#got me into my mythology craze

[gawrkin]

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(Link to Site)

If you understood those titles in the Arthurian section, congrats! You're a true Arthurianist!

[gothamite-rambler]

Steph and Jason's first mission together: Astro Girls

Context: Taking place after Jason befriended Cass, who happened to be sick that night, Stephanie found herself in need of someone to aid her in unraveling the mystery of the missing people linked to a yoga club, a cult, a multi-level marketing scheme, and astro-girls. This mission was a mix of her venting about her frustrations and doing something productive. It also marked their first mission together. Jason did appreciate for Stephanie's unhinged eccentricity and fighting skills.

Red Hood cuffed a crazed cult member while Spoiler spoke to the remaining members, most of whom were bruised and scared, with only a few still devoted to Astro.

Red Hood: I’m just going to say this: you are the worst type of person, and the only reason I’m not shooting you is that I’m working with someone who would rat me out to Batman.

Spoiler (sneaking up next to Red Hood): In a situation like this, you can aim for her thigh or something.

Astro (smugly): You can’t blame me for this. If anything, you should be letting me walk.

Red Hood: Why? Were you under the control of someone else?

Astro (confidently incorrect): It’s not my fault I can sway people easily; it’s the Virgo in me.

Red Hood (confused): It’s the what?

He looked at Spoiler, assuming she understood, but she shook her head with her eyes closed. Astro grinned pridefully while clasping her cuffed hands together.

Astro: Virgo means I’m a natural-born leader. People instantly want to follow me. If they were different birth signs, they wouldn’t have messed up this club.

Spoiler (deadpan): I knew it was odd that one of them kept asking when my birthday was.

Red Hood (angry): Am I missing something? Lady, you were running a cult disguised as a yoga club, which was a front for your multi-level marketing scheme that sold diet smoothies to people and nearly killed a lot of them. The people following you are idiots, yes, but you being a virgin doesn’t excuse anything.

Spoiler (exhausted): Virgo.

Red Hood (aggravated): You don’t know how little I care.

Spoiler: I don’t either, but… I can explain what this totally sane woman is talking about. She started all this to have a following of sycophants who could take the fall for her if she did something like this. Oh, and wait, Astro—because of course that's your name—you made the smoothie powder yourself, but it wasn't your fault that every other batch contained some type of drug or poison. As a Virgo, you could only order your 'members' to make it.

Astro (oblivious): Girl, duh. It's not my fault they messed up the recipe.

Red Hood: Bitch, the original recipe had rat poison mixed in it!

Astro: Okay, you’re yelling at me, and the Virgo in me is very sensitive to sound.

Red Hood (angry sigh): That doesn't even make any sense!

Spoiler (stepping in front of him): I got this, Hood. Man, it is great finally meeting an astrological girl.

Astro (fluttering her eyes happy): Oh my goodness, you know about us?

Spoiler nodded, tight smile.

Spoiler (rolling up her sleeves): Oh yeah, you relying on star signs, rising moons, and tides to determine literally anything is totally fascinating. Especially when you use it to be mean to people or dismiss actions like this.

Astro (valley girl accent): Yes, and we’re usually very accurate. Like I said, it’s not my fault I accidentally made a cult.

Red Hood (loud): You were beating people who tried to escape!

Astro: My rising tide—

Spoiler growled and punched the woman in the nose, knocking her to the ground.

Spoiler (kicking the woman while she was down): Oh, was that my Capri Sun rising on the horizon?! No, it's because I think you suck for what you put these poor men and women through for two years! News fa- lash: your alignment named after some piece of Greek mythology or an animal doesn’t excuse the fact that you’re a bad person!

Red Hood: Um, this feels like it's connected to something.

Spoiler (pausing her kicking): My mom used to be into this crap before finding the Lord, and she made a lot of terrible decisions before 'finding the Lord' thanks to people like this!

Red Hood: Oh wow, her becoming religious is less insane than them?

Spoiler: Pretty much, yeah. I’m shocked too.

Astro (weakly): What month was she born? That could be linked to her poor decision-making—

Spoiler patted her elbow and then slammed into the woman’s body as Red Hood watched, impressed.

Red Hood (amused): Huh… I’m glad we’re working together tonight.

Spoiler (punching the woman): Told you our first team-up would be fun. Give me two more minutes with her, though?

Red Hood: Oh yeah, sure. I’ve dealt with crazy people like this before; go nuts for the two minutes. I’ll take care of the hostages.

Spoiler had the woman in a headlock but nodded as Jason walked over to the people who had been brainwashed or kidnapped to be part of the yoga/MLM cult.

Spoiler: Thanks.

[rainbowdonkee]

These are all the otome games I have for the Nintendo Switch!

Below you can read my hopefully brief rant about each game ☺️

I bought my first otome game (Collar x Malice) in 2020 during the pandemic. It’s interesting but I really struggled with it and I just don’t know why. Sasazuka and Kei are my favs <3 but sadly I’ve never done more than those 2 routes 😅

I bought Olympia Soirée on December 2022 and absolutely loved it! The concept was interested although a little silly at times and ironically enough it made me deep dive into Japanese mythology due to the story heavily mentioned Japanese deities. And I’ve never recovered from seeing Tokisada’s bad endings like I 😧

Jack Jeanne is THE BEST otome game (Sui Ishida my GOAT!!!) and I’m so happy I trusted my gut and bought the collectors edition - it made my Summer ‘23! I had the most fun playing the game and loved the rhythm game aspect plus the characters were just so amazingly written! Fumi and Sou-chan are my everything!

I bought Winter Wish on October 2023 and honestly don’t know when I’ll play it bc I impulsed bought it after I lost one of my pets (had to somehow get serotonin…) 😕 it’s a historical fiction amd that’s all I know about it so I’m most likely going to like it since I was OBSESSED with Hakuoki.

Bought Virche Evermore 3 days before released and I currently have 2 routes finished (Matthis and Lucas get behind me bby bois) - this game has me screaming and crying 😭 I heard so many otome fans say this was THE dark otome game to get into and saw so much hype when it was revealed for localization. I’m so glad I bought it last minute and now I’ll be searching for any merch online.

Black Friday crazed got me and I saw a physical copy of Radiant Tale in GameStop and although there was no sale - this game is litera sold out on AKSYS official shop soooooo had to get it 😩 I LOVE CIRCUS AESTHETIC AND I BLAME THE SHOW FREAKSHOW FROM AMC. Once I can start playing this game I’m immediately going for that clown boy and nothing will stop me😤

[mask131]

Other Odysseys: 1954's Ulysses

When it comes to a cinematic adaptation of The Odyssey there is only one movie to know, THE movie, I am speaking of course about the 1954 Ulisse (or Ulysses in English).

In the middle of the 20th century, Italian cinema absolutely dominated the world when it came to peplums, adaptations of Roman history, or of Greek mythology. It is from this era that came so many famous, cult, classic or influential movie that later ended up creating this same craze in the USA (for example, the huge wave of Hercules movies that later led to the series of American Hercules movies - I made a post about it a loonngg time ago I never followed upon). And this specific movie still remains to this day a big name in the list of Odyssey adaptations.

Directed by Mario Camerini (with Mario Bava also being involved!), this movie had quite an international fame due to not being exclusively Italian. Most notably, it has quite an amount of Americans involved, Kirk Douglas even playing Ulysses! (or Odysseus if you prefer the Greek name) You also have Anthony Quinn as Antinous. France also had its share in the movie, with actors like Daniel Ivernel or Jacques Dumesnil playing men part of Ulysses's crew.

What to say that hasn't been said before? If you enjoy the Odyssey you must watch this movie. I prefer the French dub over the English one because it clarifies some details that are more vague and left to interpretation in the English dub, but that's just me. The costumes of the movie were designed by a French haute couture house: they were the works of Madame Grès. Some scenes were originally planned on Ithaca itself, but an earthquake prevented the shooting. And some of the weapons and armors were historical pieces, lended by museums from Greece and Italy.

If you are interested by how this movie handled the Odyssey, I'll let you discover this by youself (given it is a movie from the 50s it is easy accessible around, even on Youtube you've got several free versions in various languages), but I will tell you that the movie had to condense the Odyssey as much as it could, due to the limits of being a single movie AND a 50s production, while still producing a story that felt satisfactory and complete. I believe it did, though I might be biased because this was literaly the first time I saw the Odyssey on screen after reading about it, and it was one of my childhood movies.

The most striking part of this piece being the synthesis of Ulysses' many trials into three specific steps, with the Nausicaa segment being the first third of the movie: it is a slow opening mimicking how the Odyssey itself begins, but with the additional detail that if Odysseus stays so long by Nausicaa's island, it is because he lost his memory. The sea adventures are actually Odysseus' narration as he finally starts to remember who he was - and this leads to the three iconic segments that marked the "Greek mythology cinema" of the time.

The Polyphemus segment, which was THE marking depiction of a cyclop on the silver screen ; the Siren segment, which explored this movie's tactic of purposefully not showing the most supernatural or gruesome elements of the tale, by the old theater trick (this movie has a strong theater vibe to it in terms or choices and staging) ; and finally the Circe segment. A segment where Circe is also Calypso and Charybdis all at once, and that chose to depict this mysterious enchantress as supernatural double of Penelope (both played by Silvana Mangano), forever clad in a green aura and acting in an eerily ambiguous and unnatural way which leaves you wondering if she is truly a divine witch loving in an unhealthy way Odysseus, or a malevolent agent of the god simply fooling him all along...

All in all, this is THE classic of the Odyssey adaptations that needs no introduction.

[pansyfilia]

welcome to my blog!!

COMMS ARE NOW... OPEN!

you can call me pansy or rina (she/her)

fandom list

greek mythology/epic the musical (save me penelope save me)

the marauders

dungeon meshi my beloveds

tma (currently on s2 so NO SPOILERS)

X MEN i love you jean and ororo and rogue and mystique pls marry me + jubilee can tag along too

i have like one thg post so yk... it was for an au who am i kidding

ON A NOTE!!!! PLEASE DO TALK TO ME, MESSAGE ME, @ ME IF YOU WANT. WE DON'T NEED TO BE MOOTS TO INTERACT OR ANYTHING its bc i need friends :((

my ao3 is @green_starss, where i have a few odypen fics brewing

and ive got a bit of an organising system which is pretty ridiculous soooo

"the little white maggot tag" is just generally rosier twins/ pandora/ evan, whatever really

"the wild hyena at the door tag" is all things barty crouch jr, gay twink and mcr enjoyer

"the scarlet fox tag" is the woman, the MILF, the legend lily evans (she ate btw)

"the magician's rabbit tag" is mary macdonald <333333

"my weaver wife" is PENELOPE OF SPARTA yes i do know she is ody's wife and i would never dream of taking her from him (im stealing her from him respectfully as we speak)

"the green mamba that bites" is dorcas meadowes (we love a mean queen)

"the black cat that haunts" is regulus black, wet dog man and also brother's best friend survivor

"the lovegood moths tag" is essentially the lovegood family, pandora, xeno and luna

"the island and his freshwater pearl" is just odypen, pretty much the only straight pairing on here

" the two rabid beasts" is bartylily (essentially emo/preppy at core)

"the rotting hyena tag" is rosekiller (tee hee)

"the bunny corpse" is my marydora stuff

"pansy's aus" is what it says on the can

"ask pansy anything" basic comprehension skills yall

"pansy rambles" essentially the same vein, see above, etc

I think???? i have an au list somewhere in here so ill put it on here as well

odyssey thg au, where ody and polites go into a war-torn arena and only one returns home (alr a wip)

odyssey modern au, where ody is enlisted in the war and needs to get OUT. dio actually pops in and checks in on him from time to time and calypso is just a super weird flight attendant

odyssey lotr au, following the whole arawen/odypen parallels that have me gripped atm (and also penelopes half divine side as well because the POTENTIAL aghh) jsyk legolas and gimli are perimedes and elpenor :))))))

idk why but like odyssey roleswap au, where eury and ody stay at home while their wives are away on pilgrimage or wtv the equiv is in ancient greece and circe and calypso r just super hot evil minor gods. OMG WAIT tiresias is the same but its his cursed-by-hera woman form (long story, will explain in a later post)

iliad/odyssey college au where theyre all just here and there and also everyone who dies either gets sent away or yk runs away from the shitty ass ilium university (helen is the art major queen and calypso stalks ody which we love/hate)

THE ILIAD/ODYSSEY RENAISSANCE COURT AU which isnt realy plot,,, its just fluff and fake dating and secret dating and also lady thetis who hates her sons prince consort patroclus and theres rlly just a lot of love and drama

[self-indulgent one comin in hot] single parent ody with calypso's kids nausithous and nausinous who has penelope as his kids' babysitter (not canon timeline-complicit bc who needs that shitfaced angst blast)

and ofc a hogwarts au just for funzies

just tag me on either ao3 or on here if u use these!

anyways,,, have fun! pls enjoy my half-asleep crazes

[yeyinde]

EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY AND CAPTAIN JOHN PRICE? IM SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP CAUSE YOU JUST MERGED TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TOGETHER I CANT DEAL IM SCREAMING CRYING SEKHMET BEING ASSOCIATED WITH DIEASE AND MEDICINE AND PTAH BEING KNOWN AS THE CREATOR GOD (OR AS THE CAPTAIN) IS JUST A BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL THING IM SO HAAPPY RN LIKE WHAT A PERFECT REPRESENTATION OF JOHN ANDD THE READER LIKE I CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW THAT RELATION JUST SCRATCHES AN INCH IN MY BRAIN

Ahhh, thanks!! I ended up getting a little statuette of Ra as a very early birthday present and it came with a little card/booklet on his lore, so I've been pretty deep in my Egyptian mythology craze yet again (again, i say, as if it ever really stopped), and when I saw the ask, I wanted to just put in a little hint to a healing god (which was Nefertum) as a throwaway line. It wasn't mean to be serious at all, but, ummmmmm. That little hint ran away from me pretty quickly 😅

I also got your other ask as well, and figured I'd answer them together

and yes 👀 I would consider writing it! This definitely gave me some ideas to ponder on, plus. I want to explore more of their dynamic and see how much mythos and how many epithets I can squeeze in.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

So I just got done reading The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter and it's just... My gods, it's awful! First off, you know that thing where letters are substituted for Greek ones? So, Σ instead of E? Yeah, it does that for the cover and I wish I could say that was the worst of it. Because then we have Demeter, Hera, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Hades—or should I say Diana, Calliope, Ava, James, and Henry. Also, Zeus is called Walter now.

Ah yes, all hail the mighty Walter!

It's not even a reimagining or reincarnation thing, either, these are just their actual names now! And let me tell ya, seeing the names Diana and Calliope when they weren't referring to, y'know, the actual Diana and Calliope, just made things hella confusing at first! And here's the reason for not using the actual names:

"We all choose new ones throughout the years."

"Ones that match where and when we are," said Henry. "We are most famous within Greek mythology, and that is why we are known throughout by our Greek names."

"But we have no real names," said my mother. "We were created before names."

"And we will survive long after names are needed," said Henry.

I'm not even Greek and even I'm offended! Why do these writers keep forgetting that Greece is still an actual country? There's no reason for this other than American convenience!

Also, Hera's evil now. And granted, this was basically her role in many myths as well, but you would think her motivation would be to get revenge on Zeus, right? Nope! Or at least, that's not the biggest one. Turns out, she teams up with Cronus (who's actually treated somewhat sympathetically in this, weirdly enough) because Hades doesn't love her!

I can't!

And to be fair to Aimee, these books did come out in 2011-2013, so I'm hoping she's improved since then, but still.

I don't know what Aimee is doing these days but the book was a big meh for the average reader and a big disappointment accuracy-wise.

The "we don't really have names" is really awful. Not only accommodates the Anglophone reader by cutting the gods from their culture, but it also equates all deities worldwide with each other just because they have similar traits. I don't know what craze happens in the west lately when they see Eastern nations as incapable of cultural diversity and nuance. For example, we insist Aphrodite is not Ishtar and they are like "oooh you poor babyy! I forgot you obviously don't have scientists and educational institutions down there. Of course you don't understand that there are similarities and that makes you all the saaaame." No, sir, we are very aware of the similarities and the cultural exchange. We just have no need for you to put us all in the same sack just because we look the same to you, who don't know the additional nuances of the local cultures.

Making Hera allied with Kronos is sooo random. I also recall Hades was a virgin there. Most things here are random. This should have stayed in a fanfic site, as one of the bad fanfics.

[gontagokuhara]

I just read the most recent chapter... PERFECTION. I'll talk more about it when I leave a comment, but it was so worth the wait. I'm so interested in the lore of this story, it's definetly transcended both source materials and become its own unique thing! I have so many questions, but I just want to ask the ones that probably won't be revealed from the story itself to try and prevent me from bombarding you with them all😭

For now I'm gonna guess that Kaede knows Peko from a camp visit or something! I think it was also alluded that she/Tenko knows Chihiro/Chiaki as well. What's it like when the other Gods visit (or when the triplets visit)?

Also, I'm not sure how to phrase this, but how were the demigods born to established couples like Naegami/Sakuraoi? [Bc like, gay supremacy, obvi, but like, idk how😭] And also also, why did all the gods decide to reproduce like rabbits all at once 😭 I know that in Greek mythology they were all just freakin but like I'm wondering what caused it in pointy objects, did the y2k craze also get to them

(I wanna save most of it for my comment on ao3, but I really liked how we got an update on so many outside characters, as well as new characters! What happened right after everyone at the camp realized they were gone? I feel so bad for the other half of the kids💔)

hello hello!!! i very eagerly await your comment, but that's for later — for now, there's a few other things!

first: your interest and passion for my writing is so incredibly appreciated and enjoyed and inspiring and just !!! it means more than you know, and since *im* crazy insane about this fic too, i am more than happy to answer questions because my god the brain worms are so bad and they've been there for YEARS.

second: the answers to your current questions! for anyone who may not want to see (for spoiler or length reasons) the rest shall be under the cut <3

i love offering little insights on things that i just don't physically have space to put into the main fic, so that's where i'll start with your first question! godly parent-birth child interaction is a big no-no under junko, so the gods have had to get creative in how they make contact with their children. in the case of peko, kaede is familiar with her because tenko lives with her (with their relation being aunt-niece) except during the summers. as an aside, tenko and himiko also attend the same boarding school during the year, and so when it's summertime, it's often been peko that's dropped the both of them off at camp. however, kaede is also privy to maki's family situation in a way that no one else at camp really is, so she's aware of fuyuhiko being maki's 'godfather' and that he and peko are very close, and work together.

in mentioning chiaki and chihiro as examples, there's a few reasons for the other campers to be aware of them enough to like them. lots of phone conversations, first off — junko can do a lot of things, but monitoring every possible means of communication for every demigod is unfeasible — and boring (at least when not considering certain gods she has specific vendettas against). chiaki and chihiro are all around "better" parents than some of the others, and that naturally lends itself to them coming by camp on very rare occasions to visit their children. other gods also will (very occasionally) visit to speak with hajime and nagito, but the barrier and its ability to keep them from interfering is most of the time enough that they'd rather call a meeting. so, tldr: gods come around camp sometimes, but in very limited circumstances. it's mostly phone conversations, texts, and facetimes that are used between the demigods and their parents (though not everyone has that privilege. i'll leave it at that <3)

and VERY good questions, about the logistics of all these damn kids LOL. there are a lot of reasons for this, so i'll use a few specific examples to expand upon.

makoto and byakuya are first-time parents with rantarou. in godly terms, they've been together for a long time (though not nearly as long as others like hajime/nagito or sakura/aoi, whose relationships are actually ancient). however, for various reasons — hesitance on byakuya's end that he may be a poor father, hesitance on makoto's end to not only have a child as a Big Five god, but also to have a mortal child that he will outlive — they put off having children until relatively recently. sometimes it's as simple as they're just waiting for the right time, and that's what they did. in rantarou's case, he is byakuya's biological child, and his conception was the result of a very rigorous process of finding a surrogate both byakuya and makoto were comfortable with. and it worked out; they were given the child of their dreams, the center of their whole universe, and the very well taken care of surrogate is paid for all of the work she does and more, and she retires richer than god.

aoi (as angie's godly parent) had her in a very similar way — sperm donor, from someone she trusts on her home island where she lives with sakura and a few hundred mortal islanders that know of their status as goddesses and worship them accordingly.

and finally the VERY good question of Why The Fuck Are There So Many Demigods. there's a few reasons for this! a lot of the kids we see are the first children that a god has had — this is true in the case of gundham's child, rantarou, tenko, and a few others that will become important to the fic itself later. there were also several couples between the gods that developed relatively 'recently', which plays a role as well. others, who have had children before, grieve the ones they've lost and decide if/when to have another child in very different ways. this is a non-exhaustive list, but sonia, chihiro, leon, komaru, aoi, hiyoko, mahiru, and nekomaru are all examples of gods who have had children more than once. some — like sonia, chihiro, and aoi — make the choice to have more children despite the issues that arise regarding their immortality. and in the case of those three, all of them just happened to feel ready enough to have kids again at the same time a few spring chicken couples were popping out their firsts, and a few others were making questionable parenting decisions, and some had kids...without knowing they did.

BOY this sure got fun! but it was so fun to write. if this hasnt made it clear, i'm more than happy to talk about this fic for literally ever and ever — so long as i'm ducking around spoiler territory. your last question, about what happens immediately following the gang being discovered as missing, will come up to at least some degree in pointy objects. however, for years i've maintained a list of possible one-shot ideas that don't fit within the main pointy objects narrative, and that has been on there for ages. so if it's not expanded upon enough in-verse for my liking, i'll definitely either write something supplementary (WAY in the future tho LOL) on ao3 or lore drop here. we're a ways off from that, though!

but thank you again, and i hope you enjoyed this little offering! i certainly did <3

[originalsuccubus]

10 15 17 30 46😈

10.) what’s one book you’d suggest every person should read?

I have like. a billion answers for this unfortunately lol so this was a tough one to settle on and a lot of my picks are really just important to Me Personally. but after giving it some thought I think I would have to go with De Profundis by Oscar Wilde, I think he was one of the most stunningly beautiful writers who ever lived and it's one of the most striking dives into the human psyche that I've ever had the privilege to experience.

15.) name one musical album that greatly impacted your life? why?

always the hardest question lol. you gave me some really difficult ones!! had to mull this one over for a bit I think that Wish by The Cure would have to ultimately be my answer, it was my first exposure to goth music ever, which is so very important to me, and I also used to listen to it on repeat for months alongside Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me when C and I first got together so it holds a lot of really special places in my heart.

17.) what’s your favorite painting? and describe how it makes you feel?

""Fallen Angel" by Alexandre Cabanel. I don't even really know how to describe how it makes me feel, I've always been really bad at talking about how art makes me feel (perhaps why art school didn't work out lol) but I just feel. so struck by this one every time I look at it. very raw and painful but also enchanted by the beauty of it.

30.) favorite mythological creature? and why?

vampires obv!! u know this. I can't say for sure why. I was fed a very steady diet of Buffy and Angel as a kid and latched on to anything I could get my hands on during the Twilight craze and it's just always stuck no matter where my interests take me. I think the whole eternal torment thing really speaks to me lol, I also love love and romance and sex and they embody that so much of the time. also, cool fashion. also also, drinking blood hot. I don't make the rules. I will always be a vampire girl. a sanguinary pixie, if you will.

46.) relate yourself to one movie character?

always and forever lol

[hyaku-man]

touhoustuck rambles

i guess here’s as good a spot as any to start contributing to the touhoustuck craze? 

considering i rejoined tumblr just to get a look at whatever touhou stuff was goin’ on, and i’d already rekindled my homestuck interests from other business. i’ve got to @sagaciouscejai​ for givin me the inspiration for some of the ideas, and i give them full credit for any similar ideas, bc i was definitely thinkin’ about parts of it- i’ll break these up into multiple parts so i don’t have huge walls of text.

homestuck and touhou share many qualities. dreams, mythology, the divide between those and reality and escaping from it, godhood, and more. in creating these ideas, i ended up leaning more towards the touhou side, while still having some homestuck settled in here, i imagine.

SBURB is the first thing i focused on. SBURB is genetic code scribbled on the walls of frog temples, and is naturally just a process intended for creating a new, successful universe. 

in that case, what’s stopping the code from potentially taking on a separate form that’s enacted via ritual rather than being interpreted via code? and maybe perhaps the ritual instructions are present in some frog temples, with the whereabouts known by a particularly froggy god and her wind god + shrine maiden.? the former of which being a pretty common instigator of problems within gensokyo? continuing this within the next post...

[serendipitous-mythicality]

With ever-lasting madness Gazing through empty, flashing eyes Golden wheat sounds fill my head Over something seldom sung  Wandering with broken feet Over hills in distant sands While white birds battle black In thunder-strewn winds  Drunken mercies shattered, From screams, escape desperate times Still, outlawed hope beats with heavy wings Amongst tombstone-blackened minds   Winding maze concealed With parting drifting seas Finds poets’ dying whispers Over abandoned love’s remains Buried deep without compassion Crazed within the storm Lost without redemption Will it all be mourned?

Years ago, I used to write poetry. I keep meaning to pick the habit back up. It's been somewhere shy of twenty years now since it was a regular habit. Couldn't even begin to guess at how long it's been since I've written anything. The first one on this post was completely outside anything I'd ever done. I was inspired by Paul McCartney of all people. This was when I was really researching The Beatles. I used to come home from school (high school and college) and listen to music, write, and play solitaire. All day long, I'd fill notebooks full of my favourite lyrics and write story ideas, poetry, etcetera. Been going through various past writings of mine looking for loose papers I wrote in regards to the novel that has been in my head for most of my life. It's funny that I thought I had majorly changed the plot as I finally sit down to write it instead of only researching mythological lore. Instead, I'm finding scraps from many, many years ago with these same plotlines in them. It's been with me for a long time. I'm been finding various things as I go. Such as: Butterfly playing skip rope with the dog's tale A wrinkly hound With a long nose of butterscotch And: A day without days is like a moment without moments. Broken wings flutter sobbing on the wind while lopsided suns salute frivolously from a grey-bent sky. All the while, tears well within the dusty cracks of civilization proving to be too much for the sinner to hold fast in trembling hands. You can't escape them and the moments become moments as the grains of sand join the tears. Sighs lament over lost words and broken hearts as brooding trees echo the wind's rage over being left to face the truth. Really not sure WTF was going on in my head as I wrote some of this stuff. The first line makes no sense.

Then there's this:

THE BLACK ROSE

Faded yet vibrant Its beauty cuts like a knife A haunted, forlorn quality Its darkness shimmering Like the water's reflection Reflecting nothing Its thorns hold a sacred price Forsaken life A single cut rose - in black Mistaken Wild darkness A commitment made unaware Beware 

I was certainly moody back in the early 2000s on. It's an interesting time capsule. Really got going on haikus and their 5-7-5 form for a while there too. Should pick that habit back up as it's a simpler way to be creative throughout the day.

The only writing I've done since is Rhett and Link fan fiction. Was reading some of it today (a couple of years old now) and was tempted to tinker around and fix them up better. Still have a chapter to go on the one. However, this is how I always lose track of my novel. Not pausing it. Need to get a good schedule going.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (2007)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

As the Harry Potter films became instant favorites, it was only logical that someone would capitalize on the craze. Step 1: Take a semi-popular series of fantasy books and adapt them for the silver screen. Step 2: Release them between the Hogwarts movies when the fans are hungriest. Step 3: Profit. You'll get some of that box office magic too... right? Not when you make a movie this bad. It shows how oblivious Hollywood can be that anyone working on The Seeker: the Dark is Rising believed they had the beginning of a franchise on their hand.

Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig, wholly devoid of charisma), has just moved to England with his family. There, Miss Greythorne (Frances Conroy), Merriman (Ian McShane), Dawson (James Cosmo), and Old George (Jim Piddock) approach the boy and explain to him his magical heritage: he is “The Seeker”, the one destined to help our world battle against “The Darkness” (Christopher Eccleston). To do this, he must track down six signs hidden through time.

This magical child story is as generic as it gets. You can easily rob your world of any distinguishing features by cramming in too much mythology and leaving no room for your own ideas. The problem with The Seeker is the opposite. It has so little magic and mythology you’re instantly bored. What the name of the hero who seeks mystical objects? The Seeker. What’s the name of the dark villain who wants to destroy the world? The Darkness. Wow. Really wore out your thesaurus thinking up those ones, didn’t ya?

Not helping are the characters, most of which are ineffectual and uninteresting. The adults helping Will never seem to accomplish anything. They are easily overcome by the villain and when they first appear, botch their introduction so badly they threaten to drive the poor, stupid boy right into the dark rider’s hands. Or they would, if he had even a hint of subtlety to him. One look at the guy and you scream “guilty!” Not in a million years would he convince Will to give him the signs he’s found (in such riveting and wonderful environments as a modern-day shopping mall).

I doubt the picture’s feeble twist during the third act would fool even the youngest audience members. There’s a betrayal you'll see coming from so far away it makes you restless and angry waiting for the reveal. It’s one thing for you to be stupid, movie. It’s another for you to assume I am too.

The Seeker is a bubbling cauldron of noxious ingredients. I cannot imagine anyone watching it and having a good time. Even fans of the book will be disappointed, as it deviates significantly from the source material - it’s based on the second book rather than the first, which is yet another baffling decision. The Seeker is so bland and forgettable I can already feel my memories of it fading away like a puddle in the hot sun. This is going to be my only opportunity to address the supremely dumb and weirdly quirky topic of Will’s twin brother, Tom (Alexander Ludwig). He was stolen as a baby by the Darkness. I can understand there being no pictures of him in the house. What I don’t believe - not for one second - is Will being unaware of this. Even if his parents didn’t want the truth divulged… he’s got 5 siblings! None of them ever said anything? Anyway, by the end of the film, Will saves his twin. The storm that’s been threatening humanity dissipates and then we get our happily ever after. The complete absence of imagination and energy made me hate watching The Seeker but I would love to see what happened next. Tom was kidnapped before he learned to talk. He's been trapped in a snow globe for 14 years. I doubt the Nazgul wannabe taught him anything so firstly, he’s not toilet-trained. I wonder how the parents will explain the extra mouth they have to feed to their neighbours…

Among all the Harry Potter knockoffs, The Seeker: Dark is Rising isn’t the worst. That title undoubtedly goes to The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens, which (funnily enough) got a sequel. In another way, that film is better. By being worse, at least it stands out. This is a whole lot of hot air audiences will forget instantly - something Ian McShane and the rest of the cast must be grateful for. (On DVD, July 12, 2019)

[jimblejamblewritings]

the imprint of the blood singer | part 3.

Summary: Y/N Black. All about La Push. Shy girl unless you get to know her. Not one to make friends easily despite the fact that she very well could. Friends with her brother’s friends until one Bella Swan comes back to town.

Warnings for the Series: light violence, light smut

Pairing: Edward Cullen x reader, Embry Call x reader

Word Count: 2.6k

Previous Part | (Series Masterlist)

Quil passed the soccer ball to Embry. You and the guys were kicking a ball down the beach. Jacob kicked the ball a little too far for anyone to reach so you all chased after it. The ball stopped at the edge where the parking lot met the beach. A small van was there and you were pretty sure you recognized it as Tyler’s.

You made your way to where the van was and saw your lunch buddies. You smiled a little as they all waved. The boys were happy to see you opening up to someone other than them.

“Hi, (Y/N),” they all greeted.

“Hi, guys. Um, this is my brother Jacob and our friends. Embry, Quil, and Seth.”

“What are you stalking me now?” Bella joked with Jacob.

Your brother smiled, remembering running into her on accident a few days ago. “You’re on our turf now baby. La Push is Quileute land.”

“You guys should stay and keep Bella company,” Jess said, zipping up her wetsuit. “Her date bailed.”

“It wasn’t a date. I was just trying to be nice.”

“Date?” you asked intrigued. Bella hadn’t mentioned any boys.

“She invited Edward Cullen. He seems to love talking to her,” Jess filled you in.

“I think it’s nice she invited him. No one ever does,” Angela spoke up.

“Yeah, it’s cause the Cullens are freaks,” Mike said.

“You got that right,” Quil chimed in.

Everyone laughed and maybe a few weeks ago you would’ve too. But something made you feel bad at Mike’s words.

“I was just trying to be nice.”

“I’m sure you were, Bells.” You gave your friend a reassuring smile.

“Wouldn’t have made a difference,” Embry said, you knew he was about to say the famous saying.

“The Cullens don’t come here.”

~~

You were walking with Jacob and Bella on the beach. She had gotten bored of the van but didn’t want to surf either so you offered to walk with her. Seth, Embry, and Quil had headed back home. Bella was sandwiched in between the two of you.

“What did your friend mean about the Cullens don’t come here?” Bella asked.

“It’s nothing. Just an old superstition,” Jacob started.

Jacob didn’t really listen to the older legends. He always brushed over them anytime your dad told you guys anything. Bella seemed to hang onto his every word like she was searching for truth in them.

While you loved the tribe legends, you heard them so many times that Jacob’s retelling wasn’t very interesting. You only rejoined the conversation when Bella asked if you would go prom dress shopping with her. She didn’t want to suffer at the hands of Jessica and Angela on a shopping craze alone.

~~

You sat on the bench in the window with Bella. She was holding onto Jessica’s pile of potential dresses while you were holding onto Angela’s. You were about to hand Jessica and Angela a new set of dresses when a bunch of older boys knocked on the window. They catcalled and made rude gestures at you all. You recoiled as they laughed.

“Boys are actually the worst,” Jessica said annoyed. “I’m not sold on this yet. I’m gonna keep looking.”

“Hey, do you guys mind if I catch you at the restaurant? There’s a bookstore I wanted to check out while we were here and it’s gonna close soon.” Bella picked awkwardly at her shirt sleeve.

“Yeah, Bella. We’ll catch you at dinner.”

You stood up. “I’m gonna go with her to make sure everyone has someone.”

“Sounds good,” Angela said. “See you guys in a bit!”

You left Jessica and Angela in the dress shop and followed Bella towards the bookstore. You ditched your friend for a little bit, looking through some of the art supplies and picking up a new set of Copic markers you had been eyeing before finding Bella in the mythology aisle. You peeked over her shoulder to see what she was looking at: Quileute Legends.

“You know if you were interested in hearing more stories you could’ve just asked. I’m sure our dad has that exact same book at home.”

“I guess I didn’t think about that,” Bella admitted. “Well, it’ll be nice to have a copy.”

You both made your way to checkout and purchased your goods. It was dark outside the bookstore when you stepped out of it. You and Bella continued to walk towards the restaurant you agreed to meet the others at, passing an alleyway.

“Well, look what we got here boys.”

The drunk men from earlier stepped out from the alleyway. Your breathing quickened as the boys grabbed you and Bella. You weren’t strong enough to push the man off of you as you felt his hot breath on your neck and he had you pinned against the back wall.

“Didn’t we see you two pretty girlies at the dress shop?”

You couldn’t get out a proper scream as the man’s hand covered your mouth. A car whipped into the alleyway. You thought you recognized the silver Volvo and your thought was confirmed when Edward stepped out.

“Get in the car,” he said lowly but you could hear the traces of anger behind his voice.

Bella quickly got in the backseat. Most of the men stood back, not wanting to bother with the trouble. But the man who held onto you refused to move. Edward pulled the man away. He gripped his shoulder tightly causing the man to slowly sink to the ground.

“I suggest you follow your friends before we have a problem.”

The man looked between you and Edward before letting you go. Edward removed his gray peacoat and wrapped it around you. He picked up the small bag of your art supplies and escorted you to the car, keeping his eyes on the men. Once he shut the door, Edward sped off.

“I should go back and rip those guys heads off!” All the anger Edward was holding in came out.

“No, you shouldn’t,” Bella said very calmly from the back seat.

“You don’t know the foul things they were thinking. The foul, repulsive—” Edward cut himself off.

“And you do?”

“It’s not hard to guess.” Edward looked over at you. “Talk to me, distract me so I don’t go back and kill them.”

Edward’s grip on the steering wheel loosened as he stopped applying so much pressure on the gas. Your thoughts were sweet. More concerned about him and Bella than about yourself. He could also hear the smallest thought, you were already trying to push away the traumatic event. It took everything he had to control himself as you recalled the man’s breath and hands.

“We were supposed to meet Angela and Jessica for dinner,” you said softly.

“La Locanda.”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Lucky guess.” Edward smiled. “Best restaurant in Washington.”

“I’m more of a Grandma’s fan, myself.”

“Grandma’s?”

You paused before continuing. “It’s on La Push. It’s really good.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

You were quiet until Edward pulled up in front of the restaurant. You felt bad for mentioning the diner on the res. It completely slipped your mind that they weren’t allowed and wouldn’t have known.

Jessica and Angela were pacing frantically outside the restaurant. They pulled you and Bella into death grips when you stepped out of the car.

“Where were you two? We called a thousand times!”

“We’re okay, Angela,” Bella reassured.

Jessica scratched the back of her head. “Um, I’ve got to confess. We tried waiting for you two but got hungry and well, we went ahead and ate without—”

Jessica trailed off as Edward finally exited the car.

“I’m afraid that’s my fault the two of them are late.”

“Oh, no. Yeah, we totally get it. That’s cool,” Jessica rambled on. “Well we were just leaving.”

“Yeah, we should probably get going. Charlie’s gonna want me home before he leaves for the night shift,” Bella said. She didn’t want to leave but knew for Charlie’s sake she should.  

“Actually, I think I better make sure that (Y/N) gets something to eat since I interrupted your dinner plans. If that’s okay with you, of course.”

Before you could respond, Jessica answered for you. She and Angela excitedly walked away, whispering amongst themselves. Bella looked at Edward and then at the book in her hand before walking away with the other two girls. As you followed Edward inside you thought maybe you should pretend to be sick and avoid going to Forks on Monday for lunch. The girls were definitely going to question you.

You and Edward sat down at a booth near the back of the restaurant. The waitress brought you two waters and left you to ponder over the menu.

“Are you not going to eat?” you asked Edward as you dug into your meal.

Edward shook his head. “I had already eaten before meeting you and Bella.”

“How did you know where to find us?”

“I didn’t.” Edward paused when you looked at him with doubt. “I heard a small scream around the bar.”

“I didn’t think anyone would actually come… or that it was loud enough.”

“It wasn’t but I had a feeling.”

“A feeling? So you were following us?”

Edward was caught off guard and from what it seemed like in your head he could tell you were too. It wasn’t like you to be so confrontational. He settled on telling you the truth, a part truth.

“I wasn’t following you. I was in Port Angeles getting something for my sisters. You scream very loudly in your head.”

“In my head?” you dropped your fork onto the plate.

“I have the ability to read everyone’s mind in this room… you don’t believe me.”

“You have to admit it’s a bit far-fetched.”

“I’ll prove it.”

Edward told you what everyone in the room was thinking and then turned to you. “You peed yourself when you were younger at the petting zoo when one of the goats tried to eat your pants.”

Edward chuckled as you looked down at your food.

“If I knew you were telling the truth I would’ve thought of something less embarrassing. How’d you know the scream was mine though?”

“People sound the same in their minds as they do out loud. I’ve heard you enough times at lunch.”

“You can hear all our thoughts?”

“Everyone but Bella’s.”

“Is that why you stare so hard?”

“With everyone else, your thoughts are clear. With her… static. If I’m being honest, it’s hard sometimes to read yours. It’s a little fuzzy, like I’m looking at all your thoughts under water.”

“So something’s wrong with the two of us?”

“I tell you I read minds and you think you’re the problem?”

Edward smiled widely, genuinely. Pretty quickly his face went back to the stoic Edward you had seen in the cafeteria. You finished eating and got back in the car. The drive back towards Forks was rather silent.

“Do you mind if I turn on the radio?”

Both you and Edward reach for it. You pulled away quickly after his freezing cold hand touched yours. Was he always this cold? Without much thought you reached for the heating and turned it on. If he had a heartbeat it would’ve jumped at the sweet gesture. You looked out the window to see a commotion of cars near the police station, including Charlie’s cruiser.

“Uncle Charlie?”

Edward pulled over knowing you’d want to see what was happening.

“Uncle Charlie!” you called out. “What happened here?”

“Carlisle, what’s going on?” Edward came up behind you when he saw his father coming out of the station behind Chief Swan.

“Waylon Forge was found dead in a boat near his house. Dr. Cullen just came from examining the body.”

“What was it?”

“Animal attack,” Carlisle said. He and Edward exchanged looks that you couldn’t quite make out.

“The same one that attacked the guard on the news?”

“Most likely. It’s very late, you should probably get home to your family (Y/N). Especially with another attack.”

“Yes, Dr. Cullen. Oh, Uncle Charlie, did you see Bella get back before you left.”

“Yep, kiddo, right as I was leaving the house. Thanks for making sure. Carlisle’s right, I’d feel safer if you were inside.”

“I’ll take her.”

“Edward are you sure?” Carlisle asked pointedly.

“I’ll take her.”

Edward drove up to the very edge of the La Push reservation. He desperately wanted to take you all the way home, make sure you were safe in your room. But he also knew that in terms of the entire state of Washington, La Push posed no threat to you at all. It was the safest place you could be at the moment. He knew he should find someone else, you couldn’t ever truly be his. Edward watched you as you gathered your little bag of art supplies. You turned to look at him.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I feel very… protective of you,” Edward sighed. “I can’t take you any further.”

“I’ll be safe. I’m headed to my friend’s house anyway, he lives on the edge. It’s UFC Night.”

“Sounds fun?”

“Tons… you know, if you want to know what Bella’s thinking just talk to her. I think you two would get along, you kind of are alike.”

“And about us? Do you think we’d get along?”

“You already know what I think don’t you.”

“I try not to pry when it comes to you.”

You smiled. It was nice to know Edward tried not to invade your mind. You didn’t say anything to him, just waved and walked away. You weren’t sure how you felt about Edward but you knew deep down it was more than on a friendly level, even if you pushed him towards Bella for both your sakes. Even though he wasn’t allowed on La Push and you knew that just being his friend was hard, you weren’t sure you wanted to stay away.

“I don’t think I have the strength to stay away from you anymore,” Edward whispered to himself as he watched you walk off towards Embry’s house.

~~

“Quil, you actually made it!” you squealed happily as you saw your friends on the couch.

“Yeah. Gramps told mom to lay off a bit. You just come from a date?”

The other boys took their eyes from the television at Quil’s words.

“What? What would make you say that?”

“You’re wearing a coat three sizes too big and way too stylish for you,” Jacob answered.

You looked at your sleeve. Edward’s gray peacoat was still on you. You shrugged it off and hung it on the back of a chair, setting down your shopping bag as well.

“It wasn’t a date, more of a surprise? I was actually out with Bella, Jess, and Ang before.”

“Who’s the guy?”

“Unimportant.”

“You won’t tell your twin?”

“We share the same birthday, not the same womb. You don’t have to know everything Jake. Besides, it wasn’t a date.”

You sat in between Jacob and Embry, grabbing the chip bowl off of Embry’s lap so you could rest your head. Jacob stopped pushing you and grabbed some chips. He didn’t sweat it much, you always ended up sharing everything with him. You were two peas in a pod. Once you guys left Embry’s house he figured maybe you’d say. Sometimes it took you longer to open up.

“So it wasn’t a date?” Embry pushed.

“Why do you guys care so much? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you like me.”

You eyed Embry who had gotten quiet. This was a new side to him. You couldn’t lie, at one point when you were younger you did have a crush on Embry. You reached up and suddenly kissed his cheek making the other boys gag.

“It wasn’t a date. Just one of the people I know at Bella’s school.”

(Part 4)...

[possum-rat]

(Y/n) talks to the dead

Previous 

Next

Normally waking up to the Undead hovering over you would scare anyone shitless. But (Y/n) was slightly less startled. "SHI-WHA? WHO ARE? WHAT?" (Y/n) yelps as they fall out of the bed in a mess of blanket and clothes. Two skeletons stand on either side of their bed staring blankly at the opposite wall. Chain mail armor on the one stationed on the left side of (Y/n), and an odd mixture of gold and neitherite on the right. The one on the right turns toward (Y/n) before crouching down as holding out a hand toward them.

(Y/n) takes it hesitantly staring up at them. "Wha?" They murmur as the skeleton nods a slight smile in place. "I'm Violetta Beaux. If that's what you're wondering my dear." They state simply in a soft tone. Violetta then gestures toward the chain mail wearer and says fondly "that's Isidora Blanc" Isidora merely nods as their mentioned.

"Why are you here? I mean- I don't mean to be rude or anything but..." (y/n) trails off confusion evident in their expression. "Clementine told us," Violetta replies gently. Nodding still confused (Y/n) lets the covers fall from their shoulders. Stepping from the mess of blanket under them they walk toward the bathroom.

--

Staring at the mirror intently they sigh. Their once (S/c) now more grey and sunken. Dark purplish rings under their eyes with a crazed look. Reaching their hand up (Y/n) gently presses the purplish-pink swollen delicate skin. Breathing out in pain (Y/n) removes their hand before testing their nose. Nothing seems to be broken, just a little swollen or painful. Pulling out a washcloth (y/n) dampens it and cleans the dried blood from their face.

Feeling slightly better (Y/n) turns on the shower before heading into their 'Room' and grabbing some clothes: a tan trench coat stopping at (Y/n) thighs, a white collared shirt, grayish-black jeans, and long socks with their favorite boots. (perfect for kicking any super straights)

Once finished with the shower they pull on the clothes in the privacy of the bathroom. Mentally (Y/n) thanks themselves for placing the bathroom into a room with a door away from any visitors. As (Y/n) steps out of the bathroom the smell of freshly baked bread greets them.

grinning to themselves (Y/n) notices that Violetta is beside the furnace pulling out a loaf of golden bread. "(Y/n)? Oh hey dear! I made bread. Here take some!" She says cheerfully as she places the loaf on the small kitchen island. Isidora seems to be slightly more emotional than before as she gazes at the bread. Staring at the bread (Y/n) asks "You can make bread?" Isidora replies gruffly "Best at it. She also makes a killer cake."

As Violetta pulls out a giant Long sword she hums happily as she slices the bread with the sword. The whole sight is comical. As (Y/n) takes a slice of the bread they take a bite and proceeds to melt. You know the kind? Like when you eat something so good you've literally just ascended to heaven momentarily-yeah that's what the bread tastes like.

"Told you," Isidora says simply. By the time (Y/n) ate around half the loaf with the other two they've gotten a message from Wilbur.

<WilburSoot> (Y/n) help. Tubbo and Tommy are on a tangent.

smiling slightly (Y/n) stands up from the chair and makes their way toward their chest. Squatting down they pull out their sword and a few potions. Violetta stops (Y/n) before they leave. "Dear take some armor I have an extra unused she's plate and helmet. Stay safe okay hun? Isidora will go with you." (Y/n) nods and waits patiently-well as patiently as one with horrible attention spans can-

"and here you go, hun." She says as she hands an enchanted netherite chest plate and helmet to them. (Y/n's) eyes widen as the heavily enchanted armor falls into their ownership. "You can't-Are-wha-" they stutter as Isidora takes the armor from (Y/n) and gently places it onto (y/n) making sure it fits snugly. "Come on kid. I'm your bodyguard or some shit today. Come on."

---

as the two of them walk into L'manberg Wilbur freezes staring at Isidora. "(Y/n)? Your aware that there's a skeleton standing beside you?" (Y/n) nods and says "Yup. They're my grumpy bodyguard or something!" Isidora did not like being called grumpy apparently as (Y/n) yelps as Isidora punches (Y/n's) shoulder.

"I- uh okay. Anyway, Tubbo and Tommy are over there mind watching them?" Wilbur asks tiredly as he rubs the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

(Y/n) nods and skips toward them happily. "No, He's always like...Psst hey, kid...wanna buy some content? Do we have manhunts? Or speed runs." Tommy laughs as he does a horrible American accent. (Y/n) chimes in "įⱮ Ⱥ ꝈįͲͲꝈƐ φįϚϚ βȺβӋӋӋӋӋ" Tubbo coughs in audio tune before dying with laughter. Tommy does his famous cackle. "What the actual fuck?" Isidora murmurs as she stands a few feet away. Tubbo frowns tilting his head confused his long brown ears flopping down.

"what? I just heard a series of tapping?" Tubbo says confused. "Oh, she just said " what the actual fuck." She's nice that way." (Y/n) says happily.

Isidora frowns while flipping (Y/n) off. "Yeah Love you too bitch." They call grinning.

Tubbo frowns and asks "Wanna go to the nether?" (Y/n) nods but freezes momentarily as everything suddenly grey. Like a cave. But instead of the normal ruggedness of a cave, it's like a box. (Y/n) shivers as they gaze around at the freezing room. A small Fox is curled up in one of the corners along with a brown spotted cow. As (y/n) walks closer the Fox opens an eye before closing it in disinterested. An arrow sticks out from its coat staining the white fur on its throat rusty red.

"Fungi?" (Y/n) asks in awe. The Fox yawns before nuzzling closer to the cow. The cow opens its down brown eyes before giving a soft content "Moo." Gasping in delight (Y/n) cheers "Harold?" The cow thumps his tail before standing up unsteadily and clopping toward (Y/n).

Harold bobs his head as he moves toward them, stopping infront of them he nuzzles into (Y/n's) outstretched hand. As (y/n's) fingers brush over the slightly rough texture of Harold's fur they blink.

The stone claustrophobic-inducing box is no more. Instead (Y/n) is surrounded by people in chairs staring up at a podium. A Man with curly Horns with various golden trinkets stands there. He's clearly slightly hungover.

"That was pretty easy. And you know what I said, the day I got unbanned from the DreamSMP, and the day I said I was running... an election that I won by the way?" The man's voice booms deep and clear demanding to be heard "I said; "Things are gonna change". I looked every citizen of L'Manberg in the eyes and I said; "You listen to me... this place will be a lot different tomorrow." Let's start making it happen. My first decree, as the president of L'Manberg- the EMPEROR! of this great country-! Is to REVOKE the citizenship of WilburSoot, (Y/n) and TommyInnit! Get 'em outta here! Get 'em outta here! You're no longer welcome!"

All though (Y/n) may not understand what's going on they have enough sense to stand up from their seat and bolt. Isidora stands on the outskirts of L'manberg waiting under the shelter of a tree. Isidora straightens up upon seeing (Y/n). She sighs and holds out a hand. Voices of the deceased begin screaming in (Y/n's) head.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LEAVING?

"HELP THEM"

"STAY HOME"

"STAY"

"run"

As Isidora's hand closes around (Y/n's) they're suddenly wrenched from L'manberg, and back home. (Y/n) pulls their hand from Isidora's grip to press their palms into the sides of their head. "Please- make it stop." They whisper. Their eyes claimed shut as they press their back against the wall sliding down. Schlatt's voice echos loudly "Oh, it was so easy! Until further notice... WilburSoot and TommyInnit are merely a memory of L'Manberg. A relic- A relic of the past. A reminder, of the darkest era this country, has ever seen- and I guarantee you all; dear citizens... Tonight, that changes. We are entering into a new period of L'Mangerg- a period, of prosperity! of strength! of unity."

Sitting down for a few minutes they stand up before rubbing their eyes and turning toward the two women and saying quietly "Stay here. Please I don't want either of you to get hurt." they state with a certain authority that none of the three knew (Y/n) possessed. (Y/n) then walks toward their chests before digging out the materials needed. Choosing to take their half-finished crossbow, and sword, along with the armor they were currently wearing, a few potions, and pick along with food, as they walk toward the door they hesitate before returning to the chest and pull out a few End pearls along with their totem.

----

At around 3 am (Y/n) finds a half-assed base. Sighing slightly they duck into the base holding up their hands in surrender as a sword is healed to their throat. It doesn't help that the voices are still shouting. And expressing their distaste or agreement at the current predicament.

"Jesus (Y/n) where the hell have you been?" Wilbur sighs as he makes eye contact with them.

"Went by my base to grab some stuff we'll need. No, we aren't going to my base." They say as they sit atop the crafting table beside Tommy. Leaning back against the wall they glance down at Tommy. He's visibly distressed. (Y/n) taps the air infront of them withdrawing a potion of their own creation they like to call "Anti-Insomnia, sleep your problems away :)"

Pulling out a small vile of it they grab 2 cups that for some reason Wilbur had. Pouring a few drops into the cups they hand them to each of their accomplices saying "It'll help you sleep. It'll take your mind off of it." Tommy nods and asks "Wait you know Greek mythology right? Didn't you and Techno talk about it?" (Y/n's) lips curve into a faint smile at the memories.

they nod and ask "Yeah. I remember that." Wilbur asks "what's your favorite story?"

they nod before thinking. "Eros and Psyche." The words fall from their lips effortlessly. As (Y/n) begins to ramble they stare at the opposite wall.

"Psyche is a princess so beautiful that the goddess Venus becomes jealous. In revenge, she instructs her son Cupid to make her fall in love with a hideous monster; but instead, he falls in love with her himself." Tommy's head lolls before falling against (Y/n's) shoulder. (Y/n) tenses up slightly but upon realizing that it's only Tommy they continue.

"He becomes her unseen husband, visiting her only at night. Psyche disobeys his orders not to attempt to look at him, and in doing so she loses him. In her search for him, she undertakes a series of cruel and difficult tasks set by Venus in the hope of winning him back. Cupid can eventually no longer bear to witness her suffering or to be apart from her and pleads their cause to the gods. Psyche becomes an immortal and the lovers are married in heaven."(More info: here ) (Y/n) finishes their story glancing down at Thomas.

"hey? (Y/n)? How's Lilith doing?" Wilbur asks quietly. (y/n) freezes before rubbing their face and rubbing the faint scar on their neck. "No clue." Wilbur frowns and asks "What'd you mean?" He asks as he shifts to a more comfortable position. "Haven't seen her since she broke our engagement...rather brutally for my taste. Like I understand sure, I may not be the best person but burning down a house then murdering your fiancé? That's a bit much even for me. Like where's the pizzazz?" (Y/n) laughs quietly as they stand up and pull off their coat draping it over Tommy.

Wilbur frowns. "Wait. You only have one life?" He asks. (Y/n) nods as they rummage in their pocket before pulling out a small simple ring with a frog upon the center. Slipping it onto their finger with the other array of various rings they stretch and turn toward Wilbur. "Jesus Christ (Y/n). You need to be careful!" Wilbur chides. (Y/n) narrows their eyes at him before grumbling quietly "yeah yeah."

---

[clatterbane]

Historical, Mythological & Social Origins of the Satanic Panic and How it Nearly Destroyed My Life

Starting in the early 1980’s the Satanic Panic ignited in the United States before spreading through the world. Here law enforcement, psychiatrists, social workers and occult ‘experts’ uncovered a vast satanic conspiracy which predated upon children at daycares, infiltrated heavy metal music, lured in teenagers through Dungeons and Dragons all organized by a grand network of satanic covens. These claims resulted in constant bullying for social non-conformists, hundreds of arrests, prosecutions, compromised guilty verdicts along with accusations which ruined lives and livelihoods for many more. The Satanic Panic is even more shocking when considering that no evidence has come to light in over 40 years to substantiate these claims. Feeding on centuries of demonological lore set into the social and economic degradation of the last quarter of the 20th century, the Satanic Panic continues to have a decisive social impact. Join me as I dive deep into the origins and development of the Satanic Panic and how it nearly destroyed my life.

Another unfortunately excellent video from Justin Sledge, which carries just about all the content warnings you might expect in this context. From medieval antisemitic violence, up through the 1980s ritual abuse craze--and, as he discusses some, more recently getting resurrected to some extent through the QAnon garbage. It's ugly history all the way down, y'all, though he treats it with the usual sensitivity here. (And more soberly than usual, with the multiple levels of obviously still uncomfortable personal relevance there.)

I was 12 when Geraldo Rivera's first mega-trainwreck special peddling this bullshit aired. So yeah, I remember this period a little too well--if thankfully more in the background, growing up in a non-religious family outside the Bible Belt. The White Evangelical Right hadn't made many inroads in our area (yet). I did know some other kids who ran into more trouble at home, with parents who were keeping an eye out for various supposed Satanic Influences. I did also hang out around some of the local Redneck Stoner Metalheads, so yeah. I'm still pretty cool with most of that crowd back home, and have no reason to think it's not mutual.

And I did run into some bullying with that shit used as an excuse--but surprisingly little in retrospect, as a neurodivergent weirdo with an interest in the occult myself, who was getting bullied within millimeters of my life already. Which whole experience honestly helped steer me harder into that punkmetalgoth freak glory, btw. Along with a lot of kids pushed well over onto the margins in those days.

(I also got much less directly caught up on the edges, through what was thankfully a much more straightforwardly secular version of the whole deeply pernicious "repressed memories of nonexistent abuse" fad. As I have talked about some before. Basically because I was obviously ND as hell, no doubt sending off some serious queer vibes, and dealing with plenty of then-ongoing trauma to boot. That whole mess was frankly traumatizing as fuck, but I feel like it at least didn't screw with my head in as bad a ways as, say, actually becoming convinced that you were indeed sadistically abused in Satanic rituals. They also never pulled out hypnosis on me, but stuck to insistent leading questions based on horrible assumptions in the face of my persistent "poor insight" and total lack of recall of any earlier childhood abuse of the sort ever happening. Don't know how well hypnosis would have worked either, tbh, but there was more than enough badness there even without finding out. And without the explicitly "Satanic" elements.)

It is difficult to stress hard enough just how many people did get harmed in some way by this particular load of conspiracy theory horseshit. And in some ways that were still echoing down, even before the QAnon revival. As he goes into some here.

Dr. Sledge, OTOH, is just enough younger that I wouldn't have thought he'd have been at as much risk. But yeah, he was also a similarly geeky weirdo growing up in Mississippi and getting involved in Judaism at the time--who was actually into D&D, some occult special interests, and at least now black metal. (Hard to tell which way any connection there might have run, of course, considering he doesn't mention the metal back when this shit was actively playing out.) And, of course, he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

At any rate, this video is indeed a pretty long deep dive, but I would really suggest checking it out.

[autistic-lalli]

Predictions for the Rest of Adventure 2 (as of the break before chapter 14)

I am but a crazed prophet scrawling my ramblings on the walls. These are all predictions based off story analysis--I’ll probably post updates every chapter or so, since obviously my predictions will change as we get more information.

I would be shocked if we don’t get a Tuuri res, or at least an attempted Tuuri res

That said, I would also be shocked if both Onni and Lalli come out of this adventure alive and okay

There’s a chance Onni and/or Lalli will try to sacrifice themselves to get Tuuri resurrected. There’s a much smaller chance of a deus ex machina from defeating the Kade that allows Tuuri to be resurrected, but I wouldn’t count on it

Something fatal or otherwise deeply incapacitating is going to happen to someone. The order of risk is: Lalli, Onni, Emil, Reynir, Sigrun, Mikkel

If something happens to Lalli, it will happen in the next couple of chapters. If you want to know why, send me an ask, because this is its own analysis post

If something happens to Onni, it will happen near the climax. (Again, if you want to know why send an ask)

Lalli and Emil’s dreamsharing is going to be the crux of a future plot point

I do expect Surma to be defeated or at least incapacitated at the midpoint. However, I expect the cost for that victory to be steep. (We’re paralleling where Tuuri got hurt in adventure 1; this is a peak bad vibes area of the story)

I’m not sure where the bears will fit in--I think they could see their demise in the midpoint or the climax

The Kade is still definitely our final showdown, and I think we still don’t know what that’s going to look like. Whatever happens in the midpoint, I think our crew is going to be left vulnerable in some way, physically or psychologically (potentially a split party again,) which will make the Kade much more dangerous. The threats in this adventure have been very physical so far, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a shift towards the supernatural in the second half

Thoughts? Vibe checks? Gut feelings? Is there stuff in Finnish mythology we’re paralleling and I don’t know it? Here’s a marker, come write on the wall with me

Edit: I’m going to bold my predictions that come true as we go along because we’re four pages in and it’s nice to be proven right :3