#instead of something their prophet actually taught

[kiirostarz]

I love AFK Journey and its lore beyond all the stories and characters, there’s something that truly intrigues me: Merlin’s role in the story. Am I the only one curious about the character we play as? I became so fascinated that I even started researching the real Merlin, the one who inspired this version.

I’m not sure if it’s because I enjoy finding similarities and references, or because I want to better understand his role in the game and try to predict his future in the lore. I know the writers don’t necessarily follow this kind of analysis, but I’ll do it anyway!

The Original Merlin and His Powers

According to the original story, Merlin (or Myrddin) was born from a demon, a corrupt spirit, and a mortal woman. He was considered the most powerful magician, and according to different legends, he had incredible abilities: he could talk to animals, become invisible, shape-shift, control the weather, and manipulate the elements. However, despite his immense power, he was always careful in his actions.

More than just a simple sorcerer, Merlin had deep knowledge of the world—the sun, the moon, the stars, and everything around him. His wisdom allowed him to earn the respect of magical creatures such as fairies, gnomes, and even dragons. This reminds me of our Merlin in AFK Journey, who is not only a great magician but also seems to have a deep connection with the world and its beings.

Another interesting aspect is his relationship with Nimue. It is said that Merlin fell madly in love with her and taught her his most advanced spells. However, she feared his demonic heritage and, using his own knowledge, imprisoned him forever in a crystal prison, a rock, or a tree—depending on the version of the story. This made me think of Mirael. I don’t think she would ever betray us, but I can definitely imagine her using a similar spell to protect us from a greater threat.

Additionally, Merlin wasn’t limited to a single role—he was a druid, bard, shaman, and prophet. This reminds me of the different factions in the game, each with its own philosophy. Perhaps our Merlin, just like the original, transcends these barriers and isn’t tied to a single faction.

The fact that the original Merlin was the child of a demon immediately caught my attention because, in the world of AFK Journey, the Hypogeans fit that role perfectly. Throughout the story, there are hints that our character has some kind of connection to them, which leads me to two theories:

We are the true Merlin, and therefore, the “child” of a Hypogean, which would explain why we have a special relationship with them.

We are not the First Merlin, but rather someone who inherited his power, meaning our connection to the Hypogeans is more indirect but still significant.

Both options are fascinating because this connection isn’t obvious in the story, and if it were revealed, it would be a huge twist. What if the very source of our power comes from the same beings we fight against?

Another idea that came to me after rewatching the opening cinematic is the possible existence of a "First Merlin." In this scene, several characters are trying to claim a sword, but one of them doesn’t take it. Instead, they hold up a torch in the darkness.

If this scene has actual value in the lore and isn’t just a symbolic representation for the players, could it be that the Merlin holding the torch was the very first one? The torch could symbolize knowledge, enlightenment, or even the origin of our power.

This leads me back to the recurring question in all my theories: What are we, really? Are we immortal? Are we a reincarnation? Does our body remain the same, but our essence changes?

I don’t want to believe that all of this is just a coincidence. Since the game allows us to interact with other players, I’d like to think that this is a small reference to the fact that we’re not the only Merlin out there.

Where are the other Merlins? If there were others like us in the past, what happened to them? There aren't many mentions of them in current history, which makes me wonder about two possibilities:

Many succumbed to corruption, using their power for dark purposes.

They were eliminated or sealed away, and that's why they're rarely talked about in the present. If this is true, what makes us different? What allows us to endure where others have fallen? Perhaps our existence is an attempt to right the wrongs of the past.

Another detail that strengthens the possibility that more people like us exist is Serene Lyceum Academy. Based on what we know in the story, we weren’t just a professor there—we were also a student in the past.

At first, I assumed that this school was located somewhere in Holistone, but after checking again, I realized there’s no clear reference to its location. This makes me think that it could be a secluded place, similar to a magical academy like Hogwarts, located in a yet unexplored region of the game’s world.

If we consider how new areas like Cedartown and Rustport have been introduced, it wouldn’t be surprising if Serene Lyceum Academy is in an unexplored region. And if that place truly exists in the game’s lore, then it means we are not the only ones with the potential to become Merlin.

Maybe the protagonist was chosen from within the academy, just like others could have been selected before. This reinforces the idea that Merlin’s power isn’t unique, but rather a legacy that can be passed down or inherited.

Another interesting detail about the opening cinematic and the idea that Merlin (Original) is part human and part demon is the stained glass window that appears in the game. I feel like this image could be a direct reference to Myrddin's original story.

In the window, the yellow part could represent humans or celestials, while the purple part symbolizes the hypogeans. This aligns with the legend of Merlin, who in many versions of his story is the son of a demonic spirit and a mortal woman. In the center, the image fractures, which could point to an internal conflict between both natures or even our character's destiny as someone caught between two worlds.

Also in another trailer, Merlin (AFKJ) appears in front of a tree, but behind him there are only heroes; perhaps this emphasizes that the yellow part represents his more human side.

Well, that's it, I really found it interesting to find Myrddin's story and I wanted to do this kind of "analysis" of references in AFKJ, in the end I think I got too excited and talked about a bit of everything, but I hope you liked it.

I also want to mention that, after all this analysis, I remembered that AFK Arena does have a character named Merlin. However, I didn't consider him in this theory because his story in that game suggests he's from another dimension. I wanted to focus more on an analysis that fits directly with the lore of AFK Journey. Still, including him in the discussion would be perfectly valid, as there could be some hidden connection between the two games, or perhaps his existence in Arena is a clue about what might happen in Journey in the future.

[hd-erised]

We are over halfway through @hd-erised—isn't that exciting? It's been another fantastic week filled with art and fic and, as always, we hope you've been enjoying the fabulous submissions!

We hope you'll  take a moment to check out anything you might have missed this week, and don't forget to check our Week 1 and Week 2 round-ups for even more goodies. And, of course, please don't forget to leave a comment for our lovely artists and writers who make this fest the incredible experience that it is!! <3

Art:

Unemployed and On Guard for @makeitp1nk [T]

No One but Me for justlikewriting [M]

Fic:

Second Chance Resort for @elizah321[E, ~42,800]

A holiday forced on him by his friends after the latest in a long string of failed relationships might be a chance for Harry to relax, but all that is thrown up in the air by the appearance of one newly divorced Draco Malfoy. Mainly because they had been together almost fifteen years ago before Draco broke it off to marry the woman his mother chose for him… Feat. a matchmaking hotel, a spa day, an all-knowing Weasley, and friends who do try their best, but can get a little distracted.

Seven-and-sixpence for @oknowkiss [E, ~35,700]

The entire plan of Harry’s life had been defeat evil, become an Auror, marry Ginny. Not necessarily in that order, but it seemed to be going that way, the first two managed and the third in easy limbo. He can be better, though. He can be more. Draco will see to it.

Slip Slidin’ Your Way (In a Land of Fire and Ice) for @frm9pm [T, ~9,800]

How does a war-scarred young wizard recuperate and create a new identity? Harry opens himself to the magic of the land. Draco learns to wonder at the humblest of creatures. Years later, Magigeologist Evan Jameson and Malacologist Derek Black begin an enthusiastic correspondence. They’re in for a shock when they finally meet. Or: Science nerds go to Iceland and fall in love. Or: Why should kelp have all the fun?

Pillar of Salt for @agentmoppet [E, ~62,200]

From the lake in the Room of Hidden Things, Draco knows three things: 1. Mirror universes exist, and he’s going to find the best one—the one where he did the right thing. 2. Harry Potter and him are awfully cosy in some of these other universes, whereas Potter in real life is starting to act very odd around him indeed. 3. Draco’s reflection—the mirror version of him, the worst version of him—seems to be growing crueler. And stronger.

Prescription for @fantalfart [G, ~2,600]

Draco couldn't say he hated his job, not really. In fact, he loved it⁠—and wasn't that something surprising, a Malfoy being a Healer, when most of them hadn't worked a day in their lives?—and most of all, he loved knowing that he was helping people heal, above anything else. (And if there was a part of him that craved the normalcy of something that helped instead of what he had been taught to do his entire life? Well. That was between himself and his journal when he remembered to write in it.) (And maybe there was another reason too.)

Old love don't rust for @drarrydoodles [E, ~20,600]

“Why do you keep coming?” Malfoy asked at last. Harry mulled over the question. For a moment he debated trying to turn the tables and asking Malfoy the very same thing. But this time he didn’t want to hold back. “Because I can’t stop,” Harry said.

Equipoise for khalulu [T, ~88,200]

Ten years of peace have settled over the wizarding world, leaving Harry Potter feeling strangely adrift. Teaching Defense at Hogwarts is fine and all, but when mysterious magical blackouts start sweeping across the country, he can't help but jump at the chance to investigate. It would be the perfect outlet for his restless energy - if he didn't suddenly find himself tangled up in an elaborate charade, pretending to date the Prophet's most illustrious journalist, Draco Malfoy. Between hunting down the cause of the blackouts and maintaining their ruse, Harry's beginning to think that peacetime might actually be trickier - and far more surprising - than he'd bargained for.

Victory Lap for @traylalascrisis [E, ~4,700]

“I wasn’t sure if you’d want to eat first.” For emphasis, he pinches the skin at my waist. I want to cover myself in him. I want to roll in him like a dog. I want to devolve on top of him. And he wants me to sit nicely and use a knife and fork first?

[just-a-mer]

ooc: wanted to send in a lil something; I did NOT know sirens hibernated :0

also feel free to use this as a way to introduce Tir to Ody’s family :3

also also respond whenever you’re ready =p

— •

[ when the prophet faced the kingdom of Ithaca again, it was impossible to see all that changed. They knew well that much had, but not enough to know exactly what. What they do know, however, is that walking into a kingdom as they appear would startle even the most stoic of guards. The sight of a dead man is a truly terrifying thing ]

[ thankfully, nymphs were raised on tricks, and they were taught at a young age how to get the best outcome possible for them. So, with a slight shift in their cloak’s stitching and color, as well as a flower bondage switched out for their usual blindfold, they wandered into ancient grounds ]

[ eventually, under the guise of a traveling oracle—technically not a lie—they got permission to enter the castle. As eager as they were, though, they were hesitant. A kingdom much unlike their own. Unfamiliar, and though they knew someone to trust, how could they ever feel so sure. With one hand reaching for their staff to travel back to their forsaken isle, and the other reaching towards the soft ground to sit, it would be safe to say that they were greatly torn between decisions ]

<< @thrpr0phetuseek >>

ooc: aaa - it is not a myth thing or ever mentioned (as far as I'm aware-) just a silly headcannon I made since Siren!Odysseus is based on an amphibian and a majority of species hibernate! (brumate, to be more specific) :D

Fun fact: it's actually the reason behind why his design lacks scales commonly associated with the fish half of merfolk

also also - just a heads up that Penelope and Telemachus have not been written by me nearly enough to have a grasp on their personalities as of yet ^^' that does not mean, however, I'm not gonna try!

Even to the most imperceptive of people, the palace itself was rather quiet; a mix of peace and unease brought about by a paranoid king after his return and the reassurances of his wife. The few guards that were around remained stationed at archways and doors, one of whom couldn't help yawning as the supposed traveling oracle passed by their position.

A light snow continued to fall from outside the windows, bathing the halls in a familiar cold glow from the winter sky. The sun, in all its best efforts, managed to provide brief moments of warmth when its gaze managed to peer past the clouds.

It was only when Tiresias reached for their staff that the prince of Ithaca had spotted them. For a moment, he wondered about leaving them to their thoughts before deciding against the action and instead approaching with near-silent steps; a result that came with the teachings of his mentor.

"Hello there," he called, stopping once he'd reached what he deemed a reasonable distance to the stranger, "are you here in search of someone?"

[alex-frostwalker]

I know this sounds stupid but.. I just wanna ramble my BWW OCs here.

So... Here you go!

Inhabitant

Lora is good at playing the harp/lyre. It's the instrument she finds it easy to play.

She has average instrument playing experience, that's for sure. Not high expert ones.

She has a crush on Lance, like a big crush love on him. She doesn't know how it started, but it started to grow as he spent some time with her as she remained in solitude in her Stage.

She's good at sneaking up to people, and she's acrobatic to make herself quiet before the others notice her presence.

She can be apathetic when she is with people she's unfamiliar with.

A very good liar, being raised with semi-strict parents taught her that.

Is really good at dance related arcade games, her good leg strength makes up for it.

Lora sometimes gets strange prophetic dreams. Like seeing 3 people she's unfamiliar with or something else entirely.

Maestros

The 3 Maestros; Ori, Mame, and Future(Its Substitute Name, because I couldn't think of one) have their own motif weapons.

Ori's is a Shield, since the past is a cherished thing and something just protected. Or can be sealed away.

Mame's is a Sword, since the present is difficult and can be fought through with hardships and challenges.

Future's is a Bow/Arrows, since the future is unpredictable at the yonder and can pounce on in any given time

Basically Defense, Charge, and Ranged.

In truth, Ori and Mame are actually Balan's Replacement. Since his upcoming imbalance and will become Lance..

Mame, Balan and Lance doesn't know why Ori's form in default is a young girl, not a mature stature form like the 3. Ori doesn't question this and just enjoys her small form regardless..

Mame is working on a little project that will need Balan's approval and power, and that includes the Inhabitant's as well. She called this Project, the Heart Trial or Heart Challenge. It's a work in progress

It works similar to Lance's when he corrupts the Inhabitant into a NegaBoss in resulting the Stage becoming a fortress. But this, the Stage changes and goes against the Inhabitant who's conscious instead and challenge their heart in balance.. Just giving them a little push.

Reason why Mame's masked form doesn't have a mouth, she finds it creepy.

Mame stutters a lot in her speech and rhymes, she always have a script ready just in case she has a difficult time in interacting with the Humans. Ori just wings it though, even with some mistakes she just wants to express herself badly.

Mame has a written routine to help out the Balan in their duties as a Maestro in Training.

She worries a lot for the Visitors/Inhabitants that were taken away, or missing.

Future has many names such as Cloaked One, Follower, Wanderer, Future... It was given by the Visitors.. Even by the Maestros... It never got a name since it was 'created'... So they take whatever that was given to them.

Future kidnaps Inhabitants/Visitors, similar to Lance.

It leds the person away from their path and on to a secluded area. Will try to convince them that their future is bleak and will stay here for good. Even if you say No, it will take you away forcefully.

It is good at avoiding the Maestros. It stays mostly at the Negati Territory to blend in with it's surroundings. It doesn't stay in one place for too long.

The Kidnapped Visitors/Inhabitants don't stay captive for too long since Balan, Lance, Mame and Ori will find them trapped in the Heart Cage.

They'll don't have any memory of Future taking them away once they are freed from the cage... But they do feel drained and felt a lot of negativity.

Future does have a mouth, it's just covered. They just have to forced it to open to reveal it.

When Future is not floating or using her tendril/tentacle hair to move, they'll just fall flat on the floor like a ragdoll.

If they have to move on foot, they'll move like they're limping, similarly to Cyn (MD), Marionette (FNaF VR Game), The Rat (FNaC 3)

Despite having a womanly body figure, Future sometimes refers themselves in It/Its, because they are Something.. That.. Shouldn't have the right to exist.

Ori sometimes make accessories, decors, etc from the Drops she collected, she gets saddened when the Tims and Negati ate them. Balan pats her back and remind her that some things doesn't last forever.

Ori, Mame, and Future have some theme that goes along with them, other than the weapons.

Ori is Daytime with Clouds

Mame is Nighttime with Stars

Future is Midnight with Eclipse

[certkidwhocantdomath]

Guys, it's time to come clean.. My headcanons have never been in full. Yeah, in my true headcanons Johnny was blinded instead of Kenshi(bc Johnny getting blinded instead is underrated) but I kept it out because I thought you guys wouldn't like it. Also, Johnny has his powers but instead of green it's red(bc Johnny with red powers is canon but very underrated). But I finally decided to come clean and put my headcanons in full.

Btw, I just face revealed in my banner! Guess which I am!

Coldstar Headcanons, Part VII: The Truth

(That actually sounds like a badass title😆)

• Johnny is a descendant of Scandinavia and Greece and the sole surviving member the Karlatun Clan. (Canon doesn't have anything about the quote unquote "Mediterranean clan" Johnny descended from so I created a name myself)

• Johnny spoils Bi-Han. He loves to give him gifts, at least once a day. Such is the life of a celebrity. It can be anything, really. He also loves physical touch. I mean, he is a blind man. Johnny specifically loves it when Bi-Han guides him, with his hand on his shoulder or bicep. It makes him feel very present, especially with the complete loss of his sight. And that's something he cherishes.

• It's only when one of them is badly wounded, that Bi-Han says "I love you" to Johnny- when they are healed, Johnny beams from that point on. One of these moments was when Johnny was blinded by Mileena and stabbed by Shao(that's a story for another day I'm afraid).

• Ever since Johnny came to Outworld, he has been having prophetic dreams of Raiden wielding lightning, Kenshi blindfolded and levitating Sento ahead of him, Liu Kang and his cold hands, Bi-Han and a demonic shadow-like figure constantly looming over him, himself and burning hot fire. 

• Bi-Han is protective of Johnny but he's even more so in an unfamiliar place. After the Mileena incident, he will not let Johnny out of his sight and glares at anyone who tries to talk to him.

• Rather than Kenshi, Johnny is the one blinded by Mileena. It's because of Johnny's prophetic dreams that he decided to pull Mileena away from Kenshi, allowing himself to be blinded.

• After getting blinded, Johnny gained a unique "radar sense" that allows him to perceive the proximity and arrangement of objects around him. He cannot, however, discern pictures or video images, and he can only guess at colors based on the amount of heat they are absorbing or reflecting. (Johnny is basically MK's Daredevil)

• Rose(Johnny's mom) was the very woman who taught Johnny how to do that.

• After getting blinded, Johnny matured considerably, losing much of his earlier arrogance and shortsightedness. In the process, he becomes an overall well rounded and serious character, although his penchant for humor remains mostly intact.

• After gaining his powers, Johnny was sent to Seido for several months(this was before Bi-Han was courting Johnny, he started courting him the day he returned)much to the displeasure and anger of Bi-Han and Kenshi.

• Sometimes, Johnny's fellow kombatants forget Johnny is blind- leading to some funny moments similar to A:TLA when the Gaang forgets Toph is blind(perks of being a multifandom😎)

----MK CAST FORGETTING JOHNNY IS BLIND----

*out on a mission*

"There it is!" They heard Johnny exclaim from his cooling seat; aka Bi-Han's lap.

Kung Lao, Syzoth and Tomas perk up

Kung Lao looks around and sees nothing, he sends Johnny an unamused look

"That's what it'll sound like when one of you spots it." Johnny said with a smile and he waves a hand over his blindfold and gets comfy once more in Bi-Han's lap.

- -

*out on a mission in a desert*

Johnny accidentally knocks himself into Kung Lao

"Ow! Can't you watch where your-" Kung Lao stops himself the moment he realized who he was talking to,

"No." Was all Johnny said.

"Right, sorry." Kung Lao rubbed the back of his neck and looked behind Johnny to see Bi-Han giving a cold glare.

- -

*in the Lin Kuei mansion*

Kung Lao was drawing Syzoth, who was missing, with Johnny who was laying down and listening to soft music he was playing on his phone.

Raiden and Ashrah come in and Raiden happily says, "We found a printer to make our posters!"

Kung Lao replied with, "Hey, I thought making the missing Syzoth posters was my job. I've been working all day on my Syzoth!"

The Chakram wizard shows them a badly, but also cutely, done drawing of Syzoth.

"It's not bad," Kung Lao beams, "but also not good." Kung Lao deflates.

"C'mon, Ashrah your being too harsh!" Johnny began, "it looks just like him to me!"

"Thank you! I worked very-" than Kung Lao remembered who said that, "why do you have to do this?"

And can I just say, damn! I look cute in my banner!

[quranwithsehar]

It is said that after prophethood began, the first command given was about Namaaz. Hazrat Jibreel AS came and taught how to pray and do wuzu, and the order was to pray two rakaat in the morning and evening. It didn't start with five daily prayers all at once, but rather with a small beginning.

Imagine the desert of Arabia, a nation deeply involved in idol worship. In such a time, Allah sent His angel to the best among them, granting him prophethood and the responsibility to spread the message.

The first thing they were taught was to pray. They weren't given orders about charity, jihad, or anything else, nor were they told not to listen to music or how to raise children, or even what not to eat. There was no prohibition at the start, just one task: keep yourselves clean and pray two rakaat of prayer, once in the morning and once in the evening. That's it!

What do we do? When we join an Islamic school or take a Quran course, we often rush home on the first day and immediately start telling our parents about all the wrong practices they are following. We tell our sisters that their nail polish is forbidden, and we tell our cousins how shaping their eyebrows or not wearing a headscarf will lead them to hell. Within 24 hours of listening to an Islamic lecture, we start giving verdicts on what others shouldn't be doing and how they are making mistakes.

By doing this, we start many arguments and upset a lot of people. We engage in debates, and in the end, we defend our points with flushed faces and shaky voices, thinking that the opposition we face is the same as what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) faced, or that every follower of the truth must endure such challenges. We end up seeing ourselves as victims, while labeling our family members as misguided.

When you preach Islam by giving speeches, passing judgments, and pointing out others' mistakes, this has nothing to do with the way the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) spread Islam. The Prophet (PBUH) didn’t spread Islam by criticizing people, raising his voice, making them feel bad, or forcing them to follow Islam through anger. The Prophet (PBUH) started spreading Islam — not by forbidding things, but by encouraging people to do something positive: keep themselves clean and pray.

When we come back from Islamic schools or courses, the first thing we do is criticize people's appearances and actions. We point out whose pants are too long, who doesn’t have a beard, or who isn’t covering themselves properly. Our focus starts with things that were introduced much later in Islam.

What we need to learn is that if we truly want to connect someone to the religion, we should first introduce them to an act of worship, something they can do. The time to forbid things will come, but not yet. First, we should gain proper knowledge ourselves, and then, when this act of worship starts bringing light into their life, we can gradually guide them toward the things they should avoid.

But we don’t do this. We start with criticism. Why? Because we focus on feeling superior. We want to say something different in gatherings, show people that we know more, and tell them they are wrong according to religion. This gives us a sense of satisfaction, but it’s actually pride in our knowledge. This is the same pride that Iblees had when he refused to bow to Adam.

Our goal should be to guide people toward Islam, not to push them away. We should think, "This person is in darkness, and I want to connect them with Allah's light, just as I was guided by Allah." We should approach them with kindness, making sure that none of our words hurt their feelings. They should not feel distant from religion after seeing us. Our words about Islam should inspire them, not push them away.

This is how you spread Islam with love, gentleness, and kindness. Unfortunately, it’s often those who have limited knowledge of religion who end up pushing entire groups of people away from Islam by focusing only on criticism, instead of connecting them with Allah.

[simplegenius042]

Late WIP Poll Winner(s) Wednesday

With Round 2 results in, here are the FC5 WIPs of Silva's Hope and the still unnamed "Proposed Arranged Marriage" scenario. For a cleaner context, I added a few more sentences.

I will be combining the rest of the other non-winner poll WIPs into one post soon. And catching up on some tags.

Tagging everyone who tagged me or were in the notes of this poll: @voidika @chazz-anova @inafieldofdaisies @cassietrn @adelaidedrubman @socially-awkward-skeleton @direwombat and @strangefable + anyone else who wants to read.

First! More Silva's Hope. Reminder that this WIP of mine is still under construction and some things may or may not change in the future. Introducing John's personal Chosen bodyguard (translation: unpaid babysitter), Nadi Sinclair doing some digging for Nancy:

Adjusting her shoulder, bringing the phone closer to her ear, Nadi asked into it, "Sister Nancy, I can't find any headlines nor editorials on "Elsa Omar" or any "Floristry"... are you certain there's something here? Perhaps you had read wrong, no?"

The older woman on the other end replied, her aged and gentle voice filled with patience, "I guarantee its in one of them papers, Sister Nadi. My eyes remember the exact words when I read the cover. You'll find it eventually dearie." Nadi made an affirmative hum as she unwrapped the next piece of paper.

And lo and behold, the words "MISSING OWNER OF ELSA'S FLORISTRY FOUND! BODY RECOVERED IN LOCAL HENBANE CAVE" were centered right in the middle of the page. Nadi blinked, momentarily perplexed, and checked the date of publishing. December 7th, 2013. Bringing her eyes back to the story, she read the first few lines the page had to offer.

And Kamski's POV in the arranged marriage scenario WIP!

[TW: Mention of coerced marriages and implications of canon infanticide. Also emotional manipulation?]

Joseph appeared unbothered by his lack of trust in the prophet's words, and seemed to decide to placate the doctor's paranoia, "I assure you Doctor Neon, we care for Deputy Omar's health as much as you do. God is looking out for your charge, and will protect her from the Collapse. You can trust me to keep her safe."

Kamski hummed, unconvinced. He really wanted to scoff and snarl at the man in front of him. Yeah, shooting, stabbing, almost drowning, torturing, drugging, sicking wolves on her, almost killing her in general, letting her starve and dehydrate while conditioning her to kill innocent people has been a wonderful method of tending to her health. He hated the serenity in Joseph's voice, how easy it was for him to lie to the Good Doctor's face. Does he really think me, a 58-year-old self-taught medic and doctor, that naive? Is he so focused on what he thinks God demands of him that he can't see this isn't what Silva needs or wants? How trapping her in another set of walls will do her more harm instead of less? "Care for her" my ass. Kamski doesn't exactly know what Joseph's game is, but the evidence points to possibilities that do nothing to decrease the disgust and contempt he felt toward the so-called prophet. He knew the last place Silva should be was near Joseph and the cursed prophecy that just continues to take so much from them. He hated the familiarity of the situation, hated how little control he had again, and despised himself for wishing Paul was there. At least Paul could protect her.

Kamski shooed away those thoughts. No! Remember what he took away from Silva. Be glad he's gone. Kamski exhaled a breathe and looked to Joseph. His siblings were still around, including Silva's unwanted suitor, but the doctor felt unconcerned by their presence. If they wanted Silva to join the family, despite how low of a chance that actually is, they would need him alive. Though Kamski wasn't unprepared to fight back should he need to. After all, he couldn't trust these Saints to keep their words. He stared through the yellow lens of Joseph's aviators. It nagged him, the certainty Joseph had that he could keep anyone, especially Silva, safe, when it was him who was the danger. Kamski knew from experience that at a moments notice, whether it was "God's Will" or his own, he could have Silva life end without hesitation. Even his own family wasn't safe. A reminder he chose now to address in his response.

"Just like you protected your daughter?"

[jimintomystery]

DS9: "Prophet Motive"

Grand Nagus Zek returns to Deep Space Nine to announce his new edition of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, rewritten to promote generosity instead of greed. When Quark investigates Zek's change of heart, he discovers that the Nagus recently had an encounter with the Prophets who dwell in the Bajoran wormhole! Also Doctor Bashir is nominated for an award or something.

All too often in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, there will be a story where they tack on an irrelevant Quark cameo so that main cast member Armin Shimerman isn't left out. They do this with all the regulars from time to time, but it sticks out more with Quark, since there are so many plots where it's tough to justify a scene with a civilian bartender. Once you start noticing this, you can't un-see it. Anyway, this episode is the flip-side of that, in that the Carrington Award story is totally pointless except to get everyone else screen time in a Quark episode.

As Ferengi episodes go, this one is pretty good. I suppose that's because it starts with the basic Ferengi premise (a race of greedy aliens) and does a big reversal (but what if they weren't greedy?) instead of diving deeper (i.e., let's worldbuild the greedy aliens until we run the gimmick into the ground). Quark isn't too selfish (he's basically doing the right thing!), Rom isn't too stupid, and Zek isn't too obnoxious.

The most remarkable thing about this story is that Zek and Quark enter the wormhole and commune with the Prophets! We'll see a lot more of them going forward, so it's easy to forget this is the first time we've seen them at all since the pilot, when Commander Sisko taught them about linear time and baseball. They feel a bit off here, as if they're a gentle parody of the actual Prophets to play into the comedy of Ferengi episodes. I can't really see them being all that judgemental about Zek's greed, certainly not to the point of examining the history of his species and altering his mind.

On the other hand, this odd encounter does set up a very important plot point down the line. Because of Sisko, the Prophets see linear existence like a game that must be played out. And thanks to Zek and Quark, they are very testy about those who would try to control the outcome of the game...

[heathersdesk]

"So you're telling me that Jesus Christ is there to save you from what God is going to do to you if you don't repent?"

In this worldview, divine law and sin exist solely as the mechanisms for being punished and rejected by God. The atonement of Jesus Christ, as a result, saves people not from sin or Satan, but from a God who is tallying our wrongs to exact a punishment. The only thing stopping this God is the mercy of Christ, who nullifies the consequences of our actions through his own torment and suffering. We learn nothing, Christ suffers, and a violent God is appeased by watching an innocent man die.

Let's unpack all of this so we can throw it away because it's inaccurate theology that misunderstands and taints pretty much everything it touches.

Divine law does not exist to catch us in wrong doing, to provide the rules by which God can punish us without restraint. That's a projection onto God from the experience of dealing with horrible people. They may do this to us, but God does not.

A great way to prove this is to look at what sin actually is. Something doesn't become sinful "just because God said so." Sin, by definition, is anything that causes "temporal death" or "spiritual death." If it doesn't cause physical harm or distance us from God, it's not a sin. This is actually a really good standard for discerning and judging whether something that is being called sinful comes from God or not.

Murder? Physical harm. Sin.

Idolatry? Spiritual harm. Sin.

Refusing to ever identify myself as a Mormon or LDS again, even though they're accurate labels for myself, because of concerns and scruples I don't care about, and for a spiritual benefit that is dubious at best?

Am I saying that prophets and members of the Church have so polluted the notion of sin with their own prejudices and biases that what makes something sinful has completely gotten lost in a sea of crap that was never sinful at all?

Yes. Yes, I am.

Why is this important for answering the question of whether we have a vengeful God and a pushover Christ?

Because it means that the laws and standards by which we're trying to judge the motivations of God have been polluted by human nonsense. It means that the transactional relationship where God and Christ fight over us using fine print and technicalities is as broken as it sounds, and we're not bound by anything that relies upon that as a justification because it just isn't true. It means that if this dysfunctional relationship is what you were taught by family, church leaders, and other members of the Church, you've been taught blasphemy that doesn't even come close to being accurate.

It's impossible to repent of something that isn't sinful. That's why no matter how much you do it, it will never bring peace.

So if transactional atonement is the vestigial anxieties of Calvinism being passed along through generational trauma and it belongs in the dumpster, how should we view the atonement of Jesus Christ instead? What are God's motivations towards us if not to cause misery through setting impossible standards we'll never be able to meet?

God sent us here, in a variety of circumstances, to learn one lesson: to obtain knowledge of good and evil. More specifically, we're here to learn good from evil, and to consistently choose that which is good. We're here to have free will, to use and exercise agency. God gave us the ability to make our own choices, to know ourselves and to seek our own joy.

That's it. That's the plan.

Why is Jesus Christ necessary for God's plan? Because giving self-determination to the entire human race inevitably leads to suffering that we cannot overcome or undo the damage from on our own. We need someone to teach us how to be reconciled to God and to each other.

To put it simply, we have a Savior because we need him. We need him to teach us how to choose between good and evil in a way that no other person can. We need someone who can teach us to right wrongs, to heal wounds, to break generational curses in ways only he could do. He's not an enabler or a pushover. He is the one we depend on to teach us reconciliation. This isn't making that which is wrong or evil magically disappear. It's to resolve conflict and to be fully received again in love.

God is love. Love permeates everything God does. If love is absent, or needs to be redefined or contorted into something that neither looks nor feels like love, then it's not love. And if it's not love, then it's not from God.

Jesus Christ is the embodiment and evidence of God's love for us. That's it. There is no other reason or motivation for us to have a Savior. He doesn't just deliver us from sin. He delivers us to a greater capacity to love God and our neighbors as ourselves. He brings peace to us, the spirit of reconciliation, to everything we do.

(See 2 Nephi 2, 2 Nephi 9, Alma 12, and Alma 34)

[themidnightgoosepal]

Hazbin Headcanons ( mostly Alastor and Niffty) but there's some Husk

Alastor is mixed Creole(that's canon) but specifically his mama is a black Haitian immigrant and his daddy is a white cajun

He has reddish brown hair and lots of freckles

He's tan but ultimately pretty racially ambiguous

His daddy is called Isaac or Isaiah or something(Isaac specifically means to smile or to laugh which could have some interesting implications)

He's actually a bastard because his mama was a nun when she got pregnant with him(maybe not by choice) and she had to flee the convent to america

He used to play dress up with her old habit (nunalastor explanation)

He just has the nun outfit on hand, cause it was actually his mama's

His father is technically not his bio dad. That's probably some unnamed missionary prior the United States occupying Haiti who took advantage of one of the first natives conforming to the church

His mom's name is Mallory because it means faithful/loyal and it fits her as a god-fearing woman but also it can mean unlucky (her life is truly a tragedy)

He's a natural magic user, a witch, he has the gift

His mother went to the church as a way to conform to the oppressive customs of Hispaniola and to get away from her abusive mother but when his powers get stronger, she takes him back to Haiti to see his grandmother, who's like a religious matriarch, like a Mambo

I want to clarify the reason Mallory left was because her mother was a powerful member of the community and she wouldn't have been able to flee her influence unless she entirely left her community

Mallory never wanted to get him involved with his grandmother. She thought she knew enough to teach him about his roots and the religion she grew up in

Because at the end of the day she does still believe in those practices as much as the Christian god

Even if her own mother hurt her in the name of them

The church is oppressive af that far south, though, so they would also have to attend church to avoid suspicion in their community, especially if his daddy is white

she didn't have time and by the time she taught him everything she knew it had gotten far out of hand. She never had this kind of gift and she didn't know what to do

So she goes back to her mother that even though she swore she had left that life behind

Really, she knew this would happen the minute she named her son alastor. That's what Mallory's mother told her to name her child when she was young

"if you eva bear a child, Mallory, may he be an avenger of mine and torment you, chile. Like ya do ta me. Name him Alastor." " Call your child avenger if you want to take charge of your life and fight back for once"

When he harnesses his gifts somewhat and they go back to LO she comes with. A shack just mysteriously pops up in the woods one day way to quick for her to have built it and she just sets up shop

Her name is Abbadon Monet

I think she had a big hand in the Haitian Revolution but like in the background. She would deliver messages through her congregations for revolutionaries or something

And she teaches Alastor all about that side of his heritage, breaking chains, and not bowing down to no man

It would really resonate with a boy that has been beat and brutalized and ostracized all his life by his father, bigger children, white people, people who didn't approve of his parents, people who put him down

And then she teaches him ways to use his magic to fight back. To curse instead of bless and to use the shadow that hangs over his shoulders as a weapon

His mother keeps her maiden name Mallory Monet

She teaches him how to sew and cook. She watches other people's children for money and sings in the church choir even though all she ever really wanted was to take her son and sing in a traveling theatre

Monet is french for to hear or to be heard. Perfect for a lineage of priests, prophets, messengers, and musicians

Alastor's name means tormenter/avenger, if you didn't get that already

So his full name translation is " Avenger that is meant to be heard"

Perfect for a guy with a strong sense of justice that knows he has been persecuted for only the crime of existing

His Grandma definitely picked that name being a revolutionary.

I think Abbadon is a creature of envy. She was likely born a slave and had to fight for every bit of magic and history and knowledge she could

She would be the one to teach Alastor that every bit of gossip, every tidbit of knowledge makes you that much more aware and in control and powerful

Knowledge is power after all, but its also how you stay safe

But she is cruel. Not unlike his father is cruel. His father beats him. She burns him. His father cuts him with axes and knives. She sews his fingers, lips, feet together. It's different cultures with different methods of punishment and yet for both they dole it out for the most minor offense

But he still will sneak out in cover of dark to meet her, because she at least teaches him things and doesn't drink the day away, just smokes Cannabis and sips funny tea from time to time

His grandmother and father hate each other for perceived misanthropy but they are hypocrite

They all speak french creole at home

Husk's full real birth name is Hammarabi Husker

Hammurabi is an old king from the bible

His parents probably were corn farmers hence the name "Husker"

But his first name was the christian name the orphanage gave him

He was born in rural Nevada but got put up for adoption in Las Vegas

He grew up on the streets of a major city in America the melding pot

He's a polyglot (which is pretty much canon)

He's a hustler, a master pickpocket, and a magicians assistant at a casino. Best rogue in the buisness

Sleight of hand is +10

But he gets bored and trains are at the height of production right now(1900-1910s)

So he starts hopping on trains and traveling the country

He's a dark skinned black boy and he has vitiligo( like his white spots as a cat demon)

Also, at least as an adult, Husk is husky

Like he is chubby. He has weight to throw around for real. He was a soldier. He's a big strong boy

He's got a big appetite and nobody is gonna feed him, so he's gonna travel the country to see if there's something for him in the world

I think he has pretty green eyes

He has wings because he was a kamikazee pilot in both world wars, plus probably Korea and Vietnam

Alastor probably fought with him in The Great War

His skills with radio would make sense if he worked in the military

And if he and husk were war heroes, that would make it much easier for him to get a job as a colored man

I think he was a radio host (which he's wanted to be since he learned about radios) I just think he was also a soldier first

Husk meets Alastor going down to New Orleans for Mardis Gras

Alastor is trying to absorb everything he can about magic and sees a kid maybe his age while he's out running errands for his parents, who is saying he's the greatest magician to have ever lived

Hammurabi has been doing great in New Orleans. He's getting so much money he hardly knows what to do with it

Then, when he's trying to win even more in a game of poker, some redhead kid with glasses comes up to him and starts asking him about magic. Just like imagine his surprise when the weird kid with the thick Haitian accent wins the pot and forces him to " teach him some magic"

And then when 5 minutes into teaching this kid a card trick he says "no, real magic" and Husk says "what do you mean?"

And then his shadow peels off the wall behind him and walks to stand next to this kid and wave. All while alastor stands completely still

And Hammurabi screams and stumbles back on his ass and says "are you a witch!? You have to teach me to do that, I could get so much money"

And alastor says" I can't teach you that. Mwen lonbraj is a unique part of me. But you can come to my house for dinner if you want and I can show you different spells"

They are like bffs

The Magician and The Witch

Mallory is like his mother figure that he never had

But Abbadon scares the everliving shit out of him with her magic. Hes used to classic Houdini type magic tricks

Not genuine powerful hoodoo

Alastor is creepy enough and he's trying to be nice and polite most of the time. Abaddon isn't

He never really meets Al's dad but he hates him

He sees all the injuries on Mal and Al and he hears the stories

Husk and Alastor both have a strong moral compass and get into a lot of fights. Because they don't let it slide when someone talks down to them

Which is dangerous for two colored boys in the Jim Crow era

They get into lots of trouble for sure

He also meets a bunch of other orphans and runaways traveling around the country

They're very Peter Pan and the Lost Boys

Including having to chase after Lonbraj, alastor's shadow

Niffty is tinkerbell

One lost boy, or rather girl, Titania, is trans. Also Husk is trans

Husk knows alastor is a witch

And he takes Titania to meet him and one of alastor's first big ritual spells is that he switches the bio sex

So he transes their genders, like a true ally

The three of them are incredibly close and all of them trust each other more than anyone else they've all had very difficult lives

Titania is actually a Japanese immigrant that ran away from her family after being sexually abused

And Alastor also has a long history of abuse of various kinds

So he and Titania decide to "try it out" to see if it's better when you actually want to do it

And it's fine. Neither really cares for it in the end and they go their separate ways

But she actually is pregnant! And the baby? Is NIFFTY

When Titania realizes she's pregnant she goes to Abbadon, Alastor's grandma

And with her hoodoo magic she looks out over the swamp and for a moment the fireflies seem to spell out a name: NYMPHADORA

And that was the baby's name

That's right her full name is Nymphadora meaning pretty woman

It's just niffty for short

Also she is definitely a firefly demon

Everyone in the hotel thinks she carries around, like, a little backpack full of cleaning supplies

And then one day she opens them up and reveals they were 4 pretty beetle wings all along

And everyone is like why didn't you catch yourself during the trustfall.

1. She likes pain 2. She wanted them to feel bad for not catching her

Also we don't actually see when she jumps off that building after vaggie throws everyone. I think she just glides down

Her top two wings are hard black shell with some yellow stripes around the edge. And her bottom two are beautiful gossamer insectoid with a warm color tint to match the rest of her

Think how she would look backlit

Also the top two black wings probably kinda look like alastor's shadow tendrils

So the image is a nice nod to her daddy

Also I think she should have cute little bug antennae that match alastor's little antlers

I think she has a natural magic gift too, since alastor does and he's her dad

But while Alastor is shadows and plants, she is pure fire magic

I think a part of that is that as a demon she's cursed to burn up every plant she touches(which is taken from a popular head canon that alastor wilts plants he touches, but I think that's dumb)

(His whole thing is that he creates a plant filled biome. His magic definitely lends itself to plant care)

And one day someone gives her flowers and she burns them up and then runs away, crying "WHY DO I DESTROY EVERYTHING I TOUCH!?!?"

But alastor finds her and sits her down and tells her how, even though she makes messes sometimes, she cleans up way more

And that those flowers were dead the moment they were cut anyway but at least she gave them a proper spectacular sendoff in a big ball of flames instead of leaving them to slowly wilt and rot away

And that her fiery personality and spark of creativity are the most charming part of her

And then he makes a bunch of flower puns until she's smiling again

Fireflies have a marking on their head that looks just like niffty's cyclops eye. I think her little blush marks aren't actually blush, but the fireflies 2 other eyes, like how angel's freckles are actually eyes

And she has two extra arms for twice as much cleaning power

And because beetles/insects have 6 limbs(excluding wings)

But she doesn't retract them like angel she pulls them into her sleeves and hugs herself. And then when she needs them she takes them out

Even though she has two arms on each side, they're so skinny both can fit through just one sleeve

Her belly glows like a firefly too

Titania honestly wasn't ready to raise her, though

I think Abaddon actually magically changed her into a firefly in a jar instead of letting this young girl go through the full horrors of pregnancy, much less birth

And by the time Alastor finds out she was ever with child in the first place, probably after he and husk had already left to fight in the war, it's already been years and Titania is gone and Abaddon has disappeared and left him with the shack in the woods

He picks up her magic business on the side, it lets him get to know people from all walks of life, and works at the New Orleans Radio Station as his day job.

And he finds the jar with niffty in it and transforms the firefly it back to a person

But it like violently explodes in a ball of magic fire and burns him and Hammurabi, who was there, and at first they thought it burned the baby (who by the way just pops out full formed, already at like 6 months even though she had never developed that much and also weirdly it had been at least three years since she got jarred)

But actually she just has a reddish birthmark on her forehead (like a cyclops eye)

Husk falls in love immediately. He's been all around but he's never seen someone with a marking that takes up as much of their face as him.

And as soon as he sees her he vows he won't let anyone hurt her like he was because her face looks different

And her hair is an unusually light color for a Japanese kid

But it's the most beautiful brown either of them have ever seen and it glows in the candlelight

And in the sunlight makes it look like a bonfire, like how Al's red hair does sometimes

But hers is even brighter

And her and alastor both have the prettiest brown eyes you've ever seen. But while Al's are a deep ruby red when you gaze into them too long. A fire that's been burning low. The red hot coals under the pot. A comfortable hearth. The sky before a hurricane. The last hearty meal before God's wrath rains down on you

Nymphadora's eyes are bright, such an unbelievably bright amber. They're the lanterns you release on important celebrations. The color of a candlelight vigil. Stars and wonder. Prometheus's gift to humanity. A flame you dance around wildly into the night. And fireflies

They have freckles like ash scattered on their skin

When they're apart, you might not relate one to the other mentally

But when you see them together you know that that is a papa and his bebe

Also Niffty calls him Baba

She kinda has a nasally voice so you can't fully tell if shes saying Mama or papa

And Alastor is very gender nonconforming to me

So no matter who you are you will not be able to picture the parent she's talking about

And then it's alastor and husk

Two large unique looking black men, one of whom is a drunk magician with cards falling out of his pockets every time he stumbles.( He tried to pull out a flask and a dove escapes.)

And the other who is dressed in nice but incredibly worn clothes,including a large burgundy trench coat that has seen better days, and red tinted glasses with wire frames walks with a limp and carries a cane that looks more like a staff used in voodoo rituals. And looks like he just got off a 13 hour shift at the radio station and the bags under his eyes have their own area code, but still won't stop tiredly, manically smiling

juxtaposed against this tiny Japanese kid with bright orange hair and toy fairy wings that will not stop obsessively compulsively cleaning

#Unconventional family

Imagine being her teacher lol

Single parent alastor and drunk uncle husk

Speaking of, I think Alastor killed his dad when he was 13.

In the kitchen with a knife. He actually was planning to kill his father by putting a curse on him. But one night Isaac came home late and Mallory was already in bed, but Alastor was there

He looks just like his mother, even if he is light skinned, even if he has reddish hair instead of her deep brown

Issac went too far that night, he had been going too far for years and Alastor was fed up and desperate

And when his dad was dead he spent all night hiding the body and cleaning the kitchen

Just picture a baby fawn trying to drag a dead body at least twice his size

He told his mom he just never came home

But his grandma knew the truth. Abby was proud of him. And from then on, he started learning much more serious magic at a must faster pace

Including medicine because a couple years later his mom got sick

And when he was 16 he kept next to his mother's bed and watched her pass away

He honestly had a lot on his plate as a kid. It's no wonder he has such a large connection with the shadow. All those emotions he couldn't express built up. He tried to suppress his magic too. It resulted in an explosion.

Maybe in battle. During the war.

He was never a good soldier. He didn't grasp hierarchy well and was horrible at taking orders. But he had some really revolutionary technical skills plus, even with one bad eye, he's a commendable sharpshooter

And he and Hammurabi are quite the duo. The best engineer and pilot duo ever seen

I imagine they accomplished a lot, made changes, won medals, experienced great horrors

I imagine alastor's breaking point then was not long after his first time under siege. He had so much suppressed trauma with his mother's death and his father's abuse and the various forms of discrimination

And he just broke and his shadow who he had always hid behind became a wild beastly shield over the entire trench. And destroyed the opposing fleet

And then he had to use magic to seal the lips of his platoon to keep them from squealing

I understand why he's obsessed with deals if he had such an unpredictable childhood and living a life with so much to hide. He needs contracts with everyone around him so he knows what the expectations are

Because how often was he brutalized for not understanding what was expected of him

He is like a master codeswitcher btw

Also I think he and his mom participated in the church choir

That's right he's a choirboy

He's also a heretic going to church while practicing voodoo

He wears red tinted glasses because it helps to see underwater which is useful for someone who hangs out in a swamp with gators lurking just under the surface

Also if you subscribe to the belief he's colorblind then it's like early colorblind glasses, specifically for red-green colorblindness

He might have been but I think he gets a full color spectrum eventually. Either because he's reborn as a demon with it or he casts a spell on his eyes

Either way it gives new perspective to why he loves red so much if he couldn't see it until fairly recently in his life

After his mom died he gets recruited to the military

But I think his first radio was one he collected or maybe stole from somewhere when he was just a tiny boy and it was broken but he fixed himself and he was so proud

And had to subsequently fix it again over and over everytime his father broke it in a fit of rage, which happened way too many times

But he never stopped enjoying learning about radio, even if it was to fix a grown man's temper

I also think he lived in a shotgun shack in a ghetto

He was surrounded by people at all times and nobody ever tried to save him from the abuse, which probably gave him an exhibitionist complex(given that he broadcasts screams of his victims, though, that's not surprising)

Even though he's ace, he's still pretty kinky. I doubt he realizes it though

I also think that since he's a canon sadist, hes also a masochist. It's two sides of the same coin really

He probably has a long self harm history (he already canonly has trichtolomania). It's all just an attempt to be in control of his own pain though

I feel like his childhood was a horror story. Like, I think the reason he carries a cane is that as a human he has a limp. Possibly from war. But I also think it at least is partially related to abuse

Like he was pushed into a pond on purpose and some gators got his toes #weirdkidlore

It's very human of him to be embarrassed about his feet, just for them to become hooves that he doesn't know how to take care of in death

And I'm sure he has a hard time accessing emotions so he might recreate those extreme situations from before he started internally blocking off and shutting down in an attempt to "feel something again"

A Lot of people with ASPD have substance abuse issues

He has high alcohol tolerance from years of overdrinking

Also he smokes cannabis for sure. He's always smiling, his eyes are red, I think he'd look cool smoking from a pipe

And since this is before the war on drugs, he's probably taken all kinds of other old timey pharmaceuticals too

So like he has experience with some crazy stuff, but mostly he just keeps a packet of those jazz cigarettes in his inside coat pocket in case he has to deal with any of those pesky emotions

Alastor had a fucked up, unimaginably and nightmarishly abusive childhood and he definitely is trying hard to keep Niffty away from that reality. Obviously there is a lot of very real discrimination he has no control over and probably hates himself about.( I think he does try and do something about it but I'll talk about that in a moment)

In comparison, his brother, war buddy, and now coparent who had a neglectful childhood as an orphan, but isn't at a point in his life where he realizes he had a bad childhood because he's hyper independent and thinks that running around the continent unsupervised built his character

They're both traumatized war veterans who have really no idea about raising a child, but one is terrified of fucking up to the point it's overbearing. And the other is borderline neglectful because he doesn't understand kids limits due to his own fucked childhood

Guess who's who (you can't)

So niffty's parents(as far as she knows) are a tired Haitian man that works full time on the radio and probably also a bootlegger and a drunk magician.

Also I don't know if I made it clear but alastor for sure bootlegs mead and wine and various other alcohols from stuff in his garden

She goes to school and then hangs out in illegal speakeasies with her parents or waits at home for them to come back from illegal speakeasies

Her cleaning thing probably comes from her not doing well in school and also being a latchkey kid before latchkey kids considering she has two guardians working fulltime. So she does what she can do to help out around the house.

I think after alastor dies, whoever killed him, tries to burn down "the old witch shack" where they live

She wakes in the night to fire all around. Her dad is out doing magic or work stuff she assumes

But when she escapes to the back garden she sees her baba's mangled body dangling from the tree they used to sit under together and read

He has a hole in his head, but to her, for a moment it looks like a third eye

All she can think is how he doesn't have his cane and he has a hard time walking without his cane. Her baba didn't do this to himself

And after she escapes the arson she finds Hammurabi in a one in a million chance and they leave LO and he goes back to moving cross country doing magician grifts and gambling and drinking way more than alastor ever would allow him before, all while dragging a grieving kid behind him

Magic tricks can't fix your dad dying though

And he does love niffty, but alastor wasn't that great a person so he tells her all the truths about her father as she grows up and he tries to ease her into it but sometimes when he drinks too much he just lets things slip

And niffty learns about how he killed all of these people, people in powerful positions, people who hurt and take advantage of the more vulnerable. He did it to try and change the way things were. All in a misguided attempt to make the world a better place for her

So she's the Halcyon Hammurabi Husker's magical assistant. but after the shows over she has to hang back alone and clean the venue and clean their hotel room and cook her own meals and be in charge of all these things. And then Husk comes home and after he sleeps off his hangover, there's a couple hours that he can teach her some English, science, math, and Japanese and then it's back to the show

Then of course the WW2 happens and he's deployed again, multiple times over the course of his and niffty's life.

And then she's stuck in a singular place, by herself, with only husk's various acquaintances left to check in on her. Waiting for him to return

At least she can go to school again

But of course there are quickly-rising, extreme anti Japanese sentiments. So much so she wonders if this was what it was like for her parents when they were still in the Jim Crow Deep South

And she realizes her Baba could never have protected her from other people's pure hate

I heard somewhere Slavery was like the original sin of the west and we have had many a martyr. But not one who died for those sins

And I propose that martyr is Niffty

THATS RIGHT NIFFTY

IS THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

I'm kidding but she kind of was a miracle. Like not immaculate conception but immaculate gestation cause she was just a magic bug in a candle jar until alastor said let's see if this magic abortion can still become a baby

I think with the way she probably put her murderer father on a pedestal after he died and the way Husk sort of neglects her its not surprising she gets in with dangerous people

She wants doting and affection that no matter how much she tries to earn by doing acts of service, she will never truly get back now that her father is dead and gone

But she still only has those limited tool sets to offer people. She doesn't know how to do anything else. She can't talk good or do magic of any kind like her parents. All she can do is house chores. But she can also make things, she's found. And she can fix things

Clean things renew things

She can make her own toys and Halloween costumes and food and she can fix husks magician outfit and mend her clothes. And she can make art

Also I think Husk is a very talented artist in his free time he just doesn't talk about it

He has a stockpile of old art and supplies in storage somewhere(although once alastor has his soul, al repossesses it all. It's in the attic of his creepy witch shack in the bayou pocket dimension) along with his other juck he's collected over the years

Alastor is a doodler. He loves cartoons and designing sigils

And I think when niffty has cleaned up all the corners of the house she can think of, she does art

She dates a lot of people very quickly in her teen years. She doesn't have a great sense of danger and she's unsupervised for the most part.

She probably also gets a lot of jobs that she does okay in but has a hard time keeping, for various reasons

She meets one guy after all of her attempts that seems just so loyal. He's always so grateful for her housekeeping skills and he seems like he would never leave her. He even asks her to marry! And of course she says yes. Husk is never really around. He's been different since he's come home from the war. He doesn't even do his magician's act lately. Since they legalized alcohol again all he does is lay around drinking while she rushed to clean up around him. But he doesn't even praise her. He barely acknowledges her. She's saved up a lot from all her jobs that she's been hiding under her floorboards to keep husk from gambling it away

So they elope. And they get their own house and they start a new life. But her husband changes after they're married. He gets meaner, he expects more, he cares less

Where she used to have time for herself to enjoy her interests, now he gets just so mad if she's not cooking or cleaning or not doing anything for them and their life( read: him and his comfort)

She used to be able to have her hobbies. Her favorite thing in the world is puppets. She loves to make them(she uses the sewing and voodoo doll making skills alastor taught her) and write fun scripts for them and put shows on for the kids at the local library and the farmer's market It was the only place she felt she belonged. She could be different people, focus on something outside of herself. But also writing down and acting out her problems helps her process her emotions

That's her last straw. Her puppets. When he gets meaner and meaner and more violent, she understands, even those few times, when he actually hit her while he had a little too much. She knew it was because she wasn't doing enough

But then he goes to far. He has some miniscule complaints about her cooking and how the bathroom wasn't clean enough and how she didn't make their bed right. She's just been saying she'll do better next time. But he's getting angrier and angrier and she's sure he will absolutely rip her a new one but then he storms off. And she thinks he's gone to bed so she takes out her puppet projects and lines them up and gets ready to practice her new play. Hopefully then she'll feel better

But out of nowhere he comes behind her and rips the puppet out of her hands when she was fixing Mr. Desmond's tiny hat shouting how she cares more about these puppets than her own husband and then he RIPS OFF HER PUPPETS HEAD and tosses it at her, hitting her in the face.

And even though she could always sew it back she realizes she does care more about her puppets than him. So, while he's still shouting, she takes out the longest needle she has and slowly stands and very calmly sticks it into his neck until he stops talking and instead starts choking

He pushes her to the ground and runs outside presumably to a phone booth

And then the police show up and not long after she is in a white building that she will not leave for a long time

The doctors all say that there's something wrong with her. She tries a lot of drugs and talks to a lot of people about things she's never even really considered before, like her baba and her husband.

She sees husk for the first time in years but only once. She cries and screams in his face that he never loved her and get her out of here she doesn't want to hurt people but he just leaves. He doesn't come back for a long time

One day they tell her that since nothing is working and she's not better yet they're going to try something new.

They strap her to a chair and give her more pills and injections and the put a mask over her face and it all makes her very tired. So she goes to sleep

But when she wakes up, in the same spot there's a bunch of doctors and nurses very close to her and she feels a poke under her eye. And she panics

She thrashes and moves and cries for her baba and the poke becomes a burn becomes a pop becomes a gush but she doesn't stop trying to escape. The doctors are trying to hold her down now. They're trying to put the mask on her and poke needles in her arms. It feels like an eternity of struggle but then the dual sensations of not being able to breathe and feeling her brain leaking out of her face becomes too much and the world goes black

And she wakes up in bed

She doesn't ever feel the same after that. She feels like they stole her brain. Like they scooped it right out

The next time she sees husk is weeks after they tell her she's better fixed. She never felt like there was anything even wrong

But Husk takes her home. A different one than she remembers. He says he has to leave her alone again and that he's sorry but he'll be back soon

She's not so good at time anymore. It feels like it's been a long time. She's been alone a long time

Then she sees her husband in her and Uncle Hamby's home. Shes not sure he's real but he takes her with him. She doesn't really want to go. But he says he has all of her puppets and clothes and toys if she just goes with him. So she does

And he does. And they're happy again. For a bit. She cleans and plays and does things her way and he doesn't complain. But he's started a new game. It's called pictures

She does whatever she wants, keeps things tidy her way and makes strange concoctions in the kitchen that her husband tries every time, even when he doesn't want to, plays puppets

And then at night he takes pictures of her with no clothes. He doesn't touch her unless to punish her for not being very very still for the camera. Or to reposition her. But at least he leaves her alone the rest of the time. He's not even home except at night.

One day she runs out of some cleaning supply or cooking ingredient and goes out with the money she gets from her husband(for his pictures) and she sees her husband across the street through the window of a diner with another woman

She goes in and sits at the booth next to them. They don't notice her

She hears the other woman say how much money they're making with this new business. They could be the next playboy her husband says. All these girls are so dumb they don't even know how much they cost.

She goes home and thinks. She thinks how her husband doesn't ever take her out or even do anything with her. She has her own room now and he doesn't stay with her except to take pictures. How did she never realize how strange that was before?

She doesn't love him. He doesn't love her. She's being used for money. For her body, and not even in a fun way

She waits for her husband to get home. He takes his pictures, like every night. And goes to bed, in his own separate room.

She locks all the doors takes out a container of gas and pours it so it soaks into all the carpet. It's on all the walls. She hunkers down in the puppet theater she made with all of her real friends, the only creatures to ever care about her surrounding her. And lights a match and throws it out. And it gets hotter and hotter and she hears her "husband" screaming behind his locked door and the smoke makes it harder to breathe but eventually, holding her puppets with fire all around her, the pure light goes black

PART 2 PENDING

[lunarsilkscreen]

Comedian, Philosopher, Prophet

[Wisecrack]{Michael Burns} asked the question that has been asked for at least a hundred years; "Are comedians the new philosophers?" And on YouTube at least; you can see videos dating back at least 15 years also asking this same question.

Something that people are wary about doing, however; is equating philosophers and prophets.... In case we accidentally cause a new Christian Jihad ...

We must first ask ourselves; did the ancient Philosophers actually see themselves as philosophers? Or, were they more akin to YouTubers? People who suddenly found themselves with a platform with which to put their ideas out into the world; and have people listen to them?

What's the connection between them and educators? Ministers? Mathematicians?

Often have people convened, and talked about how they performed their craft. Carpenters, farmers, potters, millers, etc ... It's a modern invention that we look at knowledge as something to be kept secret; dangerous secrets could hurt people, but mostly; secret knowledge is how we maintain our profit margins. (*Cough*Coca-Cola*Cough*)

Those secrets formed the basis of copyrights, patents, and paved the way for the tools of industry to be placed in the hands of the few instead of the many.

And created the modern feude we know as Capitalism vs Socialism.

But what is a prophet?

On the surface, a prophet is a fortune-teller. Somebody who is able to discern the future through divine means. Somebody who says "This is what's gonna happen if we stay on this path" and then later says "See; I told you that would happen. Remember when I said that happened? I called that s*."

But we have modern day prophets and fortune-teller and diviners today. And not just two-bit carni-folk performing a mysticsm show (no offense to carni-folk.) We have people in very important positions whose sole job is to discern what course of action should be taken in order to avoid catastrophy.

Joseph, Jesus, and more perform roles that we now see as "consultants", "comedians", "philosophers", "educators", "medical doctors", "engineers", "politicians", and so much more.

Hell, we even have near accurate weather forecasts these days. Down to the exact area, and second.

Philosophers, like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, and Pythagoras. they did more than establish thought experiments like "the cave" and create very comedic and enjoyable stories that also teach life lessons.

They taught about language, mathematics, and all but laid the ground work for many of our modern educational systems. K through C.

Today; Comedians also fill roles in politics as advisors and consultants. I'm not gonna name names; they know who they are and some of them will even tell you. (And do so in their routines)

The question we should be asking; is "philosopher" just the title we bestow onto Comedians who have long since died and are remembered for something more than fart jokes and being "edgy"?

We certainly know that the title "Prophet" can only be bestowed by the church, so there must be something similar to being a "Philosopher". Separation of church and state maybe? Or state and populace?

Whatever it is; A philosopher is somebody who is long remembered for the ideals they helped instigate, long past their own earthly demise.

[stevesociety3]

[Phase 2] was The Evangelization Phase of This Ministry and Jesus and I Fellowshipped with Everyone We had Chosen from Hollywood so They would Hear/Receive God's Message From/Through me..

God's Message has Been Delivered/Shared/Taught Over 10 Years

Now Jesus and I want a "Clean Fellowship" comprised of People Who Actually Like Us

Satan's [False Prophets] Reveal Those Who Do Not Like Us but Want Something/Someone Else Instead

This is Both Normal and Biblical

Jesus Calls it "Separating the Wheat from the Chaff"

It is God's Way/Design/Plan

[feministfang]

No honey! It’s not desi culture, it’s muslim culture. Because this happens in every muslim community in the world. Even in the muslim families settled in the non-islamic cultures in west. The corrupt regimes run by muslim men are not abusing or misinterpreting the religion for political power, they are FOLLOWING exactly what’s taught in islam; the religious cult these satans themselves made for power.

You don’t even live in a muslim culture like we Arab, Middle Eastern and South Asian women do, so you don’t have any right to give your opinions on islam and islamic cultures. I can tell you clearly don’t know anything about islam. Because being raised in your privileged bubble in the western white people's world that you don’t even like, i am sure the only "islamic" education your parents gave you was learning the words "Allah! Allah!" when you were a toddler.

But if you were actually raised in an islamic culture, then there’s only one explanation for why you are being so defensive of such a disgustingly misogynistic religion, instead of waking up and liberating yourself from it. You are one of those brainwashed pick-me muslim girls who hate the awakened and educated anti-islamic people to prove her loyalty to her religion and her islamic supremacist self.

Go and teach the men what real islam is if you think they are not following it properly. Why the fuck are you even here trying to teach me about it??? Hmmm🤔… i think i know the answer to this! It’s because deep down even you know that they are following real islam, not some misinterpretation of it.

They will throw one quranic verse or your pedo prophet's so called wise words on your face proving their misogyny as righteous. So instead, like every other muslim supremacist, you shamelessly guilt-trip the women oppressed in islamic cultures into silence by making them believe they are the ones wrong about islam.

My dear, you are using the very old tactics of islamic culture where you cry about Islamophobia to make people who are anti-islam feel guilty for it. But for your information, those tactics are not gonna work anymore. Especially not on me! So take my advice and don’t give your irrelevant opinions on social media thinking you can silence us to pave way for your jihadist self so you can easily spread your false positive propaganda about islam. It’s not gonna happen on my watch!

I am a proud Islamophobic feminist, surrounded by other Islamophobic feminists, making sure more people become Islamophobes and encouraging more muslim women to leave Islam. So you can shove your "ThiS is nOt rEliGiOn bUt cUlTuRe" nonsensical argument in your ass.

I am aware you’re illiterate, but let me remind you that religion IS the root cause of misogynistic cultures, hence feminism is supposed to be anti-religion. You cannot be pro-islam and call yourself a feminist at the same time. The only type of radical feminism content you share on your blog is what resonates with your islamic beliefs lmao 💀. You could try to learn something from the thousands of well-articulated anti-religion posts on tumblr to gain a little bit of common sense but instead you chose to mishandle the term for your personal religious agenda!

Typical muslim mentality! 🙄🤮🤮🤮🤮

So once again we are in the month of Ramadan where girls and women in muslim families would be starving for the whole day while also cooking so much food for the whole family to eat in iftar, cleaning the entire house for unexpected guests, not allowed to fast during menstruation but also still can’t eat anything because men of the family shouldn’t know she’s on her periods nor can she take rest because she still has to do the cooking, washing loads of dishes after the entire family is done with the iftar and then also cooking dinner. Meanwhile men would sleep for the entire day, would go to mosque just one or two times to pray and then come back and lie on their bed again while watching TV , and then later complain about the food not being cooked properly like the shameless filths they are. Even if a man would stand up and help his female family members in the kitchen, muslim women would praise him like he deserves a noble peace prize for that.

I am glad i stopped fasting in ramadan months a long time ago. I am happily eating my food and drinking water and not doing anything for anyone. I don’t give a shit if any one of these fasting morons feel hungry or thirsty while watching me enjoying my food.

[saintstopsaintquestionsaintshout]

Hey, this’ll be fun- here’s a write-up of a couple… Philosophies(?) my buddy and I came up with during the most degenerate, drug-induced years of our lives!

1. The Real

So, what do you remember from before you were born. That rhetorical- the answer is darkness. And what do you think is gonna be around after you die? You can argue, but our answer? Also darkness. So. This (maybe about sorta) 80 year gap of lights and colors and being alive is in the VAST minority out of all the time between the Big Bang and the heat death of the universe. If this were a statistical model, it would be a VERY extreme outlier, and (generally) it’s kinda taught that outliers shouldn’t be too heavily considered… *Especially* if that outlier is a single point, as opposed to a statistically-irrelevant group. So. What’s more, “really?” Gotcha- that’s rhetorical again- the answer is the darkness. So, when we die and, “go real/go to the real,” that’s a return to normalcy. You could take this either way- our time here is unique and beautiful and should be savored… *or* our time here is fleeting, irrelevant, and meaningless in even the tiniest scale. Not speaking for my buddy, but I was depressed as hell at the time, so I would’ve said the second one.

1.2 The Real (DLC)

Okay, sorry, I lied. See, you don’t *remember* anything before you were born- but if you did, you would remember there is ONE other thing in the darkness…. It’s Fortnite. Yep. Before you were born and after you die there is nothing but an endless void of darkness and a ftp battle royal game.

2. Candle Time

My buddy has decided that the world is too complicated, too messy, too busy- and he has the perfect solution. He WOULD spread his revolutionary idea… but for reasons that will soon be evident, he gave *me* the responsibility of being his prophet. So. Here it is.

What does he need? Three things- a candle, a floor towel, and a gi (specifically, he was taking about the garment worn on Stevie Wonder’s album Talking Book, but I’m not sure that’s actually called a gi but whatever go with it.)

Does he need food? No. Water? No. Where’s this gonna be? Idk man, like a concrete basement/box. Will there be windows? No. Doors? No. What else can you tell me? That’s it dude, it’s just my candle and me, kneeling on my towel, in my gi. Meditating or something. Until you die, of starvation or whatever? Yeah, I guess, maybe the candle will sustain me, I haven’t tried it out yet, dude.

And then he went on to talk about how he needed me to spread the message of his new way, because he obviously couldn’t, because no one would be in his room/box- just him and his candle and his gi. The towel is optional, and not really necessary, actually.

3. Path of the Devoted

Eh, this one came to mean a couple things. Shorter meaning is just- nicotine addiction. Getting buzzed was, “walking the path,” and your journey to… the end of the path. The second meaning is *slightly* more in-depth, but not very different. It was kind of a religious-skinned diagram (or path) of our drug… journey? Experiences? Trouble? Basically think of the structure of the Catholic Church, but instead of moving from priest to bishop to whatever to whatever it was the increased… “hardness,” I guess? Of drugs until you… “ascended.” I think it went something like- nicotine, booze, pot, tussin, Benadryl (don’t ask and don’t try, lmao) shrooms, lsd, e, coke/stimulants in general, and then stuff we didn’t get around to before getting clean. The religious icon of our movement was a disposable vape with something like, “Follow the path,” or just, “Path of the devoted,” sharpied onto it. It’s still around somewhere, actually.

Thats all I remember from the demon days- remember, always be safe and use responsibly. Kids will always be dumb, and will never be convinced to not do something, so at least make sure they know how to do stuff safely. Goodnight.

[the-hem]

"Standards of Beauty in Truth." From the Chandogya Upanishad, the Exploration of the Mysteries of the Priesthood.

Chapter I − Dialogue between Narada and Sanatkumara

1 Om. Narada approached Sanatkumara as a pupil and said: "Venerable Sir, please teach me."

Sanatkumara said to him: "Please tell me what you already know. Then I shall tell you what is beyond."

 2 Narada said:

"Venerable Sir, I know the Rig−Veda, the Yajur−Veda, the Sama−Veda, the Atharva−Veda as the fourth Veda, the epics (Puranas) and ancient lore (Itihasa) as the fifth, the Veda of the Vedas (i.e. grammar), the rules of the sacrifices by which the Manes are gratified, the science of numbers, the science of portents, the science of time, logic, ethics, etymology, Brahma−vidya (i.e. the science of pronunciation, ceremonials, prosody, etc.), the science of elemental spirits, the science of weapons, astronomy, the science of serpents and the fine arts. All this I know, venerable Sir.

3 "But, venerable Sir, with all this I know words only; I do not know the Self. I have heard from men like you that he who knows the Self overcomes sorrow. I am one afflicted with sorrow. Do you, venerable Sir, help me to cross over to the other side of sorrow."

Sanatkumara said to him: "Whatever you have read is only a name.

4 "Verily, a name is the Rig−Veda; so also are the Yajur−Veda, the Sama−Veda, the Atharva−Veda as the fourth Veda, the epics and the ancient lore as the fifth, the Veda of the Vedas, the rules of the sacrifices by which the Manes "mind platforms" are gratified, the science of numbers, the science of portents, the science of time, logic, ethics, etymology, Brahma−vidya, the science of elemental spirits, the science of weapons, astronomy, the science of serpents and the fine arts. "Meditate on the name.

5 "He who meditates on a name as Brahman can, of his own free will, reach as far as the name reaches−he who meditates on a name as Brahman."

Narada said: "Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than a name?"

"Of course there is something greater than a name."

"Please tell that to me, venerable Sir."

Narada was the famous Prophet of the god Brahma. He received the gifts of writing, poetry and musicianship from Brahma, whose Duty it is to inspire new work in these disciplines.

Wherever Narada went, he taught people about the Vedas, the Upanishads inside them, the Puranas (entertaining tales about the gods), and the Mahabharat, the History of India.

Sanatkumara was a demigod, the actual Son of Brahma.

In this section of our Textbook for Priests, we get a privileges glimpse into a Direct Transmission between a god and his Prophet.

Narada says to Sanatkumara, “I have read the Great Works and know their contents well, so please tell me why I am still besieged with sorrow.”

“That is because they alone cannot make you happy. They are just a bunch of names for things. Meditate instead on the Brahman.”

Everyone leaves behind a broken life of some kind in pursuit of perfection. The Upanishads say there are standards religions have for how much residual ugliness we are allowed to leave behind in the pursuit of beauty and perfection:

"...the rules of the sacrifices by which the Manes are gratified, the science of numbers, the science of portents, the science of time, logic, ethics, etymology, Brahma−vidya, the science of elemental spirits, the science of weapons, astronomy, the science of serpents and the fine arts, meditate on the names of these first."

[mwolf0epsilon]

What is everyone's greatest fears and insecurities? (I promise this isn't bully anon and I have no ill intent.)

Going for the big guns uh? Buckle in then, let's see what kind of ammo the Fractos has to work with:

Henry Stein - His anger issues. Henry's childhood and adulthood were fairly turbulent because he's prone to getting fits of rage (an issue that was exacerbated when he was drafted to fight in the second world war). There's never been a moment in his life where he wasn't aware that he can hurt people very easily, and it scares him that this is possibly all he's good at. It's why drawing and gardening meant so much to him... For once he could make something good instead of destroying it...

Sammy Lawrence - That he's a weak-willed follower rather than the master of his own fate, untrustworthy and insignificant. His role as the Prophet disgusts him because it's everything he strived not to be, and the hypocrisy of it all left him questioning his identity and sense of self. What is he if he's not Samuel Lawrence Jr? Can he go back to calling himself that? Or is that just another name he can't ever return to ever again...? Just... Who is he?

Jack Fain - Being unable to protect himself and others, no matter how much he tried to be there for his friends. The sense of insignificance and powerlessness left him fearing that every single one if his efforts is in vain.

Susie Campbell - That she's not good enough. Always second best to someone more talented and beautiful than her. That no matter how hard she tried, she should have just given up and let the world step all over her.

Norman Polk - That he's nothing more than an unwanted and unlovable creepy brute. As a tall bulky man of his age and background, Norman's always had a lot against him. But, even when snapping at people or fighting back just as hard was warranted, he never let himself stoop so low. Becoming the out of control and monstrous Projectionist wounded him deeply...

Allison Pendle - That deep down she's just as selfish and careless as Joey. They got along fine because they had a level of understanding about certain arts they were mutually interested in... Maybe that means she's rotten like him. A danger to others if she ever becomes as jaded as he did...

Thomas Connor - The worst part is the guilt. If he hadn't been complacent to Joey's will to begin with, none of this would have happened. He's stuck in a cycle of grief and what ifs, afraid that he's damned everyone because of his own hubris as a prideful engineer.

Shawn Flynn - His willful ignorance will haunt him forever. He knew something was wrong, but he'd rather ignore it and make a quick buck than actually stop to think. It only struck him that he was in too deep when Grant began to deteriorate, and by then it was too late to stop. If only he hadn't been so selfish and cocky...

Grant Cohen - That he deserves all of this in some twisted terrible way. His life has always been one string of misfortunes after another. Maybe he was a bad person in another life. Maybe he didn't show enough people kindness in this one... Maybe he's just destined to suffer. He's always been and always will be unable to save himself...

Buddy Lewek - That he's too weak and cowardly to be of any help. Everyone has been doing so much to keep him safe, and he doesn't have the strength to do the same for them. He feels guilty about it, but he just... He just can't... He's afraid and he wants to go home. He wants his mom... And he feels bad that he's this pathetic when his friends need him most.

Abby Lambert - Regret, guilt, sorrow... She knows them all to well. Most of all she knows hatred the best... She hates that she was so bad a judge of character that she couldn't see just how bad things got. Just how far Joey would take it... She was blind to it all because she considered him a friend, and she'll never forgive herself or him for it...

Doc Hackenbush - That he didn't leave when he could have. He was aware and against the results of the experiments, but he was also curious. Morbidly so. He could have helped stop all of this before it got to this point... But instead chose to stay quiet. A choice that will haunt him forever.

Bertrum Piedmont - That he'd been too proud to realize he was digging himself and Lacie an early grave. What hurts most now isn't even the state he's in... It's that he damned his closest friend to this terrible fate as well...

Lacie Benton - That she couldn't convince Bertrum to not accept a contract with Joey. She knew something was off with the man... She just couldn't imagine this being how it ended... Feels like she failed her dearest friend.

Emma LaMonte - Her biggest regret is not telling her family how much she appreciated them. She'd been a stuck-up unpleasant and difficult lady all her life and now... She fears she'll never have a chance to make amends.

Detective Sinclair - That he failed Joey in some way, thus made him more prone to becoming less interested in being a law abiding citizen. He knows that something broke when he failed that case... That somehow he taught that young and impressionable puppy-eyed boy that justice only matters as long as you're caught... He's a failure of a detective and all of this is his fault...

The Ink Demon - That his imperfections are the reason everyone is suffering. That he's not good enough to deserve to live. That he's a monster that taints everything he touches... The list goes on...