignores her. She grips the steering wheel tighter, desperate to stop her hands from shaking, her knuckles pale with the effort. She knows too well what made that sound. It still haunts her sleep most nights, now threatening to drag her back to the horrid screams and acidic stench that Akuze carries in her memories.

The thresher maw lets out another screech before it plunges into the ground. Clumps of dirt and rock fly in the air as it weaves beneath the surface, rumbling the very ground and rattling the Mako so much that she can feel it in her chest, and heads right for them.

“Commander!”

Kaidan’s voice rips her back to reality. Shame flushes hot up her neck and face, but Malena slams on the pedal and jerks the wheel in a hard left turn, cursing as acid splashes the Mako’s exterior.

[masterchief-and-detective]

Welcome to my Danny Williams/Jason Hayes ship side-blog! Fandoms are: Hawaii 5-0 & SEAL Team Pairing: Danny Williams/Jason Hayes

Below is a list of all the fics I've written for them thus far: (Currently at 12)

Title: East Coast Business Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Characters: Jason Hayes, Danny "Danno" Williams, Emma Hayes, Steve McGarrett, Sonny Quinn, Clay Spenser, Ray Perry, Brock Reynolds, Trent Sawyer Additional Tags: Male Slash, Established RElationships, Jealousy, For the sake of this fic military homophobia doesn't exist, love is love, Team Bonding Summary: Jason chats with Emma about his life on the island with Danny and his little rivalry with Steve, Bravo team dines at Danny's place as he bonds with them, and Danny and Jason try not to think about what happens when Bravo team gets called back into action.

Title: What a dog bone to pick... Rating: General Audiences Characters: Danny "Danno" Williams, Jason Hayes, Cerberus(SEAL Team), Noelani Cunha, Eddie McGarrett, Steve McGarrett Additional Tags: Crossover, Established Relationship, Jealous, Dogs, Possessive Behavior, Highkey Steve's in love with Danny and that's why he's jealous, But he respects as much as he can that Danny's in a relationship with someone else, Still makes it clear he's not given up, But that's also not their ship in this fic, but it's a strong element Summary: Danny dating Jason and hanging out with Bravo team isn't limiting the jealousy to just the human members. Nope. Eddie's on a walk with Noelani when he catches Danny walking Cerberus with Jason and he feels jealous. So when Danny's visiting the house again, he acts jealous and possessive of Danny and is extra pouty with Steve.

Title: Parallels Rating: General Audiences Characters: Danny "Danno" Williams, Jason Hayes, Junior Reigns, Tani Rey, Lou Grover, Steve McGarrett, Quinn Liu Additional Tags: Not Beta Read, Junior Reigns Has A Strong Loyalty To Steve McGarrett, Junior does NOT like Danny's boyfriend, Danny "Danno" Williams Leaves Hawaii, Crossover Pairings, Read Author's Note Summary: It's not that Junior wants to see Danny unhappy... He's just not too happy that Danny's healing and moving on with another SEAL who seems to be replacing Steve in Danny's life. He doesn't like seeing Jason make himself too comfortable in the McGarrett home, he doesn't like that Danny's bringing Jason in to help with military sensitive cases for help...he simply doesn't like Danny's new SEAL boyfriend.

But most of all, he hates to be the one to call Steve to tell him Danny's leaving Hawaii because the detective fell in love with another SEAL.

Title: The Kids Meet and the Family Grows Rating: General Audiences Characters: Jason Hayes, Danny "Danno" Williams, Emma Hayes, Michael Hayes (SEAL Team), Grace Williams, Charles "Charlie" Williams Edwards Additional Tags: Crossover Pairings, Male Slash, Meeth the Family, Established Jason Hayes. Danny "Danno" Williams Summary: Requested: Maybe a Danny meeting Emma and Mikey. As well all the kids meeting

Title: Chances that were Rating: General Audiences Characters: Jason Hayes, Danny "Danno" Williams, Steve McGarrett, Clay Spenser, Sonny Quinn Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Established Jason Hayes/Danny "Danno" Williams, Jealous Steve McGarrett, Jealous Jason Hayes, Crossover & Fandom Fusions, Crossover Pairings, Team Dynamics, Jealousy, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Not Beta Read, Please Read Notes, Pining, One-Sided Attraction, Steve McGarrett Is Very Much In Love with Danny Williams, Bitter Steve McGarrett Summary: Steve and Jason clashed.

Danny's done his best to keep them apart, even if he's come to care about Bravo team as much as he cares for his Ohana and would love for them to be able to get along. But he knows how strong both Jason and Steve's mindsets are. Time has passed and things have settled. Somewhat.

A case involving the Navy, plus Clay's connections lead to a chance for what seems like a truce...

Steve, however, is having a very hard time dealing with it all. He wants Danny to be happy. He's protective of Danny's happiness and well being...but horribly jealous about missing his chance. And seeing another SEAL fill what should have been his role.

Title: The Mainland Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Characters: Jason Hayes, Danny "Danno" Williams, Catherine Rollins, Bravo Team (SEAL Team), Naima Perry, Steve McGarrett, Mandy Ellis, Sonny Quinn, Clay Spenser, Charlies "Charlie" Williams, Edwards, Rachel Edwards, Mary Ann McGarrett Additional Tags: Not Beta Read, Crossover Pairing, Danny "Dannoy" Williams Leaves Hawaii, Protective Bravo Team, please read author's note, Not Catherine Friendly, Male Slash, Bravo Team is the Danno Protection Squad We All Need, Implied Sexual Content, Self-Indulgent Summary: Danny leaves Hawaii. He follows his new SEAL boyfriend Jason back to the east coast, as well as a rise in rank on the job. He wants to move on. He's settling in pretty well too.

One night, after Bravo Team gets home from an op, they're out celebrating and he's having a blast with his new found family...then he runs into Catherine. She's left Steve, AGAIN! He wants to be done with her, but she just keeps showing up and ruining his mood. But his new friends, his new family made up of amazing SEAL's are there support him and have his back unconditionally. If Danny doesn't like her, they don't like her. They already hate Rachel.

Checking in on Steve, now knowing that Catherine left him again, Danny has no choice but to tell him how he knows that...which will reveal to Steve that Danny, has in fact, left the island.

Title: The Auction Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Characters: Danny "Danno" Williams, Steve McGarrett, Jason Hayes, Chin Ho Kelly, Bravo Team Ensemble (SEAL Team TV) Additional Tags: Not Beta Read, Implied Sexual Content, Insecurity, Insecure Danny "Danno" Williams, Charity Auctions, Crossover Pairings, Danny "Danno" Williams Deserves Better, Bravo Team is Protective Danny "Danno" Williams, I'm Bad At Summaries, Please read notes Summary:

“It’s just an auction…” Steve said weakly. He knew Danny had been irked, but this was on a different level. 

“Yeah, an auction of HPD officers that are gonna love to brag or snicker about the outcomes. Like I said, cheekbones, and your last name starts with a K. You’ll do more than fine I’m sure, Chin. You’re a straight up dime. A few letters down the chain will be our team leader who manages to pull off the James Bond look, as well as have the family reputation that’s loved by the people hosting the event. Who’s going to be last, and will have the auction bid probably most remembered? Oh yeah, the short white guy everyone hated to work with when he first arrived!” 

**OR**

HPD is hosting one of those bachelor charity auctions, and Steve signs up most of 5-0 without asking them. Insecurities about how he's viewed by the island and HPD itself, or at least how it was in the beginning, rise in Danny. He still has rooted feelings about being the odd one out, and ticked at Steve for forcing him into things without checking in with him first to see if he's okay with it.

Luckily, Bravo Team's got his back. Jason proving how he's the best SEAL boyfriend Danny could ever ask for.

Title: Shy of Three Months Rating: Mature Characters: Steve McGarrett, Danny "Danno" Williams, Jason Hayes Additional Tags: Not Beta Read, Female Danny "Danno" Williams, Genderbending, Always Female Danny "Danno" Williams, Implied Sexual Content, Minor Steve McGarrett/Catherin Rollins, Jealous Steve McGarrett Summary: She understands that in dating Jason she's giving in to her curiosity about what it would be like to date Steve without putting everything at risk. Jason's only on the island for a couple of months anyway. Their fling will be short but they were honest with one another and knew what it was. And what it was is...fun! Danni loves the way Jason makes her feel.

Steve's on-again/off-again relationship with Catherine isn't his first priority. Once he finds out Danni's dating a SEAL, it doesn't even make it to the top three. ^^^This Starts off Jason/Danny but does end in Steve/Danny

Title: While Danno's Away Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Characters: Jason Hayes, Danny "Danno" Williams, Steve McGarrett Additional Tags: Crossover Pairings, Tags May Change, Other Additional Tags to be Added, Not Beta Read, Jealousy, Jealous Steve McGarrett, Jealous Jason Hayes, Rivalry, Boys Kissing, Implied Sexual Content Summary: Danny's dating Jason...

There are obvious sides as both Five-Oh and Bravo Team 'fight' for Danny's time. They failed to realize just how much their lives have intertwined until they keep crashing into the other team while Danny's away. Each encounter leads to trying to monopolize Danny's time from a distance via calls, texts, and video calls.

Title: While In Britain Rating: General Audience Characters: Danny "Danno" Williams, Harry Langford, Jason Hayes Additional Tags: Danny "Danno" Williams Leaves Hawaii, Not Beta Read, Post-Canon Summary: While co-chaperoning Charlie's trip to England as Rachel visits, Danny runs into Harry. Harry learns about Jason.

Title: Cheer Squad Rating: General Audience Characters: Jason Hayes, Danny "Danno" Williams, Charles "Charlie" Williams Edwards, Michael Hayes (SEAL Team TV) Additional Tags: Family, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Family Dynamics, Danny "Danno" Williams Is The Best Dad!, Parental Danny "Danno" Williams, Parental Jason Hayes Summary: Mikey has an important game coming up, and Danny helps Jason balance his work and home life so they can attend. Though Grace and Emma are far away at college, Danny, Charlie, and Jason make sure they're there to root for Mikey.

And Mikey's very thrilled to have his two dads and brother come cheer him on.

Title: Protocol: Howl Rating: Teen and Up Audience Characters: Jason Hayes, Danny "Danno" Williams, Eric Blackburn, Mandy Ellis Additional Tags: Werewolves, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Alpha Danny "Danno" Williams, Werewolves are known by the military, Crossover Pairings Summary: While deployed Jason is bitten. If he survives the bite it's not guaranteed he'll be able to continue life in service unless he can master his control.

The Navy gets in touch with the closest Alpha they have an understanding with and ask for help. Alpha Danny takes the newly turned Jason Hayes under his wing to help him gain control.

[[It's in my humble option that every OTP needs a werewolf AU. So Danny/Jason is getting one!]]