#lore-ish

[transformers-bold-bright-brisk]

Prince’s First Day

Pt. 2 / Pt. 1: A Stern Talking To

Tagging @sonia-aquamarineson @asmito @novafire-is-thinking @bdwarrior1

Summary: Basically Prince and Predaking having an argument about Prince needing to attend RBA(Rescue Bots Academy).

Preview: Prince is what can be referred to as a “spoiled brat”. Of course they weren’t always like that. In fact, he used to be polite, just on the verge of well behaved… for a hyper newborn dragon, that is.

Apparently the all powerful Predaking didn’t know any better and never exactly said ‘no’ all that much when raising Prince. If you catch my drift? Not to mention letting them get away with pretty much anything—heck—he could probably get away with murder if they wanted to.

With Predaking having to deal with the backlash of his people not being all too happy with his protégé’s behavior; he decides to send them to RBA to where he has a trusted friend who’s teaching there. To help Prince take a break from the royal life and to realign their misguidedness.

May Primus help whose poor spark is entrusted with the feral beast.

— — —

Once upon a time…there was a young prince, who lived in a far far away kingdom. A land of Predacons. Voracious creatures who roamed an entire planet known as The Predacon Kingdom. The Predacon Kingdom is ruled by their terrifying yet benevolent king—Predaking. Also known as mentor to their majesty Prince, of The Predacon Kingdom. No, not as in a spawn of the king; their literal name is ‘Prince’.

Their relationship is not simply bound by the energon flowing through their veins. The bond between the two cannot be described as nothing more than an apprenticeship. At least, in the beginning it was…

CLATTER!

Now they have begun to have a closer bond…

SLAM!

Such as a bond between a parent and child…

CRASH!

Loud noises have disrupted the staff within the castle, with everyone turning their heads to triangulate where noise came from. Echoing off the walls and down the corridors, another loud tumbling of what seems to be a gargantuan sized chair. On top of the chair was a small two headed metallic dragon, with sharp yellow claws, a protoform as dark as graphite, and big orange wings emanating a neon glow. The little dragon suddenly had light shining through one head’s neck to its jaw, which immediately shot a large coordinated blast of fire at its target.

“I’m not going to some stupid school on some stupid planet- a billion lightyears away!” Prince shouted. “And you can’t make me!” The two headed dragon jumped into the air and perched himself on a jagged beam connected to the large dome ceiling.

“You will attend the academy, whether you like it or not—child!” Retorted the grand dragon Predaking. An enormous rough-scaled mechanical beast, with big sharp claws and armor dark as obsidian. His body is lined with alien magma shining through his seams and crevices. Most of all, his body takes up a majority of the room as he has been chasing his protege all over the castle. Trying his hardest to be reasonable, though it seems as if nothing would be able to get Prince to listen.

“Why are you trying to make this difficult for me? Attending the academy is your “punishment” for your recent inappropriate behavior!”

“Why? Why?! Are you kidding me?! You're sending me off to get—to get domesticated!”

“For the last time! Learning manners and proper discipline, for your sake and others, isn't as cruel as surrendering your free will! And it's not as if this was my only choice-”

Just as Predaking was about to finish his statement, Prince shot a stream of fire at their mentor’s face; and they took off thinking he was distracted. Leaping off the beam and heading down the nearest corridor. But he didn't have enough time to realize how unfazed Predaking was with his attack.

As Prince was in midair, giant talons suddenly wrapped around him—restraining the little dragon. “Let go, you jerk!” Exclaimed Prince, as he spat another blast of fire at Predaking’s muzzle.

Predaking shook off the flames and replied sternly, “No—I will not tolerate your immature behavior any longer. You’re going to do as I say, and you will do it even if I have to force you through that portal myself.” Prince still continued to struggle in his mentor’s grasp.

Whatever Predaking said went through one audial and out the other. They were putting up one heck of a fight against his opponent, even though he knew deep down it was pointless. But he wasn’t one to back down from a fight so easily.

— — —

[ask-insomniac-cuphead]

Hey cup, do you like cookies?

*Shows giant box full of different kinds of cookies*

Take them! I'm sure you'll find your favorite cookies =]

“thank you!! my favorite is definitely oatmeal raisin, but i pick the raisins out”

“y’know, mugsy is the one who-”

“nevermind..”

- mod 🦠

[zillychu]

everyone sh. shutd up im cooking smthn

[tadc-harlequin-au]

Reflections Stop mocking me

You ever just feel so terrible you started making an experimental art piece with an artstyle you've never dabbled into before? Yeah me too

[juniper-clan]

Moon 14: Birth of Venus

(AKA the twins!)

PREVIOUS l NEXT

[greelin]

i can’t look at the wiggles at all without remembering my aunt used to have an insane crush on one of them. like she was genuinely infatuated. with a wiggle

[radarchives]

pov: you're a spoiled prince but then daddy randomly decides that tomb is life

[loregoddess]

some more thoughts I had while reviewing a few banters, that I can't quite fit into the analysis I'm currently writing...

In the "New Paper Plays" banter between Temenos, Agnea, Castti, and Partitio, Temenos mentions that he wrote and illustrated his paper plays himself, noting that he specifically tailored them to be appealing to children. This got me wondering about all the "mistakes" he makes while reading these plays to children, which I've wondered about a lot because Temenos is clearly very familiar with all the scriptures (to the point where he can share certain stories at a moments notice when he feels they're fitting for the situation), so it seems strange that he would mess up the details.

And then it hit me--Temenos is probably making the mistakes on purpose. This would achieve three things: 1) It allows the children to have fun learning the scriptures because they can laugh and correct Temenos on the details he messed up, 2) It helps the children to build their confidence because they feel smart when correcting him and aren't afraid to speak up and correct him, and 3) It teaches the children not to blindly rely on and trust others for things they either know to be true or could otherwise investigate and learn the truth themselves, even when (or especially when) the information comes from someone who should "know what is correct"--which is the core of Temenos's approach to his faith. The third point I feel is what Temenos is specifically trying to get at with his mistakes, since he is an "authority" figure, and if the children aren't afraid to stand up and correct him, then they may become adults who likewise aren't afraid to question and investigate things for themselves.

It's rather clever really, since Temenos isn't outright saying "hey, you should doubt things that are presented to you as true and told not to question". Instead, he's modelling the actual actions for the kids by presenting them with something they know isn't correct from someone who should "know best", and allowing them to question and correct him.

It's a very "Temenos" approach to teaching the scriptures, and considering that doubt and questioning and coming to one's own conclusions can be a form of faith, it isn't even antithetical to his role as a cleric. It's a really neat bit of characterization that I didn't even notice until I realized that Temenos clearly put a lot of thought into how his plays were constructed, and that his purposeful and careful thought process is central to a lot of his characterization, so of course the "mistakes" he makes while reciting the plays would be thought-out and purposeful as well.

[apradonite]

kaneanigans

[ollylotl]

a dream of home

[bunnymedley]

im looking for any resource packs that change how villagers look cus im just not rly into having weird human-like mobs in minecraft personally and would prefer something different, and unfortunately it seems like theres not many options but theres one that turns villagers into cockroaches?? and i kinda like this one?? like its kinda creepy and it doesnt have fresh animations sadly but they look rly cool and unique

[skyward-floored]

He is furious.

Volga storms into Cia’s lair, shoving monsters and minions out of his way as his gut burns with rage. His mind is focused on only one thing, and nobody dares try and stop him as he approaches the sorceress. Cia is reclining idly on a chair as he enters, but Volga is unconcerned with whatever she’s doing, striding to her side as his chest heaves with anger.

“Oh Volga, I didn’t expect you back yet,” Cia hums, sounding only mildly interested. “Was your mission a success?”

Volga glares at her.

“You knew he was my son.”

Cia slowly blinks, and she flicks her gaze up, red eyes unreadable.

“Who?”

Volga slams his spear into the floor, a snarl escaping his lips. “The Hero. He is my son. And you did not see fit to divulge this information to me.”

“Oh that,” Cia hums, resting a hand on her staff, almost casually. “It never came up.”

“He claims you told him,” Volga hisses, feeling the urge to shift into his dragon form and demand answers. “Weeks ago. You saw it fit to inform him, and yet kept this information a secret from me?”

Cia has the audacity to laugh.

“It changes nothing,” she says with a wave of her hand, meeting his gaze. “I knew it would serve only as a distraction to our goals. That is why I informed him, and not you— it now consumes his thoughts, and the Sheikah leader’s as well. Their minds are filled with distractions, which makes them more susceptible to mistakes.”

She strokes a hand along the length of her staff, and her eyes flash.

“And Link is the Hero, and therefore mine. His relation to you is of no concern.”

She waves her hand in a clear dismissal, and turns back to whatever it was she was doing before.

Volga narrows his eyes, smoke trailing from his nose as he stares at her. He had not concerned himself much with Cia’s infatuation, focused only on the goals which she set before him. But now, learning his son is the object of such lust...

There is a different sort of fire in Volga’s chest now, one that he has not felt in nigh over eighteen years. Something that burns not only for himself, but for the hatchling he did not know existed until mere hours ago.

They may be enemies, but the boy is his kin.

And Cia seeks to chain him to her side, without any choice on his part.

“He is not yours,” Volga growls finally, the fire growing in his chest. “I am his kin, and therefore if he is anyone’s, he is mine. I reject your false claim on him.”

Cia’s hand tightens on her staff, and the fire in his heart stalls, a creeping fog overtaking it.

“Make no mistake, dragon,” she says in a low, cold voice. “You are only here by merit of your usefulness. And I do not tolerate meddling with what is rightfully mine.”

The fog creeps deeper, soft and inviting as it spills in. It beckons him to sink into it, but Volga resists, glaring at Cia.

“Witch,” he spits, starting the transformation into his dragon form, “you have no honor, using magic to persuade me. Curse you—”

Volga’s grip on his spear loosens, and he grunts, his transformation stopped as pain ripples up his chest and through his head. The fog follows it, dark and thick as it spills through, and the conversation and reason he had stormed in sink away into it, lost in the mists of his mind.

Cia smiles.

“Leave me, dragon. I have work to do. I will call you when I have another mission that requires your skill.”

Volga grunts again, a distant buzz of pain in his head. His anger is gone now, the fire nothing but embers whisked away by Cia’s magic, and he nods, giving the sorceress a small bow.

Then he turns and leaves the room, Cia watching him go with that same small smile.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Upon reaching the age of majority (15 years)

I knew I wasn't making it up! I admittedly saw that first in a different source that I still can't find, but there it is again: the age of majority in human society on Toril is 15 years old (or around). Welcome to adulthood; if you're of a traditional Calishite family you now have five years to get a decent job, get your own household, get married and give us grandchildren or you're a stain on the family's reputation.

This is presumably why Ulder was too comfortable kicking Wyll out (17 is totally a responsible adult! Never mind that jumping to conclusions and exiling him without hearing his side of the story would've been terrible at any age and is a reflection on Ulder's shitty personality problems...), why Karlach being hired as a body guard as (presumably) a teen isn't seen as overly weird, and 15-ish is also the age at which Sceleritas would announce his presence to Durge - time for your religious indoctrination, my liege!

[incorrectskyrimquotes]

im soooo fucking normal about odahviing. I'm so normal ab the fact that he's the only other dragon who likes you, who is your friend, who swears himself to you. And Paarthurnax was mostly just doing what he had to, and had to overcome his evil nature through great effort.

But it doesn't take that much effort for Odahviing. You trap him and negotiate with him, and he suddenly views mortals as worthwhile. Or, at least, he views you as worthwhile.

[ninesolsyapper]

So... Goumang and her Apemen Boys? Her weirdass kids, pets, whatever bizzare exact relationship they've got.

I frequently see their situation being described as Goumang turning them into Jiangshi out of her own will to control them while keeping them around. This idea of her control freak tendencies showing in how twisted her affection towards her Apemen is. This seems widespread enough that both the real and the fake Nine Sols Wikis frame it as such on their Goumang pages.

Though as I see the information we're given in the game, this does not seem right to me. The story here is a bit different methinks.

Goumang did not just turn her Apemen into Jiangshi soldiers because of her control freak tendencies, she did because her Apemen Boys died. They died and Goumang used her research into Jiangshi soldiers as a try to ressurect them, or at least to maintain as much of what's left of them. What we see in the game are these reanimated corpses.

I don't think I can call this part even a theory, because IMO this is pretty much what the game tells us about the situation. It doesn't directly spell it out but it appears clear.

Case 1 - Goumang's direct response to Yi's question of "You've gone so far as to modify the Apemen?" is "What's wrong with putting everything to good use? The opportunity to serve me beyond death is a special privilege I bestow.". So already here, this response would be just straight up incoherent if "serve me beyond death" was not directly relevant to the Apemen present. Though here admittedly it could be argued she meanslt that by making them Jiangshi she made them "beyond death", as good as immortals by her side. This by itself is not ironclad case for my argument.

For that I need to reach for...

Case 2 - The Apemen Jiangshi were stored in literal coffins.

So once you get back to the spot where you first meet Team Rocke... I mean Goumang and her Apemen, the coffin on the opposite side of the hole left after the elevator has a database lore entry attached to it. It gives you some context on what Jiangshi are but the most important part is the inscription, said to be written personally by Goumang, on the coffin itself.

“A life cut short too soon. The Abused - dead at 19”

So what we know from this?

1. The Apemen were dead at 19

2. Their life was "cut short", which definitely doesn't mean they were just forced into the Jiangshi-fication tubes or whatever. This more conclusively proves for me that they died for some other reason before Goumang made them into Jiangshi.

3. The most crucial part, this is Goumang herself stating these deaths were a tragedy, that they shouldn't have died at 19. This is an orbituary, this is why I said these are literally coffins. Goumang made them into coffins herself. Her directly saying they were "too soon" seems to also dismiss the idea she was already anxious that due to going into her Dreamscape she could end up seeing them only a few times more before they die of old age.

In this context, the "This way, you'll always be by my side." in Goumang's dreamscape reads less as a simple statement of the reson for which she's doing this but as this sorrowful "this is the only way I can keep you" way. Frankly it also carries this more sorrow tone in her voice.

So the above is my go at analysing what we are shown in the game. I would like to follow up with a couple theories going off of that.

1. Her control freak "mindful method" ideology actually crystalized because of the events that killed the Apeman duo. The extent of Goumang's desire to control and manage everything appeared to me to be like an actually new development that Yi wasn't quite aware of. He has no idea what "mindful method" is and the conversation in Goumang's throne room doesn't seem to hint they had this sort of argument before.

As for Apemen themselves, they really could have only either died to an accident or by pissing off some Dusk Guardians or another Sol. In either of these cases Goumang could go onto thinking this was her fault for not controlling them well enough, either by letting them work in an unsafe area or by letting them be around dangerous people without her supervision. She of course already showed similar tendencies before but being affected by their deaths could have make her double down on the micromanaging aspect of it.

2. The two Apemen actually started a bit chipping away at Goumang's ruthless technocrat worldview, a bit like Shuanshuan did with Yi. Possibly she started questioning her actions just a little bit just as two Apemen got cut down very conveniently.

What I'm nudging at is that Eigong was the one who orchestrated their deaths because after Yi she got paranoid over her second student also potentially getting weird ideas. First "lying bad" and then "mass murder and slavery possibly maybe bad", a true slippery slope if you ask me! So she got rid of the source of these weird ideas and possibly actively pushed Goumang towards going in the opposite direction of doubling down on the desire to control.

Also possibly the Apemen themselves started questioning the morality of what was happening to the rest of their species and got themselves in trouble as a result. At that point mayhaps Eigong could have had them even openly executed to teach Goumang a lesson.

There is so so much opportunity and potential for some fucked up shit that could have happened here. I hope my drive for fic writing finally pops back in for this.

3. Goumang actually got a worrying tendency to try to keep around people and things she became attached to after death. Next to the Jiangshi she got her old transmutated scorpion research subject taxidermed and lying around somewhere.

[blu-ish]

You'll never guess who's in my Selene AU guys--