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jessamine-rose · 8 months ago

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⋆˚♱ଘ Requiem for the Damned ଓ♱˚⋆

*holds head in hands* Idk why Dottore keeps haunting me with writing inspo. And for this idea to manifest just before Holy Week….fuck it, I hope you all enjoy the blasphemous tale of Priest! Dottore x Demon! Darling _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):

Tw:: yandere, violence, death, religious abuse, dubcon, mention of nsfw, MINORS DNI

Note:: fictional depictions of religion

♡ 2.7k words under the cut ♡

♡ Despite your status as a wandering demon, you have no place in human cognizance. Rather, you conceal yourself from mortal eyes in favor of close observations and whispered temptations. Humans, from your perspective, are interesting creatures—they are ambitious, easily influenced by spiritual beings, capable of both good and evil.

♡ And what better example than the one who summoned you on a starry night? Such rituals are not uncommon amongst heretics, but most only succeed in invoking the contempt of their fellow humans. And few would invoke your name, much less commit sacrilege within the walls of the Church.

♡ You sense danger immediately upon your appearance. Within the summoning circle, you take note of your sigil perfectly illustrated in blood against marble. Beyond it, what alarms you is not your sacred surroundings nor the fresh corpse mixed with your offerings of books and fruit. It is the figure standing over you, cloaked in moonlight, gazing at you with eyes the color of hellfire.

“My ritual is a success. Welcome to my humble church, o noble demon…or would you rather be addressed by your epithet? ______, Fallen Seraph, the Seeker of Forbidden Knowledge.”

♡ A glimpse into his soul is all it takes to strike fear into your heart. Within Hell, there are rumors of a small village in Sumeru. Its people are nothing of note, a congregation of simpletons whose lives revolve around the beliefs of their Church. The lone exception is the main priest, Father Zandik, better known as Il Dottore.

♡ The stories, passed through human voices, speak of a child ostracized for his unconventional beliefs and his interest in the macabre. Branded a madman, he was placed in the care of the Church elders who corrected his ways of thinking. Once he became of age, Zandik was given the choice to move out of the rectory or to remain as a priest; he chose the latter of his own volition.

♡ Since his ordination, Zandik has proved himself to be an exceptional priest. He educates the masses, reviews theological texts, performs exorcisms, and provides religious counsel for the doubtful. He even serves as the town’s doctor, fully gaining the acceptance of his community.

♡ The rumors don’t stop there. For Il Dottore earned his title by performing miracles. It is he who guides the people into religious ecstasy, he who cures the sick from mysterious curses, he who blesses the weak into “enhanced humans.” There are already whispers that once Dottore’s mortality catches up with him, he will surely be canonized as the Patron Saint of Doctors and Miracles.

♡ But spiritual beings such as yourself know the truth. That Dottore is neither a kind priest nor a devout believer, that his days in the Church only magnified his heretical inclinations. Disillusioned with God, Zandik decided to turn His religious sanctuary into his own laboratory, one where he could fulfill his lust for knowledge through a mask of holiness.

♡ He manipulates the people with false teachings. He triggers religious ecstasy with drugged incense. He singles out devotees to “test their faith” during the quiet hours of the Church. And what the town perceives as curses and miracles are actually scientific experiments in which Dottore plays god.

♡ It’s too late to escape. No matter your divine powers, nothing prepares you for Dottore’s traps. The incantations, the barrier of the summoning circle, an aura so holy yet sinister that it couldn’t possibly come from ordinary religious objects—all you can do is fall to your knees and beg for his mercy, all the while he watches you with a confident smile.

♡ His intentions are like that of any human: He summoned you to form a contract. In exchange for his soul, he demands your knowledge, your resources, your full servitude for so long as he roams the mortal plane. Your hesitation only triggers another wave of scorching pain, followed by panic as Dottore grips your horn and forces you to face him.

“Make no mistake, ______. The mere fact of your divinity does not make you indestructible. In exchange for your cooperation, you will bear witness to experiments of the same magnitude as God’s creations. What say you?”

♡ You have no other choice. And that is how, in the sanctity of the Church, you make a deal with the human named Zandik. Once the pact has been forged, Dottore admires the bright sigil on his chest, plucks a few feathers from your wings, and disables the summoning circle so you can leave. Thus begins your personal hell.

♡ It is easy for you to answer Dottore’s questions about the divine. The horror lies in assisting him in experiments, responding to his summons no matter the inconvenience, allowing him to extract your blood, tears, and feathers. No, what’s most humiliating is when he uses your body for his “research,” bending you over the altar and bringing you to physical ecstasy against your will.

♡ At this point, you don’t know who to pray to. One night, Dottore shows you a secret room in his laboratory. As soon as he lights the lamps, your eyes take in numerous bodies and skeletons of a different classification from his usual victims. The extra bones jutting from the scapulas, the amputated wings, the halos pinned to the walls, the holy aura you’d felt from his religious objects…instantly, Dottore’s powers make sense.

“This is my first specimen. She was my guardian angel…no, I jest. She was a mere messenger who implored me to repent for my sins. From her words, I deduced it had been within Heaven’s capacity to save me during my youth—and yet God only sent an angel to me after my first act of blasphemy.”

The angels…how many has he killed? Not even during your fall from Heaven did you feel such primal fear for your life. But you cannot scream—you have long been trained to resist fight and flight. All you can do is listen to Dottore’s explanation, watch as he approaches a pure white skeleton and wraps his hands around its fractured hyoid bone.

He gives you a calm smile. “Luckily, her body provided me with indispensable resources for my experiments and my procurement of her brethren. I believe her name was Sohreh.”

♡ Just when you think it can’t get any worse, Dottore points at the far corner of the room to reveal a space dedicated to demons. Four dead bodies, their causes of death vividly described. Horns, wings, and other body parts amputated in exchange for lives spared after exorcisms. And when Dottore returns to your side, tracing the wound from where he broke off your horn, you can only tremble and acquiesce to a checkup. It grows back fully by the end of the year.

♡ He has his moments of vulnerability, however. Perhaps it is due to your nature as a demon, a creature which represents evil, that Dottore does not hide his heart from you. Once, after his usual confessions—he always makes up trivial sins—he remains in the confessional until his fellow priest has left. Then he goes to the altar and summons you.

♡ What catches you off-guard is not his lack of greetings. Rather, it’s the way he pulls you close to his body, lips ghosting the curve of your ear. There, in the heart of the Church, he whispers to you every sin he has ever committed. Despite his normal tone of voice, his words have never betrayed a language so guiltless, so sincere, so human.

♡ He asks how much of his madness is to blame on the influence of demons, or if he had been born wicked. He asks if humans were truly given the mental faculties to withstand temptation regardless of their circumstances. He asks if the same can be said for spiritual beings, questioning why former angels like you were also created with the capacity to sin. He even asks if praying for a demon can offer them any hope of salvation.

♡ It takes you a while to answer his questions. It’s just like him to put your emotions in disarray, to make you feel pity for the very cause of your current suffering. Against your nature, you wonder if there is still a chance for Zandik, if he can somehow repent or find a way to save himself from your contract and all of his sins. Even if it is too late, He has always been more forgiving to humans than angels.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨

“Do you know why I became a demon, Zandik?”

Your question is what prompts Zandik to pull away from you, though his touch lingers. His gaze, as always, is unfathomable; you can never discern what hides within those pools of crimson.

“No, I do not. Few demonological texts allude to your existence, and only the Lesser Key of Deshret cites your previous status as an angel of the highest ranking. I have made theories in relation to your epithets but I respect all possibilities. Now what would you, as the primary source, reveal to me?”

Now it is your turn to confess.

“Seraphim are the closest to God but for that reason, we are the most distant from His creations. Everything we know of the world is derived only from what He tells us, not our own insights. And so I defied His Word and ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, committing the same sin which condemned all of humanity.”

The tip of your upper wing brushes against Zandik’s face, while your middle wings encircle his body in a loose hug. As for your lower wings…they are nothing but twin scars covered in short feathers. After your descent, it seemed like a rational decision to chop them off, broken as they were. It helped that your wings had just outgrown their original purpose.

For once, you barely flinch at the sensation of his touch against your scars. Many times, Zandik has inquired about the loss of your lower wings and even asked if he could have them. They still remain in Hell, tucked away in a corner of your home, eyes forever closed.

It takes a few seconds for him to respond. “Do you ever regret your decision?”

You shrug. “It was difficult at first, naturally. Many of my eyes were blinded—yes, that is why I rarely open the ones on my wings—but those which still function have seen so many wonderful sights up-close. Neither must I cover my face with my remaining wings. And despite being what your kind and my former brethren would dub a monster…I’m happier now.”

“I see, I see.” His curiosity appears far from sated, however, a sentiment you can empathize with. “As I thought, God is incomprehensible. For Him to deny even His greatest creation of salvation…it confirms that there are limits to the forgiveness of that which humans call a ‘loving god.’ Thank you for sharing this knowledge with me.”

And just as quickly as he initiated his confession, Zandik steps out of your grasp and dismisses you. But you make no haste, silently watching him after you “leave.”

His expression is thoughtful. A gloved hand touches his chest, right above your sigil.

Such an interesting creature.

Honestly, you don’t know what to make of your feelings for this human. Much as you despise his cruel treatment towards you, he never fails to capture your interest with his experiments and philosophies. Whenever he speaks of God, you wonder if a small part of him still desires to be saved. But that will never be.

Zandik preaches salvation with the knowledge that he will never receive it. For the Church never taught him how to love.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨

♡ Il Dottore never became the Patron Saint of Doctors and Miracles. Neither did he have a funeral mass befitting of a priest, nor a peaceful death from natural causes. Instead, he died young, laicized, once again denounced as a heretic by his community.

♡ You don’t know how his crimes were exposed, and why now. Perhaps it is God’s punishment for him, a blessing for his victims, or both. Either way, Dottore paid for his sins on a sunny day, burned at the stake before a disdainful crowd. Not long after his heart stopped beating, his belongings were thrown into the fire—research, tools, anything which carried his memory.

♡ You never left his side. After his last rites, led by an elderly bishop who condemned Zandik as he did in the past, you sat next to him and offered a final conversation. He didn’t express any fear nor sadness in regards to his imminent death, merely stating it a pity that his achievements could never be appreciated in his town.

♡ …He did ask if there is any chance of meeting again in Hell, but you reminded him that the punishment of sinners is out of your jurisdiction. Plus, it’s better that way—you have no desire to avenge yourself, and you’d rather not witness Zandik’s suffering for all eternity. You can only imagine the severity of his punishment, what more if he is assigned to one of the demons he exorcized.

♡ During his execution, you stood at the front of the crowd. You kept your eyes trained on him, for so long as his scarlet orbs remained open, whispering the prayers for the dead on his behalf. While a part of you felt liberated, another was mournful. You hope your last words to Zandik gave him solace in his final moments.

“Rest now, Zandik. God may never forgive your sins, but I shall.”

♡ And thus ends the life of Il Dottore. In the following days, the Church is purged of its holy, sinister aura, mainly because they discarded the religious objects tainted with angel remains. You continue your usual obligations as a wandering demon, but the humans you observe pale in comparison to your companion of many years.

♡ Not long after, you return to Hell for your other divine duties. As soon as you appear in your abode, however, something feels off. The sinister aura, the offering of books and fruit, your lower wings gone from their original place… The answer comes in the form of a hand grabbing you by the horn, pulling you backwards, twisting your body to meet a familiar gaze the color of hearth-fire. Only, this time, those eyes are brimming with pure joy, paired with a genuine smile.

♡ Apparently, Dottore’s soul did end up in Hell but not in the way you expected. In a proud voice, he explains that the Devil gave him a special fate. Whether it was due to vacant positions or everyone’s fear of the infamous “Demon-Killer,” you’ll never know. What Dottore does confirm is that as the demon bound to him via contract, you have to take responsibility and act as his companion in Hell.

“Rather than subject me to eternal suffering, the Devil believed that my talents would prove useful for the punishments of my fellow sinners. How wonderful is it for my achievements to be recognized in Hell? …Oh? I didn’t predict such a physical reaction from you. All of your eyes are wide open, and you seem to be on the verge of fainting.”

♡ You don’t know if you want to laugh or cry. To think your personal hell has been extended to eternity—are your sins enough to warrant such a fate?! But after confirming your misfortune, all you can do is sigh and tend to Zandik. He looks exactly the same, with the exception of a few burn scars on his body. And judging by the familiar black feathers on his person, he seems eager to discard his former religious attire along with his mask of faith.

♡ And when Zandik unfastens his scorched cassock, he takes your hand and places it on his unburned chest, right above your sigil. It glows vibrantly, brighter than any light you laid eyes on in Heaven. And beneath the flesh, you can feel his heart beating in sync with yours.

“Tell me, ______, do I still appear human to you?”

“You already know my answer to that question. But fine, I’ll admit it: Yes, you always have.”

♡

More Church AU here!! Capitano ๑ Arlecchino ๑ Pantalone ๑ Pierro ๑ Dainsleif

Note:: Please do not send me any Church AU asks/ requests involving other characters or dynamics who are not listed in my masterlist.

At long last, I am free from Priesttore…thank you to everyone. To my readers, to my fellow Dottore simps, to my mutuals who indulged my tortured DMs after midnight, to the artist whose fan art inspired this idea to begin with. May you all have a lovely day╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

Tag a Dottore enjoyer!! @leftdestiny-posts @beloved-blaiddyd @mochinon-yah @diodellet @lcveaesop @oofasleep @bye-bye-sunbird @yandere-romanticaa @boundinparchment @harmonysanreads @teabutmakeitazure @yandere-wishes @yanmaresu @nicebonescomrades @nimandu @lesanyanyas @moarar

#il dottore #dottore #dottore x reader #yandere dottore x reader #yandere dottore #yandere fatui harbingers #fatui x reader #genshin x reader #yandere genshin #tw: yandere #tw: dark #tw: blood #tw: death #tw: violence #tw: dubcon #spicy warning #mdni #g/n reader #jessamine-writing

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armoredisopod · 6 months ago

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Arknights CN 5th Anniversary/New Main Story PVs

youtube

New Operators

PhonoR-0, 1* Ritualist Supporter

Anger turns words into fire.

Fang the Fire-Sharpened, 5* Charger Vanguard

Commanding a Squad? Don't worry, i'm familiar with it.

Logos, 6* Core Caster

The souls have left, but our souls still need rest.

If the deceased needs guidance on their way to the other side, i am willing to be the Sarkaz ferryman.....

Wiš'adel, 6* Limited Flinger Sniper

Remember, Doctor, It's "Wiš'adel"

No longer a dead man's codename, this is my name.

Civilight Eterna, 6* Welfare Bard Supporter

Time will heal all wounds, love will heal the scars.

Amiya, Incantation Medic Class Change

Hatred is spreading. I will try to put it out, no matter... how many times it takes.

Operator Outfits Update

Total of 9 new outfits, 4 new additions for the Bloodline of Combat brand, 2 new additions for the Iteration Provident brand and 3 new additions for the Ambience Synesthesia brand

Bloodline of Combat

Three Hundred Meters Underground - Savage (Login Event)

Blade-Cleaved Tides - Thorns

Under the Flaming Dome - Ines (21 OP)

Young Branch - Muelsyse (24 OP)

The blades are vibrating, the water is humming.

Now, i understand their emotions even better than before...

Iteration Provident

Nocturne of Elysia - Blue Poison

Red Countess - Skadi the Corrupting Heart (24 OP)

The scarlet velvet of life cushions this diamond of death.

Ambience Synesthesia

Carriage of the Winds of Time - Ho'olheyak

Rhythmic Blocks - Swire the Elegant Wit

Never-Melting Ice - SilverAsh (21 OP)

Announced outfit reruns

Series IV Bloodline of Combat outfits (Skadi the Corrupting Heart, Gnosis, Aurora)

Bloodline of Combat outfits of Kal'tsit, Specter the Unchained and Ebenholz

Epoque outfits of Rosmontis and Nearl the Radiant Knight

~120 other outfits as part of the 5th anniversary celebration edition of Rhodes Fashion Review

Operator Modules Update

Wiš'adel, Logos and Fang the Fire-Sharpened being part of branches with modules immediately get their modules

BOM-X module base effect adds another shockwave to Wiš'adel's attacks

CCR-∆ module base effect makes Logos' attacks additionally deal 8% of his ATK as Necrosis damage

CHG-X module base effect makes Fang the Fire-Sharpened generate 2 DP per enemy defeated and refunds her full DP cost when retreated

Lord Guard branch gets 2 module types

LOR-X given to SilverAsh, Thorns, Qiubai, Lappland, Ayerscarpe and Frostleaf

LOR-Y given to Лeto, Arene and Luo Xiaohei

Events and Stories

Ep14: Absolved Will Be The Seekers

During the anniversary event period, Ep14 will be immediately accessible immediately after beating Ep1 and there will be an event shop

Operator Archives Update for Greythroat, Siege, Shining, Ascalon and Aroma

Misc Stuff

New QoL changes; failing Challenge Modes will only deduct 1 sanity instead of half the sanity cost, players can put signatures in their profile cards and the friends list limit is increased to 100

Blemishine, Aosta, Bubble and PhonoR-0 added to recruitment

The potential tokens in the red voucher shop will be changed, Royal Guard and Specialist tokens will be available

Players who don't have Scene and Siege's [Legacy] outfit can get them in the Ep14 event shop

Amiya's [Newsgirl] outfit will be available in the certs shop to players who don't have it

Livestream Stuff

Showcased Wiš'adel, a 6* Flinger Sniper that can apply heavy pressure in a wide area and just straight up dealing with high DEF enemies because sure why not at this point

First talent makes her attacks attach an Afterimage to enemies, when this Afterimage is hit with a shockwave from her attacks it has a chance to explode and Physical damage to nearby enemies and Stun them for a few seconds

Second talent allows her to summon a Spirit Shadow within attack range upon deployment, if she has her summon in a nearby tile she gains Camouflage, her summon attacks enemies in her range inflicting a brief Slow and Afterimage, her summon can be attacked by ranged enemies

Skill 1 is a power strike skill that makes her next attack inflict more shockwaves and Stuns the targets for a few seconds, additionally it increases the splash range and shockwave damage multiplier

Skill 2 reduces her attack interval, increases her ATK and lets her attack multiple enemies at once, it also has an Overload mode where her attacks turn into a rapid barrage that hits random enemies and has a damage multiplier, this skill can be manually deactivated

Skill 3 immediately summons 2 more Shadow Spirits (up to 3 can exist at a time, will remain when skill ends), increases her ATK, greatly lengthens her attack interval, massively increases her attack's splash range, increases the Afterimage proc chance to 100% and gives her attack a damage multiplier, this is an ammo skill and can be manually deactivated

Showcased Logos, a 6* Core Caster with a very interesting and versatile kit

First talent makes his attacks have a chance to bounce and target another enemy + apply a brief slow

Second talent makes his attacks reduce the target's RES and increase the Arts damage they take for a few seconds

Skill 1 is an infinite duration skill that expands his range and increases his ATK, enemies that enter his range with HP lower than a certain % of his ATK will immediately be defeated, then deal Arts damage equal to the amount of HP the defeated enemy had to a random nearby enemy

Skill 2 increases his RES and changes his attack to a channeling type attack, the attack increases in power and gradually reduces the target's movement speed the longer it's channeled (up to a limit), if the attack is interrupted or the target is defeated Logos will lock-on to a new target and have the attack's power reset

Skill 3 expands his range, increases his ATK and lets him attack multiple targets at once, enemy projectiles caught within his attack range will have massively reduced flight speed and will be removed if they are still in his range when his skill ends

Showcased Civilight Eterna, a 6* Bard Supporter

First talent is the 3 "Fine Dust" that revolves around her, when one collides with an ally it increases the healing that ally receives from her trait effect and disappears, disappeared "Fine Dust" will respawn after a few seconds

Second talent makes all allies take less damage from Sarkaz enemies when she is deployed

Skill 1 is an infinite duration skill that increases her trait healing effect and reduces "Fine Dust" respawn time

Skill 2 increases the maximum of "Fine Dust" that can appear, immediately spawns more of them, increases their rotation radius, and changes the "Fine Dust" to hit enemies, dealing True damage and inflicting Bind for a few seconds, allies within range gain an ATK Inspire buff

Skill 3 expands her range, increases her trait healing effect and makes it so the "Fine Dust" no longer disappears, allies within her range gain a Max HP Inspire buff and will have their HP periodically redistributed/equalized

Showcased Amiya's Incantation Medic form

Her talent increases the Max HP of all allies when she's deployed and heals all allies by a % of their Max HP when her skill is active

Skill 1 increases her ASPD and her attacks heals all allies in a Bard range around her by a % of her ATK

Skill 2 immediately deals damage to all enemies in range + reducing their ASPD and movement speed for a few seconds and she gets +ATK for every enemy hit by this (up to a limit), for the rest of the skill duration she deals True damage and attacks two targets at once but this skill can only be used once per battle

Showcased the new main story episode mechanic, originium storms that deals damage to allies and enemies and significantly reduces ally SP recovery, the storm can grow in size by absorbing originium scattered on the field, there are also beacons that can be shifted by operators and will attract the storm towards it

All operators will have special anniversary voicelines that will play during May 1st to May 3rd

Hypergryph promises they will no longer use non-token potential increasing items for future welfare operators (like they did with Vigil and Lessing)

Starting from Wiš'adel's banner, all limited banners will guarantee the featured limited operator at 300 pulls (does not reset your odds), additionally W has her spark cost reduced to 200 and other limited operators will have their spark cost reduced in the future

Arknights anime season 3 - Rise From Ember confirmed

Rhodes Island Icebreaker Games, limited time event with live co-op gamemodes, rewards include a new profile card theme and a new outfit for THRM-EX

Both players need to coordinate on which operators they bring since they can't double up on the same op, each player can bring up to 10 operators

The battle can go on 2x speed if both players agree to it, the battle can also be paused

Players can also send each other Deployment Points

Both players play on the same map and have objectives to clear, in the livestream the objectives that were shown were survive for a set amount of time and protect some ursus civilians

There is also a Football co-op gamemode where both players have to fight against the CPU

Operator attacks can move the ball; attack power, attack trajectory and shifting ability affects how and where the ball is moved

Operators can attack and knock down the enemy team

Having operators successfully intercept the ball allows the players to place the ball where they want on their side of the field

Each round is randomized, there are breakable barricades that block some (or all) tiles in front of the goal and there can be stage hazards on the field, the one showcased in the livestream had the Magnificence waregeist enemy periodically apply Camouflage to the enemy team and the ball

Teaser for an Aegir event with Ulpianus

Revealed a Sanrio collab, said it won't have any collab operators but will have collab skins, special icon and merch

Revealed IS5 set in Kazdel

The main system for IS5 is "Thoughts", players can use these to gain buffs but the more of one type is used there is a chance to get debuffs as you progress

Thoughts can be combined and analyzed to gain Collectibles/HP shield/Hope/etc

In IS5 players can sell Collectibles and Thoughts in Cannot's shop

Thoughts can be used to upgrade and alter nodes

IS5 debuffs last for a certain amount of moves

IS5 QoL changes; E2 Class squads will have all ops of those classes at E2 on the starting pick, Elite recruitment vouchers will give guaranteed E2, Recruiting 4* operators no longer cost Hope and 5* operators have their recruit cost decreased, squads also get upgraded as you climb in difficulty, they also plan to improve the King series Collectibles

There is a special enemy that can capture your last deployed operator upon defeat, the captured operator cannot be deployed for the rest of the battle but will be promoted to E2 afterwards

Revealed Dunmeshi collab, with Senshi as a collab unit

Arknights 2024 Commemorative Animation PV ft. Mili

Arknights PV 4 ft. Starset

#arknights #arknights CN news #long post #arknights spoilers #arknights main story spoilers #livestream stuff under the readmore

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rpking99 · 2 months ago

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V-Tubers

A more lore focused and inspired take than the streamer versions. Stocking closer to their canon lore with minimal influence from the performers

HoloLive

HoloMyth (EN Gen 1)

Myth is the first group of English HoloLive girls. All mythical beings to some degree.

Calliope 'Calli' Mori

Calli, or Mori, is a shinigami. A reaper. The Grim Reaper is her mentor, who she calls Death-Sensei, and she does.... Normal reaper stuff. She's also big into rap music and has modified her scythe so it can be used as a guitar

Kiara Takanashi

Kiara is a phoenix, and the head of KFP. Kiara Fried Phoenix. Immortal, able to be revived from death as the famous fire bird can, she works hard and ensured her workers do the same. An amazing dancer, cheerful and supportive. She will hug you or punch you without hesitation, if you are friend of foe of course.

Amelia 'Ame' Watson

A normal human detective. With a watch that lets her travel through time. Think a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who. Who is also more than happy to talk about how she Ground Pounded your mama last night.

Gura Gawr

Gura is from Atlantis. Having stolen the trident from the king she eventually found her way to land, with mostly amnesia of the events. Just knowing the kingdom had long since fallen. She is on so very old, the shark girl is a gremlin of terror

Ina'nis 'Ina' Ninomae

Ina is the priestess of the Ancient Ones. Eldritch beings that grant her powers. Ina pays her followers, the Takodachi, with cookies. One of the sweetest, kindest beings alive. A wonderful master of an artisr. Cheerful and gentle, a shimmering light that sits atop the darkness.

HoloPromise (EN Gen 2)

Promise focuses on a council of beings who govern the universe. With one of their original members gone, the council swore a promise to assist each other as they brought in another

Irys

Irys is a nephilim, a singer and known as Hope. A being who brings hope to any and all, letting her sing carry out it's beauty... Although she is half of light and half of darkness. And that darkness comes out in some... Mischievous ways

Kronii Ouro

The Warden of Time, Kronii comes across as a serious and professional being who watches over all of time. But seeing all of time, protecting ever moment, means seeing yourself at infinitum as well. Is it any wonder she loves herself so?

Fauna Ceres

Fauna is mother nature, as the Warden of Nature. Animals, flora, all of earth is hers to guard, to flourish and protect. She is soft spoken and adorable in her manner of speaking. A mother type personality to the core

BaelZ 'Bae' Hakos

Bae is the leader of the Council, and she is the Warden of Chaos! Of insanity and randomness and bratty weirdness! .... She is also a rat. .... But a cute rat. A magnificent dancer, Bae is a ball of energy that will focus on keeping everyone smiling and full of motivation even when she's crawling around basically without any strength left. A being who almost never looses her smile or her passion.

Mumei Nanashi

Mumei is the Warden of Civilization. She has forgotten her real name many, many, many times. As civilization rises, and as it falls. She is in charge of humanity, technology and their progress and society as a hole. And as you can expect with such a job, even thr most joyful of civilizations has a dark side to it...

HoloAdvent (EN Gen 3)

Advent are all prisoners who escaped their other worldly prison.

Nerissa 'Rissa' Ravencroft

Nerissa is a demon of sound. Of song. The bird girl's love empowering her voice that makes her songs potent, powerful. Enchanting. Mind and soul. And so she was sealed away. Girl crazy, she is very casual and cheerful. Playful, sensual and seductive.

Shiori Novella

Shiori can best be described as cheerful and dorky. She's kind-hearted, though she often teases those she is close with. She is known as the Archiver, the unofficial leader of Advent. A seeker of knowledge, turning books and memories she loves into bookmarks to later enjoy, she came across forbidden knowledge. Forbidden knowledge that lead to her being locked away... And the break out that freed Advent

Fuwawa Abyssgard

She is not a chihuahua, she is Fuwawa! The older sister of the Abyssguard sisters, she is known as the fuzzy one. The sisters being demon guard dogs, often refuted to as just puppies for their excited and curious nature. The two sealed away and imprisoned, seemingly just for being dogs and overly excited. Fuwawa is definatly the carmer one, with a sweet and gentle tone, but she does get super eager and cheerful when talking and chatting.

Mococo Abyssgard

She is not Fuwawa, she is Mococo! The younger of the sisters, the fuzzy one, she is much more energetic and aggressive than her older sister. Ready to clash with another,highly suspicious and agressive. The type of dog who will be at your ankles 24/7 either out of aggression or because she wants to play. She and her sister often bark with their cry if "Bau Bau" at random, sometimes just to end conversations cleanly

Bijou 'Biboo' Kouseki

Bijou is rock. Rock of human emotions solidified in a true brilliance that makes others love her, but also leading to greed, dark hearted people becoming aggressive and angry as they desire to posses her. Leading to her being locked away for her down safety. Biboo is bubbly, friendly, and often easily excited. A meme lord, a terror, a jokester. But also wholesome as she refuses to swear, even using the word's 'bleep' and 'dang it's instead.

HoloJustice (EN Gen 4)

A task force set up to take down Advent and being them back to their Cell. Their mission, to monitor them and drag them back when the time is right

Elizabeth Rose BloodFlame

Elizabeth, or Liz for short, is the leader of Justice. The Scarlet Queen, Lady Bloodflame is in charge of monitoring and capturing Narissa Ravencroft... And she is very dutiful of that job.... This marvelous singer, this powerful warrior, song and battle are all the same to her. Letting it beautiful songs as she says her foes. Vey traditional high class monarch attitude, but also super sweet and cheerful. Able to switch between "Kneel before your monarch, knave!" and "Later Luv, have a bloody good time!" at the drop of a hat. While serious and mission minded, she is also easily flustered and rather peaceful. Also, British.

V-Shojo

A group of carefree and fun seeking oddballs who are highly into the more sensual and random shit

Projekt Melody

Projekt Melody is a futuristic AI program that was initially made to scan and cleanse files until she was infected with a porn-based virus, causing her to be obsessed with any variety of sexual topics and actions. She is very upfront about her obsession with sexual topics and makes herself known as someone well-versed in the subject of sexual attraction, placing a great emphasis on her obsession with hentai, to the extent that she gives herself the alias of "Professor Hentai". But she's also super casual and goofy as well

Iron Mouse

A demon queen who goes by several names… but has also been rumored to be Satan herself. She is a friendly, fun loving demon who ran from her duties and escaped the confines of Hell/the underworld in order to make new friends, learn new things and live life to the fullest. She has an obsession with the internet, music, lewd stuff, nerd shit, and all things cute. She wears special magical bells on her body to contain and control her power in order to better blend into the human world. If her bells ever get removed, pure chaos would ensue. It has been said that once the bells are off, her true demon queen form will be revealed. All she wants to do is to have fun and see what the human world is all about and… make as many souls friends as she can. Bubbly and carefree with sass to match anyone

Froot (Apricot)

A bittersweet Lich (NOT a Succubus! Totally Not!) who spends her days in her underworld castle drawing art. She took a turn to streaming once she realized she could harvest human souls by disguising them as Twitch Subscriptions. She is a hopeless necromantic and hopes to one day own her own Virtual Fashion brand. Froot has a very soft-spoken high pitched voice and a very calming demeanor. Also, British.

Silvervale

Long ago, in a realm not unlike Earth, a sakura spirit slumbered within the lone flower of an ancient tree. She slept until a wolf pack nestled in the tree's shade. Their love and companionship nurtured the tree in a symbiotic relationship that lasted for eons. When the wolves disappeared the flower wilted from the weight of her sadness and, longing for her lost companions, she used the last of her magics to fuse with the Spirit of the Wolf who then called upon The Wind to carry her to another world. She is known for her wholesome and caring personality as well as her sexuality and lewd jokes. A very cheerful and playful personality who is a free spirit in every sense of the word, although she is a hit of a perfectionist (I know she isn't part of V-Shojo any more. But easier to put her here)

Zentraya

A half human/half red dragon, rockstar (kinda). She is very headstrong and tends to yell at everyone around her, but loves meeting new people! She tends to play pranks and loves memes. She wants to rule humanity one day, but she's too much of an air head to do it. She also has a cyborg form she can take at times. Which is her true form? No one knows. Very laid back but passionate when the need arrises.

Total Muses: 21

#read rules before interacting #muse list #open to all #open smut rp #open rp #mature rp #smut rp

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binniesoob · 2 years ago

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The Name Chapter: Temptation Explained

This analysis is going to include the lyrics of the songs, as well as the choreographies and the Sugar Rush Ride music video!

Feel free to share your insights and/or theories, or to point it out if you see any inaccuracies :)

TW: slight mentions of themes such as violence, death, drugs and sensuality. I decided to include them to not leave out core aspects, but I didn't go in depth for any of them to keep this as friendly as possible.

Before we dive in, just a reminder that I've already analysed The Name Chapter concept trailer and the new logo in my storyline summary here, while you can find my analysis of the tracklist posters here. I recommend reading both before this, if you haven't yet! Especially because I'm going to reference themes that I've already explained there, such as the game and seasons motifs, and their true names.

— INTRO: what the album is about

Let's start with the group’s official website that provides a description of the album:

"The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION depicts youth on the brink of adulthood. After experiencing conflict and chaos, the boys feel a desire to postpone their growth and linger in the freedom of Neverland. Their journey forward despite this desire is a representation of today’s generation as they continue to grow through the challenges of the world."

As we know, this Chapter is strongly inspired by Peter Pan, who has become a cultural icon symbolizing youthful innocence and escapism. Just like he leads children to abandon real life for Neverland, a place where they will never have to grow up, the Cat does with TXT, who find their escape at Magic Island.

(continues under the cut)

In the tale in it also hinted that Peter Pan used to "thin the Lost Boys" out when they got too old or when there was too many of them, meaning he may exile or kill them (cr. peter pan wiki). Some theories suggest that the Lost Boys who grow up become pirates who, with Captain Hook, try to fight Peter.

Especially with this album though, there are also numerous similarities with the story of Doctor Faustus, a play by Christopher Marlow which was later taken up by J.W. Goethe, in which this scholar is so greedy for knowledge that he is not satisfied with academic knowledge, venturing into the field of black magic. He makes a pact with the devil Mephistopheles, who makes him the false promise of enabling him to obtain greater knowledge, when in reality he'll only take his soul. Throughout the opera, Faustus is continually debating with two angels, one good and one evil, symbolizing the two sides of human nature.

Likewise, throughout their discography, TXT are always represented vacillating between their good side, "the angel", and their bad side, "the demon". See Angel or Devil of course, Eternally, but also the duologies New Rules-No Rules and Puma-What if I'd been that Puma (in Korean Balance Game).

It also perfectly connects with TXT's villain, the Cat: in The Star Seekers, he temps Yeonjun to make a pact with him, promising more power to defeat the Dragon Clan (see the animation The Doom's Night), when in reality he will bring their dark sides (which we see in Eternally) to prevail, so that he can control them at will taking advantage of the power that TXT already have. Its aim is to prevent them from reaching "tomorrow", their future, and therefore their goal: to remember the promise they made as children with the Star and renew it, so that the latter lights up again and restores hope for people's dreams. After all, their name, Tomorrow By Together, means a group that "comes together under one dream in hopes of building a better tomorrow".

"Tomorrow", defined as "the one in which nobody believes" is also Soobin's true name, the one who has visions about the future of the group. Certainly, the prospect of leaving behind the visions that make him suffer so much is nothing but a relief, but it also means giving up his crucial role in achieving their goal, and above all himself.

In real life these metaphors can be transposed as our inner demons that induce us to bask in the temptations the world offers, distracting us from suffering but also from achieving our goals, and finally leading to losing ourselves.

— THE SONGS

Temptation is a concept album, meaning that listening to the songs in the order they are put is crucial to understand the story it tells. That's why the first song we are going to talk about is...

— Devil by the Window

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It's Korean title "자정의 창가에서 만난 악마의 목소리는 달콤했다" translates into "The voice of the devil I met by the window at midnight was sweet".

The song depicts the devil, aka the Cat, tempting TXT with the false promise of taking them to a place where they can enjoy their youth forever, exactly as we saw him do in The Name Chapter concept trailer.

This is the Lullaby stage of the Temptation. Let's analyze the lyrics of the song integrating it with the choreography to see how it happens!

🎶 Lie, lie, lie, lie down / Go rest your eyes / Just fall asleep, sweet dreams / You can't get off the ride 🎶

These verses give the feeling of the devil luring the group by humming them a lullaby, however immediately revealing his purpose: prevent them to return to reality. The emphasis placed on "lie" is interesting: the word plays with its double meaning of "laying down" and "lying", and whose repetition gives us the idea of the incitement and impatience of the devil. In the choreography, Hueningkai plays the devil outside the window (represented by Soobin and Beomgyu's shoulders) waiting to enter their room once they are alone and under the covers, just like Peter Pan used to do.

🎶 A wolf in sheep clothes / His disguise / In the ni-ni-ni-night / You'll be hiding inside 🎶

Now it's Soobin's turn to play the devil: in the choreography he metaphorically takes off the mask that hides his true intentions. The alliteration of "ni-ni-ni-night" gives us the idea of the lullaby again, but also of the footsteps of the devil advancing in the room: in the choreography Soobin approaches and seduces Hueningkai.

The line "You'll be hiding inside" can refer to the devil hiding in the shadows of the room, but could also be a metaphor for inner temptations, anxieties and worries, which usually haunt us when we go to sleep, after a whole day trying to avoid them.

🎶 Oh, what ya doing? / You got some time today? / Oh, what a nuisance / Come, come, come out to play 🎶

The role of the devil passes onto Taehyun, who rhetorically asks Yeonjun if he has time for him, complaining about his possible negative answer, and rather inciting him to use the time by playing with him.

🎶 High, so high, the crimson sky / It's way too sweet to turn down / I scream and shout, but no one's 'round / There's no way to escape it 🎶

With the pre-chorus the mood of the song starts to change. TXT are tempted by the red sky, so by twilight, which we know is the moment in which it is possible to travel between the real world and the magical one.

The devil shows them a taste of what they will find if they follow him, and this is all too fascinating and sweet to be rejected. At the same time, however, the group (everyone's good sides) protests and tries to escape, in vain. In the choreography, Taehyun walks among the others to "exit", but they prevented it, turning him to "enter" again.

🎶 I met the devil by the window / Traded my life / Temptation touched my tongue / Spread the wings of desire / He's whispering / "Give up, don't you put up a fight" / Said the devil by the window / "Dream on, dream on, good night" 🎶

The chorus references the pact Yeonjun makes with the Cat, trading his life unwittingly as the Lost Boys do once they follow Peter Pan to Neverland. TXT themselves have explained that the move they perform during the line "traded my life" represents the devil who catches them when they try to escape from danger. The devil dissuades them not to fight him, supported by the temptations that are irresistible and greedy: after a taste they are won't stop wanting and asking for more.

🎶 Waste, waste away / In the gutter with me / No, I can't tell what is fake / In my reality / I see the waves, see the waves / Wash over me / Oh, stay, you can stay / When you're tempted to leave 🎶

Being in the gutter means being in a state of degraded condition, that's exactly the situation the group finds itself once they fall for the lie of the devil, but they don't really understand it because their reality is altered and they can't tear truth apart from falsehood. In real life these effects can refer to when you are under the influence of hallucinogenic substances, but "have your mind in the gutter" in slang also means constantly thinking about sex related things, in addition to the fact that frequently pleasure is compared to waves that wash over the body.

At this point, in the choreography we see everyone in the chokehold of temptation, Yeonjun literally (after all, we know that in the story he is the weakest one in the face of temptation), while Beomgyu reaches out towards the viewers (as we will soon see, also in Sugar Rush Ride), which can be interpreted both as an attempt to lure them in as well, but also as a request for help to get him out, since he is the one who's most aware of all of the dangers they face.

🎶 High, high, high / I feel my body drifting into the sky / I won't come down, come down, come down, I'll fly / Weightless without a worry into the night / He said, "Dream on, dream on, dream on" 🎶

The mood of the song changes completely now: these lines allude to when pleasure, whatever temptation it is caused by, hits. Therefore, TXT are surrendering to temptations. If before they were lying in their beds, now they start flying to be taken to Neverland, with the illusion of leaving their worries behind on the ground. This time the devil doesn't wish them good night: in his plans the group is destined to continue dreaming again, again and again, in a loop that never sees the arrival of the night, and so the end.

This not being able to stop reminded me of a legend in Irish and Welsh folklore concerning fairies (after all, Peter Pan is accompanied by Tinkerbell, a fairy), according to which one must stay away and respect the fairy mushroom rings in the woods or they risk being dragged inside by the fairies, to dance with them without being able to stop until you drop from exhaustion. This legend seems to be referenced in another TXT song: No Rules from The Chaos Chapter, whose lyrics are also strongly connected to those of Devil by The Window. Some examples:

"Close your eyes again/ And continue your dream"

"Is it A.M. or P.M. right now? / I'm confused because all of the broken patterns / Don't know what's right, I don't get it / Woo, my world is panic"

"The vi-i-ibe that I dreamed of every day / A dri-i-ive that can't be stopped / One more time, yeah / I just wanna dance / Dance until we can't no more"

The third chorus then changes into: "I don't wanna feel this vi-i-ibe / I want to stop this real vi-i-ibe / I'm getting tired / I don't wanna dance / Dance anymore"

Now, going back to the Devil by the Window's choreography, it's also important to note that most of the steps refer to being controlled like a puppet, just like the Cat does in the concept trailer:

The sigh that ends the song seems to recall waking up startled, only this awakening won't happen in their room...

— Sugar Rush Ride

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Now it’s time for the Daydream stage of the Temptation. The group awakens in Neverland and we can notice that they have been brought there by the train, a vehicle that appears frequently in the storyline, not only in Magic Island and Run Away, but also in Frost, in the Can't You See Me comeback show and in the scenes included in Act:Lovesick

An important detail is that the train has two engravings: "promise" and the number 304. The first refers to the promise that TXT made as children, but also to Yeonjun's real name. The second refers to their debut, which happened on March 4, and it's also the date associated with the Star Festival (which can be seen in Soobin's vision in Eternally) during which TXT met for the first time as children and made the promise.

The boys look around disoriented, but it doesn't take long before they adapt to the new environment: Yeonjun is obviously the first, who drags Taehyun with him, and the two start running along the beach.

🎶 The thoughts soon stopped breathing / When you get back / My determination comes instantly undone / For you 🎶

Thoughts and worries are suffocated by the relief and light-heartedness that Neverland and the "sugar rush" bring, as well as the determination to not fall into temptation.

The group becomes one with nature, their clothes are soiled with dirt and they have vines on them, to be exact, grapevines, symbol of fertility, transition and well-being, as well as being related to the Greek god Dionysus (which we will talk about again later on).

The fact that the victory of temptations is placed in an idyllic landscape is no coincidence: the figure of Peter Pan is connected to that of the ancient Greek deity Pan, whose flute Peter learns to play, thus acquiring his name. Pan is the god of forests and lives in Arcadia, an idealized land where men and nature live in perfect harmony. Does this name ring a bell? 👀 One of the two versions of the album The Dream Chapter: Magic has it, the album which includes TXT's first escape to Magic Island.

Pan is also linked to fertility and has strong sexual connotations, he is agile and perpetually cheerful, but also feared: his name derives from "panic" because, if annoyed, he causes havoc and terror. His image was then taken up by Christianity as an iconography of Satan, after all Pan has attributes such as goat foot, tail and horns. It's all coming together, right? Peter Pan, Pan, the Devil and the Cat are all superimposable figures.

🎶 Come a little closer / You whisper / Swallow / The sugar rush / Feast up in the night sky / Sweet desire / Taking me into the dream / The liar on the bedside 🎶

These lyrics, in addition to being very sensual, refer to Devil by the Window: the devil, "the liar on the bedside", takes them to the dreamy dimension that is Neverland where he incites them to take advantage of the "sugar rush". "Feast up" recalls the dissolute and wanton parties and rituals in honor of Dionysus (called Bacchus in Roman mythology), the archaic Greek deity of vegetation, later identified as the god of ecstasy, wine, inebriation and liberation of the senses. Dionysus also embodies the primal instincts of human beings, which can violently resurface if repressed and not properly elaborated.

It is no coincidence that this move is included in the choreography, which is very reminiscent of the representations of the banquets in ancient Greece and ancient Rome. TXT themselves have called it "the grape move", in which they metaphorically approach a bunch to their mouth. In the latest behind-the-scenes photos shared on Weverse, we can see that Yeonjun is holding grapes.

But the places depicted in the music video also refer to the iconic ones of Peter Pan: The Hangman's Tree, his and the Lost Boys hideout, and the Mermaid Lagoon:

🎶 I can feel it I can’t resist it / That sweet devilish smile / You open my locked door so easily / Oh my, I see the stars / The devil said

Gimme, gimme more / Come here, more / Let’s play, more* / Sugar rush-ush, sugar rush-ush, ah / Gimme, gimme more 🎶

The boys can't resist the sweet temptations that easily pervade them and make them metaphorically and literally see the stars. In the chorus we can hear the devil whistling: in many countries of the world, whistling is superstitiously associated with him. The "sugar rush" that boys experience is fast and addicting, and therefore pushes them to want more. The way it is sung, using the rhetorical figure of the climax, reflects this perfectly.

*In the official video the verse “같이 놀자 더” was simply translated as “let's play more”, but it has deeper connotations: it can also be translated as “let me give you a piggyback ride” because these lines come from 춘향가 (Chunhyangga), the most famous and one of the only five surviving traditional pansori (a folk genre of Korean musical storytelling) from the Joseon Dynasty era (1392–1910). They symbolize the whisper of the devil. During the press conference on the album release, Hueningkai shared: “We made a lot of new attempts this time, fusing different elements in an unfamiliar way. We used some parts of Chunhyangga in our lyrics and featured the movements of Korean traditional dance in our choreography.” And Taehyun added: “We believe our Korean fans will find this combination fresh, and our international followers will get the chance to explore Korea’s traditional culture and story.” (cr. Genius lyrics annotations)

In the choreography, apart from it clearly reflecting the corresponding lyrics, TXT take turns playing the devil who tempts the group, manipulating them like a puppet and preventing their escape, like in Devil by The Window:

🎶 You’re so addictive / My veins full of sweets / The forbidden lines slowly / Fade away / This daze-like anemia / But I prefer it that way / Every cell under my skin / Becomes more sensitive 🎶

I think these lyrics are pretty self-explanatory: this is how the "sugar rush" works once it enters the body. They seem to especially hint to the symptoms experienced when under the influence of drugs.

During their time at Neverland, each member of the group experiences their temptations and "sugar rush" in a different way, as shown in the video. Let's see how exactly 👀

HueningKai finds a gecko, and when he touches it, it changes color to purple. The gecko is the animal associated with him in his debut Questioning Film, while in Magic Island Kai is associated with a dragonfly, and in the debut Comeback Show, he turned the goldfish purple. Yellow and violet fishes can be seen in 0x1=Lovesong as well.

Now, which other semi-animal being in TXT's storyline is purple? The Dragon.

We know that Kai is the one who builds the labyrinth to contain their "secret", aka their dark sides or "monsters" or inner demons, but he is also associated with the role of videogame programmer, for example in the "Boy" version of the album The Chaos Chapter: Freeze: Kai is the one who made/will make the game that TXT are playing to escape real life, and it was therefore him who created the final boss, the Dragon!

Later in the video, Kai is the first to be shown covered in glitter, the fairy dust that allows the Lost Boys to fly to Neverland, while he experiences his "sugar rush".

Yeonjun on the other hand, both in the debut Questioning Film and in the music video of Sugar Rush Ride, is associated with two elements:

1) the caterpillar, symbol of transformation, metamorphosis, and growth. Caterpillars do not just become butterflies, but they go through many changes to get there: same thing goes for Yeonjun. (cr. animalhype.com)

2) pink flowers that in Sugar Rush Ride are fern flowers, which have magical connotations in Baltic mythology. According to the myth, they bloom for a very short time on the eve of the summer solstice. In Polish folk legends a person who manages to find the flower will be filled with exceptional supernatural wisdom, but the seekers had to be exceptionally careful, and used protective rites. For example, people were getting completely naked and girding their body with garlands made of an herb called mugwort... anything familiar? In the video, Yeonjun removes his shirt while running and has vines around his waist.

'Looking for a fern flower' was also often a pretext for young people to hide together in the woods and spend romantic time alone. In the Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian tradition, in addition to the idea that the finder of the fern flower will become rich or happy, it is sometimes perceived as a symbol of fertility. (cr. Wikipedia and lamusdworski.wordpress.com)

Yeonjun, attracted by the flowers, approaches and crushes them in his hand, and their nectar causes him the "sugar rush". These scenes have a strong suggestive charge, hinting to someone indulging in their sexual desires.

The flower's nectar dripping down his hand made me think of the "gods nectar", Ambrosia, the god's food in Greek mythology. The word comes from the Greek a- (negation) and βροτός (mortal) and can be translated as "food that only immortals can consume" but also "food that makes immortal": TXT don’t want to grow up, they want to stay young forever, and therefore immortal. Plus, we know that TXT keep dying during the game they are playing, especially Yeonjun, so one of the temptations could also be obtaining immortality.

Next, we have Soobin, who is associated with:

1) the mantis, symbol of courage and persistence. The people of Ancient Greece and Egypt saw the praying mantis as a guide for those who needed direction, either in life or death. In Buddhism, the praying mantis represents patience and perseverance (cr. birdsandblooms.com)

2) a white flower, which looks like a Narcissin Anemone, delicate white flower similar to daffodils/Narcissus flowers. In his Questioning Film Soobin has Anemones!

3) water, the medium through which he experiences temptation, literally sinking into it. When they're on the beach in the beginning, he plays with the waves, and later he finds a puddle and looks at himself in it, like Narcissus did to admire his beauty. In Greek mythology, Narcissus was punished by the gods for his disdain for anyone who fell in love with him, making him fall with his own image reflected in water, in which he died by drowning while trying to reach for his reflection. Furthermore, Narcissus is also considered a symbol of autoeroticism. Soobin pushes himself further and further to achieve his "sugar rush", not realizing the danger he is in.

Taehyun is instead associated with the element of air, where we see him levitate. Precisely, his animal symbol are birds: in the Questioning Film we see a parrot, while in Sugar Rush Ride an eagle and feathers, that surround him when he experiences his "sugar rush" in front of the tree. The latter has a different appearance in this setting: in addition to recalling that of the Nightmare concept, it refers to Yggdrasil, the sacred tree in Norse cosmology linked to the real name of Taehyun. We have already seen Yggdrasil several times in music videos: in Magic Island, in The Doom's Night, in Blue Hour and in Frost.

Beomgyu has the butterfly as a symbol, which we already know stands for the announcement of winter's, and therefore adulthood's, arrival in We Lost the Summer and Frost. In this album the butterfly was used to announce the arrival of the devil, as in the tale Tinkerbell preceded the arrival of Peter Pan.

In Sugar Rush Ride the butterflies enchant and lure Beomgyu into temptation, but they don't have it easy: he fights back and tries to escape, taking refuge in a cave. Unlike the others, he opposes so much resistance because we know that he is the only one who is fully aware of the dangers they are facing, and he's the one who experiences the "tinnitus", ringing in his ears triggered by his subconscious that tries to keep him awake and alert. However, sooner or later, Beomgyu also succumbs.

🎶 You're bad, you liar / What did you do to me, sugar? / It's me who's bad / I know this bad desire, sugar 🎶

“Get away” Hueningkai yells. The Daydream turns into the Nightmare when the boys realize that the devil is a liar: the promised eternal bliss given by the sugar rush is actually only temporary and leads to addiction and to the arise of their dark sides.

We will deepen this with the analysis of Farwell Neverland, but, at the end of the music video, the group decides to leave Neverland. Kai turns to the viewer as he did in the Concept Trailer of The Dream Chapter: Magic, where he asked if "should we run away" to Magic Island, while here he seems to ask us if we should abandon it.

— Happy Fools

🎶 There’s a lot of things to do / But no plans to do them / They say the future’s always more important than the present / No matter what they say / I don't know, give it up / Already hopped on it, so I’ll properly enjoy this crooked ride

They say I'm stupid / Even if it’s a little delayed, I’m not afraid / It's happy every day / I’m trapped tightly in a sweet moment / Leave the worries to the me of tomorrow / This moment won’t come again, yeah 🎶

The lyrics of this song are pretty self-explanatory. As TXT themselves explained, they wrote it with the intention of expressing the desire to enjoy life and the present moment, without being pressed by things to do. However, this also means ending up procrastinating if a balance is not found between not taking life with frenzy and indulging in sweet-doing-nothing. That's why they become Happy Fools: enjoying their time at Neverland/Magic Island they ignore their responsibilities, leaving them to their "tomorrow" selves, and delaying their growth.

🎶 I don't want to leave / This path of pleasure / I'm like a butterfly (Butterfly) / A honeybee that only works / Even that sky where the sun’s setting / Won't know whether it’s pretty (Get it, get it) 🎶

The pre-chorus was written by Beomgyu, who revealed in his interview with Marie Claire Korea that:

(cr. @/translatingTXT on twitter)

🎶 Don't wanna do my thing / I won't regret it / I'll be the laziest Superman / So follow me / The pleasant taste of laziness / Is very sweet / A dream-like guilty pleasure is right in front of me 🎶

In this song, TXT's temptation is laziness, which they carry like a contradictory superhero who invites listeners to act like him. TXT themselves are the tempters, like in the Sugar Rush Ride choreography, as they themselves explained during the Comeback Showcase with the press.

— Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock)

🎶 Baby, I just wanted to be / Wanted to be hot stuff (You know?) / Party every day, like the weekend / Raise the volume, as if I am fish that met the water (Higher)

At the end of the day, feed is a disaster / Last night was overflowing with filters (Ah) / Momentarily let out a sigh / I know that I can't be a rockstar 🎶

Yeonjun and Taehyun participated in writing the lyrics to this track. They wanted to express the feeling of dreaming of becoming a big, famous, acclaimed rock star but thinking you don't have what it takes or the talent for it; as well as the disappointment when discovering that the entertainment world it's not all shimmering gold as it seems.

🎶 Even if I cover my ears, the daze gets louder / The empty sound is deafening / As if submerged in a fishbowl, the bruises and tinnitus fills it up / In the empty noise, feel so lonely 🎶

In the pre-chorus they refer to the “tinnitus” aka “when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears. The noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn’t caused by an external sound, and other people usually can’t hear it.”

In spirituality, Tinnitus can indicate that you are being influenced by someone who is negative in nature, the presence of a harmful energetic being in your space, causing a triggering of false belief systems and chaotic energy.

So, tinnitus it's used by TXT’s subconscious to alert them of the danger and lies behind the Cat, Neverland, and their temptations. They try not to listen, to deny the truth, but it doesn’t work and it keeps on dazing them. And they feel lonely because, as we said, the person that hears the ringing is the only one that can hear it, and TXT don’t share the experience with the others.

In Sugar Rush Ride Beomgyu is the only one experiencing it, but in TXT’s videos we have already witnessed this phenomenon: in Magic Island (minute 6:45, 7:40, 8:55) it happed to Soobin and Yeonjun and it resembled the ringing of a bell: it was a warning of the Cat approaching.

The line "As if submerged in a fishbowl" reminded me of the fish imagery they have been using especially in 0x1=Lovesong:

🎶 Rockstar minus the star / Just a rock, okay? / I had a dream / Without knowing anything / A noisy dawn / But a void at the end / Tinnitus filling my ears / It's deafening as if I am locked inside

I don't have that kind of talent / Deep story / I admit it, I'm not a "born to be" / Even when I see myself, I know I am nothing special / My twinkling dream / It's been long since it faded away / Waiting for every second / I want to become a rock 🎶

TXT feel hopeless in front of the hardships they have to face. It's easy to get discouraged by difficulties, especially when you fear that you won't succeed. Insecurities makes you think you're not made for something and/or that there are way better and more talented people out there, and you're nothing special in comparison, even if it's not true, because everyone has their precious contribution to give to the world.

These feelings perfectly connect to the storyline: their "twinkling dream" can refer to dreams they had as children that were lost once they separated, forgot their promise, and the Star turned off. While, the line “I had a dream / Without knowing anything” can reference how childhood dreams can seem unfeasible and illusory when you grow up and you know more of the world, but it can also be traced back to the dreams/premonitions TXT have been having but not understanding.

Being that TXT reach Neverland/Magic Island via dreams, when they wake up with tinnitus the dawn becomes "noisy", which leaves room for inner emptiness given by the loss of the carefree time spent there.

🎶 Wanna live a new life / But I'm a bit lazy / What is my existence? / Give me an answer / I think being a rock / I think it would good / Just rolling around / My own rock 'n' roll 🎶

One of the reasons behind their insecurities are the temptations that have led them away from the right path and from their goals, especially the laziness we talked about with Happy Fools. TXT feel lost and come to think they'd rather be an inanimate object that has no feelings or responsibilities to worry about, and console themselves with the ironic thought that it could become their way of doing rock 'n' roll.

— Farwell, Neverland

Ultimately, the temptations and Neverland only brought suffering to the group, and so they decide to abandon them once and for all.

🎶 Every day is warm, every day is the same season / Boys don't grow up / A kiss from the sun that never sleeps / No one can see the stars / A paradise, full of lies / I wanted to turn a blind eye 🎶

The "paradise full of lies" reminded me of another TXT song: Valley of Lies. Not surprisingly, the animation for the video closely resembles the location in Bali where they filmed Sugar Rush Ride:

🎶 My last refuge / I hoped for endless flying / It's the end, it's true

Everything that was beautiful / I know it's not true / Trying to spit out that cruel lie / To the paradise of irresponsible dreams / I'll say my last goodbye / My Peter Pan 🎶

In Neverland/Magic Island it's always summer and day, also because when sunset comes, before night falls, TXT are forced to leave it. Staying there TXT believe they can never grow up, and that's a beautiful lie promised by a lying devil: they can't delay or prevent adulthood, no matter how hard they try. Time is up for them at Neverland, they acknowledge and accept it.

🎶 Neverland, my love, goodbye now / And I'm free falling / Stars, sleep with comfort / 'Til I be calling 🎶

Yeonjun's says that "stars" can "sleep" comfortably until TXT are going to be "calling" them: this is of course a reference to the Star, that is still asleep and is going to wake up only when TXT sing the promise song.

🎶 No matter where I go / This is no home / Even if I'm afraid, I'm going down / Goodbye, Neverland, my love 🎶

If Peter Pan flew them to Neverland, which they realize can't be their home, now they're falling down to the real world.

These last two verses also reminded me of Icarus that flew too close to the sun, causing his wings to melt and him to fall down, free falling. After all, Icarus was the son of Daedalus, the one who built the labyrinth in which the two were then imprisoned by the king who had commissioned it. To escape, father and son built wings.

We know that Hueningkai is the one who builds the labyrinth, plus he is the member to which the wings are associated, therefore he is Daedalus (he has mechanical wings in Nap of a Star), but, who is Icarus?

In Sugar Rush Ride, we saw that Taehyun is the one associated with air, his temptation and "sugar rush" at Neverland consists in flying, we know that his animal symbol are birds, plus there's actually a TXT music video where we see TXT fall down from the sky and Taehyun has mechanical wings: 0x1=Lovesong Japanese Version!

So, later in The Name Chapter, after TXT will enter Kai's labyrinth to confront their dark sides (as seen in the Concept Trailer), they will abandon it, and Taehyun/Icarus, may not save himself. This seems to be confirmed also by the fact that, while the other members are in different locations wearing casual clothes and despairing about the stars (which are their dreams) falling from the sky, Taehyun wears an uniform in an abandoned school, and at the end of the music video he disappears, leaving it behind.

Taehyun himself said that this song already anticipates what we will see in The Name Chapter 2... does it include his death?

(Just a reminder that TXT die several times in the storyline but always come back to life, because 1) the events take place in Magic Island/Neverland, their fantasy and/or 2) their characters experiencing these things are inside the game txt are continuously playing in real life until they win and so conclude it.)

And that is all for now!

Thank you so much for reading!! Stay tuned for my The Name Chapter 2 predictions post and feel free to share your thoughts if you want <3

masterlist

#tomorrow x together #txt #tomorrow by together #the star seekers #the name chapter #the name chapter: temptation #sugar rush ride #tnc: temptation #txt lore #— txt lore #i've been working on this for a month lol can i say that i'm proud of it?#i had so much fun as well <3 #simply fashinated by the imagery and by how everything is connected and not a sigle detail left to chance #once again i am #kissing all txt's creative directors and artists that made these on the forehead like yeonjun did to soobin in blue hour era as we speak #long post

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