#its *liberating* and powerful but ah

[payaso-gomi]

Working on two new (to y'all) girlies!

We have the Missus Ma'm, Eliana Santos (they/them), a psychiatrist and part time detective partner to Damien Darkblood. They're a big ol' bleeding heart and try to see everyone's side of a problem. Very very patient but given the opportunity they will curb stomp a villain proper

Then we have Miss Cunt herself, Luanne Luna! An angel you'd hate to have by your side but need regardless! She's a powerful girl and she knows it. She's irreverent, fiercely loyal ane she looooves getting people riled up. She doesnt really care how, she's an attention whore 🩵🩵🩵

Luanne, given her angelic physique, can't quite conceal her raw power 24/7 and its an issue for mortals. She's rarely seen, invisible to all but a select few. Since Eliana has a particular knack for seeing what other can't (or don't want to) she's able see wee ger

Together, Luanne can possess Eliana to work her powers, which works best when they have group assignments.

[waitmyturtles]

I am here to complain a bit about Jack & Joker (and apologies, because I'm going to make an inevitable comparison to Kidnap at the end of this post), so this post might be triggering for you (consider yourself warned, some of y'all don't read TWs!) But if you wanna hear some constructive criticism about director Tee Bundit's intriguing storytelling choices for this show, then come with me....

... because there's a lot about this show thematically that would usually sit right with me, namely its heavy focus on family.

Thanks to @veemark, we got a deep-dive into the wedding symbolism of last week's Lunar New Year celebration. I can feel that! Joke is clearly deeply touched to finally be a part of a family -- which is ever more meaningful, considering his brutal rejection by his own blood father in this week's episode.

And there are so, so many more family (and wedding) themes (in non-chronological order):

1) Tattoo's mom taking in both Tattoo and Hoy 2) Boss rejecting his own son, Arun, and adopting Jack (to then use Jack for his own financial gain) 3) The community that Ah Mah has built around her, from taking Joke in, to the little girls she hosts 4) Jack losing his parents and being raised by Ah Mah 5) Arun finding new family with Tattoo 6) Understanding how family ties runs the criminal underground of Bangkok 7) All of the ring symbolism, from Jack getting his parents' ring back, to rings being used as power symbols for the aforementioned criminal underground -- a theme I LOVE, actually, because strength in numbers in society always means more power for those individuals, including for couples that get married (INCLUDING FOR COUPLES THAT WILL BE ABLE TO LEGALLY WED IN JANUARY IN THAILAND AND WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR SPOUSAL PRIVILEGES, EEEE!)

So many family themes going on in this show. I love it! I love the indication that when Jack and Joke first met years ago, that there could have been a frisson of potential family between them, two guys meeting at a bar and connecting.

AND, I ALSO love the themes of family fucking each other over. Because families aren't perfect! Not by a long shot. Families can truly suck towards each other. Boss to Arun. Save (FUCKING SAVE, YOU DICK) to Jack. Joke's dad to Joke, all of his life. If we're talking potential family from back in the past, then of course -- Joke fucking over Jack, the issue that started this series.

What's not working for me in this series, though, is that somewhere along this trajectory, director Tee Bundit got too caught up in liberally sprinkling these otherwise excellent themes throughout the show (really, much to my joy, because I otherwise love these themes) without offering emotional build or context to our two main characters. There are other connectivity issues to this show, but this is my main gripe.

Now, I've had an up-and-down relaysh with Tee Bundit's work. I hated TharnType, I HATED Step By Step, I ADORED Lovely Writer, I LOVED I Feel You Linger In The Air. We're teetering on Step By Step-territory here in Jack & Joker by the way that Tee seems to be gunshy about giving romance -- which needs to be the cornerstone of an ostensible romance BL -- time to breathe and develop.

We have jumped from an inferred wedding banquet last week, to tired spousey-spousey dinners this week, with hubs ripping off his tie and apologizing to his househubs about not finishing his plate.

Not to say I need to see the boing! I don't need boing to contextualize romance. What I need to contextualize romance is to see these two falling in love, before their marriage got tired and problematic!

Like. I was watching these dinner scenes, and I'm... trying to parse what's happening at the table. Jack is getting screwed time and time again by poverty. It's brutal. Is Tee saying here that love is an impossibility in the context of poverty?

(I don't know that Jack says that about love, per se, in his monologue to Rose while they're with the village children, but he does talk about the inability of impoverished people to truly dream, so maybe that's the correlation?)

And then, because Jack must make his choice to serve Boss and earn money for his grandmother's treatment -- he has to let go of Joke. But.... they were never together anyway! Right?! (See @lurkingshan here for the wise comment on noble idiocy.)

I'm not bought into the closeness that I'm supposed to assume from Jack and Joke -- because we haven't been taken there yet. I haven't seen that closeness develop. I've seen Joke make it up to Jack for Joke's previous transgressions. But I haven't seen Jack respond to that emotionally, bodily, with heart, as a narrative would otherwise convey romance successfully in a script.

Unless this is an allegory meant to convey that poverty prevents people from falling in love. Is that the message? Because... dang, wtf. That's a hell of a message.

It's a brutal message, if that's the message, commenting on the assumed strength of the criminally powerful of Bangkok to squeeze out every last dream of those who are in lifelong debt to crime lords.

It's a very Tee Bundit message, honestly, as well. I can see him driving this show right towards this message that hopelessness is absolutely a reality for the thousands of impoverished Thais who will die in debt.

But this is a YinWar show -- and, unless we are going to be MASSIVELY SURPRISED, which I don't think we are, the car's gotta drive towards romance at some point. These guys aren't even together, and we're headed towards divorce court. We've missed some significant emotional beats along the way, and my eyebrows are furrowed as to how Tee Bundit will three-point-turn his way out of this traffic jam.

(What's my inevitable comparison to Kidnap? Kidnap is the other crime-y show of this autumn season, and its narrative has jumped all over the place. It's SO MESSY. AND, arguably, Min's and Q's romance has been driving at 90 mph since the start of the show. We've had MORE romance than plot, the opposite issue of J&J. But Min showed his true colors by 4/4 of episode 1. We knew the road we were driving on with our two mains! And there arguably hasn't been jumping of the romance narrative, although we got a pretty fast break-up in last week's episode. Kidnap is messy AF, but its intentions are clear. I'm not getting that clarity -- as cheesy as it's been in Kidnap -- in J&J.)

[luna-naoffcial]

【 𝐀 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 】

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

|| 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐖𝐎 || 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 || 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 ||

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Before you found yourself in the chaotic realm of Hell, your life as a human was filled with its own challenges and hardships. Growing up in a small town, you often felt like an outsider. You had a few close friends, but deep down, you yearned for something more—an adventure beyond the mundane routines of everyday life.

Your family life was complicated; your parents often fought, and the atmosphere at home was tense. Seeking solace, you turned to books and music, immersing yourself in fantastical worlds and melodies that transported you far away from your reality. You dreamed of being free, of exploring the unknown, and escaping the troubles that weighed you down.

In high school, you were an artist at heart. Drawing and painting were your escape, allowing you to express emotions you couldn't vocalize. Your art often reflected your dreams of adventure and mystery, and you longed to share your creations with the world. But self-doubt always held you back from pursuing a career in the arts.

Despite your aspirations, you faced numerous obstacles. Financial struggles and family pressures pushed you toward a more traditional path. You studied hard, aiming for a stable job that would bring in money, but it never quite fulfilled you.

One fateful night, after a particularly rough day, you found solace in the moonlit streets, walking aimlessly, trying to clear your mind. It was then that you stumbled upon an ancient, seemingly abandoned bookshop. Drawn in by its peculiar charm, you stepped inside, eager to lose yourself in the pages of forgotten tales.

As you explored the dusty shelves, you found an old tome with an intricate cover that seemed to hum with energy. Without thinking, you opened it, and the moment your fingers brushed the pages, a powerful force engulfed you. Before you could react, you were pulled into the swirling depths of the book, and in an instant, everything changed.

You awoke in a strange place, surrounded by the sights and sounds of Hell. The chaos and vibrancy of your new reality was overwhelming, but deep down, you felt a strange sense of liberation. Perhaps this was the adventure you had always yearned for—yet it was a world filled with danger and darkness, far from the sanctuary you had hoped to find.

─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────

You stepped through the shimmering portal, heart pounding in your chest. The moment you crossed into Hell, a wave of heat washed over you, enveloping you in an atmosphere of chaos and vibrant energy. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and something sweet yet unsettling.

“Welcome, welcome!” a cheerful voice boomed, echoing off the distorted buildings that surrounded you. You turned to see a tall figure with a wide grin, sharp teeth glinting in the dim light. His eyes were unsettling—one a vivid crimson and the other a deeper shade of black.

“I am Alastor, the Radio Demon!” he introduced himself, bowing elegantly. “And you, my dear, are quite the fresh face around here. What brings you to our lovely little slice of eternity?”

You hesitated, trying to gather your thoughts. "I... I just arrived. I’m looking for a place to stay."

“Ah, the Hazbin Hotel!” Alastor exclaimed, clapping his hands together in delight. “A noble endeavor! It’s just down the street, though I must say, it’s more of a work-in-progress than a proper establishment.” He leaned in closer, his voice lowering conspiratorially. “But fear not! I can assure you it’s the best choice you have in this realm of endless torment.”

With his over-the-top enthusiasm, you couldn’t help but feel a mixture of intrigue and wariness. “Why do you care?” you asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Why indeed?” he mused, his grin unwavering. “Perhaps I’m just a benevolent soul looking to help the lost and hopeless. Or perhaps…” He leaned even closer, his eyes glinting with mischief. “I simply find you fascinating.”

You felt a shiver run down your spine, caught between curiosity and caution. There was something magnetic about him, yet you couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more lurking beneath that charming exterior.

“Come now, my dear!” Alastor beckoned, gesturing grandly toward the hotel. “Let us make haste! You simply must see this place. I promise you won’t regret it!”

With a deep breath, you nodded, following the enigmatic demon. As you walked alongside him, you couldn't shake the feeling that this was the beginning of something extraordinary—something that would pull you deeper into the shadows of Hell, and into the world of the Radio Demon.

-【 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐚 】

─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

𝐇𝐞𝐲𝐚! 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞! 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐥𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫 '𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐚'. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲!

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

Tags: @n0tmentallystable @zoerislovely @mygoldtears @yourmom132 @justawasteoftime1122

[talonabraxas]

Advanced Kali Mantras

Note: These Mantras are very powerful and will definitely bring results. If you are a beginner it may be safer to start off with the simple mantras first because these Mantras can manifest unease.

Kali: The Power of Destruction of Negative Ego

Excerpted from Shakti Mantras: Tapping into the Great Goddess Energy Within

If you are impatient in your worldly or spiritual pursuits, Kali is for you. She is the fast track, often on a bumpy road, to problem solution and spiritual advancement. When called by mantras that carry her vibrations, Kali responds with a direct power that often leads right through some cherished part of our ego attachments. Her power tools are the Kundalini Shakti (the power of spiritual electricity); the Kriya Shakti, the power to creatively affect the universe; and Iccha Shakti, the power of will that personally compels our physical movements and actions, while in the universe it causes the galaxies to rush away from one another into cosmic night. Although she puts “effective” before “gentle,” it should also be noted that even in the midst of the sometimes turbulent effects she produces, Kali is a repository of great compassion.

General Kali Mantra for Relief from Difficult Circumstances

This mantra can be used to bring one very quickly into balance or alignment with regard to a specific situation. The results can be dramatic and even unpleasant, even if they are ultimately the most compassionate. For instance, if you are having problems with a relationship and you use this Kali mantra to invoke her help with the problem, the relationship may end abruptly, even though this is not the outcome you desired. Conversely, a marriage possibility could develop much more quickly from a relationship than you might have desired or felt ready for. Whatever the issue, Kali gets right to the point and lets your ego attachments fall where they may. She is concerned with whatever will be the most beneficial outcome for you from a karmic standpoint, period.

Um Klim Kalika-yei Namaha [Dm Kleem Kah-lee-kah-yea Nahm-ah-hahl

“Om and salutations. I attract she who is dark and powerful.”

Spiritual Evolution Mantra That Is Quick, Powerful, and Unyielding

There is also a longer form of the above mantra that relates to Kali as the destroyer of negative ego on the one hand, and the provider of a very fast route to spiritual liberation on the other. It would be difficult for you to discover this mantra, usually referred to simply and mysteriously as the Great Fifteen-Syllable Mantra. If you decide to work with this mantra, please have extra patience with yourself. Because it can work quickly, it may also cause some turmoil in your daily life.

The mantra will bring to the surface aspects of our ego that we have decided are “OK.” We all become comfortable with ourselves in certain contexts. We know who we are, make allowances for our aberrant behavior, and fool ourselves that we are trying hard and doing the best we can. But if those internal qualities are truly not beneficial to us, this mantra will begin to eradicate even those characteristics we may have decided are “OK,” and want to keep. If we are determined to hold on to parts of ourselves that are based on a deluded sense of satisfaction, particularly if our behavior is less than ideal, then Kali will come to our aid with a stainless-steel, scalpel-like precision.

When we invoke Kali through this mantra, we are saying, “I want true spiritual advancement by the most powerful and direct route, the consequences to my ego notwithstanding.” So if you pick this route, its only fair that you know what you are in for. It will be intense, possibly unnerving, probably uncomfortable, certainly disruptive to one or more aspects of your mundane life, and also very effective in a short amount of time.

Om Hrim Shreem Klim Adya Kalika Param Eshwari Swaha [Om Hreem Shreem Kleem Ahd-yah Kah-lee-kah Pah-rahm Ehsh-wah-ree Swah-hah]

“Om and salutations to She who is the first one, dark within her own reality, the supreme primordial feminine, who cuts through illusion to the unabridged truth of existence.”

Kali: Seated on a corpse, greatly terrifying, laughing loudly, with fearful fangs, four arms holding a cleaver, a skull, and giving the mudras bestowing boons and dispelling fear, wearing a garland of skulls, her tongue rolling wildly, completely naked (digambara – clad in the directions), thus one should meditate on Kali, dwelling in the centre of the cremation ground.

The Kali Mantra as given in the Mantra Mahodadhi is:

“Kreem Kreem Kreem Hum Hum Hreem Hreem Dakshine KaalikaKreem Kreem Kreem Hum Hum Hreem Hreem Swaha”

It bestows the eight supernatural powers.

The Kali Tantra gives details of the puja of Kalika:-

“Now I speak of the ritual injunction which is the all-nectar-giver of the Devi. Doing this, a person becomes like Bhairava.

“Firstly, I speak of yantra, the knowing of which conquers death. At first draw a triangle. Outside, draw another. Then draw three more triangles. “Draw a circle and then a beautiful lotus. Then draw another circle and then a bhupura with four lines and four doors. This is how the cakra should be drawn.

“Worship the guru line, the six limbs, and the dikpalas (The eight, or according to some, ten guardians of the directions, ed.). Then the mantrin should place his head at the feet of the guru.

“O dearest one, after worshipping the pedestal, set down the offering. Place the mantra in the six limbs. Then, within the heart lotus, the ultimate Kala blossoms.

“Place her in the centre of the yantra by invoking her (via the breath). After meditating on the great goddess, dedicate the ritual offerings. Bow to Mahadevi and then worship the surrounding deities.

“Worship Kali, Kapalini, Kulla, Kurukulla, Virodhini, Vipracitta in the six angles. Then Ugra, Ugraprabha, Dipta in the middle. Then Nila, Ghana and Balaka in the inner angle. Then Matra, Mudra and Mita within this triangle, and then the very dusky one holding the sword, adorned with human skulls, with her left hand showing the threatening mudra and having a pure smile.

“Worship the eight mothers Brahmi, Narayani, Maheshvari, Chamunda, Kaumari, Aparajita, Varahi and Narasimhi.

“In equal shares, give these devis animal sacrifice and worship them, smearing them with scent and offering incense and flame. After doing the puja, worship using the root mantra.

“Give food and so forth to the Devi again and again. The sadhaka should offer flame ten times. So also he should offer flower with mantra according to the rules of ritual.

“After meditating on Devi, recite the mantra 1,008 times. The fruit of reciting, which is light, place in the hands of the Devi.

“Then, placing the flower on the head, do prostration. With supreme devotion, then rub out (the yantra).”

Kali Ma by @lbustamante

[itsnothingofinterest]

Sequel to this thing; let's see how many lines from the most recent episode of The Amazing Digital Circus I can find from Jax that remind me of Dabi (and or lines from other characters that remind me of associates of Dabi. Hope you like the sound of Fudge For One).

~~~~

Dabi, seeing the League's new 'War Rig' run someone over as it pulls into a lot: Ooo, violence. I call shotgun! *Get in and honks the horn, producing the most disappointing noise you've ever heard* Oh god is that the horn? That sucks. Spinner you drive. *Pulls Spinner into the dirver's seat as he moves over.*

~~~~

Dabi: Okay Spinner, when we catch up to them, I'll jump over, crawl inside, and burn them repeatedly until they're unrecognizable.

Spinner: I fell like that violates some kind of convention.

Dabi: You're violating my ears with your clapback, get driving driver.

~~~~

Twice: So, Skeptic, I'm sure there's someway you could help out here. Maybe when we catch up to them we could-

Dabi: you could be assertive. like this!

Dabi grabs Skeptic and tosses him out the window at the enemy vehicle. Skeptic grabs hold of both vehicles, stretching his lanky body to its limits.

Dabi: Ah, that's perfect, just hold that pose.

Skeptic: Dabi you a**hole!

~~~~

Dabi: Alright Skeptic, you just stay like that and I'll cross over.

Skeptic: Are you kidding me! *A bump in the rode cause him to lose his grip on the war rig and get flung on top of the enemy truck*

Dabi: Nice going Skeptic, now I have no bridge.

~~~~

Dabi: Hey Spinner, you should ram into them.

Spinner: What?

Geten: You should not ram into them, Skeptic's still on board- *Gets shoved into the back by Dabi*

Dabi: Do it, it'll be epic!

Geten: Why are there so many knives back here!?

Dabi, quietly: Do it or I'll tell boss about the figurine thing.

Spinner, worried: Guh, hehehehe. *slowly turn the war rig to ramming position.*

~~~~

Dabi, seeing spikes along the enemy vehicle: Aww, no more ramming? Guess I have to tell Shigaraki about the thing now.

Spinner, poking his head out the window: What?!

Skeptic: Guuuuuys?

Twice: Skeptic, take this! *Throws an anchor on a rope from the war rig directly over the truck Skeptic is on and off a cliff*

Dabi, after a bit of the rope going out: Hey Twice, is that rope attached to anything?

Twice: Uh, I don't know. Let me check. *Finds out it is the hard way.*

~~~~

Spinner: Oh man, poor Skeptic, I hope he's alright.

Dabi: Poor Skeptic? How about poor us? We're one tanker away from getting Augustus Glooped.

~~~~

AFO: I used to live in civilization proper, but I was chased out by that rotten All Might after liberating too many interesting quirks from their human hosts. Oh, they were all such fun. Sometimes, I can hear them...calling to me...

Spinner: Oh wow, that just sounds like theft & maybe murder.

AFO: Is it really theft & murder if it's fun and profitable? Answer me that.

Dabi: You make a great point.

Geten: Uh, no, bad point!

Dabi: Why don't you leave this to me before I start thinking your quirk seems cool and powerful.

Geten: Dabi!

Dabi; Well Mr. For One, You seem like an upstanding guy with real noble goals.

AFO; Oh I'm not. If you knew what I did in my free time, oh you'd be sickened.

Dabi: *clears throat* As I was saying...

~~~~

Dabi: Gotta say, this is a lot more anti-climactic than I was hoping it'd be.

Twice: What were you hoping for?

Dabi: Y'know, like, one big final battle. Bloodshed. Death. Chaos! (The humiliation of my father and brother.) Whatever.

[shady-tavern]

Part 2 of this short story.

You magicked some blood splatters away after teleporting home, stretching your fingers until they cracked in dark satisfaction. You were getting closer and closer to figuring out just where the Brotherhood had its headquarters.

To your dismay, you had to realize that this infernal organization had grown very, very big. Big enough to have kings and queens on their side, being supported by other royalty and even a thieves guild you had done business with in the past. And here you had thought their leader was one of the smart ones.

A brief glance into the kitchen showed that Melina was working on an advanced healing salve. She looked incredibly focused and one of your constructs was lingering nearby, ready to be of aid should she need it. The girl had things well in hand, however and you couldn’t help but feel that warm curl of pride filling your chest.

You had never thought that having a student was like this. You yourself had probably been more trouble than you were worth growing up and you knew your former teachers were all collectively horrified by what you had done, both to yourself in order to become a lich-mage and everything afterwards.

You ducked out of the kitchen without disturbing Melina, closing the door quietly. She’d be done soon, you had come back just in time to avoid worrying her. The skulls you passed by were silent and empty, devoid of a certain ghost’s presence. You had no idea where Mortimer was, but sometimes he just seemed to be…somewhere, doing whatever ghosts did.

You entered a separate study room on the ground floor, one you had repurposed for the task of keeping track of the Brotherhood. You marked off another camp of theirs you had left in ruin and set down the stack of papers you had liberated. Sadly, those guys had been small fry, but at least you had another name of a high ranking member now. Soon you’d have enough information to take them all down.

It was tedious but necessary work if you wanted to root this organization out root and stem. Such nastiness was not allowed to come back while you weren’t looking. Melina’s life would never be threatened by the likes of them again.

A crackle along your wards made you pause in surprise. A visitor? And one so brazen as well. Ah, there was only one person who walked into your home fearlessly. Or rather, two, now that you had Melina living here.

You stepped out of the study just as the front door got thrown open and Priscilla swept inside in all her powerful sunshine glory. She easily could have become a lich-mage herself, but she had the unfortunate habit of taking deep breaths and making rational decisions. Most of the times at least.

Priscilla had taken you under her wing when the two of you had been students and she had remained a steadfast, loyal, annoying and kind friend over all those years. The world would shatter before you would not aid her should she ever need or want your help.

She had been there the day you had become a lich-mage and had stood guard over your prone body for twenty days and nights. Forgoing sleep and food, she had kept herself awake and standing with magic alone, willing to drain herself down to her last dredges to defend you. 

She had also woken you with incessant poking and a lot of cackling laughter when you had flopped around like a wriggly fish, having to regain control of your body. The moment you were reasonably stable on your feet, she had promptly passed out.

"Oh, you’re home, how lovely. How are you?," she asked cheerfully, forgoing any sort of greeting, but her smile did not reach her eyes.

The way she asked made you narrow your eyes at her. The upside to knowing each other since being eleven was that you were aware of all her tells and habits. And right now she was burning to ask you something and yet, for some reason, held back for the moment. 

It must be important if she had come to visit. The two of you saw each other often enough, but since you both weren’t tied to the whims of time, months or even a year could pass until one checked up on the other.

"I am pleasantly well, I suppose," you answered, still eyeing her. She looked as well as ever, dressed in shimmering finery and jewelry.

"So you haven’t been burning things and people down left and right," she remarked offhandedly.

"How did you find out?" You hadn’t been subtle in the least, but it was surprising that she had noticed. You had once razed an entire warrior clan to the ground and she hadn’t known until you had told her about it over a cup of tea. 

Similarly, Priscilla had once gone hunting a dangerous order that tried to crack the world open like an egg and free some kind of ancient god or evil or whatever without you being aware of it. Which you had learned over that same cup of tea.

You waved her into your study, gesturing at the table with the large map and the research strewn about. "I’m hunting down the Brotherhood."

"Yes, I could gather as much," she said and you tipped your head as you watched her skim over your notes. You knew that glint in her eyes.

"Did they piss you off as well?" you asked and she hummed softly in agreement.

"They tried to recruit me yesterday, did you know?" she asked and it was a purely rhetoric question, since you did not know and you both were aware of that fact. If you had known she had spoken with these cretins you would have kicked down her door at the ass-crack of dawn. "They said there was a lich-mage they might have to take down to get at a cursed child."

At her words, any kind of easygoing mood evaporated immediately. You felt your magic curl up, an unspoken threat, not for Priscilla, because she’d never do anything to harm you, but to the monsters out there. Monsters wearing human skin and convincing people that there were terrible, cursed, awful children that needed slaughtering.

They were not going to touch your student, no matter what. You would burn the world to the ground before that happened.

"I may have used a teeny-tiny bit of a truth serum, entirely unintentional of course. Followed by an absolutely accidental stasis spell," she added and you felt your magic settle again as dark amusement found you. "The fellow is still in my cellar, by the way, in case you want to interrogate him as well."

You couldn’t help but chuckle. "You are my favorite for a reason."

She snorted. "I’m your favorite because I snuck out with you when we were thirteen and let you stand on my shoulders in a stinking bog, all to help you collect the nastiest sap I have ever seen in my damn life."

Now you did laugh. "Yes, so you keep reminding me. And thank you, I would love to speak with your guest."

"Just don’t leave any trace behind once you kill him," she said, leaning back against a small table. "I don’t need those fanatics knocking on my door again." Her gaze briefly slid over the map and settled on you. "What did they do?"

It was a fair question. For all your power, you didn’t often bother to go to such lengths when someone angered you. The people you interacted with generally knew not to fuck with you and if they didn’t, they were swiftly and easily taught otherwise. You had more important things to do than topple monarchies every other year or wade through the underbelly of a city to take care of something. 

You were powerful enough that people did not, generally, make an enemy of you. Besides, many desired your aid and wanted you and your power at their fingertips. There was only a tiny handful of mages even willing to perform the sort of spells you liked to play with.

You just had no idea how to tell her you had a student. The last time the two of you had spoken about such things, you had both snorted derisively at the poor fools who burdened themselves in such a way.

Well. You had never shied away from a challenge. You opened your mouth, about to answer, when a knock at the door made the two of you pause. Melina poked her head in after a moment, her excited smile slipping into a hesitant, questioning expression.

Right, she hadn’t met many people since she had come to live with you. You certainly hadn’t introduced her to any other mages, since most of them were annoyances anyway.

"Melina, meet Priscilla," you said, gesturing at your dearest friend. Who was simultaneously also the only person alive who’d mock you without hesitation if you were being an idiot. It was strangely reassuring sometimes. Though, you could do without her and Mortimer teaming up. "We’ve been friends since we were young."

"It’s nice to meet you," Priscilla said, sweeping into an elegant bow and Melina clumsily tried to curtsey back, a jar clutched in her hands.

"Let me see," you said and she quickly handed it over. It took a single glance to know she had brewed it perfectly. "Good work," you said.

Melina perked up, a smile appearing back onto her face. You were also glad to see her less wary around other people. She had used to hunch down, trying to become invisible through sheer force of will, when you had first visited a market together. 

"I’ll join you in a moment," you told her when handing the jar back, only realizing your voice had gone and done that soft and patient thing again when you finished speaking. "Please wait outside."

Melina nodded and quickly ducked away, closing the door again. When you turned back to Priscilla, she had her palms pressed together in front of her face and was squinting at you over her fingertips.

"I wasn’t gone so long that you went and conceived a child, right?" she asked with the sort of sceptic hesitancy that told you she was genuinely unsure. For just a brief moment you considered fucking with her, but you ended up rolling your eyes.

"We saw each other a year ago," you reminded her, but that only made her squint harder.

"You do a lot of questionable stuff," she said, a fact that had never bothered her. Priscilla had about as many morals as you did, which was to say, very little. "You still have that jar of strange flesh."

Ah, yes. You would not explain where you had gotten that. Or why it was still alive.

Then realization hit and her face brightened. A wide grin swept across her face and you resigned yourself to relentless, if kind, teasing. "Wait here!" she gasped and disappeared in a small shower of sunlight sparks.

Blinking, bewildered, you had no idea what that had been about. You were about to go and join Melina, when Priscilla reappeared. This time, she wasn’t alone. 

"Tada!" she exclaimed, gesturing grandly at a reed-thin girl, dressed in all black. The girl’s slim shoulders hunched up uncomfortably and she inched closer to your friend, hugging a book anxiously against her chest. "Meet Caitlin!"

"Hello, Caitlin," you said, offering a polite bow of your own. The girl hesitantly returned it. "Welcome to my home."

"She and Melina should meet," Priscilla said. "Remember when our teachers introduced us?"

You mostly remembered years of mayhem and giggling in hiding spots and lying for each other and helping each other. And a pet toad that had died an unfortunate death and you had held Priscilla as she had cried.

"Of course," you said. Actually, this wasn’t a bad idea. If the girls got along, Melina would have a friend. You had worried a bit about that recently. It wasn’t healthy to be cooped up inside so much, even if the girl accompanied you to the nearby town to buy supplies.

You motioned for them to follow you and you found Melina waiting in the hallway, fiddling with her jar. She looked up and paused when she saw who followed you.

"Melina, meet Caitlin," you said, gesturing at the girl who still tried to do her best to either turn invisible or somehow fold herself into a tiny shape. Though now she seemed hesitantly curious as well. "Why don’t you show her around a bit?"

"Alright," Melina said and Caitlin stepped away from Priscilla, glancing back once worriedly. Priscilla smiled encouragingly and calmingly, shooing her onward with silent gestures.

You heard the girls starting to talk as they disappeared around the corner. Slowly and cautiously at first and then with a bit more confidence. Priscilla nudged you.

"So, you got a student, huh?" she said with a grin and you cast her an unimpressed side-glance.

"Pot, meet kettle." She laughed at your words and briefly bumped your shoulders together, before noticing your curious look and growing solemn.

"I found Caitlin in a ditch," she said quietly after a moment and you saw dark anger burn in her eyes. "Her parents were the sort to think magic was nothing but evil temptation and they decided to get rid of her."

Those parents were no longer alive, you were willing to bet your eyes and tongue on that.

"I did find out where the Brotherhood’s headquarters are," she said suddenly and you felt yourself turn still and dangerous, a side effect of becoming a lich. A very wanted and welcome side effect at that. "We could go check it out once we’re sure the girls get along."

You tipped your head in agreement and after some looking around, you found the girls in the gardens. It was a warm, sunny day and you saw that Caitlin no longer clutched her book as tightly and was smiling hesitantly at something Melina said.

Mortimer had shown up as well in the meantime, since you could see the purple glow filling the eye sockets of a nearby skull. The skull you kept outside for whenever he wanted to look at the gardens. When you glanced at him, the skull dipped the slightest bit in answer, the glow darkening in a way that promised he’d look after the girls. 

No teasing today, not when you could already feel hot blood dripping off of your fingertips. You’d never tell him, but Mortimer really was the best housemate. Even if he sometimes got on your very last nerve.

Melina was talking animatedly, something that had taken her a while to do around you. She had been so careful for so long. Afraid even, at first. You found something soft and happy unfurling within you, almost like weightless wings, whenever you saw her happy. Whenever she could simply be herself, healthy and at ease, knowing she was safe.

A glance at Priscilla revealed a soft expression on her face, a small smile gracing her lips. You had no idea what your own face looked like, but you were certain some of your emotions showed. Especially since there was no reason to hide anything around your dearest friend.

The two of you watched the girls a moment longer to ensure they’d be comfortable in each other’s presence for a while longer. When Caitlin made Melina giggle, both of them examining poisonous plants, you saw the first bloom of a beautiful friendship right there. You nodded at Priscilla and she smiled, bright and cheerful.

"They’re going to be menaces when they’re grown up," your friend said with great satisfaction as you stepped back inside.

You couldn’t help but laugh. "If they’re raised by us, they better be."

This, you decided, would be your greatest legacy. Not your spells and magic nor how you had given up your mortal body, letting ancient, dark magic change it forever. No, your greatest legacy would be helping Melina grow into a competent, confident woman who had the power to make the world tremble at her fingertips.

And, well, you had no intentions of dying anytime soon. If anyone gave her any trouble, you’d gladly offer your aid to squash those fools.

"The Brotherhood is after Melina, isn’t it? That’s why you’re on a rampage," Priscilla said and you hummed in a low tone in agreement. Priscilla looked at you and you saw her magic start to glow beneath her skin as though her veins suddenly filled with light. "Want to destroy them together?"

When you grinned, you knew it was the sort of teeth-baring, awful smile that had sent your old teachers skittering back frightfully when you had seen them last. "With pleasure."

[theia-eos]

Hello!

small question about "shadows of the crimean liberation"

in chapter 11 how come Janaff and Ulki didn't recognize Soren as a black dragon branded? I understand for story reasons but you mention specifically that they don't know even after meeting Deghinsea and Kurthnaga in Goldoa so I was wondering if there was another reason too?

Ah, thank you for asking! I do plan to go into it more in other stories, but since it would be from the point of view of characters who don't have the whole picture, I'm happy to provide a top down view.

There a few components to consider.

The first being that Micaiah and Soren recognize that there is something powerful and ancient within each other respectively during Radiant Dawn.

Soren: The Maiden of Dawn… What are you? One of the Branded, that’s for sure. But there is something else about you… Power. Yes, I can feel it in you. You possess great power. Micaiah: Yes, and you would know. There’s something very different about you, too. Your energy feels so…ancient. You and I seem to have so much in common. Radiant Dawn, "Blood Contract," Chapter 3-13

So there is some ancient energy within Soren, this is clear foreshadowing to Soren being descended from the Ancient Black Dragon King himself. Micaiah having some unique great power is a likely reference to her being the apostle and having inherited Lehran's ability to hear the Voice of the Goddess and awaken the goddesses.

The other, and most important, component is that Tibarn, Naesala, Reyson, and Caineghis all go to the meeting with Deghinsea and Kurthnaga, and presumably Ranulf, Janaff, Ulki, and Nealuchi all accompany their kings. Many of them speak to, with, and are around Soren, and none of them notice in the game. This despite Tibarn saying later on in Radiant Dawn that:

Tibarn: That Almedha is a formidable woman. At first I doubted her claim that she was the daughter of that useless old lizard. But even I had trouble holding her down. Me! She’s no ordinary beorc woman, that’s for sure. Elincia: I agree. Lady Almedha and Prince Kurthnaga share a striking resemblance, as well. Not just their faces, but their mannerisms, too. Tibarn: Is that how beorc spot blood relations? We laguz use scent, mainly. Speaking of which, something has been bothering me about Almedha. She has no distinct scent. It’s as if she is neither beorc nor laguz. Elincia: She actually told me something that I wanted to ask you about. She said that she lost her power when she became pregnant with King Pelleas. Radiant Dawn, "Unforgivable Sin," Chapter 4-5

The Extended Scripts expand on it a bit more

[ティバーン] そうか…ベオクは そうやって判断するのか。▼ [エリンシア] ラグズは、どうなさるんですか？▼ [ティバーン] 主に匂いだな。▼ ラグズとベオクは大きく違うし、 ラグズの中でも種に応じて違う。 …俺たちはそうやって個体を見分ける。▼ が、あのアムリタという女は…… どこかおかしい。▼ Radiant Dawn, "Unforgivable Sin," Chapter 4-5

The basic gist being that each type of laguz has its own unique type of scent in addition to the major difference in scent between laguz and beorc. You can read a fan translation by the always lovely amielleon here.

Tibarn also remarks a few sentences later (fan translation, again, provided by amielleon) that "Parentless" have a scent closer to a beorc.

[ティバーン] 黒竜王がベオクと交わったとでも？ それは、天地がひっくりかえっても ありえねえ話だろうぜ。▼ ”親無し”は、むしろ ベオクに近い匂いがするって話だ。 それでもないから…分からん。▼ Radiant Dawn, "Unforgivable Sin," Chapter 4-5

But that clearly means they have elements of both laguz and beorc in their scent, just more beorc than laguz. (This makes it clear why laguz who aren't in the know, like Skrimir or Vika, could mistake a Branded for a beorc, but Tibarn is clearly in the know and can pick up on however small that differentiation is).

And yet no one, not even he-who-spoils-the-Black-Knight-reveal-almost-certainly-based-on-scent-alone Ranulf, notices that Soren is dragon branded, let alone related to Dheginsea or Kurthnaga. Or if they do, they are weirdly and uncharacteristically quiet about it. Which some of them would be quiet (Ranulf is more of a quiet investigator, but even he has moments of cheek "I know what your secret is" [though maybe he's just trying not to upset Soren by keeping quiet]), and others (especially Tibarn) would never be quiet about that tidbit of information ("You'd let your own grandson die by sending us back to the Kauku Caves?" [I love Tibarn, but if he knew, he'd say something for certain when they're in Goldoa in Radiant Dawn, despite the fact that the revelation would kill Soren on the spot(of mortification)]).

So, why does Pelleas have to figure it out? Kurthnaga travels with the Greil Mercenaries in Part 4 and can fight alongside Soren in the Tower, and yet, nothing??? His own nephew is right there, and nothing???

I have nothing, no really good info from the games, so I have to come up with my own answers based on what little we do get.

So back to why can't anyone recognize what Soren's scent is. If the games don't give me the info I want, then I'll make it up.

Well. as Tibarn says, Almedha has no scent that is distinctive of either beorc or laguz. Beorc and laguz have different scents, and the different tribes have their own unique notes as well.

I've decided that the "beorc scent" is of different varities of metals (copper, gold, silver, tin, etc.) and the "laguz scent" is more earthy. Beast tribes being herbal (I reference lions having a basil note later on in that story), bird tribes being more air/water (herons smelling of petrichor, ravens like a storm, etc.), and dragons being stony (black dragons having a subtle clay scent, etc.). Soren mostly gains the metallic scent of beorc, as Tibarn describes, and since laguz have difficulty smelling anything beyond metal scents, the more subtle earthen smell is lost, they just know it's not all beorc if they're more aware than the average laguz.

In addition to that, he has an ancient power from his maternal grandfather within him that Micaiah can sense., and Reyson can also sense to a smaller degree. Maybe it alters Soren's scent a little, maybe not. I'm undecided as of right now.

So Soren just sits there, being a little enigma, because you would have to get up close and personal and smell him to get the obscured notes of his dragon scent, and no laguz is doing that. (Would be funny if the dragon laguz scent notes were stronger in his breath since he's a dragon. Like he just sighs very heavily because of someone annoying him and Ranulf or someone else with a sensitve sense of smell sitting next to him is like "!!!").

And that's why no one can tell he's black dragon for the moment.

[a-witch-in-endor]

i binged mo in like 2 days omg... i feel like a walking zombie rn how am I supposed to go on AAAAAA my heart is pounding LIKE??? it gave me SOO MANY EMOTIONS CRYINGGGGG this is The Atla Fic Ever

but more importantly, I just want to say that this fic is changing my perspective on religion. im athiest, and quite honestly I've never been able to truly understand religion. I'm a strong believer in science, so religion just has never made sense to me. reading mo though, and connecting with a character who believes so deeply in his religion, and seeing how overall, religion is meant to provide guidance to understanding the world and forming morals, I feel like I've grown a lot of respect for religion in general

it's still hard for me, because a lot of my experiences with religion (or I should say, christianity/catholicism specifically- I feel like I should make it clear that I don't judge people for following religion, I just have never seen/understood the appeal) have been with people around me who are religious and therefore very homophobic or anti-abortion etc. I'm not trying to start political discourse ofc, but experiencing that consistently has not really put religion in a positive perspective for me

but reading mo and taking lots of time to think about religion in general, and how I do have friends who are religious and still supportive of lgbtq+ ppl, or who are even queer themselves, I feel like maybe I've grown as a person to become more open minded towards religion. when someone tells me they're christian, honestly I find myself closing up around them. I don't want to make it obvious I'm queer because I feel like they'll judge or disapprove. but I think that's an unfair assumption to make

I think religion, and how it ties into a people's culture and history, is beautiful. I worry that I'll always be wary around christianity, but I'll continue trying to keep an open mind. I understand now that the original beliefs of a religion and the actions of some of its followers are not one in the same, and that the teachings of a religion can call for peace while some followers ignore this. I realize that I should not judge an entire religion simply because there are some practicers who deliberately misinterpret the original teachings

I know the religions in mo are not quite the same as the ones that I am uneasy around. but nonetheless you've helped me see religion and its followers in a new light. and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am so excited to see how the story continues, thank you for taking the time to write and continue this story for as long as you have, and for helping people like me expand our worldview and become more enriched

Ah, OP, I'm really pleased to hear that it's been a meaningful experience for you. I know a lot of people have complex relationships with religion. In fact, I think anyone who doesn't have some complexity in their relationship with religion is probably a rare specimen.

Powerhouses like Christianity are hugely affected by the amount of institutional power they've enjoyed, and you know what they say about the impact of power. But there are a lot of beautiful ideas there, too. If you're ever looking for a way to encounter more than the political powerhouse of the church, I recommend reading about liberation theology - and specifically (Catholic Priest) Gustavo Gutiérrez's A Theology of Liberation.

That all being said, I don't want to undermine the fact that there's a lot to be wary of in religious tradition, especially around perspectives on gender, sexuality, and such. It is not my perspective that these things are baked into religion specifically. It's that anything that links us to the what-came-before is going to include the problems of what came before, and religion has a lot to do with tradition, so it often falls into that trap.

I just happen to also rate the part of religion which is also about being in relationship with past and future, about continuous revelation, about liberation and obligation, about living life with consciousness and constantly asking what it means to be human and what we owe ourselves, one another, and God.

Anyway, this was barely coherent, but it comes down to: thank you for sharing. :-)

[ellas-journey]

Ah the Red light- I mean “entertainment” district 💄

It is true that there are three figures that we associate with Japan: Naruto, Luffy and Goku - I mean the ancient samurai, the modern salary man, and the eternal Geisha. Especially during the Edo Period, there was a rise in the so-called red-light districts, stage of the mesmerizing ukiyo-e, that the common mortal would happily purchase, in special, the shunga, that could picture the most obscene acts. But things aren’t always like the art portrait am I right? Sex trade in early modern Japan was so important that its history can also be read as the history of the society. But even though the prostitution relationship with the government changed, one thing they always had in common: it was the exchange of sexual services for a payment [most of the times in cash]. Before all, let's say something: male prostitution did exist. But it was just not considered the same business than the woman’s prostitution. Male sex trade became more associated with the theatre world and the teahouses. It was never recognised or regulated and had never the same punishments that woman did. This could be linked to the function of the man and woman in the households. Since a man could only be a brother, but the woman could start turmoil and try to substitute the wife in the family and give the male heirs. (Ah yes, always the baby problem. So be gay do crime I guess) During the 17th century prostitution was flued by the demographic movements of man opening cities, by the 18th the power shifted to the small provinces. And to where the man goes, the sex trade goes. In the 19th century the sex trade spread to all the territory. In the beginning of the Edo period, the rule of the "wife" and the "prostitute" could be confused. After all the women could be said to only have those two paths, and it wasn't for her to choose, but her male guardian. Since the woman was viewed as an object of the man's property, he could sell her as he wished. Yes, even wives and daughters from "good" families were sold as a way to pay a debt. “There was no question that the Tokugawa authorities’ vision of status order had been confining for woman: it subordinated them to male household heads and emphasized the values of obedience and submission. Indeed, some must have welcomed the opportunity to step outside their narrowly defines roles as wives and daughters. (…) But for the vast majority of woman who worked in the sex trade, the crises of the gendered order, and the disintegration of the limited protection it offered, was hardly a form of liberation.” - Stanley,2012;

In 1612 a man called Jin'emon tried to ask the Shogunate to recognise his business. He said that unregulated sex trade could cause a lot of problems like young girls being kidnapped, samurais plotting rebellions in the courtesans' beds, man splurging their wages on woman (and babies a lot of unwanted babies coming back for their illegitimate families let’s not forget that). The shogunate (finally) agreed and gave him a plot of land in the outskirts of town with (a lot of) conditions: they would regulate the sex trade, they would record the comings and goings, report anything suspicious, and the woman - yujo - could not leave the "pleasure quarters" and thus the Red Light district was born, at the time called Yoshiwara or "Reed Plain". The Shogunate soon started to forbid the selling and buying of humans, believe it or not this also included woman. But, as always, with exceptions. Woman could enter the “pleasure quarters” if the hitonushi [the woman’s legal guardian] allowed and if she consented. The same would apply if a family was in extreme poverty, the man could only sell is wife as a last resort. Also, eternal servitude was now illegal, the limit was now 10 years, but obviously the Yoshiwara’s pleasure houses lords would manipulate the contracts to go around this rule. The Shogunate tried to regulate the clandestine prostitutes that the common people called baita [whores]. But these women, that normally worked in the side of the streets, were paid very little and were the wives and daughter of marginal men. There was also the problem of the “bathhouses”, where pretty woman would scrub the backs and rinse their hair of men. Yoshiwara brothels complained that these bathhouses were hurting their business since it was at the time that bordels were forbidden from working during the night, so this bathhouses would do drinking parties with shamisen music and everything. And the yuna [bathing girls] were cheaper than the yujo. Bit after the big fire of Meireki at 1657 these bathhouses choose to relocate to Yoshiwara. But there was a problem is this tentative of politicised the sex trade: the woman that only sold sex as a secondary option. She shogunate realised this problem and declared that all the waitresses, dancers and entertainers that agreed with patrons to sell sex would be considered clandestine prostitutes. But there was a risen of a type of artistic woman, that was skilled in entertainment, that started to imitate the male way entertainment - the Geisha. “Originally, both men and women professionally living on light accomplishments inseparably went under the name of “geisha”, although men were called “otoko geisha” or male geisha, and women “onna geisha” or female geisha. Subsequently the term “onna” was dropped, so that the onna geisha came to be called simply geisha, and the otoko geisha or male geisha changed simultaneously their name into “hokan” or jester.” – Longstreet; Mansfield; Longstreet, 2020; The word geisha can be split into "art" and "person", meaning that the geisha were the perfect mix between the performance and prostitution. They were supposed to have many artistic talents like singing, reciting poetry, performing the tea ceremony, playing the shamisen, arranging flowers, telling the best jokes, whispering obscene things, in short entertaining men. Selling sex was a last thing. They were sexually available, but they had a price, and with a higher price came its social value.

These Geisha usually had their hair up in the traditional maga style [which was mostly made of wigs], wore colourful makeup, kimonos, and obi. Normally they had various apprentices called maiko or hangyoku. (Yes I'm sorry to break your heart but the little girls at House Tokito (Tanjiro infiltration), that help the Koinatsu Oiran were either sold or daughters of courtesans at that house, being trained to be the next Oiran) Obviously, they also had lovers, but outside their job. In the workplace they would smile and bow to entertain their patrons. Sometimes they could choose a wealthier patron that would sponsor their lifestyle. Sometimes they had another lover that was their true love, but that was not the best option since time was money. Unlike the courtesans the geisha could choose their patrons, but sooner or later their professions would start to be confused. Many of the trends of the Edo period continued after the Meiji restoration. Until the Taisho Era [1912-1926] the number of prostitutes registered in brothels doubled. The number of Geisha alone as circa 79.348. It was estimated that 1 out of 31 Japanese young women were employed in the sex trade (that excluding the comfort woman cause non-Japanese did not count, cause ah the imperialism) The funny part was, the money that these women made was income that would be invested in important modernizing infrastructures like elementary schools. With the westernization government started to being pressure to liberate this woman, but soon these women realized that they did not have were to go. So, in technical terms nothing really changed. But the Japanese started to be see this woman as impure, in part because of the sexual deceases that were starting to be aware of. Now we understand why one of the Demon Slayer arcs takes us to the pleasure district, because during a lot of time it was the center of a lot of what we now call the japanese culture.

Linfamy. 2023 - Two Oh-So-Happy Destinies Forced Upon Daughters in Edo Japan. [Consulted on the 27th June 2023] Available on: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcewuw0sMOo>; LONGSTREET, Stephen. LONGSTREET, Ethel. MANSFIELD, Stephen. 2020 - Geishas and the Floating World: Inside Tokyo’s Yoshiwara Pleasure District. Clarendon: Tuttle Publishing. [Ebook]; STANLEY, Amy. 2012 - Selling Women: Prostitution, Markets, and the Household in Early Modern Japan. California: University of California Press. [Ebook];

[horizon-verizon]

Daenerys is foreshadowed to have a third child (NOT WITH FUCK ASS JON, STAY AWAY FROM HER), as per her child of three prophecy. Daenerys’ antis can seethe about that as much as they like, and write shallow and flowery purple prose metas about House Targaryen being a snake eating its own tail, but Daenerys will have a child.

I want her to have a girl named FOR her mother Rhaella (Daenerys always needed a mother so I’m hoping she gets to have a daughter) and I think the child she miscarried in ADWD was a girl, but I do think she’ll end up having a boy. She already has two sons named after Rhaegar (Rhaego and Rhaegal), so per rule of three, she’ll probably have a third son named after him.

She is already a mother (to her dragons, her people, the slaves she freed), being a mother is a core aspect of her identity. Those people (you know, a very specific brand of hater that pretend to stan Daenerys but want her to sacrifice herself for the greater good and don’t want her to have biological children) use liberal feminist talking points to justify their desire to see an orphan teenage girl miserable, dead and alone. Mind you, they’d never argue that being a mother undermines Visenya, Catelyn, Cersei, Elia, Helaena, Alicent, or Lyanna, and most of them believes that Sansa will have children.

Ah, I see why now that some people speculate over specific details like the probability of her kids' names now--bc others argue that her becoming a mother at all would inherently both negate the anti-authority/feudal "barbarism"/pre-facism that somehow Dany/Targs embody in their minds AND that it'd undermine her femme-can-be-powerful vision.

That is so funny, bc if you actually believed a woman can be powerful and enjoy what she willingly and freely decides to do for building a family of her own, you would not flagrantly argue that, basically, her eggs would inevitably breed a "mad" scion NOR try to argue that a woman--again, when she has the power and resources to independently raise/protect children herself or with trusted people around her, nearly uninterrupted by a *shudder* a man (I myself have thought abt how I'd mother and this was the most alluring prospect...IF I ever have kids in this economy...could be projecting but idts bc for Dany is this has been shown to be just....more than ideal, necessary kinda?)--inevitably loses her some of, if not moat/all, agency when she births children of her own. Forgetting--getting back to the previous dashed info--that with Dany, this wouldn't be even in the same breath of the context that those arguers imagine and have observed for non-regnant women.

It is interesting how they never argued for how Visenya, etc. aren't "undermined"...probably bc they see how it is officially or know in the inherited social knowledge of Westerso that Aegon I was THE ruler while his sisters were "just" consorts. Same for the rest, except maybe Sansa whom they'd seem (I am assuming, I haven't seen anything abt them arguing for Sansa's motherhood) to pose as a lady regnant, esp after the damage of GoT.

[real-jaune-isms]

By Any Other Name

Usopp: Hmmm... well I don't know...

Zoro: The hell are you doing staring at our wanted posters?

Usopp: Just trying to get some creativity flowing. We get these nicknames and epithets from the Marines or other folks we cross, but some of them just don't feel right, you know what I mean?

Zoro: I guess I do, yeah. I've been a pirate longer than I was a bounty hunter, and they still call me 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro.

Usopp: Right. And I like the authority to it, but it puts way too much attention on my poor head to call me God Usopp.

Zoro: Hmph~ So you're trying to think of better names in the hopes we can start getting the word out ourselves and pray it catches on?

Usopp: Exactly! Want to help?

Zoro: Eh, why the hell not? So we start with Luffy?

Usopp: We would, but if we changed his from Straw Hat Luffy then we'd need to worry about changing our whole crew identity and symbol. What would it even be changed to?

Zoro: I dunno... 'Rubberman' Luffy? He's got that new form that's white hot like the sun or something, but the Sun pirates are already taken. 'Sun God' Luffy would be way too grand for him anyway.

Usopp: Yeah I think that one is best left alone. What about you? If 'Pirate Hunter' is out, what do you want the headlines to call you? 'Three Sword' Zoro?

Zoro: Yeah that seems pretty dead on. Might be getting a little ahead of myself, but pretty soon it'll be 'World's Strongest Swordsman' Zoro.

Usopp: *rolls his eyes* Riiiight. I'm sure Sanji would say you deserve 'Mosshead' Zoro or something like that.

Zoro: I bet he would, and I'd be all too happy to tell people he goes by 'Pervert Cook' Sanji. He might actually prefer it to his crappy family name though...

Usopp: Yeah. 'Black Leg' Sanji isn't too bad, but he's been doing his whole flaming legs thing for so long, I feel like that should get the attention now.

Zoro: Then he's 'Flame Leg' now, easy.

Usopp: Alright smarty swords, if it's so effortless then you come up with the rest of them. How about Nami?

Zoro: 'Thunder Witch'.

Usopp: Me?

Zoro: 'Sniper King', embrace the old persona now that you've proven you have the skills.

Usopp: Wow! That's actually really gratifying, thank you. Alright, Chopper.

Zoro: 'Monster Doctor'.

Usopp: Ah, points out both of his strong suits, I like it. Robin?

Zoro: Hmph. 'Bookworm'~

Usopp: Are you kidding me? With everything she can do, you'd give her a nickname for how much she reads??

Zoro: Ugh... 'Flower of Knowledge' then?

Usopp: That sounds like something Sanji might call her, not exactly intimidating to the rest of the world.

Zoro: Fine. 'Demon of the Void Century'.

Usopp: Ooh, now that's a good one. Franky?

Zoro: 'Walking Battleship'.

Usopp: Nice, sounds powerful. Brook?

Zoro: 'Bonesman' would be too on the nose, huh?

Usopp: Not that he has a nose, yohohoho~ ...Sorry, I couldn't resist doing a little impression. But nah, funny as it is, it's probably not a good name for the wanted posters.

Zoro: I dunno then, 'Soul King' is a good name on its own, maybe 'Rattling Swordsman'?

Usopp: Yeah, that could work if we needed an alternative. What about Jinbei? 'Knight of the Sea' and 'First Son of the Sea' are pretty damn good epithets.

Zoro: They are. Maybe 'Tide of Liberation' or something.

Usopp: That's pretty poetic, I like it. Alright, guess I'm satisfied, thanks for the help, Zoro!

*he gets up and leaves*

Zoro: *picking up Robin's poster with a half smile* Heh... maybe I should call her bookworm, it's kinda cute for her. Better than 'Demon Child'... that one sure as hell doesn't fit her beauty. Really, she's more of an angel... 'Brilliant Angel' Nico Robin.

Robin: Consider me swooning, 'Stunning Samurai' Roronoa Zoro~

Zoro: The hell?? How long have you been standing there?

Robin: Since 'Thunder Witch'. *closes the door to the room* Now let's have a little talk about what you like calling me~...

[union-combine]

Citizens of the Union, I am Marshal Vakir. Some of you may know me as The Flame. I'm sure you're all very confused about where the UNC news is, and concerned about the goings on across the Union. Let me put your minds at ease, our favourite anchor will be back soon. But, on to some disturbing news... I'll get straight to the matter, our government has failed us. They cut the UNC broadcast, kept critical information from both the citizenry and the military, held back our forces, and allowed this Khanate invasion to roll through our space with little resistance, failing not just us but also our allies in the process.

I understand they underestimated our enemies at first, that they wanted to resolve this war peacefully as it progressed, and later as the harsh realities of the war set in, they hoped to minimise causalities by resting their hopes on a psionic weapon. I confronted the MPs about their actions and fortunately, most came to their senses, admitted to their behaviour, and for the protection of the Union, handed over their authority to the military. Effectively, stepping down.

Unfortunately, MP Zolisa Ah-Shasad was so corrupt and power hungry, that she refused to give up her codes, and killed two of her colleagues. She's currently being held for her crimes against the Union and its people.

Until this war is over, I am enacting emergency powers and will be leading the Union. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to destroy the Khans, liberate our worlds, and save our people.

I will start by making use of the assets that Parliament failed to deploy. Once our enemy is driven out, I will put systems in place to prevent reoccurrences of the political corruption exposed today, then step down from my position and an election will be held.

But until then, I cannot do this alone. I need your strength, citizens of the Union. I call on you to stand up, join the Guard, the Troopers, or the Navy today. If you cannot serve in battle, then serve in the factories, in the hospitals, and in the food banks. Each one a battlefield, and each battle needs a hero. You.

Together, we will make 'Solace in the Union' a statement of truth, comrades. For the Union!

[salvagevillaintalk]

New Updated MHA Nemesis Unrestrained

Because what better way to welcome the new blog than by posting the updated version of Class A and who'd I choose to have them as rivals...becuase yes.

Even now my brain still has better match-ups for some of them. This time Kaminari and Jiro!

Given this is a new blog will only be posting the line-up with the newest rivals, though if you want to check out what I had before, you can look at it here.

Deku - Shigaraki

Ochako - Toga

Todoroki - Dabi (For all three above, you likely know why already xD)

Bakugo - Muscular (Same as before, genuinely think that Bakugo beating down against one of the strongest of Deku's Rogue's Gallery who was supposed to kidnap him as a way to return the favor just writes itself)

Iida - Stain (Speedster vs someone who stops you in your tracks, both are very morally centric figures with codes on how they feel heroism should be upheld - really wished they clashed in the Final War)

Kirishima - Rappa (seriously, these guys were perfect rivals. Incredible defense veruse overpowering offense. WHERE WAS RAPPA DURING THE FINAL WAR??!!!)

Tsu - Spinner (already spoke of this in the series, but both are Heteroromorphs that dealth with ostracization and are their group's mutant support)

Momo - Re-Destro (Leader of the First Years vs Leader of the MLA, one that forged her own path as a Hero and overcome her anxiety to be a proper leadervs guy who was essentially groomed to be Destro V2 and his whole ordeal is putting himself under mass stress to be strong, even if he isn't liberated.)

Tokoyami - Twice (both struggle with keeping their powers under control and have a relationship with Hawks, so its pretty natural)

Aoyama - Kunieda (for what it's worth, Kunieda made for a scary villain for Aoyama, his loyalty to AFO made me want to know more on their relationship)

Kaminari - Tajima (Basically a match-up of two electric types of contrasting disposition, that also act as supports and backbones for their teams. Kaminari is a confident, if kind over his head, showoff that struggles with his reliability under pressure, but manages to overcome it for the sake of the right thing - for his pals. Tajima, meanwhile, is one consumed by his fear of AFO and gives in to his anxiety to the point of doing sabotaging efforts that could harm people to save his own skin)

Jiro - Shin Nemoto (A girl who could hear theoretically anything against a guy whose Quirk can allow him to always gain the truth. There's a potential for introspection on how people with these sorts of Quirks are trusted, or even distrusted. Perhaps Nemoto and her could relate to people always thinking they'll spy on them or that they can't ever speak freely? Just a thought!)

Mineta -Toya Setsuno (A villain whose had a rough love life and can steal anything against someone whose desperate for love/lust and can technically hold down anything with just his Quirk. In addition, Setsuno has low self esteem to Mineta's high ego. It's a dynamic/fight that really works)

Shoji - Chimera (a Spinner stand-in that Shoji actually fought, and lost, to before and would've been perfect to be his Nemesis)

Mina - Slice (Already have seeds of a good rivalry given how Mina ruined Slice's hair that she prides herself in. Perhaps Slice could have been similar to Mina in that both were their community's popular girls that tried their best to be defenders. But in Slice's case, those she helped eventually backstabbed her to leave her destitute, maybe even for someone else - hence why prides herself in, usually, just her power...least until she met Nine's crew )

Hagakure - Mummy (The Invisible (Wo)man versus a mummy. It writes itself and Hagakure presents an interesting dilemma to him since she's unaffected his Quirk due to her, ah, situation)

Koda - Trumpet (Yeah, still think Koda would've worked well as a shy yet caring boy standing against a cold, faux preacher)

Sero - Ending (Another person who wounded up being affected by a Todoroki and essentially waltzed through. Though while Ending became obssessed and wants to be done in by them, Sero's easygoing nature has him not revolve his life around his defeat or said Todoroki's beyond a few jabs. Basically Sero is the 'dude its not that serious' of the MHA verse that makes him prime to restrain someone whose kinda off the deep end or go against them.....and, you know, similar power sets).

Sato - Deidoro Sakaki (Scratch that. Guy who gains power from ingesting sugar, vs guy whose Quirk is stronger from ingesting alcohol makes for a far better match-up!)

Ojiro - Hakiji Tengai (A disciplined monk vs a disciplined martial artist; with the added bonus of a match of pretty 'basic' power standings: someone with a tail trying to whack a guy in a shield - it's a pairing I think could lead to an interesting way for Ojiro to win.)

But, yeah, if I had no restraints, this is who I would actually give as Class A's proper Nemesis throughout the series.

[talonabraxas]

Advanced Kali Mantras

Kali: The Power of Destruction of Negative Ego

If you are impatient in your worldly or spiritual pursuits, Kali is for you. She is the fast track, often on a bumpy road, to problem solution and spiritual advancement. When called by mantras that carry her vibrations, Kali responds with a direct power that often leads right through some cherished part of our ego attachments. Her power tools are the Kundalini Shakti (the power of spiritual electricity); the Kriya Shakti, the power to creatively affect the universe; and Iccha Shakti, the power of will that personally compels our physical movements and actions, while in the universe it causes the galaxies to rush away from one another into cosmic night. Although she puts “effective” before “gentle,” it should also be noted that even in the midst of the sometimes turbulent effects she produces, Kali is a repository of great compassion.

General Kali Mantra for Relief from Difficult Circumstances

This mantra can be used to bring one very quickly into balance or alignment with regard to a specific situation. The results can be dramatic and even unpleasant, even if they are ultimately the most compassionate. For instance, if you are having problems with a relationship and you use this Kali mantra to invoke her help with the problem, the relationship may end abruptly, even though this is not the outcome you desired. Conversely, a marriage possibility could develop much more quickly from a relationship than you might have desired or felt ready for. Whatever the issue, Kali gets right to the point and lets your ego attachments fall where they may. She is concerned with whatever will be the most beneficial outcome for you from a karmic standpoint, period.

Um Klim Kalika-yei Namaha [Dm Kleem Kah-lee-kah-yea Nahm-ah-hahl

“Om and salutations. I attract she who is dark and powerful.”

Spiritual Evolution Mantra That Is Quick, Powerful, and Unyielding

There is also a longer form of the above mantra that relates to Kali as the destroyer of negative ego on the one hand, and the provider of a very fast route to spiritual liberation on the other. It would be difficult for you to discover this mantra, usually referred to simply and mysteriously as the Great Fifteen-Syllable Mantra. If you decide to work with this mantra, please have extra patience with yourself. Because it can work quickly, it may also cause some turmoil in your daily life.

The mantra will bring to the surface aspects of our ego that we have decided are “OK.” We all become comfortable with ourselves in certain contexts. We know who we are, make allowances for our aberrant behavior, and fool ourselves that we are trying hard and doing the best we can. But if those internal qualities are truly not beneficial to us, this mantra will begin to eradicate even those characteristics we may have decided are “OK,” and want to keep. If we are determined to hold on to parts of ourselves that are based on a deluded sense of satisfaction, particularly if our behavior is less than ideal, then Kali will come to our aid with a stainless-steel, scalpel-like precision.

When we invoke Kali through this mantra, we are saying, “I want true spiritual advancement by the most powerful and direct route, the consequences to my ego notwithstanding.” So if you pick this route, its only fair that you know what you are in for. It will be intense, possibly unnerving, probably uncomfortable, certainly disruptive to one or more aspects of your mundane life, and also very effective in a short amount of time.

Om Hrim Shreem Klim Adya Kalika Param Eshwari Swaha [Om Hreem Shreem Kleem Ahd-yah Kah-lee-kah Pah-rahm Ehsh-wah-ree Swah-hah]

“Om and salutations to She who is the first one, dark within her own reality, the supreme primordial feminine, who cuts through illusion to the unabridged truth of existence.”

Kali: Seated on a corpse, greatly terrifying, laughing loudly, with fearful fangs, four arms holding a cleaver, a skull, and giving the mudras bestowing boons and dispelling fear, wearing a garland of skulls, her tongue rolling wildly, completely naked (digambara – clad in the directions), thus one should meditate on Kali, dwelling in the centre of the cremation ground.

The Kali Mantra as given in the Mantra Mahodadhi is:

“Kreem Kreem Kreem Hum Hum Hreem Hreem Dakshine Kaalika

Kreem Kreem Kreem Hum Hum Hreem Hreem Swaha”

It bestows the eight supernatural powers.

The Kali Tantra gives details of the puja of Kalika:-

“Now I speak of the ritual injunction which is the all-nectar-giver of the Devi. Doing this, a person becomes like Bhairava.

“Firstly, I speak of yantra, the knowing of which conquers death. At first draw a triangle. Outside, draw another. Then draw three more triangles. “Draw a circle and then a beautiful lotus. Then draw another circle and then a bhupura with four lines and four doors. This is how the cakra should be drawn.

“Worship the guru line, the six limbs, and the dikpalas (The eight, or according to some, ten guardians of the directions, ed.). Then the mantrin should place his head at the feet of the guru.

“O dearest one, after worshipping the pedestal, set down the offering. Place the mantra in the six limbs. Then, within the heart lotus, the ultimate Kala blossoms.

“Place her in the centre of the yantra by invoking her (via the breath). After meditating on the great goddess, dedicate the ritual offerings. Bow to Mahadevi and then worship the surrounding deities.

“Worship Kali, Kapalini, Kulla, Kurukulla, Virodhini, Vipracitta in the six angles. Then Ugra, Ugraprabha, Dipta in the middle. Then Nila, Ghana and Balaka in the inner angle. Then Matra, Mudra and Mita within this triangle, and then the very dusky one holding the sword, adorned with human skulls, with her left hand showing the threatening mudra and having a pure smile.

“Worship the eight mothers Brahmi, Narayani, Maheshvari, Chamunda, Kaumari, Aparajita, Varahi and Narasimhi.

“In equal shares, give these devis animal sacrifice and worship them, smearing them with scent and offering incense and flame. After doing the puja, worship using the root mantra.

“Give food and so forth to the Devi again and again. The sadhaka should offer flame ten times. So also he should offer flower with mantra according to the rules of ritual.

“After meditating on Devi, recite the mantra 1,008 times. The fruit of reciting, which is light, place in the hands of the Devi.

“Then, placing the flower on the head, do prostration. With supreme devotion, then rub out (the yantra).”

Excerpted from Shakti Mantras: Tapping into the Great Goddess Energy Within

Art: Kali Ma by @lbustamante

[dailycharacteroption]

Nameless Shadow (Rogue Archetype)

(art by Anubish on DeviantArt)

The life of a bandit is a tough one. You essentially give up the comforts of civilization to live in the wild and prey upon travelers, hoping they have food or at least enough gold to spend on what merchants will deal with you for food and supplies.

And then of course, there’s the problem with guards and mercenaries protecting the merchants and wealthier travelers. Most have their armor and weapons on display as a clear deterrent to your sort of banditry, but some instead hide in plain sight among the caravans and merchants, only to suddenly toss their cloaks aside and stab you in the middle of shaking down the caravan. How unfair and duplicitous! It’s almost like they’d rather get rid of the bandit problem entirely by killing you instead of just scaring you off like some kind of vermin…. Ah.

Indeed, today’s archetype is all about a sneaky sort of guard that hides among others before striking down foes. These nameless shadows by their very nature are much more ruthless than your average mercenary guard (and that’s saying a lot) since their goal is to lure in and destroy bandits rather than simply drive them off. As such, they’re most likely in harsh regions where robbing them of their supplies can be a literal death sentence, taking the kid gloves off and tossing them into a dumpster a whole city block away, if you’ll excuse the butchering of a metaphor.

Also, fun thought, you could also adapt this archetype for being a royal guard hiding among the attendants of a powerful person as well.

Their skills certainly lend themselves well to traveling abroad while under the cover of anonymity, and we’ll see how!

While they are not vigilantes, these bodyguards maintain a civilian identity as either a merchant or other nondescript member of the caravan or community. This disguise only improves with time, allowing them to slip in and out of it quickly, and more easily fool others. What’s more, they can use it to completely take a foe off guard when they finally strike, though obviously if the target survives, they will know the truth.

Later on, when using ranged attacks, they are exceptionally quick to conceal their weapon and blend in with the crowd after a shot, possibly confusing their foes about where attacks are coming from.

This can be a fun archetype for a campaign focused on a caravan or a city with a bazaar, however, it’s worth noting how specialized this archetype is, giving up nearly all rogue talents to be really good at blending in and ambushing bandits, thieves, and the like. If your campaign is more traditional or involves a lot of situations where disguises won’t help, it can be difficult to justify.

Now, an inevitable question with this archetype is that, while it is useful for being the guard of a caravan or a bazaar or maybe even a travelling royal, one has to wonder what use it would be to your average adventuring party? Well, the obvious answer is to center a campaign around those roles, with the party being entertwined with such a group, or maybe even royal guards of an NPC VIP or perhaps even having one of the party members be such a royal. Alternatively, perhaps the character was dismissed from such a position but continues to make use of those skills in their new line of work, perhaps as a mercenary guard or even a seamlessly disguised assassin.

The court system of Ten’Helectuan supplements their traditional bailiffs with guards hidden in the very crowd that watches each trial. This practice arose long ago during a succession crisis that threatened to turn the lizardfolk civilization on its head. Now, on the off chance someone is foolish enough to try and liberate the accused during a trial, they can expect drugged blow darts or the sharp crack of a reinforced club cane to the back of the skull before they can make headway.

The party’s investigation into a telgrodradt appearing in the city’s sewers leads them to asking around the local bazaar. However, any mention of the beast causes the merchants to clam up about the whole thing. Finally, a seemingly innocuous merchant suddenly approaches the party, revealing themselves to be one of the secret guards of the market. They confess that the merchants know about the beast because they’re covering for one of their own that released the half-alive horror by accident, but they can’t abide anyone getting hurt by the beast or any undead it creates.

Kouchi Village is remote, but it has managed to make a name for itself by having a strong relationship with kami and youkai alike, drumming up traffic for tourism and trade. However, with that influx of wealth come bandits seeking to make a profit. However, as a result, many tour guides have been practicing underhanded fighting to get the drop on these ruffians.

[concernedbrownbread]

Hello, i am a fellow reader from A03 who likes your fic ‘The promise of Dawn’ very much.My username is ‘Fatchoppedsalad’.I am interested in talking about himiko. Though i dont know what to ask.

..Ah! How was himiko’s past life? It was given that she was somewhat of a political figure or was going to be one but she died before winning the election. Others than that if its okay with you. Could you please tell me more.

Sorrybtw iam a huge sucker for spoilers🌚

Heyy thanks so much for the ask!!! I really appreciate your comments on the fic! I would LOVE to talk more about Himiko.

Okay so the thing about her past life is that … we don’t know much about it. We’re not really meant to. In the next chatpter (ch4) we see a bit more of the fact that Himiko pretty much Does Not Care. The only person she ever mentions fondly is her “PR guy” and the fact that she was kicked out of her parent’s house. She mentions that she was a”governer” of a “province.” I used those words SPECIFICALLY because I didn’t want her to be associated with the usual US/Japan and those were the most generic versions of those levels of power/division that I could think of. All we really know was that she was probably a middle-aged politician. I love keeping it vague!

She’ll drop random hints throughout the fic because of course she still remembers it, but it’s mainly comedic.

Also, can I please rant about motifs? Imma rant about motifs: Spoilers below.

Okay, Himiko has 3 main motifs: suns, spiders and death. The last I’ll elaborate on as the second arc rolls around, but I’ve (tried to) set up the first two. The first is obvious: Himiko is constantly crowned by the sun, literally my QUEEN (also her being a Princess is going to be a Thing later, thus the usage of “Hime” already). The spider thing I’ve tried to be a little more subtle about but … the book is literally titled the Weaver. Her plots are webs. The very first scene is eight minutes. I have no subtlety for this.

I AM trying to have subtly for the various unfolding “mysteries” like the underground press and the whole Root debacle. Chapter 4 has a bunch of foreshadowing but okay … looking back maybe not subtle. Looks like I need to rewrite this lmao. Hopefully I can get it out by next week!

Anyway, the spoiler is she's going to get a spider summons soon! But before she does, she's going to get her death motif going by getting a scythe. As Himiko develops, especially in the second arc when she begins properly training with her team + eventually finds the underground press, she's going to become something of a monster. A polite, smiling monster that strikes beautiful, beautiful fear in the hearts of people.

A small spoiler for chapter 5, where the Nine Tails Attack happens ... she's going to mimic something very similar to what Kurama does (with the KI). It's a form on ninshu, and she uses it liberally when she figures out how to. After all, what is cooler? Killing someone or making them feel as though they will literally DIE if they cross her.

Feel free to shoot me another ask! I love them!