#golden apotheosis

[greenarsonist]

Uh, new reference for Apollo just arrived

@kit-williams

Everyone, meet Helios, the Solar Watch Custodian I was just 'assigned'

At least he'll help keep Kevin in line even if he is just 12.6cm tall

[solradguy]

Look at my dragons btw

[rubysparx]

hey so i woke up with yet another Exandroth design on the mind. I suppose this is less a depiction of Exandroth and more just how xe would control Peter. I like to make my designs of xim look like Peter though so maybe it is (some sort of message about identity) (do not repost!!)

[toskarin]

Elden Ring: SotE spoilers

I still can't get over how the theme for the final confrontation with Leda, where she recognises you as the representative of the Erdtree and the Golden Order, is an arrangement of Radagon's theme

whether or not you're intending on upholding the status quo, whether or not your intentions are good, you are very much putting down a threat to the Order just by being there

it's not the theme of you fighting the Followers, but the theme of the Followers fighting you in one last act of resistance. just like Radagon was the last thing standing between you and the end you set out to achieve, you're the last thing standing between the Followers and the successful conclusion of Miquella's apotheosis

it's honestly probably the best possible way they could reprise the motif. I wouldn't have betted that "the game's main theme gets a callback" would be one of my favourite soundtrack moments in the dlc (too easy), but it sure is

[hogoflight]

Consider writing Apollo and post-apotheosis Hyacinthus (as in, after the whole myth) like an Old married couple who are still in love! They are very casually in love. Apollo: I love you. Hyacinthus, cooking food: I love you too. You still have to clean and set the table. You little shit. Apollo: (Hugging his arms around Hyacinthus.) …Will I still have to if you get a kiss? Hyacinthus: (actively receiving a kiss) Yeah. Dumbass. Apollo: Dang it!! I’ve been cheated! (He is languishing on the table.) Hyacinthus: If that breaks I’m not picking you back up. (It does and he does) For their anniversary they book a table at a Dionysus restaurant (I guess he just has one now??) and Apollo arrives full fashion, glorious sparkly golden dress, combed back pristine curls, beautiful lipstick and everything and Hyacinthus wears a top he bought that says “<- I think this guy is gay”. Apollo fireman carries him the whole time for revenge.

[kit-williams]

Golden Apotheosis

My turn to finally introduce a Sentience Custode of my own! However, with a twist! Ya'll remember that Shard I made with @sculptorofcrimson and @bispecsual? Well I'm introducing a stand in for her in husbandry... and don't worry the boy in this fic is a stand in for Valdor (or maybe you should worry).

Please big thanks to @bispecsual for also beta reading

Enjoy

WORDCOUNT: 6524

@egrets-not-regrets @liar-anubiass-blog @barn-anon @bleedingichorhearts @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

@ms--lobotomy

Thank @squishyowl for the dividers

tw: Nudity, blood, death (very much on brand with 40k so far) POV shifting

The blood that ran down her naked body was still warm. Aurora trembled with fear as she knew she was destined to die today... there was a horrifyingly calm acceptance of that fact that ran through her. She opened her mouth to breathe and spit out blood that leaked into her mouth. She was blind as she refused to open her blood covered eyes as her arms were held out by large hands... her long brown hair now stuck to her back as it was heavy with blood and all she could hear was the loud booming voice of the "preacher" Astartis... Aurora felt something placed on her head as it dug into the skin of her scalp and chants and jeers flooded her ears.

Large thumbs swiped over her eyelids allowing her to finally open. Her eyes only briefly scanned the gathered crowd of Astartes as she was dragged to a raised platform and her eyes looked to her cell companion. Aurora didn't blame her even if she apologized again and again for what was going to happen... it wasn't her fault that she was being held hostage to get her Astartis to behave, she learned his name was Ari... Aurora didn't blame Ari either. Her hands were held over her head as she was strapped to a metal pointed wheel, a star of Chaos, she somehow knew... she looked over to her fast friend who was silently crying as she was held by an Astartis in black and gold. The unwilling sorcerer approached, glancing at his human.... glancing to the marine holding his bonded... who gave her a squeeze causing her to scream.

The "preacher" kept speaking as Aurora looked at who she assumed was Ari. His body unarmored as she looked over his face and for a moment when their eyes met she could see the regret in them for a fleeting moment before they hardened as he painted her flesh with symbols that made her mind hurt. His hands soon moved and glowed as his voice took on a double voice melding with his own. She felt her body pulse as warp stuff bled from her brown-gold eyes.

They thought it was fitting given the close resemblance she held to many of the depictions of the Carrion Emperor to give her a golden laurel. Several of them could see it... how swollen her soul was... and with Ari pushing more warp into it... it only made it a better sacrifice.

Ari wanted no part of this... he hated this... he was no human killer! But... but... his human was in danger.

Aurora looked up at the sky and there was silent pain that rushed through her body. Something inside of her was pulsing as, unknown to her, more and more of her soul was forced to take in raw warpstuff. Empowering her and making her ripe for an offering to the gods. She felt like the seams of her entire being were being ripped apart to the point she could no longer take it and she screamed, "SOMEONE HELP ME!" Desperately she screamed as she forced her throat raw.

But within the warp that those fallen Astartes were feeding her soul too... all that was there was the laughter of thirsting gods...

Apollo was falling. He blinked as he was indeed falling as his armor was adjusting and informing him of the calculated time till impact. His bright blue eye behind those ruby red eye lenses twitched around in their socket as he was fed information from several sources. He was about to land in a gathering of Chaos Space Marines... during the middle of a ritual... Perfect timing he thought to himself . Apollo twisted his body like a cat, unhindered by his armor, as he was made to move unnaturally. He arched and his armor braced and readied himself as his hands gripped his Guardian Spear. Where he was... will come later he had to eliminate a cancerous growth first. But, as he fell his eyes glanced towards the altar and a breath before impact his eyes caught gold.

It was a baseline human female covered in blood. On her head rested a mockery of a golden laurel that his Master was fond of. His eyes met hers for a split second and pools of gold-brown looked at him... afraid. Vines of warp like energy akin to some violent xenos flora wrapped and latched onto his soul... he was going to save her... he was going to save her regardless... but he was going to save her... for she looked far too much like Him.

Limbs and viscera exploded outwards as Apollo made impact with a traitor marine. As the smoke cleared it was already far too late for them. Before even the words "Custodes!" could leave the mouth of the traitor that spotted him... a dozen of them were already dead.

Ari's eyes widened as he knew he had only precious seconds... his eyes flicked over to the marine holding his human and all Ari had to do was twitch and their head exploded. She was opening her mouth to scream as Ari flooded his body with the lashing warp to fuel his speed. He needed to out maneuver the Custodes. He was kind enough to cut Aurora free as within breaths he was suddenly by his human as the warp wrapped around the both of them and before Aurora realized it... they were gone. They fell to the forest floor as Ari held his bonded tightly... safe.

However, Aurora was far from safe. She was still in so much danger as she scrambled to her feet after being freed. Her heart was beating wildly as she still felt like she was coming undone and her hands covered her ears as she trembled in pain, a scream ripped from her throat. The warp that had bled into reality whipped around her... it hurt! She was scared! And she poured all of her emotions into the currents around her.

Help me please... a voice in his mind pleaded as the Dread Host, Apollo, cleaved a limb free from the traitor in front of him. He danced between the ruptured metal and dying marines. He violently shoved the bubbling anxiety down, a feeling he had thought he had forgotten how to feel, as his eyes drifted towards the screaming and pained human his mind raced something screamed at him... SAVE HER... SAVERHERSAVEHERSAVEHERSAVEHERSAVEHERSAVEHER he gritted his teeth as something in his mind screamed at him in his own voice... he felt compelled to listen but he twirled watching his Guardian Spear slice through metal like it was butter. "Working on it." He snarled out to himself.

Aurora swayed on her feet as she regained some semblance of steadying herself and made to get away! The Golden Astartes could do that right? What help would she be... though she barely turned to run before a hand wrapped around her throat. Her hands looked so tiny as she tried to pry off metallic fingers from around her throat. The Feral Astartis snarled at her in that dark tongue, it wasn't Gothic, and it made something inside of her hurt. The dark apostle looked toward the custodes being swarmed before rushing off with the half ready sacrifice. It was just a minor setback... he would try again.

Aurora reached out to the golden warrior looking at the red eye lenses on that white faceplate... before she moved out of the camp at a sickeningly fast speed. Apollo's head snapped to the direction of his charge. His mind rapidly did the math at how fast he could get to her. He was finally done playing as his spear ripped open bellies before he turned on his heel like a flamenco dancer as he ran after them. Apollo needed to know why she looked so much like Him. He had joked or, now that Apollo reflects, perhaps in His own way admitted that He had many paramours over the years; both before and after the creation of the Primarchs. Apollo remembers him being young and bold enough to ask, "Should we be expecting any secret children my lord?"

He remembers the faint smile that was only in His eyes and not upon his lips as he ordained to answer Apollo, "No Apollo. I haven't had any in thousands of years."

Aurora was sobbing again, her tears cleaning the sticky blood on her skin, leaving their trails against her lightly tanned skin as she felt the hand around her throat squeeze. She was going to die... she had allowed herself to feel a fleeting sense of hope when he fell from the sky like a golden star... no... there was no golden hero here to save her. She opened her eyes as her brain had trouble registering the golden mass rapidly approaching her as... her brain told her.... it shouldn't move that fast... that smoothly... she felt sick as it moved so smoothly and so quickly that she couldn't register properly the fact he had already grabbed the dark apostle's arm and had already ripped it clean from its socket.

She only registered the sudden fact that she was falling now after a horrifyingly instantaneous sound of screaming metal. All Aurora knew was that at this momentum she was probably going to die if she hit the ground. However she blinked as the sound of leaf litter scattering met her ears as she was pressed up against a golden chest plate as she came to a stop. Her heart was beating like the wings of a hummingbird as her brown-gold eyes darted around. She looked up seeing the white facemask of the golden marine... she looked over her shoulder and could see the other dead on the forest floor.

Apollo watched as those gold-brown eyes looked around and back at his faceplate once more before she started to wildly weep against him. He normally wasn't good at handling their outbursts but he focused on the golden "laurel" on her head tangling with her hair was a bunch of scrap metal twisted and painted. His deft fingers moved it free of her scalp and wickedly tossed it at the dead marine watching the "leaves" sink into his skin. He felt her fingers grip his armor as he moves her, slightly wrapping her naked form in the black cloth he has wrapped around his waist. Apollo had many questions but as she started babbling up at him between her tears he realized he did not understand what she was saying... Apollo like all custodes was well versed in many imperial languages but this... this he did not know. He looked over her body as she was dehydrated and slightly underfed but otherwise she was healthy which soothed something inside of him. Apollo knew he wasn't good with baselines but he did his best to soothe her as now... he had to find his way to civilization.

The local Astartes were scrambling as there was a Custodes, an unknown Custodes, heading their way. Traitor and Renegade Astartes retreated from the immediate vicinity and entered hiding. A Custodes was a force of nature and would rip through a community like a tornado. Those at the wall gained confirmation as this was not one of the few that they knew of which meant this was a recent arrival... an unbonded Custodes. They would make things difficult as only bonded Custodes would allow the tentative truce between the Loyalists and Traitors continue... all by their mercy. So they were dealing with potentially two unbonded Custodes... they prayed to the Emperor and to the Dark Gods that no more were sent.

Apollo looked at the fortifications as he approached them picking up on Imperial Fist architecture mixed with Iron Warrior. His eyes narrowed at the joint project as he knew about the Ultramarine approaching him as his hand held the passed out bundle closely to him. He held his Guardian Spear at his side as the Ultramarine finally spoke, "Noble Custodes." Apollo could hear the accent as an old Mcraggian dialect and given the crusade pattern armor he was wearing... Time Displacement. Apollo theorized.

"Ultramarine." Apollo replied emotionlessly. The human in his arm whimpered softly, twitching slightly.

The Ultramarine looked at the Custodian's legs that were covered in dried blood. However his eyes kept glancing at the passed out human wrapped in the black cape of the custodian, covered in blood. He prepared to speak again but Apollo cut him off.

"When am I." He demanded.

"024.M2." He says automatically. The Ultramarine was surprised at the way the Custodian seemed to move in a way as he took a deep inhale.

"Where are we." Apollo turned to face the Ultramarine now, his grip on the spear becoming a little tighter.

"We are on Terra, my Lord."

Apollo stood there processing the conversation; he's never heard of a large time displacement going backwards. Ancient marines being shot forward in time was more common than not but... it could happen just he has no recollection of anything this severe, "When are you from."

"986.M30, my Lord." Internally the Ultramarine knew he was breaking protocols with these lines of question... they were supposed to ease in new arrivals... but then again this was a Custodes... and they had nothing ready for Custodes.

"I see." Apollo said as the silence before coming at him with, "I also see traitor marines in your midst."

"When are you from, my Lord?" The Ultramarine attempted deflection... Apollo could have killed him for such insolence.

"001.M42." Apollo said with a clipped breath.

"I... I see." The Ultramarine replied.

Apollo could see the micro movements of the armor... could see the way he was inhaling... he was clearly on the vox talking to others. He could order his machine spirit to override their encryptions to have full access to their conversation... but he refrained... for now. He glanced back down to his charge? He hardly was an Aquilian Shield to think of her as a charge but it felt right... a warmth that cradled itself between his hearts. His eyes pulled away and returned to their icy gaze as he looked around his mind playing stratagems of how he would dance between target to target he was confident even with her in his arm that he could kill them all. He had sparred with several Captain-Generals even the greatest of them all, Valdor. He was part of the host that was the Emperor's wrath... he was one of his Master's scalpels... and he saw much cancer to be removed.

"My Lord," Apollo looked to the Ultramarine, "if you will follow me... there is a lot we must inform you about." He started walking and Apollo adjusted his charge in his arms. Her golden eyes opened for a brief moment as the bags under her eyes were heavy... the way her hand shook weakly as she slurred out something in the language he did not know... how she curled against him once more before passing out again.

Apollo's eyes flicked about as they walked through the city seeing the baseline's glance about, none of them wearing any signifying colors that they were serfs or a part of some faction that Apollo knew of. The sky was a crisp blue that he knew few worlds had such a blue sky naturally and he is certain that if the Ultramarine was correct... the night sky might have a number of stars he knew by heart. But his eyes flicked to various windows as Apollo made mental notes of the traitor marines and any "loyalists" that would give him trouble should what they so desperately wanted to tell him... was unsatisfactory.

They approached the base as his eyes flicked to the defenses, far more lacking than what would normally be called for, his eyes flicked to the humans there. Negligible variables in his mind as they would die to simple flicks of his spear and they would be gone. He looked at the approaching Salamander Apothecary sizing them up, "Lord Custodes. I can take the human-" He starts slowly moving his arms to offer to take them.

"Dehydration and the beginning stages of starvation." Apollo says quickly, passing the bundle to the Salamander. He ignored the desire to pull her closer... he ignored the desire to rip her back into his arms... he ignored the desire to keep her close and have her stay with him. His icy blue eyes flicked to the Salamander... he would be a simple bump to cut through should he need to collect her; it would be easy to find her.

He followed the Ultramarine still into a meeting room as Apollo looked at the dozen of marines in the room. He stood like a statue in the doorway looking between each one of them planning out how he would kill each one and how he would move onto the next. When Apollo was satisfied with his stratagem he finally spoke, projecting his voice, "I have been here a total of three hours. And for that entire first hour I spent killing Traitor Astartes." He pauses for a moment, "In the past twenty minutes I have seen Thirty-two more. So gentlemen," He said with almost a snarl in his voice, "Tell me what is so important that should convince me to not start slaughtering you all."

It took them an hour to explain the bare bone basics. Apollo then made them stay an additional four to go into detail on every piece of information. He met with Loyalist "traitor" legion marines... A renegade marine... and one very brave Chaos Space Marine. Apollo processed the information in that painful silence, well painful for the Astartes as he was fine. He finally made a calculated move as he took off his helmet and pinched his brow. Utilizing a disarming technique to lure them into a calm but to express a desire to truly emote.

Apollo calculated the time span was roughly one of a ten thousand years with the earliest they were dealing with was one of the Uncrowned Princes fresh from the Unification Wars to the most recent which was a Primaris marine and himself being the latest to arrive from the Indomitus Era. "I'm satisfied with the explanation." Apollo said as there was a silent collective exhale of relief. "Have one of your Librarians determine if the human I brought in is... bonded to me."

"Yes my Lord." Someone said as Apollo stood up to leave the room.

Aurora feels that she's somewhere else... she's in a bed. She opens her eyes looking at the medical bed she is in as she sits in shock just remembering how she had fallen against her 'hero' as she had been calling him. Her hands began to tremble as... it... it was over? A click and a trill bring her eyes over to molten colored eyes of a large Salamander who is holding his hands open trying to look submissive, "Hello there little one." He says gently.

Aurora wanted to be brave... that she had handled being captured for the past few weeks with some dignity... Aurora wanted to be so very brave but she had accepted that she was going to die in some horrifying way... and tears fell from her brown-gold eyes. She wept as it was finally over... oh god it was finally over! "Shh Shh you're okay." She felt a hand on her shoulder and leaned into the gentle touch as she cried into his offered shoulder.

A nurse would come in eventually as she calmed down and slowly explained her ordeal and Aurora asked with a weak voice, "Can we call my mom? I've... I've been missing for awhile. My college probably called her."

"Of course Aurora. Do you want anything?"

Aurora swallowed softly, "A shower."

Aurora sighed happily as she felt fingers against her scalp. The last time she had been cleaned was in the camp by an Astartis that kept leering and getting too handsy.

"Diana." Another Nurse spoke through the door, "Big guy that brought her in wants to see her with the Librarian."

"Tell them I'm in the middle of bathing her." Her nurse said as she gently rinsed her hair.

The next voice through the door was in Gothic and sounded like an Astartes. Diana spoke it back... sounding more and more annoyed before sighing. "I swear for giants from space or whatever they really don't understand the concept of shame or that people don't like to be naked around them." She looks down at her, "They need to check something and don't want to wait I can-"

"It's fine. Just please... can... can you keep washing my hair." Aurora said with a whimper.

"Of course."

Apollo heard the whimper in her voice through the door as it soon opened as he saw those gold-brown eyes looking at him... there was shame in those eyes. He silently took in a sharp breath as he felt something painful rest between his hearts. His master needed to be taken care of. Each one of the Ten Thousand had done their part in lovingly taking care of Him before and after his placement on the throne. Apollo was no different as his eyes scoured her body... spying spots of blood still in her skin... her hair having knots in it... blood caked under her nails... all accompanying that look of shame in that golden gaze. He felt the deep aching need to be the one washing her hair... "Check." He said softly and quickly breaking himself from more thoughts.

As the librarian gazed into the warp... he did not know what he was looking at. There was a mess of "chains" and "vines" all around the Custodian. Writhing, locking, withering, pulling, coiling, unlocking... in a mess that he couldn't find what he sought. He looked to her and found the "tether" for a bond and followed it back... "Yes. She is your bonded."

Apollo turned away without another word and he threw his weight around to get what he needed as he took a "crash course" in the current local language called English. Once he grasped the basics, the noosphere was opened to him, simply called 'The Internet'. Apollo's mind rapidly took in what he learned as with what he saw made ten thousand year old memories danced across his mind. Cultures of ancient Terra became new again back home... ideas and images that are young or even old here and now cling to life and importance twenty-eight thousand years into the future and even older. Ideas were reused, rediscovered, once more lost, and once again found time and time again.

Apollo keeps watch over his new charge, he was made to kill not to coo at mortals like the Aquilian Shields or the Emissaries Imperatus often did, but he was digesting all that he had learned so far as his eyes looked to his charge and that gnawing in the back of his mind... she looked so familiar. Early the next morning an exhausted looking woman is escorted by the nurse to her room and through the window Apollo watches the two embrace and weep. Aurora, he reminds himself of her name as he replays the conversations she had with him after he saved her before she passed out.

"Captain," He voxes the appropriate leader, "Inform the bases near where she lives that I will be following."

"Right Away."

Aurora felt disappointed that she never got to properly thank 'hero' for saving her. Sure she saw him around but she also saw how everyone walked on eggshells, which would be impressive given how most of them were in that armor of theirs, around him. But she was going to be heading back home as she had found out she was a couple hundred miles away from home and where she was going to college... oh college... she started to think about college again.

"Ow." She is pulled from her thoughts as her mom gives the middle of her forehead a flick as she looks at her confused.

"None of that. I will be taking care of everything until you're ready to go back to college." Her mother said.

"But-"

"Aurora." She felt her mother hold her shoulders, "I have been living in limbo waiting to be told you were found dead. Please let me be the mom?"

Aurora could tell her mom had gotten a bit thinner... she always kept herself together even through the roughest parts of her childhood and she could tell she had taken the news about her being taken... badly. "Okay." She relented and hugged her mom smiling as she felt her kiss the top of her head. Aurora knows she wasn't planned for but her mother never made her feel like, as she put it, an oopsie.

"I'm going to finish up your discharge papers. And then I'm sure the nurse will come get you."

"Can you bring me something to eat?"

"I'll ask the nurses, kiddo." Her mom said before leaving the room and Aurora was left with her thoughts.

However, her eyes caught gold moving outside and she quickly rose out of bed and opened the door seeing 'hero' walking down the hall. "Hey big guy, wait." She called out as she moved towards him, oh sure she shouldn't be out of bed but she didn't want to miss this opportunity. She felt so small standing next to him and looking up at him as he now had a black shoulder cape that she vaguely remembers being wrapped up in... but he was looking down at her. She swallowed and smiled, "I'm probably going to be leaving soon but I've been wanting to thank you so much for saving me." She can't help but rise to the tips of her toes as she says 'thank you' just smiling up at the silent guardian.

Apollo, hidden behind the white faceplate and red eye lenses, felt something wash over him... praise. It was the same sort of warmth that he would get when He praised him. She looked ready to leave at his silence but Apollo placed his hand on her head giving her a gentle pat on the head. He removed his hand to not let strands of her hair get tangled in his servos. She smiled up at him, the smile reaching her golden-brown eyes, and once again that ten thousand year old part of him melted in the same way... that he was eager to get again. She quickly rushed back to her room and Apollo watched that waist length silken brown hair, a shade he knew by heart, sway with each quick bouncy step.

Eventually her life had to keep moving back forward and Apollo watched it all. He watched her blossom back to life, like the spring flowers she often loved to wear in the flower crowns. Her golden-brown eyes glittering with joy and laughter; sparkling in a way that stirred something within him. It made Apollo want to get closer... it made him want to touch her in ways that made him hesitate to get closer for he was disturbed by feeling such desires so intensely.

There were a handful of Custodes here and when they were from were also as varied as the Astartes. But they had a smattering of personalities and how they were handling these bonds... Odysseus; he could tell; was still in mourning and handling the bond with suspicion. Kaeso on the other hand urged him to enjoy it and Apollo bit his tongue when he wanted to remind Kaeso how to behave. However, Kaeso was behaving... behaving how he had been during the Unification wars and the Great Crusade... not to how he was used to him acting since those 'happier' times.

"It's you!" Aurora said excitedly as she looked up at Apollo whose armor was now clean and glittering in the light that fluttered between the leaves. Apollo looked at the crown of cherry blossoms on her head and could not help but think of how similar it felt to a laurel...

"Hello Aurora." Apollo finally spoke to her.

Aurora's eyes widened for a moment as she finally heard the soft masculine voice that came from the helmet, she was used to them having deep voices; and his was still deep compared to a normal human; but it was softer than what she expected. He watched her smile soon after taking steps to close the distance between them. And as she smiled at him Apollo watched the gold in her eyes glitter and glow in seeming approval of him. He took a knee and her smile grew once again, rounding her cheeks, as she bore her teeth in that very human gesture of a grin, even showing her gums slightly. "I am a Custodes. I go by many names each given to me for a deed I have completed. My deeds are numerous and my name long but you may call me Apollo."

Apollo smiled under his helmet as she grinned approvingly at his introduction and it made him feel good, but he didn't know why and part of him no longer cared. "I am your bonded." He stated and he listened to the way her heartbeat lept up as she giggled happily even bouncing slightly to show her uncontained joy at his statement. Even going up to him and giving him a hug. Apollo normally did not like mortals touching him or being close to him, but this felt nice.

Words flowed easy between them and when Apollo removed his helmet he heard her gasp. He felt something inside of him savor the way she held his face watching her eyes dart around his features. Cooing about the freckles that danced from one ear, down to the cheek below his eyes, over the bridge of his nose, and ending at the other ear. She looked over his strawberry blonde hair but it was clear she was enamored with his freckles... but she looked at him in a way he didn't know why but it made him crave for her to look at him more... to hold his face still... to look at him... to be so alive... he couldn't stop seeing his dear beloved Emperor in her.

"What's on your mind, Apollo?" She cooed at him.

"You look," He paused for a moment debating on telling her but decided it wouldn't hurt, "like someone I knew."

"Well, I'm certain you saw what my mom looked like. I do share at least half of my DNA with her." Aurora teased as she cupped his face still, running her thumbs over his cheeks.

"What of your father?" He said tilting his head, as he had quickly determined that she enjoyed him being emotive; a thing he noticed Astartes who wear their armor often with their human do... pantomime their expressions. He watched her exhale and roll her eyes as she pulled her hands away. Apollo held back a frown at the lack of contact between them.

"Never met him. Mom literally only met him once. Though it's a really funny story on how he got my mom, for context she never really randomly slept with people, to sleep with him." With her gestures and movements it was an often told story. "She was at some bar and tells me that she looked at the other end of the bar and sees the most handsome man she's ever seen. Tall, strong jawed, silky brown hair going to his... as she puts it 'nice ass', swore that his eyes had to be gold, and just had some European air about him; though... tangent we learned that he might have actually been Anatolian when I took a DNA test. But... " She waves her hand resuming the main point, "She waited a bit as she was certain that no one that good looking was at this bar alone. But he was so she decides to shoot her shot and they get talking." Aurora makes a grand gesture for the next words, "Massive nerd with many fields of interest, so my mom, also being one, saw that as a point in his favor. But that's not the thing that riles my mom up and gets her to sleep with him, oh no... so she asks him his name," She builds the suspense for a moment, "he called himself 'Revelation'." She waves her hands at the reveal. But she soon shakes her head and laughs, "My mom and I have had a laugh at that given how it sounds like she had already made up her mind to have sex with this stranger but it's funny that him being a 'mysterious' handsome stranger named Revelation. Is what cemented it for her. But yeah they had sex and nine months later I came into the world."

Apollo's pupils became pinpricks as he was, as was most of the ten thousand were, privy to many of His names and he distinctly remembers Revelation being one of them. His breathing remained steady, no outward sign betraying his emotions, but his heart was racing as time crawled for him as he finally really looked at Aurora drinking in every detail... he wasn't losing his mind as he could see it. She was his Master's child.

"I might know your father." Apollo said.

"Do you now?"

Aurora blinked as she had been doing so for the past 5 minutes digesting what was told to her after Apollo had info dumped a lot on her. She had to sit on a stump half way through his explanation of her father... "Okay so... let me go through the highlights. My dad is an immortal space warlord, who is also worshiped as a god, but heavily insisted that he wasn't a god... when apparently he liked to play god genetically. He was also a really shitty dad because how else do you get nine people who call you dad to want you dead?"

"That is a gross simplification of everything." Apollo stated bluntly.

"THAT ISN'T SAYING NO APOLLO!" She shouts. Apollo just huffs as he decides to not give her a vocal answer but he is pleased when she presses him for more, "And you want to find him because he made you when he was playing God but its not out of a familial obligation it's because you wholeheartedly serve him?"

"Correct."

She is quiet for several moments before letting out a sigh as she looks to him, "Okay Apollo I won't stop you from finding him. I'll even do my best to help you but I need you to answer something for me."

Apollo preened under her acceptance of his desire to find her father, "Gladly."

Aurora felt mean for what she was about to say but if what he had told her was true... he was like ten thousand years old... he could handle this easily. "What will you do when you find him? The man you know does not even exist yet and he might never exist. Given how he's the one who makes both you and apparently the Astartes and since you," she points to him, "are here and now and you're from the really far future and none of it includes mentions of this happening? Means that this is probably now an alternate timeline, if you believe in that of course. SO Apollo... please tell me... what are you going to do?" Her words struck at something deep inside of his psyche. His mind came to a screeching stop. "Oh God... Oh God... Apollo? I didn't mean to break you." Her voice cut through to his mind as he finally heard her again after being frozen still as a statue looking through her.

Apollo knew that this endeavor was utterly selfish... it was flawed and flimsy enough for a baseline mortal to see the holes in it... but he just wanted to serve a living Emperor again... he just wanted to see the life in his eyes once more... she was right... he wasn't the same man who had handcrafted him into what he was... Apollo felt himself mourning again as his hearts ached in pain as he looked at his bonded... his dearest Aurora... she was alive... oh she was oh so very much alive.

The golden chains that bind him and tether him to his beloved master are violently twisted apart with only few of them loosely hanging onto him as the vines dug and pushed under the claps and cuffs that the chains were wrapped around. Apollo was in that dark grief again as his mind rushed and tried to pull him out and there calling his name looking up at him concerned was Aurora. His thoughts coalesced crashed on that singular thought of how she was his beloved Master's child... and the poison blossom bloomed over his hearts as vines wrapped around his neck... around his being... holding him tightly as even the vines wrapped around the broken chain links leading back to his Master and held them in place.

"Apollo?" Aurora looked up at him concerned as he had stood there looking through her and being completely emotionless.

If he could not love and serve his beloved Master here... then the princess... this tiny Empress in front of him would have to suffice. Something deep inside of him was utterly thrilled at the thought of holding her again... her being so easy to pick up and hold... so small and fragile... her hands against his face again whispering praise to him... so small... and all his.

"Apollo? Are you okay?" She whined softly feeling guilty for causing him to shut down basically but Apollo smiled at her and nodded.

"Thank you Aurora. I needed to hear the truth." He gently took one of her hands and dropped to a knee as a practiced warm smile graced his face, "And with that... I am ready to diligently serve you. I vow to keep you safe. And to be as a bonded should be, my Lady." Apollo said his icy blue eyes watching her face as he then kissed the back of her hand before turning it slightly and kissing her pulse point on her wrist. He contained his smile as he felt it against his lips and heard her pulse quicken. His eyes drank up the blush on her tanned skin.

She squeaked as he picked her up, princess style, easily and once more Apollo regarded her blush akin to being praised! Words once more again flowed easy between them as he carried her back to where she was staying as he could tell she was excited to have him as her bonded... perhaps not as excited as he was but he was certain in time she would be.

Perhaps Apollo could see why Valdor was so enamored by the Shards he often collected... so deliciously small... and all very much his.

[stone-stars]

so… i made a list of the first use of every song* in campaign 1 of naddpod, with timestamps. if you're wondering, it's 190 unique songs! * disclaimer: this list doesn't include royalty free songs, only emily's, and it's entirely possible i missed one or two.

i've put the list under the cut, separated by episode! timestamps include ads for eps 1-48, and are from the ad free version for eps 49-100.

(disclaimer that i determined the names of songs by cross-referencing what they were credited as across episodes, so some may be inaccurate. i noted those down in the list)

13 - City in the Clouds, 18:04 13 - Beverly's House, 38:15 13 - The Widow, 53:56

14 - Court of the Boy King, 18:57 14 - The Twinkling Lights of Galaderon, 1:24:27

15 - A Bastard No More, 24:29 * 15 - The Ruins of Cragwater, 2:04:02 * (note: "A Bastard No More" is called "Hardwon Takes the Wheel" after c1e70)

16 - Duergar Drudgery, 4:26 16 - Spooky Shafts, 6:23 16 - Heed the Mushroom's Call, 21:10 16 - Schubert's Song, 25:47 16 - Jolene the Green, 31:30 16 - Farewell to Fungen, 34:39 16 - The Mithril Miner's Shuffle, 38:57 16 - The Mithril's Run Dry, 52:46

17 - The Depths of the Dungeon, 1:11:14 17 - Conspiracy in the Clouds, 1:14:23

18 - The Revenant's Fate, 24:35 18 - A Fate Refused, 25:59 18 - Escape the Boy King's Brunch, 1:31:31

19 - The Purge, 12:13 19 - The Valiant Ol' Cobb, 51:37 19 - At the Last Minute, a First, 1:29:29 19 - Skybound, 1:32:28

20 - The Blows of a Friend, And Not a Foe, 1:03:09 20 - Forsaken, 1:07:20 20 - Apotheosis, 1:08:23 20 - A Haven Away From Home, 1:12:17

21 - Betrayal Below, 19:10 21 - The Gunslinger's Girl, 39:10 21 - A Sign from Melora, 1:04:57 21 - Friend Turned Foe, 1:06:02 21 - Sumpin's a Mess Out West, 1:39:31

22 - Slumber in the Stump, 45:03 22 - The Sultan of Stone, 1:41:25 22 - Block Hop, 1:42:37

23 - The Mountain Meets the Sky, 42:33 23 - Trust the Gust, 1:01:00 23 - The Titan of Air, 1:12:09

24 - Sumpin's Asunder Down Under, 37:53 24 - Baptised, 43:39 24 - Steed of the Sea, 51:12 24 - Cetacean Farewell, 1:13:37 24 - Into the Flame, 1:16:25

25 - The Golden Sword, 55:14 25 - Cured by the Light, 1:00:21 25 - Hospitably Hostile, 1:05:28 25 - Mee Maw's Burden, 1:21:18

26 - The Grand Maw Tree, 9:51 26 - Into the Fog, 55:16 26 - A Hospitable Farewell, 1:01:11 26 - Befuddled and Befogged, 1:05:19 26 - Hazy Daze, 1:09:59

27 - Snake Skirmish, 4:38 27 - Greener Shades, 1:10:49 27 - Moonshine's Stump, 1:14:50 27 - Unknown Tome, 1:27:06

28 - Balnor's Bad Dream, 28:01 28 - Blessings of the Elementals, 1:14:35 * 28 - Elemental Energy, 1:17:39 * * (note: the two songs credited here are actually "Elemental Energy" and "Calling in a Favor", so the second song may be either name)

29 - The Prodigal Sister, 58:37 29 - A Rare Appearance, 1:01:26 29 - Oh, Melora!, 1:02:53 29 - A Tale's End, 1:08:30

31 - A Giant Among Men, 17:47 31 - Back Against the Wall, 28:04

32 - Behold! Treasure, 10:31 32 - Akarot's Letter, 23:50 32 - Shock at the Dock, 37:25 32 - Invisible But Not Invincible, 43:48 32 - Escape from Smuggler's Bounty, 48:56

33 - Tonathan Tinkle, 6:51 33 - Uku's Gift, 1:20:31

34 - Frostwind, 37:04 34 - A Humble Shopkeeper, 47:08 34 - Vinril's Gems, 1:05:26

35 - Balnor the Brave, 1:08:16

37 - Descending, 20:58 37 - A Tempting Offer, 41:40 37 - Desecrated, 51:28

39 - Incriminated, 33:37

41 - Tower of the Winter Wolves, 20:35 41 - Tundra Trudge, 1:26:39 41 - Valley of the Frigid Death, 1:20:03 * * (note: this song is used in ep 38 at 53:45, but not credited)

42 - Prey Don't Stand a Prayer, 42:37 * 42 - Yanoba, 1:10:39 * (note: this song is also used in ep 38 at 1:07:13, but not credited)

45 - The Eye of Akarot, 14:33 45 - Bash at the Gash, 34:43 45 - The Bronzebeard Legacy, 45:15 45 - Kingshammer, 1:45:59 45 - A Sight For Sore Eyes, 1:49:15

46 - Fantastic & Fuddling, 40:32 * 46 - A Soft Landing, 57:53 * 46 - A Humble Farmer, 1:07:22 * 46 - The Court of the Bear Prince, 1:18:46 46 - Wooded Wonders, 1:45:23 * * (note: the four starred songs names are inconsistently used. I tried to go with the names they're most often known by across this arc and other campaigns but it changes. The big thing here is that the song at 1:07:22 is not called “A Humble Farmer” again, but when it’s used later in c1 it’s credited as “Wooded Wonders”, and then in c2/3 it’s “Fantastic & Fuddling”. However, both of those names are more consistently used for the songs I have them labeled as now. The song at 40:32 is called “Fantastic & Fuddling” throughout the Feywild arc, and the song at 1:45:23 is called “Wooded Wonders” in every campaign except HBS, where it’s “A Humble Farmer” Basically— “Fantastic & Fuddling” means the song at 40:32 and “Wooded Wonders” usually means the song at 1:45:23, but this isn’t always the case, and the song at 1:07:22 may be called either.)

47 - Puzzled, 8:40 47 - Mysterious Yet Familiar, 1:08:07 47 - Queen Cirilla, 1:14:02 47 - Frozen in Time, 1:16:35

49 - Gnome Man's Land, 1:03:54

50 - Rolling Deep, 13:10 50 - Neath a Ceiling of Stars, 30:36 50 - Sea Beast, 53:38 50 - Great Crone of the Sea, 1:11:05

51 - Alanis, 3:34 51 - The Nannerfly Effect, 14:35 * 51 - When You Wish Upon A Stone, 20:26 51 - Only the Ocean to Console Him, 45:27 * (note: throughout the Feywild, this song is called “The Nannerfly Effect”, and then later goes on to be credited as various versions of "wish stones")

54 - The Autumn Court, 3:35

55 - The Witch's Den, 58:57

56 - An Innocent Flirtation, 48:02 56 - Goblin Dirigible, 1:04:27 56 - Crash Landing, 1:15:21

57 - Tower in the Distance, 13:18 57 - Angels and Devils, 16:58 57 - King Lestibourne, 1:02:39 57 - All I Need is One Thread to Spin a Web, 1:09:20 57 - Kiss of Life, 1:45:12

58 - Flying Through the Night, 25:18 58 - Bittersweet Sixteen, 59:34 58 - A Hard Goodbye, 1:26:52

59 - Shadowfell, 2:49 59 - Into the Mist, 5:34 59 - Grimhawk, 53:33 59 - Langston, 1:05:56

60 - Deadeye, 6:30 60 - The Fat Monk, 25:13

61 - The Red Fen, 20:54 61 - The Montgomerys, 40:11 61 - Growing Pains, 1:16:21 * 61 - Gutless, 1:29:37 * (note: “Growing Pains” is credited as “Drained” here, but the name changes later and is used consistently)

63 - Montgomery Manor, 1:14:22 63 - Shadowfell Sneak, 1:17:34 63 - Two for Tea, 1:21:08

66 - Unholy Pilgrimage, 22:22

67 - Bastard's Fate, 1:22:05 67 - Bastard's Cove, 1:30:06

70 - Lucanus Aer'Tea, 1:27:08 70 - A Miracle Child, 1:44:43 70 - The Thinking Cap, 1:49:53

71 - The Whisperwood, 27:30 71 - Gladeholm, 29:41 71 - The University, 56:36 71 - Qwiksus, 1:10:04 71 - A Wizard Tournament, 1:30:24 71 - Star Spawn, 2:10:23

73 - Summoning, 11:28 73 - Secret Basement, 32:21 73 - The Objective, 1:31:50 73 - Pandemonium, 1:34:22 73 - Lilith La Trix, 1:37:55

75 - Kingsguard, 22:17 75 - Speaking Stump, 27:19 75 - Irondeep, 1:18:40 - (note: these three songs are only used in this ep in c1)

76 - The Mindflayer's Lair, 59:48 76 - The Multiverse, 1:13:57 76 - Alone, 1:19:50 76 - The Vast Expanse, 1:22:21 76 - Into the Planar Pool, 1:27:28

77 - Deal with a Devil, 21:42 * 77 - Buzzer's Cutters, 25:28 77 - The Posse, 1:07:48 77 - The Bronze Bastard, 1:35:51 * (note: this song is also frequently called “Soul Coins”)

79 - Lust, 14:52 79 - The River Styx, 24:46 79 - Fierna, 32:36 79 - A Risky Gamble, 51:42 79 - The Honey Trap, 55:40

82 - The Seventh Circle of Hell, 14:58 82 - Demigod, 28:55

83 - Ilsed's Secret, 42:05

84 - Hellfire Crown, 1:26:11 86 - Torn Apart, 46:42 * * (note: technically "Torn Apart" is a part of “Hellfire Crown” and plays in ep 84 at 1:17:32, but the two have different instrumentation and “Torn Apart” is credited as such later, so I've split them)

91 - I Just Want to Know You're Taken Care Of, 21:37 91 - The Pact, 47:25 91 - Forest, 1:07:14

92 - Enlightened, 15:26 * * (note: this song isn't credited in this ep, its first credit as "Enlightened" is in ep96 at 36:47)

95 - Hole in the Sky, 1:01:12 95 - Pure Gold, 1:34:39

96 - The Glittering Lady, 15:51

97 - Fabric of Fate, 9:44 * 97 - Selfless, 12:48 97 - A Glittering Reunion, 22:18 * (note: this song is later called "Melora's Boon" in c3)

100 (pt. 1) - The Writing on the Wall, 28:55 100 (pt. 1) - Paradise, 46:04 100 (pt. 1) - A Memory, 1:03:17 100 (pt. 2) - One Big Bed, 1:46:57

[greenarsonist]

Uh... hi?

Sorry for dropping off the face of the Earth, life happened.

Anyways

@kit-williams I present to you, the Golden boy Constantine Valdor, I mean Apollo from 'Golden Apotheosis'

He is unrendered a of currently, but I am working as fast as I can. I should have his Little Master Aurora done evetually?

I am so sorry this took so long, life and my job got in the way. But, I now have a tablet to work on! Expect Aurora soon and fully rendered pieces eventually (I hope)

Artwork under the cut!

[broodwolf221]

prompts based on unusual or rare words

send the word and a character/relationship (romantic, familial, platonic, adversarial, etc.) and i'll write something based around it! (feel free to use/rb/etc)

accismus - feigning disinterest in something while actually desiring it

aestivate - to spend the summer in a state of torpor or dormancy

agathism - the belief in the ultimate triumph of good over evil

agelast - a person who never laughs

anemoia - nostalgia for a time you’ve never known

apatheia - freedom or release from emotion or excitement

apotheosis - the highest point or peak, often used to describe the pinnacle of achievement or greatness

apricity - the warmth of the sun in winter

apricate - to bask in the sun

aureate - something that is golden, shining, or brilliant

bêtise - an act of foolishness or stupidity

cacography - bad handwriting

chrysalism - the peaceful feeling that comes from being indoors during a thunderstorm

clinomania - an excessive desire to stay in bed or a reluctance to get out of bed

efflorescence - a blooming or flowering, often used to describe a period of creativity or prosperity.

eleutheromania - an intense desire for freedom or liberation

ephemeral - something that is fleeting or short-lived, often used to describe a moment or feeling

eunoia - beautiful thinking or a well-disposed mind

galvanize - to arouse to awareness or action

hypnagogic - relating to the state of drowsiness or transition to sleep, often used to describe the strange, dreamlike experiences that can happen during this time

insouciant - casually or smugly indifferent; nonchalant

irenic - promoting peace or reconciliation, often used to describe a peaceful personality or a peaceful solution to conflict

limerence - the state of being infatuated or obsessed with someone or something

makebate - one that excites contention and quarrels

matrisate - to imitate one's mother

metanoia - a fundamental change in one's beliefs

nihilarian - a person who deals with things lacking in substance or meaning, often in a philosophical sense

noctivagant - going about in the night; night-wandering

nubivagant - wandering in the clouds, often used to describe a dreamer or someone lost in thought

numinous - something that is spiritual, mysterious, or awe-inspiring

obfuscate - to muddle; confuse; bewilder

patrizate - to imitate one's father or forebears

pernicious - causing great harm; destructive

perspicacious - having keen judgement or understanding; acutely perceptive

pessimum - the least favorable environmental condition under which an organism can survive

philostorgie - the love of parent's towards their children

pot-valor - boldness or courage resulting from alcoholic drink

prevaricate - to behave in an evasive or indecisive manner, usually in delay

recogitate - to think over again

redame - to love in return

saudade - an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing for a beloved yet absent something or someone

scintilla - a spark or tiny amount of something, often used to describe a small flash of inspiration

scripturient- having a strong urge to write

sehnsucht - yearning; wistful longing

selcouth - describes something that is unfamiliar, strange, and yet marvelous at the same time

sempiternal - something that is eternal or everlasting

solivagrant - rambling alone; marked by solitary wandering

supernal - something that is heavenly or divine

timorous - full of or subject to fear; timid

velleity - a mere wish or inclination that lacks the motivation or intention to act on it

verisimilitude - the appearance of being true or real

[yonemurishiroku]

(tags via @smartichokes) In light of new addition to my Luke & Nico replacement post, I have so much to say about this.

Firstly, there is a fanfic in which Kronos switched to Nico as his host halfway through the series. I said fic, Nico went to Tartarus wayyyyy sooner than he should (which is sometime right after TTC I think?), and got captured by Kronos' force. The Titan considered seizing him, so Luke left the Titan Army and returned to the light side.

With that being said, the Nico in said fic didn't become the host, as Luke (and Ethan) got him out before the taking-over.

In another fic, which is about Nico's apotheosis, It is established that Kronos has been taunting Hades to become his host since he is his eldest child, and as a result, Nico would suffer the same fate should he become a God. Nico didn't, of course, but we can see that he can be a great candidate for the position of Kronos’ host Due to the potential he possesses as a child of Hades. I have talked so much about how powerful he is so I suppose this goes without saying.

On the other hand, the child of the prophecy was supposed to be the son of an eldest god, so let's imagine: Nico is a child of an elder god and now is basically One of the main factors that dictate their fate being the central of Kronos' power. Can you imagine the thrill of having both the antagonist and the protagonist a child of the big three, knowing both of them have the power to change the flow of the story? Nico might as well be the child of the prophecy and now he is in the hands of the big bad villain? Who is to say he wouldn't choose to raze the Olympic to the ground? Please, I cannot be the only one seeing the thrill of second-guessing yourself and watching Percy second-guessing himself, page by page.

Back to our AU.

- Absolutely invested in Nico with Kronos' golden eyes.

- Idk if you have noticed, but there are a number of people who would very much be delighted to see Nico joining the Titan Army - so that's a plus. Though we haven't thought as far as putting him directly in Luke's place, this is such a fun territory to play with.

On the other hand, we should have thought about that lmao what's with Minos having done exactly like this in the canon. The King did manipulate Nico in order to accelerate his uprising (tho Rick wasn't unhinged enough to give the Underworld ghosts the benefit of possessing living things except for the eidolons).

Minos failed ofc. But surely the scenario is there. Furthermore, a big reason that hindered Minos was Nico's true control over him, which returned to him upon his enlightenment, thus breaking the fake power balance. But Nico didn't have any control over Kronos. Once he's in, there's no way out. Kronos is on another level compared to Minos. Luke had one way out and that was his death. Who to say the arms of Hades wouldn't be Nico's ending should he succumb to Kronos anw.

- I like the way you mention Percy - because as it turns out, Nico can perfectly mirror Luke regarding how Percy's fatal flaw is portrayed.

Percy's fatal flaw can be summed up in one sentence - "You would sacrifice the world to save a friend". Now, for Luke, it was thanks to the guy's friendly facade at the start that Percy had trouble deeming him as the enemy at first. For Nico, that's a little different. It's not friendship - bc surely Percy didn't consider 'friend' at that time. So what could it be?

The guilt. And the Loyalty from which it sprouted.

But loyalty to what?

To Bianca's promise.

And this varies between perspectives, but I suspect this can be much, much worse than what transpired with Luke if you know how to play it right. Why? Because it weighs on Percy's kindness, his conscience, his loyalty, his morals. It feels heavier. For Luke, it was a personal betrayal. For Nico, it would be a repeated failure that resulted in two deaths.

And I doubt Percy is fond of failures and deaths.

Do you know the saying that we tend to remember bad things rather than good memories? That. Failures stuck with us, whilst success paled in comparison (Not to mention the vague depiction of Percy's lost self-esteem, but I digress).

For Luke, it might be easier: the guy's now an enemy, Percy just had to put him down - straight and clear. For Nico, it's a little bit different. The kid's obviously an enemy - but he's also that: a kid. Whose sister died in front of Percy, whom he blamed still. You can tell that the setup itself might make it harder for Percy to just straight-up consider Nico an enemy - because as it was, Nico could very well be a victim of Percy's broken promise. Percy is half a reason he fell into the hands of Kronos - as you've said.

And Percy isn't evil. He's a protagonist and he's kind. His morals would prevent him from seeing Nico as an enemy that must be taken out - not before trying restlessly to bring the kid back.

- Percy aside, Hades’ support - and all the little benefits gained from Nico's side quest - should also be taken into account. Without Nico, there wouldn't be the Curse of Achilles. Without Nico, there would be no undead army rushing to save them in the last minute in the last Olympian, but rather a flock of unbeatable enemies that would persist like Nico’s grief for Bianca.

I wouldn't say that guarantees their failure but you have to admit that it would make things hella more difficult for them to win this war.

So that is for the advantages. Now let's talk about the drawbacks. Because obviously things wouldn't be so fun if everything goes that smoothly. 👍

The most noticeable difference between Luke and Nico is their ages, and further, their experiences. At the time he was chosen, Luke has lived until his 17, 18 as a demigod, has seen the mythological world more than Nico ever did. He would know better how to navigate the system, which would benefit Kronos more than a clueless Nico. You can argue that Kronos can properly train him as Minos did, but the fact remains that Luke has experiences that can only be gained through living, aging, and seeing.

On the same topic, after losing his sister, Nico was just a rage-driven, angry, lost 11-12-year-old kid. He could barely take care of himself. He obviously cannot govern and command an entire army. Luke, on the other hand, has many skills required to be a leader. I have talked about this once. He has the tongue, he has his charms, he's manipulative enough. As a tool and a weapon, Luke proves to be a better choice to be the pioneer of Kronos' revolution.

Of course, unless you need a puppet, in which case Nico proves to be a better choice. He was naive .he didn't know better. Luke try to resist because he saw how devastating his actions were/ would be. It should be much easier to fool a kid like Nico rather than an adult, thus limiting the chances of rebuke. I cannot recall exactly what Kronos was trying to do though, so I'll just leave this here.

The best method is of course to keep Luke while getting Nico ready, however, it would put kronos plans back a few years and I'm not really sure the guy would be that patient provided that he has been waiting thousand years to make a come back. So we will just leave it like that.

All in all, it's fun to think about a scenario in which the one whose contribution directly leads to their victory in the original series now becomes the main antagonist, the main reason they will likely fail. Thank you @smartichokes for the delightful idea!! 🥺🥺🥺

[deusvervewrites]

Heroic Cultivation AU

How’s Himiko looking after her…let’s call it “apotheosis” to be nice.

Oh no, no no! Apotheosis refers to the process of ascending to godhood, which is an important--perhaps the most important, and depending on the work in question, final--step on the path of a Cultivator! That's not at all what happened to Himiko! (Yet.)

Himiko's Quirk misfiring, combined with her meridians being forced open by Qi-rich blood, causes her to become a snake demon herself. I should clarify, that in this context, a demon refers to any non-human who gained power via cultivation, and is usually capable of taking on a human form. More traditional demons also exist, because it's not a perfect translation from Chinese to distinguish certain concepts.

So when I say that Himiko is a snake demon, I mean she is a literal, actual snake, the animal, but with magical powers.

It would actually take her a little bit to figure out how to actually shapeshift; for a while she'd use her Quirk when she wants to take on a human form. Himiko kind of skipped several steps there by forcing open her meridians so she's got a lot more Qi than she has experience. She's getting a crash-course in Cultivation.

As for her actual appearance, she has golden scales compared to the Midoriya Family emerald scales.

[bestworstcase]

basically:

to humans, grimm are monsters

to faunus, grimm were tutelaries

(WOR grimm—narrated by salem—illustrates “grimm are lured toward negative emotion” with an act of violence. one person killing another. so when humans hunted the faunus…)

(grimm are “the greatest foe of mankind” and they “exclusively attack humans.” even in ‘judgment,’ which depicts the faunus as victims of a grimm attack, there is a noticeable juxtaposition between what humans seek [safety from the grimm] and what faunus want [to live in peace with each other, free of prejudice, so they can become their best selves]—and the conspicuous lack of a grimm problem on menagerie supports this mythical/cultural idea that the grimm do not hunt faunus)

(which doesn’t mean grimm-faunus conflicts never happen, but rather that faunus historically have a very different relationship with grimm than do humans)

faunus inclusion in human civilization was, and still is, conditional on faunus repudiating the grimm and adopting a humanlike view of them

the white fang grimm masks harken back to a time when the grimm were seen by faunus as protectors: ferocious beings who let the faunus be but appeared as if summoned to slay human hunters.

grimm are destruction incarnate

(destruction is change)

they were made by the brother who refused to condemn his creations for his own mistakes and accepted, even embraced, change as natural and inevitable.

when salem jumped into the pool of grimm, she combined infinite creation with infinite destruction and made a new kind of being

people on remnant do not ascend; they die and transcend, following the pattern of salem’s apotheosis-through-death.

salem died and became twice; the first transformation was spiritual (still human, infinite), the second physical (grimm, unbound). if she set the pattern, transcendence can follow two paths, both leading to a new life, as either human or faunus.

the grimm are the crossroads in this pattern

the shallow sea is real but it’s a metaphorical representation of remnant’s reincarnation cycle. do you leap into the black abyss or do you follow the golden path suspended over it? do you choose the freedom of change or the safety of what you knew?

ambrosius routed the evacuation through remnant’s afterlife

no corpses fell into the ever after; remnant’s cycle is not life -> death -> journey through the ever after -> rebirth. but if you’re alive when you fall through the abyss of remnant’s afterlife, you do land in the ever after because—unlike ascension—transcendence can only begin after death.

the tree is a river through which the souls of remnant’s dead flow; death to souls to become water but from water comes soul. thank you for coming to my tedtalk

[nekoannie-chan]

Week 32 Reblog Masterlist

Welcome to Week 32 2023 or Week 188, as always, fics would be listed in the order I read them.

I hope you enjoy it!

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♥ You can check my reading guidelines here.

♥ You can check my masterlist here.

♥ You can check my main reblog masterlist 2023 here.

♥ You can check my August reblog masterlist 2023 here.

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This is the list of the fics I read and recommend in Week 32 2023:

Christmas on the run part I (Nomad!Steve Rogers X Reader) by @holylulusworld 💙

Dare (Carol Peletier X Reader) by @gaypanicmode7766259💚    

The fuckboy committee chapter 9: Full sex (Steve Rogers X Reader X Bucky Barnes) by @kinanabinks ❤️

Rejected chapter 1 (Steve Rogers X OC) by @astheskycries 💚💙

Christmas on the run part II (Nomad!Steve Rogers X Reader) by @holylulusworld💙

Soulmate (Carol Danvers X Reader) by @blog-of-a-multitude-of-fandoms 💚

The fuckboy committee chapter 10: A new woman (Steve Rogers X Reader X Bucky Barnes) by @kinanabinks ❤️

Rejected chapter 2 (Steve Rogers X OC) by @astheskycries💚💙

The blues (Ransom Drysdale X Reader) by @stargazingfangirl18💚❤️

The moon (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @alwayssunnyinedensgate 💚💙

Hot boy summer (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @anika-ann💚

Rejected chapter 3 (Steve Rogers X OC) by @astheskycries 💚💙

At your service part I (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @writing-for-marvel 💚💙❤️

My lipgloss is all over your lips (Taryn Helm X Mika Yasuda) by @popchoc 💚💙

Miguel’s Reaction to You Taking Him to Watch The Barbie Movie (Miguel O’Hara X Reader) by @sweet-as-an-angel💚

Rejected chapter 4 (Steve Rogers X OC) by @astheskycries💚💙

Ransom’s first I love you (Ransom Drysdale X Reader) by @drabblewithfrannybarnes💚❤️

Home sweet home chapter 9: Perfect day! (Brock Rumlow X Reader) by @talia-rumlow 💚💙❤️

At your service part II (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @writing-for-marvel 💚💙❤️

Rejected chapter 5 (Steve Rogers X OC) by @astheskycries 💚💙

Escape (Dark!Steve Rogers X Reader) by @golden-ariess ❤️ 🖤

Sharing a bed (Spiderverse characters X Reader) by @angelltheninth💚

Friend of a friend (Stucky X Reader) by @angelkhi❤️

Rejected chapter 6 (Steve Rogers X OC) by @astheskycries💚💙

Wonderstruck chapter 5 (Wanda Maximoff X Reader) by @messedupfan 💚💙

A fair punishment (Steve Rogers X Reader) by @witchywithwhiskey❤️

Apotheosis (Miguel O’Hara X Reader) by @wint3r-h3art❤️

Rejected chapter 7 (Steve Rogers X OC) by @astheskycries 💚💙

[kit-williams]

Masterlist

Hi decided to actually make a masterlist because it's probably for the best.

Things to know: I will write from a mainly female pov/perspective and it will for the most part be monogamous hetro relationships (in the terms of genitals) I won't do fxf or mxm or trans because that's not how I grew up and I'm god awful at writing homosexual sex (genderbend I can do) Another no: Adultry/cheating/spouse(or partner) thievery

Asks are open

Come buy me a coffee

Number of asks waiting to be answered: 19

My Ao3 (I havent updated a story on there since like 2016 I'm scared to even let ya'll see it but I might post the AU on there)

So I mainly write Halo, Runescape, and Warhammer 40k but here I've only been posting my Warhammer 40k and D&D au

So expect a lot of polls because it helps focus my ADHD ass

Also Fanart is ALWAYS allowed! Just Tag me!

PLACE WHERE YOU CAN ASK TO BE PUT ON TAG LIST

Poll Storage Pheromone Spray poll part 1 First kiss part 2 Pheromone Spray part 2 Husbandry lewdness poll First Kiss part 3 How to tag the lewd poll probably going with carnal bond Should momrad include skin tone WIP poll Help momrad focus on what to write Ones ready to be typed

WIPs

Warhammer 40k

The D&D AU

The Yandere Black Templar and Flesh Tearer

The Yandere Space Marine Masterlist

Story Vault until I know where to put these stories/how to categorize them

The boys and their darlings

This is not Canon mini masterlist

Primarchs masterlist

Pheromone Spray 1 2

Bonus Zul Spray

Song Inspiration

First Kiss 1 2 3

Typhus fleas 1 2

Baseline hitting on the darlings

Varial the insatiable

Lamenters devouring

Raven in the belfry

Child in the Eyrie

First Words Can Damn You

Warhammer Fantasy

Dangerous Druchii pending

Warhammer 40k & COD

The COD Integration mini-masterlist

Demon Prince/Bloodthirster Graves

The 40k au

How does Horangi spend the thrones? Horangi focused

Lieblings König focused

Spirit Halloween Ghost focused

Hey Kiddo Price focused

Where do babies come from reply

Hail to the King Black Templar König

Everyone is space elves

COD

The mud pit cope fic

Hot Chocolate cope fic König focused

Missing the Bairn cope fic Soap focused

Zombie cope fic Ghost focused

He scares me Nikto focused happens before the Soap one

It's a wonderful life CODHoliday2023 fic angst-comfort Ghost

Age hcs/boys ages

Random romantic thing I wrote

Tanz mit mir Regency Au songfic

Halo

Most of it is on my Ao3

Random

The eventual bringing over that one non con I wrote pending

I have to edit it

The #I wrote something for my tumblr can help too

Sentience base off of lancer but I really just like the Balor

Baby fluff

barn anon/Tales from the Barn/Space Marine Husbandry Sentience

I will rename this when I can sit and think of better titles for them

Space Marine Husbandry Sentience Plot Beats

Space Marine Husbandry Sentience Mini Master List

51 more Space Marine Husbandry Sentience & Tales from the Barn

Hey Look another Space Marine Husbandry Mini Masterlist

Golden Apotheosis

Birthdays

avoiding bonds and eye contact

Favorite Wretch

Dischorus and Caracuss

Sentience Lore: Warp Fuckery

Weight of the Worlds

Insanity seems to follow...

Party

Anrir Husbandry

Reverse Husbandry AU

Reverse Husbandry Gabriel

Reverse Husbandry Headcanon

Reverse Husbandry Emperor

Sanguinius and Glitter

Gabriel and his sick human

Human Husbandry?

Primarchs in the reverse world

Gaius flees

Judgement from the Lord of Iron

Seeing things

Funny stuff/Fan art

Ovaries Stolen meme

Fan art by bispecsual

Blood Angel Gabriel meme

ZUL by moodymisty

Angron Post Surgery expression

Fan art by c-u-c-koo anon of Plague Witch

Apollo and Dodgeball

Plague Witch part 2 by c-u-c-koo anon

Apollo by greenarsonist

Aurora by greenarsonist

Fluffuary

Fluffuary master list

Fluffuary rules

MerMay

Story list

[burning-sol]

Hey hi hello, I was in the Your Apotheosis Zine!

Print & Merchandise // PDF Download

The following is the work I contributed.

Under the cut is a piece of written work I contributed.

A Trick of the Light

..the fabric of reality parted like a shimmering curtain, revealing a play of destruction. Exandroth marched forward with purpose, eyes scanning the animated murals either side of his path - a story of entities birthed from stardust being slaughtered by their kin forged in hellfire, assuring each other their mutual destruction in a fight for dominion over the realm. Exandroth climbed the stairs of a golden temple, not as a champion ascending to godhood, as she had once imagined, but as a mere observer, and another Exandroth stared back. Rumi and Thanatos had hurried to either side of Exandroth, tailing a muscular man, distinct from the other entities of the realm but not a stranger to it. Elotl spoke out, fists clenched and trembling.

“Zuen, what is the meaning of this? Why do our people attack us, surely you saw this-!”

“It’s simple Elotl, these aren’t our people. They’re those who turned their backs on us so long ago..heh... And those who we turned our back on in turn…”

Elotl cursed, “Dammit…”

“Exandroth, you will pay for this.” Elotl brandished his weapon, storming back out. Rumi and Thanatos parted to let the late God through, but Exandroth was bound to the floor and to the ceiling, restrained; Elotl bumped its shoulder on the way out, and the side-eye that the god gave the traitor was tangible.  

Zuen laughed to himself, strolling up to the caged angel. “Well Exandroth… Looks like everything’s going according to plan. It’s finally time. I trust you've found a suitable host.” They unlocked the angel’s chains, letting them unravel and fall away, and Exandroth had a returned sense of control. “Good luck.”

The exalted angel’s wings stretched out, and with a few flaps of its wings it took flight. It pierced the outer bounds of the vision, blinding the god slayers with transcendental light, leaving them squinting as their eyes adjusted to the newly revealed surroundings.

"Heh, you know I was tired of waiting... Exandroth."

"ZUEN."

"What took you so long? I've been waiting for a while. What has it been, a year now?”

"Exandroth you... You've been working with Zuen this whole time..?" Rumi breathed out.

"WHAT?"

"Of course he has, didn't it tell you?" The smugness of Zuen’s cadence had Exandroth furrowing its brow.

"No, he didn't.."

"WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT. RUMI?"

"Exandroth, you said we could trust you..."

"Did he now?"

By now, Exandroth was more than irked by Zuen. “YOU *CAN* TRUST ME, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WE’RE STILL GONNA KILL THE FUCK OUT OF THIS GUY!! THANATOS-“ the angel teetered off, Thanatos’ eye lights burning crimson cutting him off. The severity of the situation had sank in in seconds – neither of her companions had bothered to take a step back towards her, they had been perturbed by the vision, driven away. "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT." Exandroth cautiously backed up deeper into the room, Zuen’s outline behind him morphing to create the silhouette of an angel with two great arching horns. “IT’S NOT LIKE THAT!! ZUEN IS JUST TRYING TO TURN US AGAINST EACH OTHER. LET’S JUST KILL HIM BEFORE HE-“

"Is that it Exandroth? Or do you just want us to do your dirty work now so you can take power for yourself?"

"YOU'RE NOT USUALLY LIKE THIS."

“Because I’m not usually lied to.. You would really conspire with a god if it meant you could get your way? Is everyone just puppets to you??”

“I HAVEN’T LIED, I HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING!! YOU SEE ONE STUPID VISION AND SUDDENLY YOU CAN'T TRUST ME?? I THOUGHT WE HAD MADE UP!! I THOUGHT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE!!"

Rumi punctuated their words with a mournful finality, “So. Did. I.”

Exandroth turned its back to the pair, even as Thanatos drew his axe, gazing up at Zuen with clasped hands. “ZUEN. ZUEN, TELL THEM IT ISN'T TRUE. TELL THEM YOU'RE A LIAR!!"

"This is your business Exandroth, not mine."

Exandroth’s expression contorted in blinding hatred, lip raised to show gnashing teeth. “YOU FUCKING DICK, I’LL KILL YOU ZUEN!!” It felt eyes boring into the back of its head, and it laughed; Exandroth laughed nervously, then boisterously, it became uncontrollable. Feathers creeped along Peter’s body, rupturing from his skin and tearing at his human form, Exandroth’s resemblance to a person lessening. Wings obscured him, but the teeth and eyes lining the freshly peeled limbs conveyed all the emotion it needed. "OH, SO YOU THINK *I'M* A TRAITOR, IS THAT IT? YOU DON'T TRUST ME?"

The question hung unanswered. Magic was gathering and building up and suffocating the space.

“WELL YOU KNOW WHAT? I NEVER NEEDED YOU. YOU’VE OUTGROWN YOUR USEFULNESS. AFTER I’M DONE WITH YOU, I’LL KILL ZUEN ALL BY MYSELF!! YOU’RE A TERRIBLE GOD SLAYER, YOU’RE A TERRIBLE PERSON, AND I’M GOING TO BECOME GOD.”

“Exandroth, you’re acting insane..!” “Your death would be a hinderance to us..”

"I'M NOT CRAZY!! AND I'M NOT GOING BACK TO BEING THE LAP DOG OF A BUNCH OF CIRCLE JERKERS!!"

Exandroth spun around, a celestial blaze igniting in a spark with the broad stroke of his wings. Rumi jumped back, their clothes elegantly slipping out of reach of getting singed. Their eyes darted back and forth, bouncing on their feet as they strategised and moved to change position. Meanwhile, Thanatos stood resolute, his own hellfire roaring and choking out the white flames. Exandroth held its breath, the fire burning higher, trying to gain the upper hand but making little headway. The intensity of the fire had nearly swallowed up Exandroth’s attention, but with a snap of her neck he caught Rumi attempting to flank him. The fire suddenly diverted and lashed towards Rumi like a whip, Rumi barely tripping ahead of the flames now hot on their heels. Thanatos’ weapon was clenched tightly between his fists, but he paused to listen out for the voice of reason he’d come to expect from Rumi. Rumi called out over the sound of crackling, “No!! Thanatos, don’t hurt him!! It’ll just hurt Peter!!

Exandroth’s otherworldly echo harmonised so it could jeer in a nasally voice, “THAT’S RIGHT THANATOS: DON’T HURT ME, IT’LL HURT PETER.” He tore Peter’s glasses from his face, dropping them within Rumi’s line of sight before cracking them under its heel. Exandroth whistled, the familiar Exandroth had neglected up until this point flying down to settle on its shoulder, giving Exandroth a soft lick on the cheek. “LIZARD,” Exandroth gestured for Lizard to attack… But Lizard merely blinked slowly. Its mouth opened and Rumi caught a faint static, watching with wide eyes and a shred of hope in their heart that something could be salvaged. Rumi’s stomach dropped when Exandroth aggressively brushed Lizard off, Lizard scrambling to fly away. “IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU ALL TURN ON ME, I’LL STILL KILL YOU!!”

“No!” Rumi’s blade tore through the fire with a holy glow, dispersing it. "It doesn’t have to be like this!! We don't have to fight! Just stand down!!"

"YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU DECIDED TO CROSS ME,” Exandroth spat out.

Thanatos was out of patience, charging forward, axe scrapping against the ground. Thanatos raised up his weapon and slammed it down, eldritch appendages raising to meet it and tanking the blow with its doughy consistency. The flesh spread up the weapon, as if eager to consume it, before abruptly it retreated. It dissipated and melted into the floor, a hushed cacophony of shrieks following it - and Thanatos could hear it, a hundred voices quaking in fear of the smited blade.

Exandroth scattered the glass across the floor with a subtle kick, but evidently not subtle enough as Thanatos’ inner system whirred in recollection of a similar attack. Thanatos braced himself, shielding his body as he was assaulted by light refracting from the shards of glass, slicing at his metal plates. It gave Exandroth a moment to back up and put space between them, Exandroth backing up until it stood right alongside Zuen. Zuen was beaming right in Exandroth’s face, and Exandroth snarled, overwhelmed with the impulse to lash out. Exandroth put all her weight into a punch that left her stumbling forward, Zuen sidestepping the fist.

When its eyes parted from the ground to reassess its surroundings, the god had disappeared into a thick blanket of darkness. A bead of sweat rolled down his face, its eldritch sight unable to pierce the ethereal murk. It was effectively blind, Thanatos’ eyes weren’t on it – and Exandroth regretted having a hand in designing such a cut throat killing machine. By the time Exandroth had received its cue, it was too late to react. Exandroth let out an unholy shriek that had Rumi reaching up to block their ears; Exandroth ripping off feathers and meat as it hurriedly (and gorily) detached itself from the wing pinned under Thanatos’ axe. The missing mass of flesh nearly downed it, but it caught enough of its balance to scramble to its feet and escape another slash. Red light was bathing the surroundings, Exandroth drenched in sweat and the intense anxiety of a wounded animal. Something primal had kicked into high gear, because there were no words, just Exandroth breaking off and making a mad dash for the nearest exit.

Exandroth evaded Thanatos with an adrenaline-boosted shot of speed, only matched by Rumi’s own. In Exandroth’s wake an excess of celestial blood was gushing out and smearing along the heavenly grounds, and Rumi followed the trail diligently. Exandroth was scuttling away from his former companions with clumsy footwork and Rumi was close, so close, reaching out, a hair away— but Exandroth made a last-minute dive and fell over the edge, disappearing beyond the layer of clouds. Rumi was forced to stop short of the drop, staring into the abyss with their hand still reached out. They quietly muttered to themselves, “No… No….. No, no, no-!” Rumi dug around in their pocket. “Wait!! Peter!! Come back!!!!” In a flurry of emotion they had forced a ring onto their finger, and lurched forward with the intent to dive over the edge—

They fell back on their ass, scooting themselves back away from the edge and shaking their head, “No, no, that’s not going to work-“ They rested their hands on the nape of their neck; mind racing, buzzing with thoughts, reenacting the scene, recalling their time as Rumi, remembering Peter, losing track of their goals, their goal to slay the gods, wondering if they were wrong, if this was real… Dammit….. Dammit..! Thanatos’ foot fell heavy behind Rumi; Rumi lowered their head, hair falling over their face.

“Thanatos…” What did we do? “Thanatos, we need to find Peter…..” What did we do? “We need him…….” Rumi’s shoulders shook. “I can’t- We can’t do this without…” Was this their fault?

“…I understand.”

Rumi sniffled, only opening their teary bleared eyes upon feeling a cold-blooded friend crawl onto them. They sniffled again, “Lizard…? Oh.. I’m so sorry..” They gave a moment for them to sit in silence. …..Wait. “Lizard!!” Rumi tilted their head up to grin at Thanatos, picking up Lizard and holding up the creature to him. “..Thanatos, we can find still find Peter!!!”

“It does appear that way.”

Sunny approached the group, sitting beside Rumi and letting out a squeak. “..You’re right Sunny, this isn’t over. We just have to have hope. I can’t believe I was so blinded-“

Thanatos solemnly nodded.

“-but we can still fix this…”

“..and do you think it’s safe to leave Zuen behind?”

“Zuen?” Rumi frowned, their expression intense. “..I have a feeling he’ll be staying right where he is.”

Fin.

[pureamericanism]

One of the great tragedies of the Rust Belt* is that it did not define itself as a distinct cultural region until well after its great era of flourishing was over. For the century from about 1850-1950, this area was not merely the industrial heart of the nation, but also its cultural center. And yet the inhabitants of the area, if they thought of themselves as having a regional identity at all, it was as inhabitants of the generic ‘north’. Its status as a center of cultural innovation was pooh-poohed by the fact that the nation’s political and intellectual elite was, even as it is today, strongly based to the coastal northeast, and this Eurocentric elite had a very different set of priorities than the cultural avant-garde of the as-yet-unRusted-Belt. This area produced little in the way of ‘high art’ in the expected form of novels, symphonies, and oil paintings. But what it did produce...

In 1900, Chicago was the occult capital of the nation, a hotbed of wild theorizing and underground publishing of all manner of Theosophical weirdness. Meanwhile, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright were producing the first wholly indigenous tradition of monumental architecture, setting a pattern for all of urban modernity. The Dayton, Ohio based Wright brothers - often abused in pop-historiography as some sort of rude mechanicals - were slowly and methodically systematizing the science of aerodynamics in preparation for the first ever instance of heaver-than-air flight in human history, with world-shaking consequences. And up in Detroit, Henry Ford was not merely revolutionizing transportation and manufacturing, but setting a standard for industrial relations that would create an unbelievably influential model for decades to come. It might sound strange to modern ears to cite Henry Ford as a bleeding-edge figure, but Fordism served as an inspiration to both Bolsheviks and Fascists, as well as to domestic New Dealers, while simultaneously pleasing and alarming old-fashioned Anglo liberals. The Long 20th Century is a series of footnotes to the Rust Belt Golden Age.

As can be seen from this too-brief summary of the luminaries of the epoch, it was a deeply unique Golden Age, characterized by cultural traits all its own. Technical prowess, utopian visions, and thorough systematization were its characteristics, as was a sense that a lone individual or small group could, through sheer innovative genius, change the world. While the archetype of the Mad Scientist is based on Mitteleuropean models, it was here in Mittelamerika that it achieved its apotheosis. The definitive cultural history of this region and era has yet to be written**, which just shows how underappreciated the underlying unity still is, but it in a large part contributed to the dynamic optimism that we all now take for granted as distinctively ‘American.’ But as the area felt the collapse of the long bubble economy that funded its flourishing, and its brightest sons and daughters fled west to contribute to the explosion of creativity along the Pacific slope that is now likewise collapsing, it finally awakened to a sense of unity that had previously been hidden by arbitrary State boundaries.

That, at some point, this area will again be the center of some sort of vigorous culture seems an inevitability of human geography, but will it again share the same features of optimism and technical prowess, or were those mere incidental features of a bunch of people with a Protestant work ethic suddenly getting access to the tremendous wealth provided by a vast agricultural base + fossil fuels? Man alive, I don’t have the slightest clue, but I hope that there is some sort of afterlife or metempsychosis so I can find out.

* here roughly defined as the geographical area constrained by an irregular polygon whose points are Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Davenport, Green Bay, and Flint.

** unless it has and i’m just ignorant of it, in which case please let me know so i can rest easy that i don’t need to do any work and can just sit down and read the thing. honestly, even tangentially related book recommendations are appreciated.