#i thought magnum opus was a transformer

[spacexriri]

okay so i literally *just* came to the realisation that i thought “The Sopranos” and “Falsettos” were the same thing. and i’ve never watched either but i really saw y’all talking about falsettos and thought you were shipping mafia guys. and i really didn’t put it past y’all because that’s just the type of shit i expect to see on tumblr anyway

[magnus-marmot]

Transmutations in TMAGP

Since most of the incidents deal with change and transformation, I'd like to collect my thoughts on their nature in one post. So I'll be explaining some ideas on the alchemical processes taking place. First I'll explain a (relatively) simple Tria Prima model, and then I'll try to break down some processes and symbolism we see in the show. This will be really long, like excessively long. Look, I'll throw in some nice alchemy pictures to make it more palatable. Feel free to skip the Tria Prima part if you've been reading my previous theories, I'm not really covering anything new in that.

Transmutations broken down with the Tria Prima

I think the most simple way to view it would be with the Tria Prima. Many of you are probably aware of the Body/Mind/Soul division, and while it's extremely simplistic, it actually works for us here.

From Alchymia complementum (1630)

We have the Body, or the Salt 🜔, which is the core, the physical shell, the metaphorical earth that the change is inflicted upon. In an alchemical transmutation, Salt must first be separated from the volatile components by burning or decomposition, and in the end they are brought back together. In TMAGP, Salt would be the physical, grounded part, such as a human body, a Bonzo suit or a creepy toy. You can think of it as a vessel.

Then we have the Mind, or the Mercury ☿. This is trickier to break down because the alchemists saw it as so many different things, but you can think of it as the essence. Not just the essence of the subject, but of everything. It's the malleable and volatile part of the subject, but it's also the intangible thoughts, concepts and archetypes in the collective unconscious, the metaphorical water or air that flows through everything. It's both the prima materia and the dissolving principle. In TMAGP, this would be the the changing ideas and beliefs around a concept, most recently demonstrated in how Henrich Unheimlich came to be, but you can see it in a lot of the cases. It's why all the supernatural phenomena reflect not only fears but also expectations and other strong feelings. Why the lack of clocks and purpose creates timeless liminal spaces, why the fear and reverence given to Bonzo made him what he is. It's what the Archivist uses as a fuel for its human transmutations and what the Magnus Institute tried to tap into for their Magnum Opus.

And finally we have the Soul, or the Sulphur 🜍, which seems to confuse people the most because of what we usually think of as the "soul". It's not the entirety of a human psyche, just the active, conscious and feeling part. But it's also the soul of all matter, in that it gives them life and allows active change. It's the metaphorical fire. Alchemists thought that Sulphur can be used to coagulate Mercury, to give it form. In TMAGP, Sulphur would be the catalyst that initiates the transmutation. It can be literal fire (like what possibly created Heinrich Unheimlich), or just a metaphorical fire, such as the violent act that gave birth to Bonzo.

From Hermaphroditic Child

There are also clearly two types of transmutations in the show. First we have the active ones, caused by fire or intent. Then we have the passive ones, caused by slow dissolution and characterised by coldness. These mirror the active (Celestial Nitre or Sol) and passive (Celestial Salt or Luna) principles of alchemy. It also evokes solve et coagula, where all matter is constantly dissolved and coagulated. As alluded to before, Mercury is what dissolves and Sulphur is what coagulates, and their purified counterparts in Luna and Sol form a harmonious unity when brought together. Which brings them back to their Salt.

A lot of the cases can be broken down into Salt/Mecury/Sulphur, but it's not an entirely clean model because many of the transmutations go wrong or are incomplete. Next I'll try to break down the actual processes based on some common symbolism and what we're given in the show.

Transmutation stages and common symbolism

For this I'll assume the most basic version of the Great Work, which consists of three stages: nigredo, albedo and rubedo. There are loads of different stages and processes, but they generally fall under these three. The cases in TMAGP rarely involve the entire process, and some are clearer than others.

From Pretiosissimum Donum Dei (1475)

Sealed vessels

First of all, I've noticed that a lot of these transmutations take place in a sealed vessel of some kind, much like they do in alchemy. This can be anything from a Bonzo suit to a closed Victorian carriage, a coffin, a locked room (such as a prison cell, a lock museum, a room in a reptile emporium, a virtually made zoom call room, the Archivist's office), a closed off liminal space (like a secret garden with no exit, a pier enveloped in fog, a brutalist building trapped in a void), or even a human body (like in Alice's dream, like alnewman's thigh, or like Herr Schmidt's brain).

Nigredo (blackening)

The stage where matter is broken down, burned or decomposed. Transformation can only occur once the old has been reduced to ashes so that something new can be born from it. Spiritually it involves ego death, stripping down the conscious thought and dissolving into the unconscious. Common symbolism/imagery include death, corpses, skeletons, dismemberment, rot, toads (ie. the decomposing prima materia), crows, ravens, Saturn/lead, darkness/night, indistinguishable black mass (massa confusa), flooding, drowning (especially of the king), eclipse, the green lion (=mercury) swallowing the sun.

From Philosophia Reformata (1622), coloured by Adam McLean

Here are some examples I've found in TMAGP:

Calcination or decomposing matter with heat (either open fire or a more subdued, natural heat). While there are cases with proper fire, heat seems to be the important factor here. In her dream, Alice describes the unbearable heat that envelops her when she's stuck inside her heart. We also get the exterminator at the reptile shop complaining about the heat when she's stuck in the room with an infection (=decomposing flesh), Lady Mowbray's caterer is cooking with high heat when his experience begins, Magnus mentions the unreasonably warm weather when he encounters the carriage, Menke was "sweating buckets" in the Bonzo suit, Mrs. Locke keeps forgetting to get someone to turn the heater off, and so on. Heat is what begins the transmutation process in these cases.

Dissolution into the mercurial waters. This is usually what drowning signifies in the alchemical imagery, and also what I think it signifies in TMAGP. Especially the drowning of the old king, which we're straight up given in the lock museum. Bonus points to the pest control lady who was about to be drowned in snakes, an extremely common symbol for Mercury. We also have the tech review guy speaking about the screen dissolving, and one of the transcripts has an instance of the Archivist dissolving into the wind. (No one can convince me that these word choices are coincidental.) And then we get some dissolving egos. The guy with his cursed dice seems to be losing his identity and starts seeing himself only as an archetype of a stranger who tricks people into rolling the dice, and poor Kyla's ego was dissolved into the emergent mind of Liverpool. We also have several cases of people who get lost in liminal spaces (such as the pier or the service station, even the custodian at Hilltop) and then get their identities dissolved. I don't think it's a coincidence that this happens at liminal locations, which are very aligned with the concept of Mercury. Especially if there's an element of water present. These themes are also usually accompanied by mentions of coldness, which tracks with Mercury's properties being wet and cold.

From Splendor solis, coloured by Adam McLean

Descending or entering a dark space, both of which align with the idea of descending into the collective unconscious or the "dark night of the soul". The darkness is pretty straight-forward. It's the violinist getting lost in the dark woods, Doctor Webber entering the dark garden, Patricia repeatedly talking about being in a dark space/world with her baby. The descent is more incidental, but I'm keeping an eye out for patterns. For example, the old couple had to descend to enter the lock museum, the food critic descended the alleyway to Hungry Man's Grill, a lot of descending into basements. It's a recurring theme but could be meaningless.

Infections or putrefaction, or the literal decomposition of living matter. We've got our fair share on the account of this being a horror podcast, but this should be seen as a transitory stage in a transformation. Some good examples include Dr. Webber's body breaking down and decomposing to give way to his new plant self, or Alesis's body becoming paralysed and moldy to allow the coral to grow. Magnus's colleague being ingested in the carriage, Bonzo's victims putrefying inside the suit, Alice/Sam's rotting corpse in her dream, the rotting food in Hungry Man's Grill (this one seems interesting, because the restaurant seems to be stuck in the putrefaction stage and the food refuses to decompose even when the guy leaves).

Sunset as a manifestation of the green lion devouring the sun (gold dissolving into mercury), which symbolises the onset of ego death or the beginning of the blackening (or the night). This has been emphasised in two cases. Firstly, the crypto bro from ep. 13 looks at the sun setting behind the sea (=Mercury) twice when making decisions on the trading app, and secondly, Lady Mowbray's hunt begins when the sunset colours everything crimson. Both of which are pivotal moments for these characters' personal transformation.

From the Rosarium Philosophorum

Albedo (whitening)

This stage marks the purification of matter through repeated washing, distillation and the like. It's where we begin to see the true essence of the prima materia and will be able to separate it from the rest. This stage is often associated with Luna, silver, or the White Elixir/Tincture. In psychology, it's where you discover and reconcile with your Shadow (or Animus/Anima) in the unconscious. Common symbolism includes doves, swans, lilies, whiteness, vibrant colours and eyes (known as the peacock's tail stage, though it's technically the transitional stage between nigredo and albedo), water of life, bathing, dawn (as in "always darkest before"), light emerging from the darkness, the queen, the moon (Luna), Anima (in the Jungian sense).

From the Mellon Collection

Some examples in TMAGP:

Purification or washing as an intentional attempt at removing impurities. Daria making adjustments to her painting in an attempt to perfect her own body. The violinist washing his hungry violin with blood in order to purify the music it produces. Alesis attempting to rid herself of her own impurities by growing a new self out of a coral (a lot of water and moonlight in that one, which fortifies the connection for me). Since purification is also often attributed to mercurial water, a lot of the water symbolism fits here too.

Colours, as seen in Daria's vibrant tattoo. Also the colours rushing into the liminal service station and the odd colours seen in the fog surrounding the pier. It's fitting, but not a very prevalent theme. Unless you count all ink, in which case it's very prevalent.

Encountering one's Shadow, which is a big theme in both TMA and here. Coming to terms with your inner darkness, fears and desires is what purification is about in spiritual alchemy. I think this is what the Archivist is doing. It's an embodiment of the Shadow, covered in eyes, here to distill and purify your fear and then project it back to you (killing you in the process). Although it's up to debate whether it feeds on the purified, distilled fear or the impurities left behind, it does leave something to be coagulated into the physical manifestation. (It's also worth noting that the compulsion has a lot of water imagery attached to it in the transcripts, things like "the dam breaks", "words gush out", "pouring out of her unstoppably like a river". And just to be extra clear, rain, dew, seas and rivers are all common symbols for Mercury.) Other than that, there are plenty of doubles or reflections in the show. We've got Darrien and his alternate darker self, the Millenium Dome construction worker's clone, Herr Schmidt's actual Anima crying to be let out of his brain, the horror blogger seeing his traumatic memories projected onto the big screen, Dr. Webber encountering his late wife in the garden, Alesis meeting her Piece in a dream, the list goes on. The important part for purification is the acceptance or healthy integration of the Shadow, which usually takes a twisted turn in TMAGP.

Dreams are often attributed to Luna, and they function as a link to the subconscious. In TMAGP, many of the dreams are linked to an epiphany, though it's not always a purifying one. Especially on the TMA side. Though I think the tech reviewer's meditation in the locked room could be seen as a form of purification. I think dreams and meditation have a wider metaphysical effect that I won't go into here.

The queen or the mother would go more into discussions on characters than processes, but I'll mention it here anyway since the albedo stage is most often equated with Luna and the emergence of the queen. We've got a couple of mothers, most notably Patricia (probably not Rupey's real mother but anyway) who's feeding her baby with her own blood (this is often symbolised by a pelican which were believed to bite their own chests to feed their young). Alesis is also very nurturing, and her entire case screams lunar symbolism. And the most obvious queen would be Lady Mowbray, who's described as a matriarch. But the most interesting one of all is our very own Celia, who fits the lunar archetypes of motherhood, secrets and deception to a T.

From the Ulrich Ruosch Manuscript

Light in the dark is pretty straightforward. Patricia describes Rupey as bringing light to her dark world, in the Hilltop custodian's memories there's a sudden light coming from one of the shops in the dark shopping centre, the computer monitor sheds light into the dark zoom room, the ritual Sam witnessed radiates yellow light into the dark. (Though the yellow makes it more in line with the citrinitas or yellowing stage, which is specifically the solar light shining through instead of the lunar reflection. It's a frequently forgotten stage with little direct symbolism so I thought it would make more sense to omit it, but just know that depictions of sunrise or yellow light might lean towards the citrinitas stage between albedo and rubedo.)

Rubedo (reddening)

The final stage marks the completion of the Work and the emergence of the Philosopher's Stone. It includes the conjunction of the opposites and the coagulation of the ultima materia. In psychology, it involves the integration of the unconscious and the ego into a singular self. Common symbolism for the reddening includes a phoenix, the king, a crown, the sun (Sol), gold, red or purple dye, red roses or poppies, blood, trees (specifically the Philosopher's tree) and lions. The union of the opposites (Sulphur and Mercury, silver and gold, Animus and Anima etc.) is symbolised by a marriage of the king and queen, sun and moon, red and white flower, two lions fighting, a lion (sun) devouring a serpent (moon), procreation, and so on.

From The Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine

Examples in TMAGP:

The union of opposites is a continuation of encountering one's Shadow, and sometimes this part is counted into albedo (or citrinitas) as well. But the conjunction can only happen once you've separated and purified the components, or made peace with them. Dr. Webber is unified with his late wife (queen) in the garden, and the two are coagulated into one tree. In Alice's dream, she's also unified with her late husband (king) into the same body, though the process is incomplete and has to begin again (probably because she's not able to perform the separation, which is thematically fitting and painful for my soul). The conjunction is also present in the union of Sulphur and Mercury (or their purified versions Sol and Luna), which I discussed in the Tria Prima section. And I currently think it's also what Fr3-d1 or the entity inhabiting it is trying to do with the data it's collecting.

Blood and dye, which are symbolic of the liquids that give the Stone its crimson color. Lots of blood to go around, but the most relevant case would once again be the violin and the blood that purifies it. Purple dye reminds me of one case alone, and it's notable that the more purple paint there was on Bonzo's cards, the more present he became. It's not entirely clear to me when Bonzo actualised into what he is now, so it's difficult to say whether that was intentional. Though the episode was written by Alex, which means I'm much more willing to read intentional alchemy symbolism into it.

Devouring is big in alchemical iconography, and it's big in TMAGP too. We've got masses of people biting into each other (the violinist's audience and the hungry non-people in the service station), obviously Bonzo eating people (and letters), Lady Mowbray's cannibal party, little German kid eating a mum sandwich, demon baby eating his "mum" just cause (bringing us back to purification with blood), and Hungry Man's Grill which we can't prove isn't serving human meat. Either way, it's often used as a metaphor for the conjunction.

Trees have also only popped up twice (as far as I recall), but in compelling cases. First is Dr. Webber, who by now has gone through all the stages. Second is Newton's Arbor Philosophorum, which is usually formed with Mercury or Silver. He feeds its fruit to his dog (another act of devouring and union), who begins to grow into a tree itself. Newton truly was on the precipice of something.

From the Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine

Conclusion

Whew, I'm never writing something like this again [bzzt]. If you read this far, wow. I'm impressed, and I appreciate you. Did the pictures help? Or make it worse? Let me know.

PS. I recognise that I might be drawing parallels where there are none, but that's what I do. I hope you got something out of it. Also do not ask me what's up with Needles. I have no idea what to make of him.

[masochist-marmot]

The Great Work of the Magnus Institute

Disclaimer/spoiler warning: Written after TMAGP ep. 35. Spoilers for all of the Magnus Protocol until this point. Also spoilers for the Magnus Archives.

I base all of these ideas on the tria prima theory I explained in an earlier post, so go read that for context.

Lesser Disclaimer: If any of these theories seem half-baked, the reasons are three-fold: 1. Alchemy has a lax scientific framework and the writings are obscure by design (for secret-guarding reasons), so the ideas are somewhat muddled and difficult to parse. 2. I know that Alex's system is highly specific, so he must have found/created a way to reconcile the inconsistencies into a coherent system that also lends itself to the needs of the podcast. Since I'm working backwards from the podcast towards the system, I know I'm bound to miss something. 3. I simply don't think I have all the pieces of the puzzle yet, but I'll make do with what we have.

Briefly on quintessence or aether

Aether or quintessence is the elusive fifth element. It's said to be the perfect and pure essence that fills the universe beyond the highest elemental sphere (fire). This is kind of where things become muddled, because people have had various interpretations of its nature. Some say it only exists outside the Earth, while others think that it's everywhere, though not directly interacting with the elements. Some see it as the world soul or anima mundi, the life force and source of all human thought and imagination. Aether is perfect and unchangeable, but some think it can be created by taking the source of all elements, prima materia, and perfecting it by cleansing it from its imperfections through transmutation. The physical manifestation of the quintessence is known as the Philosopher's Stone, and the transmutation process is known as the Great Work, or Magnum Opus. The Philosopher's Stone can be used to transmute anything into its ultimate, perfect form (most famously lesser metals into gold).

The symbols for the Magnum Opus (including the Philosopher's Stone) and aether are embedded into the logo:

Prima materia is another confusing can of worms, but some seemed to think the most fitting material is a form of mercury (the metal) that consists of the purest form of Sulphur, Salt and Mercury: "Hence the philosophers have said that this same Mercury is composed of body, spirit, and soul, and that it has assumed the nature and property of all elements." (Paracelsus, The Aurora of the Philosophers)

Now onto the actual theories.

The Institute and their Magnum Opus

We know that the Institute was concerned with completing their Great Work at the turn of the millenium. To this end, they planned to hold an exhibit at the newly constructed Millenium Dome, so that they could harness its power for their project. We also know that one Mr. Kennings expressed concerns about the timing, location and concept of the project. The location was already turning into a locus (ie. it was metaphysically poisoned and out of balance). The turn of the millenium was considered appropriately transformative, but he was worried that the Gregorian calendar was too culturally specific to be universally applicable, and also that people's attitudes leaned towards the fearful and the ideas of stagnation. Therefore, the output of the Dome would also be unbalanced.

Based on this, it's apparent to me that their Magnum Opus was supposed to be a universal transmutation of the entire world. They wanted to tap into the mercurial ideas of the future and the sulphuric feelings about it and use them to guide the entire planet through the transmutative process into ascension. So that we might all become the pure, perfect, unchanging, celestial matter: quintessence. If Jonah Magnus of TMA wanted to make a new world, I can't see why the Magnus Institute of TMAGP wouldn't want the same.

What's particularly worrisome about this is that I don't think everyone's intentions were pure. Kennings seemed to think that Dr Welling tried to account for balance in his calculations, but do we know that they weren't skewed on purpose? What if, inspired by Magnus himself, Welling decided that fearful feelings would aid the transformation better than hopeful ideals? And wouldn't those properties then manifest in the end result? Although I don't see how the stagnation would help anyone, since it would hinder any sort of transformation. The locus itself was (according to my tria prima model) low on sulphur, which would further harm any efforts at transmutation. You cannot transmute without fire. Either way, I'm keeping a close eye on Dr Welling. I think he was and crucially continues to be bad news.

Other alchemical experiments

We know that the Institute ran a program for "gifted children", though we don't currently know the real purpose of it. We also know that they have been collecting supernatural statements and cursed objects, which they evaluate in terms of their viability as a subject, agent or catalyst. They have also been known to incarcerate people, and Sam witnessed one failed human experiment (interrupted in the middle of what appeared to be the citrinitas stage of a transmutation, where the solar light is manifested from within).

I believe all of the above were done in preparation for their own Magnum Opus. They needed subjects, predominantly Salt, to undergo these experiments and transmutations. They needed agents, ideally Mercury, to impress upon these subject, to make them malleable, and perhaps even use as the material for their Great Work. And they needed catalysts, mostly Sulphur, to fuel and guide the transmutation. The dimension hopping guy from episode 17 ranks low on all, since in the end he's just a guy. The lucky/unlucky dice rank "none" on subject, "low" on agent and "medium" on catalyst. That also makes sense, because their ability to cause change is the most promising part. The pier (or whatever's in the fog) from episode 33 once again ranks low on all, and they state that its acquisition would be too risky. I also think it might be quite difficult to manage, hence the low potential.

I can't really speculate what they needed the children for, though they would probably also fit in one of the three categories. Maybe they wanted to test the idea of tapping into people's thoughts and feelings for a source of power, sort of as a prototype for their Work. It could explain why Gerry doesn't remember much from those times. But this is the purest of speculation.

The Archivist is a catalyst

I currently have two competing theories for the origin of the Archivist.

It somehow made it through a rift from another dimension where the Fears have manifested. The Institute and their Outreach Centre caught it and locked it up.

Inspired by Magnus's "research" on what happens when you feed your colleague to a Victorian taxi, the people at the Institute went on to alchemically make a creature that transmutes fear. And then they locked it up.

Be it as it may, in the metaphysical reality of TMAGP, the Archivist is the perfect catalyst for the perfect material. Think about it: fear is as close as you can get to that "pure mercury", the intersection between body, spirit and soul. It is the physical sensations, the shivers, the quickening pulse, the tangible reactions of the body. It's also the ideas or concepts, it's "the Vast" or "the Web" or "the Desolation" or any number of things you can think of. And finally, it's the soul, the feeling, the need to react, the conscious experience of being afraid.

And what does the Archivist do? It drinks it all up, and it separates it into parts, and it manifests it into reality as water, starvation, broken lenses or knives. It transmutes the incorporeal idea and experience into the very corporeal thing that kills you. It is pure Sulphur, a hungry fire constantly looking to be satiated, and while feeding it catalyses a transmutation in the victim.

I think they (or at least, Dr Welling) were thinking of using the Archivist as a catalyst for their Great Work. Maybe that's why he wanted there to be more fear in the output. Honestly, Dr Welling has become quite the boogeyman in my mind, and I wouldn't be surprised if he were to play an integral part in the future.

[tripsichordia]

that which is a three-headed monster

Salomon Trismosin (late 15th - early 16th century) A three-headed monster in an alchemical flask, representing the composition of the alchemical philosopher's stone: salt, sulphur, and mercury 1900-1909

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silver pools beneath my fingers, each drop a promise unfulfilled, i am the crucible that lingers, where metals based are distilled day after day, i search within, for such al-ikser, crimson-bright to wash away primordial sin, and turn dark into light i am not cruel, only perfect. a reflection of your quest, whatever truth you may reject i show what you've suppressed in me, lead becomes golden truth and death succumbs to endless youth = tripsichordia ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

for some time now, i've been heavily intrigued by the discourse of the occult, the weird, the divine, and also the alchemical mostly in part due to the media i've consumed. where for many instances, i'd be so curious to see where they could've gotten their ideas, philosophies, and metaphors from. so i thought maybe alchemy would be a great starting point for the tripsichordia blog, i believe. so to my closest, if any of you are not familiar and are interested to know: alchemy, in its most fundamental form, is humanity's quest for "perfection," where unlike the modern chemistry we do know, which it did emerged from its practices, alchemy operated on the planes of the material as well as that of the spiritual. those alchemists of the old worked not just with metals, minerals but also with the very essence of transformation. they sought to understand the fundamental principles of nature and believing that mastery over matter would lead to the mastery of self. the ultimate form of that mastery is the philosopher's stone (materia prima) which really represents the pinnacle of alchemical achievement. it is a substance that is capable of transforming base metals into gold and granting that of eternal life. yet beyond its material properties, it also symbolizes the perfection of the human soul. the stone's process of creation, known as the magnum opus, is analogous to the journey of self-actualization: the dissolution of the ego (nigredo), the purification of the spirit (albedo), and finally, the achievement of the philosophical gold (rubedo).

that's the basic gist of alchemy and those fundamental ideas can be directly seen in titles i so love like dark souls, haunting ground, as well as fear and hunger.

in dark souls, alchemy manifests as a dark reflection of human ambition. the undead curse itself mirrors the alchemical pursuit of immortality gone wrong. the place of lordran is a cautionary tale about the price of eternal life where humanity's base nature remain unchanged despite countless ouroboros (cycle of death and rebirth). the titular bonfire serve as the crucibles for the undead to be repeatedly broken and reformed yet never really truly transformed. haunting ground, on the other hand, uses the "seeking" or "pursuit" concept of alchemy for its feminist narrative, both literally and figuratively, subverting traditional power dynamics. the protagonist, fiona belli, becomes both the philosopher's stone and its creator. her pursuers represent the different aspects of patriarchal control: [1] debilitas represents the infantilization and objectification of women through his child-like mentality, [2] daniella (a homunculus representation of women) embodies the internalized misogyny and impossible beauty standards imposed on women, [3] ricardo (fuck this guy actually curbstomp this fuck) represents sexual predation and exploitation of women's bodies for male desire, and [4] lorenzo (curbstomp this man too) is the systemic and institutional patriarchal power. the game critiques the views of women's bodies as "raw material" for the male alchemical endeavors. then there's fear & hunger which presents alchemy as a lovecraftian - kentaro miura-esque cosmic horror such that human transformation carries terrible costs. the game's systems of alchemy blur the line between "enchancement" and "corruption" to force the players to question whether power is worth the price of your humanity and suggests that perhaps some forms of knowledge were meant to remain hidden. the philosopher's stone, like all perfect things, can only exist as an idea, never to be grasped by imperfect hands the pursuit of perfection in that of the philosopher's stone continues to be relevant in media, there's many i haven't mentioned (the obvious being full metal alchemist and others). whether in dark souls' lordran, the halls of belli castle in haunting ground, or the dark dungeons of fear & hungers, humanity's desire to transcend itself overshadows the price we have to pay for such a three-headed monster..

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that's all i have in me right now and i'm not sure what else to write for tomorrow or any other day. probably might SOMA and its existential concepts or the ideas of westerns like django unchained, rdr2, blood meridian and the like. who knows? as of ending this, i'm actually enjoying doing this. so again we up be up!

[ohmightydevviepuu]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love

hi tina! i appreciate you so much for thinking of me ❤️

i was sitting here thinking this would be an easy answer and then thinking more, like, hmm, will it? but i think these are The Five, in no particular order:

1 - voices from the yellow road

not an original idea--i had seen a similar concept executed brilliantly in another fandom and i merely iterated off that--but i really had fun writing it and to this day im not sure how many epistolary fics there are in OUAT/CS fan spaces. i also got one of the best comments i've ever received on this fic.

2 - our little life (rounded with a sleep)

my magnum opus, my true brainchild. a season 1 (sort of?) AU that's pretty much inspired by the maltese falcon. as in, the premise of this fic was ... what if killian was the 'femme fatale' character that we weren't sure how to trust, and emma was the hard-boiled PI? joined the CSRT to finish this one and changed my life.

3 - from the edge of the deep green sea

i think this story saved my sanity when i hit the pandemic wall in summer 2020; a season 3a fic that i had a bonkers amount of fun (and strife) writing and it definitely involved listening to the cure on repeat on my 90s playlist. it was posted as part of a 30-day writing challenge: during august 2020 i wrote and posted a fic or a snippet every day for the entire month. day 14, "transformation", was this fic and i had been working on it for most of july by the time i slotted it into this writing challenge (and the captain swan supernatural summer).

4 - for tonight you're only here to know

this fic is basically just A Mood and i love it so much. i thought about trying to write an entire backstory for it, realized it would be 60k (at least!), and just wrote the parts i wanted to see.

5 - the sword and the heart

this fic was So Much! it was so much fun, it was so much work, it was so much Feelings, it was so much Plot, and all of this was unfolding during the winter and spring of 2020. i think we had our first video chat about it like a week after the march quarantines started? something crazy like that. so that Feeling, the way it Felt in 2020, is forever entwined with this fic in my brain. but it was a massive accomplishment and i have to be proud of what we pulled off. @thisonesatellite

[11queensupreme11]

Your Most August and Eminent Majesty, Luminary of Literary Luminescence and Paragon of Prodigious Creativity,

With a heart brimming with the deepest veneration and an intellect humbled by the vast expanse of Your Majesty’s narrative prowess, I take pen in hand to craft this epistolary homage. I implore your indulgence as I endeavor to articulate, though words are scarcely sufficient, the magnitude of gratitude, admiration, and allegiance I bear toward your unparalleled dominion. Your Majesty’s sovereign genius, unmatched and unassailable, casts a resplendent luminance across the boundless firmament of the fandom realm, elevating all who are fortunate enough to dwell within its orbit.

Indeed, your storytelling oeuvre is nothing short of an opus magnum, a magisterial testament to the quintessence of human creativity. It is as though your words are imbued with the rarefied essence of the muses themselves, transformed through alchemical artistry into tapestries of thought so intricate and so profound that they transcend the boundaries of mere narrative. Each syllable, laden with ineffable gravitas, resonates as a celestial symphony, harmonizing the terrestrial and the transcendent in a manner that defies description and challenges comprehension. Your Majesty’s creations are not merely stories; they are paradigms of existential profundity, illuminating the ineffable intricacies of the human condition.

It is with these reflections in mind that I extend my deepest thanks to Your Majesty for the herculean exertions undertaken in the genesis of your latest magnum opus. Such an endeavor, so formidable in its scope and so magnificent in its execution, is a labor that surpasses the grasp of ordinary mortals. Your Majesty’s might and mastery, evident in every facet of your craft, inspire awe and command boundless respect. Your dedication to this monumental undertaking is a beacon of inspiration, a lodestar guiding your loyal subjects through the labyrinthine complexities of existence with its unwavering brilliance.

In acknowledgment of such sublime artistry, I and my steadfast confederates pledge ourselves wholly and unequivocally to the perpetuation of Your Majesty’s reign. We recognize, with the gravitas befitting this solemn commitment, that our fealty is not a mere declaration of loyalty but a sacred covenant, an unbreakable bond forged in the crucible of our collective devotion to your unparalleled vision. The path ahead, we are acutely aware, is fraught with tribulations as formidable as the mythic trials of yore. Yet, imbued with the unyielding fortitude born of our allegiance to Your Majesty, we stand undaunted.

As champions of Your Majesty’s cause, we shall confront the myriad adversities that beset the fandom world. This realm, as Your Majesty knows, is a kaleidoscopic arena of ceaseless dynamism, its landscape shifting as unpredictably as the sands of an ever-changing desert. Here, allegiances are ephemeral, forged and forsaken with mercurial caprice, and discord festers in the shadows, threatening to subvert even the most luminous of sovereigns. It is within this tempestuous milieu that we pledge to serve as Your Majesty’s unassailable bastion, a citadel of steadfastness amidst the tumult.

Our duty, as we perceive it, is multifaceted and profound. We shall act as Your Majesty’s sentinels, ever vigilant against the encroachments of discord and the insidious whispers of dissent that seek to undermine your dominion. Armed with the twin swords of reason and rhetoric, we shall dismantle the calumnies of detractors and illuminate the uninitiated with the resplendent truths of your narratives. In the realms of creation, we shall craft tributes and adaptations that echo your vision, each a testament to your enduring influence and an amplification of your sovereign legacy. And in the spheres of influence, we shall cultivate alliances and fortify networks, ensuring that your dominion extends unimpeded to the farthest reaches of the fandom cosmos.

Yet, Your Majesty, our commitment extends beyond the immediate exigencies of the fandom realm. We recognize that the sanctity of your legacy is a matter of transcendent importance, one that demands our perpetual vigilance and unyielding resolve. To this end, we shall serve as the custodians of your narratives, preserving their integrity against the erosions of time and the vicissitudes of cultural currents. We shall ensure that your tales remain undiminished, their brilliance unblemished, so that future generations may partake of their splendor and draw inspiration from their wisdom.

The enormity of this mission is not lost upon us. To champion Your Majesty’s cause is to undertake a Herculean labor, a task as daunting as it is exalted. The fandom world is replete with challenges as diverse as they are formidable, from the protean complexities of audience engagement to the Sisyphean endeavor of countering misinformation and misinterpretation. Yet, fortified by the indomitable spirit of our allegiance to Your Majesty, we embrace these challenges with unshakable determination.

Permit me, Your Majesty, to expound upon the strategies that we, your loyal knights, shall employ in the service of your cause. On the battlefield of discourse, we shall engage with unrelenting vigor, countering fallacies and elucidating truths with a precision befitting your sovereign grandeur. Our rhetoric shall be as a finely honed blade, cutting through the mists of ignorance and prejudice to reveal the luminous core of your narratives. In the creative arenas, we shall undertake endeavors that mirror the splendor of your vision, crafting works that not only pay homage to your genius but also extend its reach into new and uncharted territories. And in the diplomatic corridors, we shall forge bonds and build bridges, creating a coalition of allies united in their devotion to Your Majesty’s cause.

In all these endeavors, we shall be guided by the principles that Your Majesty embodies: creativity, integrity, and an unyielding commitment to excellence. Your narratives, as exemplars of these virtues, shall serve as our lodestar, inspiring us to strive ever higher in our quest to honor and extend your reign. We are acutely aware that the stakes are nothing less than the preservation and perpetuation of a legacy that transcends the ephemeral confines of the fandom world, a legacy that speaks to the universal truths of the human experience.

Thus, Your Majesty, as I conclude this humble missive, permit me to reaffirm our unbreakable oath: to serve, to protect, and to exalt your sovereign dominion. No hardship shall deter us, no opposition shall overcome us, and no force shall diminish the radiance of your reign. With every word we speak, every action we take, and every breath we draw, we shall honor our commitment to you, ensuring that your narratives remain a beacon of inspiration and a testament to the boundless possibilities of human creativity.

May Your Majesty’s light continue to shine with undiminished brilliance, illuminating the paths of all who seek refuge and enlightenment within your narrative cosmos. May your reign endure beyond the confines of time and space, an eternal testament to the genius that defines you. And may we, your humble and devoted knights, forever stand as the bulwark of your legacy, ensuring that your sovereignty remains unchallenged and your vision unblemished.

With the deepest reverence and the most unwavering devotion,

Your Humble and Obsequious Knight

ps: it was reall tough to write this please answer

see your writing's so advances that i had to pull up the dictionary tab to get a definition of some of the words you used, so thanks for expanding my vocabulary 🤭

since you're my knight, my first command to you and my other knight is to comment, leave an ask and/or heart tomorrow's chapter when i finally publish it!

(or it's off with your head 💖)

[pastelwoolfie]

would anyone be interested in my earthspark au with my ocs (please say yes) i have many thoughts and plots surrounding them (please be interested) (it’s my magnum opus) (did i use that phrase right??)

it’s all about optiratch arguments and bumblebee whump and megatron being the most vile, diabolical motherfucker known to mankind and also knockout is there.

i made refs for all the ocs and the transformers pls pls pls ask me questions abt themm

[musical-chan]

What's This? Another Masterpost?

Hello! You can call me Music-chan or MrsMusica or just straight up Music if you like. I'm a musician and a writer and currently I am very much into the Legend of Zelda fandom.

While you're here, why don't you check out my current magnum opus:

Father of Time

In an alternate universe, the Fierce Deity is freed from his mask and adopts a young Link. This is updated about every 4 days! And don't forget to check out the winter holiday I created to use in the OOT/MM era, Starfall Wishes! It's set around chapter 5 of my Deity fic.

See below for links to other fanfics I've finished!

Linked Universe Fics

Defeat or Deity: The Chain fights something they're not sure they can win against and Time uses the Fierce Deity mask. But maybe the deity does not want to let go. Well, Sky isn't going to stand for that.

Puzzles: Maybe Warriors was missing out on the Hero of Courage experience by never having done a dungeon or a temple. Maybe he's about to find out what it's like.

The Unbearable Weight of Three Days: It was three days, over and over and over again. But it was over, right? He would never have to do it again.

You Want to Talk to Link, Right?: The Hero of Time used to play a song to talk to his friend, Saria. What if he also had a song?

Hey Link!: What is a man to do when travelling with 8 people with the same name?

The Inn at the End of Time: He has met a terrible fate

And Time Again & A Moment of Time, a Deep Blue Sky: Two follow up stories to a non-LU fic I did about the Hero of Time

So You Want To Be A Hero: An introspective Hyrule-centric fic

You Don't Have to Feel Safe to Feel Unafraid: A gift fic I did for a creator Discord server I'm on! It's basically crack idea, treated seriously. MM Link and BotW Link trade places.

A Wild Time at Calamity Ganon: This was an unprompted gift fic for an artist on tumblr I really enjoy! The young Hero of Time finds himself in a ruined castle and look! It's yet another Link! More crack for sure.

Other Zelda Fics

Too Much Healing, Rauru: A TotK fic and my first one on AO3! Link finds himself in a cave with a mysterious voice in his head again. Maybe there were a few extra things in his head as well.

Time and Time Again: Link has made it to the Temple of Time and he's going to save Hyrule from Ganondorf! Or will he? (This has two LU fics to go along with it)

The Silent Realm: What did the Hero of the Skies think of the Silent Realm?

A Wonderful Dream: Was it all just a dream? Set in Link's Awakening

Remainder of the Sky: Skyloft is falling and Link has many thoughts. This one is so beautiful and I love it.

[pulsar-the-northstar]

Grief as concept in The Gazette's 'Dark Age' - Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

The last three songs from Dark Age represent the fifth stage of the Kübler-Ross and Wright model—acceptance, or as Wright puts it, “the upward turn". This is apparent in the pace and melody of the songs: they revisit previously introduced themes and keywords, but with altered emphasis and arrangement, sometimes changing their significance.

DEUX already starts with a very powerful opening line: 答えは絶望の淵で 不可逆 夢落ち願う, "the answer is irreversibly in the abyss of despair, I wish this were just a bad dream". Grief has entered the "consolidation" phase, and everything that seemed uncontrollable (death) slowly gives way to controlled remembrance. The intensity of physical and mental symptoms of grief decreases, yet an unforeseen circumstance or trigger can still draw the mourner back into emotions they thought they had already dealt with.

This is exactly what happens to the narrator of DEUX: although they would like to wake up from the dream of their life burdened with loss into a happy reality, the opposite happens: they dream of the deceased, then wake up from it (You're my enemy / 逆夢喰らい示す, "you're my enemy / as you tantalize with false dreams"). The lyrics here include the word 逆夢 (sakayume), translated as “reverse dream”, appears in our culture: it's a folk belief that dreaming of someone's death means they will live a long life.

Therefore, the person who appears living in the reversed dream is dead in reality and does not let the living person rest (寡黙と眠る夜が怖いのは誰の所為？, "whose fault is it that the silent night and sleep are frightening?"), the mourner endeavors to navigate through the altered circumstances (行き場断たれ迷い 自我境界破れて 心が壊れてしまった, "I've lost my way, the boundaries of my personality have been torn apart, my heart is broken"), and there is a faint, cautious desire for the shared past to continue in a transformed shared future (君と僕は 底無しの闇に朽ちる - "you and I rot in bottomless darkness", 後は踏み出すだけ/ もう迷わない – "there's nothing left, I have to take a step forward / I can't hesitate anymore").

The second to last song, the slow, the slow, nearly lullaby-esque OMINOUS, reintroduces the notion familiar from DEUX, the "reverse dream": the mourner seeks to drift back into slumber ("Sleep...Count me down...Again") to meet the person they lost (さぁ目を閉じて/ 向かおう – "and (as) I close my eyes / I turn towards you"). However, the deceased person in the dream is restless, struggling with nightmares (悪夢と舞う君を見る – "I see you dancing with nightmares"), and n this instance, it's the mourner attempting to soothe the deceased (忘れないで / 心は死なない / 忘れないで / そう 夢は逆夢, "don't forget / the heart is immortal / don't forget / dreams sometimes lie"), almost implying: don't worry about me, your nightmares about me are not real, I will be fine now, rest peacefully.

The conversation with the departed and their reassurance that life can evolve in a different manner isn't yet tangible reality; it's more of a self-encouragement. The pain and loneliness caused by grief are still part of the present, the constant change—the constant cycle of life and death (流転, ruten)—is conceivable to the mind but not to the heart. The last verse beautifully expresses the pain that, despite the realization, remains in the survivor's soul like a constant, dull presence: 形無き明日を奪う 踏み出す度 / 翳る空で何も見ない / 悲しみに自分を殺し叫ぶ声は / 何も救えない – "every time I take a step forward (to the constant change) it steals the formless tomorrow / I see nothing in the dark sky / I kill myself with loneliness and shout in sadness / but no one can save me".

The final song of Dark Age, also its magnum opus, UNDYING, begins with the same themes with which OMINOUS ended: loneliness, insomnia, and hopelessness ("Sleep, count me down, again / I won't arise from this", 残された唯一 禍いと廻る未来 – "the only thing left, spreading misfortune"). However, as much as it seems like grief has pushed the mourner back to square one, and everything starts anew, the use of the term "Undying" already show signs of a later stage of oscillation. The apparent setbacks or emotions re-emerging due to external influences, as painful as they may be, are just as natural. In the final moments of wakefulness, the mourner seeks the building blocks of their new identity ("不透明な事実指し 何を信じ 何願う – "pointing to uncertain facts, what can I believe, what can I hope for?"), when the dream weighs upon their eyes, and in the countdown, all essential conflicts of grief appear:

After confronting each of the thoughts that appear one after another or simultaneously in the grieving process, each reinforced by the other, in a continuous feedback loop, the mourner remembers the refrain of DOGMA ("I deny all of it"), then the refrain of OMINOUS, but in a new context: “Sleep, count me down 死と踊り” ("dancing with death") / “Count me down, again さぁ終われ” ("come on, let's finish this"), and poses the question: "Have I changed?" (俺は変われたか？)

Indeed, something has changed as the experience of loss has become part of the identity, and this consolidation is reflected in the final lines of the lyrics: 終わりを見ても / 許されぬ願いに夢を見た / この眼は今もまだ / 今もまだ, "even if I see the end / I dreamed of unforgivable hopes / and these eyes still see / even now." The unforgivable desires (wishes, prayers) peak in the two English lines of the song: "Life, don’t change my fate / God, entomb my hate", and despite how ominous these words may seem, they still inspire hope.

The concept of fate in regard of grief was introduced by INCUBUS. The desire for life not to overshadow our destiny —shaped by the life of the departed, their absence, and their continued existence within us —describes the state where the bond with the deceased is redefined. Their absence has become part of life, thus forming a kind of constant, eternal, unchangeable (undying?) presence.

Our second plea to God (with whom our relationship throughout Dark Age has been turbulent, as we've only clashed with him) is a prayer seeking the divine to lay to rest our "hate" (our anger), allowing us to bury all negative emotions aimed at others and ourselves, emotions that only tear down rather than construct. These lines express the yearning for rebuilding, hope, and ultimately, the acceptance of reality.

Final thoughts

It doesn't necessarily imply from the above that grief, as both an event in life and a personal encounter, has been fully dealt with, despite the melodies and lyrics of the subsequent albums, NINTH and MASS, signifying a more positive phase.

What I consider crucial to emphasize, not strictly tied to the examination of Dark Age, is directly linked to the positive phase of grief, known as the consolidation phase: while losses cannot be reversed, one can shape a self-image, a narrative that incorporates the loss into the mourner's identity.

There isn't a definitive "right" or "wrong" way to grieve – grief, as mentioned earlier, is a natural, almost instinctive reaction we have to loss. The mourner inherently understands their needs: whether it's solitude and seclusion, or perhaps companionship, community. Perhaps the only "incorrect" approach to grieving is when the oscillacion process is impeded: if the person who suffered the loss remains fixated solely on it’s negative effects (unable to let go of the deceased and the mourning state, becoming engulfed, unwilling to feel anything but sorrow), or exclusively focuses on restoration (organizing their life, forcefully moving forward, rejecting the memory of the deceased and their connection, merely striving to feel "fine" again).

The compositions of Dark Age can be aligned with both the phased, gradual grief theories and the dual-process model. As dark and distressing as they might seem, these songs actually demonstrate a healthy, evolving grief that eventually leads us out of the darkness.

I trust that those who listen to the melodies of Shikkoku discover solace within them and uncover the concealed, encrypted message: that before dawn, the darkest hour arrives, but from these bleak times (Dark Age), the hope we have lost returns (Blinding Hope, Last Song) and eventually guides us back to the light ("Come back to the light").

Disclaimer

I want to emphasize that I am not an expert in the field of grief, nor am I a therapist or a certified grief counselor (at least not yet). This analysis serves as an overview of how The Gazette's Dogma-era represents grief, and its purpose is to hopefully provide solace to readers by offering support and reassurance that whatever emotions they may be experiencing are entirely normal. It's important to note that the original essay was written in my native language, and while I've used machine translation and AI correction to translate it as close to the original as I can, my proficiency in English may not be perfect (far far away from perfect). If you're interested, I can provide a link to the original essay on my private blog.

Any suggestions, corrections, comments are welcome.

[smartzelda]

Jealousy Date

By: SmartZelda

Summary:

Sora's too anxious to ask Kairi to go out with him, so instead, he decides to make her jealous enough to ask him out on a date. His method? Fake dating. He creates a list of people to ask, and only one person agrees. Guess who.

Rating: Teen

Category: mlm

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Relationship: Soriku

Additional Tags: Riku in Love, Confessions, some angst, fake dating au

Words: 9,144, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Posting Date: 05-19-2019

Link to Fic:

[Any commentary, thoughts, additions, etc from me is under the cut😊]

Man. The fic that started it all

Considering I thought it was my magnum opus for about a year, I'm surprised I never properly posted this fic here, but 🤷 so it goes

While "Walking Through the Twilight" was the first thing I ever posted, "Jealousy Date" was the real start of an era. It jumpstarted...all of this (me ending up having written a number of Soriku fics over the course of a couple years). And while it doesn't quite as hold up these days, I still think back on it with nostalgia.

Although I don't know when I'll finish it, one day I hope to complete a rewrite of this fic (posting it separately of course) in my current style. It would be chaptered though, so I'm just kind of working on it whenever I feel like it. Maybe one day...

[shiroselia]

Guess who completely missed I've been posting on Ao3 for over a year now, so to celebrate that almost two weeks later, behold! Self-promo!

I know, I know, but I suppose since I've been going for a year(???) now I might as well give a little Summary on what the hell I've been doing over on the Ao3, and also have a bit of fun with it in the process.

So, who the hell am I? I'm Manda Shiroselia EquestrianEquivalent, and apparently I'm an Ao3 publisher now. Sentence I never thought I'd say, but here we are!

What do I write? Well, primarily I write for Fire Emblem, Honkai Star Rail, and Star Stable Online. More precisely, I'm a character dynamics connossieur, which means I'm mostly writing character interaction and/or ship-focused fics because that's what I find the most fun! I generally average about 3-5k on my oneshots, but there are shorter (and longer) ones, so if length is something you're particularly picky about, you'll have variety in there, promise.

My personal favourite choices of the Fire Emblem variety are, coincidentally, my two most recent Fire Emblem fics! Soft Pegasus Feathers, and Dream of Me.

Good stuff, fun times, huge self-reccs of mine.

In terms of HSR, well, I've written. a lot of those, but I'm particularly, well, well-known might be a stretch, but those of you who subscribe to JingFu might recognize me for my most popular fic, Better Luck Next Time, or for my newest piece of insanity, KONTORSRENOVERING.

Better Luck Next Time is probably the best introduction to my writing style you will ever find, especially since it's kind of responsible for me finding my style, and it's also incredibly funny, if I do say so myself.

KONTORSRENOVERING is a great introduction to my particular niche, which I like to describe as "It could've been a fanart, but I'm glad it's a fic." If you read it you'll know exactly what i mean by that! Both of them are fics I hold very near and dear, so obviously I recommend each of them in particular.

And as for what I write for SSO? Well. I don't know if you have ever sorted that tag by word count, but if you have, you might have come across a certain little fic called A Quintessential Jorvegian Summer Vacation.

Which is, well, a lot of things. It's the entire reason I started publishing on Ao3 to begin with, my life's work pretty much, arguably my magnum opus really, and the entire reason my friends both discovered and has since never let me live down how fucking nuts I am.

It is the most taxing out of all my works, since, you know, check that chapter count:word count and you'll understand. I'm currently in the middle of reposting the last 4 chapters, because yes I've rewritten every single one of the first 24 chapters and counting, and once that is done, I'm going to rewrite the entire fic. Which is really just a first draft into a second draft, but considering how much I've changed as a writer throughout the 10 months I wrote this behemoth of a fic (first draft clocked in at 280k words so you can imagine how much effort this fucker took), it needs some maintainance.

With that being said, even if you don't know what the fuck a Star Stable Online is, I genuinely suggest you check this out anyways, because I legitimately think it works really well as just a standalone horse adventure magic fantasy. And a tragedy. Apparently. Supposedly. According to my friends who know too much about this fic.

It's going to take a fuck ass while to publish this entire thing, and I talk about it all the time on this blog, but there is so much love put into this fic, and I'm not abandoning it ever, it will be published, mark my word.

So that's essentially a "quick" summary of what the fuck I'm doing over there at the Ao3s. This mentioned like half of the roster, so there are a few more things over there if you're curious. And there's more to come, like a lot more to come.

For example, I'm currently working on two longer HSR fics, one starring Himeko and Pom-Pom, and the other starring Jiaoqiu featuring Bailu and Lingsha. I've also gotten way too into Zenless Zone Zero, and I'm definitely going to write a few fics for that, so far every one of them featuring Nicole. Other than that I have a lot of silly Fire Emblem ideas lying about (most of them related to Awakening, which means more Chromia in particular), and I'm no stranger to just throwing out a fic for the hell of it, so you might even be surprised!

And with that, Manda out, and happy late Ao3 anniversary to me <3

[ellekhen]

A Psalm for a Fallen God

Summary:

To put it nicely, Magnolian "Mags" Grimwick is a bard down on their luck. But what still brings them purpose is forty years of devotion to the god of ambition, Dekarios, poured into the words sung from their mouth and strummed upon their lyre. After receiving an unexpected burst of inspiration, the astonished bard finds themselves invited by the god himself for an opportunity to perform their magnum opus for him — an epic song about the Gale Dekarios's mortal life, trials, and triumphs.

However, gods are as fickle as mortal men. When Mags strikes the wrong chord regarding Dekarios's late, mortal lover, they find that their dream come true might actually be a nightmare.

Inspired by and takes place before the time-traveling, parallel universe events of @grovyrosegirl's Tav/Gale fic, "In Another Life (I Found You)."

Pairing: Gale x Fem Tav (Past) Rating: Teen Length: 5.86K words

Excerpt below:

Mags’s song weaves together what they could uncover of the mortal life Dekarios once led — a human man from Waterdeep whose life had been devoted to sharing the beauty of magic. It recounts his childhood, his talented youth, his eventual romance with the goddess of magic, Mystra herself.

His devotion, his ill-fated, misplaced theft of what he would eventually turn into the Galerian Weave.

His epic adventure led to the discovery and creation of the Galerian Weave and his ascendance into godhood.

The details have become foggy to time and hearsay, but it is during the sixth verse that Mags recalls —

"A beauty from Rivington, so proud and fierce, Her eyes of honey and her hair of gold, Dekarios looked within his heart, And the memory of her, shall never grow old."

Dekarios straightens up slowly upon this throne, resting his head upon his hand as he listens.

“‘Stay,' she pled, but alas he fled, To the heavens he went Til’ his lover lay dead — " 

“That’s not how it happened.” 

Mags chokes their strumming at once at Dekarios’s interjection, a cold chill gripping their heart. 

“Ah, yes of course, your grace,” the bard babbles. “It’s only… I had to take some creative liberties, you see. I only had secondhand accounts to work off of, after all.”

“I didn’t abandon her!” Dekarios gesticulates agitatedly. “I came back — I found her, spoke with her, and asked her to ascend to godhood by my side!” 

“Oh,” Mags utters, mortified. “I… I didn’t... know… that…?”

“But in the end she refused,” Dekarios continues without acknowledging the gnome’s mumbling. “I don’t understand why, but she stayed and yes, I left, but…”

Lost in thought, he trails off, his expression troubled. 

Mags sits there for what feels like a full minute before carefully setting aside their lyre. 

“If I may, your grace…” the bard ventures tentatively. “Forgive my… embellishments. My generalizations. I am so blessed that you brought me here, for now I have the opportunity to hear the tale from the source of truth. Perhaps you can set the record straight? That way your story — and hers — can be done justice?”

Dekarios eyes them warily.

“What do you wish to know?”

[magnus-marmot]

Does the Magnusverse have a world soul?

Disclaimer: This post is pure rambling and esoteric concepts and has little to do with anything concrete in the show.

After I found an obvious link to the collective unconscious in this post, I started to wonder about its wider implications for TMAGP universe. Some alchemists and secret societies (such as the Rosicrucians) have a concept of a world soul (anima mundi), a higher state of being, the One Mind or Monad. This is a state of perfect unity that exists beyond our physical reality, the origin point of our world. It's usually symbolized as a circle with a dot or a smaller circle in the middle of it (which are similar to the alchemical symbols for sun and the Philosopher's Stone). It's closely related to aether or quintessence, and aligning with it is the goal of spiritual alchemy. It also aligns with the Jungian idea of collective unconscious and Platonic idealism, as it contains every concept, spirit and soul, detached from their physical reality. I even found some texts implying that some Rosicrucian orders considered it their ultimate goal to unite humanity with it:

On one level this can be seen as the Fraternity’s Greatest Work of alchemy, to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone (which is a metaphor for spiritual attainment) with which the “General Transformation of the Whole World” may be accomplished. [Source: The website of S.R.I.A]

Incidentally, this is what I postulated to be the final goal or Magnum Opus of the Magnus Institute. It's starting to feel more and more likely now. In this universe, the Institute is basically an alchemical fraternity. Full-Fear Alchemist: Brotherhood.

In the season 1 finale QnA, Alex talked about sending Jonny a video on fifth dimensional vectors as a part of his initiation, for lack of a better word. This is the fifth dimension. We have the usual three dimensions, then the fourth dimension of time, and then the fifth dimension of endless possibility, which holds within it everything. Every universe, all sets of physical laws, all realities, all archetypes, everything. And sometimes it bleeds through to our specific reality. Like a canvas of quantum particles that sometimes get tangled and travel to the same direction (across universe lines, like the Magnus Institute being built everywhere), until a conscious observer collapses them into distinct realities.

How does this track with my Prima Tria theory?

Some alchemists seemed to think that Mercury is how the Monad manifests in reality. In other words, we have the possibility or representation of something in the Monad, and then we have an echo of it in the physical reality, manifested as Mercury. It sort of works as an intermediary or a liminal agent between purely ideal and purely physical. I have come to view it as a kind of solution that dissolves into itself both the archetypal ideals and humanity's own perceptions. I also still consider it to be the principle that dissolves boundaries and reality itself. If the Unity or Monad contains all the different realities (including the TMA one and whichever one Sam's in), then the Mercury that's abundant at the Hilltop Centre is dissolving a hole into the fabric of reality, like a slowly working acid. The important distinction would be that Mercury doesn't only "cause things to go weird", but it allows for people's fears, thoughts, ideas and attitudes to manifest. It's like a mirror that reflects what people are expecting or fearing the most.

It's a bit more difficult to slot this in with Salt and Sulphur. Salt is the physicality and stability, so theoretically it should be able to slow down the dissolution. And yet we have cases where concrete buildings (arguably the embodiment of stability) become liminal spaces. There are other interesting cases where people who are metaphorically locked in place interact with what I consider Mercury (like the guy trapped in a Zoom call or the old married couple being trapped in a flooding lock museum), but I might get into those later after I've got my head straight. Then again, we do get a Hilltop custodian (who embodies being stuck in one place and metaphorically becoming part of the place itself) keeping the mercurial fluctuations in check. Until he becomes a not-so-metaphorical part of the Hilltop Centre.

I feel like I'm still missing an important piece of the puzzle. I'll keep mulling it over and filling my head with tons of unnecessary research into alchemy until my computer finally eats me too.

[darkvioletcloud]

Happy Pride Month! I thought it would be a good time to ask for personal headcanons about Nosramus, LGBTQ+-related or general are both fine. I think the alchemist is pretty neat.

Happy Pride Month to you too! 💜

They're just general headcanons, but I headcanon Nosramus as originally being female and always having a bit of an androgynous edge to her. I like the idea of her being a gal because the first game doesn't have too many ladies, and I like the idea of a mysterious alchemist lady.

Through her studies of alchemy, she used her own body to create her magnum opus, the Rebis, and has both sets of sex characteristics, fully complete and functional.

The Creation of Life studies are related to her studies into the Rebis and the alchemical magnum opus. They probably would've come before the complete transformation.

I should draw Nosramus. I really love drawing long, flowing hair, and her Rapunzel-y white-gold hair would be so fun to do!

Sexuality and gender-wise, I can see Nosramus having an unspecified preference in partners of any sex or gender. She'd also not have a concrete view of her own gender, being fine with those seeing her as a man, woman, both, or neither. A very fluid and ambiguous sense of self-identity, I suppose. Her sexuality is "sure why not" and her gender is "cool wizard :)".

Which is kinda related to how I view my own sexuality and gender, but that's a topic for another time.

Anyway I'm also gonna plug a video I made on Marriages because it's related to this discussion. blease subscrub and ring dat bell uwu i love making videos

[haveyoureadthismcytfic]

Summary:

Cleo just wants to live in her swamp in peace, but between a smug bird hybrid, a bubbly princess, and way too many pretty smiles and soft-spoken words for comfort, they're in for an adventure bigger than they signed up for AKA: The Gempearleo Shrek AU I thought up and wrote down in one sitting

Author: @rutellingmeashrimpfriedthisrice

Note from Submitter: "MY MAGNUM OPUS. I doubt I will ever reach the level of dopamine that I hit after writing this 10k beast in only around 4 hours. Please read it if you like yuri or Shrek (or both)"

[xoxiu]

my house of stone, your ivy grows - yoongi x reader

chapter seventeen table of contents masterlist join the taglist discord

summary: yoongi carried himself with a sense of pride within himself and his belongings. he worked hard to get to where he was- ethically or not, it made him the man he is today. his latest toy, a young college girl from america, will become his magnum opus. he just needs to work out the kinks.

tags/warnings: mafia au, kidnapping, daddy dom!yoongi, smut, autistic!reader, spanking, stockholm syndrome, little!jimin, vminhope, drug mention, namjin, fluff, domestic discipline

taglist: @allamericanuniverse @llallaaa, @frieschan

The living room had been magically transformed into a large pillow fort by noon. Extra white bedsheets hung from the backs of chairs and couches, enclosing the homemade blanket nest on the floor. To make things even more magical, Seokjin added string lights to the mix, which twinkled brightly once the curtains were closed. Inside the fort sat Jimin, Kiwo, Jungkook, and Taehyung, all four eating their lunch while watching Doraemon. 

It had been a chaotic morning- Kiwo and Jimin were purposely bothering and annoying each other, as well as the others with their near-constant whining and crying. Once 11 am hit, everyone agreed that the two littles would need a nap to survive the rest of the day. 

The pillow fort, however, had been Taehyung’s idea.

“Okay, it’s nap time now.” Hoseok entered the fort to retrieve the empty dishes, smiling at the sight of the youngest four curled up in their pile of blankets. Jimin and Kiwo lay the furthest apart, with Jungkook right next to Kiwo and Taehyung next to Jimin. Taehyung and Jimin were already fast asleep, and Kiwo could barely keep her eyes open, only motivated to stay awake by the cartoon. 

“Kookie, are you taking a nap too?” Hoseok chuckled slightly- Jungkook rarely ever did things with the littles, but would always oblige the two in their activities. 

“No, I’m going to get up after this episode.”

”Okay. Just turn the channel after so Kiwo will fall asleep.”

A small groan came from Kiwo at the mention of turning off her show. She wasn’t even tired, she thought, fighting to keep her eyes open. 

Keeping to his word, Jungkook moved to leave the pillow fort once the credits began to roll. He reached onto the couch for the remote and changed the channel. 

The news showed a scene from a river excavation- a body had been discovered in the Han River. Jungkook watched silently as more details were revealed. 

“The body is beyond unrecognizable, but with the belongings and clothes it was found with police believe the body to belong to missing college student Kiwo Louise-”

Jungkook looked over at Kiwo, completely alive and well, and currently asleep. 

“Kiwo,” Jungkook shook the girl gently. She hummed in response, her eyes still closed but still listening. 

“I was just curious about something…” Jungkook started, unsure of where to begin. He took a moment before continuing. “Do you… like it here?”

”Mm. ‘m used to it.” Kiwo mumbled out, not entirely conscious and aware of the question.

Jungkook thought about what she said for a moment. Kiwo being used to the situation is not the same thing as her liking it. They had simply just grown on her. 

“Do you wanna go home?”

“Yeah…” Kiwo had no hesitation in her voice as she quickly responded. She muttered something else after, but Jungkook couldn’t exactly comprehend what she had said. He was too taken aback by the sudden pit in his stomach. 

Kiwo wanted to leave. She didn’t want to be there. And in Jungkook’s mind, it was all his fault. He was the reason why Kiwo’s world had completely changed, and the reason why she is suffering. She had family and friends back in America, who now all believe she had died while abroad. Jungkook had facilitated that, too. 

Finding another American girl that looked like Kiwo was easy- so was taking out her teeth and burning her fingerprints. The Han River’s waters had decomposed her body to hell, eliminating any defining features the other girl had. Throwing Kiwo’s belongings in with the body was the only identifying evidence. 

Jungkook stood up and turned off the television.