#prophetic vignettes

[prophetic-hijinks]

Vows (aka leave room for Jesus)

Master comic list

Start from the beginning

Comic 1: totally smitten

[pen-and-umbra]

So far, Episode 2 has been quite intriguing. The following is a stream of consciousness with some preliminary theories.

The wisp-things are extremely suspicious. At first glance, they appear to be linked to Masamune the Swordsmith (who kind of resembles a wraith or another type of undead?), but in fact they are Jenova-coded, with those distinctive purple/magenta hue visuals. 

Consequently, Sephiroth's "dream" sequence seems to be induced, similar to Angeal's. The telling purple/magenta vignette around the edges implies Jenova's influence.

Then there's Alissa, who resembles Lucrecia and makes the strangely accurate assumption that she reminds Sephiroth of his mother.

So, what do we have so far? We have an anomalous, off-limits zone that the locals avoid. No one knows how the village was destroyed. We have a legendary swordsmith, whose life-force (?) appears to be maintained by unknown means. We got some classic Jenova effects, purple visuals, and possibly induced lucid dreams or hallucinations. And we have a mysterious carnage survivor who resembles Sephiroth's mother.

My supposition is that there's a remnant of Jenova residing in Igara Forbidden Zone. I previously explored some unusual possibilities derived from the Temple of Ancients narration in FFVIIRebirth, where the Cetra mentioned their celestial adversary's "scattered malignancy". [Link] Unless the message is to be interpreted as prophetic, referencing ShinRA age experiments, it implies that Jenova's biologics were already “scattered” during Cetra's time.

What if the Igara Forbidden Zone ended up sitting atop a sealed deposit of Jenova's biological matter from the Cetran War?

The ground is depicted as having cracks, with some kind of purple substance visible beneath. Furthermore, Angeal observes that the soil is as fine as ash but glitters — and remarkably fresh Jenova's blood or goo has been shown to glitter in the ShinRA headquarters.

So perhaps at some point in time, the residents discover the sealed organic traces. Someone like a swordsmith would be closely dealing with matters of mining ore, so there's a chance of mining taking place in the vicinity. The mining process may have unearthed biological remains that had been buried for eons. Alternatively, there could have been ancient Cetran ruins nearby—perhaps an entombment site—that were intended to seal off alien matter. The opening sequence does feature what appears to be an abandoned Petra-inspired temple carved into the rock.

Although it has strong Wutaian ornamental motifs, it could be a repurposed Cetran site, so the idea stands. 

Masamune's lifespan, if he is a living being, appears to be much longer than that of a normal human, or so his speech about finding a wielder for his masterwork implies. Lucrecia's situation immediately comes to mind, as the compilation states that Jenova cells prevent her from dying, thereby extending her life. While this is an unlikely scenario, Masamune appears to be bound and unable to rest until his sword is passed on.

In this case, it is almost implied that the sword possesses its own power. Could this be a cursed masterpiece? Could Jenova's remnant essence from the ancient war have been mixed in during Masamune's forging process? After all, during the battle, the swordsmith does display those Jenova-esque visual effects.

Another peculiar and somewhat ominous link between Jenova and Sephiroth's weapon can be seen in his dream/hallucination sequence. Jenova-Lucrecia gives Sephiroth a "charm" to wrap around his sword, promising to "always be with him".

Granted, it could be a manifestation of his deepest desires (such as wanting to eat pumpkin soup again), but the purplish Jenova-esque vignette at the edges of his vision lends the scene a sinister feel. What if her power is actually imbued in the weapon Sephiroth carries? In that way, her shadow is always present beside him. 

The act of wielding Masamune is presented as some type of a tipping point in the opening sequence as well. During the intro Alissa mentions that she feels like the world will change once Sephiroth takes up the sword. The notion is further implicitly corroborated by Bachman, who stated the "course of history was altered forever".

Speaking of Alissa, according to FFVII Rebirth, Jenova can "peer into one's soul" and transform into those they hate, fear, or love. With this in mind, Alissa's resemblance to Lucrecia is extremely suspicious and raises numerous questions. Is she real, or a hallucination? It's telling that her face isn't revealed until the party comes into contact with suspicious purple wisps (which allegedly manifest as Masamune battle).

For all we know, if Jenova’s presence is there — if her power is unchained and lingers — then Alissa's might look completely different for Angeal, as her appearance is being specifically tailored to the beholder. It's also worth noting that the opening sequence features frequent flashes of Alissa surrounded by purple wisps and glitching.

To continue this line of thought, is it really coincidental that Bachman is carrying a camera, a device that captures unbiased visuals? Is it really an accident that Bachman is later portrayed as a mumbling, disorganized mess, despite the fact that he ostensibly never participated in the SOLDIER program? It's almost as if someone didn't want him to reveal his findings.

Written by @pen-and-umbra

[cybrsan]

Cybrsan’s ATEEZ Masterlist

Imagines

ATEEZ as Benders - ATLA Inspired 

Series 

Ode to ATEEZ: An anthology of standalone stories based on ATEEZ’s title tracks and singles. Each will have a different plot and pairing, ranging from one member x reader to multiple members x reader.  

Together in Harmony: A collection of interconnected stories where ATEEZ are all benders. Based on the ATLA universe.

One-Shots

Light It Up! [smut]: The year is 2077, and the world is a lawless dystopia where tech giants and major corporations hold all the power. Kim Hongjoong and Park Seonghwa are an infamous criminal duo who have made names for themselves fighting against the “techno brainwashing” of society. Discovering they’re on the brink of getting caught, they decide to go out with a bang—and who better to help them than their favorite plaything?

Pirate King [smut]: You are playing a dangerous game with an even more dangerous man, and you don’t know how much longer it can go on before everything falls apart around you.

Requests

93. “Say you want me, and I’m yours.” + 123. “Fuck you.” “When?” [angst, fluff, smut]

Tarot

General Reading [July 2023]

Timestamps

12:47 AM [smut]

One-Shots

Light It Up! [smut]: The year is 2077, and the world is a lawless dystopia where tech giants and major corporations hold all the power. Kim Hongjoong and Park Seonghwa are an infamous criminal duo who have made names for themselves fighting against the “techno brainwashing” of society. Discovering they’re on the brink of getting caught, they decide to go out with a bang—and who better to help them than their favorite plaything?

Vignette: Duty [no pairing]: Seonghwa has been working toward one goal for as long as he can remember, which is making his father proud. To do so, he needs to win the Nightingale commendation, be the best of the best. But when he falls a step behind Hongjoong, he has to reconsider what it is he truly wants.

Requests

106. “I’m going to fuck you until you forget that asshole’s name.” + 107. “Bend over the desk, love.” [smut]

Requests

1. “Come over here and make me.” + 14. “You heard me. Take. It. Off.” + 36. “You were put on this earth to give me a headache.” [angst, fluff]

106. "I'm going to fuck you until you forget that asshole's name." [smut]

125. “Here, let me help you.” + 148. “I really want to kiss you right now.” “Then do it.” [fluff]

Tarot

General Reading [Aug 2023]

One-Shots

Party of Three [smut] ft. Wooyoung: Things take an unexpected turn when Wooyoung walks in on you and San.

Roll The Dice [smut]: In the wake of his recent world tour, your boyfriend has decided to treat you to a night out in Las Vegas to commemorate his success and your upcoming anniversary. Though the city is renowned for its gambling, the two of you play a much more interesting game of chance.

Three Hearts as One [angst] ft. Wooyoung: It had been a good day. That should have been the first warning sign that something was about to go horribly wrong. After all, how much peace can you expect in an apocalypse?

Tarot

General Reading [July 2023]

Requests

10. “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice.” + 67. “Uh, am I interrupting?” [smut]

Imagines

Bouncy!Wooyoung in the Mafia

One-Shots

Party of Three [smut] ft. San: Things take an unexpected turn when Wooyoung walks in on you and San.

Three Hearts as One [angst] ft. San: It had been a good day. That should have been the first warning sign that something was about to go horribly wrong. After all, how much peace can you expect in an apocalypse?

Series

Treasure [angst, fluff, smut]: Wooyoung is moon-blessed, a waterbender born under the Siren Moon that rises once every 88 years. His blessing is believed to be his unique and powerful healing abilities that he has coined “Wavesong.” However, his true gift is that of his prophetic dreams, glimpses of futures yet to unfold—and you just happen to be the subject of his recent visions. 

Tarot

General Reading [July 2023]

Requests

25. “It hurts…” “What?” “Loving someone who doesn’t love you…” + 29. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” + 34. “Why are you so cold?” [angst]

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Does the "This is all a dream orchestrated by Malleus" relate to the Yuuverse with all the Yuus repeatedly going through the story over and over again? I have seen people theorize that every time a Yuu fails, a new one starts over and I'm too sleepy to actually relate this theory to the new events that just transpired.

I think you’re talking about two popular but different theories? 🤔 (Though now it definitely seems like those two theories are converging into one…?)

There were some that believed in the time loop theory. Some powerful entity (usually said to be Crowley) summons new Yuus every time the Yuu from the previous time loop fails and/or dies. It is said that the resets usually occur when Yuu is killed by an Overblot, with the most common “death by Overblot” owing to Grim. Some also embellish the theory with ideas about Crowley’s motives and whether he is a good person or not.

There is an extension of time loop theory—the “Yuu is dead” theory; in “Yuu is dead”, the player character is theorized to be someone who died while crossing the road (yup, an isekai classic; the manga and light novel Yuu all got transported at a crosswalk), and Crowley summoned them into Twisted Wonderland after their passing to serve his own needs. Sometimes people will point to Yuu emerging from a coffin and/or Crowley avoiding the topic of bringing them home (since it’s impossible due to their “dead” status) as proof of Yuu being dead. Both time loop and Yuu is dead theory primarily stem from the many iterations of Yuus across various official TWST media (the manga, the light novel, etc).

Others believed in the dream theory, in which (much like the original Alice in Wonderland), everything in Twisted Wonderland is just a dream that someone is having. There are variations of the dream theory depending on who the dreamer is, but the most common ones I’ve seen assign the designation of dreamer to either Yuu (who has been having prophetic dreams in the main story) and Malleus (whose Disney counterpart is strongly associated with inducing sleep). Sometimes dream theory also includes evidence backed up by Silver, who appears to have some kind of vague association with Yuu and their dreams. It is worth noting that some fans do not like dream theory because they feel that it devalues the experiences had and the relationships formed if nothing was “real”.

As I said before (given what we know of the most recent main story update), it seems like people are now combining different aspects of those two theories to make a new one. The update is still pretty fresh, so I haven’t yet had the time to read up and acclimate myself with the various time loop-dream theory combinations.

One thing that I will note is interesting is??? I remember Yana saying a few years ago that we should treat TWST’s events and vignettes as AUs separate from the main story, and at the time I thought it was to make things easier for the writing team (so they didn’t have to worry about timeline stuff). But now???? I’m wondering if every event and vignette was actually a part of the dream world… The evidence is (sort of??) there!!

I normally wouldn’t include gameplay mechanics as part of a theory (since I compartmentalize meta from the story/characters/lore), but I feel that the gloves are off for this since Malleus initiated what was essentially a fourth-wall break at the end of 7-37 (booting us back to the main screen of Twisted Wonderland after forcing everyone to sleep). The part where he casts his spell is even named “Forced Game Over”, which is very on the nose for a character who is not tied to technology other than being really bad at using it. He also says a lot of foreboding things about how “it would be better for fictional characters to stay as they are forever” (not an exact translation, I’m just generalizing).

AnYWAY, my thought is??? Are the events and/or vignettes meant to be the characters dreaming (not that Malleus necessarily created the dream world, but the dream world is like their collective unconscious and/or everyone having individual dream/their own iterations)???? Because Malleus promises to send them to a world where they can be “heroes”, a place where they can find “happy endings”, where no one has to leave. Most events and/or vignettes have very carefree vibes to them or just generally non-serious conflicts. They’re usually full of tales of carefree school days.

The vignettes and events also being part of the dream world also explains why Lilia (whose magic was supposedly waning is still able to use his quite proficiently), and why some characters who would normally be somewhat hostile towards each other seem more mellowed out in some events (ie Epel and Vil having an amicable relationship in the first Halloween event when they didn’t learn to get along until episode 5, which takes place in late winter). It would also explain why sometimes main story happenings are referenced in vignettes and events, but the vignette and event happenings are not mentioned in the main story. Characters are bringing knowledge of reality into the dreams, but when they “awaken” from those dreams, they cannot recall all the details from them.

Another detail that’s pretty suspicious is the animation that plays when you’re Groovying a card 👁️ 👄 👁️ What covers the screen when you do??? That’s right—thorns, just like when Malleus casted his unique magic. Was this TWST’s indirect way of cluing us in that the whole damn game was just a dream?????? The title whenever we boot up the game was staring at us in the face with the “answer” all along: Twisted Wonderland. A dreamy place full of wonders—but just that, a dream.

xbsjsvwisview. JUST SoMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, I DuNNO 🤡 Sorry for sounding like a college professor lecturing on Disney pretty boys—

[kittysamzkewlz19]

Medusa Ex Makina

Prologue: And the Winner is…

Rated: M for Mature

Warnings: None

Author’s note: This is a redo of the Prologue from my art blog, @kattartsblog from here on out I will be posting future chapters and canon Makina events here. Vignettes and other silly events outside of the main plot will be on the art blog.

It had been 3 years after the events of “Army of the Doomstar”. Dethklok was asked to judge the third annual “Doom-opolis”, a battle of the bands styled competition that also was a celebration of Dethklok saving the world from utter destruction. It was down to the final 3 groups; the Ska punk group, PulsinG, the Idol group, Jennifer’s Corpse, and the emo metal band Lycan RIOT. Nathan really didn’t want to be there, he was disappointed by the lack of creativity and spark the two acts he sat through were. He was already anticipating Lycan RIOT to be just as lackluster. Nathan had decided it was best to stretch his legs and wander about a bit before the band had to make their final decision. His mindless wandering ended him backstage where Lycan RIOT excitedly waited for their turn. Or at least their singer was excited. She peaked behind one of the curtains to see an ocean of cheering. Her eyes filled with excitement, “Isn’t this awesome?! We’re in the finals and Dethklok is here! I mean, even if we don’t win the prize, our names will be in lights and we can say that we opened for THE Dethklok! We gotta make every second count.” The singer’s bandmates were not as enthused, the guitarist put a hand on her shoulder, “Maki, look man. We’ve been friends since high school. And you brought us all together. But now… damn, what I’m trying to say is-"

"We’re done screwin’ around!” shouted the band’s drummer. “We got new jobs ‘n’ lives now, like normal gits. We got no time or dosh for your little doolally! Yer rockstar dream’s stone dead!” The singer furrowed her brow, fury and sadness had overcome her, “Are you serious right now?! Look at how close we are, how far we’ve come! And you guys have the nerve to just throw out this dream we built?!” The dark haired woman began shedding tears, slightly smudging her corpse paint, “After years of hard work, the countless failed gigs, and even a freaking catastrophic apocalypse; you’re all going to quit?!” The man with the ponytail nodded, “We’ve moved on from this shindig ‘Dusy, so pull yer head outta yer arse.” The purple haired one had hummed in agreement, “We’re bound to fail, so let’s make this our final show.” The woman clenched her teeth, there was a fiery anger burning deep in her soul. But it was covered by devastation in her voice. “Fine then, after this performance…” she sighed, “We break up.” Nathan heard the shakiness in her voice, he could tell that this was a passion of the lady. It was something he could relate to. Music was his calling, he wouldn’t be the man he was without it. “Oh and we’re changing the fucking song.”

“What, we could get disqualified!” The bassist exclaimed. “Well it doesn’t matter anymore to you, right? If we’re performing together for the last time, I wanna go out with a bang.” The announcer calls Lycan RIOT to the stage as Nathan watches in the distance, the rage festering in the young lady was something almost refreshing to him. But then that’s when Nathan felt a chill in the air, his eyes widened. The way she carried herself on stage gave him a fright. He stood there frozen in awe. It was as if he was staring at a mirror. The woman reminded him of his younger years; the frustration to start something big, the passion she possessed, and the sheer raw emotion from her stance alone was enough to make him almost crack a manic grin. Nathan didn’t quite know what he was feeling. He was reminded of the vision from the whale prophet all those years ago, to be the hand. Maybe this time it was a different kind of hand? The lady looked down at the stage, closed her eyes, raised her microphone in a pair of devil horns, and then… “FFFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKK!” She growled, then a very familiar melody began to play.

Meanwhile, back in the VIP booth, Skwisgaar leaped out of his seat and ran to the railing with eyes widened with a sense of horror, disgust, and genuine surprise. “HOLYS SHIT THEMS PLAYINGS OUR SONGS!” The swede exclaimed. Murderface and Toki got up to join him, “Hey yeah, didn’t they submit a different piece?!” Murderface exclaimed, “They’re breaking the rules!” Toki nodded in agreement. The vocalist roared and screamed her heart out, the melody became clear and soon Pickles realized what song they were covering. Hatredcopter, a song that was meant to be sung as a duet, but now both parts were being sung by one artist. He had laughed at other covers in this style that failed to meet his expectations before, but not this time. Pickles couldn’t look away at the young singer. The raw emotion being poured out onto the stage, every note was in perfect pitch, and even the girl’s lowest death growl delighted him. “I’m kinda impressed, what do you think Nathan?” The ginger haired man looked towards his left and Nathan was not there. Backstage, Nathan’s heart began to beat fast, the sheer power in this girl’s voice him feel something. However something strange began to occur, there was a slight tinge of a green aura surrounding her. Initially, Nathan thought it was the lighting but now he see that there was something more mysterious at play. The large man gripped his chest, he wanted to run onto the stage and just talk to her but instead he just listened to the harmony of a duet being sung by one vocalist. Once the song was over, Makina raised the microphone to the sky holding it in a set of devil horns and chucked it straight into the face of an audience member, breaking their nose and teeth. “Wowie, that’s ams brutals!” Toki exclaimed, Murderface started laughing his ass off, “Ha! That guy had it coming!” The crowd cheered and applauded at the violence from the vocalist, it almost made Nathan chuckle a little bit. This performance was the best Dethklok had witnessed all night, but the only one that had the balls to cover one of their songs!

The announcer asked the audience to wait for the results as Lycan RIOT was then escorted off stage and into the green room. Nathan watched on, “Ok it’s over. You can go now.” the woman hissed, crossing her arms. “Whatevuh. Toddle off then, ‘Dusy.” the drummer said, flipping her off as the rest of the group packed up their stuff. Alone in the green room, the woman saw the bottle of champagne and popped it open. She had originally bought it for the group as a celebratory reward, now it was to be used to drown out her sadness. She didn’t bother pouring it in a cup and began chugging it down like a frat boy at a house party. Seething, she punched the wall as hard as she could, her knuckles began to bleed. Nothing mattered to her, she began to open the wine bottle on the vanity table and poured herself a glass. After taking a swig, she flopped her head in her arms on the vanity and began to silently cry. Nathan’s face grew concerned and without thinking, he knocked on the door. The woman rolled her eyes, “Chester I swear to fucking god if you left something I-” she was now face to face with Nathan. His intimidating size made her shiver, “Uh… Hi.” Nathan said and gave a slight wave. “Mind if I join you?” The lady nodded, “Sorry for the outburst. I thought you were someone else.” The woman gestured to Nathan as he entered the room. “You put on one hell of a performance.”

“Thank you, god I wish it didn’t have to end like this.” The woman sniffed as she swirled around her champagne. “Are you ok man?” Nathan asked, tears began to well up in the woman’s eyes but she violently wiped them away. “I’m fine, it’s just been a rough night. But nothing a little booze can’t fix, right?" She lied jokingly. Nathan invited himself in and sat on the couch. He pondered for a moment and tried to say something positive, “You were pretty brutal up there.” She giggled at the comment, “You don’t have to lie, I looked like a toddler with a temper tantrum.” Nathan shook his head, “No I mean it, it was great.” The vocalist smiled and thanked him. Just then, there was another knock at the door, this time it was a stage hand. “Excuse me, are you a part of Lycan RIOT?” The black haired woman nodded, “Sorry to interrupt, but your charcuterie board has arrived.” The lady thanked the stage hand and placed it on the table. “I was supposed to drink and eat with my stupid band to celebrate a job well done, but they left me to drown. And I can't finish this all by my- Wait, where are my manners? Would you like some?” Nathan nodded and took some cheese and crackers, she continued on. Something in his blackened heart shifted as she spoke. He wanted to reach out. But he couldn’t. Instead he kept listening. The woman stuffed a few pieces of cheese in her mouth, “I do all of the manager stuff, I got us this gig, and we practice like crazy. But no, they leave me high and dry!”

“Damn kid that sucks!” Nathan stated, “I mean you guys slaughtered that set. Kinda ballsy doing a Dethklok song though, let alone a duet.”

“It was a risk I was willing to take. I know we’ll get disqualified, but I hope that Dethklok had a good laugh out of it. I bet right now they’re probably disgusted with us.” Nathan smirked, “What do you think they’re saying right now?”

“Heh, probably something like ‘What a bunch of self righteous idiots. They sucked assholes! And that singer, who does she think she is?’” she chuckled but her breath began to stifle, her heart began to spill out, “What a poser, she is nothing more than an ugly wannabe loser who’s going to die alone. I mean really, wow. Her singing was like a little kid learning how to do a monster voice. How fucking pathetic!” The vocalist curled up in her chair and hugged her knees, she felt like the world was crashing down around her as she kept on venting. For some odd reason, Nathan wanted to comfort her. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay and that she wasn’t who she said she was. But his hesitancy bit his tongue, he mindlessly walked toward the spiraling singer. The woman snapped back to reality when she saw Nathan hulking over her, he knelt down to her level and quietly stared at her with a look of calm understanding in his eyes. Nathan finally spoke up, “You know what, fuck your old band. You were more metal by yourself than with those dildos! And sure Dethklok would laugh, but I don’t think it would be at you.” The lady was stunned at such kind words from a complete stranger. The vocalist aggressively wiped her tears away again, this time messing up her already tear stained makeup, “Ack, sorry. I just kinda drowned there for a second. Look at me talking too much again.” she sighed, “Thank you for listening to my stupidity.” She looked towards the bottle of champagne, “You can have the booze and the snacks. I think I’m gonna grab an uber home.” Nathan backed away slowly to give her some space and straighten herself out in her chair. “By the way, I didn’t catch your name.”

“It’s Nathan.”

“Nathan… I’ll remember that. I’m Makina Gorgon, that’s why they call me Medusa.” she smiled pitifully, trying to play off her sadness. Makina made little devil horns with her hands and winked playfully. Just then there was a sound coming towards the green room, a voice called out along with a set of footsteps. “Nathan, come on where the-. AH! There you are, come on we’re going up soon.” Pickles looked over at Makina who’s mascara was clearly messed up from crying. “Oh hey, you’re that singer from Lycan RIOT. That was metal as fuck, great pipes kid.” Makima blinked hard and fast, were her eyes deceiving her at this very moment? Pickles grabbed Nathan’s arm and began to drag him out of the room, “Come on man, let’s go!” Then the realization finally set in, her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red and her hands were shaking. “It was nice chatting with you, Medusa.” He said smiling as he exited the room, following Pickles out. Makina’s heart sank, the man who she was venting all her stupid little problems to was none other than Nathan motherfucking Explosion, the Nathan Explosion.

Nathan and Pickles regrouped with the rest of Dethklok, “Ah there you are.” The announcer greeted the two, “Gentlemen, we need you to make a decision before you go on stage. Which of the finalists should win?”

“Lycan RIOT.” Nathan stated bluntly, “They had my attention and deserve to win.”

“I second that vote, they were entertaining.” Pickles chimed in. “I agrees too! The lady singers was like if Nathans was a womens!” Toki gleefully exclaimed. “I would agree too. But I think those idiots had a lot of balls to cover us, especially since they broke the rules.” Murderface interrupted. “What rules?” Nathan asked. “It’s like that stupid European contest, they played a different song than the one they submitted.”

“That’s bullshit!”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but, for once, Murderface is right.” The announcer straightened his tie, “They would be disqualified by default. Also for a number of other reasons. I’m sorry, but you all cannot vote for Lycan RIOT. We also received word that all the members left without a trace.”

“Damns, so it’s betweens that skas-punk trash heaps or dumb internets rap kids. Such disgustings choosinings.” Skwisgaar sneered. “Hold on a second, not all of Lycan RIOT left. The lead’s still here, I can find her. I’ll be back.” Nathan ran back to the green room. All Makina wanted to do was hide away in a hole 16 leagues under the sea. She debated whether to stay and watch the show or get that uber she promised herself. But before she could make that decision, Nathan bursted through the doorway. “DON’T LEAVE!” He yelled, “I NEED YOU TO STAY HERE, GOT IT?” And just like that Nathan left to join the other members of Dethklok onstage. Regrouping back with his band, Nathan pointed to the green room. “You, dildo, she’s still there. Make sure she doesn’t leave!” Pickles was surprised by Nathan’s words, he had never seen the raven haired man so adamant before on anything. Makina hesitated and cautiously walked near the wings, peeking from backstage. She could hear the sound of Guts Punch Balls Throw Up begin to play, her stomach twisted. What exactly was happening?

After Dethklok’s performance, the announcer was handed a microphone, “Alright, it’s time for our judges to make a final decision. What’s your verdict fellas?” Nathan looked to his band and then towards the wings, “We decided that Lycan RIOT should win.”

“Ooh, I’m sorry. Unfortunately, due to Lycan RIOT breaking some rules and some faces, they will be disqualified from the competition. So Dethklok, which band is going to win Doom-opolis this year?” Nathan snatched the microphone from the announcer, “We said Lycan RIOT wins, got it?” The frontman said more firmly. “But, they’re not even here! No representatives, no win! And like I stated before the band was disqualified.“

“WHO GIVES A SHIT!” Nathan shouted defensively. Meanwhile in the wings, Makina was utterly stunned when her band’s name was called. “We, Dethklok, have decided that Lycan- no, that Medusa should take the golden facebones.” She couldn’t believe it, Makina actually won something?! Maybe her string of putrid luck was finally coming to an end. At that moment she knew she had to stick a middle finger to the world and accept this award, after all it was the most metal thing to do. In a flash, all of her worry and doubt had melted away. It was as if everything she had suffered through that night was worth it. Makina walked on stage with pride in her soul, Nathan smirked and tossed the microphone to her. Makina wore the biggest shit eating grin and began her acceptance speech, “I am Makina Gorgon, former lead singer of Lycan RIOT and now a solo artist. I humbly accept this award on behalf of my stupid bandmates who decided to scurry away like sewer rats. Thank you Dethklok, thank you Doom-opolis, and a big fuck you to everyone who didn’t fear the Medusa!” The crowd roared and rumbled with applause. The other members of Dethklok were not paying attention to her speech, instead they were puzzled by Nathan’s facial expressions and body language. He was smiling and nodding in a fatherly manner, acting as if Makina was his own flesh and blood. Nathan crossed his arms proudly almost as if he wanted to say ‘That’s my little girl.’. The announcer and the award presenter were appalled by the disrespectful display that took place. Murderface snatched the award away and handed it to her, “You are one crazy son of a bitch.” He whispered. The crowd cheered, Makina handed the microphone to a stage hand and was ready to pose for a photo with the band for the press. Makina smiled widely and raised the award in the air in a pair of devil horns, Dethklok and Makina walked off stage together. They could see the angry look of the other bands but they didn’t care.

After the many photos, Nathan realized what he needed to say to them. How to reach out to them. “Medusa, since you’re solo now I think it’s best if you get some help. How about I become your mentor?” Makina’s eyes lit up like a christmas tree, “You mean, I can be your protégé?!”

“Is that a fancies words for pets?” Toki asked naively. “Nah Toki, she will be his apprentice, a student in the ways of metal. ” Pickles corrected. Nathan looked at Makina, he saw it again, that younger version of himself in her. The young man who he once was, when he signed onto Crystal Mountain Records. The same young man who had felt the betrayal of his former bandmate Magnus Hammersmith. A singer that could scream out their tragedies and make it into the most brutal form of art in the world. He didn’t want to fully admit his admiration for the singer. But in that very moment, Nathan wanted nothing more than to see Makina thrive. He could imagine how badass of an artist she could be. And with his guidance, the possibilities seemed endless.

“What do you say?” Makina wanted to scream and jump around like a little kid on a sugar high. All she wanted to do was to hug Nathan and thank him for the opportunity, but she didn’t. She held back her glee with all her might, her hands were still shivering as she went to shake Nathan’s hand to seal the deal in a professional matter. “I- I look forward to working with you!” Makina said nervously. “We start in a week.”

“YES SIR!” Makina said stiffly, the professional dam that held her excitement was slowly crumbling away. “Dude, you can let loose a little.” Pickles said, patting her reassuringly on the back. “Yeah s-sure. Totally totally totally. I’ll just be uh… right back.” Makina backed away slowly to the green room and slammed the door behind her. She smiled widely and began to squee like the fan girl she was. She pumped her fists in the air in a victorious manner and danced around like an idiot. Nathan didn’t realize it, but his world was about to be shaken. This was only the start of Makina’s metal journey.

[alliluyevas]

speaking of mormon names and joseph as a mormon name. literally one of the funniest things ive ever read was this vignette in the bio i read of lds prophet joseph f. smith about how he hated having his name shortened and thought it was actively offensive to the point where he'd get irritated about other people named joseph going by joe. and he was arguing it was disrespectful to the biblical joseph waksjdfkghszdfg

[thelampandshield]

Six Theologians Who Resisted Fascism You Should Know

With Art History Spotlight on "The White Crucifixion" by Marc Chagall, created in 1938

Marc Chagall’s The White Crucifixion is one of his most politically charged and evocative works, painted in 1938 while Europe was on the brink of war, and the persecution of Jews under the Nazi regime was escalating rapidly. Chagall, a Belarusian-born Jewish artist, was living in Paris at the time, having fled the Russian Revolution. His personal experience as a displaced refugee and witness to systemic oppression deeply informs the emotional intensity of The White Crucifixion.

He places Christ, depicted as a Jewish man wearing a tallit (prayer shawl) instead of a loincloth, at the center of the painting, framing Christ’s crucifixion as a symbol of solidarity with the persecuted. Surrounding the crucified Christ are chaotic scenes of Jewish suffering, including burning synagogues, refugees fleeing violence, and figures carrying Torah scrolls. These vignettes reflect the harrowing realities of 1938. The flames and destruction depicted resonate with events like Kristallnacht (Nazi attacks on Jewish homes, synagogues, and businesses) and the Anschluss (Annexation of Austria).

At a time when Christian imagery was being appropriated by fascist regimes, Chagall reclaims the crucifixion as a universal emblem of suffering and injustice. His use of light in the painting is significant: the radiant halo surrounding Christ contrasts sharply with the dark, fiery scenes of destruction, suggesting hope and redemption amidst despair.

The painting was both celebrated and controversial. Some viewed it as a poignant critique of European complacency toward the persecution of Jews, while others saw it as a radical and unsettling use of Christian imagery to address contemporary issues. Chagall himself narrowly escaped Nazi persecution, fleeing Paris in 1941 for the United States after the Nazi occupation.

Six Theologians Who Resisted Fascism

During the Nazi regime, several theologians and religious leaders stood as prophetic voices of resistence, often at great personal cost. These figures remind us of the church’s potential to act as a moral compass in times of injustice.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

A German Lutheran pastor, Bonhoeffer openly resisted Nazi policies through his involvement in the Confessing Church. He wrote extensively about costly discipleship, asserting that “silence in the face of evil is itself evil.” His participation in a plot to assassinate Hitler ultimately led to his execution in 1945. Bonhoeffer’s works, including The Cost of Discipleship and Letters and Papers from Prison, remain foundational texts for understanding the intersection of faith and resistance.

Karl Barth

A Swiss Reformed theologian, Barth was a key author of the 1934 Barmen Declaration, which rejected the Nazi-aligned “German Christian” movement. Barth’s theology emphasized the sovereignty of God, rejecting the deification of race or state. Forced into exile, Barth’s works, particularly Church Dogmatics, continue to challenge the alignment of faith with oppressive ideologies.

Edith Stein

A Jewish-born philosopher who converted to Catholicism and became a Carmelite nun, Stein was an outspoken critic of antisemitism. Arrested by the Nazis, she was sent to Auschwitz, where she perished in 1942. Her writings, including The Science of the Cross, are a testament to her faith and intellect in the face of evil.

Paul Tillich

An influential Protestant theologian, Tillich was dismissed from his academic position in Germany for his opposition to the Nazis. Fleeing to the United States, he continued his theological work, critiquing authoritarianism and exploring the courage required to confront dehumanizing systems in works such as The Courage to Be.

Rabbi Leo Baeck and Abraham Heschel

Rabbi Baeck, a leading Jewish theologian, worked tirelessly to protect Germany’s Jewish population during the Holocaust and survived the concentration camps. Heschel, who fled Europe before the Holocaust, later became a prophetic voice in the American Civil Rights Movement. His writings, such as The Prophets, connect resistance to systemic injustice with a deep theological imperative.

Father Bernhard Lichtenberg

A Catholic priest who publicly prayed for Jews and criticized Nazi policies, Lichtenberg was arrested and died en route to Dachau concentration camp. His courage exemplifies the power of faith in confronting authoritarianism.

#ArtAndResistance #TheologyAndJustice #FaithInAction #NeverForget #HistoricalArt #ArtAgainstHate #MarcChagall #TheWhiteCrucifixion #ChagallArt #ArtForJustice #HolocaustRemembrance #JewishHistory #NaziResistance #faithandpolitics #ImagoDei #LessonsFromHistory

[therealslimshakespeare]

I hold space for all opinions but I have to lovingly reaffirm some other comments on here about A Wedding and a Willy because that fic was such good vibes and fluffy post war insight into relationships. One thing that strikes me is I think it actually speaks MORE to Brady and Gale's kindness to eachother that they can realize they bring a host of painful memories even if they might be close and choose to let the other have their wedding day without that painful association. Like, THAT is actual thoughtfulness and being present to the other person in a way that the rest of society might judge but they are protecting each other. Of course, I feel like Maureen is just an extension of Gale's choice and supports him in it, since it seems she will be close to him and Jack in support and Tilly also supports Jack's choice, even though to be sure, she likely doesn't have the full knowledge of what went down, I know that girl is perceptive. I love that level of understanding they hold for eachother - thought it actually elevated the depth of their relationship and post war kindness for one another.

There were so many little vignettes of relationships (shit word choice but a better one escapes my tired brain) in that chapter that were so fun to weave. Bucky and Ida being HUGE! Ida and Rosie being inexorable. Jack and Bucky being…prophetic perhaps, uhem. The intentions of Gale and Maureen…

But oh gosh. My heart is with Gale and Jack the most tbh and that tiny moment you mentioned of shared love and respect. They drive me insane because they never forgive each other because there’s nothing to forgive, they never insist they love each other despite it all -they just show it. They never protest that the respect remains between them, it’s simply there and obvious for all to see. They’re men of their times and they need therapy but that’s not happening so, “I’d like you to meet my mother sir” is the closest thing to resolution this horror show will ever see and there’s a antiquated bravery to that which I am stupidly fond of, not gonna lie.

[bubblesandgutz]

Every Record I Own - Day 773: Lungfish The Unanimous Hour

My first exposure to The Unanimous Hour was on a European tour back in 2005. Our booking agent and I got to talking about music during some downtime in London and by the end of the conversation he had shoved CD copies of King Crimson's Red and Lungfish's The Unanimous Hour into my hands, incredulous that I hadn't heard either. Red made enough sense to me that I picked up the LP upon returning to the States. But The Unanimous Hour didn't win me over, and a decade would pass before I heard it again.

Once again I was in Europe. We had a day off to pull a long drive from Poland to Lithuania. It was late autumn and the sun set early, so most of the drive was in the dark. By this point I was getting pretty heavily into Lungfish but there were still a few albums I hadn't spent time with. I remember downloading The Unanimous Hour onto my phone and listening to it on that long, dark drive on my headphones. As I mentioned earlier, I've found that Lungfish doesn't translate well as driving music, and once again, the album passed without making much of an impression on me.

Still, I couldn't pass on a cheap vinyl copy The Unanimous Hour when I found it in the wild a few months later. Honestly, it's been the least played LP of theirs in my collection, and I wasn't entirely sure what I'd have to say about it when it came into the Tumblr queue. But I've been listening to The Unanimous Hour a lot over the last few days and I've finally had my magic-eye moment with it.

Even at the outset of all these Lungfish posts, I tended to lump The Unanimous Hour in with the last era of the band. The first era was when Lungfish felt like the more cryptic twin to Fugazi. The second era---from Sound In Time through the end of the '90s---was when they found their footing in repetition and metaphysical lyrics and began to deconstruct their approach to songwriting. The final era, to my ears, found the band zeroing in on a very rudimentary, foundational approach to punk. Higgs becomes both more menacing and more prophetic. The songs generally become a little more muscular, though in contrast to their earlier work, the quieter and more reserved songs tend to become the highlights.

I love the entire Lungfish catalog, but my favorite records are in that second era, and The Unanimous Hour, with it's clamorous and sneering album opener "Space Orgy," felt like the transition away from the more meditative and spatial records in their catalog. I'm not sure why I initially felt the album was a move away from their past work. The next two songs tap into familiar territories: "Web of Mirrors" is an instrumental vignetter not unlike some of my favorite tracks off Artificial Horizon and "Searchlight" is an authoritative exercise in muscular minor key minimalism similar to the general vibe of Sound In Time. And things start to get a lot weirder from there.

"Vulgar Theories" is primitive even by Lungfish standards---just one fuzzy chord banged out in quarter notes for the verses while Higgs does his usual Higgs-isms. The chorus is the same chord, the same timing, the same tempo, just a little louder and with one extra chord thrown in every fourth measure. Repeat for four minutes. But somewhere around the third or fourth cycle of the loud-louder verse/chorus structure, the band throws in a third chord, and it feels like the most triumphant thing ever. A Lungfish song with an apex? Who would've thought?

The album continues to wield some of Lungfish's weirdest and wildest material---the sublime lullaby-like "God's Will," the one-chord drone and octave-shifted vocals of "Metatron," the noise-swaddled instrumental "Return to the Caves," the transcendent tape manipulation of "Hallucinatorium"---all of it distinctly Lungfish, while also demonstrating a continuing exploration of possibility.

In many ways, I feel a little embarrassed that it's taken me 18 years to decipher the album's charms. After all, it's not as if Lungfish's music is complicated or complex. Quite the opposite. It's rudimentary to the point of being a bit puzzling. Like... that's it? That's all you've got? But once you realize that the individual songs have no grand trajectory and instead seem to be obsessive studies of a single simple principle, a magic begins to emerge from the material.

Maybe that's why Pitchfork was generally unkind to Lungfish, except when it came to reviewing their reissues. You can't expect a critic to grant a Lungfish album a cursory listen and walk away from it with a full understanding of its power. It takes time to understand the songs, even if it sounds like very little time was spent putting the songs together. In this case, it took me nearly 18 years to truly appreciate to appreciate their eighth album, but it was well worth the wait.

[writingwolverina]

DECLARATION OF INTENT

Working title is Time Lost but it'll definitely change.

This started as one of my short stories from the Creed of Gethin (and the character will still feature in a less involved vignette) but now it's spun out of control into a full blown novel.

Set in the Wild West of Bladland, 200 years after the events of The Unwanted Prophet, Time lost will feature the first Prophet of Death since Quincy - it will follow this prophet on a darker, more horrific adventure with the usual godly shenanigans.

I'm really excited to have a solid concept that I'm interested in writing after this trilogy, especially something more geared towards horror. Inspirations are Midnight Mass, the Endless and Apostle.

[20117464]

Dream Sequences- The Sopranos

Tony Soprano is a gangster. The Sopranos is a show that was ahead of its time in storytelling. Writing for television was seen as inferior and nothing comparable to film. The Sopranos, however, offered us something new. Using surrealism in dream sequences to crack the psyche of the morally grey gangster Tony Soprano. We see him at some of his more vulnerable “honest self” in his therapy sessions but even then he is driven by ego, lust, pride rage and the rest. Entire episodes dedicated to the subconscious of his dreams are a surprising way for the audience to delve into his innermost paranoia and feelings. It's very subversive- when you think of mafia media, having mystic random dreams with spiritual qualities and talking fish is maybe the last thing you'd expect. But people took this show very seriously and it is cemented in pop culture. To present this type of narrative to such a wide audience was a bold choice that paved the way for many shows after it 

While the dream sequences can be funny and odd to watch,  a surreal begs for the audience to take it seriously. No vignette, no black and white no strange transitions. We are thrust into Tony's dream as if it were reality. 

My reaction to this is that  I wanted to skip them at first but then it seemed to grow on me as I saw how symbolic and prophetic they were to the show. It was so bold to include those elements in television at that time. For my project, I would like to draw on this surreal prophetic type of dream narrative. 

[prophetic-hijinks]

feliz cumpleaños

Master comic list

star from the beginning

one shots

The twins were born today, September 16th. Colombia’s St.Valentines day.

[kindwarrior]

What’s great about this, is the whole point of the Archie Bunker character was to make a character so unlikeable he could be used to tell people what not to think while the college educated “meathead” Michael Stivic (played by Rob “the pedophile” Reiner) was intended to be the voice of “smart”, “reasonable” people whom you should listen to. The formula had worked well in the, less financially successful, “Death Do Us Part” BBC series, from which “All in the Family” was derived. Americans proved to be a more insightful audience, however, and people quickly saw Michael Stivic for what he was: a condescending, arrogant freeloader, while Archie became beloved as a cranky, opinionated, blowhard who, under that cruft, always meant well. Eventually, in response to the American audiences’ reaction to Archie, the writers were begrudgingly forced to write his character more sympathetically. Then, realizing that they lost him as a villain, started to change him to be sympathetic to their agendas (which ultimately killed the character and the series). I can’t remember the source any more but I read an article, way back in the 1970s, bemoaning “All In The Family’s” failure to be the propaganda tool that “Death Do Us Part” was. They blamed Carroll O’Connor for making Archie too likable. I credit the American people for being less gullible.

This scene is a great vignette of how the propaganda was supposed to work and how, ultimately, it utterly failed. This long dialogue, almost a soliloquy, was meant to ridicule those who rightly guessed that the 1970s oil crisis (Caused by Jimmy Carter shutting down the TransContinental Pipeline) was artificial, social engineering. I’m sure many people, uncomfortable with the idea the Government might conspire against their own people, found solace in the ridicule allowing them to go back to sleep but many others watched and thought, “he might just have a point.”

Decades later, with the gift of hindsight, Archie is a prophet.

Archie is as relevant today as he was in the 1970's! 🤔

[oldschoolfic-ds9]

Nothing Else Matters

by OMonteith, unknown year

A post "Tears of the Prophets" vignette .

Words: 949, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Rating: R

Warnings: none listed

Characters: Julian Bashir, Elim Garak, Jadzia Dax, Worf

Relationships: Garak/Bashir

Reader suggested tags (what are these?): none

links (link broken? report it and try the archive.org alternative):

tripod

archive.org - option 1

[elsewhereuniversity]

There's someone in my econ class who keeps writing weird messages on the board before class. Sometimes it's stuff like "Do not trust the woman in the Wrong Office, she has more eyes than you can see." And sometimes it's "look both ways before you assist with evacuation procedures". They sign all of them with the name Cassandra

[propheticfire]

My Sister’s Boy

A Dragon Prince fic:

I remember like it was yesterday, my sister’s boy came running into the kitchen to say he’d made a new friend, and the friend was a prince. “And he likes birds and animals and he took me to the top of the tower and I could see everything!” he said, swiping a jelly tart off the cooling table. I scolded him for taking the tart, but I softened it with, “Your mother would have my head if I let your hands get burned. Wrap it in cloth first.” And I gave him another tart. He beamed at me. “Thank you, Uncle Barius!” he yelled as he scampered back out the door.

I remember my sister’s boy, a young teenager, sliding into the kitchen when my back was turned, when he thought I wouldn’t notice, to quietly wrap up a jelly tart. Not quiet enough, though; I could hear the sniffles of stifled tears. I thought he would leave, but he lingered there a while. Finally, in a small voice, he said, “I miss them.” Nearly broke my heart. I missed them too, of course. My sister and her husband, taken too soon from this world. “I miss them too,” was all I could say, my voice cracking.

I remember later that day, my sister’s boy came to me to tell me that his friend the Prince had offered to let him stay in the castle for a while, if he wanted. “I think that’s a fine idea, my boy!” I encouraged. “Do you some good to get out of this dreary house. Just don’t forget to come visit your Uncle Barius once in a while, huh?” And he smiled and promised he wouldn’t forget.

I remember when my sister’s boy got married. He looked so handsome, dressed in regalia that his parents or I could never have afforded. He beamed at his bride with besotted eyes, and she returned the gaze in kind. His friend the Prince stood by as Best Man. I was so proud. After the ceremony, during the celebration, he wrapped me in a friendly hug and thanked me for bringing my famous jelly tarts to the feast. “Of course!” I told him. “Anything for my favorite nephew.” To which he pointed out that he was my only nephew. We laughed.

I remember the day my sister’s boy came to tell me that his wife left him. I hadn’t seen him in several years. Quite a few, actually. It gets like that. People get older and raise children and have busy lives, and they don’t always have time for everything. But I welcomed him in as if no time had passed at all. He didn’t tell me why they’d split, and I didn’t ask. I just gave him a fresh tart, like old times, and patted his shoulder when the tears came.

I remember hoping that I’d see my sister’s boy when I brought my jelly tarts to the castle, to honor the young Prince Ezran’s coronation as King. He reminded me so much of my sister’s boy, when he’d been that age. Same tart-stealing tendency, and insufferably precious face. But I didn’t see my nephew. I hadn’t seen him for a very long time.

I remember that my sister’s boy had once been so full of light and life and laughter. But watching him now, riding out with the whole of the Katolian army at his back, with the host of soldiers from every corner of the five kingdoms, I know that he’s changed. I know that there’s a darkness over him now. And I don’t agree with his course of action. But I still wish—I still wish—I could hand him a jelly tart, for the road. Fresh from the oven. Wrapped in a soft cloth. And he’d take it and look at me and say, “Thank you, Uncle Barius.” And I’d look back at him and say, “You’re welcome, Viren. Anything for my sister’s boy.”

(Also available on AO3.)