#first sphere throne

[the-darklings]

FOR YOUR ARCANE PROMPTS LIST POOKIE: "hands under your lover's clothes" w/Silco??? perhaps?? perchance?? PLS PLS POOKIE, MY GLORIOUS QUEEN, MY EVERYTHING <3

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ silco x gn!reader, complicated relationship, a little angst, no spoilers for s2, cat & mouse dynamic but who is who? wc: 768

“It’s dangerous playing games with a patient man.”

“Are you? Patient?”

Silco’s mouth flutters into what could pass for a fleeting smile. It’s a rare expression on him, an ease that is seldom seen in the years since he left Vander’s side. Nowadays, he is nothing like the fresh-faced youth so desperate to fix the world you first met.

“More so than many, I’d reckon,” he replies placidly, watching you with idle interest. You lean on his oak wood desk, the rough grain of the wood warm beneath your fingers as you skim over his notes and ledgers. His meticulous nature is evident in the way he organised everything about the Shimmer trade. It’s almost irritating. “You are here for a reason.”

The gentle accusation falls on deaf ears.

“I was just saying hello,” you drawl, your voice low, swinging your attention his way. Silco’s scoff is a low, throaty sound, barely audible, but filled with disdain. 

You’re not sure when it started, you and him. If it was survival or a desire for a better life that drove you both from the start. You wanted freedom and independence and then he took the Undercity, and, in a way, you too. Since then, you’ve existed in his sphere, enjoying his favour. Flaunt it without making it obvious, slipping past the cracks of his rules. 

He appears so collected on his chair, a king on his throne in truth, but his immaculate clothes are wrinkled, buttons undone, and his Adam’s apple bobs when you touch his tie. You know better than to go near his throat. The last time you did, fingers eager and teeth nipping at the taut flesh there, he jerked back as if shocked. Terror and rage had overcome him, twisting you on his bed, still tangled in each other, before you could turn back your instincts. When his hands closed around your throat in response, you didn’t fight him off, and maybe it was that above all else that made Silco snap out of his spell.

No, instead, you slip your hand past the unbuttoned shirt, tracing over his sharp collarbone. Silco rests his cheek lightly on his hand, watching you through a narrowed eyed stare. Daring you, yes, but also curious. The heavy scarring on his face never bothered you. You didn’t lack scars of your own, but this… 

You slip forward, knee resting on the chair between his parted legs, hand slipping lower, to rest over his thudding heart. 

“Hello.” Your lips shape the word before you breathe them against his lips again. Your free hand cups his face and the hard beat of his heart echoes against your palm. 

The kiss is gentle, more civilised than either of you are used to, a sweetness that lingers even though it’s not what either of you normally craves, but when he doesn’t pull away, a secret thrill shoots up your spine. His deep inhale fills your ears, the heat of his lips imprinting on yours. A deep, rumbling sound vibrates through his chest when you deepen the kiss, your fingers moving in gentle circles over his skin. 

With a viper’s swiftness, Silco snaps his hand behind your head when you break the kiss, keeping you close. Nose to nose, your breaths mingle. You can’t quite tell what lingers in his burning gaze, one icy blue, another molten gold. 

“Are you hoping to endear yourself to me?” he asks, knowing and throaty. “A foolish play.”

“I won’t say that,” you say, breathless. “And if I was… well, I think you’re holding up just fine.”

Licking your lips, you pull back, grinning at him. He hasn’t moved, his knuckles returning to his cheek. Nonchalant, except for the heavy weight with which he still examines you. Silco won’t indulge you in admitting you do this because you’re the only one he can rely on in this shitty, twisted world of yours. You support his vision, you’ve always believed it, even when you were younger. 

Adjusting your dishevelled clothes, you look over at him once more. Not so crisp and orderly for once. Satisfaction nestles in your gut at the observation that the usually perfectly groomed and dressed man—this infamous crime lord—is a mess in the dim light of his office. Undone. Caught. Even if predatory hunger reflects in that golden hue. 

You wag your fingers in a playful wave. “It’s dangerous playing games with patient people, love, haven’t you heard?”

[mythalism]

on solavellan becoming andraste and the maker, and applying the concept of mantling to dragon age

for the uninitiated, mantling is a concept from the elder scrolls series that refers to the process of a mortal becoming a god by becoming so much like them that they become indistinguishable, and thus, the same. its synonymous with the use of the term "apotheosis" within the same universe, but also distinct, because it specifically involves "re-enacting the Mythic patterns established by the [Gods] until their power is surrendered to the mantler. In the process, the mortal and the deity become metaphysically synonymous with one another, allowing the mortal to claim the office and sphere of the mantled diety for themselves, reshaping them in the process." (x)

sound familiar?

but first, there are several examples of how this works narratively in the elder scrolls universe. one of the best is probably the mantling of sheogorath by the player character in the shivering isles DLC of the elder scrolls IV: oblivion.

at the climax of the DLC, the god of madness, sheogorath, for whom you've been doing quests for for quite a while now, basically reveals that he molded you into someone who could take his place as the Mad God, as his time is running out due to a long running divine cycle of order vs. chaos called the greymarch. its all very mythological and confusing and not really relevant to this but im including these quotes from re-watching the quest (x) to refresh my own memory and give you an idea of the general vibe:

the realm is crumbling, the cycle of destruction is imminent, and its god bemoans the loss of the world he loves but cannot stop his own demise. the only way to save it is if someone else becomes him - takes the throne, assumes his office, sacrifices their individuality and mortal desires for what the realm needs and mantle it's god...... this is literally solas mantling the maker like cmon!! and if i was in charge at bioware you can bet your ass that rook would've been mantling the dread wolf as thedas' new trickster god as solas took on a different godly role considering how he literally molds rook in his image and TELLS THEM THAT.......... but thats an essay for another day.

the player character of oblivion begins as sheogorath's champion and eventually becomes him, lavellan begins as andraste's herald and eventually becomes her as she walks her path, culminating in her decision to join the maker in the golden city for eternity, effectively uniting their mythology so that they become indistinguishable.

the player character of morrowind also goes through a similar process that the inquisitor does, as a prophesied savior navigating the role that has been thrust upon them. in the elder scrolls III morrowind, the story revolves around you being the prophesised "nerevarine", the second coming of the hero, indoril nerevar, who will cast down the false gods and expel the empire from their homeland. in reality, the game makes it very clear very quickly that no one has any fucking clue if you are actually the nerevarine, but the empire is going to MAKE you into the nerevarine by making you "walk the path" laid out in the prophecy. and thats what the entire main quest is; you re-enacting the prophecy to literally become the prophet that the world needs. the game never answers whether or not you actually were the nerevarine, but at some point, the distinction ceases to matter. you've become them.

you can see how similar this is to an inquisitor walking the path of andraste, to solas being forced to walk the path of the dread wolf and later the maker. whether or not they are one and the same is irrelevant, when you become mythologically indistinguishable, when you become what the world needs you to become, who you were ceases to matter.

in my original post about this i mentioned CHIM as well and CHIM is a very unruly, not even fully canon concept within the elder scrolls. so i dont really want to delve super deep into it because its fucking insane for one but also because it doesn't fit quite as well as the framework of mantling does, but there are a few things said about CHIM in elder scrolls that just feel soooooooo similar to what we see in dragon age that i want to share them because i truly think there is a thread of inspiration to be followed here.

CHIM is basically enlightenment in the elder scrolls universe where someone within the games reaches a state of divine lucidity. its been compared to lucid dreaming by one of the tes devs, or "divine hypnagogia", and the final state beyond CHIM, called Amaranth, allows a character to realize they exist in a video game. LMAO. so when i say solas and lavellan achieve something akin to CHIM i do not mean it literally, i do not think they are breaking the fourth wall and realizing they exist in a video game, nor would i want that. i would actually hate that as a writing decision. but whats interesting is the language that is sometimes used to talk about CHIM, and the way solas and lavellan's ending involves them reaching a sort of peace and acceptance about their place in the world as mythological figures instead of individuals.

i wrote this in response to an ask once and i've reposted it several times and i'm doing it again now because honestly it was the best way to articulate this and i dont think i can recreate it LMAO; "solas and lavellan are at once both finally free of the burdens of the myths and expectations that follow them as the dread wolf and the herald of andraste because they have left the mortal world that forced them into those roles and stripped them of their personhood, but they have also completely submitted themselves to those roles by submitting to the logical conclusion of the myths that they could not escape. for the dread wolf, it is earning his redemption through his willing submission to his own trap. its the logical, full-circle mythological conclusion to the trickster who trapped the gods, now trapped for eternity himself. for the inquisitor, it is andraste's herald finally sharing andraste's fate, choosing to leave the mortal world behind to ascend to the golden city alongside the god that she loves. both (presumably, for a lavellan) have tried to reject the myths attached to them over and over and over, but in the end they choose them willingly, and that choice at once binds them to those myths forever while simultaneously freeing them from the burden of them. its giving oedipal greek tragedy of attempting to outrun your fate and it finding you anyway, just when you thought you were finally making your own choice, but with a hopeful and bittersweet spin."

this is what i mean when i say they have achieved CHIM, as "a state of being which allows for escape from all known laws and limitations" (x) the laws and limitations from which they have escaped are not the confines of a video game, but rather the confines of the mortal roles that they were both thrust into against their wills and stole everything from them, as the herald of andraste and the dread wolf. for solas, i think you can even extend this to him being able to escape the literal physical confines of the body he did not want by returning to 'heaven' (the fade), a place of mutability and possibility, without the laws and limitations of the physical world. for lavellan, we see her make a choice to pursue her own happy ending, regardless of what the world needs (though there is an argument for this being the best decision for the world considering how it will help solas heal the blight, but i think the implication is that she's doing it for herself) after losing her agency, individuality, life and freedom to the role of the inquisitor. as ameridan says, "take moments of happiness where you can. the world will take the rest." and she does. she ascends past the bounds of the physical world, the title of inquisitor, the world that took so much from her, and finds her happiness in transcending those limitations and literally fucking off to heaven. its so great.

so when i refer to lavellan as andraste or solas as the maker, it is in this context that i mean it. i dont actually think lavellan is literally andraste reborn or something, or that solas was literally the maker. i think the maker was probably slightly inspired by solas's deeds like the creation of the veil and black city, but theres plenty in the chant of light that also does not fit him or the two of them at all. dragon age has very intentionally not disproved or proved the existence of the maker, and i think that is a good choice and its far more interesting that way. solas is already responsible for like half of the problems in thedas, connecting EVERYTHING back to him is a bit lazy in my opinion. i think the idea that the concept of a creator borne out of a bunch of different myths across time is far more compelling. so i dont think they are 1:1 the same or a reincarnation or anything, and thats why the concept of mantling works so well in this context.

solas is not the maker, but he has functionally become the maker by walking the narrative path of his own story. lavellan is not andraste, but she has functionally become andraste through walking the path of her own story. its about a sort of narrative and mythological apotheosis, where the world sees you one way to the point that you become that way. it works perfectly in the context of dragon age's focus on storytelling, propaganda, and how belief creates reality.

these two are bound to a sort of narrative inevitability in a way that most dragon age characters are not (except perhaps morrigan. honorable mentions to hawke, varric and alistair) but i think its a large part of why they are so compelling. they are inseparable from their own stories. they are bound by this sort of narrative destiny to serve both the overarching story of the dragon age games, but also the mythological stories within thedas in a way thats almost in contrast to the medium of a video game based on player choice- but i think its intentional, and i also think this sort of narrative destiny functioning as its own trap or prison is part of the reason their story is the strongest part of veilguard. from an essay on fatalism, something that solas himself ascribes to by his own admission "Destiny is not so much a necessary outcome as it is an outcome that is necessary given some larger sense of purpose” (x).

in conclusion: ✓ re-enacting the mythic patterns of andraste and the maker's story via their roles in the world and their decisions, such as leading the armies of the faithful as andraste's did, or shaping the world the way it exists presently and creating the veil and the black city as the maker did ✓ become metaphysically synonymous, via becoming virtually indistinguishable in terms of their role in the world ✓ take their office - by finally reuniting within the black city ✓ reshape it for themselves - by healing the blight and making it golden

:D

[ashtavula]

Hihihi! Could I please request a royalty/nobility au with the housewardens? Like them as a dashing Mr. Darcy, if that makes sense.

So, since this is pretty open ended, I'm just going with headcanons on what sort of role they'd have in this au. Though it might be more like an otome au? But if you like it, or want to see more, please don't hesitate to ask!

Royalty AU - The Housewardens

You are the only heir to the throne, and now, you've been given a "simple" task. Find someone to marry before the year is over! Your butler clears his throat, and names some of your potential suitors...

Riddle - The Marquess' Son

-Riddle is the sole child of Marquess and Marchioness Rosehearts. His family is well known for funding medical research, and they're generally well respected. At least, publicly. In private, many nobles whisper about the cruelty of Marchioness Rosehearts, and Riddle's overbearing strictness. Your butler also states that, when your parents announced your eligibility for marriage, she was the very first to put her son's name forward. It makes you think that Riddle had no say in being a candidate.

-Riddle himself is rumored to be at odds with his family, considering his friendship with the local baker, Trey Clover, and other commoners. His mother has publicly denounced the idea that her family mingles with the lower classes, but Riddle continues to be spotted around the bakery regardless. It makes you wonder if he's not quite as strict as the rumors claim...

Leona - The Second Prince

-Leona is the second born prince of a neighboring country. His brother, King Falena, has maintained his country's status quo, but it's becoming rather obvious that Leona doesn't approve of his family's excessive lifestyle while their kingdom's poorest starve. Supposedly, Falena is growing increasingly desperate to marry Leona off to a foreigner so he can be removed from Sunset Savannah's political sphere. Leona's own people talk about him being a lazy, power hungry rebel, and this gives you pause. You haven't heard a single positive thing yet. There must be more to the man than this...

-Your butler goes on to mention that this is merely what your country's spies have found out. According to official correspondence, Leona is a laid back man with a handsome appearance, and a sharp intellect. The sheer difference in those descriptions startles you, and makes you wonder. Who exactly is Prince Leona?

Azul - The Information Broker

-Azul Ashengrotto is the head of the country's biggest information guild. Hiring his Octavinelle Agency is the best way to dig up dirt on anybody, and no one knows just how he acquires that much intelligence. Your parents have listed him as a potential candidate in the hopes that, should you marry him, he would give you access to the wealth of information he has at his fingertips. According to rumors, you must give him something of equal exchange for anything he tells you. You frown as you hear about people selling things like their voices, and their magic to him. He can't be that cruel. Right?

-According to people who have made deals with him, he has a taste for the finer things in life. He'd certainly jump at the opportunity to court you, as you are the heir to the throne. Before your butler can finish, a strange man enters the room. His mismatched eyes gleam as he hands you a letter, stamped with the Octavinelle Agency insignia. The letter is simple, but it sends a chill up your spine. "Your Highness, if you are considering marriage, then please come by my agency. I can tell you anything you wish to know about your suitors, and I'll even waive my usual fees. The only thing I ask in return is for your company. Signed, Azul Ashengrotto." Before you can question the man, he slips out of the parlor. How peculiar...

Kalim - The Merchant Prince

-Your butler clears his throat, and moves on. Next on the list is Kalim Al-Asim, heir to the Al-Asim Trade Company. Merchants under their banner travel far and wide, bringing wondrous things that many people have never seen before. In his country, rich merchants practically become royalty, and Kalim's family is the wealthiest of those families. If you choose him, it will invigorate your country's economy, and your parents approve of this. Also, according to the people who have seen him, he's cheerful and compassionate.

-However, your butler warns that his family has a dark side. In the Scalding Sands, poison is the weapon of choice, and Kalim's life has likely been threatened numerous times. And that his own siblings and cousins are likely his biggest enemies. If you married him, you'd be subjected to the same treatment. You'd constantly have to watch your back, and worry that every sip of wine would be your last. Is that truly a life you wish to lead?

Vil - The Duke

-Vil Schoenheit is the youngest Duke to grace your country's nobility. He's also the fairest. Countless numbers of men and women fawn over his beauty, yet he has rejected every advance that has come his way. This had led to nasty rumors that he has impossible standards, and that his heart must be made of ice. He apparently also has a keen mind, though there are some whispers that he uses that intellect to brew deadly poisons. Who those poisons are meant for, nobody knows.

-His dukedom also contains some of your country's most beautiful locations. Lush forests and thriving apple orchards span his lands, and his people prosper under his rule. However, people do wonder why all of his citizens seem to be good looking, and why nobody seems to oppose him. Is it just a coincidence, or is there a darker reason behind his seemingly perfect dukedom?

Idia - The Inventor

-Idia Shroud is, without a doubt, one of the smartest men in your kingdom. However, his reputation, and several rumors, precede him. He's known for being extremely reclusive, and he's almost never been seen in public. Instead, he trusts an automaton, Ortho, to complete various tasks. And the few times he has been spotted sparked a frenzy of strange rumors. There's talk around the capital that he's been cursed, marked by unholy fire. Your brows furrow. Is he truly one of the candidates for your hand in marriage?

-Aside from the rumors that swirl around him, he's genuinely skilled. Ortho is a completely sentient automaton, and several of his other inventions have changed the average citizen's quality of life for the better. He's the reason your kingdom is more advanced than any other, and that counts for a lot. He's a bit bizarre, but rumors about his supposed "curse" stirs your curiosity.

Malleus - The Briar King

-Your butler shivers, and mentions King Malleus in a hushed tone. He is the King of Briar Valley, a strange land that nobody has ever actually seen. There are old tales about his kingdom. Stories that state that the land is populated by the fae, and that their king is not truly a fae, but a fearsome dragon. These tales claim that any being who opposes the Briar King will be incinerated in a plume of dragon fire, and that he demands complete loyalty from his subjects. As you begin to wonder why your parents would give you such an option, you get your answer. For the first time, Malleus has left his kingdom, and is visiting yours. This might be your kingdom's only chance to forge an alliance with the powerful, mysterious fae.

-There is a bit more information than just wild tales. According to your butler, an odd fae visited the castle yesterday, and told your parents a bit more about Malleus. This fae stated that his king was not quite as intimidating as the stories claim, and that Malleus yearned for companionship more than anything else. Your gaze softened. You, as the heir to a kingdom, knew that a royal life could be a lonely one. If he also felt the ache of solitude, then, he surely couldn't be a monster, like the people say.

Now that you've heard about your potential suitors, only one question remains...

Who will you choose?

[taking-thyme]

🌅 Lucifer Deity Guide 🌅

Note: This is inspired by both my own experiences with Lucifer and the information I read on @scarletarosa's blog and her devotional guide to him. Please go read that one too!!

The divine rebel, Lucifer is the light of truth and divine wisdom; an ancient light which shines through the darkness, representing illumination. He is the driving force of innovation, liberation and transformation. According to Scarletarosa, who actively works with Lucifer and was told this by him, he was the first-born god of the Universe created by the supreme deity, the Source. He is so incredibly ancient and beautiful. Lilith was created to be his counterpart, the Queen of Heaven. However, Jehovah took the throne of heaven from Lucifer and cast him and his followers into hell. Most of them lost their connection to heaven and their energy became dark and intense. Jehovah claimed the throne of heaven and set himself up as the one true god, manipulating humans into betraying their original deities. Thus, Lucifer became the King of Hell and has been scorned by Christians for millenia. 

God of: Illumination, Light, Darkness, Change, Rebirth, Challenges, Innovation, Logic, Truth, Knowledge, Wisdom, Strategy, Persuasion, Revolution, Luxury, Pleasure, Freedom, The Arts and The Morning Star (“Morning Star” is another name for the planet Venus)

Symbols: Sigil of Lucifer, The Morning Star, Violins and Fiddles (instruments traditionally associated with him)

Plants and Trees: Rose, Belladonna, Mulberry, Patchouli, Myrrh, Min, Tobacco, Marigold, Lilies, Hyacinth, Sage

Crystals: Amethyst, Black Obsidian, Onyx, Garnet, Selenite, Rose Quartz

Animals: Black Animals in general, Dragons, Snakes, Owls, Eagles, Ravens, Crows, Rams, Foxes, Pigs,  Bats, Rats, Moths, Swans

Incense: Rose, Frankincense, Patchouli, Myrrh

Colors: Black, Red, Silver, Emerald Green, Gold

Tarot: The Devil

Planets: The Morning Star, Venus

Day: Monday and Friday

Consort: Lilith

Children: Naema, Aetherea and many others

How was he traditionally worshipped?

There is not much to say about how Lucifer was historically worshiped seeing as he wasn’t worshiped at all for a large chunk of human history. He seems to have been worked with in some capacity according to the Gesta Treverorum, written in 1231, which is where we first see the term Luciferian being used to refer to his worship. This was by a woman named Lucardis for a religious circle, who was said to lament to Lucifer in private and prayed to him. However, the term Luciferians was later applied to basically any groups Christians didn’t like and wanted to fight, as one might expect. However, the modern Luciferian movement also sheds light on how Lucifer is worshiped. For Luciferians, enlightenment is the ultimate goal. Their basic principles highlight truth, freedom of will and fulfilling one’s ultimate potential, and encourage the same in all of us. Traditional dogma is shunned because Luciferians believe that humans do not need deities or the threat of eternal punishment to know what is good and the right thing to do. All ideas are to be tested before being accepted, and even then one should remain critical because knowledge is fluid and ever-changing. Regardless of whether Luciferians view Lucifer as a deity or an archetype, he is a representation of ultimate illumination and exploration in the name of personal growth. 

Epithets

Phanes

The Morning Star

Light-bringer

The First-born

Prince of Darkness

Son of Morning

The Glory of Morning

Lord of the Lunar Sphere

The First Light

Offerings

Red Wine, Whiskey (especially Jack Daniels), Champagne, Pomegranate Juice, Black Tea (especially earl grey), Chocolate (especially dark chocolate), Cooked Goat Meat, Venison, Apples, Pomegranates, Honey, Good Quality Cigars, Tobacco, Daggers and Swords, Silver Rings, Emeralds and Emerald Jewelry, Goat Horns, Black Feathers, Seductive Colognes, Red Roses, Dead Roses, Crow Skulls, Bone Dice, Devotional Poetry and Artwork, Classical Music (especially violin)

Devotional Acts

Acts of self-improvement, spiritual awakening and evolution, knowledge-seeking and dedication to spirituality ; Shadow Work ; Working to overcome your ego to become wiser ; Defending those in need ; Working to better yourself without being too self critical ; Fighting against tyranny and bigotry whenever you encounter it

Altar Decorations

Black or Red Candles, Snake and Dragon Figurines, His sigil, Roses, Fancy Chess Boards and Playing Cards, Silver Jewlery and ornaments, Black feathers, Goat horns

Appearance

For me Lucifer usually appears as a tall light-skinned man with long fiery red hair (so red it looks like it’s been dyed), a sophisticated face with a killer jawline, passionate eyes and dressed in a fancy black suit. From all my experiences with him and what I’ve heard from other followers, it seems Lucifer and most demons dress in full suits and tuxedos. 

Personality

Lucifer is nothing if not charming. He’s a protector first and foremost - one that always works to help you better yourself, but a protector nonetheless. He feels like a protective older brother taking care of you while your parents are away. He is a very complex entity, deeply wise and eloquent. He is more serious than one might expect for a demon given their popular depictions in our culture as chaotic forces of evil, but Lucifer is full of courage and love. I often feel him with me even when I’m not doing things related to him. He is proud of his follower’s accomplishments and congratulates them on a job well done, though he also reminds them that the job is never truly over. Growth is constant. Lucifer is the epitome of growth, blunt and gentle at the same time, telling you what you need to do and giving you space to figure out how to do it. 

Lucifer values resilience, the pursuit of self-betterment, intellectualism, courage, open-mindedness and responsibility in individuals and wants to see his followers develop these qualities. He is constantly rooting for you to reach your full potential. He won’t hold your hand the entire way, but he will help you take steps in the right direction. Lucifer, like all deities, is different for everyone and will adjust his approach depending on your needs.

^ The Sigil of Lucifer

[hidden-in-heaven]

Hidden in heaven - AU concept

Exploring more of Heaven and the 7 Archangels in Hazbin Hotel 

This AU explores our concept and interpretation of heaven while still being connected to the canon story of Hazbin Hotel.

It roughly takes place currently time, roughly takes at the same time as season 1

HEAVEN

Our interpretation still follows what we've seen in the show, it's basically still the colorful paradise it's made out to be, with it's denizens still bliss fully un-aware of what's going on behind the scenes and down below,

however, now with the additions of our own ideas, with how it deals with its denizens and its main authorities, which is the 7 archangels and the elders, and how they run heaven.

we also added the idea of heavens history, from even before creation.

Eternal Serenity inc.

The Objective of this company the management of souls and the insurance of a paradise environment that Heaven promised. However for each ascended [soul] has their own slight idea of what ‘’paradise’’ is like, each department cater to that ideal accordingly.

the 7 archangels are responsible for running these departments

Elder Council

the elders are comprised of each species of angel in the first sphere and have existed since before existence itself. They were the direct caretakers of the 3 eldest children, however, despite technically being a rank lower than them in the hierarchy the council has a higher rulement over the siblings since they were the main authority and mentors to the siblings. 

[note: there are angels that work directly under them]

Seraphim - Sera [founders of the seraphim sisters]

cherebium - metatron [founders of the Cherebium court]

Throne - Callan [founder of the celestial bodies]

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main cast

7 archangels

Elders

Adam and exorcist

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Lore

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main tags

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Bounderies

• we have no fucking clue, just dont be weird

• Fanarts and Fanfics: We’re absolutely okay with them! Please tag us so we can see them

• Ship/: We’re also completely okay with them

• Inspo:If you take any inspiration from our designs we’ll gladly appreciate if you credit us

• Again, just don’t be weird

[hannibals-favourite-meal]

An a/b/o fic with maybe Bruce Wayne or Arthur curry, where they have been searching for their omega for most of their life, and when they are fighting a villain fem reader comes in and helps them, I was thinking that reader she has telekinesis or something and, she helps them and they are blown away by her, never thinking that their omega could be a hero as well

.⋆｡Crashing Waves｡⋆.

alpha!Arthur Curry x plus size reader

He has been looking for her for his whole life and she arrived just in time

Warnings: a/b/o, true mates, hero!reader, omega!reader, violence against robots, reader is shorter than Bruce and Arthur (but who isn’t), implied smut WC: 1.4k

6k Follower Celebration Bingo

Library- @hannibals-favourite-meal-library

Even after serving as Atlantis’s king for five years now, Arthur doubted he would get used to the searing smell of salt that constantly clung to everything around him. It burned his nostrils even when he was lounging around the JL tower and part of him wondered if he would ever be able to properly scent out his mate while the sea constantly invaded his senses. Though even before he claimed the throne, he wasn’t exactly successful on that front.

He felt like he had searched everywhere for his omega, the biological urge deep down in his chest driving him to scour every inch of the earth for them. But they had eluded him and even if his parents (themselves being true mates) assured him that the right omega would appear when the time was right, he remained alone with the smell of the sea. 

Arthur was almost glad, at times, for a good fight. Smoke, sparks from his trident, even blood gave him a break from the usual salt that surrounded him, temporarily cleansing his pallet so to speak. But maybe not today he thought with a wince.

Hundreds of broken robots surrounded him, the never-ending wave of enemies only getting thicker as his exhaustion began to mount. Batman was somewhere deep in the crowd, attempting to override their programming as Arthur tried to keep him safe enough. New enemies were always a pain in the ass but this one was definitely levels above the other newbies they fought. And Arthur was already fantasising about what he’d do to the skinny little white guy as soon as he got his hands on him, that is if Batman didn’t get to either of them first.

“Is there any way to hurry this up!” He shouted above the screaming of gears and failing electronics. 

“This would go faster if you stopped hitting them at me.” The Bat growled as he hit yet another firewall in their programming. Arthur took another swing of his trident, knocking away a flying robot that had gotten way too close to his partner’s head for comfort. It let out a high pitched whine as it was launched into the horizon.

“This would be faster if you didn’t type in the wrong code to begin with!” A batarang screamed past his ear, landing right in the huge glowing eye of the robot hovering just over Arthur’s right shoulder. Oil sprayed from its side, coating Arthur’s hair. 

A deafening roar sounded through the empty field as another shipping container rose from the ground, releasing even more robots. Batman turned back to the computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard all while the swarm closed in around them. “This is gonna hurt.” Arthur cocked back his shoulder and raised his trident, maybe he could knock out a few rows of them before they got too close and he’d have to switch to his fists. 

Just as he readjusted his grip to throw the trident into the thickest grouping of robots, everything went silent.

The now frozen robots hung in the air like someone had just paused time, though they still whirred and whined, their huge red eyes glowing even brighter. Then, with little more than a sharp click from somewhere to his right, they were pulled backwards, the mechanical bodies slamming into each other as they were forced together into one huge sphere hundreds of feet off the ground. 

“What the fuck?” Suddenly, the sphere crumpled like tin foil, the metal warping and collapsing until all that was left was a flat sheet of wires and dying LEDs. It slammed into the earth, disappearing behind the long grass as Batman’s screen turned green.

“Great timing there bats.” But Arthur’s tone held no bite, not when the salty smell of the ocean and ozone slammed into him. 

Immediately, every nerve in his body came to life, buzzing like he was drunk but his mind was clear, clearer than it ever had been before. A figure was walking through the grass, elegantly avoiding the mangled carcasses of their battle. As she approached, her scent became stronger and Arthur could now smell the subtle hint of something flowery like a warm spring breeze. 

The light of the sunset made her practically glow as she moved, her thick curves and perfect dips highlighted by a tight catsuit that looked like it was pulled straight from his teenage fantasies. 

“I hope I didn’t show up too late.” Her voice floated around him and Arthur’s knees buckled. 

“You’re right on time.” Her e/c eyes met his golden ones and he watched as her nose turned up and she took a deep breath of his scent. Her heavy chest hitched and her own scent turned sweeter. His stomach flipped as something deep inside him stretched awake for the first time in what seemed like years.

“Y/N. What took so long?” Batman crossed his arms as he looked down at her, his jaw ticking in anger. Yet her expression never faltered, in fact she glanced at Arthur with a raised eyebrow. Her smile was bright, shining with something ethereal. 

“Oh I don’t know, maybe the fact that you gave me a coded message with the coordinates instead of being a normal person and sharing your location with me? I may have psychic powers but I suck at math dude.” 

“That was you?” Arthur hadn’t noticed that his body was moving on its own until he finally spoke again and she had to crane her head almost all the way back to make eye contact with him. Warmth unlike anything he had experienced before bloomed through his chest as she leaned towards him, fluttering her lashes up at him.

“I have a lot of tricks better than that.” Her scent was almost overpowering now but all he wanted to do was drown in it. Y/N’s shoulder brushed against his pec and something snapped.

The world tilted on its axis and he suddenly knew what his parents were talking about when they said that the moment they met, nothing else mattered. “Omega.” 

Her body sagged into him as she breathed out an almost inaudible “alpha”. His trident dropped unnoticed to the ground. 

“I’ve finally found you.” She fell easily into his arms, like they had been made to hold her. She pressed her face as close as she could get, her words muffled against the thick armour but he could hear her clearly all the same. 

“You stole my line,” he whispered into her hair, breathing her scent as much as he could, “I’ve been waiting for you for so long. Who knew I’d find you after you saved my life?” Her giggle made his heart swell with affection and pride.

“You’ve obviously been looking in the wrong place.” Y/N looked up at him as he cupped her full cheek with a massive hand, guiding her face upwards. His eyes dropped to her lips.

“I could say the same about you.” He leaned down and just as his lips were about to touch hers-

“Alright that’s enough,” Bruce snarled, “need I remind you both that there’s still a villain we need to deal with.” 

Y/N never looked away from Arthur, in fact she wound an arm around his neck and tugged him even closer. His alpha roared to life, hyper-focusing on the softness of her curves beneath his hands. “You go ahead, I think my alpha and I have done more than enough heavy lifting for the day, we have better things to do.”

“I’m going to regret asking but what exactly is more important than dealing with a potentially global threat?” Arthur smirked, catching on to the game she was playing.

His right hand dropped from where it was resting on her wide hip down to the plump cheeks of her ass. “I’m going to rip her clothes off and fuck her brains out right in this field. So unless you’re into that stuff-“ she slapped his chest at that, “-then I suggest you move on, Bats, cause right now, nothing is going to stop me from claiming my omega.”

“You two are disgusting.” He grumbled and walked off, finally leaving the newly discovered mates alone.

“Now where were we?” Arthur purred before Y/N yanked him down and finally kissed him, making the smell of the ocean explode around them.

Her scent had been haunting him for years, etching itself into his mind and suddenly, Arthur loved the smell of salt again because it meant that he finally had his omega.

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[mister-a-z-fell]

I was asked to provide a guide to the Celestial Hierarchy, so this is a very rough guide, with certain details omitted for various reasons.

The ‘alt text’ thingy didn’t seem willing to contain a full description, so I include it below:

An attempt at describing the informative ‘graphical’ representation.

The image describes the Hierarchy of Heaven, with the titles of angelic choirs and notes on their roles and functions.

God is, of course, at the top (although in a more dimensionally accurate depiction, this would be the centre).

Beneath God is the Metatron - Voice of God. The appended note reads ‘TECHNICALLY PART OF THE SERAPHIM’ but further information is blocked out with ‘REDACTED’ in its place.

There are three groups of angels below Metatron. They are the First, Second and Third Spheres.

The First Sphere includes Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones.

The following notes are attached:

1: ARCHANGELS (this is written with a capital A)

Senior management, drawn from the ranks of Seraphim and Cherubim.

Theirs are CENTRE-FACING ROLES (Enacting the Will of God, facilitation of the Plan, long-term strategies and Angelic Resources).

2: As a point of etiquette, Seraphim and Cherubim are only to be spoken of as a plurality. Do not refer to one Seraph or one Cherub.
3. Cherubim are not to be confused with Cherubs — young/neonate angels, or cherubs — quasi-sentient firmament devices. (The word ‘cherub’ is written with strangely accented letters, suggesting that the words may sound different.)

Thrones have their own role description: LOGISTICS & LARGE-SCALE

MACROCOSMIC FORCES, and an additional, emphatic note: NO WHEELS. NONE OF US HAVE WHEELS.

The Second Sphere includes Dominions, Virtues and Powers.

The role description for Dominions and Virtues reads: ARCHITECTS. ENGINEERS, FIRMAMENT-SMITHS, but the description beside Powers has been redacted.

The Third Sphere includes Principalities, archangels (with a small a) and Angels.

A note on etiquette regarding archangels reads ‘don’t forget the small a. But don’t bring it up in conversation’.

This Sphere is characterised as ‘EARTH-FACING ROLES & ADMINISTRATION — Guidance, observation, soul-conservation & procurement, record-keeping’.

A note on Principalities warns ‘Don’t make jokes about how few of them there are’ and ‘This means you, Sandalphon.’

Conversely, regarding Angels, the advice says ‘There are so many of them. Millions. Don’t try to remember every name when you can generally get away with ‘Mumble-iel’.

[yourlittlebunnyy]

chapter 42

Imo not enough is said (or at least I don't see enough) about chapter 42 of acomaf, which is the throne scene with Rhysand and Feyre.

I think it is one of the worst and most hypocritical scenes i have ever read in my life and shows how Rhysand is a man who is willing to put power before everything.

At that moment Feyre did not know about the bond, but Rhysand did. Despite this, he decided to introduce Feyre into the worst part of his Court as a whore. Just as he was to Amarantha. He humiliated her in front of everyone, talking about her as if she was a mere piece of meat.

When they returned he brought Feyre back as High Lady. A title invented by him that actually has no value and destroys the whole concept of the Courts, but these are conversations I'll address in another post. Everyone recognized her as his whore, of course. And when they referred to her that way (rightly so, since that's what they recognize her for) he had the nerve to get angry.

Not only is he a hypocrite because having suffered the exact same thing himself, why would you do that to your mate?

And more importantly, how did you expect them to respond to Feyre the next time? That they would bow down and respect her when you first didn't, making this kind of thing seem okay? Or that as soon as they heard that you made her High Lady they would start kissing the floor where she walks?

He's also stupid, since the objectification of Feyre in that scene is totally unnecessary. Sjm wrote it thinking "oh, readers will definitely like this one" but didn't realize that it's the most disgusting thing a loved one can do especially if it has no value to the plot. It didn't benefit him or his Court or their plan, it just humiliated her.

"But Rhysand needed a distraction because Azriel had to get the sphere or whatever." Okay? Distract them in other ways? It's the same thing as UTM. Don't use these things as excuses for what he did. Also, Azriel is a fucking spy. Let him do his job. AND RHYSAND IS AN HIGH LORD??? just take that fucking thing and go lol even if it wasn't his he can do whatever he wants without the need to justify himself.

"But Feyre liked it." Nobody here is talking about liking it. This is about the dehumanization of a woman who doesn't deserve it.

sorry i had to vent i hate him too much

main masterlist

[vivid-but-vague]

Swallow Up Your Flames With Mine - Messmer

There’s not nearly enough Messmer fics out in the world, so here is my humble contribution.

Prologue

She had stumbled in unprepared. While she knew of Messmer based on the red-clad knights stationed around the castle, the Tarnished hadn't expected to happen across Messmer's throne so soon after relieving the accursed hippopotamus of his post. By the time she breached the throne room doors she was down to her final flask, still covered in the blood of the soldiers of the demigod sat before her, his lanky form sprawled across his throne while twisting serpents writhed behind him- from within it would seem.

No matter, she had come across much more greatly malformed demigods than he. Although one of his eyes remained closed, whether willfully or by the course of some affliction remained to be seen, she was certain she would not survive long enough to find out, his visible eye shone bright with the golden rune of Marika.

The red haired man, surrounded by tendrils of snakes and flames, was similar to the rest of the demigods in his immediate need to speak. She never had gotten a word out with the others, although, she found herself taking him Messmers form as though in some form of trance. She briefly wondered if St. Trina's magic was at play as the demigod's voice cut through the air over his crackling flames.

"Mother," he started, one visible eye sweeping over the Tarnished's form and lips curling in unveiled disgust.

"Would thou truly lordship sanction," his hand carefully wrapped around his spear as he pushed himself to his feet almost lazily, yet still with the grace one would expect of a child of a goddess, "in one so bereft of light?"

Arlyn barely had the time to contemplate drinking her final flask in an effort to quell the throbbing of her shoulder, let alone pull her sword from its sheath at her side, as Messmer shot into the air. She found herself willfully captivated as he conjured a sphere of wild flames around himself, and was neigh able to shake herself back to her senses as he came plummeting towards her.

She dodged his initial blow, but the flames still singed the ends of her hair as she stumbled backwards, hip and shoulder screaming in protest from having earlier narrowly avoided being eaten alive by the hippo. The Tarnished contemplated drinking her final flask as black dots danced across her vision in time with Messmer's flames, but the pain in her body and within her head made it far more tempting to acquiesce.

First attempts were all about learning patterns, but with her head spinning the Tarnished struggled to memorize much of anything, body sluggish and instinctively rolling away from initial blows only to be caught up in the remaining flames anyways.

She barely saw him charge forward, hand outstretched in a flurry of flame. The weapon dropped from her numbing hand as Messmer's fist encompassed her throat. Barely able to breathe through the smoke-laden air, her vision dimmed significantly as he hoisted her upon his flaming spear. The pain she would have expected to feel from the spear piercing her abdomen paled in comparison to the experience of staring closely into his singular open eye, glowing with the rune of Marika- the mother that betrayed and condemned him to such a place.

She faintly heard his words as he chastised her slowly fading body, but was too caught up in his eye to discern them. As she felt herself finally drifting away, the Tarnished reached a hand towards his angular cheek and mumbled one word with her final breath:

"Pretty."

[inkprovised]

Pls keep scrolling if you don't like Bowuigi.

+TW Angst

There is so much stuff that didn't make it into the Reunion Comic... but I don't want it to go to waste.

So have a little something in-between the Coronation and Reunion;

Always time;

The day was long. Again.

Kamek dragged himself through the corridors on his way to his last duty of the day. It was past midnight already!

It's been 5 months since they created the healing sphere in which the King of the Koopa was locked in, to- well... heal. It needed four Magikoopa to build that giant thing, but fortunately, only one to run it. Kamek and Kammy took shifts since Kamek still had his duty at the side of their new King. And since this one had no experience in ruling whatsoever, this job was even harder than before.

Not to get it wrong, Luigi's doing great. But since Bowser's absence, things in the Kingdom were going out of hand. But there was no fault to seek in the new Ruler.

Bowser promised Luigi would surprise them all. And this Kamek could confirm almost every day. Luigi was kind. He had a feeling for situations that were in immediate need of de-escalation, he was willing to put himself into everything, and he was fair. Yet scared all the time...

The citizens who came to bring their concerns and requests to the king sure were not convinced at first. But some of them already met King Bowser and sometimes were scared to ask of anything at all. Then, while talking to Luigi, they relaxed visibly, and chit-chating was about to become a common thing with the King. And Kamek was certain they liked their new Ruler.

One time, he wasn't fast enough to react, Luigi jumped from his throne to hug a desperately crying single mother who asked for help. Her husband died in one of the (already countless) riots at the borders of the Lands. He just wanted to get a surprise for their anniversary and wasn't even involved in the sedition....

Kamek was thrown off his thoughts as he reached the healing chambers. The door was ajar, and the light of the sphere was showing through. The Magikoopa could hear a voice, reading with passion about a dragon and a village in flames. He knew this part too well! It was Junior's favourite book. How many times had Bowser or himself read it to him...

Kamek entered the chambers.

"Luigi?" He asked, the reading stopped.

At the bottom of the sphere sat an exhausted looking King, bags under his eyes, book in hand, and a loud snoring Junior on his lap. His hair had grown out, and Kamek didn't know if he did not want them to be cut short or if he was just prioritising other things. Luigi leaned on the sphere, which caused the magic glow to alter.

He smiled. "Kamek. Come sit with us. We're about to get to the best part."

"How?!"

"How- what?"

"The world could go down, and you'd still find enough time for them... how?" Luigi only shrugged. "And how often did you read that thing already?!" Kamek pointed at the book. "And why are you still reading? Junior is fast asleep already. "

"Who says I'm reading to Junior right now?" The King laughed and craned his neck to look at the shadow inside the sphere, then he smiled. "I know Bowser can't stand this book anymore. He told me the last time we read it to our little one here. " Then his smile turned sad. "I keep reading this to him until he wakes up just to make me shut up because he can't stand it anymore. "

At this, Kamek snorts unexpectedly fast and loud

Which led to them both laughing a couple of minutes straight.

Kamek cleared his throat and adjusted himself before talking. "You should go and rest yer majesty. Don't make me use my sleep magic on you again."

I needed to get this out of my system first. Thanks for your patience!

For all of you who don't know what is happening;

Start here

[thevelaryons]

why did daemon chose to marry laena? I have always thought it was because she is prince aemon’s granddaughter and her mother and brother laenor were at some point considered jaehaerys’ heirs, we know daemon is ambitious so marrying her will bring him closer to the throne. but the show made laena (who is interested in flying more than boys) the one who seeks him out, she even admits that she was not his first choice.

The show has a lot of odd writing decisions that depict characters acting opposite from their book counterparts so trying to determine the motivations of the book characters by looking at the show versions is an exercise in futility.

Daemon clearly had a preference for Valyrian women. His favourite paramour was Mysaria, he willingly chose to marry Laena and then Rhaenyra, at brothels he was described as picking the Valyrian maidens, and he had no interest whatsoever in the non-Valyrian Rhea. So just as he had, at one time, wanted to have a family with Mysaria, this time too, with Laena, he could create a family with a suitable partner.

Though I’d say his reasons for marriage were more personal than political. Apart from being Valyrian, Laena is also a beautiful young woman described as having a fiery & adventurous personality, she claimed the dragon Vhagar at a young age, and she is the daughter of two people who Daemon is already familiar with. All of that would appeal to a man like Daemon.

Corlys is the type to keep an egg in every basket so I think he would see the political value of the Daemon/Laena marriage, but Daemon’s actions don’t make him appear to be acting in any political interest.

Prince Daemon fell in love with Laena, the singers would have us believe. Men of a more cynical bent believe the prince saw her as a way to check his own descent. Once seen as his brother’s heir, he had fallen far down in the line of succession, and neither the greens nor the blacks had a place for him…but House Velaryon was powerful enough to defy both parties with impunity.

Daemon is more pragmatic than people believe, so I don’t see him as the falling in love at first sight type. But his marriage to Laena was clearly not about the throne either. If Daemon’s claim is considered low on the line of succession, then Laena’s claim is even lower. Daemon would have to go on a murder spree to eliminate Viserys/Rhaenyra/her sons/Aegon/his sons/Aemond/Daeron, and then he and his children by Laena could be considered claimants for the throne. Clearly Daemon was not doing any of that.

Prince Daemon knew that his brother would not be pleased when he heard of his marriage. Prudently, the prince and his new bride took themselves far from Westeros soon after the wedding, crossing the narrow sea on their dragons.

It’s said that Daemon chose to leave Westeros after marrying Laena. Daemon is many things but not a coward. So it wasn’t simply a case of fearing his brother’s wrath. Daemon, hardly if ever, fears Viserys. Daemon’s marriage to Laena removed him from the political sphere entirely.

He and Laena returned back to Westeros only after they had children, at which point they took up residence with Laena’s family. It’s very unusual for a man in Westeros to be living with his in-laws, but that’s what Daemon did.

Laena is described as a fiery girl and Daemon is given the description of hot tempered. In his wife, Daemon found someone who could match his personality. They’re a very fire on fire dynamic. Just like Laena, Daemon also claimed his dragon. They both seem to dislike the stagnancy of staying in one place and are rather restless individuals (at least until they become parents). For many years, Daemon was stuck in a marriage to Rhea just as Laena was stuck in a betrothal to the Braavosi boy. They both know what it’s like to be devalued, Daemon because of his brother’s dismissal and Laena in general because of her gender being the reason she was passed over as heir to the throne. But neither of them are defined by this, judging by how Daemon chooses to live his life on his own terms and not by the whims of his brother and Laena not being bothered by the distance to the throne. So I’d say their marriage was a case of two like minded individuals finding common ground with each other.

[chaifootsteps]

a subversion of expectations they could have gone with for Charlie's first meeting with Baxter would be that she is the only one who doesn't baby him and i am forever annoyed that they aren't going down that route from what the leaks showed

i guess it have made too much sense, i mean look at charlie : she looks like a teenager but she is the oldest resident of the hotel AND an adult. most of her physical features are the ones people associate with children when drawing them (youthfulness, rosy cheeks, round face, bowtie, ...) and even her demeanor is one superficial people would consider childish (her dreams, her positivity, her politeness, her past lack of excessive swearing, ...)

how many people in her life do you think only ever viewed her as an overgrown child and not an adult ?

how much do you think it has become something very grating to her especially because she is the next in line for the throne of hell and so far nobody treats her seriously ? ... including her own parents ?

how many decades do you think she spent trying to make her self more and more believable as adult in the eyes of others and yet was willing to throw them all away for their sakes when she realized her dream and the power she help could potentially save those that didn't deserve eternal damnation ?

Charlie and Baxter have this trait in common from the get go but the writing is so lackluster it constantly goes for the lamest approach on everything. i'd also like to believe charlie can "see" the real age of the sinners as part of her hellborn heritage since she probably never met a human before and hell alters sinner in all kinds of way that it's nearly impossible to guess how old they are (and the fact they all talk like teenagers who found out about swearing)

That's the frustrating thing about being in the HH/HB critical sphere...it's just a never ending procession of vastly superior and more poignant ideas, and this is definitely one of them.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Deleted/altered Monsterverse scenes in Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett

Kong: Skull Island

There's a longer opening sequence, with Marlowe discovering Gunpei's camp instead of them both crashing at around the same time.

Conrad stows away on the expedition instead of being hired as a tracker

Weaver and Conrad meet at a Philadelphia train station (no clue what the context was).

Kong swings around a helicopter while the gunner is still firing and the bullets hit another helicopter, which I think is the closest he's ever come to using a gun.

Packard's group watches Kong fight the Mire Squid instead of Chapman.

Very different take on the Iwi village, with smaller lost ships/planes incorporated into the architecture.

The big one: Conrad flashes back to an encounter with King Ghidorah in Vietnam. The three-headed monster's silhouette is basically just the Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah version, but he has at least five prehensile tails he uses to snatch up soldiers.

Conrad and Weaver are tied to a tree during the napalm plot against Kong. Another character sets them free and they go wild on a few soldiers, with Weaver hitting one on the head with a rock. The Skull Devil emerges in a separate scene.

Kong uses a plane wing as a weapon in the final fight.

The Skull Devil has a grappling tail similar to that of Otachi in Pacific Rim.

The Iwi fight Conrad's group (I think) as the Gray Fox is lowered down a waterfall with a pulley system and something ambushes Kong in the background. This one was especially hard to make any sense of without dialogue.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Jonah spies on Emma and Madison as they drive to Mothra's temple.

The video montage in the Senate hearing is done via hologram. A mushroom cloud is displayed while Serizawa argues with a senator.

Mark bows to a wolf that approaches him in a nice bit of foreshadowing.

Mothra arrives in Boston alongside Godzilla instead of turning up later.

Godzilla vs. Kong

In an alternate opening, the Iwi retell the history between Godzilla and Kong's species using highly-elaborate puppets. There's a horned character loaded with weapons who briefly traps Godzilla in a cage and transforms into a Rodan-like figure. An ancient mecha?

Text mentions that "the Pensacola/Florida Godzilla attack scene was going to be much longer, involving a mall stampede.

A massive explosion takes place on Skull Island (I believe coming from the Vile Vortex there).

Jia is first shown signing with Kong just before the fleet engages Godzilla.

In true kaiju kid fashion, Jia messes with the controls of the ship to set Kong loose.

Nathan discovers his brother's crash site in the Hollow Earth and gets into a fight with several guards. This scene was definitely filmed.

Bernie was at one point a woman (drawn with ultra-short hair, although in general the human characters in these storyboards bear little resemblance to their screen counterparts).

Kong finds a skeleton of another member of his species sitting on the throne. He breaks off the skull, stares at it, and throws it aside.

Group troops engage Godzilla and Kong during their Hong Kong fight; neither even notices.

Mechagodzilla coils into a semi-sphere to deflect Godzilla's atomic breath.

Echoing his fight with Kong, Godzilla tries to outrun Mechagodzilla's Proton Scream through the streets of Hong Kong.

[helaenathequeenmaker]

House of the Dragon's treatment of Dreamfyre is making my blood boil in my veins. They started by claiming that the three eggs from which Daenerys's dragons will later be born are from Syrax; too bad that since reading F&B a rather popular theory has arisen in the fandom that those eggs are *drumroll* from Dreamfyre. It is indeed a theory, but there is a whole lot of sensible speculation behind it full of references and quotations while on Syrax there is no quotation that would lead to such a conclusion (except the words of that clown Ryan Condal LOL). As they fully demonstrated with Daemon's vision, they want at all costs to squeeze the character of Daenerys and attempt to make a retcon of the disastrous Game of Thrones finale, and they certainly have to put the dearest Rhaenyra (and of course her dragon) in the middle of it at all costs

And turning to her, I would really like to understand how she can state so obviously that “Helaena doesn't fly” and “she doesn't care”, having never spoken to Helaena half a time. In general I'm finding the whole characterisation of Helaena absolutely ridiculous, totally robbed of some interesting aspects present in F&B (such as the love for her of the smallfolk, her loving relationship with her children, her diplomatic skills and of course her dragon, Dreamfyre) that could easily have been expanded upon. All of this has been completely erased in order to provide us with a magical subplot (it's a pity that the Dance already features a character with prophetic abilities LOL) in which she is a dragon dreamer, but the only dreams she can interpret with disarming accuracy are those related to Aemond but not to the death of her son

Apparently in fact Helaena not only doesn't fly but hates it (!!!). So I wonder why she decided to bond with a dragon in the first place (her family regardless considers her weird, so LOL), and certainly not a little puppy. Dreamfyre is in fact the second oldest dragon after Vhagar, is therefore of considerable size and seems to have a rather short-tempered and fierce temper, as shown by the way she approaches Aemond in the first season. It therefore remains a mystery how the sweet little innocent Helaena (as they insist on portraying her) decided to claim Dreamfyre (but in general to own a dragon) and succeed in such a feat

In F&B Dreamfyre and Helaena share a rather strong bond, as the dragon senses the death of her rider and manages to break the chains that held her bound. Martin recently wrote that flying Dreamfyre is the greatest joy in Helaena's life (and I thank him infinitely for that); a joy that was robbed from her after B&C, a traumatic event after which Helaena was unable to take care of herself and her surviving children, to the point where she and her dragon posed no threat. In F&B it is repeatedly pointed out how Helaena's possible military involvement with Dreamfyre could have helped the Greens (especially after the Seeding and the taking of KL), but apparently here Helaena does not want to fight because she is aware of how it will all end

By now House of the Dragon has made so many changes that I wouldn't have minded seeing her go down in battle and avenge her son's death (the same for Rhaenyra of course), but apparently Helaena can't do anything meaningful outside the dreamlike sphere of her dreams. Even this supposed dissociation following Jaehaerys' death I do not find dealt with at all, as I find Helaena's behaviour exactly the same before and after this tragic bereavement. The way they characterised Helaena would feel more sorrow for the death of her insects than of her own son

[talonabraxas]

The Ophanim Angels (Thrones) “Wheels within Wheels”

De Coelesti Hierarchia refers to the Thrones from the Old Testament description as the third Order of the first sphere, the other two superior orders being the Cherubim and Seraphim.

The name of the most glorious and exalted Thrones denotes that which is exempt from and untainted by any base and earthly thing, and the super mundane ascent up the steep. For these have no part in that which is lowest, but dwell in fullest power, immovably and perfectly established in the Most High, and receive the Divine Immanence above all passion and matter, and manifest God, being attentively open to divine participations.

[ross-hollander]

Hi, what's battletech about?

@the-flowing-river asked what Battletech is about. Battletech can be summed up by the Eras that it's classified in:

Star League. Humanity gets out and about in the cosmos. BattleMechs are invented. House Cameron rules the Star League; then a coup happens, General Kerensky defeats the usurper but refuses the throne and leaves to deep space.

Succession Wars. Everybody left shrugs and gets to fighting over who will be next to hold hegemonic power in the Inner Sphere, aka, known universe. During this time, Kerensky's forces reorganize into Clans and start getting funky with genetic science.

Clan Invasion. The descendants of Kerensky and his forces return to the Inner Sphere. They fight a lot of people, until the Great Refusal, where the successor states of the Star League win enough of a series of duels to convince them to hold off on conquering Earth, which is what they're here for (first Clan to conquer Earth claims prime status). Some bits of the map get re-painted.

Civil War. One big successor state, the Federated Commonwealth, fights itself so hard it breaks in half. Around this time, some of the Clans also fight other Clans, but honestly for them it (fighting each other) is more or less their natural state of being, so not as remarkable.

Jihad. Megacorporation ComStar previously helped stave off the Clan Invasion by issuing a duel challenge and then using a lot of tactical treachery to catch them off-guard. Now they surprise everybody by being tactically treacherous and trying to take over the Inner Sphere while everybody is off-guard, a true shock. All the Clans and states fight ComStar's "Jihad", including some ComStar military divisions who weren't in on the jihad bit fighting the ones who were. ComStar are destroyed and the Jihad stopped.

Dark Age. A lot of trouble going on, basically. Earth was previously held by ComStar, now it's held by the Republic of the Sphere with a special high-tech defense nobody can get past (so no conquering Earth for the Clans right now).

ilClan. Successor states are fighting. Ruler of the Republic of the Sphere gives secret password to Earth's defenses to Clan Wolf, hoping to fight them one by one, because Clan Jade Falcon is also angling to conquer Earth. Clan Wolf promptly shares this cheat code with Clan Jade Falcon. Republic destroyed, Jade Falcon loses the final battle for who counts as 'conquering Earth', Wolf Empire is founded.

The ilClan era is the 'present day', more or less, of Battletech. Everybody has a reason to fight everybody else, so there's no need to worry about whether your tiny giant robots blowing each other up is lore-accurate. It's like a Mexican Standoff but between like at least twenty different cowboys and with BattleMechs instead of revolvers. The Successor States are fighting, the Clans are fighting, the mercenary companies are fighting, the outer states are fighting, the bird alien people are probably also fighting but it's not a guarantee, we haven't heard much about them lately.