#no i will not stop making biblical references in my art

[iskenderix]

be vigilant. i love you

[coryosbaby]

Sour Switchblade … Priest! Vincent Renzi x fem! Reader

Synopsis: She tempts him, just like she did before.

Content Warning . 18, MDNI Age Gap, blasphemy, religious themes & references, a plot with no context, demonic reader? Mutual masturbation, degradation, dom! Vincent

Author’s Notes: what I mean when I say that I need him biblically.

♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧

It starts with the simple art of a short dress and a prayer.

Vincent’s eyes roam to her from across the church pew, blue orbs peeking out through a see of browns, greens, and other blues. His hand adjusts his priests collar as she moves towards the center of the room. Another priest settles a wafer into her mouth, which she takes with a soft tongue. Vincent’s eyes can’t help but wonder down her body after that, as she takes a sip of communion wine.

Her dress, a lacey white thing with puff sleeves, adorned with white tights and thigh high stockings, will surely be the talk of the church going women later. Especially with the way her breasts seem to spill out of the fabric, the red bra that is already showing through threatening to make itself fully known.

Vincent almost can’t breathe.

He knows it’s wrong to look at her like this. He’s a priest, and on top of that, she’s significantly younger— not underage, obviously. Maybe in her early twenties or so. But it still makes the man confess his sins almost every night.

And even with how taboo his stares are, she seem to look at him right back, everytime, exactly the same. Her lashes seem to flutter, her eyes seem to have a glint to them whenever he nervously mumbles a prayer or greeting to her. Even now, as she takes a sip of the red wine, her eyes meet his.

He smiles. She smiles back. The communion is over.

And now, the confession begins.

Vincent sits in the compartment a mere hour later, waiting for her to show up. She always seems to have something to confess when he’s the one in charge and it’s his last shift. Vincent twirls the cross necklace around his neck in anticipation.

It’s a few seconds before he hears the cluttering of the confessional door. Her scent evades his nostrils— sweet vanilla, chocolate, and something earthy underneath. Something that makes Vincent’s eyes want to roll to the back of his head.

“I’m here to confess.”

Her voice is a soft lilt, something tinted with mischief. She’s trouble.

“And what would you like to confess, my child?” Vincent asks. He can hardly see through the film between the two of them, but he sees a flash of white, then red.

“I’ve been bad,” she replies. And then, in almost a whine, “I’ve sinned, father.”

His lips part. His cock kicks underneath his robe, but he’ll have to wait for that— wait for later, when he’s alone in his chambers and can touch his cock freely, in secrecy. Priests are supposed to sustain abstinence— Vincent is no virgin, but since his training and initiation as a priest he hasn’t had sex since. Masturbation is forbidden, but it isn’t something he can control in himself. It plagues him every day.

It’s a lot harder for him than the others, he thinks, to contain his urges when he’s already felt the warmth of a woman’s touch. But he’ll try this time. He won’t make another mistake. By God, he won’t.

“What have you done?”

“I’ve been…” she pauses, sighing, and he hears the rustling of fabric. He wonders what she’s doing on the other side of that barrier. “I’ve been having these… dreams, father. Dreams where…”

Vincent clenches his jaw, his palm gripping his cock through his confines. By God, he’s a sick, perverted man.

“We all have dreams,” Vincent says gently. “Dreams that may help us along our path. What have you dreamt about, child?”

He’s shaky as he says the last line, hopes of her lying to him furrowing in his chest. Hopes of her leaving it alone, this entire thing. This entire game.

God does not come through for him. Perhaps he doesn’t want to, or perhaps he can’t. Perhaps she is the one to stop him.

“I’ve dreamt of you, Father Renzi.”

Vincent’s head tilts back, a small gasp leaving his throat. His hips buck against his hand. No no no no..

“What do these dreams entail?” He asks, breathless. He can hear the amused tone in her voice.

“You start out by giving me communion,” she explains. “You hold the wafer out so I can put it into my mouth, but instead it’s your tongue that lands against mine.”

Vincent’s eyes clench shut. His hand moves against its own accord. God help him. She continues with a drawn out, airy lilt.

“You touch me in a special place. It feels so good that I cry out your name like a praise. It makes me tingle all over, makes me lose all control,” and then, with a pause as she hears Vincent’s robes lifting, “Do you have dreams like that, Father?”

His cock is straining against his dress pants when the robe’s hem is pulled to the top of his thighs.

“I do,” he admits, popping the button on his pants. He’s hypnotized, her smell and the image of her body in his mind making him lose it. “I have them often, little one.”

And it’s true. He dreams of her painted in red and white, dreams of her, a she demon, on top of his body, writhing. Him, hands curling against her skin, under her spell. She is his temptation, and Vincent is sure that she will be his destruction.

She’s just as desperate as him now. He can tell because she lets out a sweet, sultry whine, a wet sound reverberating throughout the small compartment.

“Vincent,” she lets out, keening. He doesn’t remember if he told her his first name, but he has a feeling she figured it out either way. He groans, thankful that the church is nearly empty now since the service had just ended.

“espèce de petite prostituée. What would your parents think?” You little harlot.

“Are you touching yourself?” she asks, ignoring him. And then, after a wet sound and a cry, “I’m.. I’m touching myself too, Vince. I’m so wet.”

His hand slips past the waistband of his pants and he dips it inside. Wet, warm flesh and pleasure behind his eyelids emerges as he strokes himself up and down and catches a whiff of her natural scent.

“Fuck,” he grunts, arousal pooling in his lower abdomen. “Cheríe, what are you doing to me?” Sweetheart.

She lets out a tiny giggle, scissoring her fingers inside herself as she hears the man beside her fall apart. Vincent is her favorite— he gives her the most fun she’s ever had.

“My fingers are inside, Father,” she whimpers. “Fuck, I’m so warm.”

Vincent’s cock, red and tip dripping pearls of sweet arousal, slaps against his stomach when he finally gathers the nerve to pull his pants and underwear down past his thighs. He spits into his palm before stroking himself again.

“You are unholy,” Vincent states, though his mouth falls open when he hears the increasing sound of her wetness. “Fucking yourself like this, like a dirty whore… your cunt is drenched, isn’t it, chérie?” Sweetheart.

She grasps the side of the confessional, heat spreading up her neck and down to her toes. None of them have ever made her feel like this.

“Yes,” she says, rubbing the bundle of nerves in between her cunt lips. She’s close. “Father… sir. I want your cock.”

Visions come to Vincent’s mind, plagued thoughts of her kneeling down and taking him into her mouth, of him choking all words out of her. His cock thrusting into her roughly, stretching out her tiny hole and bringing her to her peak over and over. That would be her punishment for teasing him, for being such a godless creature. He would ruin her, just as she’s ruined him.

“You want it, yes? You want me to stretch your little cunt and leave your legs shaking,” he chuckles, almost darkly. She brings out the worst in him. “You want my seed dripping down your thighs, putain de salope.” You fucking slut.

She cries out, legs spreading further as she nears closer and closer to her peak. Vincent continues to speak, almost as close as she is.

“Your cunt in my mouth. Licking you, tasting you..” and then, with a delicious whisper, “Chérie, how do you taste?” Sweetheart.

That last sentence has the girl seizing up, her pussy spasming as her orgasm overtakes her. Sweet arousal gushes around her fingers, thighs, and underneath the seat below her. Her eyes roll back and she cries, “Vincent!” like a prayer.

This has the man on the other side whining, his teeth biting into his wrist as he spills over his fist with a loud grunt. He fucks himself through his orgasm, hearing her precious sounds overcoming him like a heavenly sin.

When the man comes down, his spend is drying on his hand and pants.

He sighs, satisfied and spent. He’ll have to confess this later, won’t he?

Maybe it’s best if he doesn’t.

Her voice rings out, smooth and teasing.

“Until next time, Father Renzi.”

He hears the open and closing of the confessional door, and out she goes like Lilith with her wings.

:: @mysticpenguincreation @nightmare-niko @iheartinkonpaper @claireyberryy @becauseseaotters @emmalandry @princesstiti14 @aerangi @kaithoughs @jamespotterismydaddy

[onedaughterofman]

Untitled vignette #3 (Papa Emeritus III x Omega ghoul)

Summary: Terzo begs Omega to stay the night.

Warnings/tags: Angst. Forbidden love. Biblical references here and there. Around 2K words.

A/N: Help me, Terzo is pointing a gun to my face. He's forcing me to write this, guys. (Actually @coreyvoss and @vanmec amazing art has made me fall for these two and now I can't stop)

“I have to go back.”

“Stay.”

It’s pitch black in the bedroom, but Terzo doesn’t feel fear. A long time ago he learnt not to fear the darkness, but to embrace it as an old friend. In the light, his eyes have seen innumerable and incommensurable horrors, while in the dark he’s felt nothing but a warm welcoming.

Just like the silk bedsheets hug his naked body, the shadows drape in a comforting hold.

“You know I can’t.”

“Even if I order you to?”

The silence is oppressive, loud. Outside, the wind howls and dances around the trees, mixing with the cicadas’ eternal song. Terzo’s white eye, the one that marks his connection to the Emeritus’ lineage and his status as one of the chosen ones, shines bright as a warning.

If he decides to cast his order, the faint glow will become a shining, blinding light that will consume the darkness of the room.

In front of him, Omega tilts his head. There’s something on his pupils, a strong emotion Terzo can’t decipher no matter how hard he tries to. “You wouldn’t. You know I don’t like that.”

“Well, of course,” it’s the reply. Terzo’s voice is full of air, barely audible over the whistle of the wind. “You’re not my servant, after all.”

The bed frame creaks when the ghoul’s weight shifts. He sits up, letting the purple sheets fall from his torso and hung around his waist. Terzo’s fingers dart out to him, curl around the other’s forearm and squeeze until he can feel the twitch of muscle under the heated skin. “I still want you to stay.”

“I can’t.”

Like an unpleasant dream, the scenario always repeats itself. Terzo’s logical mind knows what they are doing is forbidden, a taboo, a punishable and shameful act. To have sex with a ghoul for ritualistic purpose is allowed, but not to lay with them in any other context.

More so, it’s unheard of a human, of a Papa to develop any kind of feelings towards them. The ghouls are servants, soldiers, they are followers lessen than humans. In hell, they are low rank creatures who feed off human’s energy like parasites.

To rest in bed with one, limbs tangled and fingers intertwined, is an offence. To cling onto them with tenderness and a heart heavy with love is even worse.

It doesn’t matter. Terzo is not one to follow ancient beliefs or hear the words of closed-minded elders. Still, Omega is tied to the rules, bound by a relatively clear contract.

“People won’t speak, and I’ll lie if they ask. I’ll say we were performing a sex magik spell, gathering energy for the upcoming full moon’s ritual. Whatever.”

A cloud of condensation forms in the air when Omega exhales slowly. He sighs, a hand moving to rub at his mask. Even without being able to observe his face, Terzo knows there’s a displeased expression on it. “I can’t see you without the Papal paint on.”

“Why not? Is that too blasphemous? Too profane?” Terzo teases, moving to sit up.“Will Lucifer himself strike you down with his unholy wrath?”

“Sathanas,” the ghoul corrects, voice gentle. There’s the ghost of a smile on his tone. “King Sathanas is the wrath one, according to you humans.”

“Right. Lucifer is pride. Sathanas, then?”

For a long moment, Omega stays in silence. Terzo’s nails absentmindedly trace patterns on the dark skin of his arms, travelling up and down and sending shivers across the demon’s spine.

That’s the thing with human vessels. They remain sensitive to pain and pleasure, in a way that a demon’s body is not. Being able to possess this carrier is a luxury someone like him can only achieve by making a pact with The Clergy. “King Asmodeus might laugh,” he replies, after a beat. “For my love would be stronger than my lust.”

“Oh, what a shame.”

Terzo’s bare chest moves when he exhales, air exiting his lungs in a series of hollow chuckles. There’s no genuine feeling behind his laugh, noting but an empty resignation. He knows the world of demons is and will always remain mostly a mystery for a simple human. It doesn’t matter if he’s Papa, or if he has studied scrolls after scrolls of mythology and occultism.

They belong to different worlds. Like the horizon doesn’t touch the ground, the earthly realm will never cross the infernal one. Any type of contact is only an illusion, a longing desire between the two of them. It’s in that infinite but minimal space where Terzo finds Omega, where he clings to him.

The ghoul’s voice is a low purr in his chest when he speaks up again. “But King Asmodeus is a hypocrite. You heard the story, right? From the Book of Tobit.”

“I barely recall it. Just some nonsense old men used to spew at me when I was around five years old.”

“It’s an old tale. More ancient than me.”

Terzo laughs. “That’s a lot.”

“You’re not young yourself, in human years.”

Even if he tries to appear upset, Terzo knows Omega is right. He has gotten old, something he both despises and dreads. When he was younger, he used to believe he’d never live to this age. Now, to be this old and still under the claws of The Clergy…

That’s shameful. He has become a conformist, someone who will go up a stage, sing and dance round and round for any resemblance of power and authority.

It’s all a lie, a deceit. A Papa is only a figurehead with no substantial power. He’s a marionette, a puppet with no visible strings. “Continue,” Terzo urges, through clenched teeth.

If Omega notices something is wrong, at least he doesn’t mention it. His arm moves, slithers over the other’s shoulders to pull him closer. Terzo’s skin is cold, naturally running at a lesser temperature that the one a demon can reach. “The tale says King Asmodeus used to haunt a woman. He killed anybody who dared to spose her, before they even managed to consummate the marriage. They said the King was infatuated with her, or simply rejoiced in the pain he caused.”

“That sounds like something people would say.”

“It does. To humans, infernal creatures are only monsters.”

Omega is right. Through history, the infernal divine has been painted as naturally evil, cursed. Demons have become nothing but bottom feeders, destroyers of the world and torturers of innocents. It’s a shame, because Terzo finds so much beauty in them, so many extraordinary qualities that humans can’t even dream to posses.

Breathing out, Terzo’s body falls onto his companion.“I find them quite charming, myself.”

“I know.”

“So? What happened then?”

“A human named Tobias, advised by archangel Raphael, married the woman.” Behind the mask, the demon’s eyes are lost in the distance. Terzo can see his dark pupils tremble, as if he could witness the scene developing right in front of him. “He tricked King Asmodeus into getting away from her, and then Archangel Raphael ambushed and sent him back to Hell.”

“Right, a tale as old as time. The dear angels always win over the wicked ones.”

Outside, the wind falls back into a faint whisper. It feels as if it has become full of their secrets, carefully lowering its voice to keep them safe and sound, away from prying ears.

Deep within the silence, Terzo muses over his words. “What happened, really?” He asks, and his tone is extremely mellow, too delicate.

“I don’t know. The King would be dead and gone before anybody hears it from him, but… stories fly around. Some think he grew attached to the woman and he killed her suitors because their lust for her was far more stronger than the love they felt.”

“He has a heart, then. One that wept for a woman.”

Without warning, Omega’s palm falls on his face. The pressure is surprising but not unwelcomed. Terzo’s fingers curl on the thick wrist, noting the size difference between the two of them. “Don’t say it out loud. He’ll overhear you,” the ghoul warns, but there’s a glint of amusement coating his sentences.

“I think a King of Hell has more important things to do than to mind little old me.”

Cold air hits Terzo’s skin when Omega’s hand drops from his face. There’s a remnant of smudged black and white paint on his palm, and Terzo tries to whip it away with the pad of his thumb. The ghoul stays in silence, lips tight and jaw locked. “You believe yourself so untouchable all the time,” he sighs. “Often I worry.”

“Luckily I have my own demon to take care of me.” The tease in his voice is way subtler than Terzo wanted it to be. For a long moment, he considers what to say and when he finally speaks there’s something thick coating his throat. Is it fear? Is it angst? “Will you kill them, Omega? Anyone who dares to try and bring harm to me?”

In slow motion, Omega’s head turns to stare at him. Even in the darkness, Terzo can recognize the heavy weight of his burning gaze. He doesn’t need to see it to believe it’s there. He’d recognize it anywhere, with eyes opened or closed, here and in the end of the world.

“If it were for me, no one would touch you.”

The sharp nails barely graze his cheekbone. Omega’s hand lingers above his face, floating in the air as if he was afraid to fully touch him, offering nothing but a fleeting caress. To have a monster, full of pointy teeth and long claws, handle him so carefully makes Terzo tremble deep inside.

Omega treats him like he’s precious, fragile even. He treats him as if he was something divine, a god among humans. For the first time in his life, when he’s with his ghoul, Terzo feels worshipped for who he is and not for who he’s supposed to be.

To Omega, he’s not an empty figurehead. He’s divine.

“Stay,” Terzo pleads, when the fingers begin to move away from him. The imploring tone of his voice is one that he uses for no one, that no one else shall hear. “Leave before the sun rises, if that’s what you want. In the dark, we’re free.”

“I’ll be gone before the morning,” Omega forewarns, letting his body fall on the pillow.

Even upon hearing those words, Terzo still clings to his wrist."I’ll keep the Papal paint on,” he rapidly comments, in an effort to disperse the emotions that contaminate the air. An insolent smile stretches his lips. “No profanities under this unhallowed ground.”

“I like you better with your paint on.”

“And I like you better with the mask on.”

The sound of laughter echoes through the carefully decorated room. Over the time, Terzo has filled the place with trinkets and paintings, with everything and anything that caught his eye. It was all in an effort to make that place feel more like a home and less like a prison.

Omega’s body is too warm. Terzo’s exposed skin feels on fire, but he endures the heat as he leans even closer, draping around the other. When the demon’s breathing is slow and peaceful, he decides it’s time to shatter the silence.“What happened to the woman?”

For a few seconds, Omega merely ponders on what to say. “She married a man, and they lived together under the glory and misericord of god, until the end of their days.”

“A boring, tragic fate.”

“Not everybody can love a demon.”

A soft, languish sound exits from the ghoul’s throat. Even with the mask concealing his face, Omega seems plagued by dread. A demon like him shouldn’t be capable of experiencing such raw emotions, for that is the fate of the humans.

Still, hidden in the shadows and embraced by the one who will become his downfall, Omega allows himself to dream. In the morning, he’ll deny it, but now…

Now he dreams, eyes closed and arms open.

Before the sleep overcomes them, Terzo’s voice rises again. “I’d say not everybody is lucky enough to be loved by one,” he comments, narrowing his eyes too.

Protected by the deep darkness, no Emeritus’ eye casting a judging glow and no kings of hell laughing at their misfortune, they rest in ephemeral bliss.

PS: I don't know what to say, except I'd die for them and I'm a sucker for big scary monsters falling in love with a human.

[that-one-depressed-author]

I can’t really believe that I’m posting this at…

*checks time*

1:47 AM!

But, I’m tired of being silent and now have the motivation and energy to come forward!

I’m here to share my experience with Melody (yanderelmk)!

Let it be known that I could not write, draw, or even look at myself in the mirror after this happened for a good month!

Hello, everyone! Those of you from the Yandere!LMK Discord Server may remember me as Goat! In this post, I will be discussing my experience with the server and its owner, Melody. I want to go ahead and tell you all to not bother Melody or her blog, instead, go straight for the block button. This post is just meant to be a cautionary tale and hopefully provide insight and validation to those she is near or has hurt.

Here's a bit of context to the events leading up to my ban from Melody’s server. I had been stalking Melody’s blog for a little bit before I joined the server, and when I saw the Shauna situation, I felt like I needed to respond. I also have extreme bipolar disorder and ADHD, and even I didn't respond the way Shauna did. So, after making an anon emoji combination for Melody’s blog, I joined the server.

When I joined, I was a social anxiety-ridden mess, but I was welcomed with open arms. My own trauma from past friend groups clouded the already well-hidden red flags. Looking back, I noticed some things.

I noticed that when I first joined the server, everything I sent (drawings, writings, character-inspired makeup, etc.) was showered with love and praise. But the longer I was there, it slowed to a stop. Meanwhile, everyone who was close to Melody and in her inner circle got most of the attention and praise. I may be petty, but I am not jealous.

I noticed that Melody did little to talk about people causing problems and simply watched from the side. When someone was saying that their character would unalive mine because I shipped mine with the same character, Melody said nothing to stop it in the channel. But, later during a private call, she admitted she was watching it happen and didn't know whether or not to step in. As the server owner, she and her moderators should try and keep the peace when she sees something wrong.

And finally, I noticed that Melody had a bad habit of bringing up things that happened somewhere else where they didn't need to be brought up. Which leads me to my next topic: the events leading up to and the reason for my ban.

A little while before my ban, someone (I don’t remember who) had sent some Twitter fan art of the LMK characters as FNAF animatronics. And we all reacted positively, a few of us including myself talking about making it an AU.

So, Melody hosted a role play. I had used one of my OCs for this little role play, mainly her human design. We went for a few hours and when we had to stop, it was six in the morning.

Now, I had not slept for the past two days and was ready to pass out on my couch after a few after-role-play messages. I believe we had started talking about what our OCs would be like in a FNAF!AU and I had brought up one of my ocs whom I made with a group of friends and was the embodiment of lust.

Someone had mentioned and compared my OC to Asmodeus, the biblical king of lust. In my delirious, sleep-deprived state, I had incorrectly worded my message. I had said that I would say Asmodeus was a former sin of lust and my OC was the current one.

This was not what I had meant, I had meant using the name Asmodeus as a reference, not the actual biblical figure. And even then, I would have shortened it to make it even more of a reference. (ex: Ozzie, Azzy, Moudes, etc.) But, for some unknown reason to me, Melody had an issue with this.

She started an argument with me about how Asmodeus was from Christian religion and that it was offensive to Buddhism or something. I’m gonna be honest, the details are a bit fuzzy. In an effort to make me look like the bad guy, she brought up another set of OCs me and my friend group had made that were based around the Ten Commandments. (Also, I didn’t even use the biblical Ten Commandments because those are paragraphs, I used the ones from the Seven Deadly Sins anime!) These OCs were mentioned in that same private call outside the server!

Melody, being more awake than me, sent several messages in quick succession, not allowing me to get a word in or get my thoughts together. And as always, the person who could get more of a word in wins. Me, being half awake and ready to fall asleep, told Melody I was going to bed and would continue to talk about this later because I was tired and didn’t feel like arguing with her.

I woke up at around five in the afternoon and decided to go into the server and apologize for how I acted and let Melody know I was ready to talk. Only to find the server missing from the list.

Confused, I went to check Melody’s Tumblr blog to see if something happened or if I was banned by mistake. Instead, I found that Melody had made a post about banning me over a picrew I had made.

I will admit, the picrew was BDSM themed and it did include Nezha. But, I was not the first person to send it nor was I the only one who participated. Melody herself participated with one of her OC and Macaque. I will also admit that I forgot to spoil the picrew I made due to being tired.

However, I am not here to get into the ‘NeZhA iS tWeLvE’ debate. I'm here to share what I experienced with Melody and her server.

Here's what could've been done instead of straight-up banning me: talking to me about the image and asking me to spoil or delete it! I was given no warning of my ban, only waking up to it and seeing the post about it! She had made no effort to message me or inform me!

Alright, now that you have all of the info and my side of the story, time for a little analysis. I am a major psychology lover due to my own mental problems and I adore learning about the human mind.

Melody’s two nicknames in her server are ‘Queen’ and ‘Mother’. She is not either of these things.

A queen looks after her subjects, a mother looks after her children. Melody, on the surface, appears to look after the people in her server. But as someone who's seen beneath that surface and experienced people like this long before I met her, she is anything but.

Melody invites people into her server, welcomes them, and smothers them with affection. Then, when they aren't so new anymore, she winds to a stop and focuses on the people in her inner circle.

Melody watches over above, looking at everything and everyone in her server with the eye of a hawk. Waiting and biding her time for them to give her a reason.

Then, when she gains that person’s trust, makes them let down their walls around her, she sees them do something she doesn't like, and she finally has her reason. She strikes.

She removes them from the safe environment she builds around them and feeds them to the wolves. She takes mentally unwell people and puts them in an unsafe environment where they can be harmed.

She wounds them so they aren't thinking straight and baits them to lash out with posts on her Tumblr blog so she can paint herself as the victim. And once they do lash out, she links the places where people can attack them in the form of a ‘call-out’.

Have you noticed the fact that everyone Melody bans and posts about, deletes their blog? Now, I am not excusing these people's actions. But, no one should be put in an unsafe environment where they can be harassed and threatened.

In fact, I’m sure I would’ve been in a similar situation had I not gotten a hold of a close friend of mine. She comforted me, calmed me down, and distracted me from Melody. Her support and love allowed me to be the bigger person and not respond, blocking Melody and removing the problem.

But, I’m stubborn and tired of being the bigger person.

Melody is a manipulator and an abuser.

Let my story be a cautionary tale on these kinds of people. And, don’t harass Melody over this. If you do, you’re no better than her. Instead, go straight for the block button.

[tranquilspot]

[S] STRIFE!

Ha ah! Halloween season jumpscare~ You thought you'd seen the last of me (and this liveblog)!

This 'fight' is funny and laughable. It isn't really to be taken seriously. DAD lighting the candles on the cake can be seen as threatening (and dangerous!) if you was none the wiser that is. It's the boy's birthday, and his dad is aggressively celebrating it. Makes me wonder if strifing really is a custom in Homestuck, or if it's specific for the universes that will play SBURB/SGRUB. Whichever is the case, it's a mock battle is this situation. Or perhaps ageing IS threatening to John. Adulthood (or rather adolescence here) is a scary thing.

Colors, logic, art appreciation

I can't stop appreciating the art style and the dedication to its scarce (for now) details.

Like here, the very moment the candles are lit the flames go bworh! (damn and all at once?)

That's a transition frame, right? So neat. The nuance between the predominant black and white style and the colors is well-done. Less is more. The 'STRIFE!' logo thingy appears (two colors, kinda echoing to the candles. Flames = threat; but also Rochefoucault's quote from earlier?! hmm thoughts for later) and we have a brand new concept shown to us: Strife options. Aggrieve and abjure. By the way neon green and sky blue goes well together, it almost hints at John's and Jade's exchanged colors duality. Color theory is great once you get the hang of it! Aggrieving is offending someone. Rather than a physical attack, it suggest an emotional one. "I don't want your overwhelming love dad, or your stupid cake". Something among those lines. Also, he's such a dork making those movements with his hands. It looks like pseudo kung fu moves. He attacks and a lot more green appears on screen. Freakin' love the flash game effect on the background, and the simplified Slimer looming behind John, as if it was his familiar/symbolic beast having his back. Comical and kinda scary, with his ridiculous small eyes and large mouth. So he strikes, and is auto-pastried which is a pun on Auto-parry, a term and running gag from its predecessor Problem Sleuth. Still on my color observations (what can I say, I'm an artist that love art) this AUTO-PASTRY! is magenta kinda (but not really) close to the batterwitch's fuchsia. Guess I was too eager with that one. However it's nice to see there's different hue of the same color

The flashing dual color thing will also be used later for kernelsprites and ^2 sprites (this duo is Jasperosesprite^2's). The joker magnet echoes to the 'auto-pastry!' text, emphasizing the fact that the cake has comical properties.

Then he slides back into his previous position, simple and efficient (battle and artistic choice wise). If Aggrieve was an offensive and active tactic, Abjure is its opposite.

But before he reacts, it's DAD's turn to attack with a RPG naming system, like the Final Fantasy series (probably a tribute). 'Guardian Rubric: Coddlebrand'. Rubric is a title, but can also be a rule or a explanatory note (school). Is 'guardian' here a category or is he actually grading John on the spot? Perhaps the remaining word will shed some light.

Coddle is overprotecting, so that's what John could rejecting. Brand is a label, so is it a category or insincere 'marketing'. Depends on the point of view we position ourselves: Dad's or John's.

But here's a succinct (even subliminal) text that appears during the cake attack: 'Dotesmite!' What does it could mean? *do some research* Ooooh I see. Crushed by fatherly affection. Smite is hit, but according to world reference there's also a biblical meaning: kill/strike down. John in itself is a biblical name, but I don't see Dad Egbert being cruel to his son. He ain't Abraham. From there there's not much left to do in this flash. I'll just note that the movement effect during the Abjuring is reminiscent of John's windy powers, the blue and yellow colors coincident with his future God Tier outfit. Harmonious improvisation on Hussie part, for sure. Welp! We're done with this first Strife flash. It's writing was very laborious for unknown reasons and I'm very very sorry for 2 months of inactivity. Thank you for your patience, and I'll see you soon for the rest of Act 1. —> Coming soon

[nysocboy]

Gemstones Episode 1.8 Review: Kelvin's testicles, Jesse's butt, and ancient Philistine penises

In the last episode, Scotty kidnapped Gideon and Jesse, forced them to open the church vault, and stole the Easter offering money, incidentally confessing that he had been in love with Gideon.  Judy and BJ had a breakup scene, but Kelvin and Keefe barely appeared.  In Episode 1.8,, their romance is centric. 

An Old Man's Dick:  It's still Easter evening.  After dropping off Judy at her house, Baby Billy asks Tiffany "Who wants to suck an old man's dick?" She goes down on him while they are driving down dark country roads near the estate.  Suddenly Scotty, driving away with the money he stole, runs a stop sign and crashes into their car!   They are unharmed, but Scotty is near death (Tiffany finishes the job by accidentally shooting him).  Then they steal the money.  An interesting call-back here: earlier Scotty implies that he forced Gideon into oral sex, and he dies while interrupting consensual oral sex, an ironic punishment of the sort you would see in 1950s horror comics. 

Top five young ministers:  Gideon admits to being Scotty's partner in the offering-theft plan, and is rejected by Eli and Amber.  But he doesn't mention his part in the blackmail plan!  We cut to Jesse telling his siblings that they are in the clear. But how do they know he won't tell later, and implicate them in the assault?   Worried that he'll be arrested, Kelvin is having anxiety attacks and "sharp shit pains in my stomach" (hemorrhoids?).   Even if he wasn't convicted, the scandal would destroy his career.   "I was in the Top Five Young Ministers to watch last year -- I got a reputation -- a following."  Wait -- if he's so famous, why is his whole plot arc about proving his worth?

Denim brings lunch:  We cut to scenes where Baby Billy and Tiffany leave town with the offering money, Eli worries that the whole enterprise is corrupt, and Jesse apologizes to Gideon for pushing him away and starting the whole mess. Eli admits, for the only time in the series, that the church's finances are not entirely above-board.

 Next, Judy tries to mend her relationship with BJ by bringing him lunch at the optometrist office.  Whoops, his coworker Denim already picked up lunch.  "So you're having sex with BJ?"  No, she's a lesbian -- she has a wife.  This does not convince Judy, who calls her: "One of those benevolent lesbians, out to meet a hot guy, make friends with him, so you can sample-suck some clean dick."  BJ's nonchalance about LGBT people, plus Judy's sort-of nonchalance, will become important later.

He refuses to take Judy back, so she storms into the parking lot and starts destroying cars, finally getting arrested.

Hemorrhoids and Testicular Tumors: Keefe is swimming while Kelvin tries not to look at the body that is giving him so many unwelcome desires.   He wants to know how he can rid the world of darkness, when he's surrounded by it: his mother died, Eli was assaulted, the church was robbed.  He concludes that God is punishing the family for "not being who we say we are."  But Kelvin had nothing to do with those things. How does "not being who we say we are" apply to him?

"Don't you think God is being a little harsh?" Keefe asks.  We all wear masks; we hide things even from ourselves.  

Kelvin laugh/cries and says "I think we're getting off easy...when the Philistines stole the Ark of the Covenant, God punished them with hemorhhoids and testicle tumors."  

He's referring to an obscure story in 1 Samuel 4-5, where the Philistine thieves were punished with opalim. The King James Bible translates the Hebrew word as "emeroids" (now "hemorrhoids") and the NIV as "tumors."  An article in Biblical Archaeology Review points out the importance of penises in Philistine art, and suggests"flaccid penises."   No one mentions testicles; apparently Kelvin invented it, to correspond to the glimpse of Keefe's testicle that began his recognition of his homoerotic desire.

Next: "You should go, Keefe."  Keefe doesn't understand: "You want me to make a store run?"  Kelvin becomes angrier and angrier: "Go.  Leave.  Get out. I am no longer fit to lead you!" 

Kelvin scratches his butt as he says this.  Apparently he has hemorrhoids, and thinks that God is punishing him -- an ironic punishment for having anal sex? Will testicular tumors come next? 

Keefe disagrees: "There's no one more worthy than you."

 "Get the fuck out of here! Now! Do I need to call security, motherfucker?"  This is shockingly aggressive.

Keefe wades away, holding his swimsuit like he held his shirt during the mushroom head scene.  The intimacy he enjoyed that night has been revoked.  Kelvin falls into the pool and screams and cries.

Why does Kelvin send Keefe away?  If he's no longer qualified to be a spiritual leader due to the assault of the blackmailers, they could certainly continue to live together.  It must have something to do with the "hemorrhoids and testicular tumors," the intimacy they shared, or even homoerotic desire itself.  Kelvin believes that it is evil, demonic, that Keefe is a serpent who tempted him.  I don't care much for this association between LGBT identities and sin, but the show has been careful to establish that it's in Kelvin's head, not a general theme, structurally or in-universe.  

Jesse's Butt: Jesse invites his crew and their wives to "movie night," but the movie is actually the video of their sex-and-drugs party. He has decided to come clean: "These flawed men and myself have participated in some illicit, sinful activities."  Is this a callback to Kelvin's belief that he has participated in "illicit, sinful activities" with Keefe?

No one wants to see the video except Mandy, Chad's wife. Jesse advises that she might not want to because it features "Chad's gray testicle." Another testicle reference?  Is seeing that, like, the belly of the beast?   But they all go to the screening room, even Chad's underage kids (um...that's illegal).  

As they watch, the wives storm out in anger and disgust. Amber starts throwing things at Jesse, yelling that he drove Gideon away and destroyed the family.  Then she grabs an assault rifle and shoots him (with buckshot) in the butt, a symbolic anal rape. 

We cut to shots of Baby Billy and Tiffany rolling around in their loot,  Eli using his influence to get Judy out of jail, Keefe driving away crying, Scotty's van being dredged up, and Jesse yelling "She got me in my meat! She broke my butthole!" The background song is "Oh, Lord," by Geordi:

Oh Lord, what's wrong with me.  I can't seem to be what I wanna be

And it's not for the sake of tryin'

I tried so hard, God know, and felt like dyin'

And if you've been watchin',  you woulda seen me cryin'

So, O Lord, won't you give me your hand?

The siblings and their partners have broken up.  Gideon is gone.  This is the low point of their lives, and there's just one episode left for things to get better. 

Next: Episode 1.9 Review: Jesse is racist, Judy is a rapist, and Kelvin is the Devil

[mergist]

The Role of Sailor Moon in Finnegans Wake

(re/crosspost from another blog)

Finnegans Wake is probably the greatest mystery in literature, a monstrosity of a book written in "night language" where words deform, split, rearrange, take on other meanings and become jokes in other languages. Its world is a dream someone's having, its character change and turn into each other and play-act all the wars and families and Biblical falls in history, and its structure is as deep as its references and its sense of humor. It's the ultimate exercise in classical interpretation, the kind where scholars try really desperately to see what it was that James Joyce meant to communicate to us. 

What makes this interpretative task more difficult is the finding of things that seemingly shouldn't or couldn't be in it, leading people to write off the whole exercise as chasing ghosts of meaning. For instance, Robert Anton Wilson (rest his merry soul) claimed that one chapter perfectly predicts the bombing of Nagasaki, and that fourteen particular paragraphs read backwards will yield Bach's Stations of the Cross. 

It's not in my purview to defend interpretations like this, only to say that if these weren't put in on purpose then holy shit are they fun coincidences. If you stop worrying about what Joyce was really communicating and take the text as is, it's a postmodernist's wet dream. (Maybe literally.) The interplay of meanings and structures found inside of it makes it as easy to do "personal" readings in as the Bible, and presents it as an object of study that is forever yielding up new and interesting associations. 

To that end, let's see if something's in the Wake that absolutely could never be there. I picked Sailor Moon, the much-beloved 90s anime about schoolgirls who fight monsters from another dimension. Television itself hadn't been invented yet, although there's inevitably a scene of people watching it in the Wake - presumably Joyce predicted some way to eventually play movies outside of theaters. He also mentions Popeye ("I yam as I yam") and lived in the 30s, so he knows about the beginnings of animation as an art-style. So we're in by a thread. 

We're also handicapping ourselves with the word "sailor" here - sailors and tailors appear many times in the text but this is generally recognized as pointing to a character/motif called the "Norwegian captain". The captain and the tailor who he shortchanges for new clothes makes sailor outfits a prominent part of the Wake (and the Japanese sailor outfits are the only reason to put "Sailor" in the title of Sailor Moon), but also takes up a lot of the room for anything female to be happening here. (There is a male character who prominently wears a tuxedo, though...) To make up for it, we have the other motif of the moon goddess (which Sailor Moon very much represents, for reasons I'll leave to one side) and of other planets in our solar system (since her friends have titles like Sailor Mercury, Venus, etc). 

So, my short case, not going through every page here:

255.30 foundling filly of fortyshilling fostertailor

A young woman appears in the sailor/tailor distinction, also called the "wishful waistress". The girl who turns into Sailor Moon (Serena in English from 'Selene' for the moon, Usagi in Japanese after the word for rabbit, as in the Moon rabbit), and is a lazy layabout even long after she hears the call to heroism. (Since the book is a dream, it makes extra sense for her to be sleeping a lot in it.)

255.31 shopahoyden, weighing ten pebble ten, scaling five footsy five

Tailor's shop; ship ahoy - the sailors are here (ten in total, five in the first season and five more introduced in later seasons); hoyden: an ill-bred girl (again lazy and sleeping); the waistress's measurements are given as five foot five and ten stone ten (or 150lbs) and this seems to check out. (Her other measurements are given shortly after - including the number 28, referring to a class of schoolgirls who figure throughout the book as 'the Maggies'.)

594.34 saelior, a turnkeyed trot to Seapoint, pierrotettes, means

A sailor dancing (turkey trot was a dance denounced by the Vatican) and pirouetting here; a feminine white-faced pantomime character called a Pierrot, or a Pierrette when played by a woman. (Suggests a dance in moonlight, or between the proverbial moon and the white-masked tuxedoed male lead I mentioned earlier.)

428.08 is saling moonlike. And Slyly mamourneen's ladymaid at Glads-

Sailor Moon; sailing like the moon across the sky; 'saying goodnight' (deformed); moon and morning - the cycle of night ("fighting evil by moonlight..."); Gaelic mavournin: sweetheart.

600.33 Molly Vardant, in goodbroomirish, arrah, this place is a proper

Molly (or Naru), Serena/Usagi's best friend, sometimes given the fan title of "Sailor Earth" (and she seems to represent Earth and normal humanity in contrast to the magical antics of Sailor Moon); Molly is verdant and ardent; Dolly Varden: a fashionable woman's outfit in the 1870s covered in flowers.

220.03     THE FLORAS (Girl Scouts from St. Bride's Finishing Establish- 220.04 ment, demand acidulateds), a month's bunch of pretty maidens 220.05 who, while they pick on her, their pet peeve, form with valkyri- 220.06 enne licence the guard for 220.07     IZOD (Miss Butys Pott, ask the attendantess for a leaflet), a be- 220.08 witching blonde who dimples delightfully and is approached in

Traditionally a section outlining the Maggies and their connection to Issy/Izzy/Izod/Isolde, a daughter in the family the story follows - but consider a "month's bunch" here to mean "the bunch collected in the passing of the moon" and another meaning appears. These are the magical female warriors (Valkyries) who rib the flawed, blonde Ms. Beauty Spot (Serena/Usagi) - the other Sailor Scouts (Girl Scouts) that the series follows. 

This ties Serena and the Scouts into the fabric of the Wake by making them at least isomorphic to Issy and her Maggies, making further Sailor Moon references a matter of referencing prior interpretation on these two subjects.

[anpcreates]

Is it bad I have the need to share my most recent #sketch/#art/#artwork of my #original #webcomic and #biblical #oc #OTP #ship with everyone of my #ocs #Lucifer / #Satan (obviously in #devil form 😩🤌🏻) & #ArchangelMichael (in human form 😉 ) being #cute and #cuddly together? Yes I ship the devil with archangel Michael, fight me 1 v 1 mate. 💪🏻

Mika (Michael) loves his Lu (he canonly refers to him as "Lui Darling") 💖😭 my heeeeart. I love however I was able to do a pose making Lu look devilish hugging and grabbing around Mika, despite he means only genuine affection. He hates being in devil form but is comfortable and trusts Michael enough to go balls to the wall devil to snuggle up to Mika 🥺😭💖

These two help me sustain living. My shiiiiiiip I love them so much ...help me-

ALSO

HEY

IF YOU READ THIS ALL THIS FAR DONT STOP, IM ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR #artmoots / #moots / #artmutuals / #mutuals / #artsupport / #artistsupport ! Follow and help me here and on my other sites like BlueSky, X, and deviantART? I'll gladly follow and support you back 💪🏻😉😎😀🤗😭💖

Follow me on BlueSky!

Follow me on deviantART!

Follow me on Twitter/X!

[trecciolinoooooo]

hi, my name is Giorgia but you can also call me Ilindissë (is my quenya name) (actually Neithan is good too), I'm 19, aroace and I'm from north Italy

I'm an aries ascendant cancer

I'm studying architecture, I really like drawing, singing (I'm a soprano) and crochet, also I play the guitar and I'm a cosplayer

I mainly make fanart but sometimes I write fanfiction too

people make me very anxious I apologize if I don't always replay (I also apologize since I'm self conscious that I have a terrible character)

I'm literally obsessed with Tolkien and the silmarillion fandom is my main fandom (my @ is referring to Fingon)

my fav character of all times is Maglor

my main kins are Homura Akemi, Alone (Hades) and Marcille Donato

I like angst👍

fandoms I'm in:

✶ Tolkien (mainly Silmarillion)

✶ game of thrones (reading asoiaf)

✶ dungeon meshi

✶ Saint Seiya (and Lost Canvas)

✶ kimetsu no yaiba

✶ Madoka magica

✶ the owl house

✶ jujutsu kaisen

other interests:

✶ D&D

✶ angels (mainly the biblically accurate ones)

✶ Benvenuto Cellini

✶ history of art

✶ Dante and Boccaccio

✶ Middle Age

✶ ancient music and strange instruments

✶ metal (mainly Evanescence and soad)

✶ create stories (@elin-thebat can confirm)

✶ @lil-tina and @sayakyo always says I have an hyperfixation with trains but that's not true I swear Chiara stop saying this/j

this is me if you even care ( @sayakyo gifted me the plushie :3)

I hope we'll be friends :)

[pazodetrasalba]

Palimpsest

Dear Caroline:

I have chosen this title for today because your post really feels like a palimpsest (it is, in fact, an appropriate metaphor for your whole blog, which you erased but has resurfaced through digital dark arts) . I have always been fascinated by texts hidden with other texts -mainly snippets of Classical poetry, but also Archimedes' treatises that were found inside a Byzantine codex-, and archeology as a metaphor for textual mining and criticism. Like the surface of this song of yours has so much behind it, lurking invisibly under the waters of what was actually typed. Even the surface is pretty cryptic, a patchwork of cultural hieroglyphs that only become clear within a very restricted circle with you at its center.

The song itself you are riffing is no longer available, forever hidden within the digital fibers of the palimpsest. I think I have discovered its author, Buck Shlegeris, and been able to hear two pieces of his (Fluff and Hobbes' Song) which convey the funny, nerdy playfulness that Jezebel probably had. The title itself of the song was a bit of an enigma: I was aware of the Biblical reference, but have since discovered Wayne Shanklin's take and the magazine.

and it doesn't stop at that! It is chock-full with insider finance stuff that would probably require heavy annotation. I know who Matt Levine is now, and have actually read and listened to some of his stuff. Same with Michael Lewis, 'known for his nonfiction work, particularly his coverage of financial crises and behavioral finance'. Haven't been able to make progress with the hermetic joke about BATS IPO, though. I would guess it would be related to the risky trading shenanigans you were engaged in, with some incident mirroring the 2012 disastrous glitch in that company's trading systems.

Now, as for the song, it feels like an only slightly tongue-in-cheek paean of love towards Sam, and would excellently fit a narrative in that context. If he is to be believed -pretty doubtful, but anyway-, he stated you were together for 6 months (other sources mention an 'on and off' relationship, and other still a possible engagement). Your post is from about a month after starting work at Alameda, and from its lyrics, it seems to pinpoint that time as the zenith of your infatuation.

Sam is not currently in a position to provoke invidiousness and a desire for place-swapping, and yet I find myself envying more than just a bit for having apparently aroused such feelings and words in you, even if 2018 feels like a million light-years away from the present tense relationship (forgive the pun), and he would feel tempted to fall back on the Jezebel or Delilah archetypes now. And it seems Sam would know much about erased words - government is claiming your testimony as a proof of this: “many legal cases turn on documentation and it is more difficult to build a legal case if information is not written down or preserved.”

Quote:

In my native hometown there is a delicious painting of Jezebel by Byam Shaw -and a ginger, like you- which I would like to share with you as today's quote.

[lesbian-helen-gansey]

(In which I triumphantly return to tumblr to do half-baked Biblical interpretation in regards to Adam Parrish’s name)

Before I get into the name Adam, I want to do a quick stop on Parrish. A parish, is the district of a church, so it does have religious connections, but I want to talk about Parrish blue. Maxfield Parrish was an artist in the early 1900s who mostly painted really vibrant and fanciful landscapes. Since we know that MS loves art, I feel like it would be a shame to overlook the potential Parrish Blue connection. Maxfield Parrish was a super interesting painter because he layered paints in a way that gave the color a really luminescent quality. The specific shade of blue he achieved with these techniques was named Parrish Blue. There’s no real point to this information other than an artist named Parrish created a shade of blue named Parrish Blue, and Adam Parrish has blue eyes, and I think it’s a fun little connection. And that I love Maxfield Parrish’s art. Now to Adam. In a religious context, Adam is the symbolic first man, and in the books, I feel like most of the overt references to the Biblical Adam are through the imagery of dust and dirt representing a sort of humanness, especially in relation to class and status. Like, Adam perceives himself as dirty because he is poor and works in contrast to the sort of “untouched-ness” of his wealthy peers who don’t have this sort of real and symbolic dirt on them. Which, I find sort of interesting in general because I don’t think this interpretation is part of the Biblical narrative. This is Adam’s perception of himself. In the Genesis story, God makes the Earth, and he says the Earth is good, and then from the Earth he creates Adam. At least initially, being created from the dirt isn’t some sort of negative. In the books, Adam perceives his “humanness” and his origins as a bad thing, but that’s his own perception; it’s not something that’s really true, and his friends don’t feel this way about him.

In addition to the way that Adam’s association to the dirt demonstrates his own negative self-perception, I’ve become also sort of fixated on the way that Adam’s curse in Genesis mirror’s Adam’s story in the Raven Cycle and his relationship to Henrietta. In Genesis, when the humans eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and are cursed by God, Adam is cursed with an antagonistic relationship to the Earth. He will struggle with the ground to make it grow food for him. He is cursed to have a hostile relationship with the place that he has come from, which I feel like is so reflected in Adam’s relationship to Henrietta. The idea in the books that he comes from “Henrietta dirt” and he now has this very hostile relationship with Henrietta and he struggles so much to make this place work for him and bear fruit for him in the sense of giving him something good and worthwhile. Like Adam’s curse in Genesis, where Adam will have to “toil” for the Earth to give him what he needs, Adam Parrish has to work extremely hard. The curse is that it will be hard labor and very difficult to get what he needs from the place that he comes from (The Earth, Henrietta.) “By the sweat of your brow, you shall eat.” (I also think there is maybe a slightly less logical relationship here to Adam’s struggle with his relationship to nature in the form of Cabeswater. Like, it’s hard and a lot of work for Adam to get this forest to work. I especially think of where God says the earth will grow "thorns and thistles” for Adam. But I feel much less strongly about this connection because I don’t know that I’ve really fully fleshed it out in my head. In the verses, the thorns and thistles are a punishment in opposition to the way that they are protective of Adam in BLLB, so idk about that one.)

I’m also very fascinated by what this means for Adam Parrish in context of the last part of the curse of Adam where God curses him to return to the earth, which, in the context of the Genesis story is death, but for Adam Parrish would be a return to Henrietta. “To dust you shall return.” If Adam’s story is so aligned with the way that Adam is cursed, is Adam in some way destined to return to Henrietta? There’s almost like a duel meaning to this aspect of the curse in the Genesis story because on one hand, it is the final blow of the curse where now Adam will die and return to the Earth, which is now hostile to him, but there’s also this sense that it’s in this return that he’ll finally be reconciled to the ground, the place that he comes from. The difficulty of both Adams’ lives come from being disconnected from where they come from, but God says that Adam will eventually return to the place that he comes from and has struggled with so long, and that sort of full circle-ness has a very reconciliatory nature to it, at least to me (particularly in the reading of Genesis as an allegory for the story of the early Israelites and their eventual return to the land of Canaan later in the Pentateuch).  (I feel like there is another aspect here of the concept of exile and Adam being forced to leave the garden of Eden and how Adam Parrish has left, but is really struggling at Harvard, being away from where he comes from).  

(I should also probably caveat that this is from a Christian perspective bc that’s what I’m familiar with and that’s the religious presence in the books in regards to Ronan’s Catholicism, but I don’t know in what ways this would or wouldn’t hold for the other religions that share the Adam story)

[mahalshairyballs]

Oscar was awesome too at his panel, and what an handsome man ❤️

But the panel had a moderator and they usually hog the time, which he did.

They also mostly promoted an original comic book story Oscar is producing and coming out soon. They even brought in two artists for the comic. It looks good, maybe? I'm a bit hesitant about it. They showed a trailer and it looked like a mixt between Moon Knight and Constantine (even the art, the main character looked like 616!Marc with a side of John Constantine, and throw in the biblical lore of Constantine too). And it's the redemption story of a bad cop through mythology elements? Hmmmm

Not sure about it, but I'd give it a try.

.

And then there was only 15 minutes left to the panel for the fans questions. So even though I was pretty early in the queue, I didn't have time to ask my question 😩 and nobody asked a similar question. I wanted to ask it so much ugh >_< maybe he'll go to other conventions who knows

He hinted again at a season 2 or something more with the Marc system coming in the future, but as long as we don't get any official confirmation I'll stay skeptical with my expectations.

He answered often with how much he cares about the character(s) (and he literally said the verbal version of my 'character(s)' to talk about the Marc system, I love him ❤️) and how it's one of the roles that stuck with him/impacted him the most. He said that was why he became one of the producers of the show along the way, how he got so into the stories and the character(s) and wanted to be even more involved ❤️

He said something so great about how comic books are modern myths, and that myths have always been used by people to tell deeper story, and how speculative fiction was even better to tell these stories/shows layers of emotions than regular stories that shows you things literally. I do hope we can find a clip of that answer somewhere online

Someone asked how he prepared/what research he did about DID for the show. And I already knew his answer for that question but it was nice to hear it irl. He said he consulted with mental health professionals and mentioned that one autobiography that became his reference for the show.

Someone else also did tell him that his British accent was perfect (and he was from the UK himself).

Oscar also talked about how much he enjoyed playing Steven because he is 'so honest, so authentically himself', I love how he put it, aw Steven ❤️

I think that was all the questions/answers related to Moon Knight there were at the panel.

And then, as someone else said it, Oscar 'basically called Pedro Pascal a slut', yeah but he called Pedro Pascal his slut. Pedro gets close to everybody but Oscar only wants him ❤️ when is he going to get announced as Frenchie? I'm waiting !

I was pretty close to the stage when the Q&A stopped, and even though they asked us all to wear a face mask in the room for the panel, Oscar when he left touch the hands of everyone he could like a rock star before he left. ❤️

.

I really wish I could've asked him my Jake question, but he was adorable and amazing anyway ❤️ he makes jokes but can also have very deep and interesting answers.

There's no way he won't play the Marc system again, he loves them too much.

Oh and he read comics as a kid, and as seen by his new original comic project, he still likes comic books, so maybe that means he'll read the one I gave him ❤️

[appleflavoredkitkats]

Who Are the Four Horsemen of the Dream SMP Apocalypse?

Art by: Viktor Vasnetsov

[TW’s: torture, death, murder, manipulation, alcohol, substance abuse, discussions about the end of the world, religion, starvation, violence, implied gambling, blood, alcoholism]

Word Count: 3.5k

INTRODUCTION

Hopefully I finish this before I feel too sleep-deprived, but I’ve been thinking about the presence of horsemen in Quackity’s “My Enemies” stream. These mysterious, hooded figures are quite odd to say the least, and their involvement with Las Nevadas still remains unknown. There has been a debate on whether there were three horsemen or four, and in my opinion, I believe that there are four horsemen present.

Why four? In the first scene, three horsemen arrive at the Dream SMP on a dark and stormy night. They seem to have come from the south, entering Eret’s castle from the back. As they stop to pull their Netherite swords out, air raid sirens are heard from the distance.

Similarly, in the last scene, Quackity is seen placing a book in Wilbur’s memorial before leaving, riding his skeleton horse, Ossium. The scene cuts from first person POV to third, and we see a hooded figure, presumably Quackity because of how both came from the same direction. Additionally, air raid sirens are also heard from a distance.

[MORE UNDER THE CUT!]

I theorize that these two scenes take place at the same time. The prequel scenes only began after we see the sequence of Quackity torturing Dream, and it ends after the flashbacks of Wilbur. We can synthesize that both these scenes are set at the same time, and that these horsemen are going to meet at a certain point on the prime path.

What may suggest that these four horsemen are supposed to be parallels to the biblical four horsemen?

Firstly, seeing the bits they do, Quackity and Schlatt do know a lot of biblical references. Schlatt has compared Tubbo to Jesus once, and Quackity has said many prayers as jokes in the Dream SMP. It’s just… easy to take inspiration from biblical symbols and references, and also, the four horsemen are just very popular figures in history, so you know, why not?

Also, this may also sound RIDICULOUS, but the fact that this stream establishes that Tommy got resurrected three days after he got killed is actually very reminiscent of, well, you guessed it, Jesus Christ. 72 hours is oddly specific, and I don’t think the cc’s made it that way for no reason. Tommy’s parallels to Jesus—which is a VERY funny phrase—could imply that the Dream SMP might draw more parallels to Christianity, and the four horsemen could be another one of these references.

Also, Quackity mentioned how in Las Nevadas, he made four casinos for him and the rest of El Rapids. So, we know four is a number we can associate with Las Nevadas, and there’s a chance Quackity gave these casinos to three other people. Four casinos, four horsemen.

What is the purpose of the four horsemen in the Dream SMP? When the air raid sirens went off, we can think of these four horsemen as the bringer of chaos or danger into the Dream SMP, very reminiscent of the purpose of the original four horsemen in Christianity. We can also connect it to the end of the world, as these four only appear when the world begins to end. This can imply that these four, who are most likely allies of Quackity in Las Nevadas, are somewhat connected to how the Dream SMP will end.

Now, who is who? Admittedly, it is difficult to find a definitive answer on which member represents what horseman, so I’ll try my best considering all the possibilities for each. I’ll add my own ranks on how probable I think they are, but I have to specify that these are subjective- I am not a beacon of truth, y’all.

So let’s get started.

Firstly, I want to discuss who might NOT be a horseman to narrow it down a bit:

Any minors might not be involved. In Sam’s face reveal stream, aka the first stream mentioning Las Nevadas, Quackity and Sam agree they don’t want Tubbo and Tommy to participate in underage gambling. Don’t know if this applies to Ranboo and Fundy (since he might be canonically a child? Who knows), so they get more of a pass, but the clingy duo might not.

The Syndicate. I’d like to think that the Syndicate, as well as Dream, are Quackity’s main foils of the server. As they are the richest and also the most skilled in PVP, Quackity stands no chance against them even with his sharp tongue. As these people are foils against Quackity, and also probably hate his guts, Quackity might not hire them at Las Nevadas. I theorize he’d probably use Dream as a watchdog against the Syndicate, but that’s a theory for another time. 

Additional point about Dream: he’s in prison.

Anyone from Kinoko Kingdom because it’s clear Quackity severed all ties with them.

The Eggpire is half-half. They can possibly join, but also can’t, Quackity can manipulate them into joining only for their inevitable demise, or Quackity wouldn’t wanna associate with them after the explosion incident. They’ll at least get a few passes in some categories, but again, not entirely sure.

CONQUEST

Also known as Plague, Pestilence, and in some occasions, both Jesus Christ and the Antichrist, Conquest is shown to be riding on a white horse, donning a victor’s crown and a bow. There are many interpretations of Conquest, especially with their ambiguous morality. Some people can perceive them as bad, representing the origin of many wars. Some people claim that they represent pestilence and plague as their arrows are slathered with the infections they want to spread. In some cases, they can also be interpreted as good, as their description is heavily reminiscent of Jesus Christ himself. Others would rebut that there is also a possibility that they might be a fake replica of Jesus created by Satan, thus making them the antichrist.

Sam (8/10)

Sam is my first choice when it comes to Conquest because, firstly, he fits the appearance. He is one of the only people in the Dream SMP who dons a crown, and they also possess a bow which they frequently use. I’d say that Sam as Conquest matches with his ambitions as a member of the Badlands, Pestilence or Plague match with his possible crimson infection, and Antichrist matches with his inability to keep Tommy, the possible Jesus figure on the SMP, alive or safe. 

My only issue is: would Sam be one of the three who arrived at the Dream SMP in the beginning? Sam is very strict with his job as warden, so it is unlikely that he would be seen far from it.

Any of the Eggpire (7/10)

As Conquest is heavily depicted with pestilence or plague, any of the Eggpire may fit under this category. As their goal as the Eggpire is meant to conquer the Dream SMP, this also matches with the goal of Conquest. Additionally, one of the Egg’s weaknesses is Church Prime, something heavily resembling Christianity, so if the Egg is its opposite, we can view the Egg as somewhat of an antichrist. 

I say Punz, Bad, Ponk, and Hannah have a higher chance of being Conquest, while Ant is a solid ‘maybe’. Punz could’ve been the one who blew up the Egg, Bad can be easily persuaded by Quackity, Ponk is one of the only capitalists of the server that may participate in Las Nevadas, and Hannah’s character heavily fits the theme of pestilence when it comes to nature. Additionally, I like to believe that Conquest was the horseman on the skeleton horse (that isn’t Quackity’s), especially since they were holding a dandelion in one shot, something that could be attributed to “pestilence” because a dandelion is a weed. This may imply that Hannah could be part, but because they haven’t interacted much beforehand, we wouldn’t be sure. More insight on Punz: he once mentioned he upholds his duties as mercenary more than he might love the Egg, so there’s a chance Quackity bribed him to join Las Nevadas.

The main con to this is that: why would the Eggpire willingly join Quackity, or why would the Egg allow them to join Quackity? I can see that Quackity might break their brainwashed states because he has a good way with words, but people like Bad, Ant, and Punz have stated that they’ve been fully controlled by the Egg. Also, Quackity makes it clear he wants to eradicate his enemies, so he might not want any members of the Eggpire to join Las Nevadas… unless there’s a traitor?

Schlatt, Mexican Dream, or Wilbur (6/10)

Heavily connected with winning if you take Manberg, Mexican L’Manberg, or L’Manberg into mind.

Wilbur also has a memorable crossbow, but I don’t know if that counts as a bow.

Any dead characters have a high chance of joining Las Nevadas because of its possible connections to death and the revival system of the SMP.

Other possibilities with short explanations and low but possible odds:

Eret: Has a crown, his betrayal can be seen as a “win”, has Tommy’s bow from the duel. Can be seen as an antichrist figure.

Jack: As he is against Tommy, he can be seen as an antichrist figure. Might be working with Las Nevadas because of his deal with Quackity.

Ranboo: He’s a minor, but he also has a crown and a bow so, maybe? He’s not much of a conqueror or winner, though.

Connor: Didn’t really conquer much, didn’t really win much, he’s just here because of Schlatt, honestly.

WAR

War is depicted to be holding a raised sword as they ride atop a red horse. After conquest, war is expected to follow, and War is tasked to break any type of peace on earth. He is tasked to kill, or make humans kill each other. The prominence of red symbolizes bloodshed or immense anger, something very present in war. Multiple depictions of War show him with his sword raised upwards, signifying the start of a battle.

Schlatt (9/10)

The man’s literally torn the Dream SMP apart (/lh). This man is always keen on fulfilling his goals, and if it means he’ll have to fulfill them in the most twisted of ways, he will do it. Him winning the Election brought immense conflict in the Dream SMP, and many people were torn apart on which side was the right or wrong side. One of Schlatt’s prominent colors besides blue would be red, as it is the color of his tie and the color of his ghost form’s horns. Red could represent the bloodshed of those who died during the Manberg-Pogtopia conflict, or red can signify the anger Schlatt had for his own cabinet.

Schlatt was also gifted a sword by Dream called “Shclatt”. The sword only holds heavy significance because of how Fundy treasured it like an heirloom.

Wilbur (8/10)

Another good possibility too as Ghostbur was recently seen to admire red a lot more than blue in one of Tommy’s streams. We can also view the creation of L’Manberg as a place that broke the peace in the Dream SMP as they didn’t really NEED to create L’Manberg and declare war, yet, he did. Red can also resemble his anger for what has been done to L’Manberg- everything is pretty self-explanatory, honestly.

My only qualm with Wilbur being one of the horsemen is how we can’t really… tell if he’s in the Dream SMP? He seems to be very clear on the fact that he does NOT want to return, so he might not even be there when the four horsemen became a thing.

Any of the Eggpire (7/10)

Honestly? Same reasoning as the first explanation for the Eggpire. This also applies for why they might not be one of the horsemen.

Do I even need to explain the red part, or do we just all understand that red is literally their brand.

The Eggpire practically breaks peace in the server and is keen on taking control of the entirety of the Dream SMP. The Egg is shown to be ruthless towards anyone, and will even let some of its followers kill people if needed. 

I see Bad as someone who might qualify for this position more because he initiates a lot of the activity in the Eggpire. Same goes for Ant, Punz, and Ponk, but they don’t really take initiative most of the time.

Jack Manifold (4/10)

The only reason I kind of added him here was that he wanted to kill Tommy, but Jack isn’t entirely selfish or peace-breaking. I do think he might play a role in Las Nevadas, especially since if Quackity has access to the nukes, only Jack and Ranboo might be the only two who helped him gain access.

Jack is also… very angry at Tommy. Rightfully so, because he basically surrounded a good portion of his life trying to kill Tommy only for him to realize that that might not be his purpose in life. He blames Tommy for a lot of the loss in the server, so he has a lot of anger, but he has no one to vent it all out to.

Other possibilities with short explanations and low but possible odds:

Eret: Did the first betrayal, but that’s about it. He’s also participated in several wars against others who disagreed with him being the king.

Ranboo: Participated in wars, but is a peacemaker so, y’know.

Fundy: While he does possess Schlatt’s sword, he isn’t much of an initiator of wars as much as he is merely a follower. He has shown that he is quite angry at those who have used him, but the anger has dissipated lately into some sort of sadness/denial.

Connor: He’s mournful that Schlatt, a close friend, has died, but he isn’t really one to be angry. He tried living far away to make his own independent nation, but it didn’t impact much of the story. He also one possessed “Ghostbur’s Stabbing Knife”, which could represent the sword.

FAMINE 

Famine is seen to be holding a scale (presumably for food) as they ride atop a horse. Famine is also denoted to be the only one speaking, saying “A quart of wheat for a denarius! And three quarts of barley for a denarius! But don’t ruin the oil and the wine!”. This statement basically means that we have to pay a full day’s worth of earnings for a bit of wheat and barley but oil and the wine, something not considered human necessities, can have the same prices. This shows an unfairness when it comes to acquiring basic human necessities. This is especially damaging to the poor as Famine’s statement can possibly make the poor poorer, while the rich remain the same. It is implied that the wider the gap between the poor and the rich, the closer we are to the end of the world.

Fundy (9/10)

This may be a long answer because I am biased towards Fundy, but Niki once stated that Manberg was in some sort of a famine because of the destruction of farms. Because of this, certain citizens have resorted into eating spider eyes from the EXP farm, but it was notable that she was practically calling out Fundy, someone who literally advertised spider eyes to any person he talked to in the Dream SMP.

Fundy is also hinted to be heavily connected to these hooded figures somehow. In his dream, he was chased by one until he slept in a black bed, the color of Famine.

Additionally, in his dream, he held baked potatoes (food) which could be related…? He’s also a libra so… scales…?

He is also a notorious prankster in the Dream SMP and will bargain for anything as long as he profits from it. He’s not the richest by any means, but he loves doing pranks that involve stealing belongings from other people.

Schlatt (8/10)

Similar reason to Fundy as he was the president of Manberg responsible for these famines. Additional note for this is that he also taxed Niki, one of their only food sources in Manberg. 

Schlatt also likes to joke around about being rich, earning money, or being a businessman often, especially with the entire Schlatt coin joke. Connected to Famine’s trait of making the rich richer, possibly?

Famine’s statement can also apply here as it is implied that if humanity doesn’t possess the basic of necessities, they might at least have wine which won’t provide any solutions to humanity’s starvation at all, but it will distract you from your starvation by making you heavily drunk until you finally die. This is very reminiscent of how Schlatt died.

Sam (6/10)

Sam is one of the richest people on the server, matching Famine’s want to keep the rich rich. Only problem here is that Sam is at least very generous and provides a lot of people with resources when needed.

Sam could possibly be connected to Famine because of how he treats Dream in prison. In an attempt to torture Dream, he starves him, cutting his food supply.

Same problem remains with Sam not being able to join whatever the hell the four horsemen are because of his duties as warden.

Any of the Syndicate (1/10)

Only giving an exception here because the Syndicate is exceptionally rich and is more selfish about it than others. Low chances, but Ranboo… might? But it’s still a bit iffy for me. Niki might as well because of her connections to the Manbergian famine, but still on the fence with this one too.

DEATH

Death is often depicted riding a pale horse, but some variations have called the horse light green. Death does not don a weapon themselves, but they are always accompanied by Hades. Hades in Christianity is the place or state of the departed spirits, meaning Death has contact with those who have died. Sometimes, Death is depicted with a scythe similar to the Grim Reaper, but some say Death has no weapon at all as Death themself is the weapon. Death is not only meant to collect souls and end lives, but they can also represent the end of an era of humanity.

Quackity (10/10)

I would say Quackity can fit any other category, but I am so sure that Quackity is death because of how death and toying with death seems to be one of Quackity’s main themes in the Dream SMP. Quackity, once hesitant about killing others, has been shown to now impulsively want to kill others: first with Techno, then Ranboo, then Dream. 

Quackity will also most likely acquire information about revival on the Dream SMP, so he is in close proximity with Hades, or in the Dream SMP, the Void. This also heavily ties in with the idea that he will make others gamble away their canon lives only for him to resurrect or return their canon lives if they ever successfully gamble it back. 

Quackity is also known to be very powerless in terms of PVP and battle, but you know what he succeeds in? His own words. He is his own weapon that can get him whatever he wants as long as the person he’s up against is in a vulnerable position. 

He is also confirmed to be one to have a skeleton horse, and some depictions of Death’s horse show that it is very corpse-like.

A bloody scythe can also be seen in Quackity’s first lore teaser, and that can be attributed to Death.

Other possibilities with short explanations and low but possible odds:

Schlatt: First owned the revival book but he literally does not know its contents. Fits the “they are their own weapon” trait.

Dream: The only exception I can give. But again, he is literally in prison…?

Wilbur & Mexican Dream: Only putting these two here because they have experienced death. These two fit the “they are their own weapon” category too.

Connor: Wants to revive Schlatt, but that’s it.

CONCLUSION

Honestly, my first conclusion for the four horsemen were Sam/Conquest, Schlatt/War, Fundy/Famine, and Quackity/Death, but I only see Quackity as Death to be something that is HIGHLY possible. For Conquest, I shift between Sam and one of the Eggpire, for War, I shift between Wilbur and Schlatt, and for Famine, I shift between Fundy and Schlatt. Again, no definitive answer, but I’d love to hear your own thoughts on this.

I am very tired, but also remember to reblog if you do enjoy this! Again, would love to hear your own insights, and would appreciate any type of discussion! :D

[ackermanshoe]

So as a hardcore rivamika shipper I can't let ANY scene / panel pass by so this scene definately intrigues me. Doesn't it to you? I mean we already know that they were riding side by side the whole way here but is there a reason why it had to be Mikasa herself that was positioned right next to the horse that Levi was caressing for?

Y'all call me a delusional but I did art for my final 2years of high school which was the most important exam in my life so far yeah?

And in art we are told to excessively analysis and theorise even the smallest part of an artwork. Aside from that have you ever analysed a movie scene by scene in English class? Well if you haven't then listen close and if you have then you know what I'm about to say.

Symbolism of the horse

- purity strength victory competition, freedom, naturally wild spirit, power, stamina and most importantly

Man's most loyal companion in battle

Biblical horses also represents force strength and determination.

Take it how you will but a lot if not ALL of these adjectives can be use to describe a certain girl called m i K a s a .

By now you probably know what I'm trying to get it right? But I'll explain in my own words and be as concise as possible. If this scene was to be interpreted as an artwork or a movie scene, mikasa being the ONLY other person in the scene and for her to be directly specifically be positioned right under the horse is a direct representation of her persona. It could be the fact that Levi is the one who sees her as the horse because he is caressing the horse HOWEVER, however Levi and the horse in this scene directly goes under the "man's most loyal companion in battle" is literally such a direct symbolism of rivamika's relationship. Who is his right hand? Mikasa. Who is the person he went to directly ( in the forest scene ) and said "let's go"? Mikasa. It's not that they are by luck fighting side by side it's the fact that Levi litarelly placed her into his squad to be his "most loyal companion in battle". So what my point is that Levi caring for the horse in the scene directly shown above Mikasa is a another indirect hint isayama has left for us to not only directly see Levi's action towards her but to hint the subtle subconscious meaning behind how he sees her.

Mikasa's wild nature is the reason they met, the reason they mainly had their interactions and Levi's soft gaze at the horse???? It's an absolute give away, the look unmatched that he only spares for Mikasa and a naive animal which has no fault and is constently controlled by people ( ahem ahem ). Levi basically sees Mikasa as someone who is a slave to their emotion and he sees the burden she has to carry ( just like the horses carrying humans) he cares enough to leave a caring hand and a soft look at her because he knows she needs it. And if I'm reaching a bit far ( let me ) the solider who interrupted the whole moment could be isayama subliminally hinting towards the fact that because they're are so many variables in their lives they don't get to interact as much or have any ackertalk. You can also see that a solider is also standing behind Levi's horse but where is his face? Hmm isyamam could have easily added their face if he wanted to but he did NOT. Will it be reaching to Mars if I say that this reminds me of how they communicate and the entire world seem to stop? The people around them exist but they create a world of their own and the guy at the back having no face = no identify = doesn't matter, just like others who ( no matter who they are ) they don't matter when the Ackerman's interact!!

Apart from these I could go on and on about the matching coloured of the horse and Mikasa's hair, it's the same shit. Notice how the horse is a "dark horse" and a dark horse is used to refered to someone who is usually behind the shadows and surprises everyone with their talent or skills or something that makes them outstanding from the rest. Interesting how a 2 second scene can tell us so many things isn't it? A lot of you mentioned here or just in aot fandom the fact that Mikasa seemed "outcasted" from the 104th cadets, well there you go. Apart from her attitude towards the captain she never showed her powers to him until they actually engaged in battle, which is Mikasa being the dark horse to him and to the rest of the world in aot.

Well guys I hope you read this long ass analysis, yeah come tell at me at this r E a C h but this is literally what being English and art teachers want you to think like. So if you wanna blame anyone blame my teachers 🤣 immkidding bye

I love analysing anything related to Levi and Mikasa so pls drop anything if it's relevant !

[thegreymoon]

Word of Honor

Wait... what is this drug they are taking?

An antidote for what? And why do they need it so badly??

***

Of course that’s your plan 🙄🙄

I DON’T TRUST YOU FOR A SECOND. 

***

Who the hell is Lao Bi?

I just double-checked the number of the episode I’m watching. Why do I feel like I have chunks of information missing? First with the antidote, now with this. 

***

AND THE GHOST KING HAS LANDED!!

WEARING FULL RED AND NOT FUCKING AROUND!!

***

LMAOOOO, look at his stupid face 🤣🤣

You are so fucked, asshole 💀💀

***

OH MY GOD. HE SUMMONED THE GHOST ARMY!

THEY ARE STILL OBEYING HIM? AND AUNT LUO IS THERE?? 

HOW? WHEN??

SERIOUSLY, DID I MISS A FUCKING EPISODE AGAIN?

***

I AM SOBBING 😭😭

Also, this scene is positively biblical 😅😅

***

LMAO 😂😂

How (and when??) did you get away from the Scorpion, you disaster?

***

I had to go google these two elves to figure out who they are 😐

Frankly, I don’t understand how it was expected of me to deduce their link to Prince Jin and Zhou Zishu. Would it have killed them to give us a few flashbacks for them too?

***

THE HAIRPIN SCENE!!

BABIES ARE NOW MARRIED AND HAVE A SECT TO RUN!

I still don’t know how we got from where we were in the last episode to all this, but I’m not complaining!! 🤗🤗

***

You and me both, brother 😅

This entire episode has me feeling like I’ve somehow landed in a completely different show! 

***

Again. 

What secret medicine and since when??

The one thing that keeps coming to mind is WKX’s mother and the poison she used on Zhao Jing, but. How did Zhao Jing weasel his way out of that? And if it is the same poison, how is the Scorpion using it on the Ghosts now? Where did he get the recipe and the antidote?

***

Ah, so Scorpion’s second assassin is still alive!

Good to know! I was wondering what happened to her!

***

Anyway, I have all kinds of feelings about this 😶

***

Well, this is a whole new heartbreak 😢

***

But, Aunt Luo, why? 😢

Yes, he wants to kill everyone, the humans and ghosts alike, but he has been trying to save her department since the beginning! I never fully realized it until now, but it always bugged me a little when her maids would come crying to him and he wouldn’t take them back under his wing, sending them back out into the world instead. He’s been rejecting them, pushing them out, giving them money to start a new life because he wants to save them. 

***

I love the elves even if they feel like they wandered in from another story! 😆

I love this black one and his dedication to curing A-Xu’s alcoholism 👇

But the white one is a riot 😂😂

When he went, “I remember someone asked me to find to find him a girl with a great figure. I found a lot, but he...” and then drifts off into pointed silence 😂😂

***

Okay, truthfully, I am really not a fan of these last two episodes 😕 I’ve been informed that they apparently had to cut a whole nine episodes because they lost their funding and I feel for everyone involved, I really do, but it’s such a pity the story had to devolve into so much mess so close to the end. Nothing makes sense anymore, it feels like they are rushing to tie up storylines that don’t really fit together because they didn’t have the chance to grow organically. It feels like the entire story is taking place off screen and I’m just sitting here frustrated and confused. For example, this:

Didn’t we see the Scorpion King and WKX colluding, like, minutes ago? Why is he back with Zhao Jing, fighting against WKX now? I mean, it’s probably a scheme of theirs, but at this point, do we really need that ‘reveal’ when we are two minutes away from the finale? And if it isn’t a scheme and they are really fighting against each other, where is the fallout? We didn’t get to see anything that led to this, we didn’t get to see Scorpion returning to Zhao Jing. We are just ‘told’, oh, the Ghost King is surrounded and they are about to kill him 😕

I really hope they pull themselves together for the last four episodes because this lack of coherence and logical progression is really nuking all my emotional investment here. 

***

Wen Kexing in killer mode is always a treat, though 😋

I love his fight scenes so much! 

***

Zhou Zishu is here and all this is supposed to be very emotional but I feel like the story has folded in upon itself and I’m just... bored? I don’t believe any of them on anything right now and am just waiting for something to happen to draw me back in. 

***

OMG, yes, please stop talking and start fighting again!

Since the plot is apparently dead and buried, at least give us the blood! 

*** 

Oh, hi, Ye Baiyi! 🖤

My grumpy hundred-year-old baby, I missed you!! 

***

Yeah, Chengling can fuck all the way off now. I have zero patience for this. 

***

This alone makes it obvious that this is some scheme. 

I feel so sad for Zhou Zishu, though. Whatever it is they are doing, they should have told him. 

***

There is always the danger of a show going one twist and turn too far and that has definitely happened for me here. I have no idea what to do with all this, but he remains a work of art.

***

Very appreciative of your service here, sir 😋

***

Well, this looks ominous 😆

I feel like all three are plotting his demise. 

***

So many tragic gays on this show 🙄

Also, by this point they were not even trying to be subtle. He was clearly sharing a life with this man, loving him and grieving for him. He even refers to Rong Xuan as ‘their child’.

***

Is there even any doubt at this point?

*deepest sigh*

[fermented-writers-block]

Submitted by @sepublic:

So a while back, my pal @fermented-writers-block aired a theory. To sum up the abridged version, they suggested that if the Boiling Isles was allegorical to an Underworld, and the Human World to… Well, itself, then what of a third realm above? What if there was a parallel to an angelic realm, one populated by the show’s equivalent to a race of angels/Valkyries? They speculated that Emperor Belos himself may have been one of them, cast out… And he desires the portal and access to the Human World, in order to access this hypothetical Angel Realm!

In our discussions, we came across the idea that the Human World functions like neutral territory. It is the realm between realms, the buffer/barrier between the Angel Realm and the Demon Realm. It is where the two come together, and where influences from both have leaked in, to inspire real-world myths; A callback to Eda’s line in the first episode! The Portal, as speculated by my pal, potentially is rooted in the Human World, giving it equal access to the Angel and Demon Realms respectively- As a result of the Human World being between both of them respectively!

If the three realms were bus seats, the Angel Realm might be the Window Seat, while the Demon Realm is the set right next to the aisle where people walk up and down across the bus… And the Human World is sandwiched right between! This of course means that in order for either the Demon or Angel Realm to access one another, it would be through the Human World… With only the Human World maintaining access to BOTH realms, instead of just the one!

Ergo… Given the theory that Belos intends to reconnect to this Angel Realm, it makes sense that he wants to access the Human World! To him, it’s merely a stepping stone, not his destination… The ladder he needs to reach the top, it’s his stopping point before he can progress on to the end! He has no interest in the Human World, as he claims, beyond utilizing it as a passageway to something far grander and more interesting.

But now… onto a certain idea behind Belos.

To put it simply; Fermented Writer’s Block and I think that Belos could potentially be a Satanic/Lucifer allegory. A Fallen Angel, in a sense. From a Doylist perspective, this would settle Disney’s concerns over depicting Heavenly characters as negative, as the only truly negative Angel in this sense would be a literal Satanic allegory. It’d be like Doom, in a sense!

I’ve discussed… a LOT in the past, the idea of Luz and Belos being counterparts. Even if we don’t have much within canon, there IS the association with Light, as well as the ability to communicate with the Titan to some degree. Luz’s name literally means Light… And Lucifer means Light Bringer! It’s in the name, Luz-ifer! If Belos is a twisted counterpart to Luz’s guiding light, then perhaps he’s a more literal take on the Satanic allegory…

Specifically, the idea of an Angel who was cast out of their world and fell, plummeting into a realm beneath that of the Human World! We’re already making allusions with Lilith’s name, after all. And I’d LOVE to see The Owl House tackle some more classic, eldritch takes on the Angels of old and their original interpretations, such as the Seraphs!

After all, people have noted the similarities between Belos and the idea of Christian Imperialism. If Belos were a literal ‘angel’, or the show’s equivalent, this would be a fitting twist! Fermented Writer’s Block also observed that on one page of the Unauthorized History of the Boiling Isles, Belos is depicted with almost mechanical wings, in addition to the book being somewhat burnt. What if this could imply burnt wings on Belos’ part? Especially given Belos’ mechanical, industrial motifs and deteriorated nature...

If Belos WERE a Fallen Angel, then perhaps his Wings motif amidst the Emperor’s Coven imagery is intentional. Not only does it hearken back to his true origins and identity… But it could also allude to him having burnt wings, which in itself is symbolic of a Fallen Angel, as someone who was outcast and can no longer fly! The dude IS associated with Fire, to a degree… His throne room is lit by blazing braziers. Amity and Boscha are associated with his Coven System, in a sense… Amity is indoctrinated into its values and wants to join the Emperor’s Coven, while Boscha’s ideas of hierarchy and elitism reflect Belos’ values rather well. Both characters are associated with Fire… Which, helps to serve as a unifying motif among them- Especially with Lilith, who has blue fire and was leader of the Emperor’s Coven!

It’s a contrast to Luz and her Ice, and what she stands for… Her Light is reflective, while the Light of characters like Belos is harsh, dangerous, and off-putting. If Luz were more comparable to a night star, shining amidst the darkness and providing guidance- Then Belos is like the Sun, harsh, bright, demanding attention from all… But also too powerful to be personal with, something to be regarded from a distance, and never closely looked at. This would fit into Belos’ enigmatic nature, and the idea of him heralding Day, while Luz is Night… After all, Owls are nocturnal! And if Belos is a coming dawn, then that could tie into Angelic motifs… Amidst Luz’s Night bringing an end to his Light! It’s a take on that age-old term, about the Sun never setting on the British Empire… And THAT empire is emblematic of colonialism and imperialism as a whole!

It could also allude to the myth of Icarus- A mortal who flew too close to the sun! Of course in this scenario, Belos was in fact an Angel… But there’s still the recurring theme of wanting more, of one’s circumstances not being enough, of being guided by arrogance- It’s shared between Lucifer and Icarus both, to varying degrees. Perhaps Belos tried to lead a revolt in the Angel Realm, or got too arrogant… Either way, he was cast out- He flew too close to the Sun he wished to embody, and so his wings were burnt. Clipped of the thing most emblematic of his identity, no longer able to fly and ascend… Belos fell to the Earth, and then even deeper.

It’d tie into Belos having earthen motifs, as someone who can no longer fly. Him having angelic aesthetics, underscored by demonic motifs and growls, fits into the idea of Lucifer having been a beautiful angel, only to become the literal Devil and leader of Hell and all of its horrific demons! Belos already has a decayed, deteriorated condition to him that implies he’s not in the best health. Perhaps his burnt wings are the cause of this- Or at least another symptom of whatever injuries he suffered in the past? Not only that, but returning to the Icarus motifs… If we want to get meta, we can ascertain that Dana Terrace has read Fullmetal Alchemist. She knows of Hiromu Arakawa’s artstyle, citing it as something Luz would emulate back home- And there’s that other post comparing Father and Belos!

If Belos is like Father, then there’s once again that idea of using a portal to access a heavenly ‘realm’, through the Sun, in order to access a ‘God’ figure, or beings around that level. Not only that, but Fullmetal Alchemist, from its very beginning, made a very pointed reference to the myth of Icarus, likening its main protagonist Edward Elric to him! If Father is in some ways a foil to Ed, just as Belos could be to Luz… Then it makes sense for Dana to have been inspired by Icarus by virtue of his tale being important to the themes of Fullmetal Alchemist! And if Belos IS a Satanic allegory… Well, Lucifer’s name literally means Morning Star. As Belos’ antithesis, Luz brings the sunset to his Day of Unity. They’re both outcasts to the Demon Realm, but from different worlds respectively.

Now, there’s a question- Who are the Angels? What do they look like? And where does the Owl Deity factor into all of this? Well, this gets me onto my NEXT part;

I think the Owl Deity could be the closest thing to ‘God’ in this universe, AKA an all-powerful deity who reigns above all! A while back, a background artist for the show released some art he did, depicting Luz and King resting beneath a spire. If one looks closely at the top, they can see a depiction of Belos himself! And right above it is candles, surrounding an Owl… An Owl above all. Perhaps we’re looking too deeply into this. But it brings to mind a pun, about the God of All Things… Also being the God of ‘Owl’ Things!

If the candles are lit, then this suggests fire’s association with the heavens, which fits into biblical depictions of Angels! Not only that, but Belos is right beneath the Owl… And right beneath him is a fleshy stump, indicative of his own motifs… And it’s connected to what appears to be a giant eye right beneath him! Eyes are a big motif in the Boiling Isles –and amongst biblical angels- so perhaps the fleshy stump, akin to Belos’ constructs, is symbolic? That he’s bridging the gap between the demonic world below, and the heavenly world above?

Regardless, the next portion of this theory suggests that the Owl Deity is a supreme being. Perhaps a neutral mediator between both the Angel and Demon Realms, with the Human World as neutral ground. Perhaps a weapon, utilized by the Angels? Or a powerful deity they managed to sway… More on that later. Regardless, it DOES make one consider the Clawthornes’ connection to the Owl Deity, specifically Eda’s. Her house DOES have the only known depictions of this enigmatic being, after all.

And THAT house was likely fashioned, at least partly, from a tower! Towers are known for their reach towards the skies… Could a Clawthorne Ancestor have been connected to the Owl Deity as a worshipper? A follower? Maybe they were ALSO an Angel, like Belos, albeit not fallen… Or at least, much more well-intentioned! It could bring a dark twist to Lilith’s line about Eda being with her ‘real’ family… Unbeknownst to her, Belos, being a fallen Angel, is arguably ‘family’ in the sense that the hypothetical Clawthorne Ancestor was ALSO an Angel! After all, it might better explain how Eda has access to the Portal. Not to mention that golden, blazing Owl Wraith she summons during her final battle with Lilith… Birds ARE a Clawthorne Motif, after all! And Angels have bird wings.

If Belos IS similar to Father from Fullmetal Alchemist, then it makes sense that there’s a ‘God’ he plans to usurp as a Lucifer allegory. The Owl Deity could be this god, or at least associated with the Heavens that Belos seeks to conquer and return to. That of course gets us into the symbolism behind the angelic motifs of the Emperor’s Coven. Now, when Belos first arrived in the Demon Realm, he would have been acting VERY contrary to the Boiling Isles’ values about magic at the time, and he clearly had to utilize plenty of force and genocide to make people comply. In other words, this is a dude who cares not about conforming to others, but making others conform to him…

So it doesn’t make as much sense for Belos to change his aesthetics to an Angelic one, to appease the Boiling Isles residents if he’s clearly averse to everything else they do! Especially if Angels, or what lingering memory of them there is, is seen as negative by the Boiling Isles… The point being, this alludes to Belos being genuine about his Angelic motifs, and not adopting them to appear more palatable to others; Because all of his behavior suggests otherwise, that he forces others to adapt to him, rather than the other way around!

Not only that, but if the Emperor’s Coven is Belos’ attempt at reinstating his ideal form of heavenly rule/environment on the Boiling Isles… And if the Owl Deity is a god to be conquered, then how fitting is it that his subordinate wears an Owl Mask? Perhaps it’s meant to arrogantly symbolic… That the Owl figure that Belos once looked up to, now serves him! Of course it’s only in symbols; But the idea is there, that the image and motif of Owls has been appropriated, not as a holy being above Belos, but instead as an image belonging to a subservient minion.

Now, this all leads into another question- What about the Titan? What does the Titan have to do with this? And for that matter, what of the giant Titan remains, scattered across the Boiling Seas- We know others exist, but OUR Titan is the only known intact corpse! Well…

In Understanding Willow, Hooty briefly mentions his backstory. It’s hard to discern, but he mentions how it all began with a hunt, and how there were blood-red skies before Eda and King’s dialogue cuts him off and drowns out the noise. There IS the idea of Hooty being a lobotomized and weakened reincarnation of the Owl Deity, or at least a spawn of it… Or having SOME association with it, moreso than most characters! We don’t know what killed the Titans, or why OUR Titan’s corpse is intact. There could be Doylist answers to this, maybe it’s meant to be a mystery that’s never explored, but left to a sublime imagination…

But if not, then this is where I get into a crazy idea here;

Angels are depicted as adversarial with Demons. The Titans would’ve been the first Demons, of the Demon Realm. We know one of them had Magic... And if Belos is any indication as a fallen angel, there may be a heavenly aversion to magic. Hooty recalls it all beginning with a hunt…

What if the Angels hunted down the Titans? It’d explain their sudden extinction… As for why our Boiling Isles (BI) Titan is still intact, well. Perhaps it was a lone survivor! Perhaps its Magical ability permitted it to last longer than others, before it too succumbed to death after the genocide. For all we know, its Magical ability was what drove the Angels to commit genocide upon the Titans, for fear of an uprising! Either they failed to target the Titan actually responsible for finding magic, or they kept them from spreading their craft to others by killing off anyone else who would be willing to learn.

If Hooty has a connection to the Owl Deity… Well, remember when he mentioned being haunted by his actions forever, in Adventures in the Elements? What if the Owl Deity led this ‘hunt’ against the Titans… Either as a creation of the Angels, or as a neutral mediator who was swayed to their ideas of magic being dangerous! Either way, there seems to be a recurring theme of regret and remorse… Perhaps when all was said and done, the Owl Deity rejected its actions, and banished itself to the Boiling Isles? Maybe the Clawthorne Ancestor was connected to/IS the Owl Deity… As for how the Owl Deity died, maybe it simply willed itself out of existence in shame. Maybe it succumbed to injuries from the water. Either way, the Titan didn’t erase all traces of it, which could imply some forgiveness on its part… That, or the Titan was too dead to act in outright vengeance, who knows?

Regardless, the story goes- A Titan discovers Magic, is deemed a threat by the Angels. The Angels lead a mass extermination of its kind, with the Titan the sole survivor. The Owl Deity helps lead the hunt, but comes to regret its war crimes, and dies amidst the BI Titan’s corpse, laying the foundations for the Owl House. As I said, the BI Titan also eventually dies, alone and traumatized, as the Angels head back home.

Owl Deity culls rest of titans, is about to finish the Titan when it realizes the horror of what it did

Either the Titan took it out in a pyrrhic victory, or - more likely - the Owl Deity, being an entity focused on balance and neutrality, allowed itself to be killed/seriously wounded as way to “rebalance” things as much as it can for its nigh complete genocide

We know that Belos claims to enforce the will of the Titan. Well, if he’s a fallen angel… What if he’s persuading the Titan to help it get revenge? What if as a fallen angel, he arrived on the Boiling Isles and approached the Titan’s spirit, proclaiming himself as trustworthy, in an Enemy of my Enemy situation? Belos would point to him and the Titan as being wounded and rejected by the angels to some extent. Belos would have insider knowledge on his kind. If the Angels swayed the Owl Deity, what if Belos swayed the Titan to his side by offering it the chance to strike back at the Heavens for its crimes, and avenge its fallen brethren?

When Belos claims to enforce the Titan’s will, he’s not completely wrong- It DOES feel justifiable anger, though clearly Belos is capitalizing and manipulating this anger, and then passing off the Titan’s actions as solely its own, and not at all a product of Belos’ own manipulations in any shape or form. You know how I likened Belos to Father… And my past theories about Belos resurrecting the Titan, on the Day of Unity?

Hooty mentions it all began with a hunt, with blood-red skies. What if the skies are blood-red once more, on the Day of Unity? As the realms converge or whatnot… What if Belos’ weapon to defeat his Angelic brethren is none other than the resurrected Titan, wielding full access to the powers of Magic, and with vengeance in its heart? What if Belos resurrects the Titan on the Day of Unity, possibly with its body underneath HIS control as a parasite… We could have a scene mirroring that iconic moment from Fullmetal Alchemist, where a continent-sized Father rises from the ground and reaches out to the Heavens, accessing them with the Portal! Just replace Father’s gigantic form with the Titan’s resurrected, magic-fueled body!

Now, this does lead into the idea of settling the Angels as antagonists, once Belos is done and over with. Perhaps a resurrected Owl Deity will be instrumental, with the help of Luz and the others? If she’s the Night to Belos’ Day, then perhaps she needs to set the sun on Belos’ reign, on his Day of Unity! It all begins and ends with blood-red skies, after all. Perhaps with the help of a resurrected Owl Deity, Luz can appease the Titan, or at least sway it to not turn to vengeance and jeopardize the Boiling Isles inhabitants in the process. She has experience with calming down vengeful entities in the past, as seen with Inner Willow… And Luz CAN communicate with the Titan!

Especially if the Angels have grown to also regret their actions, as a parallel to characters like Lilith! Or at least, the Angels can be held in line and prevented from further massacres, with the resurrected Owl Deity. If the Owl Deity is regretful of its actions, then perhaps we could get a scene calling back to Understanding Willow… Where Belos, at the last second, sways the Owl Deity to his logic, and suggests vengeance and annihilation of the Angels! The Owl Deity, frighteningly, agrees for a moment, reminding the Angels that its genocide of them is merely finishing what THEY started, after all…!

But then Luz steps in. Alongside the others, such as Amity and Willow, Lilith and King, Eda, and so forth… She persuades the Owl Deity to have forgiveness in its heart, especially if the Angels show remorse and a desire to fix mistakes! It’d hearken back to the theme of having justified anger, but otherwise channeling it productively into fixing mistakes, rather than simply harming the one responsible for them! It’s about a productive way of tackling issues, rather than focused on punishment; Again, a theme as far back as the first scene, when Luz is punished with the Summer Camp, VS actually having her emotional issues properly addressed, and being given the chance to fix the damage.

Our protagonists could all call back to similar incidents, with Lilith citing how Eda sparing her gave her the chance to fix the damage, or at least remedy it… Instead of JUST dying as retribution! How Willow chose to still retain her feelings, but also spared Amity so the girl could change and improve as a person, instead of just killing her off and calling it a day. It’s about not only recognizing damage, but working to properly fix and recover from it- Recovery is the key word! Fixing the damage together, as Luz said- Productively fixing what was caused, instead of beating oneself over it, the way Amity and Lilith initially did!

This could lead to the Owl Deity, especially if it has Hooty’s memories, being swayed back to a good stance. It’d contrast Belos and his inability to grow, heal, and recover from his emotional and physical wounds! Either way, perhaps the Owl Deity could make peace with the Angels, or at least ensure they genuinely change their attitudes and behaviors. Belos is stopped, and the Titan can finally be laid to rest, its spirit perhaps still communicating with whoever is willing and eager to learn Magic, the same way it did!

Now, this does leave the question- Who was Belos during the Titan Genocide, if he was an Angel? Was he even alive back then? This gets me into the speculation that Fermented Writers Block made, of Private New Guy being an allegory to Belos… If Hooty was haunted by his actions that night, well. Perhaps Belos was just another young recruit, another generic Angel in the hunt- But he was inspired by the Owl Deity, maybe even saw it as someone to emulate? And that’s part of why he’s so power-hungry and bloodthirsty, because of his ‘idol’…

Yet ironically, Belos is merely projecting his idea and desire for what he wants the Owl Deity to be, VS what it actually is- A repentant, remorseful entity with a lot of guilt! Tying into the idea of characters projecting ideas/expectations onto others that just don’t exist, confusing fantasy with reality… Maybe like Private New Guy, Belos tried to seize power in the Angel Realm, and it’s why he was banished? And hey, going into even MORE mindless speculation- What if Owl Mask was MORE than symbolic of the Owl Deity, but outright the same kind of being? Perhaps they’re Belos’ attempt at recreating the Owl Deity albeit young and/or imperfect, an additional asset to conquer the Angel Realm, in addition to a resurrected Titan. Who knows?

Mind you… ALL OF THIS is one hell of a stretch. It’s an incredibly unlikely theory, that hinges on a LOT of factors… But it’s fun food for thought, is it not? And hey, if you never pick up a shovel, one will never find gold even if it IS there! It’s an extension of the Angel Realm theory, while tying together a bunch of other details here or there, and hearkening to past themes, morals, and lessons. I’m sure that even if this isn’t what Dana and the others have planned, what we WILL get will certainly be just as enjoyable- But until then, it can’t hurt too much to guess a bit, and maybe have some outlandish fun or there, right?